There was an elegant residential building in the more quiet part of the capital city's central district. The front gate was a twin wooden gate, connected to the inner residence by a series of elegantly placed stone path, lined by similarly pleasant-looking manicured trees.
There was a lone timber plate on the top frame above the wooden gate, serving as an identity of the residence's master:
[Eternal Brush Wu]
Rather than a simple family name, it actually declared such flashy word in bold characters.
The residence belonged to Master Wu DanShao, an elderly gentleman dubbed as one of two most respected senior scholars in Zhang Empire. Along with only a handful of scholars of his generation, he had taught various members of Imperial Family, from the Emperor before he took the throne, to the current Princes and Princesses. Similarly to most scholars of his generation, his residence was located in the capital of Da Lang. Indeed, he was one of the very few personages who could afford to be flashy.
Inside the residence, there was an elegant courtyard, similarly manicured with plenty of plants and fake hills and ponds to correspond to the best of geomancy arrangement. Some of the taller trees' leaves had turn red and purple, indicating the autumn season that had always come early in the capital city of Da Lang. An elegant ceramic tea set was on a stone table in the courtyard, surrounded by four carved stone seats.
Master Wu DanShao was currently sitting at one of the seats, accompanied by another elderly gentleman.
The other elder was Master Liu YangHuan, the other one of the top two famed scholars, who also had similarly served the Imperial family members along with his good friend.
The two of them were wearing neat clean white robes, and light-colored thicker outer-robes to repel the slightly colder breeze. Both of these elderly gentlemen's facial expression was serene and calm. Their bearing was graceful, and their sagacious wisdom was apparent on their zen-tranquil faces. Their white hairs were tied into a high knot, their white beards flowed naturally, extending past their neck.
From every angle, they looked an epitome of a couple of enlightened sages.
Liu YangHuan was sitting in silence, quietly watching the falling purple and red leaves. As his fingers lightly brushed against the edge of his tea-cup, he emitted a silent sigh,
"Old friend Wu, this is truly marvelous. What can be more joyful than enjoying a cup of warm zhou1from the character zhou 宙: eternity tea, while watching autumn painting the air with its magnificent colors."
Wu DanShao nodded slowly, stroking his beard with his fingers in agreement,
"Definitely fitting, Old Liu." He smiled behind his full white beard, "This old one could never have foretold that there would be days such as this one."
He then gazed at the clear sky with faraway nostalgic look in his eyes, "We truly have come a long way, Brother Liu."
Liu YangHuan similarly looked at the same spot in the sky that his friend was also staring at, his own stare indistinct,
"Old Wu, considering what we have been through... ," he added with gritted teeth, slight ire suddenly appearing on his initially calm face, "Do you remember the trouble we had to go through because of those two brats!!"
"Absolutely!" Wu DanShao was also reminded of a distant past, his white brows knot into a frown, "That Sun Chen brat! Always attracting trouble!"
"Aiya~, Brother Wu. Sun Chen is still quite alright. What about that student of mine, He Shan? This old one admits that he's a prodigy in the art of music. But the way he attracted maidens left, right, and centre... ." His grip on his teacup tightened,
"Everytime he belted some melodies, he had a long line of ducks following him... !! He couldn't even handle them properly! He just ran instead!" Liu YangHuan let out a very undignified snort from his nose, "Kept giving me trouble!!"
"Ah, Sun Chen was no better! I should tell you, Old Liu! That minister's daughter kept pestering me to know his whereabouts as soon as he left for Ming town," Wu DanShao lamented, "And what about that butcher father of a young lady that was attracted to him, just because Sun Chen having helped her carry her luggage on the street!!" He added, his eyes glimmered with woe,
"My beard almost turned black when that burly man appeared at my doorstep with a large cleaver while asking for that brat to take responsibility." He added further with a snort as well, "What responsibility! And Sun Chen was no where to fix his own mess!"
"Ai~, When we first found them when they were small, begging on the street, we took them under our wings and taught them what we know." Liu YangHuan lamented.
"Yes, who knew that those two brats have literary and art talents. But as soon as they grew up, they turned out to be more trouble than we could handle!"
Both turned their heads to look at each other, clearly knowing what the other meant and had gone through. Both let out a loud sigh at the same time.
Then Liu YangHuan let out a hearty laugh, "Never mind! Never mind! The past is gone. Now we are carefree without those two around!"
Wu DanShao also laughed, stroking his white beard again, "You are quite right, Old Liu. Who could have guessed that we can have days like today; everyday have been peaceful ever since those two troublemakers left."
Both looked at each other again, then laughed, stroking their respective white beards in glee.
"Truly beautiful autumn... ." Liu YangHuan sighed for the umpteenth time, returning his attention to the falling leaves once more. Then his eyes suddenly brightened,
"Old Wu! I have just been inspired to compose a short song to celebrate this autumn splendor. What do you say if I let you hear?"
Wu DanShao's eyes also widened in delight, "Ah, it has been a while since I listen to brother Liu's composition. Of course, of course! let us hear this new masterpiece!"
Liu YangHuan reached towards his waist belt and took a dizi that he had always brought with him. He stood straight and brought the bamboo instrument to his lips.
From it, sounded a soft beautiful melody, albeit a short one. The wave of his dizi's whistling sound seemed to gently caress the falling leaves. His eyes never left the falling colorful leaves around him.
Once it ended, Wu DanShao nodded in satisfaction, "Truly great tune! Truly great tune!" He smiled in admiration, "Old Liu, that just inspired me to compose a poem."
He took a long paper scroll from the stone table, bordered by two long pieces of bamboo. After dipping his brush in ink, he paused his fingers in the air for a while, holding to his writing hand's sleeve, then decisively wrote on the paper scroll.
Shortly after, he looked at his own handiwork and nodded in self gratification. He stepped aside for his friend to see, then he poured a cup of tea for himself, still smiling while waiting for his friend's observation.
Liu YangHuan set down his own tea-cup on the stone table. He took the paper scroll and recited loudly, while swaying his head,
[Beauty fading, sky blushing]
[Who deserves to witness such grandeur]
Wu DanShao himself then continued by reciting verbally, also swaying his head in turn,
[o~ autumn, fallen allure of seduction]
[Heart is perennial, but yearning for thy spell]
Both old men looked at each other, then they laughed jovially. Liu YangHuan sincerely complimented his friend, "Brother Wu is truly the 'eternal brush Wu'! What a wonderful poem! What a wonderful poem!"
Wu DanShao shook his head politely, but clearly pleased, "Brother Liu is too kind!"
One sage-like old man with the paper scroll in his hand, still admiring the other's handiwork.
Another sage-like old man with tea-cup in his hand, slowly sipping the warm liquid, looking at his friend admiring his work, pride in his heart.
A young servant boy walked into to the courtyard and bowed his body deeply, "Master Wu, there are some guests... ."
Wu DanShao took another sip of the tea, "Hmm? Who could it be? This old one is not expecting any other guest... ."
Liu YangHuan chuckled, still holding the paper scroll, "It must be some scholars from the capital, wishing to gain some wisdom from Brother Wu... ."
The young servant boy dipped his body lower, cold-sweat trickling down the back of his neck, "Young Master Sun Chen is currently waiting in the front living room... ."
A sound of tea-cup breaking.
The servant added with unease in his voice, "And Young Master He Shan is with him... ."
A sound of certain scroll ripped in two.
The servant just wanted to run. He had the worst luck that day: he had actually drawn bets with his fellow servant friends earlier after they received both of the younger scholars, the Old Masters' students, at the door. He knew about all the past events and the series of women trouble the handsome scholars had brought to Master Wu and Master Liu. Who knew, he actually drew the shortest straw, making him the bearer of this very 'great' news of their arrival.
"And we managed to close the front gates... ." He did not dare to lift his head. If he could plaster himself against the ground, he probably would, "But at the moment, there is a long line of maidens by our gate. The ladies wish to meet the Young Masters now that both of them are back.... ."
Two thudding noise; the servant willed himself to lift his body to look up, and then he screamed in panic,
"Someone!! Anyone!! Master Wu and Master Liu have fainted!!"
