Infinite Professions

Chapter 385: Chapter 202: The Incident Occurs

The years pass quickly, like a fleeting white horse; in the blink of an eye, more than thirty years have gone by. freeweɓnovel.cѳm

Qinghe County, Yellow Crane Tower.

"The mighty Yangtze River flows eastward, sweeping away heroes in its waves."

"Right and wrong, success and failure turn to emptiness upon reflection."

"The green mountains remain, yet how many times does the sunset glow."

"With white hair, fishing and woodcutting on the riverbank, accustomed to the autumn moon and spring breeze."

"A pot of murky wine, delighted in meeting."

"Countless events, ancient and modern, are left to laughter and conversation."

"Turning to emptiness, turning to emptiness, ha ha ha ha ha!"

On the eighth floor, a middle-aged man with speckled white hair laughed sadly, drawing the attention of others, yet soon they turned away.

Yellow Crane Tower has been established for over fifty years. Though not as renowned as those ancient sites, due to the growing fame of the Little Yellow Mountain God, the thriving development of Qinghe and its neighboring county, and the annual grand festival there, it is well-known throughout Jinyang Prefecture, and even across the entirety of Yangzhou, attracting countless scholars, poets, and literary figures.

Life’s myriad forms are different for each, and this tower hosts numerous engraved famous works. Some see the words on the eastward flowing river and feel emotional, saddened by the passage of time, which is perfectly common and unsurprising.

Very soon, the crowd’s attention shifted away.

Only one scholar approached, his face showing surprise and uncertainty as he looked closer at the middle-aged man, finally confirming something, and cautiously calling out: "Brother Xuanling?"

"Hmm!?"

Chen Chuan raised his head, his eyes hazy with intoxication, recognizing the person somewhat but still feeling unfamiliar, immediately asking, "Who are you?"

"It’s me, Zhou Ce, Zhou Jichang!"

The scholar approached, speaking in surprise: "At the grand feast of the Divine Monarch years ago, you and I attended with cultural flair, drinking the Yellow Millet Wine together. Don’t you remember?"

"Zhou Ce?"

Chen Chuan murmured, finally recalling the visitor’s identity, but still seemed indifferent, merely offering a weary smile and raising his cup to him. "Ah, it’s Jichang. Long time no see. Jichang, you remain as distinguished as ever. Come, come, have another drink!"

"This..."

Looking at the half-drunken, incoherent Chen Chuan, Zhou Ce appeared even more bewildered, but still sat down and accepted the wine cup, cautiously observing Chen Chuan.

He was half-grayed, having grown white hair prematurely in middle age, his face full of weariness, his brow deeply furrowed with melancholy, and overtaken by drunkenness, looked utterly fallen apart, nothing like the spirited youth he once was.

"Waiter, bring a bowl of sobering soup."

Finding it unbearable to witness, Zhou Ce immediately set down the wine cup and looked at Chen Chuan again: "I heard Brother was promoted to the prefecture back then, rising through the ranks. How could it be now..."

"Rising through the ranks?"

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Chen Chuan heard this, not responding, only laughing, his brows full of self-mockery.

This itself served as an answer. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm

Seeing this, Zhou Ce wisely refrained from asking further, silently sitting by his side, watching Chen Chuan raise his cup repeatedly, drowning his sorrows in wine.

Soon, a pot of wine was consumed.

"No, is there no more wine?"

Chen Chuan shook the empty wine pot, seeing not a single drop pour out, then turned towards the counter: "Waiter, again, bring me more Yellow Millet Wine!"

"Brother Xuanling!"

Seeing this, Zhou Ce was helpless, placing the sobering soup in front of him.

"Hmm!?"

"Puh!!!"

With blurred vision, Chen Chuan quickly drank it in one gulp, but as soon as it entered his mouth, he spat it out, angrily shouting: "This isn’t wine, where’s my wine! Bring me the wine!"

He then began to act foolishly frenzy.

"Brother Xuanling, you’re drunk!"

With a sigh, Zhou Ce could only console: "That’s enough drinking. Let’s go rest in a room."

"I’m not drunk, I’m not drunk..."

Chen Chuan struggled for a bit, but ultimately could not resist Zhou Ce, who helped him into a private room.

This rest lasted until midnight, and Chen Chuan slowly opened his eyes, feeling a pounding headache, looking blurrily at the person before him: "Where am I?"

"Yellow Crane Tower!"

Zhou Ce shook his head, handing over a bowl of clear water: "Have some water."

Chen Chuan accepted it, drinking difficultly, only then dissipating the feeling of hangover, raising his head to look at Zhou Ce more clearly, and suddenly surprised: "You are... Jichang?"

"It’s me."

Zhou Ce nodded, sat down, and softly asked: "Brother, how did it come to this?"

"..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Chuan fell silent, after a long time letting out a bitter laugh: "Father drinking away my worries."

"Drinking away your worries?"

Zhou Ce looked at him: "Did Brother encounter some difficulty?"

"Difficulty?"

"Ha ha!"

Chen Chuan laughed, shaking his head without speaking, reversing his gaze to Zhou Ce, his face showing surprise.

Zhou Ce was dressed in white, just like upon their first meeting at Yellow Crane, although he had gained a few degrees of maturity and steadiness, and let his beard grow, he did not appear aged, looking only to be in his thirties, full of energy, reliable, entirely different from him.

This left Chen Chuan greatly surprised.

Back then, he served as the Qinghe County Magistrate, after idling for three years, he used family connections for successful promotion and transfer from Qinghe, eventually rising to the State Mansion, in Jinling’s capital, officiating, starting his turbulent career.

Turmoil in officialdom, filled with helplessness and hardship.

Though he hailed from the Chen Clan, a historic noble family, he was not the one steering the helm, merely a son of the clan.

In fact, even the Patriarch of the Chen Clan was nothing remarkable in the dragon-coiled city of Jinling during the Six Dynasties.

Therefore, his official career was not smooth, many aspirations left unfulfilled, repeatedly hitting walls and suffering setbacks, even losing his deepest love, eventually ground down by time to become dispirited, he retired to his old hometown in Jinyang.

Returning to Jinyang, he went to Qinghe after being away for thirty years, ascending once more the Yellow Crane Tower, he was no longer the spirited scion of a noble family, a new star in the officialdom but an aging, dilapidated person, unwelcome even within his clan.

Thus, he ascended again the Yellow Crane, seeing the inscription of the eastward flowing river, it promptly drove him to feel emotional, turning to the alcohol to bury his sorrows, only seeking to be drunk.