The Young Urban Doctor
Chapter 1477: A Comedy of Errors

Chapter 1477: Chapter 1477: A Comedy of Errors

Luo Ziling didn’t expect to receive a message from Ouyang Feifei at this moment, and he felt a surge of irritation in his heart.

But after reading the message, he realized it was sent by Ouyang Feifei around 7:30 AM.

This meant that after he responded to her earlier message, she had replied back again.

There were a few more messages after that, roughly asking where he went so early, why he couldn’t be reached by phone, and why he didn’t reply to her messages.

It seemed that when his phone restarted and WeChat launched, the messages popped up only then.

What was infuriating was, why didn’t the messages appear right when the phone restarted, but instead jumped out while he was showing photos to Yang Qingyin?

Luo Ziling ignored Ouyang Feifei’s messages and immediately chased after Yang Qingyin.

Yang Qingyin walked quickly, but she didn’t follow the path around Taiye Pool. Instead, she turned in another direction, heading toward the Pear Garden ruins.

During the Prosperous Tang era, the Daming Palace had a pear orchard, where Emperor Li Longji loved to play music, arrange dances, and compose melodies. Yang Yuhuan often danced there with Li Longji and even collaborated on music with him. To make Yang Yuhuan laugh, Li Longji even acted as a clown himself.

An emperor acting as a clown was naturally an unorthodox and undignified act, tarnishing imperial decorum. To mitigate this, his attendants came up with an idea—they hung a piece of white jade on his nose and applied white powder to the clown’s nose as part of the costume. Ever since, the role of the clown in theater gained prominence, and the clown was always the first to have their makeup applied. This tradition was linked to Li Longji’s fondness for acting the clown, and he earned the title of the patron deity of Chinese theater.

The Pear Garden wasn’t only a place where Li Longji and Yang Yuhuan studied music and rehearsed dances; it also served as a training ground for musicians. Over time, the term "Pear Garden" became synonymous with theatrical troupes, and its members were referred to as the Pear Garden disciples.

Today, the site of the Pear Garden no longer holds its former charm and romance. On such a day, there weren’t even any tourists around—just a few lonely Tang-era statues standing there.

"Her lotus face, willow-like brows—how could one not shed tears seeing this? Peach and plum blossoms bloom in spring winds, leaves of wutong fall in autumn rains. Autumn grass grows rampant in the western palace and southern chambers, red leaves cover the steps, left unswept. Pear Garden disciples’ hair has turned white, while palace maids have grown old."

Following behind Yang Qingyin, Luo Ziling recited a passage from Bai Juyi’s *Song of Everlasting Regret* before stepping forward and grabbing Yang Qingyin’s arm with a smile, "We love music too. Doesn’t that make us Pear Garden disciples?"

"No one wants to stoop to your level," Yang Qingyin snapped, shaking off Luo Ziling’s hand.

Luo Ziling chuckled, undeterred.

"The lofty Liyuan Palace reaches into the clouds, celestial music floats on the wind, ubiquitous. Slow songs, graceful dances, and the sound of strings—kept the emperor rapt all day. Yuyang drums shook the earth, shattering the Rainbow Feather Robe Melody." Luo Ziling pointed to the row of statues ahead depicting Li Longji, Yang Yuhuan, and palace attendants staging a dance. He smiled and said, "Actually, Li Longji and Yang Yuhuan were both geniuses in music. If Li Longji had abdicated after decades of rule to focus solely on music, the Prosperous Tang might have lasted even longer. The golden Kaiyuan era could have continued into the Tianbao years. The world would’ve seen both a wise monarch and a musical genius, leaving behind countless timeless classics beyond the *Rainbow Feather Robe Melody*."

"’The lofty Liyuan Palace reaches into the clouds’—do you think this is the right place to recite that?" Yang Qingyin turned to glare at Luo Ziling.

"It should be recited at Huaqing Pool. Tomorrow, when we visit Huaqing Pool, I’ll recite the entirety of *Song of Everlasting Regret* for you."

"You think reciting *Song of Everlasting Regret* is impressive?" Yang Qingyin still retorted irritably.

"An 840-character long poem—how many people in this world can recite it from memory?"

"Hmph, frog in a well!" Yang Qingyin rolled her eyes at Luo Ziling and ignored him, continuing to walk ahead.

"How about this—for tomorrow at Huaqing Pool, we’ll have a challenge. Whoever can recite *Song of Everlasting Regret* at the entrance wins. If I can, and you can’t, you treat me to the visit. If you can recite it too, I’ll pay for the tickets and all the expenses. Deal?" After making the proposal, Luo Ziling grinned cheekily and added, "Actually, I think Huaqing Pool should offer a discount to anyone who can recite the entire poem. Imagine—free admission for such a feat!"

Yang Qingyin slowed her steps but still spoke icily, "You think anyone can just memorize an 840-character poem? Setting such a ’reward’ makes no difference to setting nothing at all. Besides, *Song of Everlasting Regret* wasn’t written for Huaqing Pool."

"You’re right, but my suggestion isn’t related to that," Luo Ziling said, running ahead to block Yang Qingyin’s path and pressing for an answer. "My suggestion’s good, isn’t it? What do you think? Not just the Huaqing Pool tickets—we could include the Terracotta Warriors tickets and even cover food and drinks. That’s a big expense!"

"I’m just a poor student—I can’t afford it!" Yang Qingyin rolled her eyes at him again.

"Then memorize *Song of Everlasting Regret*—and you won’t need to spend a cent tomorrow."

"Seeing you ruins my mood to travel. Stop trying to assert your presence around me and go away!" Yang Qingyin muttered before walking ahead again.

Luo Ziling followed with a grin. "I won’t stand in your way. Can I walk beside you—or behind you?"

Seeing Luo Ziling’s infuriating grin, Yang Qingyin suddenly raised her foot to kick him.

Luo Ziling dodged nimbly and then reached out to wrap an arm around Yang Qingyin’s shoulder, laughing. "You dressed in Hanfu today just for our trip to Daming Palace, didn’t you?"

Today, Yang Qingyin was wearing a modified Hanfu, her hair neatly styled into a bun. She looked exceptionally graceful and beautiful.

Yang Qingyin shook off Luo Ziling’s arm and continued walking ahead without responding.

Still following her, Luo Ziling suggested again, "Why don’t we look at the Daming Palace miniature display first, then visit the Daming Palace Museum? After that, we can explore the park. This way, we won’t miss anything."

Though Yang Qingyin didn’t respond, she took Luo Ziling’s suggestion and walked toward the Daming Palace miniature display.

Along the way, both of them carefully examined the ruins. Luo Ziling shared the stories he knew about the sites, while Yang Qingyin also added her knowledge, even debating with Luo Ziling at times.

As they traveled and talked, the awkward tension between them lessened, and Yang Qingyin’s annoyance gradually faded.

Eventually, when Luo Ziling held her hand again, she didn’t resist or pull away this time.

But the unexpected happened once again.

When they reached the northern side of the Daming Palace miniature display, near the Xuanwu Gate and Chongxuan Gate, both stopped in their tracks.

Yang Qingyin glared at Luo Ziling angrily but didn’t step forward.

Luo Ziling was deeply embarrassed and at a loss for words.

Not far from them stood two women.

One was Ouyang Feifei, and the other was Wang Qing.