On the high platform!
Yaoguang and Lu Tong both fell silent, especially Yaoguang; although Xia Chen's angry rebuke was directed at those scholars, this literary gathering was hosted by her…
"Princess!"
Zi Yue softly called out behind Yaoguang.
"It's fine, how could I not have such magnanimity!"
Yaoguang shook her head and said with a smile, "Moreover, he's right. Poetry is but a minor art. Throughout history, no Grand Secretary who governed a country ever did so by relying on poetry!"
"The Princess has great ambitions. If she weren't a woman, she would surely achieve great things!"
Lu Tong also smiled and praised. It was a pity for Yaoguang; her talent and abilities surpassed both the Crown Prince and the Third Prince, but unfortunately, she was a woman.
Otherwise, their Great Wu Dynasty would surely welcome a wise and enlightened ruler in the future.
"What if I am a woman? Who says a woman cannot achieve great things!"
Yaoguang said with a calm smile.
Lu Tong was startled upon hearing this. Yaoguang smiled and did not continue speaking. Her gaze turned towards Xia Chen in the corner of the hall.
She wondered why she felt a certain anticipation for what kind of poem Xia Chen would compose.
In the hall!
Xia Chen, watched by everyone, looked at the crowd and said in a deep voice.
"Where are the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone!"
"Consort, the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone are here. Just recite, and your servant will write for you."
A eunuch quickly stepped forward, bringing excellent brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.
"I'll do it myself!"
Xia Chen shook his head and took the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.
"Then how about I grind the ink and recite for Xia Gongzi!"
Master Tianhai walked to Xia Chen's side with a smile, and without waiting for Xia Chen to speak, he picked up the inkstone and began to grind the ink!
Everyone watching this scene was somewhat petrified.
Master Tianhai, like a mere attendant, voluntarily offered to grind ink for Xia Chen?
Had this world gone mad?
This was Abbot Longshu's personal disciple!
Even when he saw the various princes, he didn't need to give a special bow!
Seeing that Master Tianhai had already started grinding ink, Xia Chen no longer acted reserved. Soon, the ink was ready.
Xia Chen knew calligraphy. From a young age, he had diligently practiced it in the Marquis's Residence. And in his previous life, Xia Chen had also practiced Wang Xizhi's running script, not mastering it, but achieving a minor success.
Therefore, his brushwork flowed smoothly, his characters were handsome and bold, full of momentum, with dynamic strokes, displaying extraordinary prowess.
Standing beside him, Master Tianhai's eyes lit up at the first line, and then he loudly recited it, letting everyone in the audience know the content of the first line.
"When singing of war, one should sing of the Wu hook's song."
Although it was only the first line, not much skill could be discerned yet, but its bold momentum was already evident on the paper.
Soon, Master Tianhai recited the second line.
"Swearing to destroy Qing Country and Great Feng and exit Wuguan."
As this line came out, the previous murmuring in the hall completely stopped, stunned by the magnificent artistic conception within the poem.
Swearing to destroy Qing Country and Great Feng, and unify the world. Wuguan is an important pass in the Northwest direction of Great Wu, serving as the Northwest gateway, and also a vital border defense point for our country against Qing Country and Great Feng.
To launch a western or northern expedition, one must exit through this pass. With the emergence of this line of poetry, the magnificent artistic conception was fully brought forth.
This line of poetry made some of the scholars present feel their blood boil, their faces flushed and ears red!
But then, they heard Master Tianhai's tone shift, and an atmosphere of bleak heroism and a readiness to die surged forth.
"Only knowing how to die for the country on the battlefield,"
"Why bother to return wrapped in horsehide?"
As Master Tianhai's voice fell, many people present got goosebumps all over their bodies.
Someone murmured, "Why bother to return wrapped in horsehide…?"
"Good!"
A startled shout came, and someone sitting at a banquet table couldn't help but slam the table in applause.
"Extremely bold, extremely bold!"
Someone else followed with praise.
"With Xia Gongzi's poem, all the poems we composed earlier are not worthy of the stage."
A young man stood up, picked up his wine cup, and then respectfully offered a toast to Xia Chen with a serious expression.
Everyone looked and saw that this person was Yuan Yongkui, the son of the Minister of War.
Previously, Yuan Yongkui had been very low-key in the crowd, yet now he spoke such words in front of everyone.
Lin Zihan also quietly savored this poem. The more he savored it, the more he felt the magnificent artistic conception within it, depicting soldiers ready to die, fearless of life and death.
"This poem is the greatest frontier poem of our Great Wu in the past three hundred years!"
On the high platform, Lu Tong said with a solemn and serious expression.
Zi Yue repeatedly chanted these four lines, her eyes growing brighter.
Yaoguang looked at the dazzling Xia Chen in the crowd, her spiritual eyes flowing, wondering what she was thinking.
After Xia Chen finished writing the poem, he bowed to Master Tianhai, who had helped him grind the ink.
"Thank you, Master Tianhai, for helping me grind the ink!"
"My help in grinding ink for you is far less valuable than the Buddhist scripture you gave me."
Master Tianhai clasped his hands together, like a devout believer.
"If I have the opportunity, I will definitely go to Tianlong Temple to discuss Buddhist Dharma with Master!"
Xia Chen also clasped his hands in return, then looked towards Xuanzhenzi Daoist Priest, who had been silently watching the show from the side.
"Xuanzhenzi Daoist Priest, if you have time, you can come find me. I have good wine there, and we can drink together!"
Xuan Zhenzi, with hazy, drunken eyes, nodded with a smile.
"Xia Qian, let's go!"
Xia Chen turned and said to Xia Qian, who had a look of adoration behind him.
Then he led Xia Qian through the crowd, out of the hall, and towards the door.
As he was about to leave, Xia Chen turned back and looked at Yaoguang on the high platform. He saw her gaze also fixed on him. Their eyes met in the air. Finally, Xia Chen nodded at her, then no longer lingered, completely disappearing outside the door.
When Xia Chen left, everyone finally could not hold back and began to discuss loudly.
"Damn, this poem is amazing!"
"What spirit! As expected of a direct descendant of the Xia family, he speaks of annihilating both Great Qing and Great Feng upon opening his mouth!"
"Xia Gongzi, at such a young age, has such aspirations. In the future, he may well be like Old Zhen Dong Marquis of yesteryear, leading an army deep into Great Feng territory and conquering the Great Feng capital!"
…
Most scholars were unprincipled. At this moment, they all began to flatter Xia Chen, completely forgetting how they had slandered him earlier.
Lin Zihan looked at the wine cup in his hand, sitting there in silence, and finally got up.
"Let's go too!" After saying that, he also walked out the door.
Jing Xuan stayed in place, still muttering Xia Chen's four lines of poetry repeatedly. The more he recited them, the heavier his heart became.
"Damn it, I can't compare to him in looks, and now I can't compare to him in literary talent. Am I really hopeless?"
Jing Xuan looked at Princess Yaoguang, who was devastatingly beautiful on the high platform, and a sense of powerlessness welled up in his heart.
— — — — — — — —
"Young Master, are we just leaving like this? The literary gathering isn't over yet. What if the Princess…"
On the street, Xia Qian said to Xia Chen with some worry.
"When everyone first asked me to compose a poem, although I deliberately showed weakness, it wasn't to give those people face. In fact, I wanted to see Yaoguang's attitude."
Xia Chen said calmly, without turning his head.
Xia Chen's main purpose was to test Yaoguang; those scholars were merely tools he used.
How laughable! They were smug at the time, thinking they had successfully cornered Xia Chen, leaving him with no retreat, forcing him to angrily rebuke and then compose a poem.
He was actually waiting to see if Yaoguang would speak up for him, if she would stop those who were pressuring him, but Xia Chen didn't get that…
Yaoguang chose silence. Perhaps she only wanted to see if he had true talent and learning, but by not choosing to stand on his side, she stood on his opposite.
There was nothing more to say!
Xia Chen's heart became cold again!
"Did you remember the faces of those who led the cheering the loudest?"
Xia Chen said expressionlessly. Xia Qian, behind him, sensed that his young master's mood seemed very bad. Although his words were calm, they gave him an exceptionally cold feeling.
"I remembered them!"
"In a few days, after I take control of the Eagle Eye Division, have others arrange for them to receive a few 'big meals' as a reward!"
Xia Chen always repaid grudges. Those people tried to climb over him to advance, wanting to curry favor with Lin Zihan, which was simply ridiculous!
Although he, Xia Chen, indeed couldn't pave the way for their promotion, he could certainly send them to the eighteenth level of hell.
Without giving them a lesson, the people in the capital would truly think he was easy to bully.
"Also, help me investigate a student from the Imperial College named Xu Xingchen. Find an opportunity to secretly bring him to me!"
Xia Chen looked at the street vendors, his gaze distant, wondering what he was thinking.
…
【Grand Ancestor had a magnanimous mind and a benevolent heart. At that time, there were those in the capital who were jealous of Grand Ancestor's exceptional talent and challenged him publicly. However, Grand Ancestor merely smiled and did not take it to heart, nor did he secretly retaliate. Because of this virtue, he was praised by scholars throughout the land.
Ambitious individuals across the land gradually gravitated towards Grand Ancestor, moved by his noble character and integrity, and thus willingly followed him!
— Xia History, Volume 6, Annals of Emperor Taizu】
PS: This book is still a seedling. Let's water it and nurture it together to help it grow. To be honest, writing this book required a lot of effort, especially the classical Chinese at the end of each chapter, which is very brain-intensive. This is actually my first time writing a historical novel, so I don't want to let this book down. Sigh, I want to say a lot, but when thousands of words reach my lips, I don't know where to start. I'll share more with my brothers when I have the chance. I will write this book diligently to make sure my brothers enjoy reading it!