160: Chapter 160 The Woman I Love Deeply, Ouyang Wanqing, Daughter of the Prime Minister's Mansion

Time flew by, and another four years passed.

The Great Jiang Dynasty's quadrennial, unprecedentedly grand Poetry Gathering was being held with great ceremony in the capital's luxurious Royal Imperial Garden!

The current Emperor graced the event with his presence, and the civil and military officials gathered in force!

Fourteen-year-old Ouyang Wanqing had already blossomed into a beauty capable of toppling cities and nations.

Seated in the section for female relatives, her cool gaze would occasionally drift toward the young man in white seated in the section for male guests.

And today was also a rare occasion, as it was the first time in these four years that Chen Shanzhi had attended such a public event.

As expected, the banquet had only reached its midpoint.

Several talented youths from noble families, who admired Ouyang Wanqing and had long been extremely jealous of Chen Shanzhi's 'unfair advantage' due to his proximity, couldn't wait to jump out.

With sarcastic tones, they held several poems that were mere attempts at being cultured.

They walked up to Chen Shanzhi, provocatively wanting to 'exchange pointers' with him.

Their words were filled with as much belittlement as possible; they were just short of pointing at Chen Shanzhi's nose and calling him a useless person who could only memorize books.

The gaze of the entire audience quickly focused on them.

Even the Emperor on the main seat set down his wine cup with interest and looked over.

Facing this arrogant provocation, Chen Shanzhi stood up composedly.

He didn't even spare those few clowns a single glance, turning directly and respectfully toward the Emperor on the main seat to perform a standard salute.

“This humble subject, Chen Shanzhi, boldly requests the Emperor to personally set the topic!”

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire audience was in an uproar!

Is this kid crazy?

He dares to let the Emperor directly set the topic?

If he fails to compose something, that would be the serious crime of deceiving the monarch!

The Emperor was also slightly taken aback, then laughed heartily: “Good! You have courage!”

Then he casually raised his head, his gaze scanning the sky.

It just so happened that a flock of wild geese was flying over the Imperial Garden.

The Emperor pointed casually at the sky: “In that case, let the topic be ‘Wild Geese’.

I want to see if you, the capital's child prodigy, truly have some real talent!”

“As you command!”

Chen Shanzhi straightened his back calmly.

He was in no hurry to compose the poem; instead, he calmly surveyed the entire audience before starting to tell a story.

“Reporting to the Emperor.”

Chen Shanzhi's voice was clear and bright, reaching every corner of the Imperial Garden: “A few years ago, when this humble subject followed my father to the capital, I encountered a wild goose catcher on the road.”

“The catcher was holding two wild geese and told me proudly.

He had set a net today and caught one of the geese, then killed it on the spot.”

“However, the incredible thing was that the other goose, which had luckily escaped the net, did not fly away alone to save its life.”

Chen Shanzhi let out a deep sigh: “That goose kept circling and crying mournfully in the sky, watching its killed companion.

Finally... it actually plummeted resolutely from high in the sky, crashing to its death beside its companion, committing suicide out of devotion!”

After the story was finished, the entire venue was extremely quiet.

But soon, those talented youths reacted.

One of them sneered with disdain: “Chen Shanzhi, the Emperor asked you to compose a poem. What kind of strange folktale are you rambling about?

If you can't compose anything, then just admit defeat quickly. Don't use such clumsy tactics to stall for time!”

Amidst the noisy sounds of mockery.

Chen Shanzhi casually took a step forward.

“This humble subject was young then and did not understand why that goose would seek death so foolishly.”

Chen Shanzhi said calmly: “But now, I understand the reason profoundly.”

Before his voice had even faded, Chen Shanzhi composedly took two more steps forward.

His deep gaze accurately pierced through the layers of the crowd, falling upon the beautiful young girl in the female relatives' section who was nervously wringing her handkerchief.

Then, a masterpiece that would shake the ages clearly escaped his lips:

“This humble one's poem is titled ‘ode to the wild goose’ (Ode to the Goose Mound).”

“I ask the world: what is love, that it demands such life-and-death devotion?”

“Flying together across the ends of the earth, how many times have those old wings weathered the heat and cold...”

Boom!

The moment the first line, ‘I ask the world: what is love, that it demands such life-and-death devotion’—that eternal question that strikes directly at the Soul—was recited from Chen Shanzhi's mouth!

The entire Imperial Garden instantly fell into a deathly silence!

The sneers on the faces of those talented youths, who had originally been waiting to see Chen Shanzhi make a fool of himself, froze instantly, then turned into unbelievable shock.

No one even dared to take a loud breath, for fear of disturbing these exquisite lines.

Only Chen Shanzhi's clear voice, imbued with deep emotion, echoed clearly within the Imperial Garden.

“Joy in companionship, bitterness in parting, and amidst it all, even more foolish children of love...”

When the final line of the poem was finished, the entire venue remained in a deathly silence.

Everyone was savoring that Soul-shaking line, ‘I ask the world: what is love’.

In the female relatives' section, Ouyang Wanqing bit her red lips tightly, her beautiful autumn-water eyes already filled with crystalline tears.

I ask the world: what is love, that it demands such life-and-death devotion...

There was no need for Chen Shanzhi to say another word.

She knew clearly that this poem was composed by Chen Shanzhi specifically for her!

In these past few years, although the two had not made their relationship explicit.

But that intense emotion, which almost overflowed, had already met countless times in their gazes.

However, just half a month ago, Ouyang Wanqing had accidentally overheard a secret conversation between her father and eldest brother outside the study.

She learned in despair that once she passed her fifteenth birthday's Coming-of-age ceremony, her father would marry her to the First Prince to bind the Prime Minister's Mansion to the Royal Family!

From that day on, Ouyang Wanqing's world collapsed.

She was afraid, panicked, and didn't even dare to show a single trace of emotion in front of Chen Shanzhi.

She was afraid that once her father discovered it, it would be detrimental to Chen Shanzhi!

But today, in this occasion under the gaze of thousands!

When she truly heard this emotionally intense ‘ode to the wild goose’.

The emotions Ouyang Wanqing had suppressed for half a year were like a violently erupting volcano, no longer able to be restrained!

Two lines of clear tears slid uncontrollably down her exquisite face.

If it weren't for the constraints of etiquette, she would want to rush out regardless of everything and throw herself forcefully into the arms of that dazzling youth!

And Chancellor Ouyang, who sat at the head of the officials.

After hearing this poem, he keenly captured Chen Shanzhi's burning gaze.

His calculating old face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot!

An ominous feeling instantly shrouded his heart!

Upon the main seat, the Emperor sat there quietly.

His slender fingers rhythmically and gently tapped the armrest of the Dragon Throne.

He did not speak for a long time.

A full half-cup-of-tea's time passed.

“Clap! Clap! Clap!”

The Emperor suddenly sat up straight and began to clap vigorously!

“Good poem! Truly an exquisite poem!”

The Emperor praised excitedly: “I ask the world: what is love, that it demands such life-and-death devotion?”

“This is simply a Soul-shaking question for the ages!

This poem deserves a great toast!

I announce that for this year's Poetry Gathering, Chen Shanzhi takes the top prize!

My ministers, does anyone disagree?”

How could the officials and talented youths below dare to have the slightest disagreement?

In the face of this poem, who would dare to bring their own rubbish to compare?

Everyone stood up in unison and shouted respectfully: “The Emperor is wise! The Child Prodigy Chen is well-deserving!”

Chen Shanzhi was not arrogant, but bowed appropriately: “Thank you for the Emperor's excessive praise.”

The Emperor looked at Chen Shanzhi with satisfaction and asked with a smile: “Since you have taken the top prize, does Minister Chen have any desired reward?

I am happy today and can make an exception to grant you one condition!”

Hearing this, Chen Shanzhi took a deep breath, solemnly cupped his hands, and said loudly:

“In response to the Emperor, this humble subject indeed has one important matter to request!”

“Oh?”

The Emperor raised his eyebrows with interest and joked gossiping-ly:

“Let me guess, seeing your extremely burning gaze.

It wouldn't be that you want me to bestow a marriage between you and the woman described in your poem, would it?”

Chen Shanzhi decisively flipped his robe and knelt heavily on one knee, his voice extremely resonant:

“The Emperor is wise!”

“Hahaha! Good, you have guts!”

The Emperor waved his hand straightforwardly: “I grant it today!

Tell me, which lucky woman in the capital is it?

To think she could make an aloof child prodigy like you love her so deeply as to write such a masterpiece for the ages?”

Hearing this, Chancellor Ouyang, sitting below, felt his heart twitch violently. That strong sense of crisis made him unable to sit still any longer!

He stood up in a loss of composure, wanting to interrupt Chen Shanzhi's words!

However, Chen Shanzhi didn't give him any chance at all.

The youth's clear and firm voice spread clearly throughout the entire Imperial Garden:

“In response to the Emperor!”

“The woman this humble subject deeply loves in the poem is the pearl in the palm of the current Chancellor...”

“The Chancellor's daughter, Ouyang Wanqing!”