118: The Empress asks, "Are you coming up?" (33)

Chapter 118: The Empress's Question: Are You Coming Aboard? (33)

In Shangjing City, the brief chaos quickly ended.

Although affected by the disturbance that night, the talented scholars from various regions who came to participate in the Yunmen Poetry Gathering still began to gather in Shangjing City.

The inns in the city were filled with scholars from various regions and even countries; not only were dining and lodging full, but even the business of Brothels and pleasure boats surged several times over.

Northern Qi, known as the cultural orthodox, could be described as prosperous and flourishing.

In Shangjing City, exclamations of old friends meeting could be heard from time to time, and conversations inevitably revolved around poetry; for a time, the sound of poetry filled Shangjing City everywhere.

The Yunmen Poetry Gathering, held once every three years, would surely produce a few poems that would become famous throughout the world.

The Yunmen Poetry Gathering, known as the number one poetry gathering in the world, was surrounded by various magical legends.

It was said that many sons of humble families, due to their outstanding poetry, were noticed by high-ranking officials and nobles, and entered officialdom.

Afternoon.

Fan Xian, Guo Baokun, and Zong Zhui arrived near Yunmen Temple.

Yan Bingyun had returned to the envoy group, all matters were concluded, and they would be able to depart for Southern Qing in two days.

Yan Bingyun's matter proceeded very smoothly; Wei Hua, the Brocade-Clad Guards' acting vice commander, personally visited Fan Xian and safely returned Yan Bingyun to the Southern Qing envoy group.

The Brocade-Clad Guards' intelligence network in Shangjing City was temporarily paralyzed, and they truly had no energy to bother with Yan Bingyun's matter any further.

Regarding the world-renowned Yunmen Poetry Gathering, at Young Master Guo's enthusiastic urging, Fan Xian still decided to come and see it.

Yunmen Temple was located north of Shangjing City, on the mountainside of Yunmen Mountain by the Xiaodu River.

Because many people wanted to participate in the poetry gathering, the scholars had to go through layers of selection to enter the poetry gathering within Yunmen Temple.

"Young Master Guo, does this poetry gathering require passing challenges and competing in arenas to participate?"

Guo Baokun, as a famous scholar in the capital, had long admired the number one poetry gathering in the world.

"Brother Fan, do you know how many scholars wish to participate in the Yunmen Poetry Gathering?"

Fan Xian merely looked around casually and did not deliberately inquire.

"Such a high-level poetry gathering, those without some talent wouldn't dare to come, would they? A few hundred people would be good enough!"

Guo Baokun said seriously, "Too few, at least ten thousand!"

"Not only will scholars from all over Northern Qi come, but our Great Qing also does not restrict scholars from participating, and even from distant Nanzhao and Dongying, people will come!"

"Unless they are as famous as Prince Yong of our dynasty or the Five-character Great Wall of Northern Qi, they can participate directly; everyone else must go through selections."

"Ultimately, one hundred scholars will formally participate in the poetry gathering, and another four hundred can attend as observers!"

"And the scholars who fail the selection will mostly gather at the foot of the mountain, waiting for famous works to be spread from the poetry gathering!"

Fan Xian listened, clicking his tongue in amazement; Northern Qi truly had a deep foundation, actually putting so much effort into organizing such a poetry gathering.

At this moment, Zong Zhui said to Fan Xian, "My lord, Lord Wei did say that he could directly give us an observer's spot."

Fan Xian waved his hand and said, "No need, I'd like to see this selection method."

"The two of us will disguise ourselves as Young Master Guo's attendants; if we can advance, we'll go see, if not, then so be it."

Guo Baokun was flattered and said, "Brother Fan, how can this be! I am your loyal attendant!"

Fan Xian had long given up on standing out in poetry, so he still insisted, which moved Young Master Guo to tears.

At the foot of Yunmen Mountain, eight passages had already been opened, with soldiers from the Capital Garrison specifically responsible for maintaining order.

Fan Xian and the two others chose a nearby passage to queue up, listening to the scholars' discussions along the way.

"Have you heard? His Majesty is also coming to this poetry gathering!"

"Really? Before, at most, the Minister of Rites would come; this time, even His Majesty is coming!"

"That's right, His Majesty is sixteen years old now, and can finally participate in the poetry gathering!"

"This poetry gathering is a great opportunity to soar to success!"

"Everyone who participates in the formal poetry gathering must propose a topic, and when His Majesty proposes a topic, they must compose a good poem..."

"Then the future will be boundless! Boundless!"

"Enough with boundless, let's just get into the formal poetry gathering first!"

The queue moved quite quickly; when it was Guo Baokun's turn, Fan Xian saw the situation at the entrance.

"First, submit an entry poem!"

"Prepay three taels of silver for drinks!"

Fan Xian asked, "Young Master Guo, why do we have to pay money!"

Young Master Guo said seriously, "It's for dinner! Don't worry, Brother Fan, I've prepared everything."

"The entry poem is an ancient tradition; in the earliest times, few people understood poetry, so you had to prove you could write poetry to enter successfully."

"Now, the entry poem is just a formality; as long as there are no typos and the handwriting is above standard, it's fine!"

Fan Xian patted Young Master Guo's shoulder and said, "Got it, got it, hurry up and enter!"

After Guo Baokun successfully entered, he received a number and, following the guide, arrived by the river.

There were dozens of small pavilions on both sides of the river; the small pavilions looked quite old, with numbers marked above them.

Young Master Guo, holding the number 'A Thirty-Eight,' came to the pavilion, and soon ten people gathered in the pavilion.

Of course, Fan Xian and Zong Zhui were considered attendants, and together with Guo Baokun, they counted as one person.

Once the ten people were assembled, the minor official at the door began to recite the rules.

"Gentlemen, in Pavilion A Thirty-Eight, there are a total of ten scholars participating in the poetry gathering selection."

"The topic for poetry composition will be randomly drawn by the first scholar to arrive, and then within the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, everyone will compose a poem on the same topic."

"The first two to finish will automatically advance; if there is a dispute, it will be judged by a master, and those who disrupt order will be directly sent out of the venue..."

Fan Xian originally thought he would be eliminated in the first round, but unexpectedly, the topic in this pavilion was 'Green Mountains.'

Guo Baokun was the first to answer, using the poem Fan Xian had composed at the Jing Wang Manor poetry gathering, and successfully advanced.

Fan Xian couldn't help but sigh, how good it was to live in an era without plagiarism checks!

The second round was even simpler and cruder; over two hundred people from this passage came to an annex near Yunmen Temple.

In the annex, famous performers played the zither and danced, and then, according to their numbers, they were divided into over twenty tables, where the scholars began to drink and compose poetry.

At each table, there was a minor official supervising each table to play drinking games with poetry, and ultimately, the two winners would advance.

Fan Xian and Zong Zhui, along with the attendants of other scholars, watched as scholars were carried out one by one.

It seemed that this poetry gathering not only required talent but also a good alcohol tolerance.

Those who were carried out were not defeated by poetry but by their alcohol tolerance.

There might be talented scholars eliminated due to their alcohol tolerance, but those who ultimately remained at the table must have been good at both drinking and poetry.

If one's talent was lacking, they wouldn't be able to keep up with the drinking games.

Finally, with Fan Xian's help and reminders, Young Master Guo, at the last moment before collapsing drunk, finally won a spot.

Thus, Guo Baokun became one of the five hundred scholars who entered Yunmen Temple.

Among these five hundred people, one hundred would participate in the formal poetry gathering, and the remaining four hundred could only attend as observers.

Therefore, Young Master Guo still had to undergo the third round of selection, where one out of five would advance.

"Brother Fan, those who can participate in the number one poetry gathering in the world... are all great talents!"

Because the young emperor was also going to participate in the formal poetry gathering, this session of the poetry gathering specifically checked whether scholars would commit impropriety before the emperor.

The drunken Guo Baokun was, of course, disqualified from the selection and could only be an observing scholar.

A Ministry of Rites official recognized Fan Xian and chose a front-row observer's seat for them.

Upon hearing this news, Young Master Guo was a little regretful, "Brother Fan, I drank so much for nothing today!"

Because Northern Qi was originally going to give the envoy group an observer's seat, the current outcome seemed unchanged.

Fan Xian smiled and said, "No, Young Master Guo, you have already proven that your talent ranks among the top five hundred scholars in the world!"

"Our current seats are what you earned with your strength!"

Northern Qi revered the Qing Temple, and the scale of Yunmen Temple far exceeded that of the Qing Temple in the Southern Qing capital.

The Yunmen Poetry Gathering only occupied the huge outer hall outside Yunmen Temple.

The outer hall, like the outer hall of the Qing Temple, could host banquets, but Yunmen Temple's was much larger.

Fan Xian and the two others underwent strict security checks and then sat in the front-row observer seats.

The scholars formally participating in the poetry gathering took their seats, one by one, full of vigor.

All of them showed no change in expression, not looking at all as if they had been drinking.

Subsequently, everyone waited for a full half an hour until solemn music echoed in the main hall.

Brocade-Clad Guards, with embroidered spring blades at their waists, entered from various seating areas, each one poised and ready.

The young emperor's participation in the poetry gathering presented a huge challenge for Wei Hua; fully protecting the emperor was also why he was unwilling to bother with Yan Bingyun any further.

As the music began, everyone eagerly watched the main entrance, as an old man and a young man slowly walked into the main hall.

"It's Master Zhuang! Master Zhuang is here!"

"That young man must be Prince Yong, Li Chang'an, of Southern Qing!"

"It's said that he's not even twenty yet, and is already hailed as the 'Three Sages of Poetry, Calligraphy, and Painting'!"

"Without producing famous works or quatrains at the Yunmen Poetry Gathering, what kind of poetry sage is he!"

Among the more than five hundred scholars in the main hall, the majority were from Northern Qi.

In this era, there were two literary giants: Zhuang Mo Han in the north and Li Chang'an in the south.

Literary figures have always looked down on each other, not to mention that the North-South war had just ended, and these scholars were all holding grudges in their chests!

Li Chang'an entered calmly, completely unfazed by the faint hostility in the hall.

Zhuang Mo Han and Li Chang'an sat in two seats below the main seat, respectively.

The highest empty seat was reserved for Empress Zhan Doudou.

Fortunately, they didn't wait long before the young emperor, protected by Haitang Duoduo, walked into the main hall.

Except for Zhuang Mo Han and Li Chang'an, everyone else in the hall knelt down in homage.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

Among the five hundred scholars, the majority of Northern Qi scholars looked at the young emperor with reverence.

Rumors circulated that the young emperor was strategic and eliminated two powerful officials overnight.

Her high-profile participation in the number one poetry gathering in the world further declared her determination to gradually take personal control of power.

These scholars, with fire burning in their chests, all hoped that the young emperor could help Qi Country sweep away the despondency of defeat and usher in a new era!

At this particular juncture, this session of the number one poetry gathering in the world was imbued with some additional meanings.

"Rise!"

Zhan Doudou sat on the main seat, not looking sideways, and glanced at Li Chang'an from the corner of her eye.

Li Chang'an vaguely felt an inexplicable hostility, or more precisely, resentment.

Could it be that ending the dream of the red chamber really made Zhan Doudou so resentful?

"Gentlemen scholars, I have heard of the reputation of the number one poetry gathering in the world since childhood, and today I am finally fortunate enough to participate."

"I state in advance that the poetry gathering is a stage for talented scholars to display their talents; I am not here as an emperor."

"I, and His Highness Prince Yong of Qing Kingdom, will participate in proposing topics and composing poetry, just like all of you talented scholars."

"Please do not be constrained, and I ask the Master to preside over the poetry gathering according to the rules."

Zhan Doudou's words were concise; Zhuang Mo Han also exchanged pleasantries, and then the poetry gathering began.

The rules of the poetry gathering were also very simple: the one hundred scholars formally participating in the poetry gathering would propose poetry topics according to their seating order.

Literary figures valued quick wit, and those with agile minds were most admired.

After one scholar proposed a topic, other scholars would compose poems based on the topic; each topic was limited to three poems, so those with slower wits were at a disadvantage.

After Zhuang Mo Han finished explaining the rules and his opening remarks, he said to Zhan Doudou, "Your Majesty, please propose a topic first."

Zhan Doudou glanced at the murals on the stone pillars in the main hall and made a suggestion.

"Master, we are holding the poetry gathering in the outer hall of Yunmen Temple; we should let the Celestial Vein Holder propose a topic first."

"This Disciple suggests that Saintess Haitang propose the poetry topic first!"

Zhan Doudou's words had a hidden meaning, clearly implying that the Celestial Vein Holder of this dynasty was the true Celestial Vein Holder.

Li Chang'an was unfazed, but he was contemplating in his mind that before leaving, he must find a way to properly deal with the young emperor.

Haitang, dressed in white, stood solemnly and dignifiedly diagonally behind Zhan Doudou.

Haitang, who had to feign divinity in the palace, had to feign it even more in Yunmen Temple.

At this moment, she looked spotless, like a fairy.

Haitang Duoduo, who was not skilled in poetry, was very surprised by this suggestion!

What are you doing, little junior nephew? Why didn't you discuss it beforehand!

The little junior nephew had been very restless recently, not at all steady.

Haitang Duoduo's face was calm and unruffled, showing an expression of serene composure.

"Wine!"

As soon as she finished speaking, before the scholars could compose their poems, Zhan Doudou had already moved on from the topic.

"Today, all you talented scholars have drunk quite a bit of Great Qi strong wine before entering the hall; the Saintess's topic is indeed fitting!"

Haitang Duoduo smiled faintly, appearing very pure and sacred.

She thought to herself, even if this Saintess said 'hammer,' the young emperor would probably find a reason to say it was fitting.

Zhan Doudou continued, "As the saying goes, 'a guest from afar is a friend'; among the hundred talented scholars below, eighteen are from Southern Qing and Nanzhao."

"For this first poem, why not invite the Poetry Sage of Southern Qing to compose it, which also aligns with Great Qi's way of treating guests."

Most people in the hall had only heard of Li Chang'an's name but had never seen him.

Zhan Doudou's suggestion was both courteous and met the expectations of everyone in the hall.

Zhuang Mo Han, who had personally witnessed Li Chang'an compose poetry on the spot, raised a cup of wine and said, "Your Highness Prince Yong, this old man has long been looking forward to this moment."

Li Chang'an raised the wine goblet on the table and drank a toast with Zhuang Mo Han.

"Chang'an writes a hundred poems with one fight of wine, sleeping in wine shops in the capital city. The Son of Heaven calls, but he does not board the boat, a banished immortal in the mortal world of wine!"

Li Chang'an, composed and leisurely in tone, copied Li Taibai's four lines of poetry.

The Disciple behind Zhuang Mo Han, with pen in hand, copied down the poem.

These lines were very arrogant: 'The Son of Heaven calls, but he does not board the boat!'

The original poem said 'I am a banished immortal in wine,' but Li Chang'an, unwilling to be called a subject, directly changed it to 'a banished immortal in the mortal world of wine.'

Therefore, after Li Chang'an recited this poem, the main hall immediately fell silent.

Many people were moved by the unrestrained wildness of these four lines, but no one dared to applaud.

The Son of Heaven was sitting right there, and you actually said, 'The Son of Heaven calls, but he does not board the boat!'

Everyone knew who should break the silence caused by this poem.

Indeed, Zhan Doudou chuckled softly.

"Your Highness Prince Yong, if I were on the boat and called you, would you come aboard?"