Chapter 118 The Empress' Question: Are you coming up? (33)

In Shangjing City, the brief chaos quickly ended.

Although affected by the riot that night, talented people from all over the country who came to participate in the Yunmen Poetry Festival began to gather in Shangjing City.

The inns in the city were filled with talented people from all over the country and even from other countries. Not only were the food and accommodation facilities full, but even the business of the brothels and pleasure boats had skyrocketed several times.

The Northern Qi Dynasty was known for its orthodox culture and could be described as a prosperous and flourishing country.

In Shangjing City, the sounds of surprise of old friends meeting each other could be heard from time to time, and their conversations always involved poetry. For a time, the sound of poetry could be heard everywhere in Shangjing City.

The Cloud Gate Poetry Festival, held every three years, will surely produce a few poems that become famous throughout the world.

The Yunmen Poetry Society, known as the best poetry society in the world, is filled with various magical legends.

It is said that there were many children from poor families who were noticed by high-ranking officials because of their outstanding poetry and prose, and many of them became officials in the court.

afternoon.

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

Yan Bingyun has returned to the diplomatic mission. Everything has been completed and he will be able to set off back to Nanqing in two days.

Yan Bingyun's matter went very smoothly. Jinyiwei's acting pacification envoy Wei Hua personally visited Fan Xian and returned Yan Bingyun safely to the Nanqing delegation.

The intelligence network of the Jinyiwei in Shangjing City was temporarily paralyzed, and they really had no energy to bother with Yan Bingyun's affairs anymore.

As for the world-famous Yunmen Poetry Festival, under Guo Shao's strong encouragement, Fan Xian decided to come and see it.

Yunmen Temple is located in the north of Shangjing City, on the hillside of Yunmen Mountain beside Xiaodu River.

Because there are many people who want to participate in the poetry meeting, the talented people have to go through layers of selection before they can enter the poetry meeting in Yunmen Temple.

"Mr. Guo, do I need to pass levels and fight to participate in this poetry competition?"

As a famous talent in Kyoto, Guo Baokun had long admired the world's best poetry meeting.

"Brother Fan, do you know how many talented people want to participate in the Cloud Gate Poetry Festival?"

Fan Xian just looked around casually and didn't deliberately ask.

"For such a high-level poetry gathering, only those with some talent would dare not come. It would be great if there are a few hundred people!"

Guo Baokun said seriously, "It's less, at least tens of thousands!"

"Not only will talented people from all over Northern Qi come, but Daqing will not restrict scholars from attending. Even people from Nanzhao and Japan, thousands of miles away, will come!"

"Unless someone as famous as Prince Yong of our dynasty or the Northern Qi Dynasty's Five-Character Great Wall can participate directly, everyone else must go through selection."

"In the end, there are 100 scholars who officially participate in the poetry meeting, and 400 people can attend as observers!"

"And most of the scholars who failed the selection will gather at the foot of the mountain, waiting for the poetry meeting to produce a famous poem!"

Fan Xian was astonished when he heard this. Northern Qi was indeed a country with such a rich heritage that it actually spent so much effort to hold such a poetry gathering.

At this time, Zong Zhui said to Fan Xian, "Sir, Lord Wei did say that he could give us a place to audit the class."

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

"Let's pretend to be Master Guo's servants. If we can advance, we'll go and see. If we can't, forget it."

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

Fan Xian had long given up the idea of ​​becoming famous in poetry and prose, so he still insisted on doing so, which moved Guo Shao so much that he burst into tears.

At the foot of Yunmen Mountain, eight passages have been opened, and soldiers from the capital camp are responsible for maintaining order.

Fan Xian and the other two chose a nearby passage to queue up, and listened to the scholars' discussions.

"Have you heard that His Majesty will also be attending this poetry gathering?"

"Really? Before, it was only the Minister of Rites who came, but this time even His Majesty is coming!"

"Yes, Your Majesty has turned sixteen and can finally participate in the poetry meeting!"

“This poetry gathering is a great opportunity to soar to the sky!”

"Everyone who participates in the official poetry competition must come up with a topic. When your majesty gives the topic, you must write a good poem..."

"Then there's a bright future ahead! There's a bright future ahead!"

"Don't worry, let's enter the official poetry gathering first!"

The team progressed quickly, and when they were almost reaching Guo Baokun, Fan Xian saw the situation at the entrance.

"Submit an introductory poem first!"

"Prepay the drinks with three taels of silver!"

Fan Xian asked, "Mr. Guo, why do you still need to pay?"

Guo Shao said seriously, "Dinner money! Don't worry, Brother Fan, I have prepared everything."

"Introduction to poetry is an ancient tradition. In the earliest days, few people knew poetry, so you had to prove that you could write poetry before you could enter."

"Now, introductory poetry is just a formality. As long as there are no typos and the writing is above standard, it's fine!"

Fan Xian patted Guo Shao on the shoulder and said, "I know, I know. Let's get started!"

After Guo Baokun successfully entered the door, he received a number and followed the instructions to the river.

There are dozens of small pavilions on both sides of the river. The pavilions look quite old and have numbers marked on them.

Guo Shao came to the pavilion with the number of Jia 38, and soon there were ten people in the pavilion.

Of course, Fan Xian and Zong Zhui are considered servants, and are considered one person together with Guo Baokun.

After ten people gathered, the clerk at the door began to introduce the rules verbatim.

"Everyone, in Pavilion A38, there are a total of ten scholars participating in the poetry competition selection."

"The first scholar to arrive will randomly draw a poem topic, and then everyone will write a poem on the same topic within a cup of tea."

"The first two players to make the finals will automatically advance. If there is any dispute, the gentleman will make the final judgment. Those who disrupt order will be sent off the field directly..."

Fan Xian originally thought he would be eliminated in the first round, but he did not expect that the title of this pavilion would be Green Mountain.

Guo Baokun was the first to answer the question, and he used the poem that Fan Xian had sung at the poetry meeting at Prince Jing's Mansion, and he successfully advanced.

Fan Xian couldn't help but sigh, it was a good time when there was no plagiarism check!
The second round was even simpler and more brutal. More than 200 people in this passage came to a villa near Yunmen Temple.

There were famous musicians playing the piano and dancing in the courtyard, and then the scholars were divided into more than 20 tables according to their numbers, and began to drink and recite poems.

There is a clerk at each table who supervises the tables to play drinking games according to the poems, and the two winners will advance in the end.

Fan Xian and Zong Zhui, together with the servants of other scholars, watched as the scholars were carried away one by one.

It seems that to participate in this poetry gathering, one must not only be talented but also have a good drinking capacity.

Those who were carried out did not lose in poetry, but in their drinking capacity.

There may be talented people who are eliminated because of their drinking capacity, but those who finally sit at the table must be those who have both good drinking capacity and talent.

If you don’t have enough talent, you won’t be able to follow the drinking games.

Finally, with the help and reminder of Fan Xian, Guo Shao finally won a spot at the last moment when he was drunk.

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

Among these five hundred people, one hundred will participate in the formal poetry reading, and the remaining four hundred can only attend as observers.

Therefore, Guo Shao still has to accept the third round of five-to-one selection.

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

Because the young emperor also had to attend a formal poetry gathering, the focus of this gathering was to check whether the scholars would behave improperly in front of the emperor.

The drunk Guo Baokun was naturally disqualified from the selection and could only be an auditor.

An official from the Ministry of Rites recognized Fan Xian and selected a front-row seat for them.

Upon hearing the news, Guo Shao felt a little regretful, "Brother Fan, I drank so much for nothing today!" Because Northern Qi was going to give the delegation a spectator seat, and now the result seems to have not changed.

Fan Xian smiled and said, "No, Master Guo, you have already proven that your talent ranks among the top 500 scholars in the world!"

"Our current seat was earned by you with your own strength!"

The Northern Qi Dynasty worshipped temples, and the scale of Yunmen Temple far exceeded that of the Qing Temple in the capital of the Southern Qi Dynasty.

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

The outer hall is the same as the one in Qing Temple and can be used to hold banquets, but the one in Yunmen Temple is much larger.

Fan Xian and the other two went through a strict security check and then sat in the front audience seats.

The scholars who officially participated in the poetry meeting took their seats in high spirits.

All of these people had calm expressions and didn't look like they had been drinking at all.

Afterwards, everyone waited for half an hour until solemn music sounded in the hall.

Jinyiwei with embroidered spring swords on their waists walked to various seats, ready for battle.

The little emperor is going to attend a poetry meeting, but this poses a big problem for Wei Hua. He has to do his best to protect the emperor, which is also the reason why he is unwilling to bother with Yan Bingyun anymore.

The music started and everyone looked at the door eagerly. An old man and a young man slowly walked into the hall.

"It's Mr. Zhuang! Mr. Zhuang is here!"

"That young man should be Li Changan, the Yongwang of Nanqing!"

"It is said that he is less than 20 years old, but he is known as the saint of poetry, calligraphy and painting!"

"If you haven't presented a famous quatrain at the Cloud Gate Poetry Festival, what kind of poet are you?"

There were more than 500 scholars in the hall, most of them were from Northern Qi.

There are two giants in the literary world today, Zhuang Mohan in the north and Li Changan in the south.

Intellectuals have looked down on each other since ancient times, and the Civil War had just ended, so these scholars were all feeling resentful!

Li Changan entered calmly, not caring at all about the hidden hostility in the hall.

Zhuang Mohan and Li Changan sat in the two seats below the main seat respectively.

The empty highest seat was reserved for Emperor Zhan Doudou.

Fortunately, it didn't take long before the little emperor walked into the hall under the protection of Haitang Duoduo.

Except for Zhuang Mohan and Li Changan, everyone else in the hall knelt down and saluted.

"See Your Majesty!"

Among the five hundred scholars, the majority of them were from Northern Qi, and they all looked at the little emperor with respect.

Rumor has it that the young emperor planned and got rid of two powerful ministers overnight.

His high-profile participation in the world's number one poetry conference this time further declared his determination to gradually take power himself.

These scholars, with passion burning in their hearts, were all expecting the young emperor to help Qi wipe out the dejection of defeat and usher in a new era!
At this special point in time, this world's number one poetry meeting has been given some extra meaning.

"Be flat!"

Zhan Doudou sat in the main seat without looking around, and glanced at Li Changan out of the corner of his eye.

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

Is it true that the discontinuation of the Dream of the Red Chamber made Zhan Doudou so resentful?

"My fellow scholars, I have heard of the reputation of the world's best poetry gathering since I was a child, and today I finally have the honor to participate."

"I have already said that the poetry gathering is a stage for talented people to display their talents. I am not here as an emperor."

"I and His Royal Highness Prince Yong of Qing will participate in setting questions and writing poems like all the talented scholars."

"Everyone, please don't be restrained. Please host the poetry gathering according to the rules."

Zhan Doudou spoke briefly and to the point, and Zhuang Mohan also exchanged some pleasantries before the poetry reading began.

The rules of the poetry meeting are also very simple. The one hundred scholars who formally participate in the poetry meeting will come up with poetry topics according to their seats.

Literati value talent and thinking, and those with quick thinking are most respected.

After one scholar gives a topic, the other scholars will write poems based on the topic. Only three poems are allowed for each topic, so those who are slow in thinking will be at a disadvantage.

After Zhuang Mohan finished explaining the rules and opening remarks, he said to Zhan Doudou, "Your Majesty, please ask the questions first."

Zhan Doudou took a look at the murals on the stone pillars of the main hall and made a suggestion.

"Teacher, we have borrowed the outer hall of Yunmen Temple to hold a poetry gathering. We should let the Tianmai come up with the topic first."

"My disciple suggests that Saint Haitang should come up with the poem topic first!"

Zhan Doudou's words had hidden meaning, and it was clear that the Tianmai people of this dynasty were the real Tianmai people.

Li Changan didn't care, but he was thinking in his mind that he would find a way to teach the little emperor a lesson before leaving.

Haitang was dressed in white, with a solemn look on her face, standing majestically behind Zhan Doudou.

The sacred crabapple tree should be decorated in the palace, and even more so in Yunmen Temple.

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

Haitang Duoduo, who is not good at poetry, was very surprised by this suggestion!
What are you doing, little nephew? Why didn’t you discuss it with us in advance?
My junior apprentice brother has been very restless recently and not stable at all.

Haitang Duoduo's face was calm and she looked indifferent and unperturbed.

"liquor!"

She had just finished speaking, and before the scholars could write poems, Zhan Doudou changed the subject.

"All the talented people today have drunk a lot of strong liquor from the Great Qi before entering the palace. The Saint's topic is indeed very appropriate!"

The Begonia blossoms smiled slightly, appearing very pure and holy.

What she was thinking was, no matter what this saint said, the little emperor would find an excuse to suit the situation.

Zhan Doudou continued, "As the saying goes, a guest from afar is a guest. Among the one hundred talented people below the stairs, eighteen are from Nanqing and Nanzhao."

"For this first poem, it would be better to ask the poet from Nanqing to write it, which would also be in line with the hospitality of Daqi."

Most people in the hall had only heard of Li Changan but had never seen him in person.

Zhan Doudou's proposal was both in line with etiquette and in line with the expectations of everyone in the hall.

Zhuang Mohan, who had seen Li Changan compose a poem on the spot, raised a glass of wine and said, "Your Highness Prince Yong, I have been looking forward to this moment for a long time."

Li Changan picked up the wine glass on the table and drank a glass with Zhuang Mohan.

"In Chang'an, I write hundreds of poems over a bowl of wine, while in the capital, I sleep in a tavern. I refuse to board the ship when the emperor calls me, and I am banished to the mortal world and become a wine immortal!"

Li Changan calmly and leisurely copied out four lines of Li Bai's poem.

The disciple behind Zhuang Mohan picked up his pen and copied down the poem.

These words are very arrogant. I would not board the ship even if the emperor called me!
The original poem said that I am a fairy in wine, but Li Changan didn't want to be a subject, so he changed it to "I am a fairy in wine banished to the mortal world."

So, after Li Changan finished reading this poem, the hall suddenly fell silent.

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

The emperor is sitting on it, and you actually say you won’t board the ship even if the emperor calls you!

Everyone knows who should break the silence created by this poem.

Sure enough, Zhan Doudou chuckled.

"Your Highness Prince Yong, if I call you from the boat, will you come up?"

(End of this chapter)