The Song Dynasty was the king for thirteen years before he knew that he was Tianlong.

Chapter 148: Ruining Your Country’s Heart (Complete Chapter)

"You write it, write it quickly, and let everyone hear whether my poem is better or your poem is better." Yelu Yanxi said angrily.

The scholars looked extremely ugly, and they all stared, waiting for Zhao Ti to compose a poem.

"Graceful or leisurely?" Zhao Ti thought of Li Qingzhao. Forget about the little girl's poems and keep them for her. The poems didn't sound right when he recited them. They were a little too gentle and beautiful.

Then let's be more leisurely. He stood up, walked to the red carpet in front of the desk, paced a few steps, and said:

"The world has become as thin as gauze in recent years. Who has brought horsemen to Beijing? I listened to the spring rain in the small building all night, and will sell apricot blossoms in the deep alley tomorrow.

I write casually on a piece of paper, and play with tea in front of a sunny window. Don’t sigh about the dust in your plain clothes, you can still get home before Qingming Festival.

After a poem was recited, you could hear a pin drop in the hall. No one spoke, and no one even looked at each other. Everyone looked dazed, savoring the artistic conception of the poem.

Su Shi's eyes widened and he opened his mouth. Impossible, absolutely impossible. How could the King of Yan write such a poem? How could he have such a poetic talent? If he had such a poetic talent, why had he not shown it for more than ten years? This was impossible!

Yelu Hongji was muttering behind the desk: "I listened to the spring rain in the small building all night, and sold apricot flowers in the deep alley the next morning. It's wonderful, it's really wonderful..."

He immersed himself in poetry for decades and wrote "Qingning Collection". He was best at writing this kind of leisurely and lamenting poems. One of his poems, "Ode to Yellow Chrysanthemum", was spread abroad and was well-known even in the Song Dynasty. One of the lines in it, "I still feel the lingering fragrance in my sleeves, which cannot be blown away by the cold west wind", was praised by many scholars.

When I heard Zhao Ti's poem at this moment, I was immediately immersed in it. A picture instantly unfolded before my eyes. I closed my eyes and shook my head, unable to extricate myself from it.

Yelu Yanxi looked at Zhao Ti's trembling lips. He didn't believe that this was written by Zhao Ti. How could he write such a masterpiece? Isn't he only good at brandishing swords and guns? Although the previous poem about chrysanthemums also overwhelmed everyone, it was murderous and vigorous, not greasy enough, and could not be called a top-notch work. However, this one has a long-lasting charm and a lingering artistic conception. Once you hear it, you will know that it is a masterpiece that will be passed down to future generations.

There is no need to compare or consider anymore, no one in the palace can match him!
Yuan Xiaoxian's eyes moved, her expression changing from happy to angry, as if she was also feeling the charm of the poem, but after a moment her pretty face became serious, and she muttered to herself: "It's true that he is a talented writer, but he has never shown it in all these years. He deliberately lured me into the game, and I... was deceived by him again."

Zhao Ti then glanced at the scholars and said, "Gentlemen, what do you think of my poem? Can it compare to what you just wrote?"

The scholars were immediately shocked, and several of them blurted out: "Winner, winner, we are ashamed of ourselves..."

But then they saw Zhao Ti's reserved and complacent look, and they immediately came to their senses. They couldn't help but get so angry that their teeth itched. But when they thought of the lines of the poem, they all looked pale.

Zhao Ti looked at Yelu Hongji: "What do you think, Your Majesty?"

Yelu Hongji heaved a sigh of relief, and tried to break free from the mood of the night rain in the small building and the falling apricot blossoms. He sighed and said, "This poem by the Zhao envoy should be passed down to future generations and sung by the world. The Zhao envoy... won both games."

"Have you all won?" Zhao Ti nodded with a smile: "Since you have all won, then I have a suggestion."

Yelu Hongji said: "Please tell us what proposal the Zhao envoy has."

Zhao Ti said, "I don't think it's necessary for me to ask the scholars to start first. There are three rounds left. Your Majesty has given me the questions and I have done them all. After I finish, if anyone is dissatisfied, please come and show your ugliness together."

The scholars were shocked when they heard this, and then became furious.

What do you mean you did it all? Then we will make a fool of ourselves together? What kind of foolishness? Is this human language?

"You, Zhao envoy, you are too arrogant!" Yelu Yanxi shouted, "You have only won two games, and you don't want us to do it?"

Zhao Ti said: "If I do it, it will only make people laugh and add to the jokes. After I do it, you will think that there is no comparison and you will not speak."

Yelu Hongji's eyes sparkled: "Messenger Zhao means... we can win five games in a row?"

Zhao Ti said: "Your Majesty, I understand clearly that in today's five rounds, if I speak first, I don't think anyone will want to compete again."

"You, you..." The scholars on the opposite side immediately became noisy like a bomb. Many of them stood up and accused Zhao Ti of being too arrogant, looking down on everyone, and being extremely cruel.

Yelu Hongji pondered for a moment, "Since this is a poetry competition, this is not a good idea. Since the Zhao envoy is sure that he can win five out of five, then after the remaining three poems are finished, if anyone wants to compare, let them write the first one, and there is no need to wait until all five are finished."

Zhao Ti said: "We will follow your Majesty's decision, but the foreign ministers are afraid..."

He glanced at the scholars and said, "I'm afraid that after I finish everything, no one will dare to stand up and respond."

At this moment, everyone on the opposite side looked ashamed and angry. Even the Han official from Liao who was sitting at the desk had a frown on his face, feeling very angry.

Zhao Ti looked at the Han officials, including the Prime Minister of the South and the Deputy Prime Minister of the North. He smiled and said, "If you think you can beat the foreign officials, you might as well come down and give us some advice. After all... if we win all five games, the foreign officials will feel embarrassed."

Wang Shiru, the Prime Minister of the South, took a deep breath and said, "The Zhao envoy has only just composed two poems, and the first one is even a little rough. How dare you boast like this?"

Zhao Ti shook his head and said, "Outside officials...wait for the instructions of Prime Minister Wang."

Wang Shiru said calmly: "I don't deserve your advice, but I won't let the Zhao envoy continue to be rampant!"

Zhao Ti smiled and turned to look at Yelu Hongji: "Your Majesty, please give us a question."

Yelu Hongji had a complicated expression. He didn't want the Liao Dynasty to lose. Losing five games in a row would be too embarrassing if it got out.

But he also wanted to hear excellent works, especially the kind of poems that could be passed down to later generations and would be sung from generation to generation, with the artistic conception touching people's hearts. He could even wander in this kind of poetry for a whole day and be immersed in the poetic mood.

He was doubtful at the moment. A good work is naturally formed, or created by a skilled hand occasionally. Even a great poet cannot have every poem be a good one. There will always be some mediocre works. He was also giving the question at the last minute. Could the other party still produce a good poem?

Yelu Hongji thought for a moment and said, "Messenger Zhao, please write a poem."

"Oh?" Zhao Ti nodded: "I wonder what tune to write?"

Yelu Hongji said: "Let's write a song... The beginning of the song of six states is good."

As soon as he said this, the scholars opposite him changed color. They had no preface for this tune in mind. This was a large tune with 143 words in two tunes. They had never tried it before, let alone compose it on the spot.

Ordinary small orders can be performed on the spot, but this kind of big order is basically filled in bit by bit, which takes several days or even months.

Moreover, the song of Liuzhou is of bold and ancient style. King Wen united the six states. This kind of tune must express a heroic spirit. If it fails to express a heroic spirit and does not conform to the meaning of the tune, it will still not work.

They all looked at Zhao Ti, their expressions relaxed a lot. Even if Zhao Ti was really talented, it would probably be extremely difficult for him to compose a song of Six States on the spot, let alone compose it well.

But these scholars then remembered that even if the opponent's work was mediocre or even bad, as long as the rhythm was good and they couldn't do it, they would still win. They were suddenly shocked and immediately began to rack their brains, thinking about the words, and trying to write a piece as quickly as possible.

"Six States Song Head." Zhao Ti narrowed his eyes slightly. It turned out to be this brand. He smiled, walked back and forth in front of the table twice, and said, "It's Six States Song Head."

At this time, everyone heard him speak and looked at him. Zhao Ti put his hands behind his back, his eyes were somewhat enthusiastic, and he recited: "Young man is chivalrous, making friends with heroes from the five cities."

Young man's chivalry? Everyone was stunned when they heard this. It was not about reminiscing about the past, but about expressing one's true feelings? This was even more difficult!

Zhao Ti continued:

"The young man is chivalrous and makes friends with the heroes of the five cities. He is open-minded and his hair stands on end. In the conversation, he is willing to die for his friends. A promise is worth a thousand gold. He is brave and arrogant. He wears a light umbrella and rides a flying saddle to the east of the city. He drinks wine at the wine shop, and the spring scenery floats in the cold jar, sucking the sea and hanging rainbow. He calls the eagle and the dog at leisure, and the white feather plucks the carved bow, and the cunning hole is suddenly empty. He is happy and hurried.

Like a dream of a yellow millet, I bid farewell to the phoenix. The bright moon is with me, and I am alone in the boat. I am busy with my official duties. I am trapped in the dust, and the books are piled up. The pheasant hats are like clouds, they are used for rough work, and suddenly they achieve extraordinary success. The horns and drums are moving, the fishermen are playing, and I miss the sad old man. I don’t ask for a long rope, but I will take the proud seed, and the sword will roar in the west wind. I hate to climb the mountain and face the water, and I will send the seven-stringed tung tree with my hands, and watch the wild geese return. "

What?! After the song of the young man in Liuzhou was finished, the scholars' eyes almost popped out and their heartbeats accelerated.

The first half of this poem is simply exhilarating and extremely enjoyable, but the second half is tragic and sad, with the writer feeling unhappy and unhappy. It makes people roar in anger, with the sword being wasted and the horses neighing in the west wind.

Let alone asking them to compose this kind of lyrics on the spot, even if they go back and think about it for days, months, or even a year, they still can't write it.

Zhao Ti's expression revealed a hint of sigh at this moment. This poem was written by He Zhu, a descendant of He Zhizhang and a grandson of Empress He of Taizu, more than 20 years later. It was written in the seventh year of Xuanhe at that time, and was written for the purpose of resisting the Jin army.

Su Shi looked at Zhao Ti with a strange expression. Something was not right. Something was getting more and more wrong.

Others may not be able to see it, but he can feel that the style of this poem is very different from the previous one, and it is also different from the first one. It doesn't look like they were written by the same person. It's impossible, absolutely impossible...

He thought to himself, unless... unless this person is a genius, his writing is higher than the sky, so he can switch back and forth in his style of writing poetry. Could it be that the King of Yan is actually a genius in literature? The King of Yan has been admiring himself for so many years and is unwilling to get involved in the empty fame of the literati and literary circles. Now, for the sake of the Song Dynasty and to obtain war horses, he has to break the rules? Yes, yes, it must be so. I didn't expect that the King of Yan has such a noble character. It is really admirable.

"Okay!" At this time, Xiao Wuna, the Prime Minister of the Northern Palace, who was sitting at the desk opposite, tapped the table lightly and exclaimed.

Yelu Hongji glanced at him and saw that Xiao Wuna's face was somewhat excited. Knowing that he was moved by the words, he could not help but feel a little heroic in his heart: "It is indeed good. The young man is chivalrous and has made friends with heroes from the five cities. He is open-minded and his hair stands on end. In the conversation, we are willing to live and die together. A promise is worth a thousand gold!" Yelu Yanxi looked pale and thought to himself that it was bad. It seemed that his sister must have been deceived by the envoy Zhao. He actually said that he only had martial arts but no literary talent. Does this mean he has no literary talent? The great poets are no more than this! I wonder if my sister was deceived by something else.

Yelu Hongji once again carefully read the poem and asked with some doubt: "Messenger Zhao, how could you think of writing this poem?"

Zhao Ti smiled slightly when he heard this. The second half of the song "Six States Song" was somewhat indignant and sad, with the idea of serving the country without a way out. He said, "I was in charge of the cavalry and infantry in Tokyo. An old general from the northwest retired and returned home in Tokyo. I talked and drank with him, and listened to him talk about his life. I felt deeply moved, so I wrote this poem for his life experience."

Yelu Hongji nodded. That was right. The content of the poem was full of vicissitudes and deep emotions. Only veteran generals or people who had been in the officialdom for a long time could have such emotions.

Zhao Ti looked at the people opposite him and said, "Is there any scholar willing to compose a poem to match this with me?"

No one spoke. The southern prime minister, Wang Shiru, turned his face away. No one said a word when asked.

Zhao Ti turned to look at Yelu Hongji, who suddenly felt a little embarrassed. He had lost all three games. If it weren't for his opponent's overconfidence, the poetry gathering would have ended by now. He coughed lightly and said, "I... I will ask another question?"

Zhao Ti said: "Your Majesty, please give us a question."

Yelu Hongji thought that it would be a bad idea to come up with any more difficult questions. If this continued, the scholars from the Liao Dynasty would have a hard time answering them on the spot, and even a few Han gentlemen would not be able to do it. Moreover, they had to consider their own face.

He said, "Messenger Zhao, please compose a short song, Mulanhua."

Xiaoling Mulanhua, a double-tune song with 56 characters, is the name of a Tang Dynasty court music piece. Later it became the name of a ci tune and is very common in the world. All lyricists have written this tune at least once.

The scholar opposite him had his eyes lit up when he heard this. Half of the people had ideas for this kind of short poem in their minds, and even if they didn't have one, it wouldn't be difficult to write one now.

Zhao Ti looked at the scholars and smiled, "Don't bother, if I start talking first, you won't dare to say anything, so just take a break."

Everyone was so angry that their faces turned blue. Wang Shiru snorted coldly, "How dare the Zhao envoy boast like this?"

Zhao Ti asked, "Does Mr. Wang intend to compare?"

Wang Shiru was also a well-educated man, and could be regarded as a literary giant in the Liao Kingdom. He had just said that they were only referees and would not take part. But now he could not bear it any longer. As the saying goes, there is no first in literature and no second in martial arts. Seeing Zhao Ti's arrogance and the fact that all the Liao Kingdom scholars were unable to resist him, they began to have ideas. But Zhao Ti also said that he could take part. How could they bear it any longer?

"It's not necessarily up to us to compare or not, but the envoy Zhao said that after he finished writing this poem, no one in our Great Liao would be able to speak again. Isn't that a bit too arrogant and conceited? There are many small lyrics like Mulanhua, unlike those big lyrics, which are either good or bad, or have different opinions. How can you overwhelm the whole place with just one poem?" Wang Shiru snorted with a dignified attitude.

Zhao Ti smiled and said, "I know what Mr. Wang meant. It's just that this kind of short poem has few words, and it's too difficult to judge the quality, so it gives people more opportunities to make a fool of themselves. But I'm afraid that I won't even give you a chance to make a fool of yourself when I write this poem."

Wang Shiru got even angrier when he heard this. The man looked only about 17 or 18 years old, how dare he boast like that? He sneered, "I don't believe it. How could such a thing come about?"

Zhao Ti laughed and said, "Are you determined to make a fool of yourself, Mr. Wang?"

Wang Shiru said, "Just do it, it's hard to say who will be the ugliest one!"

"Mulanhua, right?" Zhao Ti nodded, glanced at everyone, and began to recite: "Ci Tune Mulanhua..."

"If life could always be like the first time we met, why would the autumn wind make the painted fan sad? People's hearts change easily, yet they say that people's hearts change easily.

After the conversation at Mount Li, the night was half over, and the rain and bells never complained. How could I compare to the unfaithful man in brocade clothes, who wished to be together forever.

The hall was silent again. Su Shi felt like his scalp was about to explode. Why did he change his style again? He changed again! And he did it so well. He was going crazy. The King of Yan was not a genius, but a genius!
"Another famous poem that will be passed down through the ages." Yelu Hongji reached out to touch his beard, but it touched his nose instead. He felt a little sour in his heart. He felt that the other party's previous words about brilliant writing seemed a little too modest. How could this be more than brilliant writing? He was simply jealous.

Yuan Xiaoxian sat at the desk with her eyes shining, silently thinking, "If only life could be like the first time we met." For a moment, she was a little dazed.

At this moment, all the scholars forgot the words they had just thought of, and their minds were filled with this Mulan Flower. Some of them couldn't help but think of some sad past events and couldn't help but burst into tears.

Zhao Ti looked at Wang Shiru and said with a smile: "Please... Mr. Wang, please show your ugliness."

Wang Shiru had been in a daze since he finished listening to the piece of Mulanhua. Only when Zhao Ti spoke did he suddenly wake up.

I can’t beat him! I can’t compare with him! I can’t write it in my lifetime! Once I open my mouth, I will really make a fool of myself!
His face was pale, the corners of his mouth twitched, and both shoulders were shaking slightly.

Showing ugliness? What ugliness? How can a prime minister of the Liao Dynasty show ugliness?
He slowly stood up, walked out of the desk and came to the red carpet.

Zhao Ti narrowed his eyes. This person seemed to have some talent. He even wanted to write a poem about it? He still underestimated the heroes of the world!
Wang Shiru stood in the middle of the red carpet and bowed deeply to Yelu Hongji: "Your Majesty, I feel unwell and I want to ask Your Majesty to allow me to leave first."

Uh... Yelu Hongji had a headache. It was so embarrassing. It was really so embarrassing. But it was embarrassing. Why did you come to me to ask for a favor? If I opened my mouth, would I ask you to leave or not? As long as I opened my mouth to answer your question, I would be more embarrassed than you! You are such a traitor. You actually used the strategy of shifting the disaster eastward to plot against me!

Seeing Yelu Hongji not speaking, Wang Shiru's face turned paler. He suddenly turned around and hurried out the door. Halfway through, he covered his face with his sleeves and disappeared without a trace in a moment.

Zhao Ti touched his chin. Is it possible to play like this? This is really eye-opening. It seems that the relationship between the Liao monarch and his subjects is very harmonious. Yelu Hongji is worthy of being called the benevolent monarch of Khitan. People admire him very much.

No one spoke in the hall. All the scholars were dejected with their heads hung. Yelu Hongji pretended to drink tea, while Yelu Yanxi pulled the small braid behind his ear to the front and counted the hair for fun.

Zhao Ti looked at Yelu Hongji and said, "Your Majesty, there is only one last question left."

"The last question..." Yelu Hongji picked up the teacup and took a deep breath. Was he going to lose all the time? He didn't believe it. Even if he lost, someone had to come out and write a poem for comparison, right? Even if it was really a show of ugliness, it was better than not even daring to write one.

He pondered for a moment and said, "I will write another poem called Xijiangyue to express my feelings about the ancient times."

Xijiangyue is also a short song, which is relatively easy to write, and the theme of nostalgia is simple, so anyone can write a few poems about it. He just doesn't believe that with such a topic, no one from the Liao Dynasty has stood up to respond!
"Xijiangyue, feeling nostalgic..." Zhao Ti nodded, thought for a moment, and said with a smile: "Your Majesty, I am fine."

It was made so quickly again? Yelu Hongji almost spit out the tea he had just drunk: "Well, please ask the Zhao envoy to recite it..."

Zhao Ti smiled: "Xijiangyue..."

"The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors of morality, the achievements of Xia, Shang and Zhou. The Seven Heroes and Five Hegemons fought in the Spring and Autumn Period. Rise and fall happened in an instant.

There are only a few names in the history books, and countless barren hills in Beimang. The land of the ancestors is harvested by the descendants. What is the point of talking about the fight between dragons and tigers?

"What?!" The teacup in Yelu Hongji's hand fell to the ground with a crisp sound, and he looked at Zhao Ti blankly.

Everybody looked at Zhao Ti, their faces full of shock. They all gasped for breath, none of them could believe what they heard. It was like a loud bang of a bell, a slammer that struck their hearts and minds, making them realize, open their minds, and seem to have regained their wisdom from previous lives.

The majestic momentum of this poem is rarely seen in ancient and modern times, not to mention in Xijiang Yue, it is also rare in other ci styles. Just this one word, many great poets of the time would be defeated, many poets would admit defeat, all the beautiful and delicate poems would be crushed, and few could match its bold and unrestrained style.

Zhao Ti stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I think that when life is happy, you should enjoy it to the fullest. Don't let the golden cup face the moon in vain. I advise you not to cherish your golden clothes. I advise you to cherish the good time. All things are like dreams, bubbles, dew and lightning. You should view them in this way."

"All phenomena are like dreams and bubbles..." After a moment of distraction, Yelu Hongji nodded slowly, "I have been worshipping Buddha for many years, but I have never been so enlightened as I am today. The poem "Xijiang Yue" by the Zhao envoy contains the truth of the world, which has given me a sudden enlightenment and made me see my true nature."

Zhao Ti's eyes sparkled: "Your Majesty, it is not the mind that is not the Buddha, the mind is the Buddha, and it is the same. Your Highness has seen the nature of the mind, and one thought is the Buddha. Congratulations, Your Majesty."

At this time, the scholars on the opposite side also understood. Buddhism has flourished in Liao in recent years, and few scholars have not read Buddhist scriptures. They all understood the meaning of the conversation between the two. Buddhism comes from the heart, and it can see the nature of the heart. Yelu Hongji has been enlightened. They all stood up and saluted, saying: "Congratulations, Your Majesty, congratulations, Your Majesty..."

Yelu Hongji smiled, and his body straightened up a lot. He clearly felt that his every move was radiating Buddha's light, and his every word and smile was shining with Buddha's light.

He pressed his hands and said, "My dear ministers, please take a seat. There is no need to be so polite."

Zhao Ti bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I have won the poetry competition. Those horses..."

Yelu Hongji said: "Why should the Zhao envoy worry about it? There are only a hundred war horses, so don't worry about it. I agree."

Zhao Ti nodded and said, "I thank your Majesty." Then he turned around and sat down behind the desk, with a smile on his face...

Jiangnan, Taihu Lake, Chanhe Village, the sky is cloudy and rainy.

Behind Zhuangzi is a gloomy place, built under an island mountain, where the tomb of Murong family is located.

The three words "Murong Bo" are engraved on the tombstone of the first tomb, and the ones arranged in order afterwards are all the ancestors of the Murong family after they moved to the south of the Yangtze River.

At this time, a mausoleum was seen in the back, which was larger than the other tombs. Suddenly, strange noises came from inside it.

At this moment, a drizzle was falling from the sky. The sound of the strong energy in the tomb was intertwined with the sound of rain, and the atmosphere was strange and inexplicable.

(End of this chapter)