Jinting Han people

Chapter 90 Jia Mi's Rebellion (4k)

This is the content of the debate between Liu Xian and Lu Ji.

Shi Chong's original vision for this elaborate gathering was for scholars to discuss poetry and prose. They would exchange elegant couplets and parallel prose, showcasing their literary talents while also contributing delicious food. This approach would preserve the demeanor of the attendees while also demonstrating Shi Chong's financial resources and sincerity. Ultimately, the gathering at Jingu Garden would become a literary legend, a fitting endeavor.

But life is always not as we wish, or unexpected.

Before the literary gathering envisioned by Shi Chong began, that is, when the guests were killing time, a debate between two famous scholars, Wang Yan and Pei Wei, unexpectedly evolved from a casual talk about "existence and non-existence" to a political discussion between two young men, Lu Ji and Liu Xian. Both sides started with the classics and history and talked about the advantages and disadvantages of the feudal system and the county system.

The political commentaries of both men were exceptionally brilliant, but they also eroded the noble atmosphere of the original literary gathering and failed to achieve the original purpose of the guests making friends through literature. Instead, it seemed as if the two debaters wanted to compete with each other through verbal attacks.

By the time Liu Xian finished his conversation, the sun was already high in the sky, and two hours had passed since the guests were due to arrive for the banquet. Everyone was still engrossed in their conversation, speechless for a long time.

Upon seeing this, Shi Chong quickly called the guests to their seats. He then had the maids remove the fruits and tea and replace them with fine wine and delicious food. He then set the stage for music and dance. Hu women danced around the table, while Westerners played hujia and small drums on the side. Amidst the melodious music, boxes of brightly colored delicacies were served. Only then did the guests suddenly remember that they had come to the Golden Valley Garden for a leisurely stroll.

At this time, Liu Xian had been invited by Shi Chong to sit at the two front seats.

All present were influential figures in the court and the country. Seated to Liu Xian's left were important officials such as Le Guang, Wang Yan, Wang Ji, Zhang Hua, and Yang Yu. Seated to his right were members of the Western Jin imperial family, including Sima Jian, Sima Yun, Sima Teng, Sima Yue, and Sima Yong. The only exception was Jia Mi, the current Duke of Lu. Although he held no important position, he also sat beside Sima Jian and the other members of the imperial family.

Sitting in the second row alongside Liu Xian were Zuo Si, Lu Ji, Pan Yue, Ouyang Jian, Shi Chong, Xun Fan, Zhang Zai and others. Except for himself and Lu Ji, all of them were recognized celebrities in the literary world and had world-famous articles.

Even Lu Ji's younger brother Lu Yun, the host Shi Chao, the Minister of the Interior's son Xun Fan, and Zhou Xi, Liu Xian's colleague in the Secretariat, sat in the third row behind him. This shows that, despite the outward claim of "following nature and transcending orthodoxy," the status of each person at the banquet was still clearly defined.

However, this also shows that after this wonderful debate, Liu Xian and Lu Ji were both recognized as important figures in the literary world and entered this circle.

After three rounds of drinking, the leading celebrities were a little drunk and finally talked about poetry as planned.

At this time, Jia Mi gave the audience a topic, asking them to write poems in the style of Yuefu. Everyone ate while thinking hard. After two quarters of an hour, Shi Chong knocked on the table and smiled, asking the guests to recite in order.

Liu Xian wrote a poem, which reads:
"A layer of clouds rises from the tall building, and pepper incense burns on a rainy night. A fading candle hangs from the crimson curtain, quietly illuminating the silk skirt.

May I ask the man upstairs, why are you so attentive to me? We who pity each other must share the same suffering, and each loves us differently.

The falling rain covers a hundred words, the falling clouds turn my thoughts to a deeper meaning. The bright moon rises in my heart, its clear light is always for you.

The river is wide and without bridges, the mountain is high and the road is winding. The stars are far away in the sky, and I miss my loneliness in the cold place.

This poem is well written and stands out among other poems, but when Lu Ji's poem came out, everyone had to admit that it was inferior.

Its words are:
"How steep is the tower, so remote and yet so peaceful. Its embroidered windows project out of the dusty darkness, its soaring steps reach the clouds.

A beautiful woman plays the zither, her delicate hands relaxed and at ease. The fragrance lingers on the wind, its mournful sound as fragrant as orchids.

Who can look back at her beautiful face, which is so stunning in one music? Standing and watching the sun set, I hesitate and sigh again and again.

I do not complain about standing so long, but I hope the singer will be happy. I long to ride back on the wild geese and fly together."

Lu Ji's poem shifts from objects to people, and then from people to emotions. Through lengthy descriptions of the woman's behavior, he concludes with a single sentence that captures his emotions, leaving a lasting aftertaste. Liu Xian's own poem, on the other hand, is a bit too straightforward. While it employs a wealth of vocabulary, it falls short in terms of artistic conception.

Le Guang asked Lu Ji to talk about his poetry writing experience in public. After a polite refusal, Lu Ji said: "When people write poetry, they often rack their brains on the words, which is a disadvantage. Writing poetry is different from writing prose. The idea comes before the text, so the poet does not need to explain it too clearly."

"A poet should be patient and think clearly about how to control his emotions and feelings. It's like drawing a bow and shooting an arrow: the longer you hold back, the longer you aim. The moment you finally hit the theme is the moment you release the string. The more prepared you are, the more poetic the final scene will be."

These words are very insightful. Liu Xian combined them with his own experience in writing poetry and felt that they were indeed true.

But just when everyone was enjoying themselves, Jia Mi suddenly sighed and said, "Ah, what a bummer, what a bummer."

He said this without any warning, and Lu Ji's face suddenly turned ugly after he finished speaking. Although he had only been in Beijing for a month, he knew that this young Duke of Lu had great political power. No matter what he was saying, it would have a great impact on his reputation.

Zhang Hua admired Lu Ji very much. Faced with this situation, he took the initiative to smooth things over and said, "What's the matter, Changyuan? Don't you have any interest in writing poetry?"

Jia Mi glanced at him with his beautiful eyes, and a smile suddenly appeared on his face, as bright and radiant as that of a delicate girl. He said, "That's not the case. I used to write poetry often and I love it. There are actually quite a few excellent poems at the poetry gathering today. When I say it's disappointing, it's not because of the poetry."

Zhang Hua breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Jia Mi wasn't deliberately trying to sabotage the party. He asked with a smile, "Oh? So what ruined Chang Yuan's fun?"

Jia Mi did not reply immediately, but took a leisurely sip of wine, first glanced at Lu Ji, then at Liu Xian, leaving Liu Xian perplexed for a moment before he heard him say:

"In the past, I would have been delighted by the poetry gathering. But today, listening to Lu Shiheng and Liu Huaichong's discussions on the system was truly eye-opening. I felt a sense of refreshment. Listening to poetry now is like drinking plain water after a heavy dose of fine wine. There's really no flavor."

It turned out to be a show of support. The expressions of those present became more relaxed. Le Guang also smiled and said, "Although we are in high positions, we are all old people. Whether the country will prosper in the future depends on you young people. At this literary gathering today, I have met so many young and talented people. They are far better than we were back then! The future prosperity of the country is just imaginable."

"Hey! How can Lord Yanfu be so self-deprecating?" Sima Yue, the crown prince of Longxi, boasted. "The founding of the country, the pacification of Shu and the destruction of Wu were all the achievements of your generation. Whether it was luck or the times, we, the later generations, can hardly compare!"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone burst into laughter, except for Lu Ji and Liu Xian, whose expressions turned extremely grim. Sima Yue's words had directly touched a sore spot for the two later generations. The achievements of their ancestors had become footnotes to the current peace.

But after laughing, Jia Mi changed the subject and said to the crowd, "But I'm still thinking about the question just now. Both of you have contributed very interesting insights, but your views are so diametrically opposed. We just end it so abruptly without judging who is better. Isn't it a bit inappropriate?"

This made Shi Chong rather embarrassed. He had hastily convened the poetry gathering because he didn't want to continue discussing this topic. After all, what Liu Xian and Lu Ji were discussing was far too sensitive, touching upon the very foundations of a nation. Expanding on this, it could easily even involve the secrets of the Sima family's ascension to power. Whether he affirmed or denied it, it would easily give him room for criticism. So, he said, "This kind of major issue concerning the foundations of the nation should be presented to Your Majesty in person once they have entered the court. As the saying goes, one should not meddle in matters outside one's position. Talking about it now will only cause trouble."

But Jia Mi remained unfazed and continued, "Everyone here is from a prominent family, and we're all destined to become generals or ministers in the future. What's there to be ashamed of? Besides, it's rare for so many of you to be together and speak freely. In my opinion, this is the perfect time to discuss state affairs."

"Besides, I'm just asking you to judge. Is there anything suspicious about that?"

Jia Mi spoke eloquently, much to the surprise of everyone present. In fact, the superiority of the political discourse was quite clear.

While Lu Ji's theory of feudal politics was rigorous and brilliant, Liu Xian offered a unique analysis, analyzing the system's origins, development, and decline in three stages, ultimately concluding that the feudal system was unworkable. This argument was so thorough that if Lu Ji hadn't offered a new rebuttal, Liu Xian could have been considered victorious.

The only thing worth discussing is that in addition to criticizing the feudal system, Liu Xian proposed to abolish the doctrine of loyalty and filial piety and to re-discuss the spirit of orthodox teachings based on Mencius.

Liu Xian was also very puzzled by Jia Mi's behavior. He thought, could it be that this Duke of Lu, who was usually indulging in wine and women, also had some profound political opinions to say?
Unexpectedly, Jia Mi then said directly: "I think Lu Shiheng's policy essay is better. Liu Huaichong's remarks are interesting, but unfortunately, his intentions are ill-intentioned, so his words cannot be trusted."

"Ulterior motives?" Everyone looked at each other, not knowing where to start and what this had to do with political commentary.

Jia Mi said, "Isn't this obvious? Lu Shiheng's argument for the feudal system was motivated by a sense of impartiality, for the benefit of the nation and its people. But Liu Huaichong's rebuttal wasn't in the same way, was it?"

"As everyone knows, Lu Shiheng is a descendant of Lu Xun, and Liu Huaichong is a descendant of Liu Bei. The two families are sworn enemies. Today, Lu Shiheng made a big splash at the meeting discussing feudalism. Seeing the descendants of Lu Xun gaining so much power, he must have felt indignant, hence his rebuttal."

"Looking at Liu Huaichong's specific remarks, while they were full of eloquence, suggesting that the county system was perfectly suited to the times, a closer look reveals that he was simply trying to praise the previous dynasty. As a descendant of the Han dynasty, he naturally had to defend it and disparage the Zhou. Otherwise, how could he live with himself?"

"It's incredible that he put so much thought into it and actually came up with a seemingly self-consistent statement. But in the final analysis, Liu Huai Chong has bad intentions. Even if he can brag, his words are worthless."

As Jia Mi spoke these words, his eyes, like misty waves, fixed on Liu Xian. Every word he spoke was like a sharp spike, piercing Liu Xian's chest. By the time he finished speaking, Liu Xian was already trembling with anger, his face flushing a rare red.

To put it bluntly, Jia Mi's words were pure personal attacks. He had no intention of seriously discussing the political superiority of the two, nor did he have any unique theories to expound on. He simply wanted to attack Liu Xian for his incorrect position, so all his remarks were sophistry.

How had I offended him? Why was I being insulted like this?
Liu Xian couldn't figure it out, and didn't want to figure it out right now.

To be fair, Liu Xian did harbor some hostility toward Lu Ji before arriving at Jingu Garden. However, after meeting Lu Ji in person, he was completely captivated by his demeanor and talent. While Liu Xian certainly wasn't completely resistant to the idea of a challenge, he embraced the attitude of a gentleman, expressing his views openly and honestly, believing that as long as he gained something from the debate, he would be happy even if he lost.

But facing Jia Mi's accusations of turning black into white, Liu Xian was bizarrely angry. This was not only an insult to his personality, but also a denigration of his motherland!

Liu Xian tried to suppress his anger. After all, he was in front of so many famous scholars and couldn't lose his composure. Furthermore, he had Sima Wei as his backer and Le Guang as his mentor, so he didn't think Jia Mi would really confuse right and wrong.

But reality disappointed Liu Xian. When he turned around, he found total silence. Although the other scholars looked embarrassed, none of them, without exception, refused to offend Jia Mi.

After all, he was the only nephew of Crown Princess Jia Nanfeng and Princess Jia Bao of Qi, and also the first duke of the Western Jin Dynasty.

But Jia Mi was still quite dissatisfied with this tacit agreement. He even pointed out Lu Shiheng and asked, "Lu Shiheng, do you think I'm right or wrong?"

Lu Ji looked embarrassed. This was practically forcing him to endorse Jia Mi's words. But he couldn't afford to offend Jia. After hesitating for a long time, he nodded apologetically to Liu Xian and said with difficulty, "Duke Lu, your opinion is excellent!"

With Lu Ji's start, the others felt relieved and gradually relaxed. They all echoed and even attacked Liu Xian one after another, saying that he was "heretical" and "disregarding ethics", and even said that he was a "vicious villain with evil intentions".

The scene gradually turned into a one-sided humiliation of Liu Xian. Although the majority remained silent, the atmosphere was extremely depressing.

Be patient! Liu Xian warned himself.

But as he thought about this, his blood boiled, and Liu Xian tormented himself with other questions: Why did this happen? What had he done wrong? Why was he being humiliated like this?

What made Liu Xian most angry was that he found Shi Chao in the crowd, also looking at him with indifference, as if they were just strangers.

Finally, Liu Xian regained his familiar auditory hallucinations. The child's voice that he had almost forgotten once again rang in his ears, repeatedly calling out, "The Duke of the Lost Country! The Duke of the Lost Country!"

Jia Mi's smiling face from his childhood also reappeared.

This cry made him tremble all over, and he wanted Huo De to stand up immediately and destroy Jia Mi's handsome face with a punch. But before he could move his body, Liu Kun beside him had already reached out and pressed down on Liu Xian's shoulder, holding him down hard. He whispered, "Huai Chong, don't do anything wrong!"

Liu Kun's fingertips pinched Liu Xian painfully, bringing him back to his senses: he couldn't afford to offend Jia Mi no matter what. The reason he felt so confident in humiliating him was because the two families were so powerful, Liu Xian had to swallow this humiliation!

Yes, I have no other choice.

Liu Xian took a deep breath and finally calmed himself down. He slapped Liu Kun's hand away and stopped looking at Jia Mi or anyone else.

No matter how the people present criticized him, he remained silent. In fact, he could have left earlier, but if he left so hastily, Liu Xian would feel like a coward, so he insisted on not leaving.

After hearing so many sarcastic remarks, Liu Xian felt that his bones had become harder. The things that he had thought were unbearable in the past were actually nothing more than this. He finally made it to the end of the literary gathering.

After returning home, he locked himself in the house, drew out the Zhaowu Sword and looked at it again and again. He saw a dark face reflected on the sharp sword edge. He closed his eyes silently, looked into his heart, and advised: Calm down, calm down, there is a long way to go.

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(End of this chapter)