Frost for a Thousand Years

Chapter 179 The King of Wu Made a Big Mistake!
Poetic sentiment is a part of talent.

Moreover, it's a very large part.

But a person cannot have only poetic sentiments.

Otherwise, he would become like Li Bai.

Of course, there were many powerful ministers in ancient times, but there was only one Li Bai. In fact, if those powerful ministers had a choice, they might have preferred to be Li Bai, because: if I could do it all over again, I would choose Li Bai.

However, emperors might idolize Li Bai and use his poems to accompany him in death, but they would not appoint him to govern the country.

If a person possesses both the talent to govern a country and the eloquence to compose a masterpiece that can evoke half of the glorious Tang Dynasty, then he is truly radiant and dazzling.

At this moment, the King of Wu's eyes were filled with nothing but admiration.

He gazed at this member of the Wu King's faction with deep affection, a satisfied smile on his lips.

As for the King of Jin, he could only feel endless regret.

I regret not listening to the King of Zhongping and going to subdue him when his "Tuntian Strategy" made him the enemy of all the powerful families in the world.

What he wanted was simply a regime that wasn't controlled by nobles.

Clearly, Song Shi'an could provide him with everything he wanted.

clap, clap, clap...

Suddenly, the King of Wu applauded Song Shi'an with great delight.

The remaining scholars could only let him overshadow everyone else, becoming the white moonlight in the eyes of the two kings.

There's nothing we can do about it, who can we blame?
If it weren't for Qunyu Shantou, we would meet at Yaotai.

Once this poem was recited, everyone else automatically surrendered, lacking even the courage to compete with him on the same stage; they could only play supporting roles.

Moreover, Sun Qian's dejected appearance served as a warning to all of them: anyone who harbored the idea of ​​being the protagonist in front of Song Shi'an would pay a cruel price—a strong sense of defeat.

"Since everyone has drunk, it would be too unsociable of me not to drink."

Song Shi'an returned to his desk and raised his wine cup, saying, "To my colleagues."

After downing a glass of wine, he became extremely hearty.

Song Ce looked at his elder brother with great admiration.

"Yes, although you were all Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) of the same dynasty, and you fought fiercely with your pens to determine the top three scholars, the first, second, and third place winners, that was just an examination."

The Prince of Jin then spoke, saying, “In the future, when we serve in the same court, we will be colleagues, peers, and close friends. Perhaps there were some misunderstandings in the past that caused some rifts, but that is in the past and will eventually be resolved. Then, we should work together and be loyal to Your Majesty.”

This statement is too general.

But they were only selecting two people.

Who fought the most fiercely with their pens?

Song Shi'an and Sun Qian trampled on them twice in a row during the imperial examinations.

Who has the biggest misunderstanding and conflict?

It was them too.

"What His Highness said is absolutely true."

Song Shi'an was the first to stand up and respond, then slowly looked at the little crybaby Sun Qian, and picked up a cup of wine: "If we're talking about misunderstandings, it's me and Young Master Sun Qian who have the deepest misunderstandings. Some rumors outside say that we're irreconcilable. But actually, every time I see Young Master Sun Qian, I really want to befriend him, but I just find it hard to say it."

So disgusting.

That's really sticky and convoluted.

Gao Yunyi felt a chill run down his spine.

“Young Master Shi An, it’s me too. I’ve long since had a spiritual connection with you.”

Having composed himself, Sun Qian slowly stood up and raised his wine cup.

The two men greeted each other from afar and slowly drank their wine.

in……

Gao Yunyi couldn't bear to watch anymore.

Fan Wuji also admired these two; they would say anything to put on a show.

“A smile can dissolve all enmity, that’s good.” Prince Jin said with a smile, “Of course, there is no enmity. It’s all a misunderstanding, we are all loyal ministers.”

The King of Jin's childish behavior disgusted the King of Wu from the bottom of his heart.

Who do you think you are, daring to set up a stall here?
After the two men paid their respects to the Prince of Jin, they sat down.

At this moment, a scholar from Liangzhou exchanged glances with several other Liangzhou people and stood up together, walking to the center: "Your Highness, Prince Wu, Your Highness, Prince Jin, we scholars from Liangzhou have been practicing the Liang drum these past few days, but our skills are not yet proficient. We are willing to play the drum for Your Highness and everyone to accompany the drinking. It is just a small offering, and we will make a fool of ourselves."

Upon hearing him mention the King of Wu first, the King of Wu nodded with considerable satisfaction: "Not bad, not bad."

"Excellent! I've long heard of the Liangzhou drum music, so stirring and powerful. Seeing it today is truly an eye-opener." The Prince of Jin was quite impressed, or rather, he showed no resentment at the order of precedence.

Thus, the five scholars from Liangzhou, having passed the imperial examinations, joined forces to perform a 'symphony' for everyone.

Exhilarating and inspiring, like a sudden storm or a stampede of ten thousand horses.

Everyone was immersed in it, following the rhythm of the clapping.

At this moment, everyone seemed to be good friends.

There is no longer any partisan strife or personal grudges.

After it was over, beads of sweat were dripping from their heads.

But each of them was full of vigor and high spirits.

"Truly worthy of being called sons of Liangzhou!" the Prince of Jin praised. "Strong, enterprising, and full of passion."

"And what's even more remarkable is that," King Wu interrupted him as soon as he finished speaking, "Liangzhou just went through a major war last year, and in such a turbulent situation, it still managed to produce five Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations). It seems that Sizhou and Qinzhou have more than you, right?"

After asking these questions, Song Shi'an's expression froze for a moment.

I started to feel a little worried.

“Your Highness, there are six in Qinzhou,” a scholar from Qinzhou said.

"So Yizhou and Huaizhou both have four, right?" King Wu asked again.

The students on both sides nodded.

The atmosphere immediately became delicate.

Yizhou and Huaizhou were both underdeveloped prefectures. But they weren't at the very bottom.

The three candidates from Yangzhou were all somewhat restless.

"Of course, Yangzhou has many scholars, just like it has many beautiful women, only there are slightly fewer this year."

After offering his comments, King Wu said with a hint of encouragement, "Yangzhou should also get closer to Sheng'an."

"!"

Upon hearing this, Song Shi'an's eyes widened in surprise.

That idiot King Wu, are you drunk out of your mind?
How could you say such a thing!
It was only after he spoke that the King of Jin realized that the King of Wu had made a big mistake.

In what circumstances would it be necessary to get closer?

That means we weren't close to each other to begin with.

The King of Wu made it clear in his words that you were only given three spots this year because you were not close to the court.

It is punishment, a reminder, and a piece of advice.

Can you say that?
can.

The emperor can speak.

But how could you, King of Wu, say that!
Prince Jin was initially worried that his words might frighten the students and ruin the Qionglin Banquet, but after a moment's thought, he felt relieved.

If the King of Wu makes a mistake, wouldn't that benefit me?
The King of Wu got drunk.

Sun Qian figured it out.

Then, he slowly turned his head and looked at the students from Yangzhou.

They were all trembling with fear, and after glancing at each other, they prepared to stand up and confess...

Regardless of whether there was any crime or not, at least the King of Wu questioned him.

"His Highness Prince Wu is truly concerned about us students from Yangzhou."

Just then, Song Shi'an suddenly interjected, smiling as he said, "Indeed, Yangzhou is isolated by the mighty Yangtze River, making transportation difficult, and it is not easy to come to Sheng'an. Therefore, whenever there is an opportunity, we should go to the capital as often as possible to present His Majesty with auspicious omens of peace and prosperity for the country."

Song Shi'an's words were somewhat agitated.

Moreover, it seems that he was misinterpreting his own meaning; the "far or near" that the King of Wu mentioned was not about physical distance...

However, upon seeing the nervous and uneasy expressions on the faces of the Yangzhou students, he suddenly realized what was going on.

Instantly, cold sweat soaked my back!
A wave of fear washed over me!

I misspoke!
“Yes, yes,” King Wu said with a smile. “You should come to Sheng’an more often and visit the capital.”

The Yangzhou scholars forced smiles and nodded in agreement, but their hearts remained uneasy. They too were filled with uncertainty about the road ahead…

……

"The Prince of Jin and the Prince of Wu played a drinking game, which was started by Song Shi'an. He used the theme of beautiful women and flowers and composed a poem in seven steps. After that, all the candidates gave up composing poems and volunteered to drink as a penalty."

The eunuchs who had been waiting outside the palace to deliver intelligence were ready to report to the emperor.

"As expected." The Emperor nodded slightly. "How was Song Shi'an's banquet today?"

"He was very humble and had a good sense of humor," the eunuch said. "When His Highness Prince Jin said that he hoped his colleagues would forget their grudges and work together, he even took the initiative to toast Sun Qian to ease tensions."

"He knows his limits and has a broad perspective."

The emperor had known for a long time that Song Shi'an was not acting arrogantly for the sake of arrogance.

When he's being arrogant, it's only when he needs to be arrogant.

He was a capable minister, without a doubt.

"Your Majesty, there is also..."

After a very brief hesitation, the eunuch quickly continued to report the rest of the scene and details to the emperor.

Upon hearing this, the emperor's face immediately darkened. He stared at the eunuch and asked, "Did he really say that Yangzhou also wants to get closer to Sheng'an?"

The eunuch stammered, "His Highness was a little drunk, so..."

"He really said that Yangzhou should also get closer to Sheng'an?"

The emperor repeated it word for word, raising his voice by more than one pitch.

The eunuch immediately knelt on the ground and said, "His Highness Prince Wu has spoken."

"Great, that's wonderful." The emperor smiled and nodded as he said, "Now the throne can be handed over to him. He knows very well how to be an emperor."

The eunuchs prostrated themselves on the ground, nearly wetting themselves in fear.

When an emperor gets angry, he usually stops being angry. Instead, he laughs in a sarcastic or mocking way.

Usually, at times like this, the fire has already reached the heart.

The emperor truly hadn't expected that the Prince of Wu would be so eager before even becoming the crown prince.

No, he wasn't in a hurry.

His frivolity stems from his utilitarian nature.

It was obvious from a young age.

In order to gain praise from the teachers at Chongwen Academy, he took the other princes hunting, but in private he would frantically memorize his lessons.

Of course, this kind of personality has both advantages and disadvantages.

Good means having a pioneering spirit and being able to make decisions.

The downside is that he's willing to do anything, and under his rule, the national system might be shaken.

But regardless, at such a grand banquet showcasing the dignity of the royal family, he was so carried away with his pride...

That's absolutely outrageous!

"Did Song Shi'an really come to the rescue immediately?" the emperor asked.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the eunuch replied. “After His Highness finished speaking, he immediately explained on His Highness's behalf. And His Highness Prince Wu quickly realized that he had misspoke…”

The emperor's face darkened as he thought of the treacherous minister Ying Meng, whom he did not wish to see: "He does have feelings for the King of Wu."

(End of this chapter)