Prime Minister

Chapter 61 061 [A glass of wine]

"The jade fragments of the celestial palace fall into the carved window, the inkstone is still warm, the game is not yet over. Suddenly I feel that the stars have moved away, and the shadow of the plum blossoms is obliquely parted on the edge of the sword."

Behind the curtain, Qu Zhaoyun, dressed in a light brocade fur coat and with light makeup that could not conceal her beauty, silently recited Cui Yanqing's poem.

The maid standing beside her asked in a low voice, "Miss, is this poem very good?"

"Ah."

Qu Zhaoyun spoke softly and unhurriedly: "This poem is profound in meaning. It uses the imagery of shattered jade falling from the eaves and the shadows of plum blossoms and the glint of swords to depict the scene, the unfinished chess game to portray the undercurrents of emotions, and the metaphor of the shifting stars to describe the state of human life. It can be said that three layers of meaning are fused into one. What is even more wonderful is that Xue Shidu previously ridiculed Cui Bianxiu as a sycophant, and Cui Bianxiu frankly admitted it and then expressed his aspirations in a poem. On the surface, this poem is not as generous and impassioned as Gao Xiuzhuan's work, but in fact, its writing style is concise and restrained, and it is even better when you savor it carefully."

The maid nodded in agreement, then asked curiously, "According to what you're saying, Miss, then Editor Cui's work should be ranked first?"

Qu Zhaoyun remained noncommittal, smiling slightly, "We'll have to see if that Xue Shidu can produce a masterpiece."

The silence inside the hall lasted for a while, outside the curtains.

Not only Qu Zhaoyun recognized Cui Yanqing's poetry as the best, but many of the successful candidates in the Gengchen imperial examination also shared this discerning eye. Even Gao Tingbi admitted his inferiority, saying, "Brother Wenyuan's talent is outstanding; I am far inferior. Having reached this point in today's elegant poetry gathering, I'm sure everyone has already agreed—"

His words abruptly stopped, and Gao Tingbi suddenly realized what he had said, giving Xue Huai an apologetic smile.

Fortunately, he stopped in time; otherwise, he would have been underestimating Xue Huai, since the other party had not yet produced any poems.

At this moment, Cui Yanqing turned to Xue Huai and said, "Brother Kuangshi, don't be anxious. Xue Shidu has not yet made a move. How can we be certain of the final outcome?"

"Since Brother Cui's work is so outstanding, I can only make a fool of myself."

Under everyone's gaze, Xue Huai stood with his sleeves tucked in and slowly said, "On the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, I met with other candidates for the imperial examination at Zhanxue Pavilion in the western city. It was the eve of the Lunar New Year, and the snow had just stopped. We gathered around the stove, warmed wine, and talked about the ups and downs of our official careers over the past two years. Brother Kuangshi asked me to compose a poem to commemorate this gathering, and I have written this down to repay you all."

He stepped forward, his calm and composed voice reaching everyone's ears: "At year's end, the tortoiseshell banquet is reopened, and a solitary light pierces the nine heavens."

Behind the curtain, Qu Zhaoyun said softly, "The opening statement is mediocre."

Xue Huai's gaze was calm as he recited the second couplet: "Frozen clouds seem to lock the Kunlun pillar, while the flint fire has already ignited the smoke over the vast sea."

At this moment, he couldn't help but recall the inner turmoil and torment the original owner had endured over the past two years. He had persevered with all his might, only to end up battered and alone.

Not far away, Chen Guanyue quietly watched Xue Huai, and he could understand Xue Huai's feelings at this moment.

Although the other young officials did not see things as clearly as Chen Guanyue, they also knew that Xue Huai had finally reaped the rewards of his hard work in the past two years, and the meaning in the poem was his reflection in the mirror.

"The star raft awaits crossing the vast Milky Way, and the back of the giant turtle can carry the earth's axis as it rotates."

Upon hearing these two lines, everyone seemed to sense the change in Xue Huai's state of mind; it was no longer utterly hopeless, but rather a glimmer of hope appearing after a period of darkness.

Xue Huai paused, a faint smile appearing on his face, before concluding with: "Gentlemen, do not lament the brevity of life; look down upon the human world, eight hundred years have passed."

Silence fell over the hall once more.

Cui Yanqing looked at Xue Huai with a complicated expression, his lips moved, but he remained silent.

"Good poem."

Chen Guanyue broke the silence first, but instead of showering praise, he offered only two simple words.

However, these two words resonated with others.

As they savored the last line, "Gentlemen, do not lament the brevity of life; look down upon the eight hundred years of human existence," and gazed at Xue Huai's young, handsome face, which also exuded a composed demeanor, and then recalled his past two years of setbacks yet unwavering determination, they gained a deeper understanding of the poem.

In a sense, Xue Huai's poem is similar to Cui Yanqing's impromptu poem, as both poets express their aspirations through poetry and also incorporate their own experiences and insights.

Cui Yanqing felt guilty and remorseful, while Xue Huai let go of his entanglements and faced the situation with magnanimity.

However, in Chen Guanyue's opinion, although Cui Yanqing was quick-witted, his insights seemed far-fetched and far inferior to Xue Huai's heartfelt and spontaneous expression.

Not to mention their past performances, Xue Huai's poems are clearly more convincing.

Gao Tingbi spoke up at the right moment: "Brother Jingche's poem is very moving, but Brother Wenyuan's poem is also very elegant. In my opinion, it is really hard to say which one is better."

He felt that Xue Huai's poem was better, but he really didn't want to see this boy become famous again. Anyway, Cui Yanqing's talent was known throughout the court and the country, and that poem was also presentable. No one could say that he was biased.

Chen Guanyue hesitated, knowing full well Gao Tingbi's ulterior motives. He felt an urge to seek justice for Xue Huai, but remembering his uncle Chen Bojun's instructions before he left, he could only remain silent and lower his head.

Others, either not wanting to offend Gao Tingbi or genuinely feeling that the two poems were equally excellent, laughed it off and echoed Gao Tingbi's sentiments.

Behind the curtain, Qu Zhaoyun's brows furrowed slightly.

Seeing this, the maid lowered her voice and asked, "Miss, which poem do you think is better?"

"Xue Shidu's poems are better, while Cui Bianxiu's poems seem to be taking shortcuts."

Qu Zhaoyun calmly said, "However, the two are not that different, and a draw might be the best outcome."

She was slightly curious whether Xue Tanhua, who was known for his integrity and uprightness, would be willing to accept this ending.

Xue Huai did not find this matter unacceptable.

He knew what Gao Tingbi was thinking, but there was no need to embarrass so many of his classmates by insisting on a mere honor. What was wrong with having two champions?

However, before he could express his opinion, Cui Yanqing's cold voice suddenly rang out: "Not only is Xue Shidu well-versed in literature, but he is also exceptionally talented in poetry, truly remarkable. Since we are all in high spirits today, why don't we indulge ourselves to the fullest?"

The implication was that since the two poems were evenly matched, the two should have another competition.

Xue Huai narrowed his eyes slightly. He originally felt that today's performance was just right, having won the respect and recognition of many of his peers and showcased his talent through Cui Yanqing. Therefore, he simply wrote a poem to the best of his ability and did not deliberately intend to make a name for himself.

However, the other party was relentless and insisted on suppressing him.

Upon thinking of this, Xue Huai's expression gradually turned cold. He looked at Cui Yanqing and nodded, saying, "Since Brother Cui is in such a good mood, I will gladly accompany him." Cui Yanqing sneered and then said to Gao Tingbi, "To be fair, I would like to ask Brother Kuangshi to set a topic for us. Whoever writes the better poem will be the champion of today's gathering."

They made the decision in just a few words, leaving no room for Gao Tingbi or the others to interrupt. At this moment, Gao Tingbi looked at Cui Yanqing's determined expression and suddenly felt that this fellow had some merits. So he smiled and said, "Very well, then please feel free to display your talents. However, I, Gao, would like to make it clear beforehand that while the competition is a competition, we must not harm the harmony between our fellow students."

Cui Yanqing nodded.

Xue Huai calmly replied, "Please, Brother Gao, give me the topic."

Gao Tingbi vaguely sensed that Xue Huai's calm tone contained a hidden murderous intent. He looked around and saw several winter plum blossoms in a porcelain vase on the table by the wall. Thinking of Cui Yanqing's poem, he coughed lightly and said, "I noticed these winter plum blossoms are blooming very well when I came in today. I would like to ask you two to write on the theme of winter plum blossoms, without any restrictions on poetry or prose, within the time limit of one incense stick."

Immediately, a maid from Zhanxue Pavilion lit a short incense stick.

The incense burned rather quickly.

Chen Guanyue and Wu Jing looked at Xue Huai with a slightly solemn expression. They were somewhat worried about whether Xue Huai could produce another masterpiece in a short period of time.

As for Cui Yanqing... he was clearly not under pressure regarding this proposition, and his expression was very relaxed at the moment.

The incense gradually burned shorter and shorter, and the passage of time seemed slow but actually fast.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Xue Huai suddenly walked to the table, picked up a wine pot, and poured a full cup of wine into it.

He raised his wine cup, tilted his head back, and slowly drank it all.

"Good wine."

Xue Huai sighed softly, then said nonchalantly, "Give me the brush."

The maidservant hurriedly brought over a writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.

Xue Huaiyuan stood calmly before his desk, picked up his brush, and wrote with boundless freedom.

This expression instantly attracted everyone's attention, including Gao Tingbi, leaving Cui Yanqing looking somewhat lonely.

He stood five or six steps away, coldly watching Xue Huai surrounded by the crowd, and said sarcastically, "Pretending to be something you're not."

With the incense burning halfway through, Cui Yanqing already had a draft in his mind. He only needed to polish it a little more, and he would be able to produce an excellent poem that would be enough to make Xue Huai bow down and submit.

At that moment, the sound of Chen Guanyue reciting poetry came from the other side.

"To the tune of Bu Suanzi, Ode to the Plum Blossom".

Xue Huai was already immersed in some indescribable emotion. He held a wine cup in one hand and wrote with his brush in the other, imprinting one elegant character after another on the Xuan paper, which also carried a hint of determination.

"Beside the broken bridge outside the post station, a lonely flower blooms, unclaimed."

As soon as he uttered the first sentence, Chen Guanyue's pupils contracted slightly, and his tone gradually rose.

"It is already dusk, and I am alone in sorrow, further burdened by wind and rain."

As Gao Tingbi watched Xue Huai wielding his brush, a strong sense of unease welled up within him.

"I have no intention of vying for spring's favor, let all the flowers be jealous."

Upon hearing this, Wu Jing, Zheng Xuanming, Wu Qingyue, Yang Sixiu, and other young talents exchanged glances, their eyes filled with amazement.

"Scattered into mud and ground into dust, only the fragrance remains the same."

After Chen Guanyue finished reading, he felt that he had not yet had enough and that the experience was still very enjoyable.

Gao Tingbi remained silent, his eyes filled with complex emotions, his heart brimming with shock.

The other young officials, however, had fewer such thoughts; they all crowded forward, eager to see the masterpiece for themselves.

Having studied diligently for over a decade, they certainly understood the weight of this poem. Moreover, it was a work written by Xue Huai in the time it takes to drink a cup of wine. They felt that language was so pale and powerless at this moment, utterly incapable of describing the surging and turbulent thoughts in their hearts.

As long as this poem is circulated, Xue Huai and even the Gengchen imperial examination will surely become famous throughout the capital!
Inside the curtain, Qu Zhaoyun, who had always been calm and composed, stood up. Her usually peaceful eyes stared blankly ahead, as if trying to see through the curtain to the young scholar who had just reached the age of twenty.

Xue Huai remained standing tall and solemn. He looked at the writing on the Xuan paper for a moment, silently apologized to Lu Fangweng, then put the brush back on the brush holder and looked ahead.

The crowd involuntarily moved aside.

On the other side of the line of sight, Cui Yanqing was pale, his hands were trembling slightly, and he was muttering to himself.

The room fell silent, and only then could one hear what he was saying.

"Scattered into mud and crushed into dust, only the fragrance remains..."

Cui Yanqing repeated this sentence over and over, a sad smile appearing on his face as he murmured and looked up at Xue Huai.

The emotions conveyed in that one glance are hard to describe.

The next moment, Cui Yanqing swayed and then fell to the ground.

"Brother Wenyuan!"

"Brother Wenyuan!"

"He's fainted! Quickly, get a doctor!"

Amidst the chaos, Xue Huai shook his head slightly and drank the remaining wine in his cup in one gulp.

(End of this chapter)