I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 17 Dowry?

It's actually a seven-character poem?

Upon seeing the bamboo slips Liu Miao had handed him, Zhou Yu initially thought Liu Miao was mocking him...

Yuefu poems naturally need musical rhythms to match them, but whether it is "song", "travelogue" or "recitation", they are mostly four-character poems.

Even in the Sao style, most poems are in four-character lines, and seven-character lines are rarely seen.

Even if seven-character poems still exist today, they are mostly popular seven-character rhymed verses.

For example, "Shangjun Song"——

"The elder Feng and the younger Feng, brothers succeeded each other, wise and virtuous officials who benefited the people. Their governance was as virtuous as that of Lu and Wei, just like the Duke of Zhou and Kang Shu."

For example, the "Jijiupian" was written by Shi You, a court official during the pre-Han period. It was a book for teaching children to read and was not considered a refined book at all!
It was like a stunningly beautiful woman wanting to marry an ugly man who made her uncomfortable at first glance. Zhou Yu, for one, felt somewhat uneasy at first sight, thinking Liu Miao was both shallow and unreasonable!

But when Zhou Yu read the contents aloud, he was completely stunned!
How could a seven-character poem rhyme like this?

The rhythm is gentle, possessing the beauty of the Chu Ci style!

The language is concise and substantial, and it also possesses the essence of Yuefu poetry!

For a moment, Zhou Yu disregarded the fact that he was in Sun Jian's mourning hall and sang loudly once more!
Now, even a rough and uncouth man like Sun Ce could understand the meaning!
No music is needed; the rhythm of the poem alone conveys a sense of pause and cadence!

Zhou Yu stared at the foreground titled "Qin's Moon" and muttered to himself—

"Yang Ziyun's poem says: 'The spear is the gate, the bright moon is the beacon!' Prefect Liu's poem borrows these words, but the meaning is profound! It means that although Qin had a long expedition but did not set up passes, in the land of the bright moon, there was still the idea that the journey would not be delayed; Han, on the other hand, set up passes and guarded them, and the soldiers had no hope of returning, and they could only rely on the Flying General to defend the border!"

"Although this is bleak and heartbreaking, the concluding lines are unexpected and possess the spirit of the mighty Han Dynasty!"

For some reason, Zhou Yu's eyes welled up with tears after reading the poem, and he felt a sense of tragic grandeur!
Of all the poems written by poets, none can be fully expressed, and none dare to be fully expressed, except for this one section, which is particularly inexhaustible. This is the purpose of the Spring and Autumn Annals in continuing the legacy of poetry!

Zhou Yu never imagined that he would see and hear such verses in his lifetime!
Excitement, exhilaration, and finally, fear.

"Just now, Magistrate Liu asked me to compose music for this poem?"

"Of course!"

Zhou Yu suddenly raised the bamboo slips high with both hands, placing them above his head, while also bending down towards Liu Miao.

"Gongjin, I truly dare not comply!"

"do not!"

Before Liu Miao could speak, Sun Ce quickly pulled Zhou Yu aside.

"Gongjin! I just heard you recite the poem, and it wasn't bad at all, was it? Although the rhyme, number of words, and style of this poem are a bit strange, with your talent, composing music for it should be an easy task, right?"

Sun Ce kept winking and making faces at Zhou Yu!

We can't refuse Magistrate Liu just because his poem isn't good! Even if we don't care about Magistrate Liu's reputation, we should at least consider the money he brought earlier!
When Zhou Yu saw Sun Ce interrupting, he knew that this wild boar probably couldn't handle fine food and had misunderstood him...

Therefore, Zhou Yu had no choice but to speak plainly—

"I am not qualified to compose music for Lord Liu's poem!"

"To be able to see this poem today is already a great fortune for Gongjin! How could I dare to compose music for it and defile Lord Liu's poem?" Zhou Yu was truly ashamed.

The four characters "Qin Shi Ming Yue" alone were enough for Zhou Yu to know that Liu Miao, who wrote this poem, was far superior to him in terms of literary cultivation, vision, and breadth of mind!
just like……

Zhou Yu was originally a village beauty, but the ugly man she looked down on before transformed into the ruler of a country!
A man like that, let alone marrying him as a wife or concubine, would make anyone feel ashamed just by standing next to him!
Zhou Yu knew that Liu Miao's words about "the bright moon of Qin" would surely be passed down to future generations and become a famous work like "The Song of the Great Wind" and "The Long Song"!

If the music he composed were placed alongside this poem, it would likely be ridiculed by later scholars, who would laugh at Zhou Yu for overestimating his abilities and daring to compose music for this poem!

Therefore, in order to avoid being infamous for eternity, Zhou Yu immediately decided to refuse to compose music for this poem!
The expressions of Sun Ce and Chen Yu standing nearby were quite interesting.

"If the music is wrong, Zhou Yu will notice."

This folk song is not a joke.

Throughout Huainan, and even the entire Jiangdong region! Everyone in Yangzhou knows that if Zhou Yu humbly ranks himself second in musical talent, then even renowned figures like Wang Lang and Hua Xin wouldn't dare claim to be number one!

Is there any poem in this world that he dares not compose into music?
Chen Yu looked at Liu Miao with a pitiful expression.

At this moment, he and Sun Ce were probably thinking roughly the same thing—

"It must be because Liu Shijun's poem was so strange that Zhou Yu rejected it..."

Only Liu Miao kept his eyes on Zhou Yu.

He could tell from Zhou Yu's series of doubts, shocks, and hesitations that Zhou Yu truly understood the rhythmic beauty and profound meaning of the poem.

My earlier statement that I was "unworthy to compose music for this poem" was not just a perfunctory remark.

"In that case, let's not compose any music."

Zhou Yu kept his eyes on Liu Miao from beginning to end.

At this moment, he could also see from Liu Miao's eyes that Liu Miao must have truly understood his meaning and heard his thoughts!

So when Zhou Yu heard that Liu Miao had not forced him to compose music, he immediately felt relieved!

Beads of sweat were faintly visible sliding down Zhou Yu's back.

Although it was already autumn, he felt incredibly hot, as if he were standing next to a blazing sun!
In fact, from the very beginning, Zhou Yu felt that something was not right.

He had a past relationship with Lu Kang's eldest son, Lu Jun, and often heard Lu Jun praise his nephew Lu Yi, saying, "Boyan has the talent to govern the country, but he is humble and does not show off his abilities, so no one has realized that there is such a promising talent in our Lu clan!"

So when Zhou Yu heard that Liu Miao had taken Lu Xun's mother as a concubine, he was puzzled. He wondered whether Liu Miao had gotten a great deal by sheer luck or whether he truly had the talent to recognize talent, like a discerning judge of character who had chosen Lu Boyan, this fine steed of the Lu family.

If Zhou Yu couldn't see Liu Miao's true nature when he first entered the room, then through this poem, Zhou Yu was certain that Liu Miao was definitely a ruthless and ambitious hero!
Liu Miao, who was ridiculed by the scholars of Jianghuai as a "lecher" and "fond of beautiful women," is now merely a hidden dragon in the abyss, quietly accumulating strength!

Such a person's every move must have a deeper meaning; clearly, they wouldn't have come to my residence for nothing, especially not with so many lavish gifts...

Generous gift...

Zhou Yu had a sudden flash of inspiration, as if he had thought of something, and then looked at Liu Miao in disbelief!
Then, Zhou Yu immediately turned his gaze to Sun Ce, who was still somewhat apprehensive because he had "offended Liu Miao"...

Bo Fu! Oh no!
What Magistrate Liu brought today is probably not a funeral gift for your father, but rather a betrothal gift for your mother!
(End of this chapter)