destiny eternal calamity

"Then, according to the majority opinion, summon Cui Yan, the envoy of Wei, to discuss the marriage alliance."

Long Yin said, sounding slightly tired.

A short while later, Cui Yan arrived at the hall.

He was arrogant and reiterated his request for a marriage alliance, his words carrying a hint of threat.

It was as if if the country didn't agree, the iron cavalry of Wei would trample this beautiful land to pieces tomorrow.

Long Yin was about to agree.

Just then, everyone saw Princess Tianyang, Long Xiaoxiao, suddenly walk to the middle of the main hall.

The main subject of today's discussion took a deep breath and then said:

"Father! Your daughter...your daughter is not unwilling to share the burdens of the country!"

"I have only heard that the Great Wei is martial, but my daughter only loves poetry and literature. I fear that after marrying into the Wei Kingdom, my words and actions will be inappropriate, which will not only fail to promote good relations between the two countries, but will also create discord. Wouldn't that be letting down my father and His Majesty the Wei Emperor?"

Cui Yan frowned, thinking to himself that this seemingly young princess was actually quite sharp-tongued.

And you still say that the Great Wei values ​​martial prowess? Does that mean you don't value martial prowess when you leave the country?

In this extraordinary world where martial arts flourish, which dynasty wasn't established and controlled by martial arts cultivators?

He cupped his hands and said, "Princess, you are overthinking it. My Great Wei..."

Before he could finish speaking, Long Bilin's cold voice rang out:

"Since the Wei envoy is confident in the flourishing literary style of Great Wei, why not follow Xiaoxiao's suggestion and examine their literary talent?"

"If you can win over my sister's heart and prove that the Great Wei is not just a barbarian... cough, a nation of martial prowess, then I will personally arrange this marriage for her. If not..."

She chuckled lightly, and the sarcastic tone in her words made Cui Yan's expression turn ugly.

"That's excellent!" Crown Prince Longming suddenly exclaimed in agreement.

"However, since the test is to assess literary talent, in order to ensure fairness, the topic cannot be set solely by our Great Li; it must be agreed upon by both parties."

"Otherwise, even if our Great Li wins, it will inevitably be seen as opportunistic and an unfair victory, making us a laughingstock to the people of Wei."

Prime Minister Gongsun Wen immediately stroked his beard and echoed, "Your Highness the Crown Prince has considered things thoroughly. The topic should be discussed jointly by both sides to ensure fairness."

The Crown Prince's faction readily agreed.

When the Prince of Jin's faction saw that their secret leader, the Prime Minister, had expressed his opinion, they all echoed his sentiments.

Immediately, more than half of the officials in the court agreed with Long Ming's words.

Moreover, most of the remaining officials also hoped for a marriage alliance and were afraid that Long Bilin would ruin the deal.

After hesitating for a moment, he also joined the group that echoed the sentiment.

Long Bilin's face darkened beneath her veil; she hadn't expected Long Ming to jump out and cause trouble at this moment.

Moreover, that old bastard Gongsun Wen has teamed up with Long Ming, it seems they really want to disgust him.

Seeing this, Cui Yan was overjoyed and immediately seized the opportunity:

"Your Highness is fair! This humble subject agrees."

Long Yin pondered for a moment, his gaze sweeping over his youngest daughter who looked nervous, weighing the options in his mind.

He naturally didn't want his youngest daughter to be married off to a distant place, but he couldn't be too biased either, since nine out of ten ministers in the court agreed with the Crown Prince and the Prime Minister's words...

"Your Majesty!" Suddenly, a clear voice rang out.

Everyone looked over and saw a young man in a blue robe walk out from beside Long Bilin, calmly walk to Long Xiaoxiao's side, and bow:

"This humble citizen, Li Wei, presume to offer my advice."

"Who are you? How dare you make such a racket in the imperial palace!" the crown prince shouted sternly.

"Your Majesty, please calm down," Long Bilin said calmly. "This man is Li Wei, a newly appointed retainer in my household. He is quite talented in poetry. I brought him to the palace today to serve as an advisor."

Li Wei remained calm and bowed to the emperor again:

"Your Majesty, I believe that what His Highness the Crown Prince and the Wei envoy are seeking is nothing more than 'fairness'."

"However, there are no fixed rules for poetry. Forcing a specific theme will only lead to clichés."

"How about this, the Wei envoy will first pose a topic, and our Dali will compose a poem accordingly; then, our Dali will pose another topic, and the Wei envoy will compose a poem accordingly."

"Finally, Your Majesty and all the ministers will jointly evaluate the merits and demerits, and announce the results to the world. This is the fairest way."

Upon hearing this, the entire hall fell silent.

This method is not only fair, but also full of confidence and magnanimity.

Approval flashed in Long Yin's eyes: "Granted!"

He clearly realized that winning the literary contest would silence the military officials of Wei, making it a more prestigious option than marrying off his daughter.

Cui Yan was the top scholar in the imperial examination during the Yuande era of the Great Wei Dynasty. He usually considered himself to be extremely talented. Since they were setting questions for each other and he was going first, what did he have to be afraid of?

After a moment's thought, he said, "In that case, I'll offer a suggestion as a starting point, and ask your country to compose a poem on the theme of 'battlefield'!"

This topic is extremely tricky. The two countries have been at peace for a long time, and the poets have no talent. How can they compose a poem?

The crown prince sneered, waiting to see Li Wei make a fool of himself.

Many officials remained silent. Some of them didn't lack the desire to write poetry and bring glory to the country; they simply couldn't.

But after only a moment, Li Wei smiled slightly and said loudly, "This humble subject has a poem."

Amidst the astonished and uncertain gazes of the crowd, he recited in a deep voice:

"Fine wine in a luminous cup, I long to drink, but the pipa urges me on. Do not laugh at me, drunk and fallen on the battlefield; how many have returned from ancient battles?"

Upon completion of the poem, the entire hall of military officers erupted in cheers.

Cui Yan's face turned pale. He hadn't expected the other party to be able to compose such a masterpiece so quickly.

He could only bite the bullet and say, "...Good poem, it's your turn to set a topic."

Li Wei looked at Long Xiaoxiao beside him, and the girl nodded, indicating that he should handle the matter entirely.

The flowery phrases I just spoke were all memorized by my older sister; she doesn't know any poetry or literature.

Li Wei then said, "You flatter me. Our topic is—'Bright Moon'."

Upon hearing this question, the civil officials all nodded in approval.

Mingyue's poetry best demonstrates his emotional depth and skill, representing the pinnacle of orthodoxy.

Cui Yan breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that he was lucky, as this was one of the topics he was best at.

He pondered for a moment, then confidently recited:

"A newly polished jade mirror reflects the clear sea; for whom does its pure light shine through the ages? Suddenly, I hear the voice of a raft floating in the heavens; I have seen Chang'e with her hair turned white as snow."

This poem has a broad scope and carries a touch of philosophy, making it a truly excellent work.

Although it cannot compare to Li Wei's battlefield poem, if he insists that he has not lost, the Li Kingdom cannot force him to lose.

Ultimately, the Li Kingdom is afraid of war and is begging the Wei Kingdom not to fight.

There was much discussion in the court. Although most officials felt that Li Wei's poem was better, they were afraid of angering the Wei state and dared not make a conclusion.

Li Wei realized that there was still uncertainty about whether he would unleash his ultimate move.

His gaze swept over the slightly worried Long Bilin and the nervous Long Xiaoxiao who was clenching her little fists, and finally looked at the dim sky outside the hall.

The sun had not yet risen, and the bright moon was faintly visible. His voice was melodious and affectionate:

"When will the moon be clear and bright? I raise my cup to ask the heavens. I wonder what year it is tonight in the celestial palace. I long to ride the wind and return, yet I fear the jade towers and crystal palaces are too cold at such heights. I dance with my shadow, how can it compare to being in the mortal world?"

The moment the first half of the poem was played, its extraordinary imagination, ethereal beauty, and subtle melancholy instantly captivated everyone's hearts.

"The moon turns through the red pavilion, shines low through the embroidered window, illuminating my sleepless night. There should be no resentment, yet why is the moon always full when we are apart? People experience sorrow and joy, separation and reunion; the moon waxes and wanes, and such things have always been imperfect. I only wish that we may live long and share the beauty of the moon, even though we are thousands of miles apart."

When the last line, "We share the same moon across a thousand miles," was recited, the entire Golden Palace fell into a deathly silence.

This has gone beyond a competition; this is a crushing defeat!

The subtle ideas in Cui Yan's poem pale in comparison to this masterpiece.