Chapter 154: I Didn’t Want to Show Off, But My Enemies Wouldn’t Let Me
Chapter 154: Chapter 154: I Didn’t Want to Show Off, But My Enemies Wouldn’t Let Me
"A verbal edict from His Majesty: Tonight, the moonlight flows in vibrant splendor, and the osmanthus shadows dance. We and all Our beloved ministers shall enjoy this magnificent worldly scene together.
All of you are well-read, your minds filled with literary treasures. We now command you to take the moon as your theme and present your poetic talents. Any whose poems are of exceptional quality in both skill and sentiment shall be handsomely rewarded by Us. Furthermore, your name may be engraved in the Imperial Study for posterity. We hope you will all display the full extent of your learning, do justice to this fine hour, and thereby manifest the flourishing literary fortune of Our dynasty. By Imperial decree."
Liu Hai’s voice was not loud, yet it carried throughout the entire banquet, reaching everyone’s ears.
’He’s a master.’
Pei Shaoqing thought to himself.
’He marveled at the eunuch’s erudition. The Emperor had probably only said two sentences, but after Liu Hai’s on-the-spot embellishments, it had become such a long speech.’
’The Emperor mentioned a reward but didn’t specify what it would be.’
’He guessed the reward would depend on the winner. Different people would receive different prizes.’
Of course, setting aside the old-timers in attendance, for the young officials and the fortunate second-generation scions at the banquet, the actual reward was secondary. The mere prospect of having their name engraved in the Imperial Study was exciting enough.
However, although everyone was eager to try, no one dared to be the first to step forward.
"Han Aiqing, as the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, why don’t you start us off and set an example?" Emperor Jingtai said with a grin, looking down at an old man in the seat of honor to the left.
Instantly, all eyes turned to him.
The old man appeared to be nearly seventy. The age spots and wrinkles on his face were clearly visible, and his temples and beard were completely white. His small, stooped frame was huddled within his voluminous official robes, making him look as if a gust of wind could topple him.
This was Han Dong, Grand Secretary of the Great Zhou. After Wen Xi’s retirement, the Emperor had appointed him to the Cabinet. At the time, he was merely the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel; he had now served as Grand Secretary for over a decade.
He was one of the Emperor’s most trusted confidants.
Han Dong did not rise; the Emperor had granted him the privilege of speaking while seated. A smile on his face, he spoke in a slow, leisurely tone, "Your Majesty, this old minister already has one foot in the grave. My literary talents are not what they once were. It would be better to give this chance to be in the spotlight to the younger generation.
"Liao Wen, Chief of the Ministry of Revenue, was the Champion Scholar of the 27th year of Jingtai. He is exceptionally talented, and his poetry is superb. In this old minister’s opinion, why not have him compose the first poem to get us started?"
As soon as he said this, the expressions of many in the hall shifted.
"I remember the man Han Aiqing speaks of," Emperor Jingtai nodded and called out, "Where is Liao Aiqing?"
"Present!" a young man, who had clearly been waiting impatiently, shot to his feet and answered loudly. He was tall and slender, with a handsome face, and appeared to be not yet thirty. He had an exceptional air about him, his ambition on full display.
Even from a great distance, Pei Shaoqing could feel the confidence radiating from him.
’He really has the presence of a Champion Scholar.’
’A Sixth-rank Official at such a young age.’
’He has every right to be arrogant.’
Meanwhile, in a seat near the front of the hall, Minister of Revenue Qin Yu watched the scene unfold, his expression darkening slightly.
Liao Wen was his son-in-law.
Just as a father knows his son best, he understood his son-in-law’s personality all too well. He knew Han Dong’s recommendation for Liao Wen to lead the poetry recital was made with malicious intent, yet he was powerless to stop it.
He could only pray silently that Liao Wen would be smart about this.
Emperor Jingtai said with a chuckle, "Since Minister Han has made the recommendation, then you, Minister Liao, shall set the example for us."
"As Your Majesty commands." Liao Wen bowed in assent. He then strode to the center of the hall, surveyed the room with a confident smile, and, full of spirit, began to recite: "Deepening dusk conceals the jade-plate moon, / Yet streams of pure light shine on a thousand peaks. / My thoughts fly to those a thousand miles away who watch it too, / Together longing for reunion at this very moment."
As his voice faded, the entire hall fell silent.
"Excellent! A fine poem! A fine poem indeed! Worthy of the Champion Scholar I personally selected." Only when Emperor Jingtai spoke his praise was the silence broken. The assembled ministers then began to whisper amongst themselves, all extolling the poem’s brilliance.
A smug look appeared on Liao Wen’s face. He paid no mind to the jealous and hostile glares around him, for he firmly believed: ’to escape envy is to be mediocre.’
But Qin Yu felt as if the sky were falling.
’You were asked to recite first to break the ice, so did you have to show off so blatantly? By composing such a good poem, how can anyone else dare to follow you?’
’Turning the imperial banquet’s poetry recital into his own personal showcase.’
’It certainly puts him in the spotlight, but it’s akin to stepping on everyone else to get ahead. He’ll earn everyone’s resentment.’
’It might even displease the Emperor. The Emperor wanted everyone to compose poetry to liven up the festival atmosphere. You opened your mouth and brought the whole thing to a grinding halt. How could the Emperor possibly be happy about that?’
Right now, Qin Yu could only hope that someone else would hurry up and recite an even better poem to overshadow his son-in-law’s.
Han Dong chuckled and said, "Chief Liao has certainly set a high bar. Who’s next? If there’s no one else, then His Majesty’s grand prize will go to him."
"Is there no one else? Come now, my dear ministers, participate eagerly!" Emperor Jingtai said with a smile on his face.
But for a long moment, no one spoke.
The smile on the Emperor’s face slowly faded.
Liao Wen, however, remained standing in the center of the hall, like an unsheathed sword, unable to hide its sharp edge. He scanned the crowd, his condescending gaze filled with contempt.
’What a moron.’ Pei Shaoqing shook his head.
’Being a great scholar doesn’t mean you’ll be a great official.’
’By the same token, being a decent person doesn’t mean you’ll be a great official, because if you want to succeed as an official, you can’t afford to be a decent person.’
Zhou Rui sneered. "If his father-in-law weren’t Minister Qin, he’d ’accidentally’ fall into a river and drown the moment he left the palace."
Just as Qin Yu was about to signal a subordinate with a look to get up and recite a poem, the Eldest Princess’s cold voice shattered the silence. "I have heard that the Baron of Pingyang has a widespread reputation for talent in Shu State. Why have we not seen you compose a poem tonight? Could it be that you disdain my imperial father’s generous reward? Or perhaps you disdain the honor of having your name engraved in the Imperial Study? Please, Baron of Pingyang, compose a poem for us."
In an instant, all eyes turned to Pei Shaoqing.
Everyone knew of the conflict between the Eldest Princess and Pei Shaoqing. Hearing her words, they all assumed she was intentionally trying to make him suffer a public humiliation.
"Your Highness jests," Pei Shaoqing said with a smile, frankly admitting his own supposed incompetence. "Everyone knows my learning is shallow. Please, don’t make things difficult for me."
’He had actually prepared a poem for tonight, but it was to be used to deal with the Emperor. These other people weren’t worthy of it.’
The Eldest Princess’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. "The world also knows the Baron of Pingyang as a good-for-nothing, accomplished in neither literary nor martial pursuits. So how is it you’ve recently performed so many great deeds? Why continue to feign incompetence now?
"When swallows return, the rain has not yet ceased, / Paulownia blossoms, like drifting snow, fill all of Shu State. / My poem asks the red bean a thousand questions, / Is this half simple joy, half a prison? This work of yours, Baron of Pingyang, is famous throughout Shu State. For you to still claim your learning is shallow is hardly convincing."
The banquet hall instantly erupted.
"What a poem! A brilliant poem! I never thought the Baron of Pingyang could write something so masterful. He’s certainly kept his talents well hidden."
"We all mistakenly believed the Baron of Pingyang was a good-for-nothing, but it seems he’s actually a master of both the pen and the sword."
"Baron Pingyang, don’t be so modest! On this auspicious Mid-Autumn Festival, how could a man of your talent not grace us with a masterpiece?"
Even Liao Wen’s expression turned grim as he looked at Pei Shaoqing, now considering him an opponent worthy of a contest.
Qin Yu, however, let out a long sigh of relief.
"Her Highness the Princess is truly concerned for me," Pei Shaoqing said, his voice laced with hidden meaning. ’Since the Eldest Princess knows about this, she might also know that the poem was actually written by Jiang Xue. Is she deliberately putting me on the spot?’
The Eldest Princess gave a faint smile. "It is simply that the Baron of Pingyang’s fame is so great that even I have heard of it in the capital."
She had no idea the poem was actually written by Jiang Xue.
She simply refused to believe that a degenerate scumbag like Pei Shaoqing, who had dared to be so disrespectful to her, was capable of writing such a poem.
Her intention was to put him on a pedestal just to watch him fall and make a fool of himself.
"Baron Pingyang, hurry up and compose a poem! Or do you truly hold His Majesty in no regard?" Tang Fei shouted, piling on. He was certain that, given the animosity between the Eldest Princess and Pei Shaoqing, she could only be trying to make him look bad, not good. That was why he chimed in to apply more pressure.
He had visited Tang Zhi in prison earlier today, and it had broken his heart. He wished he could kill Pei Shaoqing. While he couldn’t do that, seeing him publicly humiliated would be a satisfying way to vent his anger.
Emperor Jingtai looked down at Pei Shaoqing from his high throne and said with a smile, "Pei Aiqing, you see? Everyone is anticipating your masterpiece. Don’t be so modest."
"In that case, I shall embarrass myself." The Emperor’s golden words had been spoken, so Pei Shaoqing immediately rose to his feet and complied.
’As a degenerate, he just wanted to f*ck, not flex, but people were always forcing him. This was probably payback for f*cking around so much.’
’Alright, everybody, make way. I’m about to start showing off.’
He walked to the center and first gave a graceful, courteous bow to Liao Wen. Then, taking a slow step forward as if deep in thought, he began to recite: "The courtyard ground is white, on branches roost the crows; / Cold dew descends in silence, wetting osmanthus flowers. / Tonight, all people gaze upon the bright full moon, I know, / But wonder whose home feels autumn’s melancholy hours?"
"A masterpiece! A masterpiece!" Zhou Rui shot to his feet, clapping in praise. If even someone with his level of literary appreciation could recognize it as a masterpiece, then it truly must be one.
"A poem like that from the Baron of Pingyang calls for a large cup of wine!"
"What a line... ’Tonight, all people gaze upon the bright full moon, I know, / But wonder whose home feels autumn’s melancholy hours?’ I never imagined such a fierce and manly fellow like the Baron of Pingyang could compose such a gentle and delicate verse."
"It is all thanks to Your Majesty that we were fortunate enough to hear another masterpiece! With this cup, your humble minister toasts Your Majesty!"
Liao Wen’s face went deathly pale. As a Champion Scholar, he could naturally tell the quality of a poem, and he knew without a doubt that Pei Shaoqing’s had completely overshadowed his own.
His straight back slumped. He returned to his seat, utterly crestfallen, and began to down cup after cup of wine with his head lowered.
Noble Consort Wan’s eyes sparkled with surprise. She never imagined that this audacious, lecherous cur could possess such literary talent.
The Eldest Princess was completely stunned. Her beautiful eyes widened in disbelief, her moist, red lips parting slightly.
’Wait, you can actually write poetry?!’
A flicker of confusion crossed her eyes. ’Could it be that the poem that made him famous in Shu State was also his own work?’
She bit her lip, her heart filled with stifled frustration.
’I wanted to make him look like a fool, but by some twist of fate, I ended up letting him steal the spotlight. It’s infuriating!’
’And what’s worse, how could such a magnificent poem come from that shameless, despicable scoundrel?’
Tang Fei was even more dumbstruck. ’Wait, has the Princess buried the hatchet with Pei Shaoqing? Was she deliberately setting the stage for him to shine tonight?’
’And I just went and fucking piled on with her.’
Fuming, he kept downing his wine, trying to extinguish the fire in his gut. But the alcohol only fanned the flames, and his anger burned hotter and hotter until his face was flushed crimson.
"Hahahaha! Pei Aiqing, you truly have given Us a great many surprises!" Emperor Jingtai laughed heartily, surveyed the hall, and asked, "Is there anyone else with a masterpiece to present?"
He asked three times in a row, and each time was met with silence.
For the young officials present, being outshone by Liao Wen would have been unacceptable. But being outshone by Pei Shaoqing? That was tolerable. After all, Liao Wen had been put in his place, too.
"Excellent! We declare Pei Aiqing the winner! We bestow upon you Our personal Nine Dragon Pendant. With this, you may pass through the palace unimpeded and request an audience with Us at any time," Emperor Jingtai announced, rising and removing a crystal-clear Jade Pendant from his waist.
The hall instantly erupted into an uproar.
Never mind the intrinsic value of the Nine Dragon Pendant itself.
The right to move freely through the palace and request an audience with the Emperor at any time...
What an immense reward! What a display of imperial favor!
Liao Wen clenched his fists. The dejection he’d felt from his defeat now curdled into pure hatred for Pei Shaoqing. He believed that Pei Shaoqing had stolen the great opportunity that should have been his.
"This minister thanks Your Majesty for the reward!" Pei Shaoqing said, giving his thanks.
He hadn’t expected such a magnificent reward either and was overjoyed. ’Being a plagiarist is so damn worth it!’