ALL NOVEL chapter 196
From an ordinary “fan meeting” to a competition that now concerns the dignity of Daning’s poetry circle.
A sudden appearance by a great poet, gave the Chunlong Poetry Meeting a completely different meaning.
At this point, no one felt that Su Sheng could easily win, but no matter what, this poetry saint absolutely couldn’t lose.
Because he was the last and only hope for Daning’s literati.
For Daning’s literati, the outcome of this competition might be more important than their own lives.
However, for the other party, Shen Ran himself, all this was just a small obstacle on his path to cultivating his literary skills.
Today, he was determined to challenge Su Wu.
Winning would be great, of course.
Losing wouldn’t be a big deal either.
He was still young, so there was no need to be ashamed.
He looked up at Su Wu, who seemed like an old god, took a deep breath, and respectfully bowed to him.
“Su Sheng, please!”
The single word “please” pierced the night sky, stirring up a whirlwind.
Thousands of people held their breath, seemingly afraid of disturbing Su Wu’s mood.
However, the latter didn’t keep them waiting for too long.
About seven or eight breaths later, he took a gentle step forward, standing tall at the bow of the boat.
His long beard, long sleeves, white hair, and white clothes… his figure swayed in the wind, as if echoing the bright moon in the sky.
After glancing at Shen Ran, Su Wu slowly opened his mouth, reciting a poem in a gentle and peaceful tone.
His voice wasn’t loud, and was even a bit soft.
But as the poem, like a gentle breeze, entered the ears of the crowd, it presented a majestic era of a dynasty.
“Last night’s spring tide didn’t calm down, and the rain brought half-hidden flower colors.”
“The wild geese cried out as they returned to the north, and the swallows brought new societies to the south.”
“No need to wander around the flower tree if there’s no joy, and no need to prepare medicine if there’s no illness.”
“I’ll just answer the heavens with loyalty, and let the children play with their hair ornaments.”
“……”
When the poem ended, the entire audience was silent.
One breath, two breaths, three breaths, and then…
“Wow! Wow wow wow!”
The originally calm lake surface suddenly burst forth with countless bubbles, followed by a flash of golden light!
The fish jumped over the dragon gate, and the poem was heard throughout the land!
Two hundred and ninety-nine golden carps leaped out!
……
The spring tide overflowed onto the beach, and the flowers bloomed halfway after the rain.
The lantern festival was over, and a new day had begun, with the wild geese returning to the north and the swallows arriving in the south.
Why wouldn’t one be happy? Even if there was illness, what’s the point?
In this life, I only seek the two words “public loyalty” and the joy of children at my knees.
Two sentences described the scenery, and two sentences described the emotions.
Not a single word of praise was seen throughout the poem, but it seemed to unfold a picture of a peaceful and prosperous era before everyone’s eyes.
I’ll just answer the heavens with loyalty, and let the children play with their hair ornaments.
Facing Shen Ran, who was almost arrogant, Su Wu surprisingly responded with a poem that didn’t contain a single hint of anger, truly displaying his extraordinary and transcendent chest and demeanor.
The struggle between you and me is just a trivial matter, and I have no intention of competing with you. I just want to tell you about this prosperous era of Da Ning.
“……”
“Great!!”
It was unclear who shouted first, but the entire Riyue Lake suddenly erupted like a boiling pot.
The crowd’s pent-up emotions finally found release in the crazy surge of the two hundred and ninety-nine golden carps after Su Wu’s poem.
“Su Sheng is indeed a saint! This poem is too uplifting!”
“This is the bearing of a saint!”
“Such talent and broad-mindedness, who in the world can match it!”
“Two hundred and ninety-nine golden carps! It’s a sure win!”
“The dignity of Da Ning has been preserved!!”
“……”
Some people were loudly praising, some were murmuring in a low voice, and others had already started discussing the poem’s wording, phrasing, and implied meaning with their friends.
Of course, many people didn’t forget about Shen Ran.
“Shen! Su Sheng has finished his poem! It’s your turn now!”
“If you can’t come up with one, you’d better leave quickly!”
“You can’t lose to Su Sheng, that’s not embarrassing at all!”
“……”
Although many people had just been furious with Shen Ran, they didn’t seem too intimidating now.
This might be because of Shen Ran’s displayed poetic talent or because the people of Da Ning had already put themselves in the position of “winners.”
Winners tend to become more tolerant when facing losers.
However……
Facing the crowd’s urging, Shen Ran didn’t show any emotional fluctuations.
He took a deep look at Su Sheng, knowing that he had a hard time winning.
But since he had traveled thousands of miles from Da Li to get here, he might as well give it a try.
And at this moment, what did he really want to say……
Unlike Su Sheng, who had smoothly become a “saint” with an easy life, Shen Ran’s life path was much more bumpy.
So although he could understand the phrase “only answer the heavens and earth with loyalty, teach children and grandchildren to wear a crown,” he knew he couldn’t write such a carefree poem.
But why did he have to be like Su Sheng?
I’m not inferior to anyone, and I have my own unique understanding of this world, different from that of a “saint”!
Standing in the pavilion, gazing up at the bright moon, Shen Ran thought for a long time.
Suddenly, he murmured to himself in a low voice:
“No one shares a cup with me in the guest house, who is the peach blossoms in my hometown blooming for?”
“……”
Has he finished his poem?
The crowd was stunned, then carefully savored the meaning behind the poem.
From afar in Da Ning, Shen Ran was indeed a guest, and “no one shares a cup with me” undoubtedly revealed his loneliness.
And “who is the peach blossoms in my hometown blooming for” not only elevated his homesickness to another level but also hinted at a sense of pride.
To be fair, these two lines were good, but they still lacked something compared to Su Sheng’s poem.
Writing poetry emphasizes conveying emotions through scenery, which makes it more exquisite and allows listeners to resonate more.
But now, Shen Ran had skipped this step of “describing scenery” altogether.
He went straight to expressing emotions, but did anyone understand this “emotion”?
If it was just a simple expression of homesickness, it would be too far behind Su Sheng in terms of scope.
Or was it something else?
Shen Ran soon gave the answer.
He took a step forward, standing tall, facing the crowd of thousands of people gathered by the lake, as if he was alone, confronting them!
His loud voice pierced through the night, reaching the sky!
“Spring tide doesn’t care about the hatred at the horizon, and it’s rolling towards the Western State……The evening rain is coming!”
“……”
……
There’s no one to share a cup with in the guest room, and the peach blossoms in my hometown are blooming for whom.
The spring tide doesn’t care about the hatred at the horizon, and it’s rolling towards the Western State, with the evening rain coming.
“The hatred at the horizon” usually implies the sorrow of a traveler, but it can also represent the emotional debt between enemies in the jianghu.
As for the last sentence, “and it’s rolling towards the Western State, with the evening rain coming”……
Everyone present is extremely familiar with the allusion used here.
The Western State is the state closest to the capital city “Bai Ping” within the Da Li territory.
More than 200 years ago, under the leadership of six second-rank masters, the Da Ning army marched all the way to the Western State and signed a treaty with the Da Li Emperor, known as the “Western State Treaty”.
Within the next 500 years, Da Li voluntarily acknowledged Da Ning as its suzerain state, and from the Western State to the Da Ning border, there would be no military defenses, and every year, Da Li would have to offer tribute to Da Ning, including 100,000 taels of silver, 10,000 horses, and other local products, and so on.
In simple terms, it was a typical unequal treaty.
For any Da Li person, this treaty would be an unforgettable shame that could never be erased.
So……you have your prosperous era, and I have my family’s hatred and national grudge.
In front of thousands of Da Ning scholars, Shen Ran surprisingly revealed a completely different scene in the most straightforward way.
On one side was the winner’s peaceful and prosperous era.
On the other side was the loser’s heavy burden of advancing forward.
“Whoa!”
The ripples on the lake’s surface began to spread, and the same scene appeared again.
Everyone held their breath, staring fixedly at the golden carp tails flipping in the air.
Ten tails, fifty tails, one hundred tails, two hundred tails, two hundred ninety-nine tails……
Three hundred tails.
It seemed as if it was predetermined in the unknown, and there was exactly one more tail.
“……”
“Whoa!”
“How, how is this possible……”
“This isn’t real, this isn’t real……”
On the shore, countless scholars with flushed faces sat on the ground, their expressions utterly bewildered.
At this point, it was already difficult to distinguish the superiority of the two poems in terms of hearing, technique, and atmosphere.
But the extra golden carp tail told everyone in a straightforward manner—
The number one poet in Da Ning, the Poet Saint Su Wu, had lost.
This result was unacceptable to them, but it seemed they had no choice but to accept……
“Kill, kill him……”
Someone suddenly shouted, trembling with rage.
The crowd was silent for a moment, but the same thought spread like a plague, becoming more and more frenzied.
“Yes……as long as we kill him, no one will know about tonight’s events!”
“That’s right! Let’s get rid of him quickly!”
“Can’t let him leave alive!! Da Ning can’t suffer such a great humiliation!”
“Quick! Kill him!”
“Kill him! Kill him!!”
From a single voice to a chorus of two, then to a final crescendo of thousands, the crowd’s fervent cries echoed across the lake.
Like a devil’s scream, the deafening roar sent shivers down the spines of all, as if the most sublime yet selfish emotions had been stirred up on the lake’s surface, creating wave after wave of chilling ripples.
“Sister Xu, have these people gone mad?”
Yu Jia furrowed her brow, glancing at Xu Qingwan, who wore a similar expression.
“……”
Xu Qingwan was at a loss for words, her heart feeling uneasy. As a warrior, she couldn’t comprehend why these scholars, who were normally rational and knowledgeable, would suddenly become like this.
Why did they have to kill each other?
Was it for the sake of the prestigious Da Ning’s dignity?
But what meaning did this self-deceptive dignity hold?
Xu Qingwan couldn’t make sense of it, and her gaze drifted back to Wei Changtian, who still sat on the small boat.
Just then, Wei Changtian suddenly stood up, leaping into the pavilion amidst the crowd’s watchful eyes.
Was he going to… kill Shen Ran?
Xu Qingwan felt a twinge of doubt, her hand already resting on the hilt of her sword.
No matter how she couldn’t understand, she would unconditionally support Wei Changtian’s decision.
“Someone’s going to make a move!”
“Good man! Kill that scoundrel!!”
“Yes! Kill him! Don’t let him escape!!”
The commotion on the lakeshore grew even more intense as someone entered the pavilion.
However, Wei Changtian didn’t intend to draw his sword and kill; instead, he turned around, exasperated, and bellowed at the crowd on the shore who were “cheering him on”:
“Shut up, all of you!”
“Give me some quiet!”
……
“……”
The moon was bright, the stars sparse, and the wind was gentle, with a hint of dew.
Wei Changtian’s unexpected actions had instantly dispelled the crowd’s fervor, leaving them in silence for a long time before someone whispered softly.
“Is that… the Wei Changtian who killed Liu Xiang?”
“It seems to be… He’s not going to kill Shen Ran, is he?”
“I think he’s a spy for Da Li!”
“I remember his poetry skills are exceptional! Is he going to…?”
“No way! Even Su Sheng lost, how could he possibly win? Does he want us Da Ning scholars to lose even more face tonight?”
“But……”
“……”
Some of the murmurs on the shore reached Wei Changtian’s ears, while others didn’t.
However, he didn’t care about these whispers, only gazing at Shen Ran before lightly shaking his head.
At this moment, his heart was somewhat conflicted.
The poetry duel earlier was the first time Wei Changtian had witnessed a “main character’s show-off scene”.
To be honest, Shen Ran’s actions, every word and deed, were far superior to these scholars who only knew how to shout blindly, except for being a bit arrogant.
At first, Wei Changtian had ridiculed Shen Ran mercilessly, but when his own side was no match, he fell silent.
When Su Sheng composed a good poem, he started cheering again, but after thoroughly losing, he refused to admit defeat, even wanting to kill to silence others.
Wei Changtian could understand to some extent the “national honor” in their hearts, but just like Xu Qingwan couldn’t understand –
What was the significance of this self-deceptive dignity?
Perhaps it was because he was a transmigrant and didn’t have the national identity of “being a Da Ning person”, or perhaps it was due to the value of “willing to bet and admit defeat” that he had cultivated since childhood.
In reality, Wei Changtian didn’t want to take the lead for this group of people at all.
But Shen Ran was, after all, one of the sons of the Heavenly Dao…
Pointing to the crowd of people behind him, Wei Changtian softly spoke to Shen Ran, who was watching him with caution:
“Let’s make it clear beforehand.”
“What I’m about to do isn’t for them.”
“It’s just for myself.”
……
Isn’t it just for myself, not for them?
Shen Ran didn’t understand the meaning behind these words and was taken aback.
So were the thousands of Da Ning literati.
“What does he mean by this?”
“Hmph! I’ve said it before, he’s a spy for Da Li!”
“Let’s just see what he’s going to do.”
“What’s there to see? Is there a skilled martial artist who can go and kill Shen Ran?”
“Yes! What does that traitor want to do, and what does it have to do with us?”
“……”
The uproar of discussions erupted once again, but Wei Changtian didn’t pay any attention to it. He simply waved his hand, and the nine paper slips that had fallen to the ground flew back into his hand.
Chunxiu, Chunyu, Chunye.
Chunhua, Chungeng, Chuniao.
Chunsi, Chunfeng, Chunchao.
Nine paper slips, nine topics.
Just as everyone, including Shen Ran, was wondering what Wei Changtian was going to do, a voice devoid of emotion suddenly rang out from the pavilion.
“This poem is about Chunxiu.”
“Standing alone on the precarious tower, the wind is gentle and fine. I gaze into the distance, and my heart is filled with sorrow, as if it’s born at the horizon.”
“In the fading light of the setting sun, who can understand my intentions?”
“I’ll try to get drunk and forget my worries. I’ll sing and laugh, but it’s all just a pretense.”
“My belt is gradually loosening, but I won’t regret it. For her, I’ll exhaust myself and wither away.”
“……”
Wei Changtian casually tossed away the paper slip with the character “xiu” on it, ignoring the thousands of people who were frozen in shock, as well as the nearly thousand golden carp that had suddenly leaped out of the water, and continued to speak quickly without any emotion:
“This poem is about Chunyu.”
“The world’s flavors have become as thin as silk, who has ordered the horseman to ride into the capital.”
“I listened to the spring rain in the small tower last night, and in the deep alley, they’re selling apricot flowers this morning.”
“The paper is slanted, and I’m idle, writing carelessly. The sun is shining bright, and I’m playing with the tea and dividing it.”
“I sigh at the dust that rises, and I’m still able to reach the clear and bright sky.”
“……”
One poem about Chunxiu, one poem about Chunyu.
The bright moon was in the sky, and the vast Da Yue Lake was filled with people, but it was as if no one was there.
At this moment, no one could utter a single word, not even a sigh.
There was only Wei Changtian’s nearly dismissive voice, and the continuous, unceasing struggle of the golden carp jumping out of the water.
“……”
“The nation is broken, yet the mountains and rivers remain, the city is filled with deep spring colors……”
“A lone sailboat disappears into the distant blue sky, only to see the Yangtze River flowing at the horizon……”
“The wind and rain came last night, and how many flowers have fallen……”
“A cup of white jade wine, a green willow in the third month. The spring breeze has a few more days, and the hair on both temples has turned white……”
“The spring colors are overflowing, and one branch of red apricot has come out of the wall……”
“……”
“Last year, on this day, in this door, people’s faces were reflected in the peach blossoms, both red.”
“People’s faces are unknown, but the peach blossoms still smile at the spring breeze……”
“……”
As the poem “Spring Breeze” came to an end, Wei Changtian had finished reciting eight poems in an extremely short time.
At this moment, everyone’s expressions and emotions were beyond description.
If one had to say, it was as if they had seen a god.
After a slight pause, Wei Changtian looked at Shen Ran, who was staring at him in a daze, and his tone became somewhat serious for the first time.
There was only one question left.
It was the one that Su had lost to Shen Ran – the Spring Tide.
“This poem, it’s about the Spring Tide……”
“It’s called, Spring River Flower Moon Night.”