#43 - What if (4000 words, two chapters in one)

Chapter 43: What If? (4000 words, two chapters combined)

Three days before the banquet.

Young Confucian scholars sat in the courtyard.

Seated before them was Xiao Mochi, the leader of the current "Reform Faction" and the most favored minister of Emperor Wu.

"Regarding what I just said, do any of you have any questions?" Xiao Mochi looked at these young officials of the court with a smile. "If everyone is clear, I hope you can cooperate."

These young Confucian scholars looked at each other.

They were the officials who would be receiving the Qi Kingdom's delegation in three days.

Chen Nan霜 stood up and bowed to Xiao Mochi: "Mr. Xiao, is it really necessary to do this?"

Xiao Mochi smiled slightly: "In my opinion, it is necessary.

The class structure of the Wu Kingdom has become rigid, and everyone's interests are intertwined. You are in me, and I am in you.

To break this balance, we must find a breaking point.

Any breaking point will do.

We must let those in the court know that the world is not as they think it is, and rules are meant to be broken.

There may be banquet games such as flower-passing orders, couplet matching, or poetry making.

I want you all to lose to them.

Finally, I will create an opportunity for him to shine at the banquet and directly face Qi Kingdom's naturally gifted literary genius."

"But..."

Zhou Liu stood up.

"Mr. Xiao, do you really have that much confidence in Xu Ming? Admittedly, his poem 'Ode to the Goose' is quite stunning, and Mr. Zhang praised him highly. But sir, Xu Ming will be facing the naturally gifted literary genius!"

Another scholar stood up: "Yes, Mr. Xiao, the poems he writes must be excellent, but that's far from enough. At the very least, Xu Ming's poems need to resonate with the literary world, even if it's just a little."

Zhou Liu and the others voiced everyone's biggest concern.

Everyone lowered their heads, filled with worry.

They didn't mind deliberately losing to the Qi Kingdom's envoys at the banquet.

They also didn't mind creating momentum for a small child at the banquet, becoming his stepping stones.

As long as it could make the Wu Kingdom better and stronger, they weren't afraid of death, so what was a little reputation?

But they were afraid...

Afraid that Xu Ming wouldn't be able to bear this weight, afraid that the Wu Kingdom would be looked down upon, and everything would be in vain...

Some even had the idea of racking their brains to write a poem and then have Xu Ming recite it.

But as soon as this thought came up, they dismissed it.

This kind of cheating was impossible.

Literary resonance wouldn't lie; only the author could evoke it.

Moreover, if this matter were discovered by those conservative old fogeys, they would be caught, and even an innocent child would be plunged into endless trouble.

"I can't guarantee it," Xiao Mochi slowly said as everyone pondered.

"I'm gambling on this matter.

Gambling that my young friend Xu Ming can become an overnight sensation, gambling on my own judgment, gambling on Mr. Fang's judgment.

If I lose the bet, I'll just be laughed at.

But if I win the bet..."

"..."

Xiao Mochi didn't continue, but everyone knew what he meant.

If they won the bet, and Xu Ming truly lived up to the expectations of Mr. Xiao and Mr. Zhang, and truly created a good poem!

Even if it couldn't compare to that naturally gifted literary genius, as long as it resonated with the literary world, this matter would become a public opinion.

And this public opinion would become a sharp thorn for the "Reform Faction!"

Even a son of a concubine can achieve such a feat, then how many sons of concubines are buried in the Wu Kingdom?

The sons of merchants in the Wu Kingdom can't even participate in the imperial examinations. Are there no geniuses among these people being buried?

A talented person like Xu Ming can't even participate in the imperial examinations? Then what face do others have to participate?

The imperial examination system must change.

And once the imperial examination system changes, the "ancestral rules" will no longer be iron laws.

The defenses of those old stubborns can be torn apart little by little.

"If we fail, we will probably all be questioned by the emperor," a scholar said with a smile, accepting the proposal.

"I only hope that young friend Xu Ming doesn't lose too much to that naturally gifted literary genius, and that Mr. Zhang's eyes aren't too blurry," another scholar said with a smile.

"Who says young friend Xu Ming will definitely lose? What if he wins?" Chen Nan霜 raised an unrealistic fantasy.

"Hahaha, if young friend Xu Ming wins, what's the harm in giving my pair of jade lions to him?" said the Vice Minister of Rites.

"If young friend Xu Ming wins, I don't want my Vermilion Bird Inkstone anymore."

"I'll throw in a Snowmelt Brush."

The scholars spoke of their bets, hoping that Xu Ming could create a good poem. Even if he couldn't win, it would be fine as long as he could gain the recognition of the literary world.

But...

What if...

What if Xu Ming really won?

"Young friend Xu Ming, please rise," Xiao Mochi said with a smile, extending his hand to Xu Ming.

Everyone looked towards Xu Ming.

"Sir," Xu Ming stood up.

Xu Ming was also very surprised. He thought he was just going to play a supporting role, but he didn't expect Xiao Mochi to let him participate directly.

Xiao Mochi smiled and said, "You wrote the poem 'Ode to the Goose' when you were six years old. In the past two years, Mr. Fang has praised you even more. I wonder if Xu Ming can write a poem for Miss Zhu."

Hearing that someone was going to write a poem for her, Zhu Cici, who was sitting at the banquet, raised her head. Her beautiful almond eyes blinked as she looked at Xu Ming, her watery eyes full of anticipation.

"Then this student will make a fool of himself," Xu Ming said.

Xiao Mochi had already said this, and Xu Ming knew that he couldn't refuse.

On the Wu Kingdom's side, all the scholars held their breath.

The Qi Kingdom's side was also very curious about what kind of child could receive Mr. Zhang's praise.

It should be known that Mr. Zhang's reputation is well-known even in the Qi Kingdom.

But no matter what, they felt that this child named Xu Ming, no matter how talented he was, couldn't compare to Cici, and even the poems he wrote couldn't surpass Zhong He.

"Everyone is writing seven-character poems, but I'm not very good at seven-character poems. I wonder if Miss Zhu can allow me to use lyrics?" Xu Ming looked at Zhu Cici's big eyes.

"Mmm," Zhu Cici nodded obediently.

"Thank you," Xu Ming smiled slightly, walked to Zhu Cici, picked up the wooden sign in front of the girl with her name written on it, and looked up at the delicate and lovely girl.

As if thinking.

Everyone held their breath, waiting for the child's lyrics.

"Having tasted all the bitterness of parting under the sky, I didn't say when I'd return, the fallen flowers are like this. Under the flowers, we look at each other without a word, the green window, spring and sky, both are late."

Xu Ming slowly recited the first stanza.

Every word and sentence spread throughout the banquet.

Many people immediately sat up straight.

Judging from the first stanza alone, this poem was already a masterpiece.

If the second stanza performed normally...

"Waiting to tell my lovesickness under the lamp, a wisp of new joy, old hatred a thousand strands."

Xu Ming continued to recite. Fang Jingchun, who was sitting in the main seat, was already stunned. In Fang Jingchun's heart, there was suddenly a strong feeling.

Could it be that there would be a masterpiece passed down through the ages?

Impossible? He's only eight...

"The hardest thing to keep in this world is youth's bloom, the mirror reflects a fading face, the tree sheds its flowers."

As the last sentence was recited, Fang Jingchun's heart skipped a beat, and the strong premonition in his heart had come true.

Everyone in the room was blank, and the poem kept echoing in their ears—

"Having tasted all the bitterness of parting under the sky, I didn't say when I'd return, the fallen flowers are like this. Under the flowers, we look at each other without a word, the green window, spring and sky, both are late.

Waiting to tell my lovesickness under the lamp, a wisp of new joy, old hatred a thousand strands. The hardest thing to keep in this world is youth's bloom, the mirror reflects a fading face, the tree sheds its flowers."

"The hardest thing to keep in this world is youth's bloom, the mirror reflects a fading face, the tree sheds its flowers..."

As a scholar murmured to himself, he suddenly raised his head.

The door of the banquet hall was blown open, and streams of literary wind blew into the room, rustling everyone's blue robes.

"The wind of the literary world..." Fang Jingchun sat up straight again.

The wind of the literary world enveloped Xu Ming.

Xu Ming felt refreshed.

It was as if he had taken a clean bath, and then, naked, he was lifted up by the wind, flying happily for thousands of miles.

[You wrote the poem 'Butterfly Loves Flowers - Having tasted all the bitterness of parting under the sky', causing the literary world's fortune to stir, Righteous Qi +1000, Heterosexual Attraction +10, Temperament +50.]

Looking at the attribute points that appeared in his mind.

He could understand Righteous Qi and Temperament.

But what the heck was Heterosexual Attraction????

"Hiss."

The aftereffects of this poem hadn't ended.

Xu Ming felt that the Eternal Spirit Root in his dantian had grown two centimeters taller, and the leaves were even greener. A wind kept surrounding the Eternal Spirit Root, gently blowing the leaves, never stopping.

A quarter of an hour later, the wind of the literary world in the room gradually stopped, and Xu Ming deeply exhaled a breath of turbid air.

"The hardest thing to keep in this world is youth's bloom, the mirror reflects a fading face, the tree sheds its flowers~" In front of Xu Ming, the nine-year-old girl smiled sweetly, "Thank you, this is the most beautiful poem I've ever seen."

"It's good that Miss Zhu likes it," Xu Ming bowed like a little adult.

"Emmm..."

Zhu Ci Ci tapped her finger on her chin, thinking adorably, but in the end, Zhu Ci Ci shook her head.

"But I can't come up with equally good verses for you right now. Can I owe you one and give it to you later?"

"Of course."

Xu Ming smiled, feeling that this little girl revealed both innocence and gentleness, and within that gentleness, a kind of lively beauty, completely different from Qing Wan's youthful allure and Xue Nuo's youthful arrogance.

Zhu Ci Ci owing a poem, in the girl's eyes, was just owing a poem, which she would definitely repay.

But in the eyes of others, it was a kind of admission of defeat.

The Qi Kingdom's naturally gifted scholar was outdone by a concubine's son from the Xu Kingdom...

This poem would surely spread.

Everyone present tonight would become the backdrop for this young man.

In the second half of the banquet, no one composed any more poems.

With such a line as "What human world can never hold, is rosy cheek leaving mirror, flower leaving tree,” no one dared to embarrass themselves further.

Everyone's gaze couldn't help but drift towards Xu Ming, who was sitting next to Xu Pangda.

His posture was still upright, and his expression was still calm.

That scholarly, jade-like temperament made people feel as if they were in a trance.

Was this really an eight-year-old child?

The scholars of Qi Kingdom were completely overshadowed, while the scholars of Wu Kingdom drank heartily.

After the banquet ended, almost everyone, except for children like Xu Ming, left drunk.

"Take a walk?"

Just as Xiao Mo Chi was saying goodbye to Fang Jingchun, Fang Jingchun spoke.

Xiao Mo Chi was taken aback for a moment, then nodded gracefully, "Alright."

"A thousand miles, what a delightful wind," Fang Jingchun recited.

The next moment, a gust of wind blew, enveloping Xiao Mo Chi and carrying him away from the courtyard.

The moonlight was like water, the waves shimmering, and the two strolled along the shore of Water Moon Lake in Wu Du.

Neither Xiao Mo Chi nor Fang Jingchun spoke, simply walking silently along the lakeside.

"How dare you?" After a long while, Fang Jingchun, with his hands behind his back, turned to look at Xiao Mo Chi.

Xiao Mo Chi smiled and shook his head, "Mo Chi doesn't understand what Elder Fang means."

Fang Jingchun stroked his beard and smiled, "Letting your Wu Kingdom's scholars lose to us in the flower-matching game, and then letting your Wu Kingdom's scholars lose to us in composing poetry, it was all to pave the way for young friend Xu Ming.

Indeed, that old Zhang is a man of vision.

But how could you be so sure that he could produce such a good poem tonight?"

Xiao Mo Chi still shook his head with a smile, "Xu Ming's performance actually exceeded my expectations."

Fang Jingchun was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter, "Hahaha, yes, Xu Ming didn't need to create such a good poem at all. He just needed to not lose too badly.

In the end, unexpectedly, not only did he not lose badly, but this young friend actually created a poem that will be passed down through the ages.

‘What human world can never hold, is rosy cheek leaving mirror, flower leaving tree’

What a wonderful poem."

Xiao Mo Chi was silent.

"I heard you are implementing reforms?" Fang Jingchun asked Xiao Mo Chi.

Xiao Mo Chi nodded.

Fang Jingchun frowned slightly:

"After tonight, young friend Xu Ming's reputation will spread throughout Wu Du, and that poem will spread throughout the world.

You can use him to make a fuss, to attack those conservative dignitaries in the court, and use this as a breakthrough to carry out your reforms.

But Xiao Mo Chi, have you considered that such a child, only eight years old, will be pushed to the forefront?"

"This junior knows," Xiao Mo Chi nodded.

Fang Jingchun looked directly into Xiao Mo Chi's eyes, "Letting a child enter the game? How can you bear it? Why is the status of a concubine's son in Wu Kingdom so low? What happened in your Wu Kingdom one hundred and fifty years ago? Don't you know?"

Xiao Mo Chi's eyes did not evade in the slightest, "I will protect young friend Xu Ming's safety, and if nothing unexpected happens, young friend Xu Ming will become the leader of the Wu Kingdom's literary world when he grows up."

Fang Jingchun shook his head, "Mo Chi, you are too impatient."

Xiao Mo Chi sighed helplessly, "I only hate that I am not fast enough."

Fang Jingchun: "You ah..."

Xiao Mo Chi stopped and bowed deeply to Fang Jingchun, "Elder Fang, this junior dares to ask you for a favor."