A tall and skinny man at the next table stood up and was led into the main hall by a eunuch. The surrounding officials all looked at him with jealousy.
"He's so lucky. How could Chen Zhi be so lucky to meet the emperor?" Fatty muttered softly as he ate.
After a while, Chen Zhi came out. His face was full of joy as he returned to his seat. When the people around him toasted him, he didn't decline and continued to drink.
"His Majesty has decreed to summon Deputy Prefect Zhan, Han Xuan, for an audience." The eunuch's feminine and shrill voice rang out again. Another official came forward to present himself.
After a while, he came out.
"So it's because they're looking forward to the audience. They're afraid that they'll lose their manners after drinking, so the officials don't drink."
"But since they had already been summoned, they naturally wouldn't be summoned a second time. So they all drank to their hearts' content."
They watched as they passed by one by one. When they saw that there were seven or eight who received them, there were no more announcements. The officials seemed to have a tacit understanding. At this time, they didn't wait any longer. They toasted each other, and there was a clamor. They were all busy trying to get close to each other.
According to one's family background, they were divided into the imperial examinations and the Inherited Shade. According to one's faction, they were divided into several factions. There was no need to mention the regions. There were three, six, nine categories, and the undercurrents were surging.
At this point, a eunuch walked up the stairs. All the officials fell silent. This eunuch didn't announce the Imperial Edict. Instead, he led an imperial guard towards Pei Zi Yun and asked, "Are you Ying Prefecture's Top Scorer Pei Zi Yun?"
"Yes!" Hearing the eunuch's voice, he immediately understood that the emperor had summoned him.
"Let's have an audience!" Pei Zi Yun followed behind and entered the hall. Immediately, an official announced, "Ying Prefecture's Top Scorer, Green Cloud Monastery's Daoist Pei Zi Yun requests an audience with you."
As soon as he entered, he felt that the inside and outside of the palace hall were completely different. The huge palace hall was somewhat spacious and dark. The Emperor sat on the main seat, and the Eldest Princess sat on one side.
"It seems like there are no Crown Princes, Princes, or Dukes here today. Otherwise, the seating wouldn't be arranged like this."
The officials and nobles were all sitting on both sides. The floor in the middle was covered with blankets, and a group of dancers were dancing gracefully. The imperial bodyguards were standing on both sides of the pillars, and a few were standing in front of the steps to protect the Emperor and prevent assassinations.
Seeing Pei Zi Yun walk in, the Grand Princess looked down and glanced at him. She had a smile on her face as she spoke to the Emperor.
Pei Zi Yun scanned his surroundings. The atmosphere in the hall was rather relaxed. Many people were drinking wine, and their faces were slightly flushed. Some of them seemed to be tipsy, and were chatting softly. The Emperor, who was sitting high up on the throne, seemed to have drunk some wine as well.
"Long live the Emperor." Pei Zi Yun bowed deeply.
"Rise." As the Emperor spoke, he drank another cup of wine. He then placed the cup down and smiled, "Today is the Spring Banquet. I've heard that the spring rain has been continuous, and that the plowing has been smooth. I'm very happy. I've read your poems, have you composed any poems today?"
Hearing the Emperor's words, all the officials present turned their heads to look at him. These officials were all third ranked officials and above. Usually, they had the power to decide the life and death of others, and were extremely powerful. Just by looking at him, Pei Zi Yun felt a heavy weight on his shoulders.
Hearing the Emperor's words, Pei Zi Yun wasn't afraid at all, "Your majesty, this humble subject's poems require wine. Without wine, I can't write a poem."
The Emperor paused, as the entire hall fell silent. Pei Zi Yun suddenly felt a sense of nervousness, as he could feel the might of the heavens. At the next moment, the Emperor laughed, "I must not underestimate you, Pei Zi Yun. You're the only one who dares to say such things."
The Grand Princess spoke softly, "Your Majesty, you have to bestow the wine to him. Do you know that Pei Zi Yun has a nickname, the Wine Immortal?"
"Haha!" The Emperor laughed heartily, "Good. Since there's wine, there can only be poetry. Bestow the wine then."
"Thank you, your majesty!" Pei Zi Yun sighed and bowed deeply. He then stood up and looked at the Emperor seriously.
According to the memories of his previous life, the Emperor should be fifty-three years old. He wore a pearl crown and a golden dragon robe. His robe was lined with fish scales, and his hair was slightly white. His eyes were deep and bottomless, and he exclaimed, "Good wine!"
A eunuch poured the wine and brought it forward. Pei Zi Yun glanced at the wine, and noticed that it was sparkling and translucent. He received the wine and drank it. He felt a burning sensation as he sighed, "Good wine!"
He placed the wine cup down and started walking. After taking seven steps, he sighed.
"The heavens and earth are the traitors of all living things. Time is the traveler of a hundred generations. Life is like a dream, how much joy is there?"
"The ancients held candlelight and roamed the night. When the sun shines on me, I see the scenery. When the sun shines on me, I write my essays. When the peach and plum blossoms bloom in the garden, the happiness of a family. All the handsome men of the season are blessed; I sing songs, I am ashamed of my happiness. When I admire the beauty of the world, the conversation becomes clear. When I open a banquet, I sit on flowers. When I fly, I get drunk on the moon. If I don't have a good song, how can I enjoy myself? If I can't recite a poem, I will punish me according to the amount of wine I have drunk. "
There were still voices in the hall, but Pei Zi Yun's words sounded like metal. Everyone listened in awe. Gradually, there was no more sound. Only Pei Zi Yun's recitation of the poem could be heard echoing throughout the hall.
Seeing that all the officials were silent, the Emperor raised his cup and took a sip. He then said softly, "It's a pity, a pity, what a pity. I can't make use of this talent. How did he manage to join a Dao sect?"
His voice was soft, and only the Grand Princess could hear him. The Grand Princess did not speak. She had seen Pei Zi Yun's talent before, and hence was not as surprised as the Emperor.
"The heavens and earth are the traitors of all living things. Time is the traveler of a hundred generations. How wonderful." The Emperor smiled as he spoke.
At this point, someone jumped out and said, "This poem was composed in seven steps. It's not an exaggeration to say that it's famous throughout the ages. This is the result of your Majesty's good fortune. This will be a legend in history."
"The Governor of Ying Prefecture has recommended that Dao Master Qing of Free Cloud Monastery is very efficacious. He has protected and protected the people, and is worthy of being conferred the title of True Sovereign."
It was obvious that the Emperor had been prepared for this. The Emperor then replied, "Granted!"
"Thank you, your Majesty." Pei Zi Yun heard the roar of the dragon, and knew that he had finally succeeded. He hurriedly kowtowed and thanked the Emperor. Seeing that nothing had happened, he retreated.
Now that everything had been settled, the Emperor took his leave and headed to the back of the hall to rest. This was to allow the officials to eat their fill. If not, they would feel uncomfortable eating under the Emperor's nose. Every word they said would have to be carefully considered. Now that the Emperor had returned to the back of the hall, everyone heaved a sigh of relief.
The Grand Princess stood up and prepared to leave. At this point, the commander stepped out and called out, "Grand Princess, please hold on."
Hearing the voice, the Grand Princess frowned and stopped walking. She looked at the commander with an unhappy expression on her face, "Commander, why are you calling me?"
"Of course. Grand Princess, please explain Top Scorer Pei's background." The commander asked, his face serious.
Looking at the commander's expression, the Grand Princess paused before saying, "He's from Free Cloud Sect."
"So that's the sect. Many thanks to the Princess for clearing my doubts. However, I hope that the Princess will advise his Majesty in the future. A person like this is not suitable to be close to."
"Grand Princess may not understand, but we all realized that even in this hall, this person's sword aura is still as sharp as ever. It's not suppressed at all. It's extremely terrifying."
"The next time the Grand Princess recommends someone, I will have to see him personally before I let him pass." The commander finished speaking before turning around to follow the Emperor.
When the Grand Princess heard this, she paused before mumbling, "Could it be that this Pei Zi Yun is really a sword cultivator? Is he able to walk ten steps?"
Since Pei Zi Yun had left, he didn't have to eat at the banquet. He then turned around and walked out. He had only taken a few steps when a voice called out, "Young Master Pei, please wait."
Pei Zi Yun turned around and saw an imperial guard, "Young Master, the Grand Princess has summoned you. I hope that young master will accompany her."
Why did the Grand Princess summon him? Pei Zi Yun thought to himself. Perhaps there was something she wanted to tell him. He then smiled and said, "Please lead the way!"
"Please!" The imperial guard led the way as they walked along a small path. Pei Zi Yun followed behind.
The peach trees ahead were in full bloom. Bees were buzzing, and butterflies were flying everywhere. After passing through the dense peach trees, the view before them opened up. They saw a lake with steam rising from it. The sun shone down, and the smoke reflected off the surface of the lake. There was a small rainbow above the lake. When they got closer, they could see it clearly. It was truly a paradise.
Pei Zi Yun stretched out his hand and touched the water. The temperature of the lake was at least thirty degrees. No wonder it was able to form such a large peach tree forest. It was even more beautiful than other places. It was like a paradise. This Grand Princess was really extravagant.
"The Grand Princess is on the island. Young Master, please follow me." The corners of the lake were made of green stones. There were some willow trees by the side, which had already sprouted green leaves. The path was paved with cobblestones.
The imperial guard led the way for another hundred meters. A green stone walkway leading to the center of the island appeared. After passing through the mist, they saw a small island in the middle of the lake. It was about a hundred square meters in size, and was filled with all sorts of flowers and plants. There was a pavilion in front of them, and the surroundings were empty. There was no mist at all.
As soon as they entered the pavilion, they could hear the sound of a zither. Looking over, the Grand Princess was sitting at a stone table in the pavilion, drinking tea. She was listening to the Canton Princess play the zither. Seeing Pei Zi Yun, the Canton Princess blushed, and stopped playing.
The Grand Princess took a sip of tea and looked at Pei Zi Yun, "You're good with swords?"
"Yes!" Pei Zi Yun replied. He had received a lifetime's worth of swordsmanship from Daoist Qing Song. Indeed, he could be considered a 'good' swordsman. Hearing this, the Grand Princess placed her teacup down gently. She stretched out her fingers to touch the lid of the teacup. After some time, she said, "Just now, the commander of the palace hall said that you have sword Qi around you. It's terrifying, and that you shouldn't meet the Emperor."
Pei Zi Yun listened to the Grand Princess and muttered to himself before replying, "I'm a free and unfettered person, and shouldn't meet the Emperor. It's the Grand Princess's grace."
The Grand Princess then remembered that Pei Zi Yun had never met the Emperor before. Her expression changed as she smiled, "You're only sixteen years old this year. I'm curious. You're good at poetry, passed the Imperial Examinations, and even know swordsmanship?"
The Grand Princess smiled, looking extremely charming. She was a mature and mature woman, causing one's heart to heat up and feel thirsty. Pei Zi Yun retracted his gaze and muttered, "There's nothing else. Every day, I practice swordsmanship, practice swordsmanship, and ponder over it. Over time, I'll become more familiar with swordsmanship."
Pei Zi Yun spoke without thinking. In his mind, he could see the original owner practicing swordsmanship, day after day, and the Daoist Qing Song's entire life.
"I've practiced swordsmanship as well. It's just that I've only been practicing swordsmanship for over ten years. Even the commander of the palace hall couldn't praise me. You're so young, I wonder if you'd be willing to practice your swordsmanship for me." The Grand Princess smiled.
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