Three days later, ceremonial music was played. Red lanterns were hung high, and an endless stream of guests came and went. It was a splendid scene of prosperity. The Northern Qi diplomatic mission and the Dongyi guests were welcomed by the Kingdom of Qing. Their faces were full of smiles as they walked along the long passageway into the most solemn palace of the Kingdom of Qing. Looking at the expressions of the three parties, it seemed that the world was at peace, and that the battles and assassinations of the past few days had never happened.
The location of the banquet was Qinian Hall in the outer city of the palace.
The palace maids who carried food and wine to and fro in front of the table were very beautiful. Fan Xian raised his eyebrows and smiled as he watched them bustle about in the grand palace. The palace maids noticed that the young and handsome Fan Xian was looking at them in a different light, and they couldn't help but feel a little shy. Their faint blush grew even redder, and they stole glances at him from time to time.
The distinguished guests gathered in front of the hall, but not a single sound could be heard. Many of the Kingdom of Qing's guests were ministers and nobles that Fan Xian had never seen before. Only Director Chen and the Prime Minister were absent due to illness. Across from him sat the diplomatic mission of Northern Qi and the diplomatic mission of Dongyi.
Although Fan Xian's position was low, he was also a deputy, so he was arranged to sit in the middle of the table. Beside him were some senior officials, and he couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable. At that moment, he heard an old man next to him say with a smile, "There are many rules at the banquet, but His Majesty has always been easygoing. Don't be nervous, Master Fan."
This old man was Zhang Ziqian, an assistant minister of the Board of Rites. Because Fan Xian had an unresolvable grudge against the Guo family of the Board of Rites, he was secretly wary of this man. But hearing his words, he didn't seem to have any ill intentions. Fan Xian couldn't help but smile shamefully. "I've lived in the countryside all my life. I've never seen such a grand occasion. If I've been disrespectful in any way, I hope you can point me out."
Zhang Ziqian stroked his long beard and smiled. "Ren Shaoqing said in court today that Master Fan had contributed greatly to this negotiation. At this time, no one in court will do anything to you. Just be careful of those people across from you."
The two of them looked across and saw Chang Ninghou of the Northern Qi diplomatic mission waiting, bored out of his mind. The table in front of them was still empty. Presumably, it was occupied by the elusive Zhuang Mohan. At the head of the Dongyi envoys sat a middle-aged man with a sword strapped to his waist. Fan Xian couldn't help but frown. "How could he enter the palace with a sword?"
"His Majesty has personally approved it. The disciples of Sigu Sword School never leave their swords. This is a special case, "Zhang Ziqian explained in detail as if he were explaining to a junior.
"He is Sigu Sword's first disciple, Yun Zhilan?" Fan Xian sucked in a cold breath and narrowed his eyes. Immediately, he felt a murderous intent naturally emanating from the sword-bearing man.
These days, the Qing court had deliberately given the Dongyi envoys the cold shoulder. It seemed that this ninth-level swordsman, Yun Zhilan, was not in a good mood. Even sitting in the palace of the Qing Kingdom, his entire person was still cold.
Fan Xian was looking at Yun Zhilan's sword-like brows. Coincidentally, Yun Zhilan was also looking at him.
Their gazes met like lightning in the air of the palace.
A moment later, Fan Xian lowered his head in a show of weakness and gently coughed. The sword intent in his opponent's gaze was too strong.
This exchange of glances immediately drew the attention of everyone in the hall. Everyone knew that Fan Xian had killed two female disciples of Sigu Sword School on Niulan Street, and that Dongyi had come to pay tribute to clean up the aftermath of that incident. But according to most people's opinions, this swordsman, Yun Zhilan, would not mind killing Fan Xian with his sword.
Fortunately, the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace had expressed some goodwill towards Fan Xian through negotiations over personnel arrangements. Thus, no one in the court, regardless of which faction, dared to take pleasure in Fan Xian's misfortune because of this. With a foreign enemy in front of them, all the officials of the Qing Kingdom, as well as those in the military, glared fiercely at Yun Zhilan. The atmosphere in the entire palace suddenly became tense.
Fan Xian's face was expressionless. He lowered his head and adjusted the zhenqi in his body, ready at any moment.
At this moment, the faint sound of a zither came from the side of the palace. Amidst the solemn palace music, a eunuch loudly shouted, "His Majesty has arrived!" The most powerful man in the world, the only master of the Qing Kingdom, the Emperor, accompanied by the empress, slowly approached from the side. With a warm smile on his face, he stood in front of the dragon throne.
"Long live the Emperor. Long live the Emperor."
The officials in front of the hall knelt down respectfully and the guests of the diplomatic mission bowed. The remaining tension in the hall was replaced by an inexplicable sense of solemnity and respect.
— — —
The Emperor sat high above, accompanied by the empress. The Crown Prince also had a unique seat two steps below his parents. Normally, the other princes would not come to such an occasion. The Emperor's gaze swept across the officials below. "You may rise," he said warmly.
He bowed and rose, and the feast officially began. First, the officials of the Northern Qi diplomatic mission stepped forward. They sang their praises as usual, proclaiming the traditional friendship between the two countries, and then retreated. Yun Zhilan of Dongyi stepped forward, expressionlessly said a few words, and then also retreated.
The empress smiled and whispered in His Majesty's ear, "This man from Dongyi is quite arrogant." The emperor and empress sat high above. Their conversation could not be overheard, so they spoke directly.
His Majesty also smiled warmly. "If the first disciple of Sigu Sword did not have the slightest bit of arrogance, I'm afraid he would not even have the courage to hold a sword in my room."
The palace maids had long since replaced the hot dishes. The officials buried their heads in their food, not daring to speak. Since His Majesty did not speak, it was naturally quiet.
Fan Xian lowered his head in discomfort, but his eyes were undetectable as he glanced at the seat opposite him. The previously empty seat was now occupied by a man. His face was old, but his eyes were clear and spirited. The wrinkles on his forehead seemed to contain a great deal of wisdom. His white robes wrapped around his not-so-tall body like a cloud. Without asking, he knew that this was Zhuang Mohan of Northern Qi.
Fan Xian did not know when he had sat down, but he guessed that he had entered at the same time as the Emperor. It seemed that the rumors were true. This Zhuang Mohan was greatly appreciated by the empress dowager. Perhaps he had been in the palace all this time.
When Fan Xian stole a glance at the man, he did not know that the high and mighty couple were also looking at him. The empress took a sip of wine and indicated where Fan Xian was sitting with her eyes. "That young man is Fan Xian, Princess Chen's future son-in-law," she said quietly.
His Majesty smiled. "He looks handsome, and he has some fame in the capital. At court today, Xin Qiwu and Ren Shao 'an, the two vice-ministers, both praised his talent. I am truly curious as to why the Crown Prince's servant and the Prime Minister's student are so friendly to him."
The empress's smile was a bit forced. "Perhaps the Crown Prince understands the importance of popularity? Besides … he is soon to be the Prime Minister's son-in-law. "
"Oh, popularity?" His Majesty smiled faintly. He did not look at the empress. Instead, he looked at his son. "It seems that my son also understands the importance of popularity."
Although she could hear a trace of dissatisfaction in his voice, the empress still felt that His Majesty was in a good mood today. He was not only willing to berate the Crown Prince, but also had some positive comments. She could not help but say happily, "Chengqian is growing up. He will understand some things."
His Majesty smiled wordlessly.
…
…
After a while, Fan Xian kept drinking, perhaps because he was nervous or for some other reason. This wine was at most a type of millet wine. It was not very strong, and tasted sweet and sour. Fan Xian did not think much of it, but in the eyes of the officials next to him, the way this young man drank was like that of a fierce animal. Even the assistant minister of the Ministry of Rites, Zhang Ziqian, could not help but remind him, "Sir Fan, don't drink too much. If you make a faux pas in front of His Majesty, that would be a great crime."
Hearing the words "Sir Fan", he knew that Zhang Ziqian was reminding him that this was not Liujing River, but deep in the palace. He was not a guest, but an official. Fan Xian smiled inwardly, but his zhenqi reversed, forcing the drunkenness onto his face. His eyes suddenly became a bit hazy. He lowered his voice and said, "I dare not hide it from you, sir. I am really nervous. Why don't I quickly drink some wine and relax a bit?"
Zhang Ziqian looked at Fan Xian's drunken state, as if he could not hear him clearly. He could only shake his head and smile bitterly. "The Prime Minister claimed to be ill and did not come, and your father did not come either. Instead, he left you in my care. If you really get drunk, how am I supposed to explain it to them?"
These days, the diplomatic mission of Northern Qi had been put in a difficult position by the diplomatic officials of the Chamberlain of Dependencies. Seeing Fan Xian's state, they could not help but look at each other and make up their minds. These days, although Fan Xian was the deputy, he had been silent. But the diplomatic mission deeply disliked the mischievous look on his beautiful face. Northern Qi still had many spies in the capital of the Kingdom of Qing. Of course, they knew that the reason the Chamberlain of Dependencies was so powerful this time was all because of the bad ideas of the deputy, Fan Xian. As for what those bad ideas were, no one knew.
Now that the negotiations between the two countries had been completed, and the royal families of both sides had signed their names, there was no way to go back on their word. But the Northern Qi diplomatic mission still had a big knot in their hearts. Seeing Fan Xian's drunken state, Chang Ninghou smiled sinisterly. He stood up and respectfully bowed to the high ground. "Your Majesty, these days the negotiations between the two sides have been tiring. The people of the Chamberlain of Dependencies have also been tiring. I wonder if I could offer a toast to the officials of the Chamberlain of Dependencies, to show the friendship between our two countries?"
When Chang Ninghou spoke, the diplomatic mission of Dongyi sat next to them. Naturally, they saw Fan Xian's drunken state and knew what the Northern Qi people wanted to do. They only looked on coldly, not joining in the fun.
The dragon chair was too high, and the Emperor and the Empress did not seem to see the undercurrent of the situation. Naturally, they did not notice Fan Xian and laughed. The Crown Prince also joined in the fun. "Chang Ninghou naturally wants to enjoy himself to the fullest. Opponents on the battlefield, friends off the battlefield... and of course, at the wine table, we are only opponents."
The Crown Prince actually just wanted to show off his conversational skills, but they were quite ordinary, and he did not know how things would develop. This worried the officials of the Chamberlain of Dependencies. In these days of negotiations, everyone had long since regarded Deputy Fan as one of their own. How could they let the Northern Qi people get Deputy Fan drunk? But the two sides were sitting far apart, and there was no way to help.
Fan Xian smiled and drank with the Northern Qi diplomatic mission, but he felt a faint sense of unease. In recent days, the merchants under the control of the Eldest Princess had begun to act against Danbo Bookstore, raising the price of paper and lowering the price of books. These two simple moves were enough to make Fan Sizhe and the Seventh Ye shopkeeper very depressed. But Fan Xian knew that the real tricks were still to come. And what he was going to do today required the help of wine.
...
...
It was difficult not to get drunk, but it was even more difficult to pretend to be drunk. This was the strongest feeling Fan Xian had during his first court banquet. Northern Qi could not hold on any longer. Six of the eight ambassadors had fallen, and in the end, even Chang Ninghou no longer cared about his status and bravely sacrificed himself, half hanging from Fan Xian's arm.
Up until now, the Emperor, who had been quietly talking with the empress and Zhuang Mohan, smiled. "The palace has not been this lively in a long time."
Zhuang Mohan had been silent the entire time, and only occasionally would the Emperor ask him a few questions in a quiet voice. He had the air of a famous scholar. Following the Emperor's gaze, he seemed to have just noticed the commotion. Looking at the beautiful young man holding Chang Ninghou and pouring wine down his throat, he asked curiously, "That young man is Master Fan of the House of Poets?"
This world-famous literary master seemed to find it hard to believe his own eyes. The legendary young scholar who won the fame of poetry with just three poems turned out to be a drunkard.
The Emperor seemed to be slightly annoyed, and raised his voice. "Fan Xian!"
Everyone in the palace was paying close attention to the movements on the throne, for fear of a moment of carelessness. Therefore, when the Emperor spoke, the entire palace quieted down. Not a single sound could be heard, except for the young man called Fan Xian, who was still shouting, "Victory! Victory! "
That seemed to be a southern saying. It seemed that young Master Fan really had drunk too much.
"Fan Xian!" Seeing that the young man was drunk, the Crown Prince could not help but rebuke him, suppressing his anger. After all, it was the Eastern Palace who had suggested Fan Xian as a deputy, and it was because of this that Fan Xian had the right to enter the palace that day. Fan Xian had lost face, and in the Crown Prince's heart, the Crown Prince felt that he had lost face.
As if sensing the strange silence in the palace, Fan Xian stood where he was in a daze. His eyes swept around in a daze, but his beautiful face showed the freedom of drunkenness.
"Who's calling me?"
All the officials in the court who were on good terms with the Fan family and the Prime Minister wanted nothing more than to gag his mouth, shove him into a carriage, and throw him back to Fan Manor.
To everyone's surprise, the high and mighty Emperor did not seem angry after hearing this response, which could only be heard in a restaurant. Instead, he laughed. "I'm calling you."
Hearing the word "I" woke up people, regardless of whether they were really drunk or pretending to be drunk. Fan Xian was no exception. He loosened his grip and hurriedly bowed. "I... I deserve to die. I... I drank too much."
As he loosened his grip, Chang Ninghou of Northern Qi, who had been choked by him, went limp and fell to the ground with a thud. The Qing official, seeing the enemy's chief negotiator in such a sorry state, smiled with satisfaction. The only two Northern Qi ambassadors who were not drunk hurriedly helped Chang Ninghou back to his seat. A palace maid considerately brought him some soup to sober him up.
The Emperor reprimanded him. "Of course I know you drank too much. Otherwise, I would have punished you for your lack of etiquette."
Fan Xian struggled to maintain his bowed posture. He smiled bitterly and defended himself. "I dare not defend myself, but it is a pleasure to have guests from afar. If I do not properly entertain these important people from Northern Qi, as the deputy envoy, I cannot help but fail in my duty."
"Look." His Majesty turned to the empress. "He still dares not defend himself. If he did, I'm afraid he would say... that I made him drink, and that he had nothing to do with it."
The empress knew that His Majesty had always loved Princess Chen. She didn't know if he loved her because of her. She smiled. Since she didn't speak up for Fan Xian, she wasn't stupid enough to rebuke him.
"Fan Xian." This was the third time His Majesty had called out his name in the palace. The officials listened attentively, but in their hearts, they felt something else. It seemed that the relationship between the Fan family and the royal family was not ordinary.
His Majesty spoke lightly. "The relationship between the Fan family and me is not ordinary. In my eyes, you are only a junior. Regardless of whether we are monarch or official, when I speak, you should keep your sharp tongue shut! Don't think I don't know what you said in the restaurant. At such a young age, do you really think you can look down on the people of this world just because you have a sharp tongue? "
His Majesty was clearly denouncing him, but he was secretly protecting him. The officials and emissaries were not fools. They understood.
As expected, His Majesty spoke quietly. "On this late summer night, the monarch and his officials are in harmony, and the friendship between the two nations is strong. Fan Xian, you have always been famous for your poetry. Why don't you compose a poem?"
The officials all agreed, knowing that His Majesty was giving face to the Fan family. It seemed that His Majesty had a stroke of inspiration. He wanted to use today's banquet as an opportunity to let the officials know what kind of person this eighth rank functionary of the Fan family was. His Majesty wanted to give Fan Xian a great opportunity to make a name for himself, but Fan Xian was half-drunk. He was afraid that he would waste this opportunity. It was a pity.
Fan Xian was indeed a little tipsy, but he had clearly heard the conversation in front of the palace. He laughed at himself and bowed in the direction of the dragon throne. "Your Majesty, I only know how to make a fool of myself in front of the great Zhuang Mohan."
As soon as he said this, the officials all looked at Zhuang Mohan. Only now did they understand what His Majesty meant. He was not just giving Fan Xian a chance to make a name for himself. He wanted to use this opportunity to prove to the people of this world that in terms of martial arts, the Kingdom of Qing was unparalleled. In terms of writing, the Kingdom of Qing also had a talent that could rival Zhuang Mohan!
Fan Xian's name, "Ten Thousand Miles Sorrowful in Autumn, Always a Guest", had been ringing in the capital for months. It was only after he had insisted on not composing poetry that the name gradually faded. Hearing him push the blame to Zhuang Mohan, the officials thought that he and His Majesty had long since secretly planned to strike a blow at the arrogance of the literary world of Northern Qi.
In reality, Fan Xian was only guessing. His experience from his previous life was not enough for him to guess the Emperor's heart. But seeing the flourishing style of writing in the Kingdom of Qing, it seemed that His Majesty was not satisfied that he was undefeatable on the battlefield, and that he had always been viewed as a southern barbarian by the people of Northern Qi.
After Zhuang Mohan came to the kingdom, he entered and left the palace. Although the Empress Dowager and the other ladies respected him for his literary reputation, His Majesty would probably feel very uncomfortable. Unfortunately, the Kingdom of Qing had no literary masters, and so Fan Xian, a plagiarist, had been innocently pushed onto the stage.
Fan Xian knew he had not guessed the Emperor's meaning incorrectly. Even from a distance, his powerful eyesight could still see clearly that the Emperor's eyes gradually narrowed. There was a glimmer of admiration in the depth of his gaze.
This admiration, of course, was for Sir Fan junior's understanding of the Emperor's heart. At the same time, it was a warning to compose a good poem and not lose face for the Kingdom of Qing in front of Zhuang Mohan.
"Why don't you compose a poem and let Mr. Zhuang Mohan evaluate it? If it's not good, you will be punished by drinking wine." The Empress smiled. She knew what the man beside her was thinking, so she made preparations in advance.
Now that things had come to this, what else could they do? Fan Xian returned to the table. Not caring that he was already drunk, he poured another cup and savored the slightly sour wine in his mouth. His brows were tightly furrowed.
All the officials knew that Master Fan was eager for talent, so they secretly counted on his behalf. When he counted to about 15, a clear light appeared in Fan Xian's eyes. His face was full of smiles. His lips parted slightly as he recited, "Drinking and singing, how long is life? Take the morning dew for example, the bitter days that go by. Indigo Collar, leisurely in my heart. But for the sake of the monarch, I have been groaning to this day. I have guests to play the flute and the flute. Clearly like the moon, when will it disappear? At the banquet, the heart remembers old favors. The moon is bright and the stars are sparse, the crows fly south, circling the tree three times, where can they rest? The mountains are not too high, the sea is not too deep. The Duke of Zhou spits out, the world returns to its heart. "
Just like every time Fan Xian threw out a poem to beat people, this poem made the entire hall quiet.
This was the masterpiece of Grandmaster Cao. Fan Xian had deleted a few lines and tossed it out. In this hall, the world returns to its heart, just in line with the Emperor's thoughts. The most amazing thing was that the Duke of Zhou spits out actually existed in this world. Furthermore, this Duke of Zhou was not a follower of the Emperor, but an actual Emperor. That was why Fan Xian dared to write it out so grandly.
After a long time, in the grand palace, all the officials cheered in unison, "Good poem!"
The Emperor showed a satisfied expression and turned to look at Zhuang Mohan. "What does Master Zhuang think of this poem?" he asked quietly.
Zhuang Mohan's expression did not change. He did not know how many times he had experienced such a scene in his life, nor how many poems he had appraised. The reason he was respected by all the people, even the Emperor and other officials of the Kingdom of Qing, had read his essays and entered officialdom was because of his virtue and insight. Of course, the most important thing was his vast knowledge.
"Good poem." Zhuang Mohan said quietly. He picked up a peanut with his chopsticks and ate it. "It is indeed a good poem. Although the meaning is broken, it wins in its quality. For poetry, the meaning comes first, and quality is the most important. Master Fan's poem is full of quality, and it is indeed a good poem. Who would have thought that the Kingdom of Qing could produce such a talent. "
Fan Xian smiled slightly. He did not have any special feelings for this master of the literary world, but he did not like his style. After a slight bow, he returned to his seat, but his steps were a little shaky.
The officials in the court were still whispering about Sir Fan junior's earlier poem. Under normal circumstances, this would have been the end of the matter, but the atmosphere in the hall seemed a little strange today.
One person said coldly, "What Master Zhuang said earlier about the Kingdom of Qing was inappropriate. Everyone knows that you are a master of writing. But in terms of poetry, you are not necessarily as good as Master Fan, so there is no need to make presumptuous comments. There are many scholars in this court, and Master Fan is one of the best. Not to mention that he wrote a poem in fifteen minutes, just the poem 'Ten Thousand Li of Sorrowful Autumn Is Always a Guest' is enough. I truly do not know, in the Kingdom of Northern Qi, which scholar could write such a poem? "
These words were very inappropriate, especially at a national banquet. It was abnormally rude. The Emperor of Qing had not expected a common literary matter to reach this stage. The Emperor's brows gradually furrowed. He did not know which official had been so rude, but this person was, after all, feeling injustice for the court, and there was no way to punish him.
Fan Xian stopped on his way back to the banquet, and bowed apologetically to Zhuang Mohan to show that he had not intended to be disrespectful. Zhuang Mohan coughed twice, and with some difficulty, stood up with the help of a young eunuch whom the Empress Dowager had pointed out to him. He looked calmly at Fan Xian. "Master Fan's poetry has long spread to Shangjing of the Kingdom of Qi. I have often recited that 'Ten Thousand Li of Sorrowful Autumn Is Always a Guest'."
Fan Xian suddenly saw a trace of pity in the eyes of this master of literature, a trace of decisiveness that cut off all avenues of retreat. Fan Xian's heart suddenly jumped. He felt some danger that he had not been aware of, slowly approaching him. He was getting tipsy, but he still turned his head abruptly, and behind the banquet table, he found the face that had started the fight.
Guo Baokun.
Guo Baokun, who had been punched by Fan Xian, Guo Baokun, the Crown Prince's close aide, Guo Baokun, was also qualified to sit at the banquet table today. But it was clear that the Crown Prince had not known about this beforehand. So the Crown Prince and Fan Xian both narrowed their eyes, looking at Guo Baokun's faintly smug face, unsure of what he wanted to do.
Fan Xian felt the danger, and smiled slightly.
At that moment, he heard Zhuang Mohan cough twice, and after bowing to the Emperor, he said quietly, "I am of the Kingdom of Qi, but my heart is in the literature of the world. I do not wish to harm the friendship between the two countries, but there are some things that must be said."
His Majesty's expression gradually calmed, and he calmly said, "Master Zhuang, please speak." As His Majesty spoke, the Empress also raised her wine cup, opened her mouth to speak, and then pulled it back.
"The wind is urgent, the ape howls in sorrow, the white bird flies back on the clear sand. Boundless falling trees rustle down, the endless great river rolls in. Ten thousand li of Sorrowful Autumn is always a guest, a hundred years of illness alone on the stage. Hardship and bitterness hate the thick frost on the temples, the destitute new wine cup stops. " The palace was incomparably quiet. No one knew what this master of literature, whose name had shaken the world, would say.
"The first four lines of this poem are excellent."
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