Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
In less than a month, Wanzi Mountain had already seen the deaths of two people, including the Chief (actually, that made three of us), and the atmosphere was undeniably bleak. Even the Jianghu Heroes, known for their carefree nature, had not organized any large-scale celebrations recently. Gatherings for meals and drinks were limited to a few of us getting together privately.
What surprised me was that Li Shimin, the King of Qin, who had already revealed his identity, casually followed us back to Wanzi Mountain, seemingly reluctant to return to the imperial city.
I had an idea about the reason behind this. However, whether it was the true reason remained uncertain, and I certainly did not dare to ask.
I quietly asked Nie Qiuyuan, "Brother, the Qin Wang seems like a clever person. Why would he dare to associate with us mountain bandits? He hasn't cleared his name from that time he went alone to Unknown Spring Hall; isn't he afraid of danger?"
"Danger?" My calm brother smiled lightly. "Did you not notice? At Unknown Spring Hall, after we entered, there were at least five hundred Axemen lying in ambush in the courtyard."
I was taken aback. Thank goodness I didn't know; if I had, I would have been on edge! Nie Qiuyuan truly kept his composure; he faced everything with tranquility and showed no signs of unease.
No wonder the Qin Wang took a liking to him. In life, one relies on acting skills!
The Qin Wang was preparing to leave, and today we held a sizable gathering to send him off.
After a couple of drinks, Li Shimin spoke somewhat sadly: "This time, I came out for a change of scenery. Meeting you all feels familiar and brings me joy. But now, things can never be as they were."
This was natural; our identities were different. We made our living under your family’s shadow; how could we not be wary of you?
Nie Qiuyuan replied, "If peace is achieved in the future, there will naturally be no more bandits. We will not be enemies with Brother Mu."
He still referred to the Qin Wang as "Brother Mu," respecting his desire for anonymity while maintaining an attitude that was neither servile nor arrogant. However, this statement seemed somewhat ambiguous: if peace were achieved, there would be no bandits—what if things didn’t go well in the future and peace wasn’t maintained?
Li Shimin was perceptive and merely smiled slightly: "I also come from a bandit background and naturally understand why bandits exist in this world. Under Great Unity, it has always been my wish that good citizens do not have to become outlaws."
The topic grew heavy and affected the joyful atmosphere of the banquet, so Luo Dachun timely suggested that we recite poetry and engage in drinking games to find some amusement!
The cold joke proposal only made the atmosphere more awkward, as none of the people present were particularly skilled in poetry.
Later, history would show that among those present, aside from one who became an emperor, the rest became adept detectives. Just imagine the scene of Sherlock Holmes, Poirot, Bao Zheng, Di Renjie, and Mouri Goro sitting at a table writing poetry; it becomes clear how ridiculous his suggestion was.
The person before me was soon to be the emperor. Making a good impression on him was akin to securing a luxurious protective umbrella in this world, which was undoubtedly important. I felt that I was the only one who could step up to save the situation, as I successfully recalled an emergency plan that had never failed me during my time travel—absolutely foolproof.
That plan was to recite poetry from after the Tang Dynasty!
This person before me was a Bright Ruler, a great emperor renowned throughout history. Such a person must have grand ambitions in his heart. Therefore, I had to pass on the commonly used lines like "Ten years of life and death are both vague" and "When will the bright moon appear?" They were either too sentimental or too melancholic. I resolutely chose something more popular.
“Your Highness… I greatly admire Prince Qin's literary and military prowess. Today, inspired by the scenery, I wish to embarrass myself by reciting a poem for Your Highness…”
The prince was taken aback, looking up at me with a smile. Luo Dachun was shocked as well, his jaw dropping. Nie Qiuyuan remained unfazed, not even lifting his head; he was truly composed.
“Oh, these days, I didn’t know you… Well then, thank you in advance.”
As expected of the sociable Bright Ruler, his choice of words was very careful. During our time at Wanzi Mountain, I had never heard him refer to himself with terms like "this king," not even when addressing a woman.
I shyly stood up, adjusted my attire with a bow, and began:
“The northern country’s scenery is vast; a thousand miles are frozen in ice, ten thousand miles covered in snow. Looking at the Great Wall inside and out, only endless wilderness remains; the Yellow River flows above and below, suddenly losing its torrents. Mountains dance like silver snakes, plains gallop like wax elephants, wishing to compete with you for height. On a sunny day, see how red and white adorns the landscape, exceptionally enchanting.”
“Countless heroes bow down before it. Alas for Qin Shi Huang and Han Wu Di; they slightly lack in literary talent…”
At this point in my recitation, I accomplished something particularly admirable—I abruptly hit the brakes just in time.
“Tang Zong Song Zu, slightly lacking in flair!” Who is this? The main character is right in front of me; am I not asking for trouble?
“What a poem!! Is it not finished yet?! Why not recite more?? The momentum is magnificent!!!! It hardly seems to come from a woman’s hand!!!!”
Qin Wang was indeed captivated, likely resonating with the lofty and grand sentiment within the poem, to the point where his speech began to resemble a roar.
Indeed, when facing Emperor Taizong Li Shimin, reciting Chairman Mao’s poetry is the way to go!
However...
I lightly cleared my throat twice.
“Pity Qin Emperor and Han Wu, slightly inferior in literary talent... Wei Lord and Wu Marquis, somewhat lacking in flair. A proud generation, Genghis Khan, only knows how to bend the bow and shoot great eagles. All that has passed, the number of remarkable figures, let us look at today!”
Li Shimin and Luo Dachun simultaneously applauded, praising for quite a while before they began to pose a series of sharp questions.
“What kind of literary form is this?”
“Why, during the scorching summer, does it evoke feelings of a snowy scene?”
“A proud generation, Genghis Khan, who is he…”
I nearly spat blood. Please, can you not be so detective-like in your professionalism…
In the end, I’m not sure how I managed to get through it; somehow, I did. Moreover, my plan was basically successful since Li Shimin gifted me his jade pendant, which might come in handy in the future. Everyone around him recognized it, signifying my important identity.
Although it was a jade pendant that had once fallen on a dead man's bed, I still accepted it with pleasure.
After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere noticeably became livelier under the influence of alcohol.
"Qiu Yuan," Qin Wang said, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "I see you, and for some reason, I feel a connection. I would like to become your Brother here today. What do you think?"
Although I knew that Nie Qiuyuan later worked for the emperor, the idea of calling each other Brothers felt a bit exaggerated; it just seemed strange to me.
I wanted to see how the reserved male god would handle this, but to my surprise, Nie Qiuyuan simply replied with one word: "Good."
The two of them inexplicably set up an altar and performed a ritual to swear brotherhood.
I suddenly felt a little… confused about which direction things were heading.
---
I recommend a song, Li Xingliang's version of "To Youth." Compared to Faye Wong's version, it has a very different flavor, and the cello accompaniment harmonizes beautifully, as if two people are having an intimate conversation. Listening to it while reading on a weekend afternoon is just delightful!
Li Xingliang's voice is very clean, and he even sang "Inuyasha - A Wish Across Time," which is simply adorable!
The author has done well with these two elements, so the performance is quite subtle; everyone should be satisfied!
Comment 0 Comment Count