"To be honest, I can't say I have any feelings for you all today, and of course I can't say we have any grudges either. Since Brother Xiwen mentioned it now, I think we are all young people from the Yu Dynasty, so let's use youth as the theme."
As soon as Fu Xiaoguan finished speaking, the place suddenly became quiet.
Yan Xiaolou raised his head with a look of joy on his face. Yan Xiwen and others were very surprised. This kid didn't want to write poetry but an article... What kind of article would it be?
Su Su looked around while holding a shrimp. "Hey, why are all these people staring at Fu Xiaoguan? Isn't it just an article?" They seemed surprised. Had Fu Xiaoguan never written an article before?
These people put down their wine glasses, as if waiting for something. Then, should I eat the shrimp or not?
Su Su thought about it, put the shrimp in the bowl, and looked at Fu Xiaoguan curiously. What kind of article would he write?
Yan Xiaolou went to the desk and said, "I'll grind ink for you, sir."
Fu Xiaoguan also stood up, took a few steps, and said with a smile, "No, I'll read and you write."
Yan Xiaolou felt even happier, "Then... Xiaolou won't be polite."
Fu Xiaoguan looked at the snow outside the window, and the white Weiyang Lake covered in snow. He pondered for three breaths and slowly spoke:
"The sky and the earth are vast, the universe is boundless."
A surge of energy suddenly surged, and all the young men held their breath. Only the rustling sound of Yan Xiaolou's pen on the paper could be heard.
Fu Xiaoguan took two steps with his hands behind his back and continued to chant:
"The young men of Yu Dynasty are responsible for the young men of Yu Dynasty.
Therefore, the responsibility today does not lie with others, but with us young people.
If the youth are wise, the country will be wise; if the youth are strong, the country will be strong.
..."
Fu Xiaoguan slowly turned around and looked at the young man present. His expression was serious and his eyes were solemn. He raised his hands above his head. His voice suddenly became louder:
"The red sun rises, its path bright. The river flows out from the hidden stream, pouring down into the vast ocean.
A dormant dragon soars from the abyss, its scales and claws flying. A young tiger roars in the valley, terrifying all the beasts.
The eagle spreads its wings, the wind blows and the dust rises, the exotic flowers begin to sprout, and the scene is magnificent.
The sword is sharpened, and its edge is formed. The sky is blue, and the earth is yellow.
Even if there are thousands of years, there are still vast expanses. The future is as vast as the sea, and the days ahead are long."
After a pause, Fu Xiaoguan pointed his finger at the group of young men and said:
"How beautiful is my youth, Yu Chao, who will never grow old!
How magnificent are the young men of the Yu Dynasty, with a country as boundless as the borders! "
…
After a few breaths, Fu Xiaoguan smiled and said, "I'm done."
Yet there was still silence.
The shock was evident on everyone's face. Even Su Su suddenly felt that this guy was really capable. Although she didn't understand the meaning, it sounded deafening and made people's fighting spirit and blood boil.
Yan Xiaolou still didn't put down the pen in her hand. She stared at Fu Xiaoguan without any hesitation and thought... This is the heroic young man in my heart!
After a few more breaths, Yan Xiwen clapped his hands. Then Zhuo Liuyun clapped his hands, followed by Fang Wenxing, An Liuyue, and finally Shi Yiming and the other four.
The applause grew louder and louder, and then everyone stood up. This time, Yan Xiwen sincerely submitted and respectfully performed the disciple's salute to Fu Xiaoguan again.
"How beautiful is the youth of the Yu Dynasty, eternal as the heavens! How magnificent are the youth of the Yu Dynasty, boundless as the country! Brother Fu's talent is beyond the reach of Xiwen. When this article is published, it will definitely be included in the national studies to spur the youth of the Yu Dynasty to shoulder their responsibilities and write a prosperous chapter for the young Yu Dynasty!"
He withdrew his gaze and looked at Shi Yiming and the others, smiled slightly, and said, "I used to be a so-called genius with high expectations, but now looking back at my past self..." He shook his head, "That was childish and absurd!"
He pointed at them and said, "I'm not trying to lecture you, and I'm not qualified to do so. But what do you think after reading this article? Ask yourselves, and I've asked myself, too. I don't even think I'm worthy enough to carry the shoes of Fu Xiaoguan!"
Yan Xiwen became excited. He shouted, "Can you write a poem like 'Shui Tiao Ge Tou'? Can you write a screed like 'Strategies for Disaster Relief' or 'State Governance'? Can you write a screed like 'Magnificent Youths of the Yu Dynasty'?"
He raised his head and looked at the vast Weiyang Lake, taking a deep breath. Shi Yiming and others had lowered their heads at this moment.
"If the youth are wise, the nation will be wise; if the youth are strong, the nation will be strong—looking back on our past, we were complacent when we could compose a good poem, elated when we could write a good article. We never considered the problems facing this country, never sought solutions to them. We leaned against strong trees, fearless of wind and rain, living a life of luxury, and then forgot our former ideals."
"This is our sorrow, and it is also the sorrow of the Yu Dynasty!"
"Today, after receiving Brother Fu's article, I finally understood my responsibilities and the goal of my lifelong struggle. The red sun rises, its path is bright. The river flows out of the hidden stream, pouring into the ocean! Come, come, just for this article, we will wait... until we are drunk!"
Yan Xiwen looked like a madman.
"Waiter, bring the wine!"
"Brother Fu, you and I are both teachers and friends. Xiwen can only say that we met too late. It's a pity we met too late! Come, come. This first glass of wine, Xiwen toasts you. Thanks to your guidance, Xiwen has suddenly opened his eyes! From now on, Xiwen will follow your lead! Cheers!"
Fu Xiaoguan felt a little uncomfortable. He didn't expect Yan Xiwen to be so excited about this article... This one cup was not enough, so Yan Xiwen and he drank three cups in a row.
But then he felt even worse. Shi Yiming actually stood up with his glass in hand. He filled Fu Xiaoguan's glass and said, "Actually, I still don't like you, but I really like this article. Three glasses to express my apology!"
Next came Xue Donglin, Xi Shuang, Fei Qian, Fang Wenxing, An Liuyue, Huang Sheng, and finally Zhuo Liuyun.
Each of them bowed respectfully to Fu Xiaoguan, drank three cups, and then walked to the desk and copied the article.
Su Su's eyes had already widened. In the Taoist temple, those with superb martial arts skills could gain the respect of others. It turned out that in this world, those with exquisite literary talent could also gain the praise of others.
This guy... is really capable!
Yan Xiaolou looked at Fu Xiaoguan, who had drunk twenty or thirty cups in a row, and felt a little worried. Was he drunk? This article didn't have a title yet.
So she stepped forward and asked, "Sir, what is the name of this article?"
Fu Xiaoguan was already seven-tenths drunk. He walked to the desk, took the brush from Yan Xiaolou, thought for a moment and said, "It's called Yu Chao Shao Nian Shuo!"
The five words were written on the paper, still so sloppy, but in the eyes of Yan Xiaolou and others, the words seemed so wild and unrestrained.
Yan Xiaolou carefully blew the article dry, put it in his arms, looked at Fu Xiaoguan again, turned around and walked out. Fu Xiaoguan now needed a bowl of red date and lotus seed soup.
…
On the second day of the first lunar month in the ninth year of the Xuanli reign, Fu Xiaoguan got drunk in the Sifang Tower.
On the same day, "Stories of Young People in the Yu Dynasty" spread out, starting from the Yan Clan, one of the six major clans, and then spreading like a vast wave, drifting to the Qin Mansion, drifting to Shangguan Wenxiu's Mansion, drifting to the Dong Mansion, and also drifting into the imperial palace.
That night, the palace was still bustling.
Even the Dieyi Palace of Concubine Shang, who loves quietness, is decorated with lights and is full of joy.
Emperor Yu Yin was lying on a chair beside the fireplace, holding the article in his hand.
Yu Wenjun sat on one side massaging his legs, while Yu Wendao sat on the other side making a pot of tea.
Concubine Shang smiled as she looked at this warm scene and felt that this was the best.
"My dear concubine...this boy is truly amazing!"
"If His Majesty says he is extraordinary, then of course he is extraordinary."
"So today's responsibility lies not with others, but with us young men... What do you think of this, Your Highness?"
Concubine Shang smiled and said, "I thought about this when I first saw it. It means that I hope the young men of the Yu Dynasty can take responsibility and face challenges head-on, rather than shirking responsibility."
"Well... we are all citizens of the Yu Dynasty. If this young man from the Yu Dynasty can truly have such awareness, then there is no need to worry about the prosperity of our Yu Dynasty!"
"That's why he used many metaphors to encourage the young people in the following text, which led to the last two sentences: 'Beautiful is my youth, Yu Chao,' and 'Magnificent are my youth, Yu Chao.'"
Yu Yin nodded repeatedly, read it carefully again, and asked, "This Gan Jiang sharpening... What is Gan Jiang?"
"I don't know either. Judging from its meaning, it should be the name of a weapon, perhaps a knife or a sword."
"Oh..." Yu Yin nodded again and put the paper down. "Please help me remember this. I will order Shangguan Wenxiu to have this article included in the National Academy. I will also order the Imperial College to publicize this article throughout the country. I want all young people in the country to read this article and understand its profound meaning."
Concubine Shang nodded. Yu Wenjun pouted and asked, "Father, since he has written such an inspiring article, how will you reward him?"
Yu Yin was stunned, laughed out loud, and shook his head. It turned out that the girl was extroverted. She hadn't even gotten married yet, but she was already thinking about that boy all the time.
"If this can be considered a credit, it's understandable, but it's not something you can show for yourself. This article might influence many young people, but that can't be attributed to Fu Xiaoguan alone. So... let's wait until after the Wu Dynasty Cold Food Festival Literary Conference to discuss everything."
Yu Wenyun was about to argue, but Concubine Shang gave her a look, so she swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue.
"There's nothing important happening in the palace tomorrow, so you can go out and see him."
Yu Wenjun was overjoyed, "Thank you, father!"
"You don't have to thank me. I'm afraid that if you don't leave the palace, the marriage between Dong Shulan and Fu Xiaoguan will be finalized."
"Ah..." Yu Wenjun suddenly became nervous, "They... are getting engaged?"
"Hmph, when court is about to begin, I'll have to summon Dong Kangping. I can discuss the matter between Fu Xiaoguan and Dong Shulan, but not before my Ninth Princess! This guy is getting bolder and bolder. I even told him about it before the Lunar New Year, but he played dumb and told Fu Xiaoguan to send someone to propose marriage after the Lunar New Year—this guy actually doesn't even take me seriously!"
Yu Wenjun became even more anxious, and said resentfully, "I once told you that if you didn't want to break the rules of this palace, you should adopt me into the Dong Mansion so that I could marry Fu Xiaoguan... But you, Father, didn't agree."
"That's impossible! I will never let Dong Kangping get away with it! Rules... rules can be changed! He, Fu Xiaoguan, must propose to me first before Dong Kangping can get his turn!"
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