Chapter 413 The Strange Prince Jing, Lord Shen Wins Completely
Inside the main hall, scholars from the Southern Yue and the Great Wei were still exchanging ideas.
However, many people were distracted, their eyes constantly darting outside the hall.
When Cai Chong appeared outside the palace gate, the palace suddenly fell silent.
Almost everyone's eyes were on what was behind Cai Chong.
A figure climbed the steps and slowly appeared at the entrance of the hall.
The newcomer was tall and slender, his entire body wrapped in a bright red satin cloak with gold trim.
The white fox fur on his cloak accentuated his red lips and white teeth, making him look handsome.
It's Achu.
Pei Yuan felt as if a giant hand was gripping his heart, making it difficult to breathe.
When they saw Shen Chu walking, his cloak remained completely still, only revealing a pair of official boots on his feet.
The large cloak completely concealed her prominent belly, making it impossible to tell that she was a pregnant woman about to give birth.
He finally let out the breath he had been holding.
Shen Chu did not enter the hall, but stood outside the door and said loudly:
"Your subject, Shen Chu, pays his respects to Your Majesty."
She bent down, preparing to kowtow, but then let out a sudden, violent cough.
The Longqing Emperor waved his hand with a smile.
"Minister Shen is unwell, so you are exempt from the kneeling ceremony."
"Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty."
"Cai Chong has already told you why you were summoned to the palace, hasn't he?"
Shen Chu nodded and took out a thick folded book from his sleeve.
"This is the original manuscript of the Ode to Mountains and Rivers written by my father. I have brought it with me and would like to invite the learned scholars of Nanyue to appreciate it."
"I have a severe cold, so I will not enter the palace, lest I pass it on to Your Majesty and all the nobles."
The Longqing Emperor nodded. "Yes, I grant your request."
Cai Chong brought the "Ode to Mountains and Rivers" into the hall, and Emperor Longqing instructed that it be performed directly inside the hall.
The folded paper was over two zhang long.
The scholars of Nanyue couldn't help but gather around.
"The ancient mountains and great rivers exude a fragrant atmosphere, their majestic peaks winding and turning in nine bends—how wonderful!"
"In spring, the sun shines brightly on Penglai; in winter, the snow-covered pines are gleaming green."
"Ah, and this line too, it's wonderful."
Since ancient times, scholars and literati have been unable to resist reciting good articles.
He recited and praised at the same time.
Hearing the exclamations of praise, the scholars of the Great Wei felt honored and straightened their backs.
A smile also appeared on the face of the Longqing Emperor.
"King Jing, what do you think of the literary talent of our Great Wei?"
King Jing remained seated throughout the entire process and did not rise to admire the landscape poem.
Upon hearing this, he glanced at Chen Chu with a scrutinizing look.
"Although Lord Shen Zhixing's article is well written, it is a pity that he died young. This can only represent the level of the literati of the Great Wei more than ten years ago."
"I dare say, we should have a contest on the spot, so that we, the Southern Yue, can see the current level of the Great Wei. Only then will we be truly convinced."
They still insisted on performing the ritual on-site.
A great scholar from Nanyue stepped forward first, saying, "I am unworthy, but I am willing to have a contest with the gentleman from Dawei on the spot."
"I wonder which gentleman from Great Wei would be willing to step forward and challenge me? If no one dares to accept the challenge, tsk tsk..."
The hall fell silent instantly.
Everyone present was filled with unease, fearing that His Majesty would call on them.
Even though they wanted to fight, they were afraid that their skills were insufficient and they would disgrace the Great Wei.
It's clear that the Southern Yue came prepared.
Emperor Longqing raised an eyebrow and looked at Shen Chu.
Shen Chu bowed deeply, "Your subject is willing to take the liberty of giving it a try."
Emperor Longqing gave instructions to Cai Chong.
"Go and move a table for Lord Shen, and prepare writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone. Also, get Lord Shen a hand warmer; it's cold outside."
"yes."
The table was quickly moved in, and Shen Chu secretly breathed a sigh of relief when she sat down behind it.
Her stomach was conveniently hidden by the table, so there was no clue whatsoever.
She looked at King Jing and asked, "What topic does King Jing wish to compete in?"
King Jing had appeared at the palace gate at some point, looking her up and down.
When Chen Chu looked over, his gaze lowered slightly, landing on the snow outside, and he casually said:
"The snow has just cleared up today, so let's take snow as our theme, and set the time limit as the burning of an incense stick."
Shen Chu always felt that the way Prince Jing looked at her was a bit strange.
But I couldn't quite put my finger on what was strange about it.
She composed herself, her gaze sweeping over the silvery-white world outside. She closed her eyes slightly, pondered for a moment, and then smiled gently.
He announced in a loud voice, "Spread out the paper and grind the ink."
A young eunuch quickly laid out paper, and Cai Chong personally ground the ink.
Chen Chu lifted his brush with a suspended wrist and quickly began writing on the paper.
The great scholar from Nanyue seemed to have an idea as well, and began to write at the same time.
The hall was completely silent, and almost everyone's eyes were on Chen Chu.
Behind him was a world covered in silver, and Chen Chu sat there in a bright red cloak.
Dressed in red, with black hair, she sat upright like a pine tree, her brows and eyes focused, like a delicate landscape painting.
Everyone had different thoughts as they watched.
Pei Yuan's gaze remained fixed on Shen Chu's hand.
A cold wind was blowing outside, and even though Achu was dressed warmly, her fair hands were still a little red from the cold.
He clenched his fists, barely managing to restrain himself from rushing out to pull her into his arms and warm her hands.
Ling Ce, being carefree, even whispered something to Li Chengxuan, who had just slipped in.
"Writing has always been my biggest headache, especially writing essays on assigned topics. Luckily, I didn't have to take the imperial examinations."
Li Chengxuan felt the same way; he was someone who had been in pain all over his body since he was a child, especially when he was studying.
"Luckily, my family has a noble title, so I don't need to take the exam. To be honest, I couldn't even squeeze out a single word for a long time."
On the other side, Prince Heng frowned, not expecting that Shen Chu had managed to hide his figure with a large cloak.
Did Cai Chong, who went to deliver the imperial edict, not notice anything amiss?
Soon, before the time it takes for an incense stick to burn was up, Chen Chu put down his pen.
Cai Chong took the article he had written inside for everyone to read.
Scholars from both Nanyue and Dawei flocked to the event.
"The north wind is chilly, a thin mist hangs heavy, and the sky, people, mountains, and water are all bathed in white..."
"What a beautiful, all-white look! Brilliant!"
"Not a single word in the entire text mentions snow, yet every sentence describes snow—it's absolutely brilliant!"
Amidst the chanting, someone suddenly shouted.
"Oh my god, this article uses six different fonts: seal script, clerical script, running script, regular script, cursive script, and wait, what's the last one?"
Shen Chu bowed and said, "This is a style of calligraphy that I developed based on my master's writing habits when I was studying with him."
The scholars of Nanyue were utterly astonished.
"The straight strokes of this font are like swords, and the curved strokes are like vines. It looks clean and neat, like willow leaves being swayed in the wind, and it looks very comfortable."
"Young Master Shen looks so young, I didn't expect him to be proficient in so many different fonts."
To be able to write so many fonts so fluently in one go is truly impressive.
The great scholar from Nanyue stood before Shen Chu's article for a long time, finally showing a look of dejection.
He bowed deeply to Shen Chu, saying, "Young Master Shen is exceptionally talented, and I am deeply impressed. I am willing to concede defeat."
Several prominent scholars from Nanyue bowed to Shen Chu at the same time.
Shen Chu rose and returned the greeting, saying, "You are too kind, everyone."
The civil officials of the Great Wei couldn't help but show a hint of triumph on their faces, and all the resentment they had felt from being suppressed by the scholars of the Southern Yue was released.
The way everyone looked at Shen Chu was now tinged with admiration.
Young and promising, with outstanding talent, Young Master Shen has a bright future ahead of him.
Even the Longqing Emperor showed a slight smile.
"Minister Shen, you've worked hard. Since you're not feeling well, you may take your leave now."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I shall take my leave now."
Shen Chu bowed and slowly retreated.
"Wait!"
King Jing suddenly stepped out of the palace and reached out to stop Shen Chu.
He held a manuscript that Shen Chu had just written in his hand, his eyes carrying a certain indescribable meaning.
"I have a question I would like to ask Lord Shen."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com