Tangyuan bowed respectfully without ceremony, then raised her head and loudly recited:
"Ascending the Heights"
The wind is fierce, the sky is high, and the monkeys howl mournfully.
Clear waters, white sand, birds fly back.
Endless falling leaves rustle down.
The endless Yangtze River rolls on.
I often feel melancholy in autumn, like a traveler far from home.
He has been ill for a century and takes to the stage alone.
Hardship and sorrow have turned my temples gray.
In my decline, I've stopped drinking wine.
After reciting the poem, Tangyuan looked at the silent crowd in the main hall and felt a little insecure. But then she remembered that her mother had said this poem was a seven-character quatrain that no one could surpass, so she thought she should be able to win!
Everyone in the hall was savoring the poem, momentarily forgetting that it was a competition. Even Prince Wu was astonished. Although he knew Tian Yu was talented, this poem was beyond his comprehension. Could it really have been written by Tian Yu?!
"Good! Excellent!" The Emperor said, slapping the armrest of his dragon throne as he stood up.
The ministers below then came to their senses and began to praise the delegation. The opposing delegation looked embarrassed and continued to discuss the matter. After a long time, the ministers of Wu began to shout and mock, "Why is no one from the Che delegation answering?"
"I don't think I can think of a better poem than this."
"Hahaha!"
An elderly gentleman from the delegation, Mr. Jiang, stood up from his seat, stepped forward, bowed to Tangyuan, and asked, "May I ask if this poem was written by you, young friend?"
"No, it's my grandmaster," Tangyuan said after thinking for a moment.
"I am being presumptuous, may I ask your master's name?"
“I don’t know either. My master has already passed away. My mother told me this.”
"I see. We've lost this round. Young friend, please tell us the next question."
"Alright, Mr. Jiang, please listen carefully to 'An Envoy to the Frontier'."
A lone rider seeks the border, passing through the vassal state of Juyan.
Like a tumbleweed drifting beyond the Han border, or a wild goose returning to the land of the barbarians.
A lone plume of smoke rises straight from the desert, while the setting sun hangs round over the long river.
"At Xiaoguan Pass, I met a scout; the Protector-General was at Yanran."
Silence fell over the hall again. The delegation opposite them fell into deep thought once more. Tangyuan was also a little nervous. Although this poem was not as perfect as the first one, it was still very good and was her mother's favorite.
Finally, Mr. Jiang stepped forward, bowed to Tangyuan again, and said, "Was this poem also written by your grandmaster, young friend?"
"I don't know, it should be, my mother didn't tell me."
"Is that so? Then your mother taught you all of this?"
"yes!"
"Isn't your mother a farmer?" someone asked, puzzled.
“No one said that you can’t study while farming. My mother loves farming and she also loves studying. Everything I know is taught to me by my mother. She said that parents are the best teachers for their children.”
"Hmm! That's great! You have an amazing mother!"
"Thank you for your kind words, sir."
The emperor clapped his hands in delight and said, "Excellent! It is truly a blessing for our Wu Kingdom to have such a talented person!"
"We can't match either of these poems, so we admit defeat!" said Old Jiang.
"It is the master who admits it!" Tangyuan said respectfully, bowing.
"I have another question. What is your next poem?" Old Jiang asked.
Tangyuan scratched his head and said with a smile, "I haven't decided yet. My mother taught me more than 300 poems, and I don't know which one to memorize!"
Jiang Mingyuan was stunned. The others gasped in shock, and some trembled as they exclaimed, "Three...three...more than a hundred!?" The delegation members lowered their heads, thinking that it was a good thing they had already admitted defeat, otherwise they would not have been able to win in terms of sheer numbers!
"May I ask who your mother is, young friend?" Old Jiang asked, calming himself down.
“My mother is an ordinary villager from Lao Zhao Village in Shancheng County. Her surname is Tian and her given name is Yu Zi.”
Those in the main hall who heard the address already guessed who it was, and they observed each other with their own thoughts. Li Linfeng stood there without changing his expression, while Prince Wu turned to look at him with a smile.
"Tian Yu, how come I've never heard of someone like that before?" the Emperor stepped forward and asked.
"Your Majesty, the Immortal Under the Moon is indeed this person."
"What?! She's the author of the book too?" the Emperor asked in shock.
A commotion erupted in the hall once more, and Mr. Jiang asked, trembling, "Are you saying that the Moon Immortal who wrote Romance of the Three Kingdoms is also his mother?!"
"Exactly!"
"Impossible! How could a mere woman write such a work!" said the Third Prince.
"Does Your Majesty mean to say that Fifth Brother is lying?" Prince Wu asked.
"No, it's not that. Your Majesty is worried that Fifth Brother will be deceived and make a fool of himself."
"Exactly! Everyone's saying that the Moon Immortal must be a reclusive immortal, how could she possibly be a woman?" said the Sixth Prince.
"Does Fifth Brother have any evidence?" the Crown Prince asked, equally unconvinced.
"She will prove it herself; I don't need to."
"Unbelievable!" someone exclaimed.
"Excellent! Excellent! For the first time in a hundred years, Wu Kingdom has produced a masterpiece. I was worried before because of the rumors circulating outside that the Moon Immortal wasn't from Wu Kingdom. Now, everyone has heard it, and they will all remember her as a member of Wu Kingdom," the Emperor said happily. Because Tian Yu's book was widely circulated, and Wu Kingdom had never had anyone with such literary talent, most people speculated that the Moon Immortal was from another country.
"I don't know! Where is your mother now? I really want to see her," Mr. Jiang asked respectfully.
"Mother!?" Tangyuan asked hesitantly.
"Oh, I forgot, you just mentioned that your mother is missing. How about I send someone with you to search for her?"
"No need to look for her. I actually know where she is, but I can't save her."
"What exactly happened? Did she get captured by bad guys? How dare you! Who is it! Tell me, and I'll send people to rescue your mother!" The Emperor said excitedly as he approached Tangyuan.
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