You Rong was about to speak, to say that he had no intention of making any demands, when the raised voices of argument below interrupted his words.
"Hmph! What right does You Rong have to criticize my poetry? Although he is Lord Huo's favored disciple, and a Prime Minister of the country, everyone in the Eastern Li Kingdom knows it! You Rong is just a pretty boy favored by His Majesty, which is why he secured the position of Prime Minister. I refuse to believe he has any real talent!" Chu Yue said loudly with disdain.
The young man standing opposite Chu Yue was the same one who had spoken to You Rong earlier. He was so angered by Chu Yue's words that his face turned red, and he retorted, "Chu Yue! Although you won the top prize today, do not become too arrogant. Your knowledge is good, but it is no match for Prime Minister You! They were merely hearing that Prime Minister You was here and kindly suggested you ask him for advice on your poem. If you are unwilling, why must you slander Prime Minister You so viciously!"
The surrounding people chimed in, "Exactly, this Chu Yue is too arrogant. He often badmouths Prime Minister You at the Imperial Academy, and now that he's won the top prize, he's completely self-important..."
"Chu Yue is going too far!"
Chu Yue paid no mind to the accusations of the crowd, and with even more disdain, he said, "Did I say anything wrong? You Rong was previously implicated in factionalism, thrown into prison, and convicted. Do you all know how he was released and reinstated?"
"What is Chu Yue talking about?"
"Indeed, it doesn't sound like good news? Does he know something?"
"It seems he really knows something? I heard about Prime Minister You being imprisoned before, and later it was clarified that Prime Minister You was misunderstood. Could there be something concealed behind this...?"
Amidst the crowd's speculation, Chu Yue raised his voice and sneered, "You all don't know, do you? You Rong stayed in His Majesty's Changning Palace for several days, and only after leaving Changning Palace was he reinstated!"
A wave of murmurs swept through the crowd.
The young man who had argued with Chu Yue earlier had a face that flickered between green and red. "You... you stop talking nonsense! You're making things up!"
Chu Yue smiled, "What nonsense am I spouting? If you have relatives working in the palace, or serving in the court, a little inquiry will reveal that every word I've said is true!"
Someone in the crowd said, "I have a relative working in the palace, in Changning Palace. It seems this is indeed the case..."
"What? This is true? Then Prime Minister You is... serving the Emperor with his beauty? Then he..."
"Tsk tsk tsk... I never imagined that Lord Huo would often praise Prime Minister You. I thought he was a man of high moral integrity and brilliant talent. I never expected him to be like this..."
"Then his position as Prime Minister... it's really uncertain whether it was obtained through true talent. Perhaps it was truly because of his face?"
Listening to the string of slanderous remarks, the young man's hands trembled with anger. Chu Yue, however, looked smug and said, "So I say You Rong is not qualified to criticize my poetry. Did I say anything wrong?"
The young man gritted his teeth in anger, "You, you..."
In the elegant seat upstairs, Lin Qinghe, hearing Chu Yue's words, was also furious. She looked anxiously at You Rong, only to find him with a calm expression, seemingly unaffected by the speculations and disdainful remarks from below.
Lin Qinghe's gaze deepened. Looking at Chu Yue's smug face, she stood up, walked to the wooden railing, and sneered, "Heh heh... this year's poetry gathering is truly amusing. Any trash can win the top prize. Winning the top prize with a nonsensical poem, and then having the audacity to look down on others without even knowing who you are... ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!"
Lin Qinghe's opening immediately drew all eyes from downstairs.
Chu Yue was no exception. He looked up and saw Lin Qinghe, and angrily cursed, "You brat, what are you saying!"
Wang Jiang, who was attending, stepped forward immediately to admonish, "How dare you... to..."
Lin Qinghe gave Wang Jiang a warning look and said sternly, "Retreat!"
Wang Jiang's brows furrowed. He wanted to speak but stopped, ultimately not daring to disobey Lin Qinghe's command and obediently retreated behind her.
Wang Jiang glared at Chu Yue, thinking that this person dared to disrespect His Majesty. He would have him caught and taught a lesson later!
Lin Qinghe continued to look at Chu Yue and sneered, "Am I not speaking the truth? Today I saw a piece of trash win the top prize with a nonsensical poem!"
"You!" Chu Yue's face was contorted with rage. "Brat! You are the one who is ignorant! Calling my poem nonsensical? What about you? You can't even produce a poem to participate in the poetry gathering! What right do you have to criticize others here!"
Lin Qinghe said dismissively, "I did not participate in the poetry gathering simply because I was late. If you want to compare poems with me, I can compose one on the spot. However, I have a condition. Let's have a competition, and let everyone present be the judge. If the poem I compose is better than yours, you will shout three times here that my poem is nonsensical, how about that?"
Chu Yue, already angered, was easily provoked and immediately agreed, "Good! But what if you lose?"
Lin Qinghe shrugged, "Whatever you wish!"
Chu Yue said, "Good! You wait, I will definitely make you come down and kowtow three times to apologize!"
"It's a deal!"
Lin Qinghe sneered.
Lose?
She would never lose!
She had memorized so many poems since childhood. Even if she couldn't remember them all, she could surely recall most of the three hundred Tang poems, couldn't she!
Lin Qinghe unfolded her fan, fanned herself ostentatiously, and knitted her brows, feigning deep thought. Sudun Novel Network.
You Rong sat in his original position, his brow furrowing slightly, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes.
Could she really handle this?
Lin Qinghe had not spoken for a long time, and Chu Yue below began to sneer mockingly, "Hurry up! Didn't you say you could compose a poem on the spot? Why aren't you reciting it? If you admit defeat now, you don't have to kowtow three times, two times will suffice, how about that?"
Lin Qinghe's eyes sharpened, "Shut up. Save some energy to shout what I just said. If you shout too softly, it won't count."
Chu Yue was so angry he gnashed his teeth, glaring fiercely at Lin Qinghe, "Fine! I want to see what kind of poem you can compose!"
Lin Qinghe glanced back and saw that You Rong looked somewhat worried. She smiled at him, signaling him not to worry.
Amidst Chu Yue's incessant urging, Lin Qinghe cleared her throat and recited: "Do you not see the Yellow River water coming from the sky, rushing to the sea and never returning? Do you not see the bright mirror in the high hall lamenting white hair, from dark as silk at dawn to snow at dusk. When life is joyful, one must indulge, and never let the golden goblet be empty to the moon. Heaven born, my talent will surely be useful; a thousand pieces of gold scattered, will return again!"
A passage from Li Bai's "Bring in the Wine." After Lin Qinghe finished, silence fell. Everyone was stunned, even You Rong's face showed a look of disbelief.