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墨書 Inktalez
Su Qianxue's voice resonated throughout the court:
The poem was titled "Liangzhou Tune."
"With beautiful wine and a luminous cup,
I long to drink, but the pipa urges me to ride!
Drunk on the battlefield, do not laugh, my lord,
How many have returned from battles of old?"
As this poem was recited, Mu Jinkun's expression changed dramatically, as if he had seen something terrifying. The entire court fell silent, immersed in the beautiful imagery of the poem. Many elderly ministers closed their eyes, savoring the verses. Even the Langya Prince, who pretended to be asleep, could not help but open his eyes and reflect inwardly.
What an exquisite poem!
"With beautiful wine and a luminous cup!
I long to drink, but the pipa urges me to ride!"
In just these two lines, a vivid picture of a general stationed in the northwest was painted. Drinking fine wine and playing the pipa in such a unique setting. That scene had already been deeply etched in the prince's mind.
The Langya Prince glanced at Su Qianxue's proud demeanor and naturally deduced that this poem must have come from Jiang Han. If it weren't for Jiang Han's reluctance to ally with him, he would gladly offer ten thousand taels of gold for such talent as his advisor!
The Langya Prince continued to savor the next lines: "Drunk on the battlefield, do not laugh, my lord; how many have returned from battles of old!" As a military general, he felt the charm of poetry for the first time. In the past, before battles, he would drink to stir his fighting spirit and make himself stronger; he would only drink enough to avoid drunkenness.
After battles, he would drink to numb the pain of seeing his loyal soldiers suffer heavy losses; without a drink, he couldn't sleep at all! "Drunk on the battlefield, do not laugh!" Even if one dies on the battlefield amidst all sorts of sorrow, please do not laugh at me, my lord.
This was how the Langya Prince interpreted it. He could also relate to how he once faced the Da Zhou Xian Huang after a battle in disarray. The late emperor did not disdain him for being covered in blood; instead, he invited him to drink. That scene resonated perfectly with the poem.
As for "how many have returned from battles of old," it lingered in his thoughts.
The Langya Prince felt a deeper sense of reflection. There was a time when he led an army into battle, and before the fight, a thousand cavalrymen lined up in an impressive display, filling two small hills. Each soldier was a passionate warrior.
However, after one fierce battle, the field was strewn with corpses. By the time victory was declared, only seventy-eight cavalrymen remained from the thousand Iron Cavalry, with over twenty severely injured and the rest lightly wounded. The ground was littered with various bodies and broken weapons, alongside knights who, despite their injuries, still clung to their horses.
As the Langya Prince recalled this scene, he thought of the age-old question of how many return from war. The Great Zhou civil and military officials each reminisced about their own glorious days and the heavy losses suffered by their soldiers, as well as the moments when they were summoned by the late emperor.
Even among the scholars, most who had participated in battles reflected on their military careers. Hong Qianjun of the Xia Kingdom had never fought but appreciated poetry. He couldn't understand why all the Great Zhou civil and military officials closed their eyes to savor this poem.
When he glanced at Jiu Zhu, he noticed tears welling up in Jiu Zhu's eyes. Surprised, he softly asked, "Jiu Zhu, what’s wrong?"
"This Palace has lost many soldiers in battle!"
Once, during a bloody fight, seven thousand Maple Forest Iron Cavalry were deployed. After the battle, only one thousand three hundred eighty-seven remained. This number was etched in his memory. Now, hearing this poem brought back those memories and emotions surged within him.
Jiu Zhu sighed heavily; the poem had deeply stirred his feelings. Mu Jinkun began to panic, shouting, "Hey! What are you doing? What should I do now?"
"Jiu Zhu, what are you doing? If they lose, that’s one thing; but if you lose too... I’m finished!"
"Teacher! What should I do?"
Hong Qianjun finally realized the gravity of the situation—this was disastrous! Mu Jinkun was about to lose his head.
At Mu Jinkun's outburst, the Great Zhou civil and military officials snapped out of their poetic reverie and looked at him with annoyance. The Langya Prince glared at Mu Jinkun for daring to interrupt his nostalgic reflections on glorious times.
"Everyone," he said with a shadowy gaze, "my poetry is quite good too! I strongly suggest we call this round a draw."
Mu Jinkun could no longer contain himself and excitedly replied, "The Da Zhou Emperor's poem is excellent! My poetry is also very good—truly a match of equals! Everyone, what do you think? If that’s acceptable, I’ll take my leave!"
Mu Jinkun turned and ran outside the hall, not daring to stay any longer.
"Catch him!" Su Qianxue's icy voice commanded.
The female guards drew their Eight-Sided Han Swords and blocked Mu Jinkun's path.
With a mournful expression, Mu Jinkun turned to look at Su Qianxue, no longer exuding that air of arrogance. He forced a flattering smile and said, "Actually, my poetry isn't bad either; it could be considered a tie!"
"My dear officials, what do you think? Is it a tie?" Su Qianxue asked deliberately.
The Civil and Military Officials, already irritated, seized the opportunity to voice their opinions:
"How could that be, Your Majesty? If it were a tie, I would rather die by running into a wall!"
"Your Majesty, your verses evoke memories of glorious times for Wei Jiang, while Mu Jinkun's poetry lacks such depth; clearly, your poetry is superior!"
"Your Majesty, the difference between Mu Jinkun's poetry and yours is like heaven and earth; how could it possibly be a tie?"
"Your Majesty, this is absolutely not a tie!"
"Your Majesty, I cannot agree that it is a tie."
Almost all the Civil and Military Officials expressed their disbelief that it could be a tie; Mu Jinkun's poetry had to lose to Jiang Han's. Even the officials under Langya Prince did not come to Mu Jinkun's defense! The gap between the two poems was too glaring; if they helped him, they would risk being accused of treason.
Mu Jinkun grew anxious and shouted, "What you say doesn't count; it has to be the great ministers of Da Zhou who decide!"
"Langya Prince, Lingnan Prince Heir, what do you think? Shouldn't this be a tie?"
"I feel that Your Majesty's poetry is better!" Lingnan Prince Heir said without hesitation.
Mu Jinkun placed his hopes on Langya Prince. The Civil and Military Officials all looked at Langya Prince, and Luo Yuhua and others thought that Langya Prince would likely step forward to defend Mu Jinkun! They had to prepare for a long-term struggle; this time they had to eliminate Mu Jinkun.
After pondering for a moment, Langya Prince finally spoke: "Your Majesty, I believe your poetry is better!"
Those words struck like a bolt from the blue; Mu Jinkun was left utterly stunned.
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