Chapter 4: Absolute
Everyone waited eagerly for Emperor Luo Xi’s poem, especially the Second Princess, Emperor Xing Wan.
With a clear voice, Emperor Luo Xi recited, “A thousand mountains, no birds in flight; on ten thousand paths, no sign of man. A solitary boat, an old man in a straw cloak, alone fishing in the snowy river.”
A hush fell over the crowd.
The previously mocking face of Yu Shinan froze, and Crown Prince Li Chengtong was equally stunned.
With just a few lines, a scene of cold isolation was painted: snow-covered peaks, a lonely river, a drifting boat, and a reclusive sage fishing in the wintry silence—transcending the mundane world.
“Marvelous!”
Yu Shinan, the great scholar, could not help exclaiming in admiration.
The hall was silent.
The Empress’s gaze immediately fell upon Long Chen. No one knew her daughter better than she did—she was certain Emperor Luo Xi did not possess such literary talent. It had to be the young eunuch behind her who had written the poem.
A eunuch with such skill in letters—the Empress was amazed.
The Second Princess, Emperor Xing Wan, also turned to look at Long Chen. She knew her fourth sister was not capable of such a verse.
“Since you concede, Crown Prince, shouldn’t your Linjiang City be offered to our Eastern Zhou?” Emperor Luo Xi promptly pressed the issue.
Eastern Zhou and Southern Liang faced each other across the river. Fishing City was Eastern Zhou’s stronghold, while Linjiang City was that of Southern Liang.
Recovering from his shock, Yu Shinan quickly replied, “No, though this poem is excellent, it does not utterly surpass mine. At best, it is a draw.”
Crown Prince Li Chengtong echoed, “Indeed, the Fourth Princess’s poem and Master Yu’s are well-matched, hard to say which is superior.”
It was blatant evasion, but with literature, there is no first or second place—while with martial might, victory is clear. Southern Liang was playing the rogue, and there was nothing they could do about it.
“Hmph, so now you claim the contest is a draw? Yet moments ago, you declared victory and dared to demand Fishing City. Such silver tongues,” the Second Princess, Emperor Xing Wan, seized the chance to mock them.
The Southern Liang delegation had been so jubilant, proclaiming their victory and even asking for Fishing City.
Yu Shinan, proud and haughty, could not hide his embarrassment at Emperor Xing Wan’s words.
“A literary contest must have a winner. The best way is with couplets—each side provides a line, and the other must respond. There, victory can be determined,” Yu Shinan proposed.
No matter how one composes poems or essays, there is always room for dispute, but with couplets, if you cannot respond, you lose.
At the mention of couplets, the Empress immediately grew anxious. She knew Yu Shinan was famed as “the Piercing Couplets Scholar”—no one in the world had ever bested him.
The civil officials of Eastern Zhou, especially Emperor Xing Wan, were also alarmed. She dreaded nothing more than Yu Shinan’s couplets, and now her fear was realized.
“What should we do?” Emperor Xing Wan whispered to her maid, a learned lady-in-waiting.
The lady-in-waiting’s face turned ashen; she knew better than anyone how ruthless Yu Shinan could be with couplets.
“It’s said that once at Wangjiang Tower, Yu Shinan bested a scholar so harshly with couplets that the man coughed blood and threw himself into the river,” Qing Yue whispered.
Long Chen was astonished. “Is he really that formidable?”
Qing Yue nodded, her eyes filled with dread as she looked at Yu Shinan.
On the Southern Liang side, Yu Shinan and Crown Prince Li Chengtong had noticed Eastern Zhou’s panic and were quite pleased.
Crown Prince Li Chengtong sneered, “Empress, it seems your Eastern Zhou is ready to concede. You can surrender now and save yourselves the humiliation.”
Second Prince Li Jiye laughed, “Master Yu once matched couplets with your renowned scholar Qian Jun at Wangjiang Tower. Qian Jun failed to respond and spat blood into the river.”
“Outside the Daming Palace, the only river is frozen over. Throwing oneself in would be difficult. Why not hang a white silk from the beam? Whoever loses, hangs themselves. What do you say?”
Li Jiye’s words incensed the Eastern Zhou delegates. Emperor Luo Xi, fiery by nature, turned and whispered to Long Chen, “Couplets—can you handle it?”
Long Chen thought to himself: What a question! When a woman asks a man if he can, he must always say yes—even if it means being tied up with chopsticks, he’d still go!
“No problem. Hang up the white silk first, I’ll defeat him!”
Emperor Luo Xi was momentarily stunned, then replied, “You speak too soon. Let’s see the couplet first. Who hangs themselves is yet to be determined.”
The Empress and Emperor Xing Wan both looked at Long Chen. They knew Emperor Luo Xi was a mere novice—if she dared challenge Yu Shinan, it was certainly with the little eunuch’s help.
Yu Shinan chuckled, “Excellent. The Fourth Princess is indeed a heroine among women, so confident. Let us begin.”
“Will you go first, or shall I?”
Emperor Luo Xi replied coolly, “We are the hosts; you are guests. You may begin.”
The Empress frowned. Letting Yu Shinan start? Not good—if they failed to respond to the very first couplet, it would be a disgrace.
Yu Shinan rose, folding fan in hand, strode to the center aisle, stroked his beard and declared, “When a nation is about to perish, there will be—!”
Emperor Xing Wan’s brows furrowed at the line—it was an insult.
This was a “hidden-tail” couplet: “When a nation is about to perish, there will be monsters and demons.” He was calling the Empress a demon and cursing Eastern Zhou’s demise—a vicious barb.
Emperor Xing Wan thought to herself, “No wonder he’s called the Deathly Scholar of Southern Liang. Such venom in his couplets!”
Emperor Luo Xi turned to Long Chen, who had already handed her a slip of paper.
“Your turn, Empress,” Yu Shinan said coldly.
The Empress looked to Emperor Xing Wan, who shook her head—she couldn’t respond.
The Empress then looked to Emperor Luo Xi.
“Old and unyielding, thus called—!”
Emperor Luo Xi’s clear voice broke the silence.
Yu Shinan’s brows knit, his expression darkened.
“Old and unyielding, thus called a thief”—the response was a direct insult to Yu Shinan, calling him an old rogue.
A faint smile appeared on the Empress’s stern face. “Master Yu, what do you think?”
Yu Shinan’s gaze shifted to Long Chen behind Emperor Luo Xi. He sensed a familiar aura, but could not place it.
“Hmph! A draw, then. Your turn,” he said, looking straight at Long Chen. The Crown Prince and other princes also turned their eyes toward Emperor Luo Xi’s side.
Emperor Luo Xi knew their ruse had been discovered, but this time she did not need to consult Long Chen—he had already prepared the next line.
“One, two, three, four, five, six, seven!”
Emperor Luo Xi’s voice rang out, clear as a silver bell—everyone heard it perfectly.
Yet, the meaning was lost on all. Emperor Xing Wan pondered, but could not fathom it. Crown Prince Li Chengtong was equally puzzled. Only Yu Shinan’s face turned livid—he understood.
Emperor Luo Xi herself did not know the meaning—just a string of numbers, after all. But seeing Yu Shinan’s grim face, she realized the couplet was surely an insult.
Yu Shinan glared at Long Chen, grinding his teeth. “We are Southern Liang envoys, and you dare insult me!”
Emperor Luo Xi laughed inwardly. So it was indeed an insult.
The Empress, puzzled, asked, “How is that an insult?”
Yu Shinan replied furiously, “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven—deliberately omitting eight! It’s calling me a turtle!”
At that, Emperor Luo Xi finally understood—Long Chen had called Yu Shinan a bastard.
The Eastern Zhou side erupted in laughter, while Yu Shinan’s face darkened further.
Crown Prince Li Chengtong felt utterly humiliated—how could the great scholar Yu Shinan be so flustered?
“Master Yu, courtesy demands reciprocity. Offer a response!” they urged.
Yu Shinan was at a loss, unable to think of a clever retort.
“Enough, this round is yours. Now, I will proceed.”
“Fourth Princess, cease acting as a mouthpiece—I know it’s the little eunuch advising you. I’ll challenge him directly!”
Yu Shinan pointed straight at Long Chen.
All eyes turned to Long Chen.