“Kingdom of Lu, Chu Yuan.”
Once everyone had taken their seats and the brushes and ink were prepared, the poetry contest officially began.
Three great scholars from the Hanlin Academy presided over the examination, with fifteen supervisory officials stationed throughout to prevent any competitor from resorting to dishonest means.
Each participant had to compose a seven-character regulated poem within one quarter of an hour. The poem had to contain the three images of peach blossoms, pear blossoms, and a sullied pond. No revisions were permitted. It had to be written in one continuous flow, placing extreme demands on both brushwork and literary talent.
The topic had been devised on the spot by the scholars themselves. After hearing the requirements, everyone fell into deep contemplation.
Chu Yuan pondered for a moment. He lifted his wrist and took up the brush, one hand holding back his wide sleeve as the tip of the brush gently touched the white xuan paper.
Ning Yuqiang, seated beside him, caught the movement from the corner of his eye and gave an inward snort of derision. He genuinely doubted whether Chu Yuan knew how to compose poetry at all.
Others needed considerable effort to complete even a single line, repeatedly weighing every character and phrase, fearful of ruining the poetic mood and subtle meaning. What use was speed? At best Chu Yuan would produce nothing more than a doggerel verse. How could such lines become verses passed from mouth to mouth among the people?
Ning Yuqiang lifted his brush and dipped it into the inkstone. Lowering his head, he wrote the brilliant line that had just appeared in his mind. Then he paused again, constructing the next line in his thoughts.
His speed was not slow. Compared with him, many others had not written a single character. Some had written two lines and then lost inspiration, scratching their ears and clawing their cheeks with anxious expressions.
After writing the final character, Chu Yuan waited until the ink upon the page had dried. He then raised his head and gave a faint smile to the supervising official beside him, signaling for him to come forward. Folding the poem neatly, he placed it upon the red-lacquered tray held by the official.
Lu Ronghuai had not taken his eyes from Chu Yuan the entire while. As soon as Chu Yuan finished, he at once picked up his brush and began writing as well. The brush raced like dragons and snakes. The characters were wild and careless.
The two of them finished first.
Lu Ronghuai paid it no heed. Once the supervising official left, he rose and returned to sit beside Chu Yuan.
“Your Highness, did you truly compose a poem?” Chu Yuan stared at the small stain of ink on Lu Ronghuai’s finger, clearly doubtful.
Just moments earlier, the way Lu Ronghuai had written looked like he had merely scribbled across the paper. Chu Yuan blinked twice, and the man had already finished.
“Of course. My thoughts flowed like a spring. I wrote it extremely well.” Lu Ronghuai extended his hand. “Ah-Yuan, help me wipe this.”
Chu Yuan looked at the long, straight finger and sighed helplessly. Taking a plain handkerchief from his sleeve, he held Lu Ronghuai’s hand and carefully wiped away the ink.
Lu Ronghuai rested his chin in his hand and watched him with a smiling gaze.
Soon Nie Siran set down his brush. Ning Yuqiang and Liu Mingyue finished almost at the same moment.
“Qingguang’s poem today seems slower than usual,” Liu Mingyue said with a smile.
Ning Yuqiang nodded calmly. “After all, I stand for the Kingdom of Lu. I wished to compose something worthy of it.”
The quarter hour soon passed. The supervisory officials collected all the poems and placed the red-lacquered trays upon the long table before Emperor Hongjia. Each sheet was pressed down with a wooden tablet concealing the author’s name.
Emperor Hongjia invited the three scholars forward to review them.
The scholars examined the poems from left to right, reading in sequence and occasionally leaning together to discuss. After roughly the time it took two sticks of incense to burn, they lifted one tray and presented it to the emperor.
“The first place in this poetry contest has now been determined. It is…”
Emperor Hongjia slowly removed the wooden tablet. When he saw the name beneath it, surprise appeared on his face before he broke into a smile.
“Kingdom of Lu, Chu Yuan.”
Eunuch Yuan Sheng stepped forward and displayed the poem to everyone.
Chu Yuan merely smiled faintly upon hearing his name.
Lu Ronghuai, however, grasped his hand with delight, pride shining plainly on his face.
“Third Sister-in-law is amazing!” Lu Rongshen jumped up and clapped loudly.
The smile on Ning Yuqiang’s face went rigid.
He stared at the paper in disbelief, his thoughts momentarily blank.
“It was not Young Lord Ning?”
“They said he was exceptionally talented. How did the Prince Consort surpass him?”
“I did not expect the Prince Consort to possess such literary talent.”
Murmurs spread among the crowd.
The rulers of the six kingdoms wore sour expressions.
The ruler of Chu gave a cold laugh and exchanged a glance with the ruler of Liu.
“Your Majesty, this is unfair,” the King of Liu said as he rose.
Emperor Hongjia frowned. “How is it unfair?”
“The Prince Consort was born in the Kingdom of Chu. Even if he married into Lu, he remains a man of Chu.”
Emperor Hongjia’s expression darkened.
“Chu Yuan has married into Lu. That makes him a subject of Lu. The King of Liu should not behave unreasonably.”
The ruler of Liu continued stubbornly.
“When he lived in Chu, no one had ever heard of his literary reputation. This ruler suspects the poem was written by someone else for him or that it was copied.”
Lu Ronghuai bent one knee and called out lazily.
“King of Liu, to the left of my consort sits Young Lord Ning, and to the right sits this Prince. Which of us do you suspect?”
The ruler of Liu glanced between them.
Ning Yuqiang immediately shifted suspicion toward Lu Ronghuai.
“You suspect this Prince?” Lu Ronghuai laughed.
The King of Liu said, “Prince Li and Young Lord Ning both stand under suspicion. Their poems should be compared.”
Ning Yuqiang spoke up at once.
“Indeed, Your Majesty. The Prince Consort sat directly beside me throughout the contest, at very close quarters. Why not bring forth the poems of all three of us, and the ruler of Liu’s doubts will be dispelled.”
The smile faded from the corners of Nie Siran’s mouth.
“Young Lord Ning’s words suggest that the Prince Consort copied your lines?”
Lu Ronghuai waved a hand lazily.
“Father Emperor, have the poems of the three of us brought out. Otherwise, some people will continue sticking gold upon their own faces.”
Emperor Hongjia ordered Yuan Sheng to retrieve them.
When he looked at Lu Ronghuai’s poem, his eyes twitched.
Everyone else had written poetry.
What had this third son written?
The poems were passed around for everyone to see.
When the crowd set eyes upon what Lu Ronghuai had written, a collective shudder passed through them. Eyes went wide and mouths fell open.
Chu Yuan, watching the reactions around him, looked at Lu Ronghuai with suspicion.
“Your Highness, what did you write?”
“Only a poem praising Ah-Yuan. They have simply never seen this prince write poetry before. Thus, they are astonished, nothing more.” Lu Ronghuai replied with entire ease, his expression placid as still water.
The poems eventually reached Ning Yuqiang.
Reading Chu Yuan’s written poem, he pressed his lips tightly together. Jealousy dripped blood in his heart.
Seeing that the accusation had yielded nothing, the ruler of Liu tried another approach.
“Your Majesty, the Consort of Prince Li is a male. Yet having married Prince Li as his wife, he should compete among the ladies, not among the men.”
The ruler of Yu sneered. “A mere male wife coming here to join the excitement.” He turned as he said it and directed an openly contemptuous and mocking look at Chu Yuan.
Chu Yuan met his gaze without lowering or raising himself, the dark and clear depths of his eyes showing not the faintest trace of hurt.
Lu Ronghuai rested a hand on Chu Yuan’s head then turned a cutting gaze upon the rulers of Yu and Liu Kingdoms.
“Chu Yuan, though he has married this prince, remains a man all the same. What this prince may do, he may do as well. When did it become your place to speak on such matters?”
Nie Chouwen, seated at the head of the assembled ministers, heard the murmuring voices all around him. He turned toward Emperor Hongjia and spoke: “Your Majesty, might this subject suggest that the top seven competitors of this contest compose once more, without names, identified only by number, with each of the seven kingdoms contributing one judge to determine the final standings?”
Emperor Hongjia hesitated. However, the six kingdoms voiced their unanimous agreement.
Nie Chouwen looked toward Chu Yuan, his voice calm and unhurried. “Consort of Prince Li, do you dare face them again?”
Chu Yuan gave a slight nod, the light in his eyes steady. “Gladly. This subject will persist to the end.”
Thus, the three Hanlin scholars identified the top seven competitors from the earlier contest. Writing tables were arranged upon the raised platform. A new prompt was set and the seven were called up to compose.
Once again Chu Yuan finished first.
When he had laid down his brush, he rose from the table and withdrew, and returned to Lu Ronghuai’s side.
Lu Ronghuai closed his hand around his, giving it a pleased little squeeze. “Ah-Yuan is excellent. As a reward, this prince shall give you a special embrace.”
Chu Yuan: “…”
Chu Yuan pushed him away lightly with a flash of amusement crossed his eyes. “Your Highness, everyone is watching.”
Lu Ronghuai paid it no mind. He draped an arm around Chu Yuan’s shoulders and sat beside him, waiting for the judgment together.
Before long, the seven judges had reached their decision and announced the result.
“First place of the poetry belongs to Number Five.”
Every eye in the crowd turned toward the seven competitors.
Chu Yuan opened the slip of paper in his palm and held up the number written there.
The character written upon it was: Five.
“It is still my Ah-Yuan. What more is there to be said?” Lu Ronghuai snatched up the slip of paper and tossed the number onto the table, his manner supremely and shamelessly triumphant.
The rulers of the six kingdoms fell silent as mutes, averting their eyes from Lu Ronghuai’s cutting gaze.
Nie Siran glanced at the judges’ full rankings. He had placed second. Third was Ning Yuqiang. The remaining three places had gone to competitors from other kingdoms.
Lu Kingdom held the upper hand in commanding fashion.
He turned the folding fan between his fingers, then leaned closer and murmured a quiet reminder to Lu Ronghuai. “Prince Li, the stakes.”
Lu Ronghuai glanced at him and understood at once. He strolled forward at an easy pace toward Emperor Hongjia and said, “Father Emperor, before the contest the six kingdoms declared that if they prevailed, they wished for a marriage alliance. Yet they said nothing of what should follow should they lose.”
Emperor Hongjia looked toward the six rulers.
The ruler of Kang steeled himself and rose to his feet. “This ruler and the others have lost the contest. Next year’s grain tribute shall be doubled.”
Lu Ronghuai picked at his ear, his lips curving with idle amusement. “Forgive this Prince. What was that? This Prince did not hear clearly.”
The ruler of Kang pressed his lips together. He knew full well that Lu Ronghuai had heard every word. Yet the Kingdom of Lu was plainly unsatisfied with this outcome, and Emperor Hongjia made no move to stop him.
Lu Ronghuai walked toward the ruler of Kang. He was tall, and his very presence bore down with force. The ruler of Kang had always been somewhat afraid of him, and with his nerves already frayed, his heart lurched when he saw the man suddenly raise his hand.
The ruler of Kang flinched violently.
Lu Ronghuai lifted his hand and brushed the dust from the ruler of Kang’s ceremonial hat, smiling pleasantly. “Why does the ruler of Kang startle so? This prince merely noticed your hat had gathered some dust and thought to brush it clean.”
“Th-thank you, Prince Li.”
“Mm. The rulers need not double their tributes either. The lives of the common people are difficult enough. Press them too hard, and this prince fears your seats as rulers may grow unsteady and bring trouble upon the Kingdom of Lu in turn.”
“Here is this prince’s proposal. This prince’s Prince Consort arrived with a rather modest dowry. Honored rulers may consider filling the gap as you see fit.”
The ruler of Yu was the first to leap to his feet. “What does the paucity of his dowry have to do with us? If anyone is to make it up, it should be the Kingdom of Chu.”
The ruler of Chu’s expression darkened.
Lu Ronghuai spread his hands with an air of perfect innocence, stoking the fire from within. “Did you not all agree to stand together when you were proposing your marriage alliance? Those who share the joys must also share the hardships.”
The ruler of Liu said, “This demand is unreasonable. This ruler will never agree to it.”
“Look how agitated everyone has become. This prince almost feels sorry for the ruler of Chu. Tsk, tsk, tsk.”
The ruler of Duan pressed a restraining hand upon the furious ruler of Liu and murmured to the others, “The Prince of Li is sowing discord among us. On no account must we fall for the stratagem. Let us settle the Prince Consort’s dowry with Chu for now and recover our losses in the contests that remain.”
The six were still exchanging their hushed words when Lu Ronghuai’s voice drifted up from behind them, languid and unhurried, like Yama of the underworld emerging from the shadows, a chill creeping up from the soles of their feet straight into their hearts.
“This Prince’s demands are not excessive. Ah-Yuan overturns kingdoms and topples cities. Each of you may present a city. That would barely suffice to match him.”
✧ A Word from the Author ✧
“In Praise of Ah-Yuan” by Lu Ronghuai.
A celestial immortal descends to mortal dust,
Ah-Yuan overturns kingdoms and topples cities, he must,
Fair of face, sweet of voice, and gifted beyond compare,
The Prince of Li laughs with joy beyond all measure there.
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