Chapter 117: Betting on Poetry

"Good! The bet is made!"

As if afraid that someone would go back on their word, the Prince of Badong immediately slapped the table and finalized the details.

"You two write a poem each. The title of the poem will be *New Music of Mo Chou*. I, along with the three Upper Ranks of the state and prefecture, and Mr. Kong, will judge the quality."

The Chief Clerk, Commandant, Assistant Governor, and Registrar are collectively known as the "Four Upper Ranks." Now that Chief Clerk Liu Zhao is absent, the remaining three are the three highest-ranking officials in Jingzhou below the Prince of Badong.

There is no problem with choosing them as judges.

But Kong Zhangyu's official position is only a lowly Wang Fu Secretary. A person like a housekeeper, who does not enter the scholar-official class at all. Being chosen to be on par with the three Upper Ranks is really a bit inconsistent.

But the Prince of Badong has always been absurd, so people are not surprised by this move.

The Prince of Badong shouted: "Someone! Set up the table! Bring paper and pen!"

The paper is like goose snow, and the ink is like crow thick.

In the hall, two black wood long tables, Wang Yang and Liu Cheng on the left and right, waving their brushes on the paper.

Both of them were vigorous and writing quickly, without any hesitation or pause.

The hall was silent, everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on the two.

Even without looking at the content on the paper, one could see from the speed of the two that both poems were already thought out in their hearts. Otherwise, how could they write so freely? However, judging from the writing movements, Liu Cheng's writing speed far exceeded Wang Yang's!

Not to mention how the poem was written, just this talent of "waiting for the horse to lean" is rare.

Liu Cheng's brother was worried.

Although he knew that this kind of impromptu fast poem was his younger brother's specialty. But looking at Wang Yang's appearance, he was clearly not afraid of the scene. I don't know if there is any reliance.

Liu Cheng's writing was fast, and with his drunkenness, his handwriting was even more like a dragon flying and a phoenix dancing. He slapped the brush and said proudly: "Poem finished."

Because of alcohol and excitement, his cheeks were flushed, adding a bit of arrogance to him.

In his view, this battle must be won!

Not only because of his confidence in his poetry talent, but also because he heard Wang Yang admit that he "could not write poetry" while chasing the cart on the high building with his own ears!

Of course, Liu Cheng would not rashly think that Wang Yang was completely ignorant of poetry. But based on Wang Yang's age and his efforts in classics and metaphysics, he probably didn't spend much time on poetry.

Like Wang Rong, a genius who is proficient in all arts and can recite after reading, how many people in the world can be like him? Wang Yang is still far behind!

More importantly, they are comparing impromptu poetry now.

Speed is very critical.

If they were comparing slow thinking for precision and word-by-word consideration, Liu Cheng might not be so confident.

But if they were comparing the mouth to the heart and writing in one go, how could Wang Yang be his opponent?

The Prince of Badong was pleasantly surprised: "So fast! Mr. Kong, please read it to everyone."

Kong Zhangyu took the paper, scanned it quickly, nodded, and read:

"Emerald eyebrows first dance, jade bones suddenly become makeup.

Everyone knows the Mo Chou girl, who is not yet married.

One song spits out a beautiful mouth, red lips open slightly.

Two dances stretch wide sleeves, drifting wind returns snow to lift.

Three plays parting songs, flicking fingers to clear business.

Four thoughts of the distance of the world, choking strings are difficult to stretch.

The mirror wave reflects tears, flower pieces float fragrance finely.

Can't bear the bright moon shining, who leans on the north wind cool?

Twilight is short, lovesickness is long, golden waves flow light at night!

Ten years you haven't seen, have you ever broken your intestines?"

After Kong Zhangyu finished reading, Registrar Yin Tan-can praised: "It is said that Chen Siwang had creations, if he could recite them in his heart and borrow books from his hands, without any hesitation in thinking, now Liu Fourth Young Master writes as soon as he picks up the pen, which is not inferior to Chen Si!"

Commandant Xi Gongmu also praised: "I heard early on that Liu Fourth Young Master has agile and fast talent, writes as soon as he picks up the pen, and doesn't add a point to the text. Seeing it today, it is indeed extraordinary!"

Advisory Aide Jiang Yu followed up: "Ten years you haven't seen, have you ever broken your intestines! Not writing about one's own broken intestines but asking how the gentleman's intestines are, the thinking is new and clever. It has the style of ancient Yuefu."

Even the Prince of Badong was quite satisfied and ordered the singing girls to compose this poem into a new tune on the spot, to be performed at the next banquet.

Wang Yang used two things at once, writing while listening to Liu Cheng's poem. Wang Yang also wrote poetry and lyrics in his spare time, and considered himself "one word and two poems," that is, he thought his fu was the best, lyrics second, and poetry the worst. Liu Cheng's poem, if given a certain amount of time, he could also write it. But to be able to make it on the spot without thinking, and to exceed Liu Cheng's poem in quality, he was not 100% sure he could do it.

Liu Cheng's poem was written fast and on topic, and he was the son of Duke Liu. With such an opportunity, who wouldn't praise him? For a time, the hall was full of praise.

Although Le Zhan felt that Liu Cheng's poem was quite impressive, he was looking forward to Wang Yang's poem, hoping that he could write sentences like "Walking on the rivers and lakes with wine, the waist is slender and light in the palm."

At this time, Wang Yang had not written the poem well.

The reason why he was much slower than Liu Cheng was not because he thought slowly, but because he wrote slowly.

Although he had practiced calligraphy for a long time, he could never write brush characters as smoothly as Liu Cheng. Coupled with the fact that he had known for some time that his calligraphy could only be considered "very average" in this era, and with so many people present, he had to make his brushwork more vigorous, at least not making people feel that he was too shameful to his ancestors.

Liu Cheng was satisfied with his new poem and thought he was sure to win. Seeing that Wang Yang had not finished writing, he thought he was not agile in thinking and sneered: "Brother Wang is really word-by-word."

Liu Cheng's brother seized the opportunity: "One slow and one fast, the winner is decided. Since Wang Young Master cannot finish the article now, it doesn't count even if it is written well."

He didn't know why he had such a strong premonition that Wang Yang must not be allowed to finish writing!

In fact, Liu Cheng's brother had always admired Wang Yang and really didn't want to continue to be hostile. It's just that the bet was so humiliating, and his younger brother had always been arrogant. Once he failed, how could he bear it!

Xie Xinghan said: "Talent has a difference in speed, and literature has the wonder of fast and slow. Cao Zhi wrote a poem in seven steps, Yang Xiong wrote a fu in a hundred days, as long as the words are elegant, why not be beautiful?"

Hearing Xie Xinghan speak for Wang Yang, Liu Cheng's pride disappeared.

Liu Cheng's brother didn't want to be so confrontational, but in order to protect his younger brother, he couldn't care about his demeanor: "If it's leisure writing, it doesn't matter. But this is a bet. If he writes for a day, and then compares it with my younger brother's impromptu work, where is the fairness?"

Xie Xinghan was about to refute, only to hear Wang Yang chant while writing: "Colorful sleeves diligently hold the jade bell—"

The whole hall was suddenly quiet.

Liu Cheng shook his head: "The opening is vulgar and gorgeous."

"Determined to be drunk and red." Wang Yang raised his elbow, his brush style was graceful, and the ink fragrance seemed to overflow with his chanting.

Xie Xinghan's starry eyes flashed with brilliance.

Liu Cheng was silent for a moment, then sneered: "Not much better."

"Dance low, willow building heart moon—" Wang Yang's tone changed.

Liu Cheng's face changed drastically!!!

Xie Xinghan pinched her sleeves with her slender fingers, holding her breath involuntarily!

The eyes of the four tables were all frozen, all gathered on Wang Yang!

Liu Cheng's brother said anxiously: "Your Highness—"

"Don't talk!" The Prince of Badong leaned forward, afraid of missing the next sentence.

Everyone listened attentively, waiting for Wang Yang to continue.

Only to hear Wang Yang chant leisurely: "Singing all the peach blossom fan bottom wind."

Boom!

The four tables were restless!

Breaking the brief silence!

"Good sentence!" Le Zhan slapped the table and praised it.

Xie Xinghan looked at Wang Yang in white waving his brush, her eyes lost for a moment.

Liu Cheng's body swayed, took a few steps back, and muttered: "Impossible..."

Liu Cheng's brother sighed, knowing that the defeat was set.

Wang Yang wrote faster and faster: "Since parting, remembering meeting, how many times have dreams been with you—"

Wang Yang's voice paused.

No one in the hall spoke, as if time had stopped, and even the slight breathing could be heard clearly. Almost everyone stared at Wang Yang, waiting for the next sentence to come.

"Tonight, I will use the silver lamp to illuminate, fearing that the meeting is in a dream." Wang Yang put down his brush and breathed a long sigh of relief.

The hall fell into silence again, and then the applause erupted like thunder!

Wang Yang knew that this *Partridge Sky* by Yan Jidao had crossed five hundred years and still conquered everyone's heart.

What is a classic?

Penetrating the cycle of time, not limited by the years, this is a classic.

————————

Note: ① Of course, it is one thing for a classic to be unaffected by time, but it is another thing to be accepted by people at that time. For example, Su Shi's *Nian Nu Jiao* is undoubtedly a classic, but there was no literary form of "Ci" in the Southern and Northern Dynasties, so even if Wang Yang took it out, it would not achieve a good effect, and it would likely be considered as a poem with wrong sentences.

Although *Partridge Sky* is also a Ci, its tune is close to seven-character regulated verse, and more importantly, the poetic form of mixed seven-character and seven-character (also called "mixed style poetry" or "mixed language poetry") appeared as early as the Han Dynasty, so the listeners would not feel strange. This is also an important reason why Wang Yang chose *Partridge Sky*.

② At this time, five-character poetry was the orthodox form, but seven-character poetry had long been popular in the world, but there were few good ones. And the seven-character form originated from folk songs, and there were also seven-character ones in the Western Tunes, so Wang Yang's seven-character poem for *Mo Chou Music* is quite compatible.

③ The ancients had many complicated and exquisite ways to compare poetry. The bet between Wang Yang and Liu Cheng this time was "same topic and co-creation." This difficulty coefficient actually belongs to the simplest way of playing in the medieval era. As for those upgrade ways, don't worry, take your time. ===== CHAPTER 118 =====