Chapter 56: It

The Nishang Yuyi Melody is still being performed, music like a fairyland ringing in the ears, Yang Yuhuan and several disciples of Gongsun Dayang, dressed in brilliant Tang brocade, flutter on the stage like butterflies.

But the audience below no longer has any attention on them; the traditional Tang banquet's reserved program has already begun.

At a Tang banquet, a poem is indispensable, especially at a royal‑organized banquet.

Li Longji did not state the banquet's poetic theme, but he issued the order while the Nishang Yuyi Melody was playing, and given Yang Yuhuan's sensitive position, what the other side intended was already crystal clear.

"Is there any left! Not even half a poem?"

Zheng Shuqing's brush danced like a dragon and snake as he copied onto paper, only cursing that Fang Chongyong didn't say a few more lines. He cannot write poetry, but his appreciation level has been honed since he started school!

The two lines Fang Chongyong just wrote are of what caliber, Zheng Shuqing knows perfectly in his heart: even if he spent his whole life writing poetry, he could not produce such a sentence, not even one!

"Only two lines, really? It would be best to have a regulated verse; if not, even a quatrain would do! Just two lines of poetry—what use are they?"

Zheng Shuqing whispered in Fang Chongyong's ear, his whole blood about to boil.

"Deputy Minister Zheng, how can you not understand the principle of excess? If you were to finish a whole poem, I dare to write it—do you dare to step up?"

"Is this your true ability?"

"If the Saint asked you to write another slightly inferior piece for amusement, could you produce it?"

Fang Chongyong retorted irritably.

Old Zheng's habit of his brain heating up when excited flared up again.

"I'm just asking casually…"

Zheng Shuqing, after hearing Fang Chongyong's words, instantly became cowardly.

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

Old Zheng's virtue is that he knows when he's outmatched, he won't act recklessly.

Fang Chongyong made a sound point: a good hand still needs a master player; with a slight slip, a good hand can be shattered, a situation that occurs often.

"When the Nishang Yuyi Melody stops, you just grab those two lines, shout them, and rush toward the Saint—that's all."

Fang Chongyong said thoughtfully.

In fact, following the usual procedure, Gao Lishi would personally collect the verses; he would take the ones that catch his eye, and politely decline the ones that don't, never sullying Li Longji's sight.

Imagine a boor writing something like "Oh ocean, you are all water; oh toad, you have four legs" and showing it to Li Longji—wouldn't that ruin the Saint's refined taste?

He is the emperor, not a language teacher responsible for correcting elementary essays!

Thus, in the end a small portion of the verses will be presented before Li Longji. However, this "small portion" may still amount to dozens of pieces.

Although these two lines of "Qing Ping Diao" are excellent, they are also easily buried.

To grab attention, one cannot follow the conventional routine!

Zheng Shuqing gritted his teeth and nodded vigorously!

Although Tang banquet etiquette is numerous, it does not prize restraint; failing to perform when it's your turn is considered disrespect to the host.

When drinking gets lively, guests joining the singers to sing and dance is commonplace and not later taken as a joke. Zheng Shuqing rushing to the Saint to flaunt his verses would have been a grave disrespect in the Han era, yet in this age it aligns perfectly with custom.

You may go wild, as long as you have substance in your belly; this is the stage for you to make a name.

Of course, if you have nothing inside and still flaunt yourself, you'll only bring shame; afterward it will become a laughingstock and might even be punishable!

While pondering, the Nishang Yuyi Melody ended, and Yang Yuhuan, along with several of Gongsun Dayang's disciples, gracefully left the stage.

"Opportunity never returns; go for it!"

Fang Chongyong said to Zheng Shuqing, a bit nervous.

……

The main purpose of this banquet for Li Longji is to strip Yang Yuhuan of the "Longevity Princess" image in outsiders' eyes and turn her into a "free woman".

Fang Chongyong and Zheng Shuqing, on the other hand, aim to "untie the knot", so that Li Longji will no longer bear a grudge for not giving Yang Yuhuan Tang brocade.

Besides them, there is another person at the banquet with their own agenda: Princess Yuzhen.

She is Li Longji's half‑sister, highly favored, but has now become a nun—a female Daoist.

Of course, Tang female Daoists are not necessarily ascetic; most are not. Having the title of "Daoist" allows one to shed worldly shackles, and meeting men brings no particular restraint.

Otherwise, whether married or unmarried, interacting with unrelated men always invites criticism.

"Li Taibai, this chance must be seized."

Princess Yuzhen, clad in a Daoist robe, said to the middle‑aged man beside her. This man was none other than Li Bai, who had once crossed paths with Fang Chongyong outside Chang'an.

No wonder Li Bai, upon hearing of Zheng Shuqing's inspector rank, was reluctant to associate with them; he had already secured a way.

No matter how powerful Zheng Shuqing's connections are, can they outshine Princess Yuzhen's?

Li Bai's connection is the ever‑enduring Princess Yuzhen! Li Longji truly cares for this legitimate sister; of course, that's also because Princess Yuzhen never meddles in state affairs and shares both parents with him.

"I've already thought of it, just a little more, just a little."

Li Bai, biting the tip of his brush that has no hair, pondered deeply. Often, writing poetry is like a person circling in a dense foggy forest, unable to get out; he needs a guiding light.

That guiding light is inspiration.

"Saint! Saint! I've got it! I've got it!"

Li Bai, hearing a middle‑aged man in an exotic, splendid brocade robe rush toward Li Longji's location, paid it little mind.

He had just written the character "cloud" on paper when the shouting interrupted his train of thought, feeling as if a horse had thrown him to the ground while riding.

"Clouds think of clothing, flowers think of appearance; spring wind brushes the rail, dew's brilliance is dense!"

The man, gesturing flamboyantly, handed the paper with the verses to Gao Lishi.

Clack!

Li Bai's brush fell onto the desk; his painful hands tangled his hair, full of regret!

"How could I not have thought of it, clouds think of clothing, flowers think of appearance! Why didn't I think of it!"

He pounded the desk while muttering dejectedly.

"Li Taibai, are you feeling unwell?"

Princess Yuzhen asked concernedly.

"It's fine, it's fine. That line just now was truly good, truly good."

Li Bai forced a smile at Princess Yuzhen; showing off is allowed, but not before one's patron. Otherwise, who would recommend him later?

"You do have a fitting poem. That line just now, I too feel this banquet will have no poem that can surpass it."

Princess Yuzhen slightly frowned and said.

Such a vulgar person, yet dancing and presenting those two transcendent verses, truly a waste of talent.

Not only Princess Yuzhen felt that; Li Longji, as the party involved, was also bewildered. Zheng Shuqing is a "technical bureaucrat", somewhat skilled in arithmetic, his specialty is making money, not composing poetry.

"Minister Zheng, just these two lines? Not even enough for a quatrain."

Li Longji asked with a smiling eye.

"Oh sage! I am a wooden‑fish head; to think of these two lines already exhausts my lifelong poetic talent! Where are the next two lines!"

Zheng Shuqing firmly remembered Fang Chongyong's instruction: when one shouldn't stick out, never do.

Lest he be turned into a pig's head by Li Longji.

"Lishi, go ask if anyone can follow these two lines and continue. By the way, whoever can, will be rewarded with a Hanlin Academy appointment!"

Li Longji slightly frowned and whispered to the bowing Gao Lishi.

Gao Lishi stepped to the center of the stage and shouted hoarsely:

"The sage said, whoever can match these two lines will receive a Hanlin Academy appointment."

"Clouds imagine garments, flowers imagine beauty; spring breeze brushes the rail, dew blossoms thick! Whoever can match, send it over at once!"

As soon as the words ended, Li Bai, excited, stood up, rushed onto the stage and shouted at Li Longji:

"I have taken up, I have taken up!"

"If not seen atop the Mountain of Many Jewels, would meet under the Jade Terrace moon!"

Li Bai had no time to write; it was almost uttered spontaneously.

Gao Lishi, accustomed to such a reckless scholar, calmly frowned and said, "Take those two lines to the sage and write them down."

"Alright, alright, alright!"

Li Bai hopped forward, with dragon‑fly and phoenix‑dance, wrote the two verses. When he finished, he felt refreshed, the pent‑up frustration in his heart completely vanished.

"Aren't you… Li Bai?"

Li Longji realized who stood before him.

When he toured Luoyang, Li Bai had presented him the "Ming Tang Fu" and later the "Great Hunt Fu". Yet Li Longji always thought the court's trouble lay in insufficient revenue, needing talent in finance.

As for other matters, following the rules of the Three Departments and Six Ministries suffices; as emperor, he need not intervene.

Therefore Li Longji was not very enthusiastic about a literary man like Li Bai who excelled in poetry. Moreover, the court already had literary giants such as Zhang Jiuling and He Zhizhang. Poets who offered verses to seek office, like Li Bai, were as numerous as fish crossing a river.

The only lacking was talent; quantity was never scarce!

Rarity makes value; even Li Bai's superb poetic talent is drowned among these vulgar peers, so he never obtained office.

"You are indeed overflowing with talent; from today, you are a Hanlin Academy attendant, to follow my daily life and write poems for me."

These four lines flattered Yang Yuhuan, which pleased Li Longji; he certainly didn't mind slipping a bit of leftover cold food through his fingers to dispatch a would‑be official like Li Bai.

"Thank you for the sage's grace! Thank you for the sage's grace!"

Li Bai thanked profusely and stepped down.

Zheng Shuqing also stepped down, returned to his seat, and whispered to the contentedly eating Fang Chongyong, "How was it? My performance just now was okay, right?"

Fang Chongyong gave an "OK" gesture, then kept eating, completely ignoring Zheng Shuqing.

Probably no problem then.

Zheng Shuqing, seeing Fang Chongyong's relaxed demeanor, knew all was well; then he noticed Wei Jian sitting nearby staring oddly and, feeling guilty, blurted, "I got carried away just now, couldn't hold back, hahahaha."

"Those two lines were truly good."

Wei Jian said meaningfully, gave Fang Chongyong a thoughtful glance; he had just seen that the verses were written by Fang Chongyong on paper, which Zheng Shuqing was copying. The Chang'an prodigy truly lived up to his name, yet remained low‑key, even hiding himself.

Fang Youde's son… seems also a remarkable person.

Wei Jian, without a flicker, kept Fang Chongyong in his mind.

The program ended, and the banquet's drinking segment began. Palace staff piled one vat after another of wine at the center of the stage.

Guests around could take wine on demand, without having to place a heap of jars at their own tables.

Fang Chongyong suddenly understood why the Tang officials who drank to madness had not been drinking at the banquet, and why the officials had not provided wine.

It turned out they were ambushed here.

Soon, the drinking game began. Gao Lishi, representing Li Longji, announced that three guests would be selected as Mingfu, Lülu Officer, and Gonglu Officer to maintain order of the drinking game.

"Mingfu" is an honorific for a prefect since Han and Wei; in Tang it often refers to a county magistrate. Because the banquet is a group, a respected person is chosen to maintain order, thus nicknamed "Mingfu".

The crowd unanimously nominated He Zhizhang, who was known for excellent drinking and love of wine, to the position.

The Lülu Officer must be someone who knows drinking rules, understands musical rhythm, and has great capacity.

The Lülu Officer must prepare a "Longtai" (also called "Longchou"), a silver drinking‑token set containing twenty token sticks, twenty token flags, and twenty token banners (the flags and banners are token sticks shaped like flags or banners, called penalty tokens, similar to military standards).

The Lülu Officer decides the drinking‑game rules and rhyme scheme, and determines who receives reward wine and who receives penalty wine.

Unexpectedly, Li Longji appointed the flamboyant Li Bai as Lülu Officer. Whether it was to save Princess Yuzhen's face or to promote a literary figure, he did not know.

The Gonglu Officer, also called the Punishment Officer, oversees enforcement. Apparently, following Li Longji's order, Gao Lishi directly brought forward Zhang Shougui, who had just been appointed Left Prime Minister, as the chief punisher.

He Zhizhang, Li Bai, Zhang Shougui.

Does this combination hint at something?

Fang Chongyong watched the grand banquet with a cold eye; some were melancholy, some were bold; some sorrowful, some delighted. The dazzling stage, interwoven with cups and goblets, resembled a scene of blazing oil in a prosperous era.

The people here are so capable that they fear not tomorrow's ruin, as long as today is joyful.

Within the venue, beneath the splendid exterior, what lies inside is a cannibalistic core.

At the banquet, where did all these immeasurably extravagant things come from? Fang Chongyong dared not think about it, nor did he need to.

Everything the Tang nobles ate, wore, and used naturally came from the people's fat and marrow, scraping from the mouths of commoners just enough to sustain life, in order to pursue their own wealth and enjoyment.

These people themselves do not engage in production, so of course they cannot eat themselves.

Fang Chongyong suddenly thought of the riverside of Kui Prefecture, those with lumps on their backs, who could not afford spring or well water and had to drink Long River water, toiling to reclaim wasteland along the riverbank.

Those people are human, and the nobles and high officials here are also human. But people are born different, and born unequal.

Can I leave early?

Fang Chongyong felt somewhat out of place amidst all this, and he tugged at Zheng Shuqing's sleeve, asking softly.

That naturally cannot be done; wouldn't a sage care about face?

Zheng Shuqing scolded him in a low voice.

Yes.

Fang Chongyong sighed with feeling.

Being a dog is really not easy.

He muttered softly.

Who says it isn't?

Zheng Shuqing also chimed in, continuing: 'A dog can at least gnaw on a bone, but if you become an ant, you'll be at anyone's mercy. Do you choose to be a dog or an ant?'