Chapter 318

Just then, several lines of bullet comments drifted across the sky screen—

【Bullet Comment · Tang Dynasty Netizen】: Meng Xiangyang! The pride of us Xiangyang people!

【Bullet Comment · Song Dynasty Netizen】: A commoner poet reaching this level, there's no one else like him.

【Bullet Comment · Ming Dynasty Netizen】: Taking the imperial examination at forty? How much confidence did he have in himself...

【Bullet Comment · Modern Netizen】: Never served in office in his life, but wrote "Spring Dawn," this wave is not a loss.

"Bullet comments?"

Ying Zheng looked at the text drifting across the sky screen, his eyebrows furrowing even tighter.

"Who are these people?"

Gu Shanhe explained, "They are comments made by people of later generations when watching the sky-screen live broadcast, equivalent to... um... discussing in public."

Liu Bang was watching with great interest. "Interesting, interesting, these people of later generations speak quite humorously."

"What does 'this wave is not a loss' mean?"

Gu Shanhe: "... It just means not suffering a loss."

"Oh," Liu Bang nodded. "Then I also think this Meng Haoran didn't lose."

"He never held an official post in his life, but his name has been remembered by people for over a thousand years; this is a good deal!"

Liu Che couldn't help but mutter, "His Majesty Gaozu, this is not a deal..."

"How is it not a deal?"

Liu Bang was righteous. "Isn't reputation something you trade your whole life for?"

"Some people are officials for their whole lives, but who remembers them after they die?"

"This one is good; he didn't become an official, but instead became famous through the ages; if this isn't a profit, what is?"

Liu Xiu thought for a moment and actually nodded. "What His Majesty Gaozu said actually makes some sense."

Ying Zheng snorted coldly. "Fallacy."

But everyone could hear that there was less confidence in the First Emperor's "fallacy."

The scene on the sky screen changed again, with golden light condensing into vivid scenes—

The figure of the young Meng Haoran studying on Lumeng Mountain;

The longing in his eyes as he stood by Dongting Lake gazing into the distance;

His lonely expression on the streets of Chang'an, and his carefree spirit as he boated among the landscapes of Wu and Yue.

【Meng Haoran's life wandered between entering the world and living in seclusion, his heart contradictory yet sincere and open:】

【In his youth, he had great ambitions, longing to enter officialdom, assist the monarch, save the world, bring peace to the people, and achieve great deeds;

He once wrote "Gazing at Dongting Lake and Presenting to Prime Minister Zhang," tactfully seeking a recommendation from Zhang Jiuling,

A line, "Sitting and watching the anglers, I have only the envy of the fish," fully revealed his desire to seek office.】

【Meng Haoran's temperament was noble and aloof; he was unwilling to curry favor with the powerful or bend his will to please them;

When meeting Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, a line, "The brilliant master abandons the untalented, old friends are distant due to illness," both expressed his frustration and cut off his official path.】

【After his official path was cut off, he let go of his obsession with fame and turned to living in seclusion among the landscapes, using poetry to express his aspirations, pouring his feelings into the pastoral life, and pursuing a spiritual realm of detachment and freedom.】

The full poem of "Gazing at Dongting Lake and Presenting to Prime Minister Zhang" appeared on the sky screen—

【The lake water is level in the eighth month, merging with the void and the vast sky.

The vapor steams over the Yunmeng Marsh, the waves shake the city of Yueyang.

Wanting to cross but having no boat or oar, living in idleness, I am ashamed before such a brilliant age.

Sitting and watching the anglers, I have only the envy of the fish.】

A chorus of admiration suddenly rose in the hall.

"What a 'The vapor steams over the Yunmeng Marsh, the waves shake the city of Yueyang'!"

Li Jing slapped the table in admiration. "This momentum, this structure, where does it look like a poem asking for help? It is clearly the heroic spirit of a great man standing between heaven and earth!"

Li Ji also nodded and said, "It is indeed a good poem."

"The vastness of Dongting Lake, the immensity of Yunmeng Marsh; the words 'steam' and 'shake' are used just right, with power piercing through the paper."

Fang Xuanling savored the last two lines: "'Wanting to cross but having no boat or oar, living in idleness, I am ashamed before such a brilliant age'—"

"Wanting to cross the lake but having no oars, living in idleness in a brilliant age, it is truly shameful."

"These words are spoken tactfully, but the desire to seek office is overflowing in the words."

Zhangsun Wuji smiled. "This Meng Haoran knows how to speak."

"Clearly wanting to seek an official post, yet writing it with such style, unlike some people who, when seeking an official post, wish they could write the four words 'I want to be an official' on their faces."

Wei Zheng, however, frowned. "I actually think that although this poem is good, one can see Meng Haoran's contradiction—"

"He wants to enter officialdom but cannot let go of his pride; he wants to ask for help but maintains his aloofness."

"Such a personality, in the officialdom, I fear it is not easy to get along."

Ying Zheng suddenly spoke: "Who was this poem written for?"

Gu Shanhe replied, "Prime Minister Zhang, that is Zhang Jiuling, a famous prime minister during the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty."

"Meng Haoran hoped to get a recommendation from Zhang Jiuling through this poem."

"Zhang Jiuling?" Li Shimin asked.

Gu Shanhe explained, "This man was a famous prime minister during the Kaiyuan period, known for his integrity and courage to remonstrate."

"Zhang Jiuling appreciated Meng Haoran's talent and did indeed recommend him."

"But unfortunately, Meng Haoran's official path ultimately did not go through."

Liu Che asked curiously, "Why didn't it go through? Since someone recommended him, with his talent, he shouldn't have been without a way out."

Gu Shanhe sighed. "This is the most sigh-inducing part of Meng Haoran."

"He did later get the opportunity to meet Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, but..."

"But what?" Liu Xiu pressed.

Gu Shanhe pointed to the sky screen: "Your Majesties, please look."

A passage of text appeared on the sky screen—

【When Meng Haoran was a guest in Wang Wei's office, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang suddenly arrived.

Meng Haoran, in a panic, hid under the bed and was pulled out by Wang Wei to pay respects to the emperor.

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang had heard of Meng Haoran's reputation and asked him to write a poem on the spot.

This was a golden opportunity; as long as Meng Haoran presented a poem praising the emperor or displayed his talent, he could very likely have obtained an official position.】

【But Meng Haoran recited such a poem—】

【Stop sending petitions to the Northern Palace, return to my humble cottage on the Southern Mountain.

The brilliant master abandons the untalented, old friends are distant due to illness.

White hair hastens old age, the spring sun forces the year to end.

Forever harboring sorrow, I cannot sleep, the pine and moon make the night window empty.】

【Emperor Xuanzong of Tang's face changed greatly after hearing it, and he said angrily: "You do not seek office, and I have never abandoned you; why do you slander me?"】

The whole hall was in an uproar.

"This..."

Wei Zheng widened his eyes. "Reciting this kind of poem in front of the emperor? Is this not courting death?"

Du Ruhui also shook his head and sighed: "'The brilliant master abandons the untalented, old friends are distant due to illness'—this is self-mockery if said nicely, but if said bluntly, it is accusing the emperor of not appreciating talent."

"It is not unreasonable for Emperor Xuanzong of Tang to be angry."

Fang Xuanling rubbed his temples.

"This Meng Haoran, he truly has talent, but this emotional intelligence... is indeed a fatal flaw."

Zhangsun Wuji, however, was thoughtful. "I actually think this is not a problem of emotional intelligence, but a problem of personality."

"Meng Haoran was born with a noble nature, disdaining to curry favor or flatter; even when facing the emperor, he refused to say words against his heart."

"This backbone is certainly precious, but in the officialdom, it is indeed a fatal flaw."

Ying Zheng was silent for a moment and suddenly said: "If this man were in my Great Qin, he probably wouldn't have lived for three days."

Liu Bang laughed out loud. "First Emperor, you know yourself quite well."

Ying Zheng looked at him coldly.

Liu Bang immediately changed the subject: "But this Meng Haoran is indeed a wonderful person; having finally met the emperor, he didn't think about how to flatter him, but instead recited a poem of complaint."

"I actually quite like this kind of person."

Liu Che nodded. "Indeed."

"Being noble in character, not fawning over superiors, not bullying inferiors, this is a rare quality."

"Although he cut off his official path because of this, he preserved his own backbone."

Liu Xiu also sighed. "'The brilliant master abandons the untalented'—"

"Although these words made the emperor unhappy, if you savor them, it is actually a kind of self-mockery."