Chapter 321

Early the next morning.

The sky screen appeared again right on time.

Unlike the landscape scroll from the last time Meng Haoran was reviewed.

This time, the sky screen opened with a magnificent scene of gold-tipped spears and iron-clad horses—beacons of war stretched across the sky, and warhorses neighed.

A scholar in a green robe stood atop the city wall, gazing toward the north, his eyes filled with sorrow, indignation, and unwillingness.

His temples were already gray, but his back was as straight as a pine, as if he might draw his sword at any moment and charge into the smoke-filled battlefield.

The galaxy surged across the dome, and a yellowed scroll of poetry slowly unfurled, hanging in the firmament, as if announcing to the world—another poet of the ages was about to make an appearance.

Tang Dynasty, the tenth year of Zhenguan.

In the Hanyuan Hall of the Taiji Palace, the five emperors were still seated.

Ever since the last review of Meng Haoran, Li Shimin had specifically ordered that for every future sky screen review, the four emperors Ying Zheng, Liu Bang, Liu Che, and Liu Xiu must be invited to watch together.

Of course, Gu Shanhe remained the leader, as he was, after all, the immortal capable of issuing the sky screen's Golden List.

In Li Shimin's words—"For such a grand event, it is better to share the joy with others than to enjoy it alone."

As for whether these four emperors were willing to come...

In any case, every time the sky screen lit up, they would appear in the hall right on time, not a single one missing.

"Which poet is being reviewed today?"

Liu Bang spoke impatiently, still clutching a handful of melon seeds—

This was the "essential snack for viewing" he had learned from Gu Shanhe, and he cracked them with great proficiency.

Gu Shanhe smiled: "Your Majesty Gaozu, please be patient; it will be revealed shortly."

Ying Zheng picked up his teacup, his gaze indifferent as he watched the sky screen, saying nothing.

But those familiar with him could see that the First Emperor's posture was even more upright than usual—

This indicated that he attached great importance to today's review.

Meng Haoran's "Spring Dawn" had indeed touched him last time, but the First Emperor would never admit it aloud.

Today, he wanted to see who else could write a poem more moving than "In spring sleep, one is unaware of the dawn."

Liu Che and Liu Xiu also sat properly, their gazes focused on the sky screen.

On the sky screen, golden light flowed, and a line of large characters slowly emerged—

【Sky Screen Review · Patriotic Poet of the Ages — Lu You】

The hall was immediately filled with murmurs.

"Patriotic poet?"

Li Shimin raised an eyebrow, "This title is quite fresh."

"Last time it was a landscape recluse, this time it's a patriotic poet; it seems this sky screen review is categorized by different types."

Fang Xuanling nodded and said: "Your Majesty is right. The two words 'patriotic' carry immense weight."

"A poet who can be crowned with this title must not be an ordinary person."

Wei Zheng, however, noticed another detail:

"The words 'of the ages' are added before 'patriotic poet,' indicating that this person is not just ordinarily patriotic, but patriotic to the extreme, enough to be praised for a thousand years."

Ying Zheng suddenly spoke: "How are the two words 'patriotic' to be interpreted?"

This question left everyone in the hall stunned.

Patriotism is patriotism; did it need explaining?

Gu Shanhe, however, understood Ying Zheng's meaning—

In the First Emperor's era, the concept of "country" was not quite the same as in later generations.

People in the Warring States period were more loyal to their own monarchs and their own states; the word "patriotic" was indeed not so commonly used.

Gu Shanhe explained: "Your Majesty First Emperor, 'patriotic' means to love one's country and be willing to sacrifice everything for it, including one's life."

"The era in which Lu You lived was one of national division and foreign invasion; he spent his whole life crying out for the recovery of lost territory, never wavering until his death."

"This is 'patriotism'."

Ying Zheng was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded: "Understood."

Liu Bang "cracked" open a melon seed and muttered: "Never wavering until death? That must be quite an obsession..."

The text on the sky screen continued to emerge—

【Reason for being on the list: He is the greatest patriotic poet of the Southern Song Dynasty, writing tirelessly throughout his life, with nearly ten thousand poems preserved;

For half his life, he longed to recover the Central Plains and kill the enemy on the battlefield; his ambition to serve his country spanned his entire life;

Even when he was old and bedridden, his heart remained tied to his country.

He wrote of his patriotic feelings with ink and brush, becoming a patriotic benchmark praised for a thousand years by later generations.】

"Nearly ten thousand?"

Liu Che's eyes widened, and he almost failed to hold his teacup steady.

"One person wrote nearly ten thousand poems? How many did he write a day?"

Liu Xiu also showed a look of shock: "Your Majesty Gaozu is right."

"Nearly ten thousand poems preserved—this is an astonishing number in the entire history of Chinese poetry."

Du Ruhui counted on his fingers:

"Even if Lu You lived to be over eighty and started writing poetry in his teens, writing for seventy years, he would have to write an average of one hundred and forty poems a year, one every two or three days... This output is indeed astonishing."

Zhangsun Wuji added: "The key is the quality."

"If it were just a large quantity with poor quality, he couldn't have been chosen by the sky screen."

"That this person could make the list shows that among his nearly ten thousand poems, there are many masterpieces."

Wei Zheng stroked his beard, thoughtful: "'Never wavering until death', 'bedridden but still heart tied to the country'..."

"I am quite curious, what exactly did this person experience to have such deep feelings for his country?"

The sky screen seemed to hear Wei Zheng's words, and the scene shifted, slowly unfolding a picture of the war-torn late Northern Song Dynasty—

Jin soldiers marched south, beacons of war rose everywhere, and the common people fled south, carrying the old and leading the young, their cries shaking the heavens.

【Basic Information · Era: From the transition between the two Song Dynasties to the Southern Song, a turbulent era of the fall of the Northern Song, the Southern Song's retreat to the south of the Yangtze, frequent wars, and national division.】

Seeing the four words "fall of the Northern Song," everyone in the hall changed color.

"Fall?"

Li Shimin frowned, "A dynasty, fallen?"

Gu Shanhe sighed: "Your Majesty, the Northern Song was destroyed by the Jin Dynasty in 1127; the two emperors, Huizong and Qinzong, were captured by the Jin people, an event known in history as the 'Jingkang Incident'."

"This was the first time in Chinese history that a Han dynasty was completely crushed by a foreign race, and the emperor was captured."

"This event was devastating for the scholars and officials of that time."

The hall was deathly silent.

Ying Zheng's face was livid.

Although he didn't say it, as the first emperor to unify China, the four words "emperor captured" were simply a supreme humiliation to him.

Liu Bang also put away his playful expression and said in a deep voice: "The emperor was captured by a foreign race? This..."

Liu Che slammed the table and said angrily: "Preposterous! How can the Son of Heaven of the Han family suffer such humiliation!"

Although Liu Xiu did not speak, his face was also very ugly.

As the founding emperor of the Eastern Han, he had a profound understanding of the word "restoration" and could better empathize with the pain of a broken country and family.

Li Shimin took a deep breath and looked at Gu Shanhe: "What happened to this Jin Dynasty later?"

Gu Shanhe said: "The Jin Dynasty was later destroyed by the Mongols, but that is a later story."

"The important thing is that after the Jingkang Incident, the Southern Song court retreated to the south of the Yangtze, not thinking of recovery, but using humiliating peace to exchange for short-lived peace."

"Lu You was born in this era; he spent his whole life shouting for the recovery of the Central Plains, but he never achieved his wish until his death."

The hall was silent again.

The text on the sky screen continued to emerge—

【Basic Information】

【Patriotic Poet: Lu You】

【Birth and Death: 1125—1210】

【Native Place: Yuezhou Shanyin (now Shaoxing, Zhejiang)】

【Courtesy Name/Nickname: Courtesy name Wuguan, nickname Fangweng】

【Identity: Famous Southern Song writer, historian, patriotic poet, who also joined the army and personally experienced border wars.】

"Fangweng..."

Li Shimin whispered this nickname, thoughtful.

"This word 'Fang' is used wonderfully."

"Unrestrained and uninhibited, yet without losing the steadiness and vicissitudes of an old man. A good nickname."

Wei Zheng nodded: "One's character can be seen from one's courtesy name."

"This person calls himself 'Fangweng', so he must be a man of temperament, not bound by trifles, yet possessing the wisdom of an elder."

Fang Xuanling, however, noticed another piece of information,

"He once joined the army and personally experienced border wars."

"This shows that he is not a scholar who only knows how to talk on paper, but someone who has truly been on the battlefield and seen life and death."