Chapter 323

On the sky screen, a poem slowly emerged—

【"Song of the Golden-Inlaid Knife"

Golden-inlaid knife with white jade hilt, at night it pierces the window and emits light.

A man of fifty with no merit established, I hold the knife and look at the eight wildernesses alone.

In the capital, I made friends with strange men, our spirits pledged to live and die together.

Ashamed of no name in the thousand-year history books, I have a heart of red to serve the Son of Heaven.

Since then, I have followed the army to the banks of the Han River, the morning snow on the southern mountains is like jade.

Alas! Even if Chu has only three households, it can destroy Qin; how can the magnificent China be empty of men!】

The moment the whole poem appeared, a heat seemed to rise in the hall.

Wei Zheng stood up abruptly and blurted out: "What a 'Even if Chu has only three households, it can destroy Qin; how can the magnificent China be empty of men'!"

Fang Xuanling was also so excited that his face turned red,

"The momentum of this poem is simply overwhelming!"

"'A man of fifty with no merit established, I hold the knife and look at the eight wildernesses alone'—"

"Fifty years old and still no merit established, holding a knife and standing between heaven and earth, looking at the vastness."

"This kind of loneliness and unwillingness can be felt across the sky screen!"

Du Ruhui continued: "'In the capital, I made friends with strange men, our spirits pledged to live and die together'—"

"He was not fighting alone; he made many like-minded friends who were willing to live and die together."

"This righteousness, this passion, is truly moving."

Zhangsun Wuji took a deep breath,

"The last sentence is the finishing touch."

"'Even if Chu has only three households, it can destroy Qin'—Chu had only three households left, yet it could still destroy the powerful Qin;"

"'How can the magnificent China be empty of men'—our magnificent Great Song, could it be that there are no capable people?"

"This is a cry, a complaint, and even more, an encouragement!"

Li Shimin closed his eyes and savored it for a moment, then opened them, his eyes actually a bit moist?

"Reading this poem, I seem to see an old man with white hair, holding a knife, standing on the top of a mountain, roaring at the north."

"He is not shouting for himself; he is shouting for the whole country."

Ying Zheng looked at the last sentence "Even if Chu has only three households, it can destroy Qin" with a complex expression, saying nothing for a long time.

Liu Bang leaned over and whispered: "First Emperor, this poem mentions 'destroying Qin', you won't be angry, will you?"

Ying Zheng looked at him coldly: "A poem is a poem; why get angry?"

"Besides, 'Even if Chu has only three households, it can destroy Qin' speaks of the spirit of the Chu people, not scolding me."

Liu Bang shrank back sheepishly.

Liu Che, however, laughed: "I think Lu You using this line of poetry shows that he has a deep understanding of history."

"He knows that the Chu people were once weak, but relying on an unquenchable spirit, they finally succeeded in revenge."

"He wants to tell the monarchs and ministers of the Southern Song that as long as there is spirit, the Jin Dynasty is not invincible."

Liu Xiu nodded: "Your Majesty Gaozu is right."

"This is the power of poetry—it can turn historical experience into real encouragement."

On the sky screen, another masterpiece emerged—

【"Heavy Wind and Rain on the Fourth Day of the Eleventh Month"

Lying stiff in a lonely village, I do not grieve for myself, I still think of guarding the frontier for my country.

Late at night, lying and listening to the wind and rain, iron horses and icy rivers enter my dreams.】

The hall was quiet again.

This poem is too short, only four lines, twenty-eight characters.

But every character is like a knife, stabbing into people's hearts.

"'Lying stiff in a lonely village, I do not grieve for myself'—"

An old man is sick in a remote village, but he does not feel sad for his own situation.

Because what he thinks about in his heart is not himself.

"'I still think of guarding the frontier for my country'—"

He is still thinking about guarding the border for his country, thinking about going to the front line to protect every inch of the country's land.

"'Late at night, lying and listening to the wind and rain'—"

Lying in bed late at night, listening to the sound of wind and rain outside.

This is a sleepless night, because the sound of wind and rain stirred up the waves in his heart.

"'Iron horses and icy rivers enter my dreams'—"

He fell asleep, but the dream he had was of riding an iron-clad warhorse, stepping over frozen rivers, and charging toward the battlefield.

Wei Zheng's eyes were already red.

This famous Tang minister, who was upright and known for his remonstrance all his life, was actually moved to lose his composure by a poem.

"I... I have lost my composure."

Wei Zheng wiped the corners of his eyes with his sleeve,

"But this poem is truly too good."

"A person, sick in bed, thinking not of his own body, not of his own life and death, but of the safety of the country."

"His body is trapped in a lonely village, but his soul is always on the battlefield."

Fang Xuanling was also moved: "'Iron horses and icy rivers enter my dreams'—this line of poetry is better than a thousand words."

"He is not dreaming; he is using dreams to make up for the regrets of reality."

"If he can't go to the battlefield in reality, then he will go in his dreams."

"This kind of obsession, this kind of infatuation, this kind of never-wavering patriotic feeling is truly worthy of admiration."

Li Shimin was silent for a long time before slowly speaking,

"If I were the emperor of the Southern Song, with such a minister, even if it took the strength of the whole country, I would let him go to the battlefield."

Liu Bang didn't joke this time.

He was also silent, the expression on his face rarely serious.

Liu Bang said slowly, "I know what the battlefield is like."

"So I understand even more that a person who has never been to the battlefield can write a poem like 'Iron horses and icy rivers enter my dreams'—how deep the obsession in his heart must be."

Liu Che nodded: "Your Majesty Gaozu is right."

"This kind of person has already carved the country into his bones and melted it into his blood."

"Every one of his poems is written with his life."

Liu Xiu added: "And have you noticed that although his poems are tragic, they are not decadent."

"He did not give up hope; even in the most desperate times, he was still fighting."

"This spirit is the most precious."

Ying Zheng suddenly spoke: "My Qin army needs people like this."

This was said without beginning or end, but everyone understood—

The First Emperor was expressing his highest respect for Lu You in his own way.

The bullet comments exploded—

【Bullet Comment · Song Dynasty Netizen】: Lu Fangweng!!! Tears in my eyes!!!

【Bullet Comment · Ming Dynasty Netizen】: Lying stiff in a lonely village, I do not grieve for myself, I still think of guarding the frontier for my country. Every time I read these two lines, I want to cry.

【Bullet Comment · Modern Netizen】: I didn't feel anything when I memorized this poem in school, but reading it now, I can't stop my tears.

【Bullet Comment · Bystander】: An old man over eighty, dreaming of fighting Jin soldiers—what kind of god-like patriot is this!

【Bullet Comment · Sui Dynasty Netizen】: Emperor Wen of Sui said it's a pity Lu You wasn't born in the Great Sui; I also think it's a pity.

Song Dynasty plane.

Shanyin, Lu You's mansion.

A white-haired old man sat by the window, looking at his own name on the sky screen, stunned.

His name was Lu You, and this year... he couldn't remember how old he was.

He only remembered that he had written poetry all his life, from youth to white hair, from high spirits to old age.

He thought his life would end in obscurity like this.

But at this moment, the sky screen told him that his name would be praised for a thousand years.

"This... this..."

Lu You's hands were trembling, his eyes red.

His family beside him was already moved to tears.