Chapter 335: Reward: Ten Years of Lifespan

On the heavenly curtain, the scene switched to Tao Yuanming's life in his later years.

He sat in front of the thatched hut, gazing at the distant mountains, a calm smile on his face.

Chrysanthemums bloomed by the fence, a few chickens wandered the courtyard, and cooking smoke curled up from the roof.

His wife came out holding a bowl of porridge and handed it to him.

He took the porridge, took a sip, and smiled.

Though the days were poor, his heart was at peace.

【Keeping One's Heart in Turbulent Times, Ink Passes Down Through the Ages: Even in his later years, living in poverty and facing disasters, he remained true to his original heart, devoted himself to creation, wrote countless timeless masterpieces, and ultimately became a grandmaster of poetry.】

Ying Zheng watched this scene and suddenly said, "He has no regrets."

Gu Shanhe asked, "Your Majesty the First Emperor, why do you say that?"

Ying Zheng said lightly, "His eyes show no regret."

Liu Bang rarely nodded seriously: "The First Emperor is right. Whether a person has regrets can be seen from their eyes."

"Tao Yuanming's eyes are calm and content."

"He has not the slightest doubt about the path he chose."

Liu Che sighed, "This is the hardest thing to achieve. Many people spend their whole lives regretting——"

"Regretting choosing this and not that; regretting taking this road and not that one."

"Tao Yuanming has no regrets, because from the very beginning he knew what he wanted."

【Life's Aspiration Summarized: Hold to the original heart, preserve integrity, return to truth, record ordinary beauty with brush and ink, and uphold the scholar's bottom line with unyielding spirit.】

Li Shimin nodded: "His aspiration is not to govern the state and pacify the world, but to guard himself."

"In turbulent times, being able to guard oneself is already rare."

……

On the heavenly curtain, golden light flowed, and the core reasons for Tao Yuanming's listing appeared one by one——

【Founding a School: The sole creator of pastoral poetry in a thousand years of Huaxia, filling the void in Chinese poetic history for the theme of pastoral seclusion.】

【Defining Integrity: By living a life of practicing "not bending the waist for five pecks of rice," he established a spiritual code for all later disheartened scholars.】

【Building a Utopia: One piece, "Peach Blossom Spring," shaped the ideal pure land etched in the bones of the Chinese people.】

【Purifying the Literary World: Discarding the extravagant, vain style of the Wei-Jin era, with simple, tranquil, and genuine brushwork, he let poetry return to its heart.】

【Spiritual Totem: He founded the Huaxia reclusive culture system, becoming the ultimate spiritual refuge for later scholars facing officialdom's setbacks.】

Cao Cao gazed at these five reasons, remaining silent for a long time——

【Bullet Comment·Three Kingdoms·Cao Cao】

Five reasons, each stands firm.

Tao Yuanming, you deserve this position.

Liu Bei's bullet comment followed closely——

【Bullet Comment·Three Kingdoms·Liu Bei】

Bei has endured a lifetime of turmoil, deeply knowing how hard it is to keep one's heart.

Tao Yuanming can do it; I, Liu Bei, admire him.

Zhuge Liang's bullet comment is the most profound——

【Bullet Comment·Three Kingdoms·Zhuge Liang】

Tao Yuanming's greatest quality is not how well his poems are written, but that he lived as a symbol.

Later scholars, no matter what setbacks they encounter, as long as they think of Tao Yuanming, know there is still a path to walk——

Guard the original heart, return to simplicity and purity.

This spiritual strength is more precious than any poem.

Sima Yi's bullet comment is rare in its sensibility——

【Bullet Comment·Three Kingdoms·Sima Yi】

In a lifetime, the hardest thing is not success, but knowing when to stop and when to turn back.

The figures of the Three Kingdoms in the bullet comment section rarely reached a consensus.

The golden light on the heavenly curtain slowly condensed, and the final line of text appeared——

【Heavenly Curtain Golden List—Award Distribution Segment】

【Considering Tao Yuanming founded the pastoral poetry school and provided a spiritual refuge for later scholars, a special reward is granted: increase of lifespan by ten years.】

In the pavilion, everyone had already grown accustomed to the number ten years, showing no special reaction.

But the bullet comment section exploded again.

The first to fire was an old acquaintance——

【Bullet Comment·Qin Second Emperor Hu Hai】

Ten years again!

Tao Yuanming, just a farmer, on what basis can he also receive the lifespan reward?

I refuse to accept it!

Ying Zheng was about to make a move, but this time someone snatched the initiative——

【Bullet Comment·Han Yuan Emperor Liu Xie】

Hu Hai, you are a ruler of a fallen state; what right do you have to object?

Others, Tao Yuanming healed a thousand years of scholars with his words; what have you healed, and whom?

You will only hasten the downfall of the Great Qin.

【Bullet Comment·Qin Second Emperor Hu Hai】: I… I…

【Danmu·Han Emperor Cheng Liu Ao】

Hu Hai, brother, stop struggling.

Both our reigns are short, our achievements modest; better to watch quietly.

【Danmu·Qin Second Emperor Hu Hai】

Liu Ao, are you comforting me or mocking me?

【Danmu·Han Emperor Cheng Liu Ao】: Both, I guess.

Hu Hai's danmu disappears again.

Emperor Huizong Zhao Ji surfaces again—

【Danmu·Emperor Huizong Zhao Ji】

My artistic achievements, are they inferior to Tao Yuanming's poems?

Why does he receive rewards while I do not?

This time the one confronting him is not another, but his ancestor—

【Danmu·Emperor Taizu Zhao Kuangyin】

Zhao Ji! Do you still have the face to speak?!

The Great Song empire I conquered, you have lost half of it!

You still want rewards? Have any shame?!

【Danmu·Emperor Huizong Zhao Ji】

Grandfather Taizu, I… my artistic achievements truly are lofty…

【Danmu·Emperor Taizu Zhao Kuangyin】

High in what sense?!

An emperor who neglects his duties, spends all day writing and painting, and loses the empire in his sketches!

Do you live up to me?!

Do you live up to the ancestors of the Great Song?!

Zhao Ji's danmu disappears.

Zhao Huan Gang of Song Qinzong tries to speak, but Zhao Kuangyin's danmu flies over—

【Danmu·Emperor Taizu Zhao Kuangyin】: You shut up too! You have the same conduct as your father!

Zhao Huan's danmu vanishes before it is sent.

In the pavilion, Liu Bang laughs, slapping the table repeatedly,

"Hahaha! Zhao Kuangyin's scolding is spot on! I want to give him a like!"

Liu Che laughs: "This Emperor Taizu of Song is indeed a man of character; when he scolds unfilial descendants, he is not at all vague."

Liu Xiu sighs: "What a pity, however powerful the ancestors, they cannot control descendants centuries later."

Li Shimin nods: "Thus, conquering a realm is easy, defending it is hard."

"My descendants, do not follow these people."

Qianlong's danmu drifts out again—

【Danmu·Qianlong, the High Emperor (self‑proclaimed Ten‑Perfect Elder)】

I think, though Tao Yuanming is decent, my poems are not inferior.

Among my forty thousand poems, there are also pastoral ones.

I should be able to make the list, right?

This time even the Three Kingdoms figures cannot stand it—

【Danmu·Three Kingdoms·Cao Cao】

Qianlong, this prime minister has tolerated you for a long time.

Forty thousand?

What are all you write?

I, the prime minister, read a few and almost vomited my breakfast.

【Danmu·Three Kingdoms·Cao Zhi】

Father, don't say that; after all, he's an emperor, give him some face.

【Danmu·Three Kingdoms·Cao Cao】

Give face? Does he deserve it?

【Danmu·Three Kingdoms·Cao Pi】

Father is right.

Writing poems is not just about quantity.

Tao Yuanming's poem "Drinking Wine, No. 5" tops your forty thousand.

【Danmu·Qianlong】

You… you are too ruthless!

【Danmu·Three Kingdoms·Zhang Fei】

Qianlong, old Zhang hasn't read much, but I know what good things are.

Your poem, after hearing two lines, makes me want to sleep.

Tao Yuanming's poem, after hearing two lines, makes me want to drink.

That's the gap!

【Danmu·Three Kingdoms·Guan Yu】

Third brother, you finally said something decent.

【Bullet Screen·Three Kingdoms·Zhang Fei】

Second brother, I've always been competent; you just didn't notice.

The bullet-screen area was filled with laughter and chatter, and Qianlong's comments vanished completely.

The golden light on the sky curtain began to contract, and Tao Yuanming's portrait gradually faded.

What remained on the sky curtain was his silhouette standing among chrysanthemums, gazing leisurely at South Mountain, his demeanor calm.

【Sky Curtain Closing Words:

In chaotic times, all beings chase profit; only Yuanming abandons vanity and preserves innocence.

He makes the countryside his home, ink his heart, and with spirit and integrity establishes a literary lineage for a thousand years.

He is not a coward who shuns the world, but a timeless hero who guards his true self.

The eternal recluse, the forefather of poetry, Tao Yuanming—truly deserving!

Next up: the sixth of the top ten poets in history—stay tuned!】

The golden light of the sky curtain dissipated entirely, and Chang'an City returned to its former tranquility.

Yet in everyone's heart, a Peach Blossom Land has been added.