Chapter 344: Eternal Masterpiece *Li Sao*

【Core reason for Qu Yuan's ranking:】

【Contribution to pioneering the genre: Breaking the shackles of the four-character ancient poetry of the pre-Qin *Classic of Poetry*, creating the new "Chu Ci" style, pioneering the precedent of Chinese romantic poetry, standing side by side with the realism of the *Classic of Poetry*.】

Liu Che asked: "Chu Ci? What is the difference from the *Classic of Poetry*?"

Gu Shanhe thought for a while: "The *Classic of Poetry* is mainly four-character, regular, like marching."

"Chu Ci combines long and short sentences, like dancing."

"And Chu Ci has rich imagination, heaven and earth, gods and ghosts, everything."

Liu Xiu said: "I understand now."

"The *Classic of Poetry* writes about the human world, Chu Ci writes about heaven and earth."

Gu Shanhe nodded: "Your Majesty summarized it precisely."

【Position as the pioneer of scholars: Qu Yuan is the first true poet in Chinese history with a name, a complete collection of works, and independent thought, opening the era of independent literary creation.】

Ying Zheng looked at these lines and was silent for a while.

"The first poet, this weight is heavier than writing any number of poems."

Li Shimin nodded: "The First Emperor is right."

"The significance of a pioneer is always greater than that of a follower."

"Even if later poets write better, they are standing on his shoulders."

On the sky screen appeared Qu Yuan's most famous poetic lines—

【*Li Sao* excerpt】

【Sighing long to wipe away tears, mourning the hardships of the people's lives.】

【Although I love cultivation and restraint, I was slandered in the morning and replaced in the evening.】

【Replacing me with orchids, and adding more fragrant herbs.】

【What my heart loves, even if I die nine times, I will not regret.】

"What my heart loves, even if I die nine times, I will not regret."

Liu Bang recited it once, rarely without a playful face.

"I understood this line. For the things identified in the heart, no matter how many times I die, I will not regret it."

Liu Che nodded: "This is Qu Yuan's obsession."

"He didn't know the consequences; he knew them and didn't change."

Liu Xiu said softly: "'Mourning the hardships of the people's lives'—he didn't cry for himself, he cried for the people; this is the most moving part."

Li Bai and Du Fu's comments appeared at the same time—

【Comment from Li Bai, Tang Dynasty】

Qu Zi's romance opened a thousand years, we are all followers!

*Li Sao*'s backbone, inherited forever!

【Comment from Du Fu, Tang Dynasty】

Loyalty moves heaven and earth, poetry and prose move ghosts and gods.

Qu Zi's life is worthy of heaven, earth, and country!

Cao Zhi's comment carried deep resonance—

【Comment from Cao Zhi, Three Kingdoms】

As someone who also has great ambitions but is frustrated, the sorrow of Qu Zi's *Li Sao* is shared for a thousand years.

Such talent is unparalleled in ancient and modern times.

On the sky screen, Qu Yuan's works continued to appear—

【"Nine Chapters · Ode to the Orange"】

【The emperor's beautiful tree, the orange is suitable.】

【Receiving the mandate not to move, born in the southern country.】

【Deep and difficult to move, with one heart.】

【... Independent in the world, not flowing with the current.】

Liu Che read "Independent in the world, not flowing with the current" and evaluated: "This is writing about the orange tree, and also writing about himself."

"Born in the south, take root in the south, don't move."

"Living clearly in this world, standing there, not following the current."

Liu Bang said: "I think Qu Yuan lived a tired life."

"But it was worth it; at least two thousand years later, someone still remembers him."

On the sky screen, the scene became heavy.

Qu Yuan was escorted by two soldiers, walking out of the city gate of Yingdu.

He looked back, his eyes full of unwillingness, reluctance, but more of a kind of peace—as if he had known this day would come.

【Qu Yuan had the ambition to unify Chu, advocated employing the virtuous and capable, clarifying laws, and reforming to become strong.】

【He pursued "walking the right path" all his life, disdaining to go along with treacherous officials, determined to assist the monarch and benefit the common people.】

【Qu Yuan became famous young, held a high position;】

【Slandered by treacherous officials, first exile;】

【Country broken and family in danger, second exile;】

【Writing books in desperation, expressing ambition with brush and ink.】

Ying Zheng looked at the words "reform to become strong" and said: "If Chu State doesn't reform, there is only a dead end."

"Qu Yuan saw it right, but no one listened to him."

Li Shimin nodded: "Reform must touch the interests of the old nobles."

"Shang Yang succeeded because he had the support of Duke Xiao of Qin; Qu Yuan failed because King Huai of Chu was soft-eared."

Liu Bei's comment drifted out—

【Comment from Liu Bei, Three Kingdoms】

Qu Yuan's failure was not in talent, not in ambition, but in the monarch.

The dim-witted monarch does not understand, the loyal minister has no way.

【Comment from Zhuge Liang, Three Kingdoms】

My Lord is right.

King Huai of Chu is not a bad person, but he is soft-eared, listening to this today and that tomorrow.

This kind of monarch is the most harmful.

He didn't intentionally harm Qu Yuan, but his hesitation and wavering were more fatal than intentional harm.

Sima Yi's comment was rarely emotional—

【Comment from Sima Yi, Three Kingdoms】

Liang's analysis is thorough.

King Huai of Chu's tragedy is that he is not stupid, but he doesn't trust Qu Yuan.

A monarch who doesn't trust his loyal ministers has nothing to talk about.

On the sky screen, the scene switched.

Qu Yuan was exiled to the wild land of Jiangnan, with no book boy, no attendants, only a bundle of bamboo slips and a pot of turbid wine.

He stood by the river, looking north—that was the direction of Yingdu.

On the sky screen, the scene suddenly became vast.

The starry sky rotated, the sun and moon alternated, and the mountains and rivers spread out under his feet.

Qu Yuan stood alone between heaven and earth, looking up at the sky, and issued a series of questions—

【Eternal strange text *Heavenly Questions* excerpt】

【Said: At the beginning of ancient times, who passed it on?】

【Before heaven and earth were formed, how to examine it?】

【Darkness and light, who can reach the end?】

【The image of the wind, how to recognize it?】

【Bright and dark, what is the time for?】

【Yin and Yang combined, what is the origin, what is the transformation?】

【...】

Liu Che read two lines and stopped: "This... this is not poetry, this is asking heaven."

Liu Xiu was also stunned: "He is asking about the origin of the universe? How heaven and earth were formed? How Yin and Yang came to be?"

Gu Shanhe nodded: "*Heavenly Questions* has more than 170 questions, from the origin of heaven and earth to myths and legends, from the rise and fall of history to the right path of the human world."

"Qu Yuan turned all his confusion, anger, and unwillingness into questions and threw them to heaven."

Ying Zheng was silent for a long time and said: "He is asking heaven, but heaven will not answer."

Li Shimin continued: "He knows heaven will not answer, but he still wants to ask."

"Because if he doesn't ask, he can't hold it in."

Liu Bang said,

"A person, exiled to a place where no one is, no one to talk to, no one to listen to him, finally can only talk to heaven."

"I understand this loneliness."

Zhuge Liang's comment carried shock—

【Comment from Zhuge Liang, Three Kingdoms】

*Heavenly Questions* 170 questions, asking heaven, asking earth, asking ancient and modern times.

Qu Zi's speculation is far beyond the pre-Qin philosophers.

He is not writing poetry, he is seeking the Dao.

【Comment from Cao Cao, Three Kingdoms】

I, Cao Cao, fought for half my life and never thought about the origin of the universe.

What Qu Yuan thought about is different from ordinary people.

【Comment from Cao Zhi, Three Kingdoms】

Father, this is the realm of a poet.

Ordinary people see the battlefield in front of them, poets see the starry sky above their heads.

... ===== CHAPTER 345 =====