Chapter 226

Qian Chen pretended to be stunned, but in reality, he had already figured out many things in his heart. He was wearing an inner garment, leaning obliquely against the pillars of the Chenxiang Pavilion, as if he still had a faint drunken intent, not yet fully awake.

Miaokong didn't move, and there were tens of millions of people in Chang'an, so Qian Chen didn't have the ability to find him. It was a marvelous move, so Qian Chen could only make the first move. He caused such a big storm last night; if Miaokong still didn't notice anything, it wouldn't be worthy of his identity as the mastermind behind the destruction of the Louguan Sect.

Although Qian Chen and the others changed their faces, they had been jumping so high these past few days, so it wouldn't be strange for Miaokong to suspect the identities of Li Bai and Pei Min.

Pushing out such a chess piece to probe was truly cheap and effective.

Qian Chen was still hesitating whether Li Bai would exist in the future modified by the Supreme Dao. When that small official recited the second part of the Qingping Tune, he was relieved. Taibai Jushi was worthy of being a romantic figure through the ages; even Miaokong, who didn't know which era he came from, had actually heard his poems.

Now, whether Li Bai was disguised by Qian Chen or the real Li Bai, it didn't matter.

Miaokong only used one poem to put the identity of 'Li Bai' into a predicament, because his ability to enter the Li Qianqiu Banquet relied on the support of Princess Yuzhen and the appreciation of important ministers like He Zhizhang. Although Miaokong might not know that Princess Yuzhen was the body of karma inherited by his teammate, and He Zhizhang only became a fellow traveler with him because of the Chang'an catastrophe.

But as long as his reputation was completely destroyed, and he became a laughingstock in front of the Profound Emperor and a group of princes and ministers, whatever plans he had for tonight's Li Qianqiu Banquet would be destroyed.

And what Miaokong paid was only a poem and an insignificant chess piece.

He himself was still hidden behind heavy curtains, without revealing a single flaw... Even if this plan failed, he could probe for more clues, hiding in the shadows like a poisonous snake, planning the next fatal blow.

So ruthless, fast, and precise...

This is the Miaokong I am familiar with!

At this time in the Chenxiang Pavilion, the princes were in an uproar. He Zhizhang pondered for a moment and glanced at Qian Chen with some doubt.

The name of plagiarism is a serious accusation that destroys a person's moral reputation in the Great Tang and any era.

But that small official recited one in a decent way, and according to He Zhizhang's vision, there was indeed a consistent charm.

Inheriting the immortal aura of 'Clouds think of clothes, flowers think of faces'—'If not seen at the head of Qunyu Mountain' uses the scene of the Zhou Emperor traveling to Qunyu Peak of Kunlun Mountain and meeting the Queen Mother of the West at that time. And 'Clouds and rain at Wushan are in vain' is the story of the Chu King and the Wushan Goddess dreaming of clouds and rain during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods of the Middle Ages.

'A branch of red beauty, dew is thick and fragrant' inherits 'Clouds think of clothes, flowers think of faces', using flowers to compare to people.

This should be one of the poems between the two written by Qian Chen. The first one compares the beauty of the Imperial Consort with peony flowers. The second one writes about the favor the Imperial Consort received. The third one summarizes the first and second, blending the peony, the Imperial Consort, and the Profound Emperor into one.

Such a poem that echoes from beginning to end and fits like a tally is definitely not something that can be fabricated in a moment.

Even if He Zhizhang were to do it, he couldn't make it so tight and fitting... Every poet has different personalities and talents. When a poem is formed, it responds to the time, fits the geography, blends emotion and scenery, and is closely related to the poet's encounter.

Without the story behind a poem, the charm of the poem would disappear by more than half.

It's not something you can copy just because you want to...

Just like the three poems written in the Chenxiang Pavilion today, without the anecdotes of the Imperial Consort and the Profound Emperor, without the mutual set-off and mutual fulfillment of poetry and beauty, the taste of the poem would be less than half. If it weren't for being in the Chenxiang Pavilion at this time, the scene in the poem would have nowhere to be spoken of.

He Zhizhang pondered for a moment, thoughts flashed through his mind, but he had already made up his mind—regardless of whether these two poems by Qian Chen were copied or not. Just for this matter of assassinating An, which concerns the survival of Chang'an, he must come forward to protect him. At worst, he would give this person some compensation afterward. The matter to be carried out tonight cannot have a single slip-up.

"I have learned of Taibai's poetic talent!" He Zhizhang picked up his wine cup and smiled, "Don't you see, the water of the Yellow River comes from the sky... Just this one poem has thousands of images. The immortal aura in the poem is even more consistent. This poem of yours is not enough to explain anything!"

The Profound Emperor, who was just about to speak, closed his mouth again at this time. He looked at the small official with a smile, seemingly waiting for his answer.

Seeing the pleasure in the Profound Emperor's eyes and sensing the Profound Emperor's mood at this time, which was actually much better than before, the small official felt determined in his heart.

"Supervisor He..." The small official raised his head, bowed to He Zhizhang, and said, "How does Supervisor He know that this one isn't copied?"

He Zhizhang opened his mouth, his beard blew up, and he said in surprise, "This one is also copied from you?"

The small official nodded, "Yes..."

He Zhizhang was so angry his beard blew up. Qian Chen had previously used his sword to write poetry, and the romance under his sword and the poetic intent were as smooth as flowing water. If it weren't extremely fitting for the meaning of the poem, how could he achieve such high and marvelous sword intent... If just anyone could penetrate the poetic meaning and turn poetry into a sword.

Wouldn't this old bone of mine have lived in vain for so long?

Qian Chen is not just anyone. The Supreme Dao Ancestor could rely on copying Daoist scriptures to become an ancestor, and with the protection of the Supreme Dao Dust Bead for his soul and the addition of wisdom, he turned poetry into a sword and did the work of a literary plagiarist, only one step behind the Supreme Dao Ancestor.

It was as if he had obtained its essence, just like the original.

He Zhizhang threw down his brush, "Come, come, come, I'll give you the brush, you write it... I want to see if you can write the immortal meaning of that poem and wield infinite sword energy!"

The small official still looked at He Zhizhang with a full face of smiles and calmness, "My cultivation is not successful, and my sword technique is not very refined, but in terms of words, it doesn't necessarily mean that one needs high cultivation to write. Does literary talent necessarily have to be related to cultivation?"

He Zhizhang said impatiently, "Although literary talent is not related to cultivation, turning poetry into a sword cannot be wielded without obtaining the essence. And you say Li Bai copied your poem, I find it strange, why didn't Li Bai's poem appear in the world before he became famous in Chang'an?"

"And since you have shocking poetic talent, why were you unknown before today."

"You are an unknown person, struggling for most of your life, and only when someone else produced a shocking work do you suddenly become your old work. Could it be that these few poems are not enough to make you famous in Chang'an?"

The small official said softly, "Perhaps it's because a small official like me hasn't entered the eyes of high families like Supervisor He! I just wrote poems for self-entertainment and mentioned it once or twice in letters to my family. These three poems in the Chenxiang Pavilion were unintentionally seen by me when I saw the Emperor and the Imperial Consort in the Chenxiang Pavilion this spring, and I couldn't forget them. I tossed and turned after returning and composed them with bitter chanting. I only mentioned it in a letter to my younger brother in Luoyang. Perhaps my younger brother took it out to show off, entered the eyes of someone with a heart, and collected my previous poetry collection."

Having said that, the small official even took out a letter from his bosom and said, "And the coincidence is that when my younger brother wrote to me yesterday, he also mentioned that someone had asked him for a few of my old poems, among which is exactly the one 'Don't you see'..."

The small official presented the letter. The Profound Emperor signaled Gao Lishi to take the letter, and he raised his head to look at it twice, laughing, "Coincidence! This letter has exactly the two new poems you wrote in the Chenxiang Pavilion just now. And the one added, Li Bai! Li Bai... This letter is before you wrote the poems. The poems you recited are the same as those attached to the letter. It can't be that someone copied them on paper before you wrote these two poems, right!"

"Or are these two also your old works?"

"What's impossible about this?" Qian Chen thought to himself, "Let alone me, even if the real Li Bai came. Finding that his poems were copied by a transmigrator, he could only admit his bad luck!"

Qian Chen laughed, "Your Majesty, if I were willing. These two poems could also be written by Li Bai, a guest at Xie Gong's banquet during the Wei Jin dynasties!"

The Profound Emperor didn't understand, and Li Mi, who had been standing beside the Crown Prince, came out and said, "During the Wei Jin dynasties, Xie Xuan held a banquet in Jiankang. There was also a Li Bai—Li Taibai, who shocked the four seats with his sword and left the poem 'The whole hall is drunk with flowers, three thousand guests, one sword frost chills fourteen states'."

"Later, the high monk Guanxiu completed this poem. The full poem is 'Nobles come and go without freedom, the dragon leaps and the phoenix dances, the momentum is hard to collect. The whole hall is drunk with flowers, three thousand guests, one sword frost chills fourteen states. The drums and horns reveal the sky, the auspicious energy is cold, the wind and waves shake the earth, the sea and mountains are autumn. The southeast will always be the golden pillar of heaven, who envies the ten Battalion Commander of that time'."

The Profound Emperor was dumbfounded and laughed, "Li Bai, do you still want to say that you were the guest of Xie Xuan back then?"

Li Mi's face was solemn, his brows were tightly locked, and his skin twitched slightly. He really wanted to remind the Profound Emperor, but he forced himself to endure it.

Qian Chen laughed: "Why not? Your Majesty, heavenly secrets can be measured, and divine powers are unfathomable. The Push-Back Diagram left by Yuan Tiangang in the past wrote about the Empress, which was also before Wu Zhou. Compared to that, the poem I wrote today appearing on a piece of paper yesterday, what's so great about that!"

The Profound Emperor pointed at Qian Chen and laughed, "You are indeed sharp-tongued..."

He turned his head and asked the small official, "What is your name?"

The small official bowed his head, "Lower official, Dali Pingshi, Yuan Zai!"

"So it's that famous six-hundred-stone pepper prime minister..." Qian Chen sneered in his heart, "You, a literary scumbag who only left one poem 'Farewell to Wife Wang Yunxiu' in the Complete Tang Poems, don't go eat your wife Wang Yunxiu's soft rice, hug the thigh of the eunuch Li Fuguo, and want to come and grab the limelight of the poetry immortal Li Taibai, who left nine hundred and fifty-three masterpieces in the Complete Tang Poems."

"Did you get something wrong?"

He Zhizhang said coldly, "Yuan Zai, you are a Dali Pingshi, have no literary talent, and are an official who decides cases. It is really hard to believe."

Yuan Zai said, "The evidence is like a mountain. Even if Supervisor He doesn't believe it, it's hard to convince the world."

Si Qingguo said coldly, "You are a Dali Pingshi, and today in the Chenxiang Pavilion, they are either princes or literary ministers. How did you get mixed in?"

Yuan Zai laughed, "The lower official luckily mixed in, does the Princess want to drive me out?"

Wang Wei, who had been watching the fun for a long time, suddenly said, "Yuan Zai has also been talking for a long time, it should be Li Bai's turn to defend himself!"

Qian Chen touched his wine cup, thinking about whether he should also do it once, Li Bai drinking wine and writing a hundred poems, when he saw Yuan Zai stand up and laugh, his face full of mockery, "Since Supervisor He and the Princess doubt my literary talent, then I will prove it myself first!"

Having said that, he picked up his brush and wrote on the white wall in the Chenxiang Pavilion, waving his brush, "Those who abandon me, yesterday's day cannot be kept...

Those who disturb my heart, today's day has many worries.

The long wind sends wild geese for ten thousand miles, facing this, one can drink in a high building.

Penglai articles have the bones of Jian'an, and the little Xie in the middle is clear and hair-raising.

Both have the interest of flying thoughts, wanting to go up to the blue sky to embrace the bright moon.

Drawing a sword to cut water, the water flows more, raising a cup to dispel sorrow, sorrow is even more sorrowful.

Life in the world is not satisfactory, tomorrow morning, let's loosen our hair and play with a flat boat."

At the Profound Emperor's signal, Gao Lishi recited this poem in a clear voice, which reached everyone's ears. In front of the wall of the Chenxiang Pavilion, Yuan Zai wrote quickly, waving his brush like clouds. Just after writing the first sentence, He Zhizhang's face changed. Many princes and literary scholars already somewhat believed that Li Bai's poem was copied, so the look in their eyes toward Qian Chen was a bit strange, and Wang Wei even carried a hint of disgust.

When it came to "Those who disturb my heart...", the Prince of Ning had already clapped his hands and called out: "Good!"

He Zhizhang, Li Mi, and Si Qingguo's faces all became solemn. Ning Qingchen was a bit worried and looked back at Qian Chen, only to see him staring at the poem wall with an indescribable look in his eyes. Only Yan Shu still trusted Qian Chen.

There was no hesitation in his eyes, and he looked at Yuan Zai with only cold mockery.

When writing "Both have the interest of flying thoughts, wanting to go up to the blue sky to embrace the bright moon," the Profound Emperor also revealed a smile and laughed heartily, "Good poem! It really has the bones of Penglai articles and Jian'an, and the charm of little Xie!"

Imperial Consort Yang stared at Qian Chen, a mysterious smile curling at the corner of her mouth.

She didn't seem to doubt who wrote this poem, and had even more confidence in Qian Chen...

At this time, Qian Chen sighed in his heart, "Copying a transmigrator's poem, letting the transmigrator have no poem to copy... Miaokong! This fatal blow of yours is truly calculated! Even if I drink a hundred poems, it's still two literary plagiarists competing to write poems on the spot, the scene is too ugly to look at!"

"I, a romantic figure, will definitely not lose this face."

"But have you ever thought, literary plagiarist... is the privilege of our Supreme lineage! Do you deserve to be a literary plagiarist? You deserve... In order to let me copy, the Supreme even replicated Chinese history. What is your background, and you deserve to copy poems?"

After Yuan Zai finished writing, he threw the brush at his feet and shouted angrily, "Li Bai... I wrote this poem to laugh at you for stealing people's reputation. Previously, I heard that you wrote 'Don't you see', just to invite fame, although it is not taken by our generation. Being a person first values morality and character, poetry and articles are secondary. I originally had the intention of cherishing talent and did not want to destroy your reputation, so I asked someone to get to the Chenxiang Pavilion to see what kind of person you are. Unexpectedly, you didn't know how to repent and made mistakes again and again! I should call you a literary thief... Do you dare to answer?"

"It is clearly the festival of the Li Qianqiu, the tenth day of the eighth month, and you actually copied out 'Spring breeze brushes the railing', 'Explaining the infinite hatred of the spring breeze'... Do you still have the face to write this poem?"

Everyone's eyes gathered on Qian Chen, only to see him lean back, pick up the golden goblet, turn around and scoop up a cup of clear wine from the Dragon Pool, staring at the bright moon reflected in the wine, and laughed wantonly.

"Bringing in the Wine!"

Qian Chen laughed long.

"What?" Yuan Zai said with a gloomy face.

"That poem is called 'Bringing in the Wine'!" Qian Chen carried a hint of madness, held the goblet and asked, "In this Chenxiang Pavilion, we recited three poems together, what is it called?"

Yuan Zai stood proudly with his hands behind his back, "This is the three Qingping Tunes, which I wrote in the Chenxiang Pavilion in the spring!"

Qian Chen asked with a hint of drunkenness and laughter, "Then the tune, the tune?"

"What?"

"Qingping Tune, what about the tune?"