Chapter 43: To Explore Flowers, One Must Indeed Explore Flowers!

  "Attention, attention! Big event, these few chapters may spark differing opinions on the battles! Everyone, don't rush to scold, just keep reading, keep reading..."

  Is this a joke, the words of our great ancestor Chairman Mao? Yun Zhen played a small trick here. Chairman Mao's "Ode to Plum Blossoms" was written after reading Lu You's "Ode to Plum Blossoms", and intentionally went against it.

  Chairman Mao's poem is indeed vastly different from Lu You's. Lu You wrote about the plum blossom's loneliness and elegance, its self-satisfaction, and how it inspires envy and jealousy in other flowers. In contrast, Chairman Mao's poem writes about the beauty, positivity, and steadfastness of the plum blossom, not sadness but joy. China has countless poems about plum blossoms, with similar grandeur and tone; Chairman Mao's style is truly extraordinary, sweeping away the melancholy, decadence, and reclusiveness of past literati, creating a new landscape and atmosphere that leaves one in awe, convinced and satisfied.

  "Good words!" Qionghua Junzhu praised: "Two 'Bu Suan Zi' poems, both chanting plum blossoms, equally exquisite, but the meaning and connotation are completely different! Young Marshal is indeed talented! But I wonder if you prefer the proud plum of 'only fragrance remains' or the smiling plum of 'still with flower branches', 'she smiles in the thicket'?"

  Bei Shan's face changed upon hearing the words, his gaze turned to Yun Ting, and in his normally calm eyes, there was a hint of fiery passion.

  Yun Cong also heard the implied meaning of Qionghua Junzhu's words. Her intention was to say that Beishan Wuxue was that "proud plum blossom" which "falls into mud and dust, only leaving a fragrance as before", standing alone in the world, and could be described as "standing independently in front of the wind with a smile, able to transcend the world and return to its true self". And that "waiting until the mountain flowers are blooming, she laughs among them" refers to this gentle and charming Qionghua Junzhu who is always smiling and speaking softly.

  What's going on here? Ben Shuai just showed off his "talent" and it actually led to two beauties fighting over him, what a miserable thing! Yun Ting couldn't help but smile wryly in her heart: generally speaking, two beauties fighting is a good thing, but that's when they're fighting for a man. If the two women are just trying to one-up each other, then the situation of the person judging them is not so great.

  However, this did not stump Yun Cong. All that could be heard was his relaxed and pleasant laughter: "The plum blossom admired for its noble character is revered by all; the plum blossom smiled at to bid farewell to winter and welcome spring, who would not delight in it?"

  Everyone hitting fifty big boards is an easy way to get into trouble, but turning it around often yields good results, that is, everyone slapping one horse's butt.

  Thousands of things can be seen through, millions of things can be seen through, but flattery cannot be seen through. This saying is naturally correct, even if the person being flattered is indeed a clever person who can see through the flattery, as the saying goes, "Don't hit someone with a smiling face", generally they won't expose it.

  However, Beishan was not a polite person and smiled sarcastically, "General is indeed clever and good at pleasing both sides."

  Yun Cong was taken aback, just about to bitterly smile and distinguish between the two sentences, when he heard Qiong Hua Junzhu laugh and say: "Miss Beishan doesn't need to get angry, but I think what General Shao said is quite right... General Shao, either of these two poems on plum blossoms would be enough to shock the literary world, yet you said they were written casually. I think Emperor Wei only awarding you a Flower Explorer was really too stingy. If General Shao had been born in our Great Liao, the Empress Dowager would certainly not have begrudged you a mere First Scholar."

  Yun Cong smiled and said, "The young lady's words are incorrect."

  "Oh? Wrong?" The young master of Qionghua County was slightly stunned, and then smiled: "I'd like to ask for advice."

  "This 'Flower-Inspecting Gentleman' was merely a result of the next line in the poem, and His Majesty was just momentarily delighted and casually bestowed it." He then briefly mentioned what had happened to him that day.

  Not to mention that the Junhua County Master only got a simple piece of information, even Beishan Wuxue and Yun Zheng walked all the way here, it was also the first time they heard Yun Zheng talk about what happened that day. Seeing Yun Zheng having such talent and quick wit, they couldn't help but find it hard to believe, but this matter wasn't something that could be bragged about. Whether or not it was true, it would soon spread out, and Yun Zheng wouldn't use this matter to flatter himself. The two of them looked at Yun Zheng with different gazes now; the Junhua County Master's gaze had more curiosity, while Beishan Wuxue's gaze had more admiration.

  "Since General has such quick wit, why not show off a bit more today and let Zhiqiong, this foreign woman who has never seen the wonders of the Central Plains, take a look at the elegance of a great Wei scholar? Wouldn't that be wonderful?" Princess Qionghua said with a smile.

  Are you coming again? Just now, one poem has already made two beautiful girls' words contain hidden edges. If we come a few more times, I'm fine, but if you two make me say which type I like again, won't that be the young master lifting a stone to hit his own foot? No way, no way.

  "Great Wei prodigy? Ha ha, Princess, you're overpraising me. I've just muddled through reading a few books for years. In the Great Wei, there are as many talented people like me as there are carts and carriages on the road, and those who surpass me are countless. I wouldn't dare accept this title of 'Great Wei prodigy', lest I become a laughingstock."

  Qionghua Junzhu's small mouth slightly pursed: "General Mo, don't you think I'm not worthy of appreciating your masterpiece just because I'm a woman from outside the domain?" Her every word and smile, every frown and pout seemed to come naturally, as if she didn't intentionally put on an act, but Yun Zheng always felt that this girl was actually being intentional.

  Yun Cong had just decided to decline politely, but Beishan Wuxue said: "General, you just mentioned the Luoyang Poetry Society, isn't that a bit too sharp? How can you be so humble all of a sudden? Is it true what Princess Qionghua said, that you think we two untalented women are not worthy to appreciate your great work?"

  Yun Cong is really confused now, wasn't it just a while ago that they were at odds with each other? How did they suddenly establish the "Anti-Yun United Front"? This is too tacit, too absurd! Although I have some experience with how fast women can change their faces, this speed of change is a bit too exaggerated, isn't it?

  No matter what Yun Zhēng thinks, after all, the words have been said to this extent. If he himself says a few more sentences, he's afraid that he will really be regarded as looking down on people, which would have a great impact on his own plan to pick up girls.

  "Since both of you have invited me so warmly, if I were to decline again, it would be somewhat impolite. In that case, please forgive my boldness." He smiled and said, "Today, let's just talk about plum blossoms then."

  "The first poem." Yun Cong smiled and said: "Sparse branches are luxuriant, flowers are resplendent, spring makeup is extravagant. The idle hall has no remaining snow, the flowing water in the empty mountain has a setting sun. A lonely dream follows the red sleeve flute, the fragrance of the immortal spreads across the riverbank. My previous life must have been a kind of jade, there's no need to suspect or distinguish between colors."

  "Second verse: The peach blossoms have not yet burst forth in fragrance, the apricot blossoms have not yet turned red, but the cold has already been dispelled by the east wind's gentle smile. My soul flies to the summit of Mount Yu, where spring is hard to discern, and my dreams are cut off from the misty peaks of Lofu. The green jade adds a touch of makeup to the precious candle, and the immortal fairy supports me as I stumble across the remaining rainbow. Does it seem like an ordinary color? Its depth or lightness depends on the ice and snow."

  Although the two women were vastly different, one cold and one hot, they couldn't help but be shocked and lose their composure when Yun Zheng spoke without thinking, spouting out strange poems. When Yun Zheng opened his mouth again, they couldn't help but listen carefully, afraid of missing a single sentence.

  But then Yun Zhēng laughed and said: "Qióng Huā Jùnzhǔ, Běi Shān Xiǎojiě, I'll recite another one. Three poems should be enough, right?" Without waiting for the two women to respond, he began to recite on his own: "Plum blossoms and snow vie for spring's favor, yet refuse to yield. The poet lays down his brush, exhausted from evaluating their beauty. Plum blossoms must concede three points of whiteness to snow, but snow loses one segment of fragrance to plum blossoms."

  Shocking! What is shocking? This is what's called shocking!

  The words flow like poetry, as if that poetic sentiment and talent had been placed there long ago, waiting for Yun Zhong to use them at any time!

  Qionghua Jun's face was stunned for a long time, and then suddenly laughed, like spring breeze thawing: "Zhī Qiōng wants to take back the previous sentence. Emperor Wei bestowed 'Tan Hua' on General Shao, which is indeed the most suitable in the world. General Shao is truly a connoisseur of flowers, Tan Hua, a name that lives up to its reputation!"

  Yun Cong laughed: "Too much praise, too much praise." But in his heart, he thought: Ben Shao is naturally the standard "Tan Hua" Lang, and now I'm thinking of exploring both flowers with one hand! Hehe, hehe! Exploring flowers should be done well!

  Division line of Tan Hua Lang

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