Chapter 15: A Small Competition

  Zu Zhao bowed to Gong Sun Ling and said calmly, "Brother Wen Juan thinks that the two sentences 'Dragon City Flying General' should have a prequel and sequel. I'm sure Brother Wen Juan has already thought of a brilliant idea, I'd like to hear more about it."

  The guests present had heard of Zu Chao's humility and good manners, but despite his polite demeanor at this moment, his words carried a hint of "aggression". This contradiction made people feel a little puzzled, thinking that this young man was either very sophisticated or Gong Sun Ling's words had touched his bottom line.

  Gongsun Ling was initially nonchalant, lightly chuckling to himself. He didn't rush to respond, instead raising his wine cup again and draining the warm liquid in one gulp, displaying a suave demeanor as he said: "What's so difficult about this? The 'Flying General of Dragon City' must be referring to two famous generals of our great Han dynasty. One is the Marquis of Longping who launched a surprise attack on the Xiongnu at Dragon City, and the other is Li Guang, known as the Flying General. Yingshan refers to the mountain range that marks the boundary between the Han Dynasty and the Mongolian steppe in the northwest of Youyan. In those days, our great Han dynasty's heavenly army had a major battle with the Xiongnu in the desert, defeating them soundly and incorporating the Yingshan mountain range into the Han territory, which was truly exhilarating."

  Zu Zhaowan thought: It seems that this kid indeed has some learning.

  The Flying General of Dragon City has been subject to various interpretations in later evaluations, with some people believing it refers only to Li Guang, others believing it refers only to Wei Qing, and still others believing it refers to both. Almost every theory has its own explanation and evidence, but some official articles still believe that it should refer to both generals.

  There were people around who whispered to each other, mostly admiring Gong Sun's familiarity with the classics and geographical knowledge.

  Zu Zhao didn't speak, with a faint smile hanging at the corner of his mouth. Gong Sun Ling was pleased with the reactions around him and raised his hand to signal the servant beside the table to pour wine for himself. He then said: "As long as you can understand the meaning of these two sentences, it's not difficult to infer similar meanings." At this point, he paused, picked up the newly filled wine cup and slowly took a sip.

  "A thousand horses are at peace in the clouds, the autumn wind is cold by the Wild Goose Gate; chariots and cavalry battle south of the desert, generals and soldiers return after defeating the enemy; swift cavalry capture 100,000, wine is poured into the spring water; 100,000 suits of golden armor, the Xiongnu chieftain's courage is broken again; now there is chaos caused by the Wuhuan, disturbing the borders and unable to be at peace; but if the Flying General of Longcheng were here, he would not allow the barbarian horses to cross the Yin Mountains; the great Han dynasty's heavenly authority, how dare the bandits offend?"

  Gongsun Ling first sang this poem with ups and downs, although the structure is strange, but the performance is magnificent and vivid.

  Zuo Zhao deeply understood that the poetry of the Eastern Han Dynasty was mostly four-character and five-character lines, and according to textual research, the earliest seven-character line came from Cao Pi's "Yan Ge Xing". Moreover, most of the poetic forms of the Han Dynasty were also folk songs and narrative poems. Just like Gong Sun Ling's self-righteous addition of oil and vinegar, listing all the three battles of Emperor Wu of Han against the Xiongnu, as well as famous generals such as Huo Qubing, Gong Sun Ao, Wei Qing, and Li Jue who participated in the battles, it is a typical nostalgic narrative, which is exactly the prevailing style at that time.

  The hall was soon filled with a murmur of discussion, and Gong Sunling first supplemented the preface with "But let the flying general be in Longcheng, don't teach the barbarian horse to cross the Yinshan Mountain". Although it's not elegant or clever, but being able to improvise poetry in a short time, citing extensively and being moderate, is indeed considered to have a deep literary foundation. Moreover, among the people present, there were not many who could wield their brushes, but seeing others nodding in praise, as well as Gong Sunling's carefree attitude, naturally followed suit.

  Even Zujie, Gongsunzhi and Chuyu Pei couldn't help but change their expressions.

  If we just talk about the matter, Zu Chao would also admire Gong Sun Ling's talent. In this era, it is already a remarkable thing to study poetry and books carefully. However, on the one hand, he dislikes Gong Sun Ling's pretentious character, and on the other hand, he finds it ridiculous that Gong Sun Ling forces five-character and four-character phrases to match this seven-character poem. Since he has expressed his willingness to accompany him from the beginning, he will not let the other party continue to be proud.

  "Brother Wenxiong's three stanzas of poetry are so clever and quick-witted that they truly make me admire him greatly."

  Zu Zhao said with a sincere attitude, bowing his head and saluting Gong Sun Ling Xian, showing full admiration.

  Gongsun Ling smiled but did not speak, indicating to the attendants in front of him to refill his wine cup again.

  All the guests in the Gong Sun family felt proud, even Gong Sun Zhi, who was a senior member of the family, although he appeared to be displeased with Gong Sun Ling's arrogant attitude on the surface, but deep down, he also thought that this move greatly enhanced the prestige of the Gong Sun family and couldn't help but secretly smile.

  "However," Zu Zhao changed his tone and continued, "the two sentences I mentioned 'But let the flying general be in Longcheng, do not allow the barbarian horse to cross the Yin Mountains' are both seven-character sentences. Brother Wen's composition has five-character and four-character sentences, which seems a bit unrefined and may not be quite suitable."

  "You also say it's natural to write, the article should be like this, why bother with the so-called format?" Gong Sun Ling said coldly, with a hint of recklessness in his tone.

  "Mr. Wen's words are not unreasonable. Originally, I didn't think of adding any preface or sequel to these two sentences, it was just a matter of venting my emotions and releasing some pent-up passion. If we force ourselves to add more words, perhaps it will be like drawing legs on a snake - unnecessary." Zu Zhao's tone remained polite, but the words he chose were piercingly sharp.

  "What do you mean......" Gong Sun Ling first heavily knocked down the wine cup in his hand, with a furious expression staring at Zu Zhao.

  "My brother only talks about the matter at hand, and whether it's poetry or prose, he emphasizes antithesis and neatness, especially when it comes to poetry. Isn't that right?" Zu Zhao said calmly.

  "Hmph, you're so capable, why don't you come and fill in a few sentences yourself?" Gong Sun Ling said disdainfully.

  "Heh heh, Brother Yuan had already said it before, these two sentences are just a feeling and don't need to be forced into a coherent narrative?" Zu Zhao smiled with a hint of profundity, as if teasing Gong Sun Ling.

  The relatives and guests around them couldn't help but pay attention to the verbal dispute between the two young people, the atmosphere became more and more tense, and both sides of the conversation also showed their own reasons. Gong Sunling's arrogant and proud literary style and Zu Zhao's humble and polite demeanor formed a clear contrast, but they could also show an admirable side to each other.

  Even Zǔ Jǔ, as the head of the clan, hoped that Zǔ Zhāo would show his brilliant side at this moment. Although he didn't dislike Gōngsūn Lìngxiān, as a senior, it was unnecessary to argue with a junior, but after all, they were on their own turf, and Zǔ Zhāo was the eldest son of the Zǔ family, so it was only natural that there shouldn't be any place where he would lose face.

  "He's all talk." Gong Sunling shot a disgusted glance at Bai Zuo.

  "If Wen Jun brother must let me add a few more sentences, I'm not afraid to pick up brother's teeth and show my ugliness in front of the elders." Zu Zhao said warmly.

  "Is that so? Then I'd like to see what's so extraordinary about this Zǔ Gōngzǐ." Gōngsūn Lìng said with a slanted gaze, his expression nonchalant on the surface but with a hint of apprehension beneath. Since Zǔ Zhāo could say something like that, he must have had a reason for it.

  Several elders of the ancestral family looked forward to it with eager eyes. As the eldest son of the ancestral family, Zu Zhao naturally represented the Zu clan, especially in front of outsiders, and could not afford to lose face no matter what.

  Zu Zhaodan's faint smile broke out, revealing his elegant and refreshing demeanor. He didn't rush to speak, but instead followed Gong Sunling's example, picking up the wine cup and slowly drinking a cup of wine first. Before putting down the wine cup, he then began to recite in a gentle voice:

  "When Qin's moon was bright and Han's pass was strong, a million-mile journey had yet to return; if only the flying general of Long City were here, he would not allow barbarian horses to cross Yin Mountain."

  The seven-character quatrain recitation came to an end, and the shadows of cups and chopsticks on the hall had completely disappeared. The lively atmosphere of the banquet seemed to have suddenly entered an ice cellar.

  Whether it was the relatives from the ancestral home or the guests from the Gong Sun family, not a single pair of eyes was fixed on Zu Zhao. However, it was clear that these people were not shocked by Zu Zhao's poem, but rather thought that there was more to come and waited with bated breath. Zu Zhao saw the situation around him and didn't say much, letting his servant fill his wine cup, which he slowly emptied.

  "Is that all?" Gong Sunling couldn't help but ask, his tone laced with disdain, and the anxiety in his heart was slightly alleviated.

  "My younger brother is not well-versed in learning, and can only manage to do this. Originally, it was just a casual remark, why must there be unnecessary additional words?" Zu Zhao said calmly, knowing that the seven-character absolute verse was almost unheard of in the Han Dynasty, and far different from the mainstream poetic form. He didn't care about the opinions of the people present on this poem, just like what he said at the beginning, a few words spoken impulsively, why must there be a strong demand for consistency?

  "I'm afraid you're just at a loss for words. Hmph, your words don't convey your meaning, I don't even know what you're reciting." Gong Sunling said bluntly.

  Zu Zhao smiled but didn't speak, slowly raising his wine cup for a small sip.

  The elderly people present looked at each other in dismay, and the members of the Zu and Gong families exchanged meaningful glances. For these older folks, their knowledge of poetry was limited, so objectively speaking, they still thought that Gong Sun's poem was more impressive; however, subjectively, they couldn't help but admit that Zu Zhao's four lines of seven characters were crisp and powerful, with a unique flavor that merited repeated savoring.

  In other words, it is truly rare and precious that such a magnificent and ingenious poem as "Qin time bright moon Han time pass" can come from the mouth of a fifteen or sixteen year old youth. To take a step back, even if at this moment Zu Zhao and Gong Sun Ling were evenly matched in terms of literary talent, strictly speaking, Zu Zhao should still be considered the winner. On the one hand, Zu Zhao was three to five years younger than Gong Sun Ling, on the other hand, Gong Sun Ling had been studying literature since childhood, while Zu Zhao was well-versed in both literature and martial arts, the difference in their natural talent is self-evident.

  A moment later, Chun Yu Pei raised his wine cup and laughed, saying: "Today, I can see the extraordinary talents of Zong Gongzi and Gongsun Gongzi, which really opened my eyes. The great Han Dynasty has produced many talented people, it's truly a joy to behold."

  As the round of apologies came to an end, Zu Jie and Gong Sun Zhi regained some composure, and they all burst out laughing. Immediately after, another round of toasting began, the music resumed, and the atmosphere of the banquet returned to its former liveliness. Although this was just a small interlude, both the Zu family and the Gong Sun family managed to save face, whether good or bad. Moreover, for the Gong Sun family, it was also an opportunity to get to know this "famous" young master of the Zu family, who indeed lived up to his reputation as being elegant and refined, yet also possessing a heroic air about him - truly a dragon among men, and not a bad choice for a son-in-law.

  Gongsun Ling's face was full of ridicule and disdain, with no attempt to conceal his contempt.

  Zu Chao wore a polite yet distant smile from start to finish, as if he hadn't put the previous matter in his heart at all.

  In this small literary contest, however, no one noticed that a pair of big black eyes had been staring at Zu Chao all along.