Volume 1 Chapter 10: The Life-Saving Poem

  Tang Weixi stormed into Tang Guan's study, but Old Wang hastily ran over to block his way. This old man was indeed a busy person, having to take care of Tang Guan's daily life in the morning and then supervise the trivial matters in the mansion afterwards, it could be said that he was exhausted from multitasking.

  "Old Wang, what's going on again?" Tang Weixi was already in a bad mood and couldn't help but ask gruffly.

  "Old sir, Chen Ming has come to pay his respects at your mansion."

  "Chen Yunsheng?" Tang Weixi muttered to himself, Chen Yunsheng was the county magistrate of Yuhang, and he was familiar with him. Before Chen Yunsheng entered officialdom, he had come to his home to borrow books, so he often said that the officials in the mansion were all his own disciples.

  After all, he is an official in the imperial court, and it's not good to be slow. Tang Weixi put away his anger and said: "Welcome guests."

  "Governor Chen, long time no see!"

  "Tang Yuanwai, you're getting more vigorous with age! I've been busy with official duties these past few days and won't be able to attend the celebration of your son's joyous occasion, please don't take offense!" The response came from a slender middle-aged man who looked slightly younger than Tang Weijun.

  "Governor Ming has seen through it, I don't know what brings you here?" Tang Weixi's heart was divided into two uses, on the one hand thinking about his son's affairs, on the other hand responding to his old friend in front of him.

  Chen Yunsheng's expression turned serious as he stepped forward and said, "Sir, may I have a word with you?"

  Seeing Chen Yunsheng's serious expression, Tang Weixi also felt a chill in his heart and followed Chen Yunsheng into the living room.

  "Junior officer, Chen Yunsong has come this time to bid you farewell."

  "Farewell!?" Tang Wei was shocked by his words and didn't know why he said that.

  "The imperial court has appointed me as the head of Huainan Road, and I will leave for the capital tomorrow to report for duty." Upon hearing the name Yangzhou, Tang Wei's eyelids twitched, and he pretended to be unaware, smiling and saying: "Congratulations, you've been promoted, Head Officer, it's a sixth-grade position!"

  "Junior officer! What time is it now? You're still making fun of me!" Chen Yunsheng let out a soft sigh upon hearing this.

  Tang Weixi also put away his smile and looked at Chen Yusheng.

  "That gang will probably rebel before this winter is over!" Chen Yousheng said in a low voice, rubbing his palms together.

  "Like today after coming to court, their matter is again unable to be concealed, you also have superiors above you, what are you afraid of?"

  Chen Yunsheng heard the sound and looked around before nodding to someone close by, who then leaned in close and whispered: "Sir, a friend from the capital sent word that it's likely this winter will not pass without incident, and the Emperor will be deposed!"

  "What!?" Tang Wei's eyes widened immediately upon hearing this.

  "This is really true!?" It's worth noting that Emperor Tang Zhongzong had been on the throne for only a year, having barely made it through this winter. Although everyone tacitly understood that Empress Dowager was in control of state affairs, this rise and fall of emperors was too shocking to hear.

  Chen Yunsheng nodded heavily, and Tang Weixi's expression also became complex. He knew that Chen Yunsheng was likely to be in great danger this time. Xu Jingye of Yangzhou had openly opposed the Empress, although for now it was just a standoff, with no actual fighting yet. But once the war broke out, the officials on the Huainan Road would be the first to bear the brunt.

  Nowadays, there are people in the imperial court who feel insecure, and this Empress Dowager really has a big nerve, actually abolishing Zhongzong at this critical moment.

  Chen Yunsheng finished speaking, feeling relieved and slightly less worried. He said: "I came this time to bid farewell to Yuanwai and also to thank Yuanwai for the book he gave me in the past."

  Tang Weixi was still digesting the news he had just received from Chen Yusheng and waved his hand hastily.

  The two had a relationship that was both teacher and friend. Chen Yunsheng saw Tang Weixi's furrowed brow and couldn't help but ask, "Just now I saw you hurrying along, where are you going?"

  "He's gone, the young rascal, he ran away when I was just about to scold him."

  "Oh? Lord Lang has just recovered from a serious illness and is already so energetic and lively?"

  Tang Weixi knew he was being sarcastic and didn't take it seriously. He stood up and said, "You've come at the right time, follow me to take a look."

  After finishing, he took Chen Yunsheng's hand and walked out. Chen Yunsheng saw the situation and didn't refuse, although it's said that family shame shouldn't be exposed to outsiders. But after all, he had a deep friendship with Tang Weixi, and they were about to part ways. The danger in Chang'an was still uncertain, so he might as well take this opportunity to bid farewell to his junior.

  At this time, the Tang Crown Book House was very quiet, with only Lin Yuxun occasionally grinding ink to make a sound, but the ground was full of crumpled up discarded paper.

  On the rolling waste paper, you can vaguely see strange sentences like "horses eat grass, grass eats horses".

  "Haha, this feeling of writing with great speed and energy is really great!" Tang Guan held his brush pen and drew a final stroke on the last sheet of Xuan paper. It's not easy to be so extravagant, you know that paper was precious in the Tang Dynasty, it's not something an ordinary family could afford.

  Originally, Mr. Tang Guanzhen was driven away by himself and thought of practicing calligraphy again. Although he had the talent of not forgetting what he saw, it was extremely unfamiliar to practice. The front was basically scribbled and painted randomly until the end when he finally became serious.

  Lin Yuxun's dark eyes widened as she gazed at Tang Guan, who in a flash of inspiration wrote a poem called "Spring Outing on Qiantang Lake" on the last sheet of rice paper.

  Gu Shan Temple is north of Jia Pavilion, west, water surface initially flat cloud foot low.

  Several places of early orioles contend for warm trees, whose family's new swallows peck at spring mud.

  The riot of flowers is about to confuse people's eyes, and the shallow grass can't hide horse hooves.

  The East Lake is too short for a walk, green willows shade the white sandy bank.

  When the last stroke was finished, Tang Guan looked at Lin Yuhong with a self-satisfied gaze, who was stunned by the poem. Without any shame, he added the three words "Tang Qu Bing" to the poem, and secretly thought: "Little white, I'm also doing this for the sake of flirting with girls, it's just that you were born too late."

  Tang Guan finally took the first step on the road of copyright infringement, and Bai Juyi became his first victim. This poem has a warm and gentle style, suitable for flirting with girls.

  "Hahaha" Tang Guan laughed loudly, self-satisfied and proud of himself, thinking that Lin Yuxin was intimidated by his talent and couldn't help but be impressed. However, he didn't know that she hadn't even understood the meaning of the poem yet, only thought that Tang Guan's handwriting looked good.

  "Bang!" Just as Tang Guan burst out laughing, the door was suddenly pushed open, and two tall figures, one fat and one thin, blocked the doorway.

  "You stinky brat! You still have the nerve to smile!" Tang Wei Xi didn't say another word, putting on a fierce expression as he stormed in. But as soon as he entered and saw the papers scattered all over the floor, he was taken aback, and then genuinely became angry.

  "Alright, you little wastrel!" Tang Wei Xi had only intended to scare Tang Guan, but now seeing the precious paper being crumpled up and thrown on the ground by Tang Guan, he really got angry, rolled up his sleeves and was about to hit Tang Guan.

  Seeing him like this, Lin Yuxun involuntarily took a step back, but Tang Guan still had an air of calmness about him, until Tang Weixi rushed up to his face, his large hand just about to hit him, when he suddenly shrank under the table.

  "Dad! I was wrong!" Tang Guan's acting skills were extraordinary, and he immediately changed his expression, hiding under the table to beg for mercy.

  "Get out!"

  "You might as well kill me"

  Chen Yunsheng saw the father and son outside the door, also shaking his head slightly, stepped inside, and saw a neatly written paper on the table, and couldn't help but walk up to take a look.

  He stood there, staring blankly, his eyes wide open. He had originally only seen the words on this piece of paper from afar, and they seemed as if they were printed or engraved, but when he took a closer look, he couldn't help but be shocked. The content of the poem was even more stunning, leaving him reeling in shock.

  "Get out here, you little scamp!"

  "Dehua brother! Wait!" Chen Yunsheng suddenly interrupted, squatting down and asking Tang Guan without any elegance: "Is the poem above written by you?"

  "You make him stop hitting me and I'll tell you." Tang Guan, although having an adult mind, was restricted by his childish body and was destined not to be a match for Tang Wei.

  "Alright, Dehua brother, stop it." Chen Yunsheng's face was full of anxiety, and Tang Guan only then came out, calmly patting his robe but ignoring Chen Yunsheng.

  Tang Weixi saw his appearance and was about to step forward to teach him a lesson. Tang Guan immediately nodded and said, "It was I who wrote it!"

  Chen Yunsheng hugged Tang Weixi tightly and exclaimed loudly: "What a rare talent! Dehua brother, take a look quickly!"

  He immediately pulled Tang Weixi forward to check, and as soon as he saw it, Tang Weixi was stunned on the spot. As a scholar himself, seeing this poem's twists and turns, precise and accurate language, his eyes widened involuntarily.

  "Is this really written by you?!" Tang Wei Xi looked at Tang Guan with a surprised expression.

  Lin Yuxun, who was hiding aside, saw that the two adults were constantly pressing Tang Guan and couldn't bear it, so she spoke out softly: "This is what the young master just wrote."

  "What a genius!"

  Chen Yunsheng nodded in agreement, gazing at the poem on the table with admiration, while Tang Weixi looked at his own son with a puzzled expression.

  "Is this poem really written by you?!"

  "Father, this is a small matter, what's difficult about it? Since you like it, I'll compose another one for you."

  Tang Guan picked up a crumpled piece of paper from the ground, and without hesitation, began to write. In the midst of their stunned gazes, a poem emerged on the paper in an instant: "Riverbank Chant".

  Magnolia boat on the sandy beach, jade flute and golden pipe sit at both ends.

  A thousand gallons of fine wine are placed in the cellar, and the singing girls follow the waves, free to come and go.

  Immortals have a date to ride on yellow cranes, sea travelers have no intention of following white gulls.

  The humble words hang like the sun and moon, the Chu king's pavilions and towers are empty hills.

  With a flourish of his brush, he shook the Five Peaks, and when his poem was finished, he laughed proudly, looking down on the vast expanse of the ocean.

  Fame and wealth will last forever, and the Han River should also flow northwest.

  "Ah! How is this possible!" The two of them simultaneously narrowed their eyes, took a deep breath in reverse, and Tang Guan's almost uninterrupted way of composing poetry made the two people nearly go crazy. Who would have known that composing poetry was not something that anyone could do on a whim, most were born from the scene, but this eight-year-old Tang Guan had actually written out such an excellent poem without even leaving his house, right in this study!

  After a long time, Chen Yunsheng looked at the poem and muttered: "I'm saved, I'm saved!"

  "Old Li, I didn't expect it to be your turn so soon. You and Xiao Bai don't like being officials anyway, so let me take the opportunity." Tang Guan mourned in his heart, while looking at Chen Yusheng with some confusion, who was muttering to himself that he was saved.