nashuaworldcup Chapter 166 "Ode to Limestone"
Chapter 166 "Ode to Limestone"
Chapter 166 "Ode to Limestone"
Everyone clenched their fists, their eyes burning with anger.
"My lords, please do not be angry. The Left Prime Minister's visit this time is not well-intentioned. I once used the Emperor's Sword to kill one of the Left Prime Minister's men in Xiangchu, which may have aroused his dissatisfaction. This time, it is just a warning to me."
“But he wouldn’t dare kill me. My literary reputation has spread throughout the country. If he were to kill me, he would face severe consequences. So I am safe now.”
Ye Ru knew that the Left Prime Minister's intention was to force him to break with the other party.
"The Left Prime Minister won't openly frame you, but he will definitely harm you secretly. You'd better be careful."
Chen Sijun spoke slowly, her face full of worry.
"When soldiers come, we'll block them; when water comes, we'll dam it. I'd like to see the Left Prime Minister's methods for myself."
Ye Ru said calmly, without the slightest fear.
"Do you know what I admire most about you? Your inherent untamed spirit. If I were a student back then, I would have lost my composure if the Left Prime Minister were standing here. But you are different. You remain calm in the face of danger, which is comparable to Xie An, the Grand Tutor."
Fang Zifeng praised.
"We are now good friends with Ye Ru, and our Zhong Sheng family is fine. They wouldn't dare to touch us, but Magistrate Zhang and Mr. Fang..."
Kong Hexuan voiced Ye Ru's deepest concern.
"Death is inevitable for everyone, but some deaths are heavier than Mount Tai and others lighter than a feather. I, Zhang Linchu, am not one to cling to life and fear death. I will sacrifice myself for my country in times of crisis and regard death as returning home. If my death can bring down the Left Chancellor, what does it matter if I die a hundred times?"
Magistrate Zhang spoke in a loud voice, drawing the attention of everyone else.
"Although I am a teacher, I am well-versed in the classics and know that a man should have principles and principles he should not follow. Ye Ru, you are the future of scholars. The rise and fall of the Yanhuang Kingdom will depend on you in the future. Perhaps you will be the fourth pillar of the nation."
Fang Zifeng pondered for a moment, a determined look appearing in his eyes, and then spoke.
"Sir, you flatter me. I was merely fulfilling my duty as a scholar. Let's continue eating. Tongyao, you should go back to your room and rest. I'll take care of things here."
Still shaken, Su Tongyao went back to her room to rest after being persuaded by everyone. However, due to the arrival of the Left Prime Minister, the banquet that followed was not lively, but rather extremely somber.
"Brother Ye Ru's poetry and prose are absolutely superb. Why don't you take this opportunity to write a poem expressing your aspirations and broaden our horizons?"
Kong Hexuan coughed lightly and said.
"Yes, wonderful. Writing poetry is one of the great pleasures in life. Why don't we have Ye Tongsheng write a poem for this banquet to add to the festivities?"
Fang Zifeng also said.
"I began to live in seclusion on Qingyan Mountain when I was old enough to know my destiny. Recently, Ye Anshou has become famous. I have also studied the classics for several years and would like to hear how Ye Anshou's poems and essays are so highly praised."
Hua Mufeng nodded, which eased the atmosphere a little.
Upon hearing this, Ye Ru gave a wry smile:
"In that case, I will write a poem to present to everyone. I am but a novice and I will make a fool of myself."
After speaking, Ye Ru instructed the servants to remove the food, then took out paper and pen, dipped them in ink, and began to write:
"Carved and hammered from the deep mountains, it withstands the raging fire with indifference."
"I fear not being ground to dust, but only wish to leave behind a pure reputation in the world."
After the poem was written, a yellow light shone from the Xuan paper, eventually reaching a height of four feet.
The poem was astonishing.
Ye Ru nominated "Ode to Limestone"
Everyone was slightly shaken. Although they could always see hope in Ye Ru, his poems and essays were not only of exceptionally high quality, but also produced in large quantities.
"I must say, seeing is believing. I was fortunate enough to see Ye Tongsheng's poetry today, which broadened my horizons. This poem is about limestone, which has a unique flavor."
Hua Mufeng was well-versed in the classics of medicine, so he naturally knew about lime.
"Yes, lime can be used medicinally; it has a pungent, warm, and poisonous odor, but it can also be used in construction. When I was traveling, I came across a lime kiln and watched the craftsmen calcify lime. I saw those piles of dark green rocks, after being burned in a raging fire, all turned into white lime. This deeply moved me. Today, seeing the generosity of you gentlemen, I am deeply touched, and thus I wrote this poem."
Ye Ru pondered for a moment, then spoke.
The true author of this poem is Yu Qian, a politician of the Ming Dynasty, who wrote a poem using an object to express his feelings. Today's situation is similar to this poem, so Ye Ru wrote it down.
"To be able to gain so much insight from lime is truly remarkable. This poem is a poem about an object, employing symbolism. On the surface, it describes lime, but in reality, it uses the object to represent people, expressing Ye Ru's lofty ideals."
Magistrate Zhang picked up the paper and carefully examined it.
"That's not all. The poem's style is concise and simple, seemingly written in one breath without any pause. Moreover, the language is extremely simple and unadorned. This kind of descriptive poem, while easy, is also challenging and has a strong appeal. In particular, Ye Ru's positive and enterprising attitude towards life and his fearless and upright spirit are even more inspiring and motivating."
As a teacher, Fang Zifeng naturally had more insights, and nodded in agreement.
"When Ye Ru wrote about limestone, he used personification. This rhetorical device vividly portrays abstract concepts. By personifying limestone, he captured its unique properties. The poem's language is simple and concise. Ye Ru used limestone as a metaphor to express his aspirations, conveying his strong will and determination to take the world as his responsibility and to sacrifice himself for the sake of the nation and its people. I wonder if the Prime Minister would feel ashamed if he saw this poem."
Chen Sijun took the poem, read it for a moment, and said...
His assessment was agreed upon by everyone present. After all, although Chen Sijun no longer held the title of Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), his mindset remained that of a Jinshi, and his words were naturally full of wisdom.
"You've told me everything."
Hua Mufeng chuckled and picked up his wine glass:
"Ye Tongsheng, could you please give each of us a copy of this poem, so that we may take it as a warning?"
"Why not? I'll write it now."
“Perfect timing. I can also see how far you’ve progressed in your calligraphy. It took me three whole years to reach the second level of calligraphy.”
Fang Zifeng suddenly remembered Ye Ru's calligraphy practice and couldn't help but smile as he spoke.
"I will not disappoint you, sir."
Ye Ru smiled, then picked up his pen and began to write stroke by stroke. As Ye Ru wrote, the sound of wind and thunder resounded on the paper, like the clanging of swords and the thunder of horses.
This scene shocked everyone present except Kong Hexuan, and the entire room fell silent.
"Iron strokes and silver hooks? When did you reach the second realm of calligraphy?"
Fang Zifeng's eyes widened, and then he took a deep breath. In just two months, the other party had actually reached the second level of calligraphy. In his knowledge, no one had ever been able to go directly from the first level of calligraphy to the second level in just one month!
"when did it happen?"
After a moment, Magistrate Zhang recovered from his shock and said with an incredulous look on his face.