There was silence in the hall for a moment.
Nangong Yang suddenly turned his head and called out to the person beside him: "Wei Qi."
Eunuch Wei immediately bowed his head and said, "Your servant is here."
Nangong Yang handed over the Qilin Jade in his hand and said with a smile: "Give this jade to Luo Qing. He won it."
"yes!"
Wei Qi took the Qilin Jade respectfully with both hands.
Then, he lowered his head, walked down the steps, and handed it to the young man. He looked at the young man with his gray eyes and suddenly whispered, "Master Luo, where did you bury that little girl called Huagu? Remember that night, it was our family who brought her into the palace."
Luo Qingzhou's outstretched hand paused for a moment, then he slapped him hard in the face.
This loud slap not only stunned Eunuch Wei, but also startled everyone else in the hall.
When everyone was looking surprised and puzzled, Luo Qingzhou said coldly: "Eunuch Wei, in this hall, His Majesty is here, the Queen Mother is here, all the courtiers, clan leaders, and distinguished guests are here. You are a disabled person, what qualifications do you have to scold me! If you want to scold me, then scold me, but why are you sneaking up to me and whispering to me? I got this Qilin jade by my own ability, and His Majesty promised to give it to me personally. Do you feel dissatisfied? Who gave you the courage to speak obscene words here!"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's eyes turned to Eunuch Wei who was covering his cheek.
Wei Qi immediately said angrily: "We don't have..."
"So what were you whispering to me just now?"
Luo Qingzhou questioned in a stern voice with righteous indignation.
Then he continued, "What can't you say in this palace? Do you want to hide it from His Majesty, or from the Queen Mother, or from other courtiers and distinguished guests from various countries?"
Wei Qi's face was gloomy, and he was about to speak. At this time, Nangong Ke, the Prince of Duan, who was sitting next to him, suddenly said, "I can testify that Eunuch Wei was indeed talking secretly just now. I thought he was speaking on behalf of His Majesty, but who knew that he was speaking dirty words!"
At this time, the Taoist master of Qingyun Temple, Yunshang, who was sitting not far away, also said, "I also saw this eunuch Wei speaking in a low voice just now."
Fairy Zixia of Lingxiao Sect also said: "I saw it too."
At this time, even Prince Gray of the Great Mongol Empire gloated and said, "This prince is very curious about how Eunuch Wei cursed. Eunuch Wei, can you tell us what he said so that we can hear it?"
Wei Qi saw that something was not right and saw that His Majesty's face was gloomy, so he immediately knelt on the ground with a plop and kowtowed without saying a word.
Nangong Yang said coldly: "Apologize to Luo Qing and get out!"
Wei Qi immediately turned around and kowtowed to the young man in front of him, saying, "Master Luo, I was wrong. I was mean. Please don't bear grudges."
"roll."
Luo Qingzhou said this calmly, a cold light flashed in the depths of his eyes, and the delicate figure and the scene of her death that night emerged involuntarily in his mind.
Wei Qi immediately stood up, lowered his head and hurried out of the hall.
Nangong Yang didn't even look at him. From beginning to end, his eyes were fixed on the young man who had always been protected by everyone.
The hall fell into silence again.
At this time, the Queen Mother's voice came from behind the beaded curtain: "Your Majesty, let's start the second round. There is no need to ruin everyone's mood for such a small matter."
Nangong Yang immediately smiled and said, "What the Queen Mother said is true. It is indeed just a small matter. As for that disobedient dog slave, I will kill him directly after the banquet. There is no need to be upset now."
As he spoke, he looked at Gray and several princes from Lamore, raised his glass, and raised it to the people from the five major sects, saying with a smile: "Come, I'll toast everyone again."
Everyone immediately picked up their glasses and drank them all.
The abbot of Jinchan Temple did not come, only a few elders came, and they all knew Luo Qingzhou.
At this time, they drank tea instead of wine and did not speak during the whole process.
After everyone finished drinking, Nangong Yang said with a smile: "Prince Grey, how about you come up with the second question?"
When Prince Grey heard this, he immediately stood up and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Then he thought for a moment and said in a rough voice, "I am a vulgar martial artist. I can't pretend to be like those scholars. I just say whatever I think. I came here today for your country's eldest princess. I heard that your country's eldest princess is not only very capable, but also beautiful. So for this second question, I will focus on beauties. What do you think, Your Majesty?"
After these words were spoken, the hall fell silent for a moment.
Nangong Yang smiled and said, "Very good. Love between men and women is a natural human emotion. Ancient scholars and even emperors have written many poems on this topic. So there is nothing wrong with Prince Grey's topic."
When Gray heard this, he immediately turned his head and looked at Su Tu behind him, and said coldly: "Is everything ok?"
Su Tu whispered, "I already have a draft in mind."
Gray was immediately delighted. He turned around, looked at the others and said, "Okay, let's use "Beauty" as the title. This time, you go first!"
The scholars immediately frowned and began to think.
With "beauty" as the theme, any poem or song can be expressed, which is naturally not a difficult task for these top talents. However, in the court, under the watchful eyes of the public, with the empress dowager and the eldest princess listening in the inner room, the works cannot be too casual or frivolous. They must be carefully considered and polished, so as not to cause laughter and offend the nobles.
Nangong Yang raised his glass and said with a smile: "Come, let's drink and eat first, and then wait for them."
Everyone had been standing outside for most of the day and were already starving. Upon hearing what was said, they picked up their wine glasses and started drinking, then lowered their heads to eat the exquisite dishes on the table.
Nangong Xiaoxin sat next to Prince Duan, holding a pig's trotter in her hand and gnawing on it with relish. After a few bites, she turned her head and looked at the young man behind her with puffed cheeks, and said in a unclear voice: "Luo Qingzhou, are you hungry? Do you want a bite?"
After saying that, she opened her little mouth and motioned for him to come over and continue.
Prince Duan, who was standing by, immediately turned her head away.
Nangong Xiaoxin took a few bites and then lost interest. She stuffed the pig's trotter in her hand into Prince Duan's plate and said, "Father, you take a bite."
Prince Duan not only did not despise her, but also said with a smile on his face: "My dear daughter is so good to you, father."
Unexpectedly, when he was about to reach out to take it, Nangong Xiaoxin suddenly snatched it away and put it on her own plate. She glanced at him and said, "You wish! There is my saliva on it. Only my future husband can eat it, hum."
After that, she ignored him and went back to eating the roast chicken.
Prince Duan chuckled and continued to laugh along. He was not angry. While she was eating, he turned his head and looked behind him, and whispered, "Boy, stand away from me!"
Upon hearing this, Luo Qingzhou took a few steps back.
With "Beauty" as the topic, he naturally had an idea in mind, and the first thing that came to his mind was involuntarily the peerless figure and appearance of Miss Qin.
I still remember the first time I met Miss Qin, she was boating in the lake, the water was rippling, the lotus was green and the lotus was red. She was wearing a white dress, like a fairy descending from heaven...
Thinking of that scene now, it is still vivid and clear, making his heart surge.
While he was in a daze, Bailing was standing behind Nangong Meijiao, looking at him quietly. There seemed to be moonlight flickering in her clear and deep eyes.
At this moment, Nangong Yang suddenly said, "Luo Qing, this time, you go first."
Luo Qingzhou came back to his senses after hearing this, looked at him, and said with a bow, "Yes, Your Majesty."
Nangong Yang smiled and said, "Do you have a draft in mind?"
Luo Qingzhou said: "Already have."
Nangong Yang smiled and said, "Read it."
Luo Qingzhou pondered for a moment.
At this moment, everyone's eyes turned to him.
Gray immediately sneered and said, "If you write that kind of unrhymed poetry again this time, this prince will not recognize it again!"
Luo Qingzhou looked at him and said, "This is not a poem, but a short essay."
Gray was stunned for a moment and asked, "What is a short poem?"
At this time, Su Tu behind him whispered: "This is a very ancient genre here, similar to the free poetry and prose of the country of Badan, which pays attention to the rhetoric and rhythm, and is mostly composed of parallel and parallel sentences. It can only be recited, and there are no restrictions..."
"Alright, alright! I got it!"
Gray was confused and interrupted him impatiently. He looked at the other person with a cold gaze and said, "Read it!"
The hall suddenly fell silent.
Behind the beaded curtain, a figure in a red dress was also looking outside quietly.
Outside the hall, the noisy sounds gradually became silent due to the silence inside the hall.
Then, a voice sounded.
"I once dreamed of entering a cave by mistake, seeing all the darkness, experiencing all the cold and warmth, and one day, I suddenly went up to the ninth heaven..."
"Then my mind was distracted and my thoughts were scattered. I looked down and didn't notice anything, but when I looked up, I saw something different. I saw a beautiful woman standing in front of the palace..."
"Its figure is white like snow, its skirt like a butterfly, it is graceful like a startled wild goose, and gentle like a swimming dragon. It is as glorious as the autumn chrysanthemum, and as flourishing as the spring pine. It is like a light cloud covering the moon, and it flutters like snow blown by the wind. Looking at it from afar, it is as bright as the sun rising in the morning glow; looking at it closely, it is as bright as a lotus emerging from the green waves..."
As soon as this scene came out, the whole hall fell silent.
Those talented writers even held their breath.
Li Zhao from the Hanlin Academy even listened to it while writing down the words on the table with excitement, as if he wanted to engrave them in his mind...
And when Luo Qingzhou recited the words "white as snow", the moonlight in Bailing's eyes became brighter.
Nangong Meijiao, who was standing aside, looked at him with resentment and slowly clenched her fists in her sleeves.
Linghu Qingzhu, who was dressed in green, lowered his head slightly with a complicated expression. He was still listening, but his thoughts were flying somewhere else.
"She is as swift as a flying duck, as elusive as a god. She walks lightly on the water, and her silk stockings are covered with dust. She moves without a fixed pattern, as if in danger or at peace; her advance and retreat are hard to predict, as if she is going forward or returning. Her eyes are full of energy, and her face is smooth and shiny. She is silent but has a scent like that of an orchid. Her beauty is so graceful that I forget to eat..."
When Luo Qingzhou stopped reciting, the entire hall remained silent.
At this moment, everyone seemed to be still immersed in the wonderful picture he had just described. In their minds, the figure of the beautiful woman was lingering...
"What's going on?"
At this moment, Gray, who didn't understand anything, suddenly broke the silence with a rough voice.
Then he turned his head and looked at Su Tu behind him and said, "Does this boy write well?"
Su Tu slowly came back to his senses, and was stunned for a moment before nodding and saying, "Excellent."
He could no longer find other words to describe this peerless masterpiece that would surely be passed down through the ages!
Gray frowned immediately and asked, "Can yours beat his?"
Su Tu immediately lowered his head, his face filled with shame, and said, "Compared to it, my work is like dirt compared to nectar, or candlelight compared to moonlight. There is no comparison at all. Your Highness, we lost this round..."
Gray was stunned for a moment, his face suddenly darkened, and he cursed in a low voice: "Waste!"
Su Tu lowered his head and mustered up the courage to say: "Your Highness, this man is extremely talented and his writing is extraordinary. We should just... admit defeat..."
"you!"
Gray's eyes widened, and he raised his hand to slap him, but then he thought that this was not his territory, and there were people from other countries watching, so he had to endure it and cursed again, "Waste! What a bullshit number one talent in Mongolia, you can't even compare to a random scholar, you've brought shame to this prince!"
Su Tu bent down and lowered his head without saying a word, his head still buzzing as he couldn't help but imagine the figure in white clothes as white as snow, floating like a fairy.
"Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful! Indescribable! Extremely wonderful! So wonderful!"
At this time, the prince of Gao Qi clapped his hands excitedly, stood up from his seat with a flushed face, walked back and forth in front, and kept repeating the few paragraphs in his mouth. He became more and more excited and looked like he was going crazy.
Li Zhao from the Hanlin Academy was also immersed in his own world, gesturing with his fingers on the table and muttering to himself.
The talented men from Jiangnan and Yujing were all impressed by this gorgeous and wonderful short poem, and all of them had a look of aftertaste on their faces.
Even Prince Duan couldn't help but applaud.
Nangong Xiaoxin, who was sitting next to him, pouted and said, "What? It's just a pervert who drooled after seeing a beautiful woman and made a big fuss about it like a toad wanting to eat swan meat. Look how you guys are fooled."
Prince Duan was stunned when he heard this. He frowned and thought about it carefully. It was really the case. He immediately slapped his thigh and praised: "My daughter is still a genius!"
There was a sudden confusion in the hall.
At this time, the prince of Loulan suddenly bowed and said, "Master Luo, is the beauty described in this article really what you saw in your dream, or is it just your imagination?"
Luo Qingzhou paused, then clasped his hands and replied, "I saw it in my dream."
As soon as these words were spoken, all the scholars showed expressions of envy and jealousy on their faces.
Such a peerless beauty, even if I could only see her once in a dream, would be enough for my life.
At this time, Luo Shang, the leader of Xianyun Pavilion, suddenly said, "I have seen a beauty like this before."
When these words were spoken, everyone was shocked and looked over.
The prince of Gao Qi was immediately extremely excited and asked, "Master Luo, have you really seen him? Where have you seen him? Who is he?"
Luo Qingzhou also looked over there.
Luo Shang paused, and said with a proud look on her face: "The Saintess of my Xianyun Pavilion is just as described in Mr. Luo's article."
Luo Qingzhou: “…”
When everyone heard this, they were all half-believing and half-doubting.
When others were about to ask, Nangong Yang suddenly laughed and said, "It's just a fictional article, why should you take it seriously? Even if there is such a peerless beauty in the world, she is not in this world, but in the Immortal Palace. Okay, Luo Qing has finished reading, what about the others?"
There was silence in the hall.
The princes of Gaoqi and Loulan admitted defeat immediately and were convinced.
The princes of Badan and Beicang said a few words to the talented scholar behind them, then admitted defeat with a grim look on their faces.
In this case, there is no need to compare any further.
Nangong Yang looked at the young man in the audience and said with a smile: "It seems that my sister doesn't need to come out to meet the guests. Luo Qing, you have made great contributions. If you want my sister to reward you, just tell me. My sister is listening in the back."
Luo Qingzhou glanced at him, then looked behind the beaded curtain, bowed his head and said, "I hope Your Highness will not forget your original intention."
Behind the bead curtain, there was silence for a few breaths.
Then, the red shadow slowly stood up and said calmly: "Mr. Luo, since you won, come in. I will have a few drinks with you in the back garden and chat with you."
As soon as these words were spoken, Gray and the others in the hall suddenly became jealous.
Nangong Yang, who was sitting on the dragon throne, still had a smile on his face. He looked at the young man below the stage without saying a word.
Luo Qingzhou did not hesitate and walked straight into the inner room in full view of everyone.
The muscles at the corners of Nangong Yang's eyes suddenly twitched.