After a lunch and an article on "The Art of Thick Black", Zhang Siwei finally shut up in satisfaction.
Of course, Wang Shizhen was also invited to lunch. At the dinner table, Wang Shizhen heard about the incident in which Zhang Siwei and Wang Shizhen stole the golden pen during the fasting and prayer ceremony. He pointed at Zhu Ping'an and Zhang Siwei speechlessly, smiled and shook his head, and commented with one word, "vulgar".
However, when Wang Shizhen heard about the extravagant expenses of the fast and prayer ceremony, he blamed the two for not bringing enough gold pens!
"Hey, I also heard about this fasting and prayer ceremony in the Dali Temple. It is said that it was Yan Song who advised the emperor to hold the fasting and prayer ceremony." Wang Shizhen sighed and shared the gossip he had accidentally heard in the Dali Temple with Zhu Ping'an and Zhang Siwei. His words were full of dissatisfaction with Yan Song.
After finishing speaking, Wang Shizhen, with his heart full of passion, used his fingers to write a poem "Qin Yu Xing" on the table:
A five-colored bird flew over, calling itself the Phoenix. It is rare to see one in a thousand years, and the country that sees it will prosper.
The feast is held in the Mingtang with bells and drums, and the Mingtang is filled with phoenix trees and bamboos. It feels so long without bells and drums for three days!
The phoenix was not seen in the morning. It was pecking at rotten mice in the shade of the east gate, chirping but unable to get any food.
The phoenix is not seen at night, but the hawk is charming you in the shadow of the west gate, wishing to grab your flesh and share the smell.
The phoenix tree is full of bitter cold, the bamboo tree is full of bitter hunger. The birds look at each other in surprise, not knowing that the phoenix is a duck.
Wang Shizhen's poem was directed at Yan Song. Zhu Ping'an could tell at a glance that Qin Ya was a god in the Classic of Mountains and Seas. Zhu Ping'an had just read the Classic of Mountains and Seas that morning and remembered Qin Ya clearly. Qin Ya was convicted in the Heavenly Palace and was killed by the Emperor of Heaven. After his death, Qin Ya turned into a big eagle, which looked like an eagle but had a red beak and tiger claws. It ate rotten animals to survive. It was a kind of disaster beast. Its appearance meant war, plague, etc.
Wang Shizhen used the word "qin gu" to mock Yan Song. How can you, a qin gu who eats rotten food, pretend to be a phoenix? The phoenix will not land unless it is a phoenix tree, and will not eat unless it is a bamboo. But you are greedy and insatiable, eating rotten mice and flattering the goshawk. The most important thing is that you are still shamelessly sitting on the throne...
"Haha. Wensheng, there is a beautiful article you have to read." Zhang Siwei smiled when he saw this, and then took out the article "The Art of Thick Black" which Zhu Pingan had written under coercion and inducement and handed it to Wang Shizhen.
Wang Shizhen is very aggressive and hates evil. This is a good thing, but it is not a good thing. Now that Yan Song is in power, it is better to hide his edge when he does not have enough strength. Therefore, Zhang Siwei showed Wang Shizhen the "Thick Black Theory" written by Zhu Ping'an, hoping that he would be inspired by it.
Wang Shizhen didn't take it seriously at first, but after reading it for a while he took it more seriously, sitting up straight and savoring it word by word.
"Although I do not agree with the point of view of this article, I am amazed by it. Who wrote it? Which great writer?" After reading it, Wang Shizhen exclaimed deeply in admiration and then asked.
"Far away in the horizon, yet close at hand." Zhang Siwei smiled and pointed at Zhu Ping'an who was eating happily.
"Haha, I think it was Zihou. Only someone like Zihou, who looks honest but is actually wise, can write such a wonderful article that can see into people's hearts." Wang Shizhen suspected that it was written by Zhu Ping'an when he just started reading it, because the font is Zhu Ping'an's font, and if such a wonderful article existed before, it would have been circulated long ago. But if it was written just now, it is easy to associate it with Zhu Ping'an.
"It's just a joke, how can it be said to be insightful." Zhu Ping'an smiled and shook his head, then pointed at the poem left by Wang Shizhen on the table. "Wensheng's "Qin Yu Xing" is much better than my joke, but Wensheng, you are too sharp. You and I understand the truth, but now is not the time for us to speak out. As the saying goes, a gentleman hides his ability and waits for the right time to act."
"What Zihou said is exactly what I wanted to say. It doesn't matter in front of us, but Wensheng needs to be more careful in front of other people. The Yan Party is so powerful at the moment, and we must not compete with it. Be careful not to hurt the tiger but be bitten instead. We must wait until the opportunity is ripe in the future, and then we can do it slowly." Zhang Siwei added a few more sentences after Zhu Ping'an finished speaking.
Wang Shizhen sighed and nodded, "Don't worry, I'm just saying this in front of you."
After lunch, Zhu Pingan and Zhang Siwei sent Wang Shizhen to the Dali Temple, and then they returned to the Hanlin Academy. When they arrived at the Hanlin Academy, Zhang Siwei went back to his office to deal with things, and Zhu Pingan returned to the library to continue the task of arranging the bookshelves.
At about three o'clock in the afternoon, several eunuchs came to the Hanlin Academy and brought rewards from the palace to the Hanlin Academy. It was not gold, silver, jewelry, or honorary titles, but just seven hats.
These seven hats were awarded to the Hanlin scholars who went to Xiyuan this morning to write couplets and poems, namely Zhu Pingan and the other seven people.
After receiving the hat, Zhu Pingan felt that the reward from Emperor Jiajing was very perfunctory. This hat was clearly the one worn by some Taoist priests during today's fasting and offering sacrifices...
This hat is a bit like a crown. I wonder if it is the same style as the agarwood leaf crown given by Emperor Jiajing to ministers such as Yan Song and Xia Yan in the history books. This hat is black, and black corresponds to water in the five elements. It is probably Taoism's worship of water. Taoism respects water because water is beneficial and does not compete.
After delivering the rewards, several eunuchs also brought several sheets of finely mounted paper. The couplets and poems written on the paper were all carefully selected from the couplets and poems used in today's fasting and offering sacrifices. They were stamped with the private seal of Emperor Jiajing, which means that the couplets and poems on the paper were all approved by Emperor Jiajing.
"Please archive it according to the customary practice." The eunuch handed the framed paper to Li Chunfang.
Li Chunfang nodded, stretched out his hands and took it respectfully. It was customary to archive the selected couplets and poems from the fasting ceremony, and Li Chunfang naturally understood it. After Li Chunfang accepted it, the eunuch waved his whisk and said goodbye and returned to the West Garden.
After the eunuch left, the Hanlin scholars in the hall urged Li Chunfang to open the papers to see which couplets and poems had caught the attention of Emperor Jiajing.
Li Chunfang naturally would not refuse everyone's wishes, and readily unfolded the exquisitely framed paper in his hand and spread it on the table for everyone to see. The archive contained a total of ten couplets and two poems, and who wrote them was also recorded one by one, so that everyone could see it clearly.
The book begins with two Qing Ci poems, the first one is written by Yuan Wei, which makes Yuan Wei very proud, and his face is full of satisfaction.
Under the flattery of the crowd, Yuan Wei glanced at Zhu Ping'an at a 45-degree angle, and curled his lips slightly. "See? This is me, Yuan Wei! You, Zhu Ping'an, are no good!"
However, when Li Chunfang started writing the second chapter, Yuan Wei's eyes looked a little strange. The Qingci in the second chapter was written by Zhu Ping'an.
It’s okay, it’s okay. This is my first Qingci, and the one His Majesty appreciates the most is the first one. How can Zhu Ping’an’s second one compare to mine
Yuan Wei comforted himself in this way for a while, and his mood improved again.
However, when Li Chunfang unfolded the third piece of paper, Yuan Wei could no longer remain calm. His eyes almost popped out and his mouth felt uncomfortable as if he had swallowed a fly.
Of these ten couplets, Zhu Pingan actually took up three, and they were the first three! He was only recorded for one couplet, and it was at the end!
If that were all, Yuan Wei wouldn't be like this!
For the first couplet, Zhu Pingan adapted his own couplet: "The black tortoise on the Luo River first presented auspiciousness. Nine is a yin number and nine is a yang number. Ninety-nine is eighty-one. The number is connected to the Tao. The Tao is in harmony with Yuanshi Tianzun. One sincerity has feelings. The red phoenix on Mount Qishan presented auspiciousness. The male chirped six times and the female chirped six times. Sixty-six is thirty-six times. The sound was heard in the sky. The Emperor Jiajing was born by heaven. May he live forever." However, he changed it! The change was quite big, but it was very successful!
"The yarrow grass is used to write a pattern. The number of heaven is five, the number of earth is five, five times five is twenty-five. The number is born from the Tao. The Tao is in harmony with Yuanshi Tianzun, who is the supreme being. The bamboo tube is cut to make a rhythm. There are six positive sounds, six negative sounds, and six times six is thirty-six sounds. The sound is heard in the sky. Heaven gave birth to Emperor Jiajing, whose reign will last for ten thousand years."
If it was just this couplet, Yuan Wei could still mock Zhu Ping'an for rehashing his own work, but the next two couplets were Zhu Ping'an's original creations, and the second one's "Long Fei has been flying for forty-five years..." was completely comparable to his own couplet, which made Yuan Wei unable to even utter a word of mockery.
No matter how I look at it, I feel like Zhu Ping'an is deliberately mocking and provoking me!
In the past, every time we held a religious ceremony, it was always my turn to shine, but today... I am so depressed. (To be continued.)