"I am Wei Changxian, the humble general, and I am here to meet Lord Zhang!" Wei Changxian stood at the door, straight and upright, looking at Fang Yun arrogantly, but his words were very polite.
"Well, what's the matter?" Fang Yun knew that this person would definitely find fault, so he glanced at him indifferently and continued to read the official documents. He had been too busy with recent affairs, and even delayed his time for reading. Fortunately, he had the ability to multitask and the strange book world, which allowed him to study with his second divine thought.
"Nothing, I just came here to take a walk and see how Master Zhang is doing."
"Not bad." Fang Yun said casually.
"Since it's not bad, I'm relieved. However, I'd like to give you some advice. You'd better stay quietly in the official document room, don't walk around, and don't write poems at random. You have been in prison for ten years and have accumulated some literary talent, but it doesn't mean you can do whatever you want. Our marshal is very unhappy, and I heard that the people above are also very unhappy." Wei Changxian looked at Fang Yun with a smile.
"Oh? If I behave myself and do nothing, the people above me will let me go?" Fang Yun asked back.
Wei Changxian was stunned for a moment, then he smiled to hide his embarrassment and said, "Be honest, and you will live longer in the end."
"I want to live longer!" Fang Yun said.
Wei Changxian's face changed slightly, and he said, "Don't be so wishful thinking! Do you think that if you keep accumulating literary fame, the King of Chu will not dare to... cough, and you can really clear your name? No, even if you become a virtual saint, as long as it is proven that Zhang Wankong is a traitor, your entire clan will be implicated! I think you should stop wasting your energy. Your only way now is to ask the King of Chu for mercy, and maybe you can live a few more years!"
"I only found out today that General Wei is such a straightforward person. However, General Wei's arrival has made me know more. Thank you!" Fang Yun said with a smile.
"You..." Wei Changxian didn't expect that Zhang Longxiang would become so meticulous. It was because he found that Lu Menhou was under increasing pressure that he came here. He didn't want Zhang Longxiang to continue writing poems to increase his literary fame, but who knew that this would expose his intentions.
"You... take care of yourself!" Wei Changxian threw down a word and walked away.
Fang Yun looked at Wei Changxian's back and his eyes gradually turned cold.
"I know that promoting my literary reputation will not only make the Zong and Lei families trust me, but also make the King of Chu be cautious. So, next, I will test the King of Chu's bottom line!"
After Fang Yun finished speaking, he picked up a brush and wrote the three big characters "Madam Xi" on the rice paper. Just as he was about to write a poem, he stopped, left the official document room, and walked towards the main hall of the Marshal's Mansion to meet Marquis Lu Men.
However, on the way to the main hall, Fang Yun was stopped by the guards.
As a last resort, Fang Yun went around to the backyard of the Marshal's Mansion again, but still could not enter, so he could only leave disappointed.
That night, the poem "Madam Xi" set off a heated discussion in the literary world. Scholars from all over the world talked about it, while scholars from the State of Chu severely criticized Zhang Longxiang.
Don't be spoiled by the present moment.
Unforgettable kindness of the past.
Looking at the flowers with tears in my eyes,
Do not speak to the King of Chu.
Madam Xi, also known as Madam Peach Blossom, was a famous beauty during the Spring and Autumn Period and the wife of Marquis Xi.
When Lady Xi passed by the State of Cai, the Marquis of Cai flirted with her. The Marquis of Xi became furious and joined forces with the King of Chu, who sent troops to capture the Marquis of Cai.
Marquis Cai was filled with resentment and told the King of Chu that Lady Xi was extremely beautiful. So the King of Chu went to the State of Xi on the pretext of a tour, suddenly launched an attack and captured Marquis Xi.
Lady Xi wanted to commit suicide, but the King of Chu threatened her with the life of Marquis Xi, so she had to marry the King of Chu.
However, Madam Xi never took the initiative to speak to the King of Chu.
The whole poem is simple and easy to understand, praising Madam Xi's steadfastness.
This poem has been constantly interpreted by people from all over the literary world on the discussion boards.
"Yesterday, 'a red apricot blossomed outside the wall', today 'looking at the flowers with tears in my eyes', oh, what a bitter experience Zhang Mingzhou went through."
"There is a lot of meaning in this poem. I see that 'the favor of today' refers to the current Marquis of Lumen, and 'the favor of the past' refers to Zhang Wankong. This is an admonition to Marquis of Lumen to forgive others when you can. If Marquis of Lumen falls out of favor, he will not be much better off than Marquis of Zhujiang."
"I'm afraid you have misunderstood. I personally think that this is Zhang Mingzhou expressing his loyalty. "Chong" is an irony. The meaning of the whole poem should be 'Don't let the hatred now make you forget the kindness of the King of Chu. I am just like Madam Xi. However, looking at the spring flowers and thinking of being excluded, I am afraid that I will be unable to talk to the King of Chu like Madam Xi back then.' This poem should be Zhang Longxiang's hope that the King of Chu will show leniency and not force the monarch and his ministers to be speechless."
"Nonsense, I think not only is '宠' an irony, but '恩' is also an irony. In my opinion, the meaning of the whole poem should be 'Don't be afraid of the threats from the King of Chu and the Marquis of Lumen, so that you forget the great hatred of ten years in prison. When you see Chunhua, you will remember the pain of this year and can't help but shed tears. You should be like Madam Xi and never talk to the King of Chu even if you die!'"
"No, the whole poem is probably just describing Madam Xi. The first two lines are spoken from Madam Xi's voice: 'Don't think that the current favor can make me forget the kindness of the past.' The last two lines mean that even in the face of the beautiful scenery of flowers and full moon, Madam Xi is determined not to talk to the King of Chu. The poet praises Madam Xi's loyalty, and at the same time implies that if the King of Chu does not clear his name, then he will break with the King of Chu!"
"Zhang Longxiang is simply a traitor! He actually attacked the ancestors of the King of Chu. He should be stripped of his official position and title!"
"He is so presumptuous. How dare he treat the King of Chu like this?"
"As a Hanlin, what's wrong with making a few sarcastic remarks about the King of Chu? This shows that Zhang Longxiang has integrity!"
There were many different interpretations on the list of articles, all of which were very confusing.
However, because this poem was full of controversy, Zhang Longxiang's literary reputation continued to rise.
After writing this poem, Fang Yun continued reading. When he woke up, he saw some people sending him letters, telling him about the current situation in the capital.
This morning, after reading this poem, the King of Chu became furious and reprimanded Marquis Lumen for not managing his subordinates strictly.
Fang Yun washed up and ate as usual. Halfway through his meal, Wei Changxian rushed in with his guards in a menacing manner.
"You bold lunatic! How dare you talk nonsense about the King of Chu!" Wei Changxian was furious. The King of Chu was angry, so Marquis Lumen was naturally in a bad mood. He was also scolded by Marquis Lumen and was suspected of having angered Fang Yun yesterday.
"Since when have I, a Hanlin scholar of Confucius' literary world, been unable to comment on the princes? The King of Chu or other kings, like me, are all ministers of the Emperor of Zhou. Come back when I criticize the Emperor of Zhou." Fang Yun continued to eat slowly.
Wei Changxian snorted coldly and said, "I have brought the Marshal's oral order. You have six hours to write a letter of apology!"
"I think there is no crime in writing this poem!" Fang Yun said.
"I knew you would quibble! However, the Marshal's petition to apologize was not because of this poem, but because of your incompetence! The first crime was that you delayed writing letters home, which aroused the dissatisfaction of the officers and soldiers, and it is very likely to cause a mutiny in the camp; the second crime was that you repeatedly reissued or missed official documents, which is very likely to cause serious consequences! Based on these two crimes alone, the Marshal can take away your military position, but considering that your ancestors have served the country for generations, the Marshal will temporarily keep you in charge of official documents."
"Then I have to thank the Marshal!" Fang Yun said.
.(To be continued.)