Fang Shouye said: "If I guess correctly, Old Man Sai wants Nephew Fang to write a poem. After all, Nephew Fang is the ancestor of poetry."
Yu Xingshu, the new governor of Mizhou, rolled his eyes at Fang Shouye and said, "Shouye, ever since I came to Ning'an County, you have been calling me nephew. Can you change your name? My ears are getting calluses."
Fang Shouye said proudly, "No! I'll call him as much as I can now. What if he writes sixteen war poems that are passed down through the ages, becomes a world master, or is canonized as a saint? Will I still dare to call him?"
Fang Yingwu held his forehead and lowered his head, worrying about his old father.
The officials looked at Fang Shouye with squinted eyes, not disguising their contempt for him. But on second thought, Fang Shouye was right. If Fang Yun became the master of the world, then people with lower literary status than him would have to call him "Master Fang" when they met.
Fang Yun smiled, looked at Sai Zhixue on the stage, and said, "Old man Sai, tell me, what do you want me to do?"
Sai Zhixue smiled and said, "Fang Dayan's guess is correct. I just want to ask you to write a poem, and it must be titled 'willow'."
As soon as Sai Hanlin finished speaking, there was a subtle change at the scene. Many people looked at each other, thinking that Sai Zhixue was trying to add insult to injury. Fang Yun's reputation as a poet no longer needed to be proven, so Sai Zhixue believed that Fang Yun would definitely be able to write appropriate poems.
"Forget it, I'm not prepared. Let's do it another day." Fang Yun didn't want to kick the man when he was down at the moment. Improving his own strength was the right thing to do.
Sai Zhixue said, "The poet is here. If I don't write a final poem to set the scene, then this literary gathering will be in vain."
Fang Shouye said loudly, "My nephew, do it if you can. Zuo Xiang... ahem, that man has done you a lot of harm. Even if you want to avenge Yuhuan, you can't let that old man go! And... the Northwest Army that was annihilated two years ago."
Some generals present immediately changed color, with hatred flashing in their eyes. The Northwest Army was an important army in the north, and everyone had several friends and even relatives there. However, because of Liu Shan's interference, almost the entire army was wiped out. It almost became a shame for Jingguo.
Ao Huang said: "Stepping on the left prime minister to promote literary fame will be welcomed by the people of the whole country!"
Many officials nodded in unison, and they found Prince Huang more pleasing to the eye.
Fang Yun noticed from the corner of his eye that even the officials of Ning'an County, who were originally on the side of Zuo Xiang, nodded in agreement. He felt a little amused and helpless. It seemed that the officials of Ning'an County had turned their respect for Zuo Xiang into hatred.
Sai Zhixue said: "Fang Xusheng, the whole place is waiting for you. You can't just not write because you're afraid of losing your reputation!"
"Yes, nephew, our Dayuan Fang family is already a wealthy family! We can't lose this person!"
Fang Yun rolled his eyes at Fang Shouye. He had been forced to write poetry by his enemies before, but now he was being provoked by his own people.
“Forget it…” Fang Yun stood up and went on stage.
Picking up the pen, Fang Yun scanned the room, looked at Sai Zhixue, and asked, "Is it okay not to use 'Liu' as the title?"
Ao Huang asked back: "Then they came here for nothing?"
The officials burst into laughter. Ao Huang was telling the truth, and the officials just wanted to see Zuo Xiang make a fool of himself.
Fang Yun shook his head and said, "Then I'll write a poem called "Ode to Willows"."
After that, Fang Yun slowly wrote a seven-character quatrain and recited it at the same time.
The tangled strips have not yet turned yellow,
Relying on the east wind, I become wild.
How to cover the sun and moon with flying flowers,
I didn’t know that there was clear frost in heaven and earth.
After hearing this, everyone was stunned at first, and then burst into applause.
This is not a literary academy. Talent cannot show itself. Sai Zhixue used the official seal to shine. Then the two-foot-seven-inch talent jumped out on the paper, reaching the government and approaching Mingzhou.
Ao Huang looked puzzled and said, "I understand the metaphor of willow catkins to flying flowers. I also know the first three sentences. It means that when the willow branches have not yet turned yellow, they become rampant because of the east wind, and they only know how to blow their catkins all over the sky, as if they can cover the sun, moon, and the earth. But the 'clear frost' in the last sentence, does it mean that in autumn, frost and snow make the willow trees wither, or does it mean that clear frost is all over the sky like catkins, but it is extremely cold."
Many readers were also stunned. The last sentence is indeed ambiguous. Is it to highlight that the clear frost is colder, more arrogant and quiet, or to highlight that the autumn frost causes all things to wither and the willow tree has no good end? This really needs to be discussed.
Fang Yun smiled without saying anything and returned to his seat.
Many scholars discussed in low voices, but no conclusion was reached.
The governor of the state, Sai Zhixue, looked around the room and found that the newly appointed state court master, Hu Yu, was smiling. He thought for a moment and said, "Among those present, the best poet is none other than Fang Xusheng, but the most profound scholar is naturally Mr. Hu. Some people have said that once Mr. Hu is promoted to Grand Secretary, he will definitely become the Grand Secretary of the academy."
Fang Yun nodded along with everyone else. Hu Yu was a scholar from the Academy of Arts who devoted himself to studying and seldom participated in political struggles. He was an old Hanlin scholar who was over fifty years old and had a great reputation in the Jingguo Academy. Naturally, he was more knowledgeable than everyone present.
Hu Yu smiled and said, "The poetic meaning is already in the poem. The catkins are light, and the frost is also light. They are both light, but the former is flying all over the sky, thinking it covers the sky, while the latter is down to earth. The catkins are white, and the frost is also white, but the white of the catkins is frivolous and powerless, while the white of the frost is cold and powerful. The former is empty white, and the latter is pure white."
Everyone suddenly realized.
Sai Zhixue said: "I see, if Mr. Hu hadn't reminded me, I would have overlooked it. The 'flying' in '解把飞花蒙日月' and the 'clear' in '不知天地有清霜', on the surface, each describes a thing, but in fact, each word has a hidden comparison. 'Flying flowers' corresponds to 'falling frost', and 'clear frost' corresponds to 'dirty flowers'."
"The dark side of poetry? This poem is peculiar. In fact, Mr. Hu's word 'pure' gives the final explanation. If it refers to 'autumn frost', just write 'autumn frost'. Since it is 'pure frost', it naturally refers to the left... Ahem, referring to the willow tree is not pure enough. By the way, who still remembers the poem 'Year End' written by Fang Xusheng at the banquet after the Tongsheng Examination?"
Ao Huang recited it immediately.
"At the end of the year, I am a foreigner in a distant place, and I am still fighting on the border.
Smoke and dust invade the snowy mountains, and the sound of drums and horns shakes the city along the river.
The world is bleeding, who will volunteer to serve in the court
"When you are in trouble, you dare to love death, and when you are lonely, your heart is shocked."
Naturally, everyone remembered this poem. This poem was alluding to the Northwest Army's battle with the barbarians in the winter of the year before. As a result, the left prime minister Liu Shan first passively prepared for war and missed the best opportunity, and then interfered, resulting in the almost annihilation of the Northwest Army. The whole poem was to speak up for the Northwest Army, and finally to denounce those who were not in favor of war in the court. They said that they, as little boys, were not afraid of death and had great ambitions, so why didn't the officials of the court dare to take the initiative to attack
Yu Xingshu said: "That's right. When frost and snow come out, the willow trees won't pollute the blue sky!"
Fang Shouye said: "'Qingshuang' is not ambiguous, but a word with two meanings! Because the first part 'still not changed into early yellow' implies the willow catkins of early summer, and the latter part Qingshuang can naturally refer to the frost of autumn. Don't look at the willow catkins rampant and rampant in Mizhou. In autumn, they will naturally wither!"
"It's already early autumn." said Zhouyuanjun Hu Yu.
"Yes, early summer has arrived, is autumn far away?" Sai Zhixue said.
Fang Yun picked up the teacup and drank it all in one gulp.
Capital, Ministry of Personnel.
Ji Zhibai looked out the window.
"Autumn is the day when your dream of the holy path is shattered." (To be continued)