binnovel Chapter 109 "Qingming Festival"
Chapter 109 "Qingming Festival"
Chapter 109 Qingming Festival
Everyone was speechless, and some even had the urge to strangle Ye Ru.
Can these poems be transformed according to the author's mood?
Compared to Ye Kuangsheng, all our knowledge has been wasted.
Meng Qingyang shook his head, his face full of frustration.
"I wholeheartedly agree; this guy is a complete freak."
Kong Hexuan nodded vigorously, completely agreeing, and then turned to Ye Ru and said:
"Then it's settled, Ye Kuangsheng. If you write the poem on cultivating virtue, you'll have to give me the original manuscript."
"Alright, a gentleman keeps his word."
Ye Ru nodded in agreement, then asked, "Who would like to go first?"
"I am not very capable, so I will go first."
"That's what a man dressed like a wealthy family said."
"Then let Yue Zhong from the Music Bureau come."
The group stopped talking and prepared to listen to Yue Zhong's poem.
"This person is from the Yuefu school. Because the Yuefu was officially established during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, they only became a powerful family, not a noble family. The Yuefu school was a family that collected and compiled folk music from various places, arranged, adapted and created music, and performed and played it."
Seeing Ye Ru's puzzled expression, Kong Hexuan explained to him.
"I see."
Ye Ru nodded. He knew that the folk songs of the Han, Wei and Six Dynasties were famous. Their style was more lively and free than that of the Book of Songs and the Songs of Chu, and they developed five-character, seven-character and long and short sentences.
Furthermore, these themes are mostly narrative-driven, creating characters with distinct personalities.
"Thank you all for your kind consideration. This Qingming Festival is a day for ancestor worship and tomb sweeping. I am deeply moved by the tireless efforts of our ancestors in building our Confucian and Taoist continent. Therefore, I have composed a poem on the spot to comfort the spirits of all the saints and sages in heaven."
"The rain falls on Qingming Festival as if mourning a soul; a thousand miles away, I yearn for my loved one to return."
"We wave goodbye at the grave, sending him to the netherworld; a final farewell in life and death, tears of longing."
When Yue Zhong finished writing, everyone cheered.
"This farewell between life and death is a good choice."
'This will likely boost the reputation of your Yuefu school once again.'
That's what the young scholar from the miscellaneous family said.
"Brother Yue is a man of great talent, his verses and poems are wonderful."
A hint of admiration flashed in Ye Ru's eyes. If this poem were to be evaluated, it could reach the level of the Primordial Chaos.
But it was only written by a child student. If the founder of the Yuefu (a type of classical Chinese poetry) had written it, it would have been a masterpiece.
"Concession."
At this moment, no one wanted to go up and write poetry anymore; some scions of wealthy families hesitated to step forward.
The Yuefu (Music Bureau) was originally dedicated to the study of music and poetry, and was the best in both fields. If the poems written by the other prominent families were not as good as this poem, it would inadvertently boost the reputation of the Yuefu.
Who's next?
Kong Hexuan looked around and, seeing that no one answered, continued:
"If there is no one else, I will offer you a humble work."
After a moment of contemplation, Kong Hexuan began to write:
"Today the Cold Food Festival has ended, a few willow trees are vying to open, and swallows are returning, bringing the new spring..."
Kong Hexuan wrote a six-character poem, which he read aloud as he wrote, causing everyone to fall silent.
"The phrase 'holding spring' is used exceptionally well, transforming the abstract into a concrete image. As we all know, swallows returning to their nests prove that spring has arrived. If nothing unexpected happens, this poem will surely cultivate virtue."
Dong Qi pondered for a moment, then commented, "Sure enough, as Kong Hexuan finished speaking, an orange light burst forth in all directions."
A talent of two feet tall, poetry born from cultivated virtue.
"You are too kind, everyone."
"Brother Kong truly lives up to his reputation as a member of the Confucian family; his talent and learning far surpass those of us."
"Please don't flatter me too much. Everyone knows that every poem Ye Anshou writes is at least a reflection of his virtue."
Kong Hexuan cupped his hands in a gesture of humility towards the surrounding area.
Ye Ru smiled slightly but did not speak.
"Today, we few green leaves are here to set off Brother Kong, this beautiful flower."
Meng Qingyang suddenly stood up and spoke, and everyone picked up their pens to write.
However, after Kong Hexuan set the precedent, others seemed to be suppressed, and their poems and essays could only reach the level of Hongmeng at most.
This made the faces of the other holy families burn with embarrassment.
"It seems we are still a step behind Brother Kong."
Dong Qi sighed.
"If we were compared to Chief Ye, we'd probably wish we were dead."
Kong Hexuan shook his head and steered the conversation toward Ye Ru:
"Chief Ye, it's your turn next. You promised, so you must show us some courtesy and not go beyond the bounds of virtue."
"Yes, once Ye Anshou's poems were published, I felt like I had wasted all these years."
Meng Qingyang smiled.
All eyes turned to Ye Ru.
"When I arrived just now, I saw the misty spring rain, and a sudden inspiration struck me, so I composed a seven-character quatrain to amuse everyone."
Ye Ru nodded, then picked up his brush and began to write and recite:
"The rain falls in torrents on Qingming Festival, and the travelers on the road are heartbroken."
As soon as the two lines of poetry were written, the talent on the paper suddenly surged forth, shone with a crimson light, and the talent seemed to extend two feet.
"The first two lines of this poem set the scene, environment, and atmosphere in the first line; the second line introduces the characters and reveals their confused and chaotic state of mind. The word '纷纷' (fēnfēn, meaning confused and chaotic) is used exceptionally well. Firstly, it describes the mood of the spring outing, and secondly, it has a special function: describing the feelings of the person walking in the rain. It is a finishing touch. If it were just '鸿蒙' (hóngméng, meaning primordial chaos), it would be a disservice to the first two lines of this poem."
Kong Hexuan savored the two lines of poetry and nodded in praise.
"May I ask where the tavern is? A shepherd boy points to Xinghua Village in the distance."
Ye Ru remained unmoved and continued writing. This was a seven-character quatrain by Du Mu of the Tang Dynasty. After the poem was written, it was either a testament to virtue or an awe of sainthood. In terms of the world, it should still be slightly inferior.
Sure enough, after Ye Ru finished writing, the paper pulsated with talent, and finally, a four-foot-tall burst of talent leaped out.
The poem is astonishing!
"The third line offers a way to get rid of this state of mind, and the fourth line is a response that includes action, which is the highlight of the whole poem. The whole poem uses the technique of rising from low to high, gradually ascending, and placing the climax at the end, leaving a lingering aftertaste and making it thought-provoking. As expected of the sage's poem, every word is a gem."
Meng Qingyang sighed and looked at Ye Ru with a resentful expression.
Wherever Ye Ru is, the former will inevitably be surrounded by admirers, even if it's unintentional.
Moreover, they can't bring themselves to hate them.
"As expected, Chief Ye kept his word. He didn't write a poem about cultivating virtue, and he skipped a level and went straight to shocking the saint. I've seen that you, Ye Kuangsheng, really have the capital to be arrogant."
Kong Hexuan gave a thumbs up, the poem still lingering in his mind.
"Why hasn't my brother arrived yet!"
Han Lu had recovered by now. When he saw Ye Rushi's amazing performance, he looked at the sky and said anxiously.
"Alright, tomorrow is the Lu'an Secret Realm. Everyone, get some rest today and wait until tomorrow..."
As Kong Hexuan finished speaking, before he could finish, an indifferent voice rang out in the sky at an inopportune moment.
"I have long admired Brother Ye's talent and respect him greatly. However, since you injured my brother, it would be unreasonable for me, as the elder brother, not to step forward..."