The bells and drums stopped, and Luo Binwang had also finished reciting. It was equally a long regulated poem, equally magnificent in momentum. Li Er tapped the golden bell on the table and said with a laugh, “How numerous are the Great Tang’s talented and romantic scholars! Hahaha. Luo Binwang shall enter the Secretariat to attend the Emperor—there shall be no objection.”
No one could oppose Li Er’s words. Luo Binwang’s old friend Pei Xingjian was the first to congratulate him. Before Luo Binwang could say anything to anger Li Er, he dragged him to his own seat, stuffed a wine cup into his hands, and without another word, first drank three cups in succession.
“Yun Ye, you’re also an expert. Evaluate the merits and flaws of these two long poems.” Although Li Er’s voice was very soft, it was heard clearly by everyone in the great hall.
“In reply to Your Majesty, the choice of words and construction of sentences are naturally equal. In heroic and romantic spirit, Luo Binwang even exceeds by a notch. However, this humble minister believes that from the perspective of concern for country and people, Lu Zhaolin’s poetry is superior!”
Li Er looked at Yun Ye with an appreciative expression and said, “How so? Speak and let me hear.”
“From the opening to ‘courtesans’ coiling dragon golden knee-pads,’ it depicts the scene of Great Tang meritorious nobles seeking pleasure and indulging in extreme luxury. The first line unfolds a diagram of Chang’an’s great streets and deep lanes crisscrossing. Then it describes the street scene: fragrant carriages and precious horses, flowing endlessly—some driving into princess residences, some rushing toward princely homes. ‘Receiving the morning sun’ and ‘bringing evening glow’ indicate that these carriages and horses, from dawn to dusk, flow without cease. Then it describes the magnificent buildings of the imperial palace and government offices: amid the noisy spring scenery adorned with flowers, birds, bees, butterflies, floating threads, and green trees, thousand gates, silver terraces, covered walkways, twin towers, painted pavilions, and golden pillars, as well as ‘windows forming harmonious patterns’ and ‘connecting eaves hanging phoenix wings’ continuously flash before one’s eyes, making them dazzled. And this is precisely the great stage for Great Tang nobles’ activities.”
“Therefore, although the poet seems to be describing the prosperity of a flourishing age, he is actually worried about this flourishing age of cooking oil over fierce flames and adding brocade to flowers. This humble minister also thinks this way. Adjutant General Zhangsun’s single banquet wastes a hundred gold pieces. I heard there’s already talk of ‘jade plates of precious delicacies worth ten thousand coins’ circulating. Therefore, this humble minister believes that practicing thrift must begin with every person. Only by cherishing blessings can we allow this brocade Great Tang to prosper forever.”
“Yun Ye, you want to maintain purity, but don’t use the Zhangsun family as a counterexample. Among all Great Tang people, who doesn’t know that your Yun family is the great household most fond of extravagance and indulgence? When your second son married, carriages and horses stretched unbroken from Chang’an to Yushan—it only lacked brocade curtains covering the trees and red carpets covering the ground. I heard that despite such extravagance, your family’s old ancestor still said it wronged the child. Compared to you, the Zhangsun family’s single banquet for entertaining guests really amounts to nothing.”
Hearing Yun Ye use his own family as an example, Zhangsun Chong immediately couldn’t sit still and opened his mouth to refute without leaving any room for mercy.
Cheng Yaojin laughed heartily and said, “The Yun family has financial difficulties. This old man felt sorry for his granddaughter marrying over and suffering hardship, so he provided a bit more dowry—what’s improper about that? The Cheng family has indeed earned some money these years relying on His Majesty’s dragon威. Therefore, our spending has also increased somewhat. You worry endlessly over a bit of dowry—in this old man’s view, you’re just overfed and bored.”
Arguing like this wouldn’t lead to any result, so Li Er rang the golden bell, making everyone shut their mouths. He summoned various entertainers and craftsmen to take the stage. Lu Zhaolin took the opportunity to wipe the sweat from his forehead and run down. He himself didn’t even know those meanings that Yun Ye spoke of. He had simply been describing what he had seen and heard—how had it become satire of nobles’ arrogance, extravagance, and indulgence? And what about secretly worrying about the flourishing age—where did all these words come from?
When everyone walked out of the great hall to appreciate the moon, Zhangsun viciously glared at Yun Ye. On such a good day, he insisted on saying such inauspicious words—this was clearly making things difficult for her.
Yun Ye shrank his head and hid behind Cheng Yaojin, pretending not to see. This made Zhangsun’s fury burn even more intensely. After doing bad things, he wanted to hide away—where in the world were such cheap deals?
Dugu Mou stood smiling beneath the bright moon and bowed to the Emperor, saying, “On such a fine night, this humble minister’s hands itch unbearably. Please allow this humble minister to perform a halberd dance for Your Majesty. If there are any disloyal acts, the long halberd in this humble minister’s grasp will surely resolve Your Majesty’s concerns.”
Li Er smiled and nodded his permission. After Dugu Mou cupped his fists in salute, he tucked the hem of his robe into his belt, took a long halberd from a warrior’s hands, assumed a stance, and began the halberd dance. At first it was slow, each strike incomparably steady with tremendous force. After executing the Night Battle in Eight Directions move, the iron halberd as thick as a child’s arm in his hands became a rolling black sphere of light. One could only hear the sound of wind—the person couldn’t be seen at all. This fellow’s martial arts were truly formidable. Yuchi Jingde was an expert at dancing with the lance. Seeing Dugu Mou’s skill, he couldn’t help but loudly call out his approval.
Then they heard Dugu Mou shout from within the light circle, “Arrows!” Warriors with bows who had been standing to the side immediately nocked arrows and shot. The target was Dugu Mou in the light circle. At first, only two people shot in volleys. Seeing that the arrows were all knocked away by the long halberd, more warriors joined this activity. The deflected arrows fell to the ground one after another. Before long, the ground was covered with broken arrows. All the civil and military officials loudly cheered, believing this was the highest realm a person’s martial arts could reach.
When the warriors’ arrow quivers were empty, Dugu Mou slowly stopped the long halberd in his hands and said regretfully, “Unfortunately, this humble minister’s skill is only this much. I heard that when dancing to the extreme, one can remain completely dry even in pouring rain. I’ve made Your Majesty laugh.”
Yun Ye had no choice but to admire this fellow. Not only was he handsome, but his bearing and deportment were impeccable. With a son-in-law performing like this, Li Er was so delighted he couldn’t close his mouth. He removed a jade pendant from his body and had Duan Hong deliver it—this was an enormous reward.
Comparing martial arts beneath the moonlit night had already become a trend in the Great Tang. Now polo had gradually been replaced by the Academy’s football. Otherwise, under today’s bright moonlight, there would definitely be an extremely exciting polo match. With no polo to watch today, everyone could only watch the military generals perform their specialty martial arts.
Zhangsun Chong’s archery could be called hitting a willow leaf at a hundred paces. He could extinguish the tips of three incense sticks over a hundred paces away with one arrow. Opening his bow over thirty times in succession with both arms, his face didn’t redden and his breathing didn’t quicken—this was the result of hard practice.
Heichi Chang had unfortunately contracted a cold and passed away suddenly a month before leaving the palace. The Commander of the Thousand Bull Guards, Heichi Changzhi, after demonstrating the mo-dao, loudly reported to the Emperor, hoping to spar with Marquis Yun, with weapons of his choice.
Li Er looked at the inexplicably grief-stricken Heichi Changzhi, then at Yun Ye. He wasn’t clear how these two people could have a feud. Zhangsun whispered a few words in Li Er’s ear, and he immediately understood. His own wife had eliminated Heichi Chang, worried that palace secrets would be leaked. Heichi Changzhi had placed this enmity on Yun Ye. A Commander rashly challenging a National Marquis and Minister of War was extremely foolish. Before Li Er could speak, Crown Prince Chengqian sternly ordered Heichi Changzhi to stand down.
Yun Ye walked out from the crowd and said, “Tonight is Lantern Festival night, precisely the time for us military men to demonstrate skills. Since General Heichi has this refined interest, this Marquis will condescend to satisfy your wish. However, are you truly certain I may select my own weapon?”
Heichi Chang gripped the mo-dao in his hands until it creaked. Without thinking, he nodded in agreement. Today, seeing Yun Ye full of spring breezes at the banquet, moving freely and easily, reminded him of his father’s tragic fate. He had long been unable to suppress his grief and anger, wishing he could immediately cut down Yun Ye with his blade.
Zhangsun very much wanted to go over and severely slap Yun Ye twice. The mo-dao that Heichi Chang had just demonstrated had large, sweeping movements. The mo-dao, ten feet long and weighing over a hundred jin, held in this big man’s hands was like holding a light wisp of straw. A weak scholar like Yun Ye—even a hundred of him wouldn’t be enough for the man to cut down. Clearly knowing this fellow had ill intentions, why did he go up to his death?
“Today is the fine festival of Lantern Festival. This banquet was organized by this Palace. Both parties sparring should stop at a touch. If blood is seen, this Palace will severely punish without mercy.” When Old Cheng and others heard the Empress say this, they each let out a long breath. With these words, even lending Heichi Changzhi a hundred times the courage, he wouldn’t dare rashly commit violence.
Yun Ye smiled bitterly toward the Empress and said, “Your Majesty Empress, this person challenged this humble minister. With you saying this, this humble minister will have difficulty acting.” Heichi Changzhi jumped up furiously and roared, “This general needs no restraint whatsoever—just act freely!”
Li Tai walked to Heichi Changzhi’s side and said, “Your father was captured from the battlefield by him. As a prisoner of war, people can torment him however they want. When they’re mortal enemies, who would care about whose life? You finally grew into a man—dying like this is truly not worth it. What a pity, what a pity!”
Everyone looked at Li Tai strangely. Even if Yun Ye used firearms at such a short distance, they would be useless. Moreover, gunpowder must have a sufficiently long fuse to ensure the shooter’s safety. In this amount of time, Yun Ye would already be chopped into mincemeat by Heichi Changzhi.
“Bring me the box I brought.” Yun Ye said something to Duan Hong. After obtaining the Emperor’s permission, Duan Hong quickly retrieved a box made of boxwood, three feet long, one foot wide, and half a foot thick.
When Yun Ye took the box, he smiled at Heichi Changzhi and said, “Wait for me a moment. My weapon is right here. After I finish assembling it, we’ll compete. Being able to die beneath this weapon is your honor.”
Li Er walked out from the crowd and, together with Li Chengqian and Li Tai, watched Yun Ye’s weapon. They saw lying flat in the box a piece of wood, an iron tube, and some miscellaneous small iron pieces. In the soft wood blocks on the box lid were placed six long cylindrical objects half an inch thick and two inches long. Li Er had never seen such things. Seeing Yun Ye begin to assemble it, he couldn’t help but ask, “What is this?”
Yun Ye smiled and said, “This was originally a good thing this humble minister planned to present to Your Majesty tonight. Pitifully, the Martial Research Institute spent a full five years researching this thing, consuming national treasury funds of no less than twenty thousand gold coins. For it, three people died. Among the Martial Research Institute’s elite personnel, Old Master Gongshu exhausted his mind and coughed up blood to death over the linkage device within. Now, it can finally be placed before Your Majesty for Your Majesty’s inspection, and also to let the censors of the Eastern and Western Chambers know where the Martial Research Institute’s large annual expenditures whose whereabouts are unknown actually went. Most importantly, I want to ask all my colleagues to understand one thing: the era of individual martial prowess reigning supreme has completely ended. Before it, no matter if you’re cast of steel or forged of iron, you can only turn to dust!”