socalfunplaces Page 161
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When a beautiful woman asks him if he wants to sleep with her, Li Chang'an's answer is without hesitation.
"let me try!"
Zhan Doudou immediately smiled with satisfaction, and the scholars below the steps began to whisper among themselves.
"So it was all a pretense of arrogance; deep down, he's still afraid of His Majesty!"
"If Li Chang'an dares to say no, these words will immediately reach Emperor Qing's ears!"
"He refuses to board the boat when summoned by the emperor; his words are grand, but his courage is rather small."
Just as the scholars were discussing this, Li Chang'an suddenly said something.
"Because you are not the emperor!"
It’s so shocking that it won’t stop until you die!
Even Zhuang Mohan was shocked by these words!
To say to someone's face that the emperor is not the Son of Heaven is even more audacious than that poem!
Below the steps, some scholars from Northern Qi could no longer bear it.
"Li Chang'an, what are you saying!"
"How can my Emperor of Great Qi not be the Son of Heaven!"
Zhan Doudou took a few deep breaths; she felt that Li Chang'an was putting a lot of pressure on her.
Since ascending the throne, she had never encountered such a direct provocation.
"Oh? How can I not be the Son of Heaven?"
Li Chang'an said expressionlessly, "You just said that you did not come here as the emperor."
"You are sitting here today only because you are my brother-in-law."
Upon hearing Li Chang'an's words, Zhan Doudou suddenly relaxed and smiled.
"Li Chang'an, you really are quick-witted!"
Zhuang Mohan couldn't help but wipe the sweat from his forehead. This young man was really scary.
The scholars attending the poetry gathering calmed down upon hearing this and began to ponder Li Chang'an's lines of poetry.
These few sentences alone are quite different from Li Chang'an's previous style.
Everyone knows that Li Chang'an, the Prince of Yong of Nanqing, is most skilled at indulging in romantic musings and feigning illness.
This very first poem today is enough to impress everyone!
Zhan Doudou smiled faintly and recited Li Chang'an's poem again.
"If any scholar in this dynasty were to write this poem, I will certainly not fail him and will ensure that he never sets foot in the court again for the rest of his life."
"His Highness Prince Yong also said that one can compose a hundred poems with a single cup of wine, and today's poetry gathering has exactly one hundred scholars."
"How about we change the rules? After each scholar sets a topic, no matter who else can compose a poem, you, Li Chang'an, must compose one!"
"In this way, you can complete a hundred poems, fulfilling your wish!"
Below the steps, scholars from prominent families of Northern Qi immediately echoed his sentiments.
"That's right. Since you said you'd write a hundred poems, then show us. Are you just bragging?"
"No matter how quick-witted one is, how can one compose a hundred poems in one night!"
"His Highness Prince Yong is far too arrogant!"
At this moment, Zhuang Mohan raised his objection.
"Your Majesty, such a rule is far too unreasonable!"
“In previous years’ poetry gatherings, the person who wrote the most poems only had five or six, and that was already enough to amaze people!”
"Making His Highness Prince Yong compose a hundred poems makes it seem like our Great Qi is abusing its power."
Zhan Doudou nodded, "Teacher is right, I was too literal in my interpretation."
After all, how can you take a man's boasting while drunk seriously?
Listening to the commotion in the main hall, Fan Xian couldn't help but feel worried for Li Chang'an.
Memorizing a hundred poems isn't difficult, but who knows what kind of questions these people will ask?
If someone comes up with a tricky or unusual poem, you won't even know where to copy it from.
Thinking about this, Fan Xian suddenly realized something.
Tonight's poetry gathering will be the opportunity to test whether Li Chang'an is a true time traveler.
Ever since he saw Li Chang'an compose a poem for Zhan Pianpian on the spot, he had had this suspicion.
If Li Chang'an was indeed a time traveler, then there might have been a stand-in for him back then.
This was a suspicion that he gradually developed after working at the Censorate for nearly a year.
Because important figures always prepare a body double when they travel to prevent assassination attempts!
The words that Wu Zhu heard back then were probably spoken by someone close to Li Chang'an to Li Chang'an's double.
Today's poetry contest is extremely challenging. If Li Chang'an can pass by copying poems, it will prove that Li Chang'an himself is a time traveler.
Because unless one has a vast amount of poetry in their mind, there is absolutely no way to get through this difficult time today.
The difficult problem that Zhan Doudou presented to Li Chang'an actually created an opportunity for Li Chang'an to make a name for himself.
Because Li Chang'an could not only copy poems, but also compose his own.
For overly unusual topics, a poem of average quality can suffice.
According to Li Chang'an's plan, after participating in this poetry competition, he will be able to reach the top of the arts ranking!
In the past year, all rankings have entered the top ten. If one item reaches the top, it should trigger the system settlement.
Li Chang'an's statement about composing a hundred poems after drinking a jug of wine was also a deliberate attempt to give Zhan Doudou something to say.
"No problem, come on then."
Li Chang'an's expression remained calm, but his voice was firm and resolute.
Haitang Duoduo's eyelids twitched involuntarily. She's really good at pretending!
You're even better at pretending than I am, this saint!
Zhuang Mohan was also stunned by Li Chang'an's confidence. Could there really be such a quick-witted person in the world?
Zhan Doudou, however, felt relieved, and a hint of anticipation appeared in her bright eyes.
Li Chang'an, are you really that amazing?
The scholars below were all eager to try their best and began to think about the questions.
Everyone has seen the young emperor's attitude; the direction is very clear!
Who can stump Li Chang'an? It's more in line with His Majesty's wishes than composing a masterpiece!
Dozens of Northern Qi scholars stared at Li Chang'an with the gaze of wild beasts eyeing a piece of fat meat.
Make a name for yourself and gain the emperor's favor today!
Zhuang Mohan was genuinely looking forward to Li Chang'an's bold statement.
"Your Majesty, it's your turn to ask the question."
Zhan Doudou didn't stand on ceremony. She looked at Li Chang'an with a smile, her eyes revealing her feminine charm.
"Cough cough!"
Haitang coughed hard twice, and Zhan Doudou seemed to wake up from a dream, regaining her heroic spirit and cold demeanor.
Li Chang'an was suspicious. What kind of tricky and strange questions had this little empress prepared that made her so proud of herself?
Zhan Doudou slowly said, "The orioles sing among the willows on the bank, the spring is clear, and the moon shines brightly on the night."
He uttered those ten words, but said no more.
Upon hearing these ten words, scholars who lacked literary talent were immediately bewildered, whispering amongst themselves, completely baffled.
Some poets with high literary skills racked their brains but had no clue what to do.
Guo Baokun took the hangover cure prepared by the Northern Qi, and he was mostly sober.
"Can this young emperor even write poetry? What's the point of stringing together ten characters!"
Fan Xian's heart skipped a beat. This young emperor must have put a lot of thought into finding someone to design this question.
This is a very tricky palindrome poem, which is a great test of one's poetry writing ability!
The theme of these ten characters is spring, and they contain a palindrome seven-character quatrain.
"The oriole sings among the willows on the bank, playing in the spring sunshine; the willows play in the spring sunshine, the moon shines brightly at night. The bright moon shines on the clear spring night, the willows play in the spring sunshine; the oriole sings among the willows on the bank, playing in the spring sunshine."
Guo Baokun was completely bewildered after hearing Fan Xian finish reading!
He couldn't even understand the question, so composing such a complex poem was an impossible task for him.
In this era, scholars who could compose poetry were considered talented.