Chương 626: Liu Ce Showing Off

Liu Ce was also somewhat surprised, then smiled and applause broke out:

"Mengde's poem is magnificent in spirit, profound in its intent, and brilliant in its writing; it is the best one of today. A pair of golden goblets, twenty bolts of Shu brocade, and ten jars of ten-year-aged wine are to be awarded. Mengde truly deserves them!"

Cao Cao bowed to thank the reward, sat back down, picked up his wine cup, took a sip, and his face showed a hint of undisguised pride, with the corners of his mouth slightly upturned.

After everyone finished composing their poems, they all smiled and looked at Liu Ce, waiting for his summary and comments.

Liu Ce was holding a wine pot. He had already drunk quite a bit. His cheeks were slightly flushed, and his eyes were slightly tipsy. He was a little drunk.

(To revise: the "immune to all poisons" constitution mentioned in Chapter 233 of the previous text means that the body metabolizes alcohol quickly, the cheeks will be slightly flushed, and there will be a slight feeling of intoxication, but the person will be perfectly sober.) Looking at the large, round moon outside the palace and listening to the laughter and chatter inside, he suddenly felt a strong urge to relive the moment.

No, we can't just let you guys show off.

As a time traveler, I have to show off my skills today.

Otherwise, you would really think that all I know is how to wage war and implement reforms.

He put down the wine jug, smiled, and stood up:

"You all did a great job. Looking at this moonlight, I'm also inspired to write a poem. So, I'll join in and add to the fun."

Upon hearing that His Majesty was going to compose a poem, everyone immediately fell silent, sat up straight, pricked up their ears, and even held their breath.

Everyone was eagerly anticipating that Liu Ce would produce poems as good as the two he wrote in Luoyang more than a decade ago.

Li Dequan's eyes lit up, as if he had stepped on a spring. He quickly grabbed a pen and paper and ran to the side. Having followed His Majesty for so long, he knew His Majesty's temper all too well. This time, if His Majesty said he wanted to compose a poem, it would surely be a famous line for all time. He had to write it down quickly, or he would regret it for the rest of his life if he was late.

Liu Ce picked up the wine jug, tilted his head back, and took a big gulp of osmanthus wine. The wine flowed down the corner of his mouth, soaking his clothes, adding a touch of dashing and unrestrained style, like a bold poet.

He stood with one hand behind his back, gazing at the bright moon outside the hall. His steps were slightly unsteady, as if he were both drunk and sober. He spoke slowly, his voice carrying a hint of nonchalance and a touch of magnanimity, exceptionally clear in the quiet hall:

"When will the moon be bright...?"

The moment the first sentence was uttered, the civil officials below instantly trembled, their eyes widening as if they had been struck by acupuncture.

Cai Yong slammed his wine cup on the table with a clang, spilling the wine, but he was oblivious, staring intently at Liu Ce on the stage, his mouth agape.

"... What year is it tonight?"

Zhuge Liang's feather fan stopped in mid-air, he forgot to wave it, and just held it up like a sculpture.

Xun Yu, Fang Xuanling, and Du Ruhui looked at each other, all seeing the words "astoundingly amazing" in each other's eyes, their faces filled with disbelief.

"I wish to ride the wind and return..."

The hall was completely silent. Even the children who had been playing and making noise just moments before quieted down, staring wide-eyed at the emperor on the platform. They seemed captivated by the beautiful words and stopped their commotion.

The musicians all stopped playing their instruments and stared blankly at the main seat. Some remained motionless, still in their violin-playing postures.

Liu Ce took another sip of wine and continued reciting, his voice shifting from carefree to gentle, as if speaking to the moon, or perhaps to someone far away, filled with deep affection:

"Turning to the Zhu Pavilion..."

Many of the women present had tears welling up in their eyes and were secretly wiping them away.

"Life is full of sorrow and joy, separation and reunion..."

Liu Ce paused, raised the wine jug, and addressed the bright moon outside the hall, as well as all those below, his voice clear and firm, carrying the most beautiful wishes, as if making a vow to all living beings:

"... We share the same moon, though we are thousands of miles apart."

As the last word fell, its lingering sound echoed softly in the hall, lingering for a long time.

The entire Taiji Hall was deathly silent.

You could hear a pin drop.

Everyone was stunned, staring blankly at Liu Ce on the stage, their minds replaying the last line, "May we all live long and share the beauty of the moon, though separated by a thousand miles," as if they had been frozen in place.

The civil officials were all utterly shocked, their mouths agape, as if they could fit an egg in them.

Cai Yong had lived to be over sixty years old and had read all sorts of good poems, but at this moment his hands were trembling, he had even pulled out a few strands of his beard, and he kept repeating "May we all live long and share the beauty of the moon, though we are thousands of miles apart," his eyes were red, and tears were welling up in his eyes.

He had lived his whole life and had never heard such a beautiful Mid-Autumn Festival poem before; it was as if written by an immortal! It was not something that should exist in the mortal world!

Zhuge Liang's feather fan fell to the ground with a "thud," but he didn't even notice. He was just looking at Liu Ce with eyes full of admiration and respect. He thought he was exceptionally intelligent, but compared to His Majesty, he was like a firefly compared to the sun and moon, or an ant compared to an elephant.

The veteran officials, Xun Yu, Fang Xuanling, and Du Ruhui, were so excited that their bodies trembled and their shoulders shrugged.

They were able to assist such a talented and visionary emperor.

No regrets in this life! It was worth it!

Although the military officers were not very knowledgeable about literature, they could tell that the poem was so good that it gave even rough men like them goosebumps.

Zhang Fei and Cheng Yaojin stared, mouths agape, before finally managing to stammer, "Brother... His Majesty is just too awesome!"

This is the highest praise they could think of.

The family members looked at the emperor with eyes full of admiration, holding their breath and not daring to blink.

Someone reacted first, stood up and bowed, their voice trembling as if on a pilgrimage:

"Your Majesty is a genius! Such poetry should only exist in heaven; how often can one hear it on earth!"

Immediately afterwards, all the civil and military officials, along with their families, bowed in unison, their shouts echoing like a tsunami, nearly lifting the roof off the hall.

"Your Majesty is wise! We are utterly in awe!"

"Long live the Great Han! Long live His Majesty!"

The children followed the adults in bowing and shouted "Long live!" in their baby voices. Although they didn't know what was happening, they thought it sounded very impressive.

Liu Ce put down the wine jug, looked at everyone, and appeared calm and composed on the surface, but inside he was overjoyed: You little brats, this one poem has already shocked you like this? I have thousands more in my system, I'll release them slowly later and scare you to death.

This is nothing.

He waved his hand and said with a smile, "Rise, all of you. It was just a casual remark, nothing to exaggerate. Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, consider it my gift to all people. I hope everyone can be reunited with their families and live in peace. This is my greatest wish."

The way everyone looked at Liu Ce was not only awe, but also a kind of fanatical worship, as if they were looking at a god.

The moon outside the hall was big and round, and its clear light shone into the hall, falling on everyone, warm and cozy, like a layer of silver gauze.

The hall was filled with the aroma of wine and bursts of laughter. The musicians began to play their music again, more lively and festive than before, as if to accompany this grand event.

This is a Mid-Autumn Festival in a peaceful and prosperous era, a Mid-Autumn Festival belonging to the Han Dynasty.

This was also the most fulfilling, lively, and rewarding Mid-Autumn Festival that Liu Ce had experienced in the more than ten years since he traveled through time.

Every household is brightly lit, the world is at peace, the emperor and his subjects rejoice together, and families are reunited.

This is probably the ending that time travelers would have wanted most.