Chương 77: A Manifestation Before the Public

A student who seemed to be "quite diligent" stood up abruptly, his face flushed, holding up the paper in his hand, and read aloud in a trembling voice:

"Yellow Turbans... soldiers..."

Knives and guns...

Your Majesty is wise...

Though we scholars are powerless, we still write poems and essays to praise the heroes!

This poem... how should I put it? It's easy to understand and full of enthusiasm, but... it's a bit like a street performer's rhythmic storytelling, the kind with a rhythmic cadence.

As soon as the poem was finished, a burst of merciless laughter erupted downstairs!

"Hahahaha! My friend, are you writing poetry or singing?"

"Master Su asked you to write about the heroic spirit of the army, not to write reports of victory!"

"Brother, you should go back and study for a few more years! Don't embarrass yourself here!"

"Get down here! Don't embarrass yourself!"

The student's face instantly turned red, and he wished he could bury his head in his crotch. He quickly crumpled the paper into a ball and slunk back into the crowd.

Then, a young man dressed in a Shu brocade robe and waving a folding fan stood up, cleared his throat, struck a pose, and recited in what he thought was a calm and magnetic voice:

"...,..."

This poem is a bit better than the previous one; at least it looks like a poem. However, the whole thing is just empty praise and platitudes, with phrases like "General... unparalleled" and "talking and laughing..." It sounds pretentious and empty, lacking any sense of realism on the battlefield.

Cao Cao chuckled from upstairs and commented without any politeness:

"That's it? You're just spouting nonsense, there's not a shred of military might in it! It's more like a general on a stage!"

Yuan Shao also shook his head with a smile: "It's all superficial, lacking true feeling. I'm afraid Lady Su will be disappointed."

As expected, the reaction downstairs was lukewarm. Only a few people who were probably the young master's companions cheered a few times, while most people just pursed their lips, clearly dissatisfied.

Cao Cao looked down at Su Wanqing's profile, which held a mixture of expectation and disappointment, then glanced at those so-called "talented scholars" who couldn't utter a single decent word.

Suddenly his eyes lit up, and a surge of "literary youth spirit" ignited within him! He slapped his thigh: No! I can't stand it anymore! What kind of rubbish are these scoundrels writing! They've utterly disgraced the word 'military' and insulted the talent of Master Su!

How could such mediocre and vulgar words be worthy of the presence of the great Su Shi, who personally accompanied me while I drank and played the zither? I must show off my skills! I must write a truly worthy poem that is fitting for this occasion and worthy of the great Su Shi!

I absolutely have to get Ms. Su to come up and have a couple of drinks with me today, she has to be willing!

As he spoke, he reached for the paper and pen that had been prepared on the table.

Liu Ce couldn't help but laugh when he saw Cao Cao's eager and ready-to-fight stance, as if he were about to go to the battlefield.

He deliberately glanced at him sideways, recalling some of Cao Cao's historical hobbies, and jokingly remarked:

"Brother Mengde, I seem to recall that your usual interests... seem to lean more towards appreciating the mature charm of 'Luo Fu's husband' or 'Wen Jun's new widow'?"

While drinking in the Yingchuan army camp, you even remarked to me on how beautiful and pitiful a widow of a certain family was.

Why are you suddenly so interested in this courtesan, the most beautiful courtesan? Has your personality changed?

Cao Cao, having been hit where it hurt, remained calm and composed, and righteously refuted the attack:

"Bolluy! What you're saying! So superficial! How can they be the same? Huh? That's vulgar lust, it's low taste!"

Master Su was truly talented and learned! He was a genuine scholar of refined taste!

What I, Cao Mengde, admire is her talent, her character, and her style! This is a spiritual resonance, like finding a kindred spirit amidst high mountains and flowing water! It is an attraction of souls that transcends physical appearance!

Do you understand? Besides, everyone has a love for beauty. Is there a problem with appreciating different types of beauty? No problem at all!

Don't judge me with your petty mind!

His righteous and stern explanation, coupled with his attempt to appear serious but unable to hide the excitement in his eyes, amused both Liu Ce and Yuan Shao.

Liu Ce almost burst out laughing, thinking to himself:

"Alright, Boss Cao, when it comes to sophistry and shamelessness, I'm completely convinced!"

He shook his head and peered downstairs again.

In just a short while, several more people recited poems, all with similar content: "The soldiers have worked hard," "The general is mighty," or "The emperor's grace is boundless." It was just a few words repeated over and over, making Liu Ce yawn repeatedly; his ears were practically calloused from hearing it so much.

A little while later.

Liu Ce glanced downstairs again. At this moment, fewer and fewer people dared to stand up and recite poetry, and even those who did were mostly mediocre, failing to cause any stir.

As Su Wanqing stood on the stage, she maintained her elegant smile, but a hint of disappointment and boredom seemed to flicker deep in her eyes.

She's probably hoping for a truly outstanding piece of work to emerge.

"Boring... so boring."

Liu Ce thought to himself, "With this level of skill, it's better to go back to the Zhen residence and continue researching how to play a song on the guqin. At least there will be peace and quiet."

Looking at the scene before him, and then at Cao Cao, who was deep in thought and scratching his head (it seems that writing amazing poems in haste is not so easy, at least not now), Liu Ce suddenly had an idea.

"Since I'm bored anyway, I might as well 'borrow' a couple of songs; that should be enough to liven things up, right? There's no copyright bureau these days..."

"This way, I can quickly end this boring part, and maybe even help Cao Cao, this 'fake intellectual,' fulfill his dream of having a 'refined' conversation with Su, the courtesan... Most importantly, I can get away as soon as possible!"

Thinking of this, Liu Ce sighed, muttering to himself in a helpless tone, as if saying, "I'd go to great lengths for my brothers" and "For world peace":

"Sigh, looks like I'll be forced to show off in front of everyone again... This damned, misplaced talent..."

As he spoke, while Cao Cao was still scratching his head and conceiving ideas, and Yuan Shao was watching curiously, Liu Ce sat back down at the table, picked up a piece of paper, and dipped his brush in ink.

Cao Cao was taken aback: "Bo Lue, you want to write too? You can write poetry?"

In his mind, Liu Ce was a fierce general and a brilliant strategist, but he didn't seem to have much to do with "literati".

Yuan Shao also showed an interested expression.

Liu Ce smiled slightly, ignoring them, his wrist hovering in the air, and pondered for a moment (actually, he was recalling his Chinese textbook).

Then, with swift, flowing strokes, almost without hesitation, he wrote two poems on two large sheets of paper.

While his handwriting may not be considered top-tier, it is still vigorous and powerful, possessing a unique sharpness.

After finishing writing, he blew on the still-wet ink, picked up the two sheets of paper, and shoved them directly into the hands of Cao Cao, who was still in a daze.

"Hey, stop overthinking and wasting your time. Just read this. I guarantee that once Su Dajia hears this, she'll immediately want to come up to you and 'make friends through poetry'."

"You may continue your 'refined' manners. I have some matters to attend to at the manor, so I'll take my leave now."