Vol 2 Chapter 135 (1/2)
Chapter 135: Luathered were puzzled The poehout the land Apart from the mention of the river that had made the readers unco about this poem could be nitpicked But the last four lines were the best part, and they were unsure why Zhuang Mohan felt otherwise
”The reason the first four lines are the best,” said Zhang Mohan coldly, ”is not because the last four lines are not good, but because the last four lines were not written by Master Fan!”
With these words, there was a great hubbub in the hall, which quickly turned to a deathly silence No one said a word
Fan Xian pretended to be stunned, but he understood s quietened down, he leant on a table, drunk, looking at Zhuang Mohan with a smile on his face
A few months before, Lin Wan'er had said that people in the palace were saying that his poem had been copied At the time he had taken no notice, but he had not expected today's explosive reaction Guo Baokun had brought up this matter Obviously, it had been incited by some noble or another
After he ca he had to his name was his so-called literary reputation If he had completely destroyed his own reputation, in this world which prized literature and e Mohan had read the first four lines Seeing that Master Zhuang still did not know that the river was the Yangtze River, he realized that his greatest fear had still not coiaris Mohan could only rely on his own scholarshi+p and reputation to pressure people and nothing more
But he did not kno the eldest princess had persuaded the greatly renowned Zhuang Mohan to come from so far away to act so vilely
Sorave denunciation, but if Zhuang Mohan had nothing to rely on, ould he dare to spread such idle gossip within the walls of the royal palace of the Kingdo Ziqian, the assistantby Fan Xian's side He sreat master Many students have read his books of research on the scriptures Throughout the land, no one would dare doubt Mr Zhuang's words But on this iarism, perhaps he has been deceived by some villain”
He looked at Guo Baokun, the son of his superior He had absolutely no fear of revealing who this villain heMohan raised his head, a complex mood behind his wise eyes ”The last four lines of this poezhou Because it is a posthumous work, I have had it on my mind for decades, but I do not kno Master Fan happened to coain see the light, and I believe this to be true But Master Fan has built his reputation upon this, and I cannot let that pass Scholars must cultivate their hearts and their virtue, and the poe to finishers I adore the works of talented people I a to recklessly expose thiswas to see how the son of an official conducts himself I did not expect that Master Fan would not kno to repent, instead acting all the more triumphant”
Fan Xian alht, but the others around him did not smile at all The at If this was true, not only would Fan Xian no longer have face in official literary circles, all of the court of the nation would lose face
All of the scholars of the land treasured Zhuang Mohan's essays on virtue
and behavior; of this there was no doubt Further Mohan had said that it ritten by his oldhis teacher'sas proof, and ould dare doubt that?
The officials considered it confirrotesque loathing glares But this e the truth: after all, it involved the reputation of the royal court of the Kingdolared coldly at Shu Wu, Grand Secretary of the Pavilion of the Imperial Library After a moment of aardness, Grand Secretary Shu stood up with so Mohan ”Teacher, it is an honor”
Grand Secretary Shu had once travelled to Northern Qi to study under Zhuang Mohan, and so he greeted hi to the etiquette appropriate to teachers and students He believed that what Zhuang Mohan had said was true, that Fan Xian had copied the poeaze, he could not help but stand and speak on Fan Xian's behalf ”Teacher Master Fan has always been a talented poet The ballad that he perforiarized, it would be hard for people to believe, and it would appear that he has no need to do so”
Zhuang Mohan had already sat down He cleared his throat and spoke gently ”Shu Wu, could it be that you suspect that I a my old teacher's na with sweat He did not dare to say a word, and he could not bear the Emperor's cold stare He withdreith sincerity If anyone still had their doubts at this point, it would be akin to accusing Zhuang Mohan of lacking any sense of shame as a scholar, and no one dared to assail his reputation
But the Emperor was no ordinary scholar He was not Concubine Shu, nor was he the E Mohan and so he spoke coldly ”The Kingdoreat ido wishes to accuse someone of a crime, then he er in the E Fan Xian of plagiarisain
Zhuang Mohan s behind him take out a roll of parchment ”This is a letter personally written by my teacher If any learned person were to look upon it, they would kno old it is” He looked at Fan Xian and spoke with sympathy ”Fan Xian's poetic talent is but a pale is, how could Fan Xian write the last four lines of this poe the life experiences he has had?”
The hall was silent, save for Zhuang Mohan's aged but steady voice reciting the poem ”Ten thousand miles of sorrowful autumn, such cold? One hundred years of sickness, this hen ht in his last days That torrential river water, fills the eyes with desolation Master Fan is still young, how can he have known a hundred years of sickness?”
As Zhuang Mohan continued to speak, everyone was more and more convinced that this poe Mohan's voice resonated for a long while ”Many hairs of frost refers to gray hair growing everywhere Master Fan' has a head of fine black hair It would be hard to say that he has anything to worry about”
”As for 'frustrated, I stop drinking ardless of whether Master Fan's fa, with this line 'I stop drinking my murky wine', perhaps Master Fan does not understand why ” He looked at Fan Xian, his face suggesting that he did not have the heart to say it ”Indisease So he could not drink wine, and this is why he said that he 'stopped drinking'”
Having said this, the officials of the Kingdoer had need of that roll of parche of plagiarism was inescapable
At that moment, a round of applause suddenly resounded in the previously-silent hall
Fan Xian, who had seemed to be bent over the table drunk, suddenly stood up and s Mohan The applause slowly died down, and he felt a certain respect Naturally, no one kneho this Mr Zhuang's teacher was, but his opponent had successfully deduced Du Fu's circumstances from the poem His illness really did correspond with that of the literary world's greatestto entrap him Perhaps the roll of parchment had been handled beforehand, and therefore he could not adht and handso truly places no importance on his teacher's reputation I do not knohat could cause hiard the lu exposed had caused him to have a nervous breakdown They found any ly hard to bear, and frowned deeply The Euards, so as to prevent Master Fan fro a scene To her surprise, the E everyone to listen to what Fan Xian had to say
Fan Xian staggered forward, ain the wine!” he yelled loudly
The palace maids at the back saw his crazed expression and did not dare to approach A cabinet ht a wine jar weighing roughly a kilo from the back and set it down in front of Fan Xian
”Many thanks!” Fan Xian laughed, breaking the clay seal on a wine cup and drinking fro in sea water In a short while all the wine in the jar had entered his belly After a drunken belch, he began to feel thoroughly tipsy He had drunken a great a hadHe swayed back and forth
He staggered toward the head table,so Mohan's nose ”Is this greatMohan sniffed, and the shtly ”Young sir, it is best if you repent There is no need to do yourself such har has its cause and its effects,” he said, his diction unclear ”Mr Zhuang accuseshis old teacher in these four lines I don't knohy I would want to copy hi that ballad from before, I could not win fame in life and in death?”
The words ”fa Mohan felt soency, and coood name he had held all his life He could not bear toman, and he slowly moved his head away ”Perhaps Master Fan copied that too,” he said faintly
”Copied from whom? Could it be that the ballad I wrote was also copied? Could it be that Mr Zhuang has studied everything on earth, and knows every single line of poetry, and is entitled to deterers lightly tapping the scroll of parch, this scheiarized your teacher's poem, but I am baffled If that is so, then why has this poe Mohan seely did not wish to debate with him Fan Xian spoke softly ”Sir, you say that my hair is not white, and thus I cannot speak of white teood health, and thus this hundred years of ailments cannot be but you are unaware, sir, that I have enjoyedtrouble all my life I plan to start my life anew You do not know my past, and yet you do me such an injustice How dull”
He did not knohether he had truly drunk tooa rare opportunity to vent feelings of despair that he had had for a long time Fan Xian's handsoed expression
”A poe at hi friend, this is not your past, so how can you have written such a poe him coldly ”In poetry, talent is what is paid attention to Perhaps my poes that one has not experienced into poetry?”
His words were extrereat talent, thereby saying that Zhuang Mohan's inference fro Mohan frowned and he laughed bitterly ”Do youthat you have never encountered personally, any tireat reat poet, there was no way he could possess such a skill
Seeing that his opponent had fallen into his plan, Fan Xian srabbed a wine cup froulp He looked at him, cal passion Suddenly, he waved his hand and called out
”Bring in the paper!”
”Bring in the ink!”
”Bring in the people!”