Xu Jie immediately coughed to signal Huang Jin to continue reading.
Huang Jin proceeded to read the next piece, his mind in a complete turmoil—
How did the Hanlin scholars get their positions these days? How could they write Qing Ci with such incoherent sentences? Yet, when it came to the Four Books and Five Classics, they could recite them all from memory…
He had no choice but to continue reading, scroll after scroll. By the time he reached the third submission, Jiajing suddenly struck the jade chime.
"Dong!"
A dull, hollow sound instantly echoed through the hall.
The anxious hearts of everyone present sank to their lowest ebb.
"His Majesty is still angry…"
"Alas, the writing is truly, damnably terrible…"
"It's all over…"
"He's going to erupt…"
"Yan Shifan is practically laughing his head off…"
The Qingliu faction immediately trembled, while Yan Shifan and Luo Longwen, watching the Qingliu with their faces pale with fear, exchanged smiles and openly displayed their schadenfreude.
Heh heh, let's see how the Qingliu will salvage this.
And as if things weren't bad enough, they continued to worsen. When Huang Jin was reading the fifth submission, for some unknown reason, a certain phrase offended some taboo, and Jiajing struck the jade chime four consecutive times!
"Dong!
Dong!
Dong!
Dong!"
The rapid sounds conveyed an increasingly intense anger!
Xu Jie's face turned ashen. He tightly clenched his fists, trembling slightly, wanting to say something in defense, but daring not. Finally, he sighed and lowered his head. Zhang Juzheng and Gao Gong also closed their eyes in resignation, only wishing this embarrassing spectacle would end quickly.
Even worse was yet to come. When Huang Jin reached the ninth submission, Jiajing's temper finally broke. He struck the jade chime nine consecutive times!
"Dong! Dong!
Dong! Dong! Dong!"
"Dong!
Dong!
Dong!
Dong!"
Amidst the ringing in their ears, everyone felt the world spinning.
A surge of old blood rushed to Xu Jie's forehead, his vision blurring, and he nearly collapsed on the spot. Even the usually bold Gao Gong was so terrified he gaped open-mouthed.
Lu Fang's face changed drastically. He immediately signaled Huang Jin to stop reading, then threw himself to his knees and scrambled into the inner chamber, kneeling beneath the Bagua platform where Jiajing meditated, not daring to take a breath.
Even Zhang Juzheng, who feared nothing, felt his heart shatter at this scene. His Majesty striking the jade chime nine times was unprecedented. At this moment, the Emperor was truly furious.
He glanced sideways at Yan Shifan, who was grinning broadly. Then he looked at Xu Jie, whose frail body was already trembling… And the seasoned Yan Song, for the first time, showed a flicker of alarm in his eyes. He secretly tugged at his son Yan Shifan's sleeve, urging him to lower his head.
…
Long after the echoes faded, everyone was still trembling, and there was not a sound from the hall.
After a considerable time, Lu Fang finally gathered his courage and said, his voice trembling, "Your Majesty, please quell your anger… Be careful not to harm your immortal body…"
At this moment, Jiajing's emotions were in turmoil, and he could no longer control himself, for he suddenly remembered Zhu Zai Mo…
"It seems these Qingliu scholars are completely beyond hope…"
"Even if there was one or two sentences that held up, to silence the Yan father and son, I could at least let you off the hook…"
"Instead of waiting for the Yan father and son to impeach you, it's better for me to punish you first…"
"Punish Xu Jie? Or Gao Gong? Or perhaps the Grand Academicians of the Hanlin Academy?"
As he pondered, no trace of his thoughts appeared on his face. He could only let out a long sigh.
…
Although Zhang Juzheng had only entered the Grand Secretariat three years ago, he had a clear understanding of Jiajing's temper. Seeing the sigh emanating from behind the curtain, he immediately sensed imminent danger. He stepped on Xu Jie's left foot and whispered, "Esteemed Scholar Xu, that scroll of Qing Ci…"
"Oh…"
Reminded by him, Xu Jie knew that the situation was critical. If they couldn't turn the tide now, the Yan faction would undoubtedly launch a series of attacks, forcing them into obscurity for years, and the people of the realm would suffer even more.
He immediately mustered his courage and said calmly, "Reporting to Your Majesty, the Hanlin Academy still has one scroll of Qing Ci. I will not trouble the Directorate of Ceremonial… Uh, I will read it myself…"
He didn't know where he found the courage, but he recited it aloud:
"As the Emperor descends to rule the heavens in the future, solemn and awe-inspiring, he deigns to favor us.
His radiant grace bestows celestial signs, shining brilliantly and in profusion."
Being old, and having been thoroughly startled just moments before, he paused after reciting two lines, waiting to regulate his breath before continuing.
And at this very moment, everyone suddenly heard a pleasant sound—
"Qing…!"
Clear and melodious, with a lingering resonance, it seemed to pierce through the heavy, oppressive atmosphere.
…
"His Majesty likes it?"
"That sentence is truly excellent~!"
"Finally, someone with some substance…"
"This phrasing is soothing to the ear…"
"Is it settled?"
Xu Jie also suddenly came to, his face filled with relief. Zhang Juzheng and Gao Gong exchanged glances, the stone in their hearts finally lifted.
Xu Jie coughed again and continued reading:
"The clouds dissipate and the mist clears, foliage flourishes and branches scatter.
Suddenly, embracing the sun, they revolve and shine, rapidly circling the sky, dazzling and brilliant.
What auspicious signs do the ancient texts portend? Filial devotion pure, reaching the heavens.
Proclaiming the vastness of imperial virtue, illuminating imperial decrees for ten thousand years."
Before he finished speaking,
A pleasant sound echoed again from the inner chamber—
"Qing…!"
"Qing…!"
Two strikes!
This time, it was two strikes.
Lu Fang's anxious heart finally settled: This is good, this is good… Esteemed Scholar Xu and the others still have talented individuals…
Yan Song's expression grew serious. He pondered in his heart: This doesn't sound like something they wrote. How could Xu Jie write at this level? Grand Secretary Zhang's writing style is too overbearing, and Gao Gong is simply a brute… Has some talent arrived at the Hanlin Academy recently?
Yan Shifan, immediately recognizing its quality, mused: That's not right! These few were never able to catch up to even my shadow. How could they write with such celestial aura and noble grace…?
Everyone listened with rapt attention, feeling that this was undoubtedly the finest phrasing of this dynasty!
As the atmosphere in the Yuxi Palace warmed, Xu Jie gradually reached the climax of his recitation:
"In ancient times, Emperor Yao submerged his jade, moved by these auspicious signs that manifested.
Thus he divined auspiciously and offered sincere prayers, and the spirits, as if present, lingered.
Suddenly, joy arose, bringing forth color, spreading cloud patterns and manifesting as auspicious signs.
Silently, without words, they indicated omens, proclaiming the Emperor's virtue, as vast and blue as the sky."
"Qing…!"
The pleasant chime of the Qing continued to sound. Before the previous one had even faded, another arrived, as if Emperor Jiajing himself was accompanying this Qing Ci. In this scene, the two old men, Yan Song and Xu Jie, were simply astonished. They had never seen the Emperor so delighted in their lives…