Three days later, with grand ceremonial music and red lanterns hung high, the guests below arrived in an endless stream, truly a magnificent and prosperous scene. The delegation from Northern Qi and the guests from Dongyi, welcomed by the hosts of Qing, walked into the most solemn palace of Qing with smiling faces, along a long passage. Looking at the expressions of the three parties, it seemed as if the world was at peace, and the war and assassination of the previous days had never happened at all.

The banquet was held in the Qinian Hall outside the imperial palace.

The palace maids who came and went, carrying food plates and wine, were very beautiful. Fan Xian raised his eyebrows, watching them busily in the grand palace with a smile on his face. These palace maids, noticing that the young and handsome Fan Gongzi was casting some different glances at them, couldn't help but feel a little shy, and the light blush on their faces became even rosier, occasionally stealing glances at him.

Distinguished guests gathered before the hall, yet it was as quiet as a graveyard. Many of the Qing hosts were officials from various departments and members of the royal family that Fan Xian had never seen before, with only Director Chen and Prime Minister both claiming illness and absenting themselves. Sitting opposite were the delegations from Northern Qi and Dongyi City.

Although Fan Xian held a low position and humble rank, he was arranged to sit under the central table because he was the Deputy Envoy. He felt a little uncomfortable surrounded by older officials. Just then, he heard the old man next to him say with a smile, "There are many rules for the banquet, but His Majesty has always been easygoing. Fan Gongzi, don't be nervous."

This old man was Zhang Ziqian, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites. Fan Xian was somewhat wary of this person because of his irreconcilable feud with the Guo family of the Ministry of Rites. However, hearing the other party's words, which seemed to have no malice, he couldn't help but feel a little ashamed and replied with a smile, "This humble one has always lived in the countryside and has never seen such a grand occasion. If there is anything improper, I hope the elder will point it out."

Zhang Ziqian stroked his long beard and smiled, "Vice Minister Ren spoke highly of Fan Gongzi's great contribution to this negotiation during the morning court meeting. At this time, no one in the court will do anything to you. You just need to be careful of those people opposite."

The two men looked towards the opposite side, where the Marquis of Changning from the Northern Qi delegation was waiting listlessly. The first table was still empty, presumably reserved for the elusive Zhuang Mohan, the great master. Sitting at the head of the Dongyi delegation was a middle-aged man. The man had a long sword at his waist, and Fan Xian couldn't help but frown and asked, "Why is he allowed to enter the palace with a sword?"

"His Majesty personally approved it. Those from Si Gu Jian's school always have their swords with them. This is a special case," Zhang Ziqian explained patiently, as if explaining to his own junior.

"Is he Yun Zhilan, the chief disciple of Si Gu Jian?" Fan Xian gasped, his eyes narrowing slightly, and he immediately felt a fierce, murderous intent naturally emanating from the big man with the sword.

These days, the Qing court had deliberately snubbed the Dongyi delegation. It seemed that this ninth-rank swordsmanship master, Yun Zhilan, was not in a good mood. Even sitting in the Qing palace, he was still cold and aloof.

As Fan Xian was looking at Yun Zhilan's sword-like eyebrows, Yun Zhilan happened to look over at him.

Two gazes collided like lightning in the palace air.

After a moment, Fan Xian lowered his head in a sign of weakness, coughing softly. The sword intent in the other's eyes was too strong.

This exchange of glances immediately drew everyone's attention in the hall. Everyone knew that Fan Xian had killed two female disciples of Si Gu Jian in Niulan Street, and Dongyi City had come to offer tribute precisely to deal with the aftermath of that incident. But according to most people's opinions, this swordsmanship master, Yun Zhilan, probably wouldn't mind killing Fan Xian with his sword.

Fortunately, the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace had also shown some goodwill towards Fan Xian through the personnel arrangements of the negotiations. Therefore, no matter which faction in the court, no one dared to gloat over Fan Xian because of this matter. With a foreign enemy present, no matter which department or military personnel in Qing, everyone glared fiercely at Yun Zhilan, the chief swordsman of Dongyi City, and the atmosphere in the entire palace suddenly became tense.

Fan Xian was expressionless, lowering his head to regulate the true energy in his body, ready at any moment.

At that moment, a faint sound of zithers and harps came from the side of the hall. Amidst the solemn palace music, a eunuch shouted in a high-pitched voice, "His Majesty has arrived!" The most powerful person in the world, the sole master of Qing, Emperor Your Majesty, accompanied by the Empress, slowly walked over from the side, stood before the dragon throne with a warm smile on his face.

"Long live His Majesty! Long live, long live!"

The ministers before the hall knelt down respectfully to pay their respects, and the visiting delegations bowed in salute. The trace of tension that had remained in the hall was replaced by a sense of inexplicable solemnity.

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Emperor Your Majesty was high above, with the Empress at his side. The Crown Prince also had a unique seat two steps below his parents. On this kind of occasion, the other princes generally would not come. The Emperor's gaze swept over the ministers below and said gently, "Be at ease."

After the salutations, the banquet officially began. First, the ministers of the Northern Qi delegation came forward, delivering a routine eulogy and promoting the traditional friendship between the two countries before retreating. Then, Yun Zhilan of Dongyi City came forward, said a few words expressionlessly, and retreated as well.

The Empress smiled slightly and whispered in His Majesty's ear, "That character from Dongyi City is very arrogant." The Emperor and Empress were seated high above, and they didn't have to worry about being overheard, so they spoke directly.

His Majesty also smiled gently and said, "If the chief disciple of Si Gu Jian didn't have a trace of arrogance, I'm afraid he wouldn't even have the courage to hold his sword when entering my house."

Palace maids brought up hot dishes and fresh wine. The ministers buried their heads in their food, not daring to speak. Since His Majesty had not spoken, everything remained quiet.

Fan Xian lowered his head uncomfortably, but his eyes were glancing almost imperceptibly at the opposite side. The chief seat, which had been empty before, was now occupied by someone. The man had an old face, but his eyes were clear and bright. The wrinkles on his forehead seemed to be filled with countless wisdom. A white scholar's robe, like clouds, protected his not-so-tall body in the center. Without asking, one knew that this was Zhuang Mohan, the great master from Northern Qi.

He wondered when he had taken his seat. Fan Xian analyzed that it must have been when the Emperor arrived, he came in at the same time. It seemed that the rumors were true; this Zhuang Mohan was highly appreciated by the Empress Dowager, and perhaps he had been staying in the palace all along.

While Fan Xian was stealing glances at the other party, he didn't know that the couple seated high above were also glancing at him. The Empress took a sip of wine and gestured with her eyes towards the direction where Fan Xian was sitting, saying softly, "That young man is Fan Xian, the future consort of Princess Chen."

His Majesty smiled slightly and said, "He looks quite handsome, and he has some fame as a poet in the capital. At the court meeting today, Xin Qiwu and Ren Shaoan, these two Vice Ministers, praised his talent at the same time. I'm really curious as to why the Crown Prince's staff and the Prime Minister's disciple are so friendly to him."

The Empress's smile was somewhat forced. "Perhaps the Crown Prince understands the importance of popular support? Besides... he will soon be the Prime Minister's son-in-law after all."

"Oh, popular support?" His Majesty said with a smile that was not a smile, not looking at the Empress, but looking at his son below. "It seems that my son also knows the importance of popular support."

Although she heard a trace of dissatisfaction, the Empress still felt that His Majesty was in a good mood today and was not as willing to reprimand the Crown Prince as in the past. Was it because there were some positive comments? She couldn't help but say happily, "Chengqian is gradually growing up and will always understand things."

Emperor Your Majesty smiled without saying a word.

……

……

After the banquet had been going on for a while, Fan Xian kept drinking wine, not knowing if it was because of nervousness or something else. These wines were at most a type of rice wine, with a low alcohol content and a sour and sweet taste. Fan Xian didn't feel anything, but in the eyes of the officials next to him, the way this young man was drinking was really like a wild beast. Even Zhang Ziqian, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, couldn't help but remind him, "Lord Fan, don't drink too much. If you lose your composure before the hall, it will be a great crime."

Hearing the three words "Lord Fan," he knew that the other party was reminding him that this was not the Liujing River, but a solemn and deep palace, and that his identity was not that of a drinker, but of a courtier. Fan Xian smiled inwardly, but he reversed his true energy, forcing the effects of the alcohol to his face. His eyes suddenly showed a hint of blurred meaning, and he lowered his voice and said, "I dare not hide it from you, elder. This junior is really nervous. I might as well drink some wine to relax."

Zhang Ziqian looked at him with a slightly drunk look, seemingly unable to hear his words clearly, and could only shake his head and smile bitterly. "The Prime Minister claims illness and does not come, and your father also doesn't come, but he leaves you in my care. If you really get drunk and become like mud, how can I explain it to them?"

The Northern Qi delegation had been terribly embarrassed by the diplomatic officials of the Honglu Temple these days. Seeing Fan Xian's appearance at this time, they couldn't help but exchange glances, making up their minds. Although Fan Xian had been silent as the Deputy Envoy these days, the delegation was deeply disgusted with the insidious cunning that was always revealed on that beautiful face. Northern Qi still had many spies in the Qing capital, and they certainly knew that the reason why the Qing Honglu Temple was so powerful this time was all because of the bad ideas of this Deputy Envoy named Fan Xian. As for what bad ideas he had come up with, no one knew.

Now that the negotiations between the two countries had been concluded and the royal families of both sides had signed the agreement, it was certainly impossible to go back on it. However, the Northern Qi delegation still had a big knot in their hearts. Seeing Fan Xian's drunken state, the Marquis of Changning smiled slyly, stood up, and respectfully saluted the high platform, saying, "Your Majesty, the negotiations between the two sides have been difficult these days, and the staff of the Honglu Temple of your country have also worked hard. I wonder if this foreign minister can offer a toast to all the officials of the Honglu Temple to prove the friendship between the two countries."

When the Marquis of Changning spoke, the delegation from Dongyi City was sitting next to them, naturally seeing Fan Xian's drunken state and knowing what the Northern Qi people wanted to do. They just watched coldly without joining in the fun.

The dragon throne was too high, and Emperor Your Majesty and the Empress did not seem to see the undercurrents in the hall, and naturally did not pay attention to Fan Xian. He chuckled and approved. The Crown Prince also chimed in, "The Marquis of Changning should naturally enjoy himself. So-called opponents on the field are also friends off the field... Of course, at the table, they are just opponents."

The Crown Prince actually just wanted to show off his eloquence, but his eloquence was really ordinary, and he didn't know how things would develop. This worried the officials of the Honglu Temple sitting below. In the negotiations these days, everyone had already regarded Fan Vice Envoy as one of their own. How could they let the Northern Qi people get Fan Vice Envoy drunk? However, the two sides were sitting far apart and there was no way to help.

Fan Xian smiled and drank with the Northern Qi delegation, but he felt a faint unease in his heart. In recent days, the business associations managed by Princess Chang had begun to attack the Danbo Bookstore, raising paper prices and lowering book prices. These two simple moves made Fan Sizhe and Shopkeeper Qi Ye very depressed. However, he knew that the other party's real moves should be behind. And today's actions just needed the help of wine.

……

……

It was difficult not to get drunk, and it was even more difficult to pretend to be drunk. This was the strongest feeling Fan Xian had during his first imperial banquet. The Northern Qi side couldn't hold on anymore. Six of the eight envoys had fallen, and finally, even the Marquis of Changning no longer cared about his own status, sacrificing himself heroically and half-hanging on Fan Xian's arm.

At this time, Emperor Your Majesty, who had been talking softly with the Empress and the great master Zhuang Mohan, parted his lips slightly and smiled, "It has been a long time since the palace has been so lively."

Zhuang Mohan had been silent all along, only answering a few words softly when Emperor Your Majesty of Qing asked questions, putting on the airs of a great master of the generation. At this time, following His Majesty's gaze, he seemed to have just discovered the commotion over there. Looking at the handsome young man who was hugging the Marquis of Changning of Northern Qi and forcing him to drink, he asked curiously, "Is that young Lord Fan, the poet?"

This world-renowned literary giant seemed to find it hard to believe his eyes. The legendary young talent who had only won his reputation as a poet with three poems was actually a drunkard.

Emperor Your Majesty seemed to be slightly annoyed as well, raising his voice and shouting, "Fan Xian."

Most of the people in the entire palace were carefully listening to the movements on the dragon throne, afraid of missing something. Therefore, after Emperor Your Majesty spoke, the huge palace suddenly became quiet, as silent as a graveyard—except for that young Lord named Fan Xian, who was still shouting incessantly: "Drink up! Drink up!"

That seemed to be some kind of saying from the South. It seemed that Little Fan had really drunk too much.

"Fan Xian!" Seeing that the kid was drunk, the Crown Prince couldn't help but reprimand him with suppressed anger. After all, it was the Eastern Palace's suggestion to appoint Fan Xian as the Deputy Envoy, and it was because of this matter that Fan Xian had the qualifications to enter the palace today. If Fan Xian lost face, the Crown Prince himself would feel somewhat disgraced in his heart.

Seeming to notice the strange atmosphere of quietness in the palace, Fan Xian stood dazedly in place, his eyes wandering around somewhat confusedly, but his handsome face revealed a sense of unrestrained wildness after drinking.

"Who's calling me?"

All the ministers in the court who had good relations with the Fan family and the Prime Minister's family wished they could immediately shut his mouth, stuff him into a carriage, and quickly throw him back into the Fan residence.

Unexpectedly, the Emperor Your Majesty, who was high above, did not seem to be very angry after hearing this response that could only be heard in a tavern. Instead, he smiled and said, "It is I who am calling you."

Hearing the word "I," whether one was truly drunk or pretending to be drunk, one had to wake up. Fan Xian was no exception. He loosened his arm and quickly bowed, saying, "This... this subject deserves to die, this... I drank too much."

As soon as he loosened his arm, the Marquis of Changning of Northern Qi, who had been held by him, collapsed drunkenly and fell to the ground with a thud. The Qing officials smiled at the corners of their lips, feeling very proud that the negotiating leader of the enemy country had fallen so disheveled. The only two sober envoys of the Northern Qi delegation quickly helped the Marquis of Changning back to his seat, and palace maids thoughtfully brought sobering soup.

Emperor Your Majesty scolded, "Of course I know you drank too much, otherwise I would definitely punish you for losing your composure before the hall."

Fan Xian tried his best to maintain his bowing posture, and explained with a bitter smile, "This subject dares not defend myself, but with guests coming from afar, is it not a pleasure? If I don't properly accompany these lords of Northern Qi, I, as the Deputy Envoy in charge of hospitality, will inevitably have failed to fulfill my duties."

"Look." His Majesty turned to the Empress and said, "This is still not daring to defend himself. If he were to defend himself, I'm afraid he would also say... that I made him drink and that he was not at fault."

The Empress knew that His Majesty had always cherished that girl, Princess Chen, and wondered if he was extending his love to everything connected to her. She smiled slightly, neither speaking well of Fan Xian, nor being foolish enough to reprimand him.

"Fan Xian." This was the third time Emperor Your Majesty had called out his name in the hall. The officials pricked up their ears and listened, but tasted a different meaning in the depths of their hearts. It seemed that the relationship between the Fan family and the royal family was indeed not ordinary.

Only to hear His Majesty say indifferently, "The Fan family's relationship with me is not ordinary. In my eyes, you are just a junior. Putting aside the matter of ruler and subject, when I speak, you still have to shut your glib tongue! Don't think that I don't know about your absurd words in the tavern. At such a young age, you really think that just because your tongue is nimble, you can look down on everyone in the world."

It was clearly a贬斥, but secretly it was呵护, how could the officials and envoys be fools, not understand.

Sure enough, only to hear His Majesty say softly, "On this bright night at the end of summer, with ruler and ministers in harmony and eternal friendship between countries, Fan Xian, you have a reputation as a poet, why not compose a poem to commemorate the occasion."

The ministers echoed one another, knowing that His Majesty was giving the Fan family face. It seemed that His Majesty had a flash of inspiration and wanted to take advantage of today's court banquet to let the ministers know what kind of person this Fan offspring, this eighth-rank associate of the Ministry of Rites, was. His Majesty wanted to give the Fan offspring a great opportunity to come forward, but Little Fan was half-drunk at this time, and he was afraid he would waste this opportunity, which was a pity.

Fan Xian's drunkenness surged, and he was indeed a little confused, but he heard this conversation before the hall clearly. He smiled self-deprecatingly and bowed towards the direction of the dragon throne, saying, "Your Majesty, this humble subject only knows some stale sentences, how dare I show off in front of the great master Zhuang Mohan."

As soon as these words came out, the eyes of the ministers all turned to Zhuang Mohan, and they understood His Majesty's meaning. It was definitely not just to give the Fan offspring a chance to show his face, but to take this opportunity to prove to the countries of the world that, in terms of martial arts, Qing was unparalleled in the world, and in terms of literature, Qing also had talents who could match Zhuang Mohan!

Fan Xian's reputation of "Ten thousand miles of sorrowful autumn, often a sojourner" had been resounding in the capital for several months, but later he refused to write poems, and gradually faded. The ministers thought that he had a secret plan with His Majesty to strike at the arrogance of the literary giant of Northern Qi by pushing things onto Zhuang Mohan with just one sentence.

In fact, Fan Xian was just guessing. His past life experience was not enough for him to figure out the heart of the Emperor, but seeing the prosperity of Qing's literary style in recent times, he thought that this Emperor had always been unwilling to be unmatched in the battlefield, but always regarded as the barbarians of the South on the literary stage by the people of Northern Qi.

After this Zhuang Mohan came to the country, he went in and out of the palace forbidden area. Although it was the Empress Dowager and the ladies who respected his literary name, I am afraid that His Majesty would be very uncomfortable in his heart. However, Qing had no literary master, so he, the copycat, was innocently pushed onto the stage.

Fan Xian knew that he had not guessed His Majesty's meaning wrong, because even from a distance, his strong eyesight could still see clearly that His Majesty's eyes were gradually narrowed, and there was a trace of appreciation in his deep gaze.

This appreciation was naturally admiring Little Fan's understanding of朕心, and it was also a warning to write a good poem and not lose Qing's face in front of Zhuang Mohan.

"Why don't you make one, and let Mr. Zhuang Mohan comment on it. If it's not good, you can be fined for drinking," the Empress said with a smile, she also knew what the man next to her was thinking and made a backup plan in advance.

Now that things had reached this point, what else could be done? Fan Xian returned to his seat, ignoring his drunkenness, and poured another cup, letting the slightly sour wine taste in his mouth, his brow furrowed.

The ministers all knew that Fan Gongzi had quick wit, so they secretly counted for him. When they counted to about fifteen, a clear light appeared in Fan Xian's eyes, his face full of smiles, his lips slightly open, and he chanted, "Drinking wine and singing, how much of life is there? Like morning dew, the days gone by are full of sorrow. Blue, blue are your collars, my heart dwells on you. But for your sake, I have been pondering till now. I have guests, let us play the zithers and flutes. The moon is as bright as it can be, when can it be picked? Let us talk and feast, and cherish the old kindness. The moon is bright and the stars are few, crows fly south. Circling the tree three times, which branch can they rely on? The mountain never tires of being high, the sea never tires of being deep. The Duke of Zhou spits out food to welcome guests, and the world submits its heart."

Just like every time Fan Xian threw out a poem and hit someone, the hall was silent after this poem came out.

This was Cao Cao's masterpiece back then. Fan Xian deleted a few sentences and threw it out. On this hall, the hearts of the world submitted perfectly to His Majesty's mind. The most wonderful thing was that the allusion of the Duke of Zhou spitting out food to welcome guests actually existed in this world, and this Duke of Zhou was not the one who embraced the Emperor's son, but was the one who actually became the Emperor. Therefore, Fan Xian dared to write it out openly and honestly.

After a long time, in the magnificent palace, the ministers cheered in unison, "Good poem!"

Emperor Your Majesty showed a satisfied expression, turned his head to look at Zhuang Mohan, and said softly, "I wonder what Mr. Zhuang thinks of this poem."

Zhuang Mohan's face did not change. He had experienced this kind of scene countless times in his life, and he had commented on countless poems and lyrics. The reason why he could be respected by the scholars and people of the world, and even these Qing officials in the hall, many of whom had entered the officialdom by reading his articles, relied on his moral character and his vision. Of course, the most important thing was his own vast knowledge.

"Good poem." Zhuang Mohan said softly, picked up a peanut and ate it. "Indeed, a good poem. Although there is a break in the meaning, it is superior in its quality. For poems, the meaning comes first, and the quality is important. Fan Gongzi's poem is full of meaning and solid in quality. It is indeed a good poem. I didn't expect that South Qing could also produce talents now."

Fan Xian smiled slightly. He had no special feelings for this literary master, but he didn't like the other party's style. After giving a shallow salute, he returned to his seat, but he was a little staggered.

The officials in the court were still whispering about the previous verses of Little Fan. If it was a normal situation, the literary event would have ended here, but the atmosphere in the hall today seemed a bit strange. Someone said coldly:

"Mr. Zhuang's previous remarks about South Qing were inappropriate. Everyone knows that you are a master of articles. But in the art of poetry, you are not necessarily as good as Fan Gongzi. Why make reckless comments? There are many literati in this dynasty, and Fan Gongzi is one of the best. Not to mention that he composed a poem within fifteen counts today, just to mention that poem 'Ten thousand miles of sorrowful autumn, often a sojourner'. This subject really does not know, which talent in Northern Qi can write it?"

These words were very inappropriate, especially at the national banquet, which seemed extraordinarily rude. The Qing Emperor did not expect that ordinary literary affairs had reached this point. The Emperor's eyebrows gradually frowned. He did not know which minister was so rude, but after all, this person was fighting for his dynasty, and he could not be convicted.

Fan Xian stopped the steps of returning to his seat, and bowed slightly apologetically to Zhuang Mohan, indicating that he had no disrespectful intention. Zhuang Mohan coughed twice, and stood up with some difficulty with the support of the little eunuch pointed out to him by the Empress Dowager, and looked at Fan Xian calmly: "Fan Gongzi's name as a poet has already spread to the upper capital of Da Qi. That poem 'Ten thousand miles of sorrowful autumn, often a sojourner', this old man also often recites."

Fan Xian suddenly saw a trace of pity in the eyes of this literary master, a trace of cutting off the retreat. Fan Xian's heart was suddenly greatly moved, and he felt some kind of danger that he had not noticed, which was slowly approaching him. He was getting drunker, but he still turned his head sharply and found the face that provoked the war behind the wine table in the hall.

Guo Baokun.

Guo Baokun, who was punched by him, Guo Baokun, who was close to the Crown Prince, Guo Baokun, who was compiling in the palace, was also qualified to sit in the seat today. But it was obvious that the Crown Prince was not aware of his remarks beforehand. Therefore, the Crown Prince and Fan Xian both squinted at Guo Baokun's face with a hint of smugness, not knowing what he wanted to do.

Fan Xian felt the danger and smiled slightly.

At this time, Zhuang Mohan coughed twice again, and after saluting Emperor Your Majesty, he said softly: "This old man belongs to Da Qi, but his heart is in the texts of the world. I originally didn't want to hurt the friendship between the two countries, but there are some words that I have to say."

The Emperor's face also gradually calmed down, and said calmly: "Mr. Zhuang, please speak without hesitation." At the same time as the Emperor spoke, the Empress also picked up the wine glass, opened her mouth to speak, and then retracted it.

"The wind is swift, the sky is high, and the apes howl sadly. The islet is clear, the sand is white, and the birds fly back. The boundless fallen leaves are rustling down, and the endless river is rolling in. Ten thousand miles of sorrowful autumn, often a sojourner, a hundred years of illness, and I alone ascend the platform. The hardships and resentments are frozen on my temples, and I have stopped drinking turbid wine in my decline." The palace was extremely quiet, not knowing what amazing words this literary master, who moved the world, would say.

"The first four sentences of this poem are excellent."