"You youngsters and your games. This old man won't be involved. I'll just drink my wine while you all have your fun!"
Han Jiayan smiled and then looked meaningfully at Han Mo.
"What does Your Highness think?"
Seeing Han Jiayan decline to participate, Han Shu directly turned his gaze to Zhao Kai.
Han Mo's mouth twitched. This kid was clearly determined to make a fool of him today!
But fortunately, he was still half a literary youth. He might not be completely disgraced.
"Excellent, excellent! Why don't I start with the first line?"
Zhao Kai smiled and said.
"In that case, Your Highness, please proceed!"
After all, Han Mo was currently seated at the lower end of Zhao Kai's row. With Zhao Kai starting, it wouldn't take many turns before Han Mo would be put on the spot.
"Third Brother, please go easy on me!"
"You lot are making too much noise! Listen carefully, my first line is: A round moon shines upon a golden goblet!"
After speaking, Zhao Kai looked at Prince Shu, Zhao Shu, who was beside him.
"Third Brother, you've gone easy on me, so I'll have my turn!" Zhao Shu cleared his throat and continued, "The golden goblet is filled, the moon is full, and the circle is complete!"
"A good line, a good line!"
Han Shu laughed heartily in praise.
However, as he spoke, his eyes remained fixed on Han Mo beside him.
"It's my turn, it's my turn!"
Seeing Zhao Shu receive a round of applause, Prince Jing, Zhao Qi, also stood up with a smile.
"The round moon plunges into the golden goblet!"
"Sixth Brother, how am I supposed to follow that? You're not being fair!"
After Zhao Qi finished his line, Prince Ji, Zhao Xu, who was seated below him, wore a wry smile.
"Hahahaha, Seventh Brother, you never study diligently. Now I'll see how you embarrass yourself!"
Among these brothers, their statuses were quite similar. Apart from Zhao Gou and Zhao Zhen, the rest were all princes, so they spoke without reservation.
"Sixth Brother, you shouldn't mock me. I have one too. Listen to this!" Zhao Xu then took a sip of wine and cleared his throat before continuing, "Raising the golden goblet, I swallow the moonlight!"
"Hahahaha, a good line, a good line!"
Han Shu's laughter grew even more joyous. This was truly a perfect couplet!
Even he couldn't come up with a follow-up, let alone with Han Mo's limited skill.
"Seventh Brother, you managed to connect it, but now how will others follow you?"
Zhao Kai also looked at Han Mo with a smile.
Even Han Mo had to admire this fellow's ability to read people. It was truly outstanding!
He had been forced into this situation from the start, and with Zhao Kai's groundwork, even if he couldn't match it, it wouldn't be too embarrassing.
"I really have no choice. If anyone's to blame, it's Sixth Brother!"
Zhao Xu smiled and directly shifted the blame to Zhao Qi.
"Your Highnesses, you don't need to say anymore. This humble one admits defeat!"
Han Mo stood up with a straightforward demeanor. Given their game, it would be a miracle if he could come up with a matching line.
"Hahahaha, Brother Mo speaks frankly. Get him a larger cup!"
Zhao Kai laughed heartily, stepping in to smooth things over.
Hearing Zhao Kai's call, servants immediately came over and replaced Han Mo's cup with a bamboo-jointed one.
Looking at the enormous cup, Han Mo's mouth twitched.
It was a good thing the wine they were drinking was as weak as beer, otherwise, he would have been completely drunk.
"Isn't this a bit too big? Brother Mo, don't listen to them. Aren't you guys bullying him?"
Seeing Han Mo's dark expression, Zhao Shu smiled and tried to extricate him.
"How can that be? Aunt, you can't be biased!"
Zhao Gou quickly said.
"Hahahaha, a true man stands by his word. What's wagered must be paid. I'll drink it!"
Regardless of anything else, Han Mo couldn't lose face in front of these princes.
He stood up with a resolute air, picked up the massive cup, and downed it in one go.
"Good!"
Seeing Han Mo drink so heroically, the princes all cheered in unison.
"Brother Mo, now that you've had your drink, according to our rules, you still owe us a short poem. Shall we give you the time it takes for an incense stick to burn?"
Finally seizing the opportunity, Han Shu did not hesitate and delivered his critical blow.
Han Mo, that big oaf, might be fine at martial arts, but when it came to writing poems, it was best to forget about it.
"That won't be necessary. It's just that this wine is too light. Without some strong liquor, it's hard for the words in my heart to be expressed freely!"
Looking at his feigned expression, Han Mo laughed heartily.
"Hahaha, it seems Brother Mo is feeling inspired today. Someone, bring out that jar of imperial wine bestowed by His Majesty!"
Han Jiayan's eyes gleamed with surprise as he looked at Han Mo.
The servants, hearing Han Jiayan's command, immediately brought out a jar of wine wrapped in yellow silk.
"Thank you, Grand Uncle, for the wine! This humble one has acted foolishly before. Recalling the might of our ancestors and my own unworthy actions, my heart is filled with remorse. Therefore, I have composed this 'Poem of Breaking the Formation'! Today, I humbly ask for your esteemed critiques!"
Before the servants could open the seal, Han Mo directly took the jar, broke the mud seal, and took a large gulp directly from the mouth of the jar before speaking.
"If that is the case, then we shall listen attentively! But Brother Mo, you must be careful. If your composition is not good, it will not count!"
Han Shu said with a cold smile.
"In wine, I sharpen my sword by the lamp; in dreams, I hear the bugles at the camp!"
As soon as these two lines were spoken, Han Jiayan, who had been watching the spectacle, was instantly stunned.
Even Han Shu was dumbfounded. The opening two lines alone exuded such power and momentum.
Could this be something this fellow could have written?
"Eight hundred li, the troops are feasted; the fifty strings sing of the borderlands, autumn soldiers are mustered."
Han Mo took large gulps of wine, then exhaled a breath of liquor and shouted loudly!
"Hiss—"
Han Jiayan almost pulled out his own beard. Was this something this fellow could have written?
"Excellent poem!"
Zhao Kai's eyes also gleamed with surprise. This was truly an unexpected delight!
His initial intention in recruiting Han Mo was for other reasons, but he had never expected this fellow to be capable of composing such a magnificent and powerful poem!
"The horse like Di Lu, swift as lightning; the bow like thunder, the arrow a startling cry!"
To be fair, this imperial wine was significantly better than the others.
Its alcohol content was likely around thirty percent. At this moment, Han Mo was already feeling about sixty to seventy percent drunk.
His speech had already begun to slur slightly.
"A good line, indeed. But with this line, if there isn't a stroke of genius, this poem will be ruined! Let's see how he can round it off."
Although Zhao Kai's literary talent wasn't world-shattering, being part of the royal family and favored by the calligraphy and painting emperor meant he certainly had a discerning eye for poetry.
"I wonder if this isn't just copied from somewhere?"
Han Shu, beside him, dug his fingernails into his flesh. He could never have imagined that Han Mo, usually a simpleton, would be able to write such lines today.
Seeing that even Zhao Kai was praising it so highly, he couldn't help but blurt out.
"To fulfill the emperor's ambition for the realm, and win fame in life and after death."
As soon as Han Shu's words fell, Han Mo tilted his head back, took a few more gulps of wine, and almost roared out the lines.
"This..."
At this moment, the entire hall fell silent.
Though these princes couldn't compose great poems, they had the ability to appreciate them. Anyone could tell that this peerless poem was still building momentum.
The final half-sentence, yet to be uttered, was likely the true stroke of genius.
"Crack—"
After drinking the last drop of wine from the jar, Han Mo unceremoniously threw the wine jar to the ground.
"Alas, white hair grows!"
"To fulfill the emperor's ambition for the realm, and win fame in life and after death, alas, white hair grows..."
Han Jiayan, who had been watching the spectacle, suddenly muttered as if in a dream. As he spoke, tears began to stream down his face uncontrollably...