usatvline Chapter 15: Birthday Poem
Chapter 15: Birthday Poem
Emperor Yonglong glanced at him disdainfully and said, "You were so ugly as a child that even a dog would find you ugly. What gives you the right to say that Zong-ge'er looks like you?"
Upon hearing this, Prince Zhongshun's face fell, and he pleaded:
"Father, all my nephews and nieces are watching. Can't you at least give your son some face?"
His words made everyone burst into laughter, and the room was filled with a joyful atmosphere.
Emperor Yonglong's positive emotions +1 +1 +1
Prince Chungjang's positive emotions +1 +1 +1
……
Prince Chungshun's positive emotions +1 +1 +1
Crown Prince's negative emotions +1 +1 +1
Xia Chengxu's negative emotions +1 +1 +1
Loyal Prince's negative emotions +1 +1 +1
Xia Chengli's negative emotions +1 +1 +1
Xia Chengzong watched all of this with a smile on his face.
Some people laugh genuinely, while others fake it; those who fake a laugh are not truly happy.
This scene amused him.
I gave away a pair of glasses and earned a robe and several hundred emotion points.
I have to say, these glasses were such a great value as a gift!
If I could do it again, I could probably accumulate another thousand emotion points, enough to exchange for another supernatural power.
The crown prince, the fourth prince, the sixth prince, and other princes were extremely resentful.
They originally intended to trick the little guy and make him look bad in front of his father.
That way, his father would no longer love him so much.
Unexpectedly, this backfired, and the little guy ended up winning the prize!
That robe was a tribute from the Zhenzhen Kingdom.
Peacock feathers must be collected from peacocks that have been raised for more than five years, have good shape, and bright colors, and are harvested in March or April each year.
The kingfisher feathers used in the kingfisher feather inlay are twisted into blue-green silk threads, creating a shimmering, ethereal effect.
The gold foil was hammered into a foil and wrapped around the silk thread, making it dazzling and eye-catching.
The lining is made of soft fur from the armpits of black fox, light and warm like clouds.
It took the entire nation of Zhenzhen three years to produce this one robe, which is only enough to make a child's robe.
The Crown Prince, the Fourth Prince, the Sixth Prince, and other princes who were vying for the throne all requested this robe from Emperor Yonglong for the sake of their offspring.
In their eyes, this was no longer just a robe, but a symbol of power.
Emperor Yonglong hesitated and didn't give it to anyone, but unexpectedly, he gave it to that little guy today.
This made them dissatisfied and wary again.
The fourth and sixth brothers exchanged a glance, and the fourth brother gave the sixth brother a meaningful look.
The sixth prince nodded slightly, then stepped forward and said, "Today is Father Emperor's birthday, a joyous occasion."
"Why not have each of the younger generation write a poem to congratulate Father on his birthday?"
The fourth brother laughed and said, "That would be best. Birthday poems are inherently difficult to write and not easy to make stand out."
"In my opinion, let's not be so petty. Let's just let them express themselves without being bound by poetry or rhyme schemes."
The Crown Prince nodded and said, "Father has always enjoyed poetry and songs, so this is certainly a refined pursuit! What does Father think?"
Emperor Yonglong looked at his sons and pondered for a moment.
He was well aware that the princes' proposals were all aimed at Zong Ge'er.
They didn't believe that Zong Ge'er could write poetry, so they proposed writing poetry in public this time to expose him.
Once plagiarism is proven, Zong Ge'er's reputation will be ruined, and no matter how much I love him, it will be hard for me to love him anymore.
As the emperor, he naturally had the power to veto anything.
But can he protect someone once, and then protect them every time?
Who made him born into an imperial family?
Moreover, Emperor Yonglong felt that perhaps the poem was indeed written by Zong Ge'er.
Emperor Yonglong was also curious to see if he had any poetic talent.
Having considered this, Emperor Yonglong nodded and said, "Agreed!"
Upon hearing this, the princes were overjoyed.
However, they failed to notice that neither Prince Zhongzheng nor Prince Zhongshun were flustered at all.
The little ones even showed disdain on their faces.
Because they had all witnessed Zong Ge'er's extraordinary abilities firsthand.
In particular, when Prince Zhongshun was admiring the snow scene on the Great Wall, he heard Zong Ge'er recite half a poem inspired by the scenery, and he was immediately amazed.
He didn't believe that Zong Ge'er was inferior to his good nephews.
But the Crown Prince smiled and said, "In that case, Xu-ge'er, you shall be the first to compose a poem."
"Yes, Father."
Xia Chengxu stepped forward, pondered for a long time, and then began to recite:
"The purple clouds first dyed the dragon robe, and the crane rode to the Jade Pool to hold the jade cup."
Peacock feathers woven into longevity brocade, Qilin seal script shines in the heavens.
Ninefold grace bestowed by the immortals, five-colored cloud chariots circle the painted hall.
May you be as evergreen as the pine trees of Nanshan, and may your virtue be protected by the sun and moon for a thousand autumns.
Xia Chengzong couldn't help but glance at Xia Chengxu; his poem was truly mediocre.
But it was definitely not something he could write on the spot; it must have been a poem he had prepared beforehand.
Furthermore, the phrase "peacock feathers" clearly has a hidden meaning, suggesting that this guy is not convinced of his own abilities.
After Xia Chengxu finished reciting, princes and grandsons of the emperor quickly stepped forward to flatter him, praising his writing.
After Xia Chengxu, it was Xia Chengli's turn.
Xia Chengli pondered for a moment and then recited a poem:
"The dark sky shines brightly over the vermilion courtyard, and a crane rides down from the azure sky."
The pines and cypresses of Nanshan Mountain are lush and green in spring, while the waves of Beihai surge for millennia.
The stars revolve and shine brightly; the clouds part and the gates of heaven are adorned with rosy clouds.
The golden beast on the jade banquet table exhales light smoke, and the jade cups are filled with fine liquor.
The unicorn and the grasshopper, blessed by Heaven, listen to the sounds of flutes and pipes, and the dance of phoenixes and luan birds.
"May the immortal register of Magu grant us eternal life, witnessed by mountains and rivers."
This poem is also mediocre.
Well, it's difficult to write a particularly outstanding birthday greeting, especially since the speaker is a member of the royal family.
Therefore, this poem is quite rare.
After he finished writing, he was met with another round of applause.
After Xia Chengli, several adult princes also composed their own poems.
Although their poems and lyrics were quite mediocre, they were still quite well-written.
It's definitely not something that could be written on the spot.
It is clear that everyone had made preparations in advance, except for Prince Chung-cheng's family.
After everyone had finished writing, Xia Chengli looked at Xia Chengqian with a smile and said, "Brother Qian, we've set the stage; now it's your turn!"
Xia Chengqian stood up and said, "My brother and I are not good at poetry and can hardly compose anything, so we won't embarrass ourselves in front of others."
"Only my third brother is exceptionally intelligent and possesses remarkable literary talent; let him compose a poem on behalf of all of us brothers!"
Upon hearing this, Xia Chengzong stood up and said helplessly, "Brother, you're putting me on the spot! If I can't make something good, won't I lose face in public?"
Xia Chengqian chuckled and said, "We're all family, so even if you don't do well, no one will laugh at you."
"Besides, I know your abilities well; how could you not do it?"
Xia Chengzong said helplessly, "Since my elder brother has said so, I have no choice but to make up a poem."
"By the way, a few days ago my fifth uncle took me to climb the Great Wall to enjoy the snow scenery, and I happened to come up with half a poem."
"Now I have an inspiration, and I can complete it to celebrate my grandfather's birthday."
Prince Zhongshun clapped his hands and laughed, "When I heard half of your poem, I was immediately amazed."
"I was disappointed that there was no second half back then, but I never expected that you would complete it today."
"I'm curious how you're going to continue the second half. Read it aloud!"
Prince Zhongshun's words aroused everyone's curiosity, and they wanted to hear what kind of poem Xia Chengzong had written that day.