novelden Chapter 111 The Deer Cry Banquet Incident (Appointment of Official Titles)
Chapter 111 The Deer Cry Banquet Incident (Appointment of Official Titles)
At the exact hour of Xu (7-9 PM), the Deer Cry Banquet officially began, with the Empress, ministers, and newly appointed scholars all in place.
Feng Han sat high in the main seat, and perhaps affected by what had just happened, her expression remained serious throughout, causing the atmosphere to be somewhat somber, with most people not daring to easily provoke the Empress.
The sounds of string and wind instruments filled the hall, and a dozen scantily clad male dancers swayed to the music, attracting the attention of most of the women.
Lin Shu glanced at it curiously, but couldn't bear to look anymore; the men's affected movements were rather cringe-worthy.
Just as she was about to look away, she met the gaze of a young man in a dark red brocade robe diagonally opposite her. When the young man saw Lin Shu looking over, he glared at her fiercely, leaving Lin Shu completely confused.
The man had a handsome face with deep-set features. Beneath his sword-like eyebrows were a pair of deep-set eyes, a straight nose, thin lips, and a healthy wheat-colored complexion that complemented his red clothes perfectly, making him look very masculine.
She didn't even recognize him, so why was he glaring at her?
In a short while, she understood why. This person was Qin Shi, the youngest son of the Duke of Qin. She had offended him before, so of course he had to glare at her.
As soon as the male dancers withdrew, Qin Shi stood up and bowed to Feng Han, who was seated in the main seat. While seated, he hadn't noticed, but standing up, he realized that this man was taller than most men and had a somewhat rough voice.
"Your Majesty, I recently learned a dance. Would you like me to perform it for you?"
Upon hearing this, many people secretly criticized him for being vulgar and rude, daring to address His Majesty as "you" and "me."
Feng Han, however, did not take it to heart and agreed in a deep voice: "Granted."
Upon hearing this, Qin Shi moved to the center of the hall, took the sword presented by the servant, closed his eyes slightly, then slowly opened them, made a starting gesture, and immediately began to wield the sword. His movements were steady and powerful, expansive and sweeping, not like sword dancing, but like going into battle to kill enemies.
When the dance ended, everyone around was speechless and involuntarily moved back a little.
Feng Han took a few seconds to come to her senses, and said somewhat awkwardly, "Hahaha! Truly, like mother, like son! Duke Qin has indeed raised a fine son! Haha, reward him!"
Duke Qin almost covered his face, thinking to himself that with this boy's behavior, probably no one would dare to marry him.
However, Qin Shi was completely unaware of this, and at this moment he was bowing to express his gratitude: "Thank you for your reward, Your Majesty."
After saying that, he looked in the direction of Lin Shu and said, "I have heard that the newly appointed top scholar Lin Shu is a person who is proficient in both literature and martial arts. Why not have her compose a poem on the spot and then perform a sword dance to entertain everyone?"
Lin Shu felt quite helpless when she was suddenly called out. She knew that glare wasn't for nothing.
Seeing everyone's gaze turn to her, she slowly stood up and softly replied, "Then I shall make a fool of myself!"
After saying that, she walked lightly to the center, took the sword that Qin Shi had just danced with, and casually twirled it a few times.
As she began to dance with her sword, Lin Shu lightly flicked the tip of her sword, like a dragonfly skimming the water, the sword light drawing several graceful arcs in the air.
Just then, melodious zither music suddenly filled the hall. Lin Shu turned around and saw:
An iris lute appeared in front of Ji Heng without him noticing, and his slender, fair fingers gently plucked the strings. Under the moonlight, it was incredibly beautiful!
Seemingly noticing Lin Shu's gaze, he raised his head and looked back with a faint smile...
Lin Shu snapped out of her reverie and, accompanied by the music of the zither, wielded her sword with perfect precision, neither lacking in strength nor grace; each movement was imbued with poetic beauty, as if she were not wielding a sword but rather painting a flowing scroll.
The melodious music and the unrestrained sword dance complemented each other perfectly, as if they were born with a tacit understanding.
As the last note faded away, Lin Shu drew a circle in the air with the tip of her sword before smoothly sheathing it.
Everyone present was captivated by the two's exquisite coordination, and they all thought to themselves: This is true sword dance! Just now, the young master of the Qin family fought like he was going into battle, which was terrifying to watch!
"Excellent! Excellent!" Feng Han clapped, interrupting everyone's thoughts: "I never expected that Scholar Lin's sword dance and the Ji family boy's 'General's Command' would complement each other so well. A reward!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Lin Shu and Ji Heng replied in unison.
Seeing Lin Shu return to her position, Qin Shi was still unwilling to give up. He was about to retort when he heard:
"The splendor of this prosperous era shines upon the imperial palace, and the elegant banquet, where the deer call, gathers the wise and virtuous. Let us temporarily forget our troubles and enjoy this magnificent time together."
Lin Shu's clear, cool voice echoed in the hall, the air seemed to freeze for a moment before someone exclaimed in amazement at the poem!
Upon hearing this, Feng Han's expression softened slightly, and he said loudly, "As expected of the top scholar personally selected by me!"
"The top scholar, Lin Shu." Feng Han's voice echoed in the hall, authoritative and solemn:
"Your policy proposals are insightful and unique, which I greatly appreciate. I hereby bestow upon you the position of Hanlin Academician of the fifth rank. I hope that you will assist the government with your literary skills and serve the country with your talents, so as not to disappoint my expectations."
The audience was in an uproar. All the previous top scholars had only received the position of Hanlin Compiler of the sixth rank. How could Lin Shu have the merit to jump three ranks?
Before anyone could figure it out, Lin Shu had already walked to the front of the hall, knelt down and thanked the emperor: "Your subject Lin Shu thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness."
Feng Han nodded slightly and continued:
"Chen Jin, the second-place scholar. I have read your essays, and every sentence is exquisite; you are truly a shining light in the literary world. I hereby bestow upon you the position of Director of Studies at the Imperial Academy, a sixth-rank official, hoping that you will use your educational talents to cultivate future generations and nurture talents for the nation."
"Your subject Chen Jin thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness. In the future, I will do my utmost to educate future generations and cultivate more pillars of talent for Fengming."
Chen Jin hurriedly knelt down, his voice tinged with excitement.
Finally, the emperor's gaze fell upon Qi Min:
"Qi Min, the third-ranked scholar, is exceptionally talented, excelling in poetry, prose, and song with elegant and ornate language. He is hereby granted the position of Prefect of Jingzhao, a sixth-rank official, and is expected to serve the people of the capital with an upright heart."
Qi Min's smile froze instantly. What exactly did His Majesty mean by this? Although the Prefect of Jingzhao held some real power, he was actually the person with the least say in the capital city with so many officials.
Moreover, Lin Shu's position as a Hanlin Academician is a position close to the emperor, and Chen Jin bears the heavy responsibility of educating the children of noble families, while he alone...
Minister Qi Xin seemed to have grasped Feng Han's intentions and gave Qi Min, whose face was not looking good, a wink. Qi Min quickly thanked her.
"Your subject Qi Min thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness. I will certainly live up to your expectations and work for the well-being of the people."
Feng Han nodded slightly, a satisfied smile appearing on her face:
"I know you all have ambitions, but I must also remind you that the path to officialdom is arduous and cannot be achieved overnight. You must guard against arrogance and impetuosity, study diligently and never stop, and only by possessing both virtue and talent can you establish yourself in the court."
He paused, then named a few more officials, and finally his gaze swept over everyone again:
"My beloved ministers, you are all pillars of the nation of Fengming. I hope you will remember your original aspirations and live up to your mission! No matter what position you hold, you must always put the country first and the people first."
The officials and newly appointed scholars present all knelt down and responded loudly: "Your Majesty, we will obey your will and will certainly live up to your trust."
Upon hearing this, Feng Han slowly stood up and waved for everyone to rise: "Alright, the banquet is over for today. Let's disperse!"
"Farewell to Your Majesty."
After Feng Han left, the group also left in twos and threes, seemingly discussing the matter of bestowing official titles. The Empress's mind is hard to fathom, but Lin Shu has probably already caught her eye.
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