Chapter 28: “Stopping War" Poetry Gathering
Fang Chen did not send Goddess Xiao away from the capital, but instead, reached an agreement with her.
She changed into the attire of a maid, disguised herself with a slight makeover, and pretended to be Fang Chen's maidservant as they went over to the Grand Xia River.
There was a poetry gathering taking place, and scholars from the Guhe, Longdu, and Yizhou empires would be present. The young scholars and ladies from various families in the Grand Xia capital city were also attending.
The host of the poetry gathering was none other than the crown prince.
The theme of the gathering was “Stopping War”; an obvious implication for the call for peace between the various empires.
"Haha. You guys really love composing poetry when you have nothing better to do. When the people of Qingsong have a bit of spare time, they practice more martial arts." Goddess Xiao looked at the scene with an air of mockery.
Fang Chen smiled but did not respond.
Along the Grand Xia River, hundreds of scholars and young ladies were gathered together, each reciting their own piece. There didn’t seem to be a set topic. Some praised the beautiful mountains and rivers, and others criticized the current state of affairs of the empires.
While most of the people gathered here were scholars, many of them also practiced martial arts. But they were limited to the Qi Condensation Stage. It was hard to find a Qi Detonation martial artist among them.
Initially, nobody noticed Fang Chen when he arrived. However, as he gradually moved toward the center of the crowd, someone finally spotted him.
"Fang Chen?!"
"Why would he come to the poetry gathering!?"
"Why is a martial artist attending a poetry gathering? Could he be here to kill someone? Even Li Huang died at his hands a few days ago!”
“Brother Li had excellent literary knowledge and a promising future. Unfortunately, he offended this martial artist and died young. What a pity!"
Whispers spread among the crowd.
Most scholars did not have a favorable opinion of Fang Chen. When he was defeated five years ago, they were among the harshest of critics.
Even though Fang Chen has recovered his cultivation, he was forever barred from entering the court and leading the army, thus losing his political power.
They eyed him with disdain; without his political power, he was just another martial artist.
"Why is he here?" Ye Qinghe’s brow furrowed when he saw Fang Chen in the distance. Several young scholars and ladies of distinguished status were standing beside Ye Qinghe.
"The 'Stopping War' poetry gathering will be held today. What is the most heinous criminal in Grand Xia doing here? He's tarnishing the atmosphere!" A youth with a jade-like face sneered.
He was Tao Yu, the son of the minister of rites. He was a renowned scholar in the capital city favored by the crown prince. Together with Ye Qinghe, they were collectively known as the literary and martial guardians of the crown prince.
"Brother Tao, let's go and meet this guy," Ye Qinghe said with a smile.
Tao Yu arrogantly smiled. "Sure."
The group headed toward Fang Chen.
Seeing this, the surrounding scholars and young ladies also followed suit.
"If it isn’t Divine General Fang? I didn't expect to see him at today’s poetry gathering. Perhaps he’s here to enlighten us on poetry?" said Tao Yu sarcastically as he approached Fang Chen.
The crowd chuckled.
It was well-known that Fang Chen had never participated in any poetry gathering before. Much less being a scholar, he had not even studied much. Since young, he had spent most of his days in the military. So, it went without saying that any random person here could educate him on poetry.
Hearing Tao Yu's mocking words, Goddess Xiao felt a little intrigued. How would Fang Chen respond to such a situation? Would he draw his sword like he would on the battlefield?
"If he kills all these people, it would be quite entertaining." A playful smile flashed in Goddess Xiao's eyes.
"Who are you?" Fang Chen looked at Tao Yu, a thoughtful expression on his face.
Tao Yu was slightly stunned as he did not expect that Fang Chen would not be able to recognize him. The smile on his face froze, and the scholars and young ladies around him exchanged glances in confusion.
"Fang Chen, you don't even know the number one scholar in the capital, Tao Yu? Well, it’s not that surprising, seeing that you only know how to fight,” Ye Qinghe interjected to smooth things over for Tao Yu, and at the same time, took the opportunity to mock Fang Chen.
As if he had been hit with realization, Fang Chen said, "Oh, so you're the number one scholar in the capital of Grand Xia. I’ve had some free time on my hands lately, and I heard that the crown prince is holding a poetry gathering here, so I wanted to join. You know, have a bit of fun. Practicing poetry every once in a while sure brings a refreshing feeling to one’s mind.”
Hearing that Fang Chen came here to have fun, the hostility in the eyes of the people present diminished slightly. At least, he seemed to have some self-awareness.
Moreover, the fact that the former Divine General was going to participate in today’s poetry gathering added considerable value to the event.
Seeing that the situation was progressing in a civilized manner, Goddess Xiao grew disappointed.
"What's the matter? Am I not welcome here?” Fang Chen smiled.
"How can that be? You used to scoff at the mention of poetry in the past, but it looks like you have changed your views after several years of reflection!” Tao Yu waved his sleeves with a smile. "Divine General Fang, please take a seat!"
Those who could sit in this section were all extraordinary individuals.
Fang Chen smiled and chose a seat casually. He sat down and looked around. "Why isn't the crown prince here?"
"The crown prince went to invite Fairy Yu over," Ye Qinghe said calmly.
Upon hearing the name "Fairy Yu," many eyes lit up in unison. Everyone knew that the most famous woman in the capital of Great Xia was the ethereal Fairy Yu from the Jade Immortal Boat. It was impossible for ordinary people to meet her even if they were willing to sacrifice everything they had.
"Even a frivolous woman like her wishes to participate in today's poetry gathering?" a female scholar muttered, expressing her discontent. However, as the poetry gathering was hosted by the crown prince, they dared not show their dissatisfaction openly.
At that moment, a group of people approached from a distance.
Ye Qinghe and others stood up to greet them. The person who came was none other than the crown prince, but the gazes of people couldn’t help but be drawn to the person next to him.
"It really is Fairy Yu!"
“Her countenance is truly beautiful. In Grand Xia... No, even in the Qingsong, Guhe, Longdu, Yizhou and all the other empires, there might not even be a woman who can compare to her!” someone muttered.
The sight of the beautiful visage of Fairy Yu captivated the many scholars from the various other empires.
Hearing that, Goddess Xiao's face revealed a cold smile, and she quietly observed Fairy Yu. She was unwilling to believe in such biased praise.
However, when she saw Fairy Yu’s face, amazement flickered her eyes. There’s actually such a perfect woman in this world. Her appearance is akin to that of an immortal, Goddess Xiao was secretly shocked
"Fairy Yu, your presence alone makes today’s poetry gathering perfect," the crown prince said with a soft laugh, then scanned the surroundings. When his eyes found Fang Chen, he calmly retracted his gaze.
Fairy Yu also noticed Fang Chen and a faint smile appeared on her face as she said, “Your Highness is exaggerating. It’s an honor for me to participate in the gathering today.”
The crown prince chuckled, and as he glanced at Fairy Yu’s side profile, nigh-imperceptible lust flashed in his eyes.
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