Chapter Thirty-Nine: Let Us Exchange Couplets Then

He looked at Xie Ning, gritted his teeth, and said nothing more.

He knew that arguing at this moment was entirely meaningless. What he needed to do was prove himself in the remaining rounds of the competition, even though the likelihood of that had become vanishingly small.

Seeing the tension temporarily subside, the Empress Dowager cleared her throat and spoke again.

"Since that is the case, let us begin the second round." Her gaze swept across the room. "This second round will be a contest of composition—a *fu*. The theme shall be the Great Qi Empire, and as before, the time limit is one stick of incense."

A *fu*, or rhapsody, is distinct from poetry. Poetry prizes imagery and conciseness, while a *fu* demands grandeur, ornate language, and elaborate structure. A fine *fu* requires profound literary depth and a masterful command of historical allusion. The Empress Dowager’s choice of topic was nothing short of malicious. In her view, while Xie Ning might possess a certain cleverness for poetry and could craft fresh, unconventional lines, he was ultimately an unlearned, dissolute playboy who would surely be exposed when faced with a form that demanded true substance.

Yuwen Yue, however, was the son of a Chancellor. He had been well-versed in the classics, histories, and literature since childhood. Composition was his forte. This round was his to win.

Sure enough, upon hearing the topic, a spark of vitality returned to Yuwen Yue’s eyes. He felt as though he had regained his footing. He took a deep breath and bowed respectfully to the Empress Dowager. "As you command."

He turned, returned to his desk, spread out a fresh sheet of rice paper, and ground his ink. His expression became solemn, his gaze sharpened. He would use a masterpiece of sweeping, timeless prose to defend his final shred of dignity.

On the other side, Xie Ning remained as languid as ever. He did not even leave his seat, merely beckoning to Taohua once more. "Trouble you for another cup of tea. Make this one a bit hotter."

The crowd had become somewhat numb to his behavior. It seemed that aside from drinking tea, the man was incapable of doing anything else. Yet, this time, no one dared to underestimate him; the lessons of the previous round were still fresh in their minds. Everyone held their breath, waiting to see what earth-shattering work this contemporary "Poetry Immortal" would produce.

However, this time, Xie Ning provided no such surprise. He simply sat there in silence, sipping his tea.

Not a single word was spoken.

Time ticked away. The incense in the burner grew shorter and shorter. Yuwen Yue, meanwhile, was completely immersed in his creation. Beneath his brush, ornate phrases and majestic sentences poured forth.

"Great Qi, founded in the East, bearing the mandate of Heaven to nourish all life..." he whispered as he wrote. The grandeur and passion of his words made the blood of the surrounding scholars boil. Everyone knew that a masterpiece destined for the history books was about to be born.

Finally, at the very last moment before the incense burned out, Yuwen Yue set down his brush. He exhaled a long breath, a weary yet satisfied smile appearing on his face. He stood up and held the thousands-word rhapsody high.

"Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, I have finished!" His voice was slightly hoarse, but filled with unprecedented confidence. He believed this *Rhapsody of the Great Qi Empire* was undoubtedly the greatest work of his life. He did not believe that Xie Ning could win this time!

All eyes focused on the long scroll in his hands.

However, at that very moment, Xie Ning stood up. He looked at Yuwen Yue, then glanced at Li Qingning beside him. Then, in a very casual tone, he announced to everyone present:

"For this second round, I concede."

What? Concede?

When these words were uttered, the entire venue fell into a deathly silence. Xie Ning was actually conceding? Was he truly incapable, or was he so absolutely confident that he could win the third round? Even Li Qingning was stunned, looking at Xie Ning beside her with a blank expression.

As for Yuwen Yue, after a brief moment of shock, he erupted in ecstasy. He conceded! He actually conceded! What did this mean? It meant that Xie Ning did not know how to compose a *fu* at all. He had just been bluffing. He was nothing but a good-for-nothing who could only write nonsensical verse.

"I won. I've turned the tables. Hahahaha!"

He felt like shouting to the heavens to vent his excitement and triumph. However, before he could revel for too long, Xie Ning turned to the Empress Dowager and the entire assembly, saying loudly, "Since I have conceded the second round, may I choose the topic for the third?"

The chaotic scene quieted instantly. Every eye was fixed upon him once more. He wanted to choose the topic for the third round? What was this Xie Ning up to?

Xie Ning looked at their bewildered expressions and smiled. The smile was brilliant and wicked.

"For the third round, I will not write poems, nor will I write a *fu*." He paused, then said, word by word, "I wish to compose a couplet. I will provide the first line, and Young Master Yuwen shall provide the second—no, all of you may assist Young Master Yuwen in finding the second line. Whoever among you can match it, I shall consider myself defeated."

Once these words were spoken, the entire Imperial Garden fell into an eerie silence. Everyone seemed to have had their throats constricted, unable to make a sound. The third round, choosing his own topic, refusing to write poetry or prose, and instead challenging them to a couplet competition? What kind of tactic was this?

The crowd exchanged bewildered glances, their minds filled with questions. While couplets were a refined pastime for scholars, they were, in the end, a minor art form, hardly fit for a formal competition. The scholars and Confucian masters present might indulge in them for amusement, but who would treat them as a serious test?

Moreover, Xie Ning was so arrogant as to let Yuwen Yue and all the other scholars present join forces? If they could match his line, he would lose? This was no longer just arrogance; this was trampling everyone’s pride into the dirt.

"Preposterous!"
"Arrogant! This brat is far too arrogant!"
"Who does he think he is? A mere couplet, and he dares to challenge us masters with it!"

After the brief silence, the column of scholar-officials exploded. They felt their dignity being repeatedly humiliated by Xie Ning until nothing remained.

Yuwen Yue’s face, which had regained some color after winning the previous round, turned ash-gray once more. He glared at Xie Ning, his teeth chattering together. He knew that Xie Ning was deliberately humiliating him and every scholar present. Yet, he found himself unable to retort.

Because Xie Ning’s victory in the first round had been too shocking, too thorough. So much so that now, whatever Xie Ning said or did, in the eyes of the crowd, carried a sense of profound mystery. Could it be that even in this simple couplet, some earth-shattering secret lay hidden?