The emperor’s majestic eyes fixed on Cao Feng, filled with warning.
“Cao Feng! If you continue to speak nonsense and make reckless remarks in court— It will be a capital offense!”
Cao Feng’s heart tightened instantly.
The pressure surged.
This emperor was ruthless and direct.
If he failed to satisfy him, his life would likely be forfeit.
At this point, he could only grit his teeth and push forward to the end.
“Your Majesty! I am not speaking nonsense!”
Cao Feng continued, “The so-called talents of the Esteemed Scholars Pavilion are nothing more than empty names. Aside from reciting poems and composing lyrics, they are practically useless! They cannot mount a horse to defend against enemies, nor can they bring blessings to the common people! They are famed as talents, yet their fame does not match reality!”
These words caused the civil officials to glare at him with murderous intent, as if they wished to devour him alive.
Vice Minister of Rites Pei Jun stared wide-eyed, full of indignation.
“Cao Feng! You crude brute! Forget composing poetry. You can’t even recognize basic characters. How dare you mock us as empty names!”
“That’s right!”
“You can’t even recognize large characters. What right do you have to insult us!”
“I say you are the real wastrel, the worst of wastrels!”
…
Led by Pei Jun, the officials launched a barrage of verbal attacks at Cao Feng, spittle flying.
The insults were vicious.
Damn.
Still not convinced?
Fine.
I’ll play along.
As a university student, I can recite the Three Hundred Tang Poems backward!
Today I will teach this group of so-called scholars a lesson!
“Who says I, Cao Feng, am a crude brute and incapable of composing poetry?”
Cao Feng’s gaze swept across the hall as he declared defiantly, “The poems and lyrics I compose are a thousand times superior to yours!”
The emperor frowned slightly.
Cao Feng was becoming unreasonable.
He knew the Cao family’s background well.
And now this playboy dared to boast that his poetry surpassed the learned scholars of the court by a thousandfold.
A mere dandy, yet so arrogant in court. He truly did not know the height of heaven or the depth of earth.
“Hahaha!”
After a brief moment of shock, the court erupted in laughter.
It sounded as if they had heard the greatest joke in the world.
“Preposterous!”
“What nonsense!”
If someone else had said it, the officials might have believed it somewhat.
But what was the Cao family?
To put it nicely, a military household.
To put it bluntly, a bunch of rough soldiers.
And Cao Feng dared to claim he could compose poetry better than them?
Ridiculous.
Was he not afraid of biting his own tongue with such boastful words?
Many officials wore mocking expressions.
The Second Prince was covered in dark lines.
The Cao family was close to him.
He had even considered stepping forward to speak on their behalf.
But Cao Feng had made the situation nearly impossible to salvage.
Cao Zhen now wished he could jump up and slap his unfilial son a few times to knock some sense into him.
“Cao Feng! You dare say in front of Your Majesty that your poetry surpasses ours by a thousandfold. Then compose a poem right now and let us witness it! If you fail, it will be a crime of deceiving the throne!”
With a few words, Pei Jun placed another heavy charge upon him.
“Heh.”
Cao Feng had already thrown caution to the wind.
“Vice Minister Pei! My poetry is priceless! You tell me to compose on command, and I must obey? On what grounds?”
His words drew disdainful smiles.
They assumed he was searching for a way to retreat gracefully.
The Sixth Prince shot Pei Jun a look.
Pei Jun nodded in understanding.
He would press father and son to the end.
“Cao Feng?”
Pei Jun raised an eyebrow. “Could it be you cannot compose anything at all?”
The emperor remained silent on the dragon throne, watching how this farce would conclude.
“Your Majesty.”
Cao Feng cupped his hands toward the emperor.
“Vice Minister Pei is forcing me to compose in court. I humbly request that Your Majesty serve as witness!”
A trace of cold amusement flashed in Cao Feng’s eyes as he spoke loudly, “If I, a so-called crude brute, compose a poem here in court— Then it will prove that Vice Minister Pei and others from the Esteemed Scholars Pavilion are merely empty names, unworthy of being called talents.”
“And I ask Your Majesty to pardon my act of burning the Esteemed Scholars Pavilion and my conflict with His Highness the Sixth Prince.”
The emperor sneered inwardly.
This little brat was calculating.
With a few words, he had lightly brushed aside the grave crimes of arson and assaulting a prince.
Since when did such bargains exist?
Yet seeing Cao Feng’s confident demeanor, the emperor felt a flicker of doubt.
Had this boy been hiding his abilities all along?
Still, he did not yield.
“First compose a poem in court to prove your words are not false. As for whether your crimes will be pardoned, I will decide.”
Cao Feng inwardly marveled.
Who says people of old were foolish?
The emperor’s words were airtight. He was not easy to fool.
All the officials stared at Cao Feng, eager to see how this playboy would escape.
The Sixth Prince and Pei Jun wore smug expressions.
They were waiting for him to embarrass himself.
A useless dandy who dared insult them and claim superiority in poetry.
Bah.
An insult to scholarship.
Cao Feng looked around at the assembly.
Facing gazes filled with pity, ridicule, indifference, and faint sympathy, he remained calm.
He stepped toward an elderly general with white beard and hair, frail yet dignified.
This was Li Xin, the highest-ranking military officer of the Great Qian Empire, a veteran of three reigns, Duke of Zhen, and General of Agile Cavalry of the First Rank.
Li Xin was highly respected, the stabilizing pillar of the Empire.
Even Cao Zhen had once served under him.
“Old Duke has spent his life on horseback, shedding blood for the Great Qian Empire, with illustrious achievements! I deeply admire you. Today, before Your Majesty and the entire court, I will compose a lyric for the Old Duke. Please accept it.”
Seated on an royal stool, Li Xin’s tiger-like eyes swept over Cao Feng. His lips twitched slightly.
A useless dandy dared to compose for him?
This yellow-haired youth could barely read. What kind of lyric could he produce?
Was he trying to ruin his lifelong reputation?
He was about to refuse.
But Cao Feng’s steady voice already rang through the hall.
“Drunk, I trim the lamp and gaze at my sword; in dreams, the horns sound through the camps.”
“Eight hundred miles share roasted meat among the troops; fifty strings resound with frontier songs.”
“On the autumn battlefield, troops are reviewed.”
His voice rose and fell with rhythm, as if transporting the court to a battlefield of iron and blood.
“Warhorses charge like lightning; bows thunder as strings snap.”
“To accomplish the sovereign’s great cause, to earn glory in life and after death—”
“Alas… white hair has grown.”
Silence.
The hall was so quiet a needle could be heard dropping.
The civil and military officials stood stunned.
Old Duke Li Xin stared at Cao Feng before him and slowly rose to his feet, his body trembling with emotion.