mtl008 Chapter 280 The King of Qin Also Wants to Write Couplets
Chapter 280 The King of Qin Also Wants to Write Couplets
"The sunset is infinitely beautiful, but it's nearing dusk. Where does this line of poetry come from?" This sudden voice startled Ying Wuyou. She quickly looked in the direction of the sound and saw the King of Qin walking steadily through the doorway. Ying Wuyou's heart tightened, and she hurriedly bowed respectfully to the King of Qin, her face showing delight as she asked, "Greetings, Father! May I ask what brings you here today?"
The King of Qin narrowed his eyes slightly, and asked with a half-smile, "What? Is it that I am not allowed to come here to visit my son?"
Ying Wuyou quickly smiled apologetically and said, "Father, you flatter me. I am overjoyed and honored that you have come to visit me in person!"
The King of Qin nodded, turned his gaze to Ying Wuyou, and asked again, "Where did that line 'The sunset is infinitely beautiful, but it is near dusk' come from? Why have I never heard of such a wonderful line before?"
Ying Wuyou's heart skipped a beat, and she inwardly groaned. She never imagined that her casual remark as she gazed at the blood-red setting sun would be overheard by the King of Qin. In an instant, countless thoughts raced through her mind. [Oh dear, what should I do? I can't very well tell Father that it's a famous line from the Tang Dynasty poet Li Shangyin's "Le You Yuan." No, no, I absolutely can't say that…]
After pondering for a moment, Ying Wuyou finally calmed himself and cautiously replied, "Father, I only happened to read an ancient book, and I found the meaning of this sentence profound, so I memorized it. As for the specific source, I really can't remember it very well anymore." After saying this, Ying Wuyou couldn't help but secretly breathe a sigh of relief, while secretly observing the King of Qin's reaction out of the corner of his eye, afraid that his explanation would not satisfy him.
Having heard Ying Wuyou's thoughts, the King of Qin naturally knew that it was nothing more than Ying Wuyou making things up. However, the King of Qin's heart couldn't help but stir, and he began to ponder inwardly: [What kind of dynasty was the Tang Dynasty?] For a moment, the King of Qin felt a surge of curiosity about those dynasties he had never heard of before.
However, he was also well aware that some questions were not suitable to be asked rashly. Therefore, the King of Qin simply nodded slightly without speaking, and instead turned his gaze to the bright red and eye-catching couplets in front of the doors of various rooms in Chaohua Palace, asking with great interest, "Are these what are called couplets?"
Upon seeing this, Ying Wuyou quickly nodded and replied, "That's right, Father, you are truly wise!"
Upon hearing this, the King of Qin raised the corners of his mouth slightly, and asked in a half-smile, "Oh? Then in your opinion, where exactly does my wisdom lie?"
Faced with the King of Qin's sudden question, Ying Wuyou was clearly unprepared and froze on the spot. After a long while, he came to his senses, forced a slightly embarrassed smile, and stammered, "Father, you have always been wise and sagacious, how could you not be wise?"
The King of Qin was displeased by these empty flattery words. Putting that aside, he asked curiously, "I've heard that this couplet was written by you?"
Upon hearing this, Ying Wuyou puffed out his chest and replied with considerable pride, "Your Majesty, I noticed that the atmosphere in the palace was too solemn and quiet as the year draws to a close, so I had a sudden inspiration to come up with these couplets to add some liveliness and joy. What do you think of these couplets, Your Majesty?"
The King of Qin slowly strolled to the couplet, his gaze fixed on the elegant, flowing characters. The first line read, "Good fortune throughout the year," the brushstrokes powerful and natural, like flowing clouds and water. The second line proclaimed, "Treasures from all directions enter the home," the ink rich and vibrant, each character seemingly imbued with boundless wealth and auspiciousness. The horizontal inscription, "Harmony in the family brings prosperity in all things," further enhanced the harmonious blend of strength and gentleness, conveying a warm and peaceful atmosphere.
The King of Qin's lips curled slightly into a faint smile as he said softly, "This is quite interesting." He then turned his gaze to the other couplets around him, examining them carefully. Each couplet had its own unique characteristics; some were written in elegant and graceful script, while others were bold and unrestrained, but all were imbued with a strong festive atmosphere.
After a moment of thoughtful silence, the King of Qin asked, "This does look quite festive. I wonder if there are any couplets left?"
Ying Wuyou, standing to the side, showed a hint of embarrassment and replied somewhat awkwardly, "Father, there aren't any left. Tenth Brother and the others took them all first."
Upon hearing this, the King of Qin nodded in understanding. After a moment's thought, he said, "Hmm, send me a few couplets tomorrow."
Upon hearing this, Ying Wuyou was momentarily speechless, taken aback by the King of Qin's words. After a long while, she regained her composure and quickly replied, "Yes, Your Majesty, I understand!"
The King of Qin seemed unconcerned by Ying Wuyou's reaction, continuing to examine the couplets with great interest. Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, he turned to Ying Wuyou and asked, "Who wrote these characters?"
Ying Wuyou quickly stepped forward, carefully examined the couplet in front of him, and after a moment's thought, replied, "Father, this is my tenth brother's handwriting."
The King of Qin nodded slightly and commented, "Hmm, not bad. But... didn't you write any couplets yourself?"
Faced with the King of Qin's sudden question, Ying Wuyou was slightly embarrassed. She explained, "I feel that my handwriting is still lacking, and I am afraid of making a fool of myself, so this time I only wrote some 'Fu' characters." As she spoke, she pointed to one of the 'Fu' characters, gesturing for the King of Qin to look at it.
The King of Qin's gaze fell on the round "Fu" character, his brows furrowing slightly, as if he had some difficulty expressing his thoughts. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke: "Bring me the red paper tomorrow; I wish to write the couplets myself."
Standing to the side, Ying Wuyou quickly replied, "Your subject obeys and will prepare the red paper to present to Father on time."
After a while, King Qin and Ying Wuyou had dinner together in Chaohua Palace. During the meal, Ying Wuyou mentioned with great interest, "This year was really rushed, and we didn't prepare in advance. If every household could put up couplets, the New Year would definitely be very lively!"
The King of Qin nodded slightly, indicating his agreement with Ying Wuyou's words, and then asked, "Is this couplet only to be posted during the New Year?"
Ying Wuyou quickly replied, "That's not the case. On joyous occasions like weddings, it's perfectly acceptable to put up couplets to enhance the auspicious atmosphere."
After listening, the King of Qin nodded again and instructed, "Tomorrow you need to prepare more red paper and distribute it to all the ministers in the court, so that they can take it back and paste it up with couplets. By next year's New Year, the common people should have a certain understanding and knowledge of couplets."
Ying Wuyou smiled and respectfully replied, "Father's considerations are thorough and far-sighted. Your subject will begin arranging this matter immediately tomorrow morning."
After dinner, the King of Qin and Ying Wuyou chatted casually for a while until night fell before the King got up and left.