Chapter 90 - 84: Wielding the Jade Dragon to Die for the Lord

Chapter 90: Chapter 84: Wielding the Jade Dragon to Die for the Lord

The eyes of the officials behind him lit up as they looked at Zeng Anmin with anticipation.

The current Minister of the Ministry of Justice gently stroked his beard and sighed emotionally, "Indeed, even I couldn’t help but feel moved upon seeing such a scene. Zeng Liangjiang’s poetry once stirred all of Jiangnan; surely, his son already has a well-thought-out plan in mind!"

"Yes, I would also like to hear it," another official chimed in.

Seeing Zeng Anmin hesitate, a cold glint flashed through Prince Qi’s eyes. He looked down at Zeng Anmin from his towering height. "What? Your Majesty asked you to compose a poem. Are you unwilling?"

He thought, "Who is this musclehead...?" Zeng Anmin frowned, looking up at Prince Qi’s nearly ten-foot-tall frame. He could clearly sense a trace of hostility from this man.

His gaze shifted imperceptibly toward his father, hoping for a hint. Instead, he met his father’s expectant eyes. It was obvious that his father had absolute faith in his poetic talent.

After a brief moment of thought, Zeng Anmin understood his father’s intention. His performance today had already left a favorable impression on Emperor Jianhong and the officials. Emperor Jianhong’s desire to hear him compose a poem was merely out of spontaneous interest. If he wrote a good one, it would naturally make the Emperor regard him even more highly. If he wrote a poor one, it wouldn’t negatively affect anything.

With this in mind, Zeng Anmin no longer hesitated. His gaze was steady. "Anmin indeed has some ideas in mind. If it is poorly composed... I hope Your Majesty will not take offense."

"It does not matter!" Emperor Jianhong chuckled softly. He turned his gaze to the officials, his voice lingering. "Young people should naturally be full of vitality."

The remark seemed to come out of nowhere, but Zeng Anmin heard the underlying encouragement in it.

"Then Anmin will offer his humble attempt." Zeng Anmin gave a shy smile. Despite his modest words, his movements were graceful and confident. He bowed to Emperor Jianhong and the officials. "If it is not up to par, I ask everyone to just treat it as a joke."

"Haha, we are all ears." Hearing Zeng Anmin’s self-deprecating words, the officials smiled good-naturedly and watched him in quiet anticipation.

In the courtyard of the Eastern Palace, dozens of pairs of eyes were fixed on him.

TAP. Taking a step forward, Zeng Anmin began to pace around in a feigned display of deep thought. Suddenly, he stopped and slowly raised his head.

Seeing his actions, the officials held their breath, their eyes filled with anticipation. Zeng Anmin’s expression turned solemn as he slowly looked toward the horizon. In a serene voice, he recited the first lines:

"Black clouds press upon the city, threatening to crush it whole,

Armored troops gleam in the sun, opening like scales of gold."

It was only the beginning, yet the officials’ eyes were already dazed. As the most elite group of people in the Great Saint Dynasty, aside from Prince Qi and a few Martial Artists, the rest were all scholars overflowing with Literary Qi. They could tell the quality of a poem from just a single line.

This opening line instantly depicted the oppressive atmosphere of a battlefield. The word "press" vividly revealed the massive numbers and fierce momentum of the enemy forces, the vast disparity in strength between the two sides, and the dire situation of the defending soldiers. It perfectly matched the scene in the Illusion Array just moments ago, where the enemy forces were bearing down on the city.

The scene was entirely silent. In a courtyard of dozens of people, only Zeng Anmin was moving.

TAP. He took his second step, and everyone’s gaze followed his movements.

"Horn calls fill the air amidst the autumn hues,

On the frontier, spilled blood congeals into the night’s deep purple."

They wondered, "On the frontier? A frontier poem?" The Civil Servants’ expressions turned peculiar. His father also froze for a moment before a smile flickered in his eyes, looking at his eldest son with deep gratification. He thought, "Good boy, you’re sharp!"

At first listen, the meaning of these lines described the tragic and fierce battles of soldiers killing enemies on the frontier. It seemed to depict a completely different setting from the Illusion Realm that Zeng Anmin had just experienced.

Yet, that was exactly the most brilliant aspect of this poem—or rather, the sharpest trait of Zeng Anmin himself. What had he just experienced in the Illusion Array? A scene of rebels slaughtering their way into the Imperial City. The Imperial City was the facade of the Great Saint Dynasty, and by extension, His Majesty’s own face. The words "on the frontier," though setting the tone of the piece as a frontier poem, greatly preserved His Majesty’s dignity!

Sure enough, upon hearing the second couplet, Emperor Jianhong’s expression paused slightly before a smile surfaced. His left hand subconsciously raised to stroke his beard. The look he gave Zeng Anmin almost seemed to carry a hint of... doting affection!

Zeng Anmin remained quiet for a moment before taking two consecutive steps. He raised his head and looked at the crowd. Feeling the exceedingly friendly gaze of Emperor Jianhong, he breathed a quiet sigh of relief in his heart. He thought, "It seems I chose the right poem."

"Half-furled red flags approach the waters of Yi,

Heavy frost chills the war drums, their beats refuse to rise."

Following that, without a single pause.

TAP. Taking another two steps, he abruptly looked up at Emperor Jianhong standing there. His voice soared with unparalleled passion:

"To repay the favor bestowed upon the Gold Terrace,

I wield my Jade Dragon sword, willing to die for my Lord!"

SWISH! The breathing of everyone present hitched.

What was originally just an excellent frontier poem about slaying enemies instantly transformed into a patriotic masterpiece showcasing absolute loyalty to the sovereign and a resolute determination to serve the Court, all thanks to the grand finale of the last line!

After a brief silence, a burst of hearty laughter rang out. "Hahahaha! Good! Good! Excellent!"

Emperor Jianhong rarely had such joyful moments. Uncharacteristically, he praised it three times in a row.

As Emperor Jianhong’s laughter echoed, the officials were jolted back to their senses. They then looked at Zeng Anmin in utter disbelief. They thought, "Is this kid in front of us really only sixteen years old?"

They were all shrewd individuals. Even if they hadn’t understood why this boy wrote it as a frontier poem earlier, how could they not realize it now after seeing Emperor Jianhong’s exaggerated laughter?

Especially that final line, which masterfully pivoted the frontier poem into a declaration of loyalty and patriotism... It perfectly mirrored his performance within the Illusion Array! They thought, "This kid! How formidable!"

What was more...

"Good poem! A masterpiece for the ages! It will surely go down in history!"

Those who understood poetry were even more agitated, looking at Zeng Anmin with deep admiration. This single poem entirely expressed the lofty aspirations of a frontier minister!

Looking at the crowd, Zeng Anmin revealed a humble smile and quickly replied, "You flatter me. It is just a casual scribble; I hope you honorable lords do not disdain it."

The Crown Prince was so happy at this moment that he was about to faint. His chubby body trembled as if he had Parkinson’s disease. His round eyes were fixed intensely on Zeng Anmin, wishing he could just rush up right now, pull him into a tight embrace, and quote the Grand Ancestor: "Having Quan Fu by my side is like a fish finding water!"

However, he didn’t dare to do so just yet.

"Since you have passed the assessment, you will study alongside the Crown Prince from now on. Supervise the Crown Prince, and encourage each other," Emperor Jianhong said to Zeng Anmin, his voice filled with comfort.

Zeng Anmin was just about to bow and receive the decree when a voice suddenly rang out, "Your Majesty, this subject has something to say." This immediately drew everyone’s attention.

Zeng Anmin froze and looked toward the center of the courtyard. The person who spoke was none other than his own father, Zeng Shilin. He thought, "Dad, what are you doing...?"

"Oh? What does beloved Minister Zeng wish to say?" It was a rare joyous occasion for Emperor Jianhong, and he looked at Zeng Shilin with a smile.

His father’s face was stern. He bowed to Emperor Jianhong and spoke in a steady voice, "Your Majesty, the matter of appointing my son as the Crown Prince’s Tutor requires further consideration."

The moment these words came out, Emperor Jianhong’s smiling face shifted into a frown. He looked at Zeng Shilin indifferently and asked, "Why?"

His father took a deep breath, his gaze imperceptibly shooting a glance at Prince Qi in the courtyard before bowing deeply. "The date scheduled for my son’s Illusion Array assessment was not today." His voice was calm, yet it carried a faint trace of murderous intent.

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire courtyard fell into instant silence.

The activation of the Illusion Array had indeed been exactly as the Crown Prince described earlier. Was it a coincidence? Was Prince Qi’s son simply careless, or was it done on purpose? A true coincidence or a staged one?

The officials’ eyes grew solemn. In that moment, everyone’s gaze fell on the unconscious Wang Qianzhi in the center of the courtyard.

Meanwhile, Zeng Anmin secretly gave his father a thumbs-up. He thought, "As expected of my dad, brilliant! No, I need to provide an assist."

Zeng Anmin’s face suddenly filled with indignation. Bowing deeply to Emperor Jianhong, he said, "Your Majesty, this subject is feeling unwell. I fear I will disappoint Your Majesty’s goodwill for the role of the Imperial Tutor. I beseech Your Majesty to retract the decree!"

The implication of his words was obvious. Become the Imperial Tutor? No! I refuse. I still want to live a few more years.

Sure enough, as soon as these words left his mouth, Emperor Jianhong’s expression instantly darkened. He shot an unkind look toward the still unconscious Wang Qianzhi.