Chapter 41

Chapter 41: Something’s Not Quite Right

“Pengda, we should head over now, Pengda.”

In the evening, Pengda arrived at Xiao Chun Courtyard to pick up Ming.

“I’m coming,” Ming replied, then said something to Mother before stepping out of the courtyard.

Upon leaving Xu Mansion, a dedicated carriage was already waiting to take them.

Inside the carriage, Pengda was still reading The Analects, looking rather nervous.

Ming: “Big Brother Three, there’s no need to be so tense. There isn’t much time left to read anyway.”

Pengda scratched his head: “That’s true, but I just want to read as much as I can, to make up for the gap with the others.”

Jingchun glanced at some scholars from Wu Kingdom; they all seemed to be glancing in one direction.

“Your Majesty, this is a secret report from Tingfeng Pavilion.” Wei quickly presented it.

The basic rule of Flower Poetry Relay is to determine a starting line from a poem or ci, which must include a specific character or word.

Inside the Yangxin Palace, Wei hurriedly entered and knelt beside the Emperor of Wu.

A book boy like Ming has no right to sit properly and could only sit beside Pengda.

“Your Majesty.”

One by one, dishes were served by maidservants and placed in front of everyone.

Within less than half an incense stick’s burn, the Qi Kingdom envoy group had taken their seats.

Seeing the food in front of him, Pengda almost drooled, but because Little Brother Five couldn’t eat, he felt it inappropriate to eat himself and didn’t pick up his chopsticks.

Especially when it came to a scholar from Qi taking his turn, this scholar said, “I’m a bit thirsty, let me punish myself with a cup first,” then drank a cup and recited his line, mocking them.

However, the scholars of Wu couldn’t retaliate; if they got angry, it would be even more embarrassing.

Finally, the Emperor of Wu smiled:

“Of the Qi Envoy Group, aside from Jingchun and those two prodigies, these young ones have no prominent reputation in Qi. None of the top talents among Qi’s younger generation are here.

But Mochi brought the most renowned youths of our Wu Kingdom.

According to tradition, the host must arrive at Sifang Pavilion first and then invite the guests.

“Don’t keep us in suspense.” The Emperor picked up his teacup and took a sip.

“Who knows?” Ming shook his head.

It must be said, these dancers truly performed beautifully. Ming thought they were far better than the dance clips he used to watch online in his previous life.

After the dance ended, everyone discussed potential future collaborations between Wu and Qi, such as students from Wu studying in Qi and exchanges between academies of both kingdoms.

Who would care about a mere book boy?

The Emperor’s concubine Hua, dressed in a light sleeping gown, was serving tea to the Emperor.

“Yes,” Wei nodded, then his eyes lit up as he instantly understood the Emperor’s meaning, “This servant will immediately check if Xu Ming was present at the banquet!”

As the Flower Poetry Relay began, Ming noticed that apart from Mochi, the scholars of Wu kept drinking heavily, their faces turning increasingly red.

This dinner wasn’t about sitting around a table eating but instead involved sitting on the ground with small tables in front of them.

Ming also wanted to see what this so-called ‘Born Literary Courage’ looked like.

“Oh…” Pengda, who always listened to Ming, nodded.

When Ming and Pengda arrived, the reception party was complete, and the attendants invited the Qi Kingdom envoy group over.

As a result, these guys were being continuously forced to drink!

“Who knew?” Wei asked, having followed the previous emperor since childhood and now serving this emperor for ten years. “What do you think about this matter?”

Seated at the upper seat, the elder Mr. Fang from Qi sipped his wine calmly, sensing something was off but unable to pinpoint what exactly.

The losers would have to drink as punishment.

Still, none of the people seated wanted to lose face representing their nation.

Ming shook his head: “The more you read now, the more it’ll disrupt your focus. Big Brother Three, believe in yourself and give it your best shot.”

The direction where that little fat man sat, next to him was a book boy.

Since the banquet started, he’d been waiting for news.

Typically, the relay starts with the initial line and continues until no new lines can be added. If someone cannot continue, they lose the game.

Wei’s forehead dripped with cold sweat as he carefully organized his words and responded cautiously: “There’s… something not quite right. Even if our literary scene isn’t as strong as Qi’s top tier, our youths shouldn’t lose so badly.”

“Not just ‘not quite right,'” the Emperor rubbed his eyes, “What exactly is Mochi up to behind my back?”

The way to respond in the relay is to follow the sequence and say lines containing the specific character or word. These lines can be from complete poems or ci, or just parts of sentences.

As for that book boy…

The Emperor flipped through the report, carefully reading the rough account of the banquet.

Later, when conversation dwindled, a scholar from Qi suggested they play Flower Poetry Relay.

Not long after, the carriage gradually stopped, and Pengda and Ming entered Sifang Pavilion under the guidance of an attendant.

Among the guests, the atmosphere on the Qi side was filled with joy and relaxation, while every member on the Wu side appeared flushed red—not just from drinking, but also from anger and embarrassment.

Mr. Fang glanced at Mochi beside him. Mochi noticed Mr. Fang’s gaze, gave a faint nod, and returned a smile.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, the Emperor raised his head, his eyes narrowing: “Wei, during the banquet, didn’t the Xu family’s kid and the son of the Minister of Rites each bring a book boy?”

The Concubine Hua beside him sensed the Emperor’s foul mood and became anxious, fearing she might get caught in the crossfire.

Ming felt as if warning signals echoed repeatedly in his ears—”Warning,” “Warning.”

At the banquet, the adults chatted about poetry, interesting stories of scholars, and who wrote a good article while eating.

Dancers came to perform and warm up the atmosphere.

“Hey…” The Emperor looked at the tightly shut doors for a long time before involuntarily laughing out loud:

“This Mochi!”

“This Mochi!”