Volume One, Chapter Eight: The Overjoyed Emperor Chu

If Su Ming maintained such arrogance, should he fail to claim first place when the rankings were announced, one could only wonder if his face would swell from embarrassment.

Most court officials could not fathom why the Emperor of Chu favored the proud eldest prince so greatly, yet treated the gentle and courteous second prince with such disregard.

At worst, the second prince’s talent was merely average, but in terms of character and demeanor, he was incomparable to the eldest prince!

“Very well, then we shall wait and see!” Mu Yuncheng said with a playful look toward Su Ming.

Meanwhile, the ten great scholars took turns reviewing all the poems. They had no objections about the rankings; the first, second, and third places were quickly determined.

To prevent cheating, the poems were recopied during the judging, and the names were obscured.

Thus, although the scholars had decided the rankings, they did not know the identities of the top three. Still, there were no disputes over the order.

Everyone watched expectantly as He Yuanshen approached the judging platform. After receiving the poems, he stepped onto the literary duel stage.

As he was about to announce the rankings, the Emperor of Chu suddenly spoke from the main platform, “Minister He, this year I shall personally announce the results!”

His words caused a brief pause among the crowd.

Yet, considering the Emperor’s high hopes for Su Ming, this gesture was not deemed strange. It was clearly meant to personally bestow honor upon his eldest son.

He Yuanshen respectfully handed the poems to the Emperor.

The Emperor glanced over the papers, smiling even more broadly as he looked at the eager crowd.

Suddenly he addressed the assembly loudly, “In previous years, announcements began from third place, but this year, I shall break tradition and start from first place!”

The crowd was momentarily baffled by this unusual move.

But Mu Yuncheng and others quickly realized the Emperor’s intent.

Mu Yuncheng sneered inwardly, thinking, “Does that old man really believe his son can take first place?”

The Emperor unfolded the poem awarded first place, and as he read the lines, his eyes brightened.

It was a fine poem about snow. He began to recite:

“Before the New Year, no blossoming flowers were seen,
In early February, suddenly grass sprouts appear.
The white snow, displeased with the tardy arrival of spring,
Flutters through the courtyard trees as flying blossoms.”

As he finished, a hush fell over the audience; everyone stared at the Emperor in astonishment, sharing the same thought: what a splendid poem!

A seven-character regulated verse of exquisite literary merit and profound imagery—truly a masterpiece worthy of being passed down through generations.

Winning first place with such a poem seemed entirely justified.

“Ha ha… such a beautiful poem!” the Emperor exclaimed with admiration.

At the same time, he peeled back a corner of the obscured name, revealing a large character: Su. The Emperor’s face lit up with joy, his smile widening uncontrollably.

“Ha ha… Su… just as expected,” he chuckled softly, pronouncing the poet’s surname aloud.

Having reviewed the registration list, he knew no one there bore the surname Su except for his own son, whose name was missing from the list.

Thus, the Emperor’s immediate assumption was that this poem was undoubtedly composed by his eldest son, Su Ming.

His demeanor was meant to boast and subtly provoke the court of Daqing, especially since Chu had suffered humiliating defeats in literary duels over the past three years.

This time, at least, they could lift their heads high. Even though the final winner was not yet declared, holding first place carried significant weight.

Hearing the Emperor call out the surname Su with such confidence, no one doubted that the poem belonged to the eldest prince, Su Ming.

Mu Yuncheng hurriedly offered his congratulations, “Your Majesty, congratulations! Eldest Prince, well deserved! Truly the greatest talent of Chu, your literary skills are astonishing. This poem makes us of Daqing feel humbled!”

Whether intentional or not, his flattery sounded natural but lacked sincerity.

Su Ming frowned deeply, his expression darkening. He knew in his heart that this poem was not his own.

Mu Yuncheng’s words felt like a slap to his face.

The Emperor’s smile grew even wider, tinged with pride. He waved his hand modestly, though the arrogance in his eyes betrayed his true thoughts.

The ministers of Chu, witnessing this, felt assured and began flattering openly.

“Congratulations, Your Majesty! Truly worthy of the Eldest Prince, a scholar and warrior! This year, Chu shall finally hold its head high through the Eldest Prince!”

“Yes, Your Majesty, most joyous and felicitous! The Eldest Prince is undoubtedly the foremost literary figure in Chu!”

“Heaven blesses Chu! The Eldest Prince is a sage of letters descended to earth, a reincarnation of the Literary Star! How fortunate, how fortunate!”

Their sycophantic praises only made the Emperor laugh louder, nearly bursting into unrestrained mirth.

Su Ming’s face, however, grew as sour as if afflicted by severe indigestion. He wanted to speak and explain.

“Damn it, if you all keep flattering me like this, where am I supposed to put my face later?”

But faced with such foolish allies, he had no opportunity to clarify.

He Yuanshen, though somewhat regretful, was inwardly relieved.

Though the eldest prince’s character left much to be desired, his literary talent seemed to have truly improved.

Compared to the five-character poem he had encountered during the assessment, this piece was comparable, making it difficult to decide a clear winner. It was a pity that poet had not taken first place.

At least, this time, Chu claimed victory.

In the audience, Su Yuan watched the Emperor’s radiant smile with stunned disbelief.

This poem was obviously his own, yet how could the Emperor and others believe it was Su Ming’s?

Moreover, he had not used a pseudonym to conceal his identity when trying to reclaim his princely status.

Before he could dwell further, the Emperor fully uncovered the obscured name and was about to announce the eldest prince’s name.

But upon seeing the character following Su, his face froze in shock. He suddenly stood up and exclaimed, “Su… Su Yuan!”

At his words, countless people in the crowd rose, equally stunned.

They looked at the Emperor in disbelief. Was this a mistake? Was not the poem attributed to the eldest prince Su Ming? How did it suddenly become Su Yuan?

And who was this Su Yuan? Where had he come from?

Having just flattered the wrong man, many officials now wore expressions of extreme embarrassment and turned their gazes toward Su Ming, whose desire to disappear grew by the second.

His attempt to show off had backfired spectacularly; his face ached with humiliation.

The Emperor’s face burned with embarrassment, as though struck repeatedly across the ears. He had been so sure his son had taken first place, only to be blindsided by the sudden emergence of Su Yuan.

This blunder was a grievous loss of face.

The Daqing officials watching this scene wore amused expressions, and the looks from Mu Yuncheng and others only deepened the Emperor’s shame.