Chapter 45: Absolute Kill, Peerless in the World

Truly the greatest seven-character regulated verse of all time, past and present.

Barely four lines had been written, and everyone's expression shifted drastically.

Their faces bore looks of utter shock.

With wide eyes, they stared intently at every single character written by Li Ye.

They even held their breaths, terrified of causing the slightest distraction.

At just the line "The endless Yangtze River rolls surging on," they could already feel a vast and magnificent scene before them.

Seemingly none of the lines were adorned with ornate vocabulary.

Yet between the lines, they conveyed an atmosphere of profound desolation.

Thoughts of this compelled them to look toward Li Ye once more.

They simply could not comprehend how a young prince was capable of writing such sorrowful verse.

Could the forced breakup by Qin Qingxue have struck him this deeply?

Had his state of mind aged so significantly in a single moment?

Qin Qingxue was likewise struck by a deep sense of shock.

Writing verses of this caliber was no trifling matter.

From the very beginning, she had assumed Li Ye possessed no virtues other than commercial acumen and making money, coupled with a poor reputation in the capital and the imperial court.

Never had she imagined that he harbored such exceptional literary talent.

A sudden thought arose in Qin Qingxue’s mind.

Had she known from the outset that Li Ye possessed such brilliant literary talent, perhaps she would never have sought another's embrace.

"A thousand miles of sorrowful autumn, ever a wanderer,"
"A hundred years of chronic illness, alone I mount the terrace."
"Hardships and bitter regrets frost my temples with gray,"
"Fallen and impoverished, I halt anew my cup of cloudy wine."

Having finished writing, Li Ye tossed his brush aside.

"Very well, I am done. Now it is your turn!"
"I have never been particularly skilled at writing poetry; this is the only piece I can manage."
"If you can write something superior to this, then consider me defeated!"

Everyone present could not help but gasp audibly.

All of them were struck with profound astonishment.

For a long time, they remained frozen in reaction.

Even all the poems they had ever read paled in comparison to this one.

It was undoubtedly a classic among classics.

Deserving of the title: the pinnacle of seven-character regulated verse.

Rack their brains as they might, they could not conjure a single verse to match it.

Turning back to gaze upon Shi Wushuang.

Gone was the initial serene, calm, and effortless demeanor.

At this moment, he was drenched in sweat and his expression was panicked.

The poem he had carefully prepared beforehand, he now dared not write down.

Even if he performed at his absolute best, compared to this poem, he would look like nothing more than a clown making a fool of himself.

Qin Qingxue looked at Shi Wushuang with immense concern.

She called out softly, "My lord, you..."

Shi Wushuang raised a hand to halt her words and tightly closed his eyes.

Only after a long while did he finally regain his composure.

He spoke, "His Highness's literary talent is astonishing; I am filled with admiration!
Wushuang shall depart Dayuan immediately, and for the rest of my life, I shall never set foot within its borders again."

Panic washed over Qin Qingxue's face.

She was unwilling to surrender her present status, let alone endure a separation from Shi Wushuang.

To lose Shi Wushuang would mean losing nearly everything.

"Young Master Wushuang, you cannot leave!"
"A true man must honor his word! I, Shi Wushuang, am not a person who breaks promises. How could I go back on my word?"

Others wished to persuade him to stay, but parting their lips, they found themselves at a loss for how to speak.

After all, this concerned personal honor and integrity; persuasion was entirely futile.

"Hahaha..."

Li Ye suddenly threw back his head and burst into laughter.

Everyone wore blank expressions, looking at him uncomprehendingly.

Could defeating Shi Wushuang possibly make him this happy?

Once his laughter subsided, Li Ye patted Shi Wushuang on the shoulder. "I was merely joking, why take it so seriously?"
"Very well, let this matter rest! Now that I've given you quite a scare, my anger has been vented as well."
"As for the wager, there is no need to take it to heart; I was just playing around."
"Besides! You represent the Yunlu Pavilion. If I were to drive you away simply because of a wager,
would that not harm the harmony between the Dayuan Dynasty and the Yunlu Pavilion?
Even if I were infinitely bolder, I would never dare commit such a treasonous act."
"If you were truly to leave, how could I ever answer to His Majesty?"

Crown Prince Li Zheng reacted with extreme swiftness.

He absolutely did not wish to see Shi Wushuang leave.

After all, Shi Wushuang had already made his stance clear that he would support him wholeheartedly.

In his view, Shi Wushuang's attitude represented the Yunlu Pavilion, an effect far more potent than an army of thousands.

"Hahaha, our sixth younger brother really knows how to give us all a tremendous fright.
You must not casually make such jokes on occasions like this in the future.
Young Master Wushuang is the most vital disciple of the Yunlu Pavilion after all.
We must maintain adequate respect for him."

First offering a lecture to Li Ye, he then pulled on Shi Wushuang's arm to coax him, "Since it was merely a joke, there is no need to take it seriously.
Come, come, let us sit and drink."

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is entirely correct. I recently purchased a jar of fine Maotai liquor.
The fragrance of this wine leaves a lingering aftertaste, a true masterpiece of its kind.
Today I have brought it out for everyone to taste together."

The Third Prince, Li Ruiming, also hurriedly stepped in to smooth things over.

Princess Ruyue's beautiful eyes remained fixed upon Li Ye.

She had always been hailed as the foremost talented woman in the capital.

Yet she, too, was utterly stunned by this poem.

The more she read it, the more profound her shock grew.

Never had she imagined that Li Ye's literary talent would be so extraordinary.

Usually, he kept his abilities completely hidden.

She had previously assumed Li Ye favored commerce and reeked of vulgar copper coins.

Now she realized that Li Ye did not interact with them simply because he looked down upon them entirely.

A casual poem written on a whim was enough to shake the entire world.

Furthermore, with this poem in hand, probably no one would ever dare to mock or belittle Li Ye again.

Every scholar in the literary world would hold Li Ye in boundless admiration.

At that moment, Princess Ruyue's maiden heart was deeply stirred.

She viewed Li Ye in an entirely different light.

The more she realized this, the greater her curiosity toward Li Ye became.

She simply could not understand why, possessing such lofty literary talent, he had never displayed it during ordinary times.

Neither did Princess Ruyue harbor any doubt as to whether Li Ye might have plagiarized the verse.

Because whoever was capable of composing such a poem would undoubtedly shake the realm and become universally renowned long ago.

No one would ever waste such a magnificent opportunity for fame.

Princess Ruyue raised her wine cup and said to Li Ye, "His Sixth Highness has truly astonished us all today by writing such magnificent verse.
Ruyue is filled with utter admiration.
I fear that from this day forward, the title of the foremost talented scholar in Dayuan will belong exclusively to Your Highness.
Ruyue offers this cup in toast to Your Highness."

Li Ye raised his cup and replied with utmost modesty, "Princess Ruyue flatters me far too much.
It is merely a poem after all.
How could I dare claim the title of foremost talented scholar?
If you asked me to write an essay, I would certainly fail!
I am someone who gets a splitting headache at the mere mention of academics; I still much prefer doing business and making money."

Princess Ruyue downed her wine in a single gulp.

She shook her head with a trace of helplessness, a deep sense of loss echoing in her heart.

She had taken the initiative to toast him precisely to pave the way for more frequent interactions with Li Ye in the future,
making it easier to understand him better.

Yet she discovered that she had never truly understood this sixth prince; he was simply like an enigma.

From commanding troops to capture Vulture Mountain to composing this poem,
she refused to believe these were merely matters of good fortune for Li Ye.

It was simply that he was adept at concealing himself and unwilling to expose these capabilities.

Yet Li Ye showed not the slightest interest in the goodwill she displayed,
refusing her directly and subtly.

This suddenly caused Princess Ruyue to lose all confidence in her own charm.