Chapter 1456 The Banquet Begins, Fan Xian Is Besieged

Sitting in a carriage, we quickly arrived at Miyagi City.

"Master, I will stay here and wait for you to come out."

"Um."

Zhou Chen responded and walked towards the palace city. He had entered the palace before, but it was the first time today that he had entered it so openly and openly.

So when the soldiers on duty at the palace gate saw him, they didn't recognize him and immediately came forward to question him.

"Who is coming?"

Before Zhou Chen could say anything, he saw a deputy general running over and yelling at the interrogating soldier.

"Blind your dog's eyes, this is the Duke of Zhenguo."

Then he saluted Zhou Chen with a flattering look on his face: "I'm here to pay my respects to the Duke of Zhenguo. Your Excellency is also here to attend the night banquet of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. Please come in."

Zhou Chen nodded at him, said nothing, and walked slowly into the palace.

In fact, he didn't know where the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests was, but that wasn't a problem, because the people who came to the palace at this time were basically officials attending the night banquet of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. All he had to do was follow the crowd and follow the others.

"The Duke of Zhenguo."

"I've met Duke Zhen Guo."

"The Duke of Zhenguo."

"…………"

On the way to the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, many officials recognized Zhou Chen and stepped forward to say hello.

Although Zhou Chen does not hold an official position, the title of Zhen Guogong is the top one in the Qing Kingdom. What's more, Zhou Chen is also a grand master, and his status is absolutely otherworldly.

Everyone may not need to flatter him, but when they see him, they will definitely say hello. The attitude of most people towards Zhou Chen is that even if they can't make friends, they can't offend him.

Zhou Chen's character has always been to avoid hitting anyone with a smiling face. Unless he hates someone, he will not keep a straight face when others are polite to him, and he will always respond to them one by one.

Soon, he arrived in front of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. Because there was a night banquet in the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests today, the guards outside the palace were very tight, with several groups of forbidden troops guarding the place.

There are many people coming to the night banquet today, including the Northern Qi and Dongyi City missions. The personnel are complex, so special attention must be paid to safety.

On the way to the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, there was also a group of forbidden troops responsible for interrogating and inspecting people entering the hall. No one entering was allowed to bring sharp weapons.

When Zhou Chen passed by, he happened to see someone being questioned. He did not stop and continued walking towards the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests.

The responsible general was about to interrogate Zhou Chen when he suddenly saw an official saluting Zhou Chen.

"The Duke of Zhenguo."

As soon as he heard the title of Duke Zhenguo, the general immediately stopped his activities. Although his duty was to interrogate and inspect the incoming guests, he also had to distinguish between targets.

There is nothing wrong with ordinary officials, but there are exceptions to everything. There is no need to interrogate someone like a prince or prince. Although the Duke of Zhenguo is not a member of the royal family, he does not have the courage to step forward to interrogate him.

Zhou Chen walked step by step on the steps. The scale of the Qingguo Palace was quite good. It was large and relatively new. Many palaces were built in recent decades.

The Northern Qi Dynasty inherited the heritage of the former Wei State. The palace and city looked older, but they had a sense of historical sedimentation. Last year, the moon was full and a lot of it was destroyed by the First World War.

When Zhou Chen walked into the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the hall was already full of people. Many officials from the Qing Kingdom were very surprised to see Zhou Chen appear. Most of them stood up to greet Zhou Chen.

"The Duke of Zhenguo."

…………

As for the Qi State, they had basically never met Zhou Chen. Listening to the name Zhou Chen was called by the Qing State officials, they soon figured out Zhou Chen's identity. They all looked at each other in confusion, but no one joined in the fun.

"The Duke of Zhenguo."

Fan Xian also immediately stood up and saluted, and Xin Qiwu of Honglu Temple who was sitting next to him also saluted accordingly.

"I am lowering my official rank to the young minister of Honglu Temple to pay my respects to the Duke of Zhenguo."

Zhou Chen nodded slightly to him: "No need to be polite, just sit down."

Continuing to move forward, when passing by, Yun Zhilan from the Dongyi City Mission suddenly stood up, walked to Zhou Chen, and saluted respectfully.

"Greetings, sir."

"Yun Zhilan, we meet again."

Yun Zhilan replied respectfully: "Sir, I didn't expect to see you here again. My master often talks about you and is eager to fight with him again."

Zhou Chen replied in a calm tone: "The next time I pass by Dongyi City, I may go and see your master again. I wonder if your master has any new tricks."

"Dongyi City welcomes you at any time, and our master will definitely not disappoint you."

"Um."

Zhou Chen walked directly up the steps, and the prince, second prince and eldest princess stood up to greet him.

"The Duke of Zhenguo."

"Your Highness."......

Zhou Chen returned the greetings respectively, and then came to sit in front of the front case on the right side of the Long case.

Fan Xian, who was below, was very surprised when he saw Zhou Chen's actions: "Is the Duke of Zhen Guo's position higher than the eldest princess?"

Xin Qiwu explained in a low voice: "It's normal. Although Zhen Guo Gong has no official position, he has a high title and is a grand master. His status is transcendent. His seat is second only to His Majesty and the Crown Prince."

"Tsk, tsk, the treatment of the Grand Master is different." Fan Xian said with emotion.

Having been in Kyoto for so long, he is now an official. What he has seen most is the competition for power in the officialdom. Now he has seen a different side. A great master like Zhou Chen, although he has no official power, has a real status. He was so aloof that even the prince wanted to show his kindness, and the emperor did not dare to neglect him.

Zhou Chen and the eldest princess Li Yunrui were sitting together. Li Yunrui asked Zhou Chen with a smile: "How can Duke Zhen have the leisure and elegance to come here to attend the banquet today?"

Zhou Chen replied calmly: "Just be quiet and think about it. Maybe there will be some fun today. I also like to join in the fun, so I'm here."

Li Yunrui smiled sweetly and said: "You should tell me if you like to watch the excitement. I also like to watch the excitement, and I can find a lot of excitement. If there is something exciting next time, I will inform the Duke of Zhen in advance so that you can feast your eyes on it."

Zhou Chen glanced at her and you immediately stopped laughing, and before long, you yourself would become the excitement itself.

"I heard that Duke Zhen Guo has a very good relationship with Mr. Zhuang Mohanzhuang, a great figure in Northern Qi literature. When Mr. Zhuang came to Kyoto, he went to visit Duke Zhen Guo's residence?"

"I do know Mr. Zhuang well. When I went to Beijing, I stayed at Mr. Zhuang's residence."

"Being friends with Mr. Zhuang, it seems that I still didn't understand you before. Not only is Zhen Guogong's talent in martial arts unparalleled in the world, he must also be very good in literary knowledge."

"Who knows."

Zhou Chen neither admitted nor denied, then stopped talking, closed his eyes, and sat there quietly.

When Li Yunrui saw that Zhou Chen had his eyes closed and said nothing, he stopped disturbing him and asked the female officer behind him to call Fan Xian over. The two of them were in front of the palace, holding guns and sticks, and fighting each other.

After a while, Zhuang Mohan walked into the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests with a hand scroll. Out of respect, everyone in the hall stood up and saluted, watching Zhuang Mohan go forward.

Li Yunrui took the opportunity to mock Fan Xian with Zhuang Mohan, but Fan Xian didn't take it seriously.

Zhuang Mohan walked very slowly, stepping forward step by step, nodding slightly to everyone, until he sat down in his seat, and did not show much intimacy with Zhou Chen.

With the sound of "Your Majesty has arrived," Emperor Qing made his final appearance and sat down in front of the Dragon Case.

All the ministers in the palace stood up one after another and bowed down to Emperor Qing. Fan Xian looked up and saw that apart from the eunuchs behind Emperor Qing, only Zhou Chen and Zhuang Mohan were still standing. He hesitated for a moment and then knelt down. .

"Long live my emperor! Long live!"

"Get flat."

Everyone stood up and returned to their seats, and Zhou Chen also sat down.

Emperor Qing immediately looked at Zhou Chen and said with a smile: "Mr. Zhen Guo, today is the first time that our monarch and his ministers have met."

Zhou Chen said calmly: "Yes, Your Majesty, the old injury has not healed and it is difficult to move. I have never had the chance to see Your Majesty. Please don't blame me."

The corners of Emperor Qing's mouth twitched slightly. He went to Zuixianju every day before his old injury healed. He redeemed himself for a brothel girl before his old injury healed. He took the eldest princess of Northern Qi shopping with him before his old injury healed?

"It doesn't matter, your health is important. Duke Zhen Guo is so young, so he has to take good care of his health. Qingguo's future still depends on Duke Zhen Guo."

"Your Majesty, I just know a little bit about martial arts. Qingguo's future is too heavy for me to bear."

"The Duke of Zhen Guo is too humble. Nowadays, no one in the world knows the name of Duke Zhen Guo. He is a young master who is famous all over the world and is unique."

"Your Majesty has commanded the world and made great achievements. He is worthy of admiration from all the people in the world."

The two of them obviously disliked each other and even had the idea of ​​getting rid of each other. However, when they met for the first time, they seemed particularly 'harmonious', complimenting each other and being extremely harmonious.

People who don't know better would think that the two of them have such a good relationship, but some people can tell that their tone of voice is not quite right.

While they were talking, the maids had already started serving food and wine. At Emperor Qing's signal, everyone also started eating and drinking.

Emperor Qing stopped verbally arguing with Zhou Chen. Today was a celebration banquet and Zhou Chen was not the protagonist. It was enough to see Zhou Chen. There was no need to hold on to him.

He coughed lightly, and everyone put down their bowls and chopsticks. Only two people seemed not to hear. One was Zhou Chen, who was still drinking and eating, and the other was Fan Xian, who was eating and drinking.

Emperor Qing just glanced at Zhou Chen and ignored it, and finally his eyes fell on Fan Xian.

"Fan Xielu."

Fan Xian didn't react at all. It was Xin Qiwu next to him who reminded him that he realized he was being called, so he stood up and walked to the middle.

"His Majesty."

"You have never knelt down several times before. I thought you would still stand this time."

"Wouldn't that make people angry?"

Emperor Qing waved to Fan Xian, and Fan Xian stepped forward. Emperor Qing teased him a few words, then called Yun Zhilan out and told Yun Zhilan that Fan Xian was the one who killed his apprentice. Lan didn't take it seriously and just said a few words casually.

Emperor Qing praised Fan Xian a few words. Fan Xian was about to go back and sit down. The second prince suddenly stood up and praised Fan Xian again. He suggested that Fan Xian should host the Spring Festival next year. The prince followed closely behind and also agreed with Fan Xian. I am free to preside over the Spring Festival.

But Emperor Qing just dealt with it casually. He had other plans for Fan Xian and was not in a hurry about Chun Wei.

At this time, Zhuang Mohan suddenly spoke, asking about Fan Xian, and then reminded Emperor Qing, intentionally or unintentionally, that the Spring Palace was a major event and it was necessary to carefully choose someone to host it. In his words, he actually did not agree with Fan Xian to host the Spring Palace.

Seeing Zhuang Mohan's actions, Zhou Chen sighed in his heart. The last time Zhuang Mohan didn't answer him directly, he already knew that Zhuang Mohan had made up his mind. This was one of the reasons why he was here today.

He respected Zhuang Mohan and would not stop his behavior, but he was a confidant after all and could not stop him. However, he still wanted to ensure Zhuang Mohan's safety, but it just took a lot more effort.

Things were already going in the direction Li Yunrui wanted. Li Yunrui no longer sat down, but stood up to add fuel to the fire.

She walked to the middle, facing Zhuang Mohan, and said in a neither humble nor arrogant manner: "Mr. Zhuang has a broad knowledge of ancient and modern times. I have always admired him, but I dare not agree with what he said just now. Although I am a woman with shallow knowledge, I have also read Fan Xian's seven-character poem; this person is very young, but just from this poem, we can see that he is very talented. Mr. Zhuang's words just now are implicitly aimed at Fan Xian. Is he worried that the young man will surpass you and his reputation will overshadow you in the future?"

Zhuang Mohan cooperated with Li Yunrui's acting, smiled lightly, and did not answer.

Li Yunrui turned to the crowd again: "All of you here are loyal ministers and masters of famous studies. Naturally, you don't like verbal disputes. This palace is not well-mannered, but I am willing to say a fair word for the talented man of Qingguo."

Zhuang Mohan then asked: "Are you talking about that seven-character poem?"

"That's right, may I ask if there is any poem that can beat Fan Xian's seven-character poem?" Li Yunrui asked "provocatively".

Emperor Qing interrupted with dissatisfaction: "Yunrui, don't be rude in front of the palace. Mr. Zhuang is open-minded and doesn't need to care about such words."

Zhuang Mohan nodded slightly, gently recited the seven-character poem "Climbing the Heights", and then sighed.

"What a good poem! I have written poems all my life, but none of them can be compared with it."

Li Yunrui spoke at the right time: "So, Mr. Zhuang is willing to admit defeat?"

Zhuang Mohan said: "The first four lines of this poem are excellent."

"But people say that the most essential part of this poem is the last four lines."

"The last four lines are naturally quatrains."

Speaking of this, Zhuang Mohan deliberately sighed heavily: "What a pity, that was not written by Mr. Fan."

When this was said, everyone in the palace was shocked, and even Fan Xian himself was stunned, because this was indeed not written by him.

Li Yunrui even pretended to be surprised and asked: "Did Fan Xian plagiarize this poem?"

"Yes."

Zhuang Mohan just responded, and Emperor Qing deliberately added a sentence, saying that he also doubted Fan Xian's talent, so he deliberately asked Fan Xian if he had any explanation.

Although Fan Xian was surprised, he was not panicked and responded calmly. The second prince also testified for him and pulled Guo Baokun out.

At this time, Zhuang Mohan pulled out his teacher and said that the four lines after climbing the heights were written by his teacher, and he said it with reason and evidence, which made it impossible to refute.

Fan Xian asked two questions and learned that Zhuang Mohan's teacher was not Du Fu. Only then was he completely relieved. He also understood that Zhuang Mohan came with bad intentions today, so he did not rush to explain.

In the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, there was a lot of discussion, mainly because Zhuang Mohan was too famous. When he said this, many people became suspicious, because at Fan Xian's age, it was indeed unlikely that he could write a poem like the four lines after climbing the heights.

After Zhuang Mohan showed his forged manuscript, the voices of doubt reached a peak, and many people looked at Fan Xian with different eyes.

No one present was a fool, and everyone could see that today's events were strange, as if they were deliberately targeting Fan Xian, but everyone was just watching the excitement and not afraid of the big things, so they sat quietly and watched the show.

Zhou Chen also watched this scene quietly, his eyes swept over Fan Xian, he knew that one of the famous scenes in Joy of Life, the scene of reciting a hundred poems in the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, was about to come.

The Chinese civilization of that era more than 100,000 years ago was about to launch a dimensionality reduction attack on this era.