Moreover, the upper couplet subtly indicated that in this competition, he was the elder and Zi Linling was the child, implying he should be testing her, not the other way around.
As expected, once this upper couplet was presented, the other ministers in the Golden Luan Hall whispered among themselves and shook their heads. Even Ye Mo Yuan on the dragon throne fell into deep thought.
A glint flashed in Ye Ling Yuan's eyes as he looked at Zi Linling with doting affection.
Needless to say, he already had the lower couplet in mind.
Zi Linling casually picked at her ear and said even more languidly, "For this upper couplet, you need an incense stick? Who do you think you're looking down on? This family head will show you what true talent is."
"Listen well! This family head's lower couplet is: One person is 'da', two people are 'tian', 'tian' is great in human feelings, and human feelings are greater than 'tian'!"
This lower couplet, with "da" and "tian" differing by just one stroke, and "tian" and "ren" opposing each other, was perfectly matched and exceptionally brilliant!
Of course, the lower couplet also implied: although you are old, you do not understand the warmth and coldness of human relationships, so why should I be tested by you?
The moment Zi Linling uttered the lower couplet, the court fell into silence.
But after a moment, a round of applause erupted, followed by a second, a third, a fourth...
"Lin'er's talent is immense. This king is most pleased!"
Ye Ling Yuan's eyes sparkled with a smile, and his face was filled with pride.
As his voice fell, people in the court began to echo him.
"The冥王妃's talent is extraordinary!"
"The Zi family head's reply is most clever!"
...
Of course, these were all people aligned with Ye Ling Yuan.
Those aligned with Ye Mo Yuan said with a hint of sourness, "The冥王妃's lower couplet is indeed good, but that's also because the Imperial Tutor's upper couplet was so exquisite!"
"Exactly! Without the upper couplet, where would the lower couplet come from?"
...
Zi Linling leaned back in her chair as lazily as before, smiling charmingly at Shi Kelang.
Shi Kelang's face turned red, and shame filled his eyes. He scolded, "Silence, all of you!"
The surrounding area immediately quieted down.
Ye Mo Yuan glanced at Zi Linling with surprise, then looked meaningfully at Shi Kelang.
Just as Shi Kelang was about to speak, he felt Ye Mo Yuan's gaze.
He turned his head and met Ye Mo Yuan's eyes, instantly understanding his meaning.
However, he had always been rigid and followed the rules.
Therefore, he said to Zi Linling, "Patriarch Zi indeed possesses profound knowledge. This couplet is exquisitely matched. This old man admires you!"
A flicker of surprise crossed Zi Linling's eyes.
She had initially thought that Shi Kelang, having received Ye Mo Yuan's signal, would at least try to quibble.
She never expected Shi Kelang to so generously acknowledge her lower couplet.
This made her view the rigid and old-fashioned Imperial Tutor in a slightly different light.
"Although the Imperial Tutor is ostensibly on Ye Mo Yuan's side, he is upright and righteous and truly cares for the people. He is just a bit rigid!"
Ye Ling Yuan's telepathic voice sounded in Zi Linling's mind, resolving her confusion.
Zi Linling nodded subtly, harboring the thought of winning Shi Kelang over.
But upon recalling the old man's rigid demeanor, she immediately dismissed the idea.
She had no masochistic tendencies to keep someone by her side to nitpick.
Shi Kelang said, "冥王妃, please present the upper couplet!"
This time, his voice carried a hint of reverence.
He was a scholar, and he naturally respected talented individuals.
Zi Linling's previous lower couplet had already demonstrated her scholarly foundation.
Zi Linling nodded and said, "This family head's upper couplet is: Ten mouths and one heart, thinking of the nation, thinking of the family, thinking of the kingdom! Please, Imperial Tutor, present the lower couplet!"
This was a character-combination couplet. The characters "ten," "mouth," and "heart" combined to form the character "thinking" (思).
At the same time, she was telling Shi Kelang that she did have the nation and family in her heart, but whether they were worth her attention depended on the circumstances.
Of course, whether they were worth it depended on Ye Mo Yuan's actions.
If Ye Mo Yuan insisted on being her and Ye Ling Yuan's enemy, then what did this nation and family have to do with her?
Shi Kelang was taken aback, but he quickly understood the hidden meaning in the upper couplet.
He pondered for a moment and then slowly said, "Patriarch Zi holds great righteousness in her heart, and this old man also has his principles. My lower couplet is: Eight eyes still appreciate, appreciating the wind, appreciating the moon, appreciating the autumn fragrance!"
In this lower couplet, "eight," "eyes," and "still" combined to form the character "appreciate" (赏).
The intention was to subtly indicate that his focus was on the state and its people, regardless of who sat on the throne.
Zi Linling clapped her hands and laughed, "The Imperial Tutor is indeed not someone who is merely famous. This family head was presumptuous earlier!"
"Imperial Tutor, shall we continue?"
Shi Kelang stroked his beard and chuckled, "Let's call this round a draw, how about it?"
Zi Linling nodded, "Since the Imperial Tutor has spoken, this family head will grant him this favor."
Of course, she respected Shi Kelang's heart for the country and its people.
Otherwise, with her knowledge from her previous life, having read through five thousand years of Chinese culture, if they had continued, Shi Kelang would have had no choice but to admit defeat.
Fortunately, this round was a draw. There were still two rounds left, and as long as she won those two, the wager would still be valid.
However, her future plans for Shi Kelang had changed.
Ye Ling Yuan's expression did not change much, as if this outcome was within his expectations.
But Ye Mo Yuan, sitting on the dragon throne, emanated a colder aura.
"Imperial Tutor, the first round was set by this family head, so I took advantage of you. How about this round, you set the topic?" Zi Linling raised an eyebrow.
She was not so arrogant as to concede the initiative, but she had confidence in herself.
This confidence stemmed not only from the cultural heritage of her previous world but also from "looting" the Zi family's library two months ago.
"Very well! Then this old man will not stand on ceremony. Since the first round was about couplets, this round, we shall compete in essays." Su Dan Novel Network
"...How about we take 'On the State and the People' as the topic?"
He wanted to see what someone who could "think of the nation, think of the family, think of the kingdom" truly thought of this "state."
At the same time, he was subtly advising Ye Mo Yuan to focus his attention on the people and avoid infighting, which would make them a laughingstock to outsiders!
Zi Linling clapped her hands again and said, "Good! Since the Imperial Tutor has such refined taste, this family head will accompany you!"
She thought to herself, "This old man is quite endearing. He truly is an Imperial Tutor, never forgetting to guide his disciple!"
However, Ye Mo Yuan on the dragon throne did not look happy.
Was Shi Kelang not directly undermining him by speaking like this in such a setting?
Yet, he could not get angry.
Firstly, Shi Kelang had not spoken directly, only hinted subtly.
Secondly, Shi Kelang was currently competing with Zi Linling, and this competition was something he had tacitly approved of. Moreover, if Shi Kelang won, he could openly hand Zi Linling over to the Zi family of the empire.
Fine, he would endure!
For the sake of the satisfactory outcome, he endured!
However, he had also developed a sense of resentment towards Shi Kelang.
Ye Ling Yuan's eyes lit up, and he looked at Zi Linling with anticipation.