Why My Domineering Prince Regretted Filing for Divorce?-Chapter 808 - 611: Taiyuan Has Fallen! (Part 2)

"...!"

Upon hearing these two lines, several gasps of surprise simultaneously echoed throughout the hall.

In Yu Mingyue’s eyes appeared a trace of pride as if, without even looking, she could predict the astonishment and awe on everyone’s faces at her recitations. Undisturbed, she continued to recite: "Daylight just reaches the fairy’s palm, while fragrant smoke floats beside the imperial dragon. After court session, I must draft the multicolored edict; the sound of my ornament returns to the Phoenix Pool’s head!"

Finishing her words, she finally exhaled deeply.

Then, raising her head, she slowly surveyed the varied expressions of those present, gradually lifting her head to look at the Emperor sitting above.

Yu Wenquan was the calmest person in the hall. Even though Yu Mingyue’s poem mentioned nothing about the scenery of the harem, causing surprise among the attendees, he showed no change in expression. However, hearing the last few lines, he couldn’t suppress his delighted gaze.

The hall resonated with the sound of his clapping and commendation: "Good! Very good!"

This compliment added "very good" to previous praises for Shang Ruyi’s verses, clearly making the superiority evident.

Yu Wenye slowly furrowed his brows.

Even though the first time he met Yu Mingyue, he debated with her over Shang Ruyi, showcasing his rhetorical sharpness and leaving her speechless, he did not speak now.

Indeed, judged purely by the poems alone, Shang Ruyi could not win.

Not only were the vocabularies and depth of the poems distinct, but more importantly, though Yu Mingyue’s poem was entirely unrelated to the harem’s scenery and hardly matched the theme, it was precisely what Yu Wenquan most wanted to hear—

Nine heavens open the majestic palace gates, myriad nations bow with crowned heads!

Precisely by deviating from the theme and without describing the palace scenery, her words of praise needed to be even more grand and vivid than Shang Ruyi’s last two lines; she achieved it indeed. These lines have painted before the eyes a magnificent scene of nations paying homage!

Sometimes, the success or failure of a work does not strictly depend on its quality.

It depends more on its audience!

However—

This poem, like the one she used to defeat Shen Wuzheng in the poetry contest at Chang An City, with its beautiful language and profound imagery, still does not adhere to the theme. As Shen Wuzheng mentioned before, it seems like the poem was prepared beforehand, pulled out to fit the occasion.

However, given Shen Wuzheng’s scholarly pedigree under Li Tong and his knowledge, if such a remarkable poem had indeed been composed before, he wouldn’t have been ignorant of it.

Thinking of this, Yu Wenye looked up again towards Yu Mingyue, whose cheeks flushed slightly with excitement from the Emperor’s praise, yet within her joyous expression, he seemed to discern a faint sense of relief and gratitude.

Meanwhile, Shen Wuzheng, sitting beside her, quietly watched her.

From the moment Yu Mingyue began reciting, he remained silent, his typically aloof and cold eyes intensely focused on her as if trying to pierce through her flesh to see into her soul. At this moment, it seemed he found some answer, but his brow furrowed even tighter.

It was as though even he dared not believe this answer.

However, his subtle thoughts did not attract the surrounding people’s attention, for everyone’s gaze remained fixed on the still-clapping Yu Wenquan. He, satisfied, looked at Yu Mingyue, saying, "Who would’ve thought, you, a woman, have such a breadth of vision."

Yu Mingyue quickly stood up: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for the praise."

Yu Wenquan examined her again, glancing at Yu Wenqian beside him. His amusement deepened, and in his eyes, the admiration seemed not merely for appreciating a talented, quick-witted belle but also for contemplating deeper, broader matters.

After a long while, he murmured, "The Dasheng Dynasty needs such demeanor, such magnanimity."

"..."

"And it’s not only the men, but the women too!"

"..."

"Only by this can we command the four seas, attract nations from afar, and truly achieve a flourishing era!"

After speaking, he looked up at the group of young people before him and chuckled, saying, "Of course, now is too early to talk about this, given we currently face—"

Before finishing his sentence, hurried footsteps suddenly arrived from outside the hall and stopped at the entrance.

With sharp ears and sight, Yu Wenquan naturally heard the noise, instinctively pausing and nodding towards Eunuch Yu next to him. Eunuch Yu did not dare to delay, hurriedly went out to meet the person dressed outside, spoke a few words quietly, and then swiftly returned, a solemnity settling on his face.

Yu Wenquan asked, "What is it?"

Eunuch Yu, holding a letter with both hands, quickly approached him: "Your Majesty, urgent military report."

"What!?"

Upon hearing "urgent military report," not only did Yu Wenquan’s face darken, but the surrounding people all changed their expressions.

Especially Yu Wenqian and Yu Wenye.

Shang Ruyi instinctively held her breath, casting a scorching glance at the opposite Yu Mingyue. Though she raised her eyebrows slightly, she did not show marked surprise, clearly indicating this news was not unforeseen. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Or perhaps, not unfamiliar.

By this time, Yu Wenquan had already taken the document from Eunuch Yu’s hands. Upon opening and scanning it, his face changed drastically, and he slammed it onto the table with a loud slap.

Yu Wenye immediately said, "Father, what happened?"

"..."

Yu Wenquan did not speak immediately but clenched his teeth in silence for a long time before slowly squeezing out four words—

"Taiyuan, has fallen!"