Dream of the Red Chamber: Starting with a Chronicle of Tragic Love

Qian Chou turned around and stared intently at Hong Chou.

His eyes were like poisoned knives.

He gritted his teeth, forcing the words out through clenched teeth:

"Chou'er, do you know why I changed your name in the first place?"

Hong Chou lowered his head, his tone calm:

"Father, it's because my original name was 'Chou,' which sounds the same as the character 'Chou' in my given name. Father changed it to avoid this taboo."

"snort!"

Qian Chou snorted coldly, his tone quite dissatisfied.

"Avoidance? That's just an excuse used to attract outsiders!"

"You must always remember what you bear! Remember how Qian Qianyi died!"

"Remember how he killed Qianyi back at Huai Shang Yun Lou!"

He grabbed Hong Chou's shoulder.

The force was so great that Hong Chou winced in pain, but dared not resist.

"What I want you to inherit is this blood feud!"

Qian Chou lowered his voice, almost growling.

"Jiao Si...he must die!"

"But not now, not by brute force."

"With that damn 'Yellow Dragon's Mandate Talisman' protecting him, openly attacking him is too risky. I want you to do it your way, the way you're best at..."

"Find the perfect opportunity, and in one fell swoop, completely ruin him!"

"Let him be utterly disgraced, never to rise again!"

Do you understand?

Hong Chou raised his head.

His eyes gleamed with a mixture of fear and lust for power.

After a moment, he slowly nodded.

The voice remained respectful:

"I understand, Father, please rest assured."

"Hong Chengchou... will certainly live up to this name."

Qian Chou released his grip.

He exhaled a long breath and looked towards the examination hall, his eyes filled with anticipation and malice.

Inside the examination hall, in the examination cells.

Jiao Si sat up straight and unfolded the exam paper.

The sky outside the window is gradually brightening.

His gaze fell upon the exam questions, but he couldn't help but freeze.

The title was:

"Please, students, praise the Holy Virtue and discuss the current state of peace and prosperity in the world."

Praise the saintly virtues?

A sign of peace and prosperity?

In Jiao Si's mind, the billowing smoke from the top of Plum Blossom Mountain, the ferocious faces of the Japanese pirates, and the desperate cries of the refugees instantly appeared.

There was also the news that Xin Like had mentioned about the northern barbarians' iron hooves sweeping south and the border being in dire need of attention.

Is this what is meant by "a sign of peace and prosperity"?

An indescribable sense of grief, indignation, and absurdity welled up inside me.

He recalled that night on the banks of the Qinhuai River, when he lamented, "So many things happened tonight, but in the end it seems like nothing happened at all," and then immediately men in black appeared.

Isn't this exam question just another form of "turning a blind eye"?

long silence.

Jiao Si took a deep breath, his eyes no longer showing any hesitation.

He picked up his pen, dipped it in thick ink, and began to write with great flourish on the blank exam paper.

Ode to the Singing Bird

"Some may ask: What is the purpose of birdsong?"

He replied: "When hungry, it chirps and cries, people call it singing; when cold, it shivers, people call it singing; when its wings are broken and it is dying, it cries mournfully without ceasing, people still call it singing."

"But do birds truly sing? No. The hungry seek grain, the cold seek warmth, and the injured seek life; these are the fundamental desires of all living things in heaven and earth. People today hear their birdsong but fail to understand its true nature, forcing their own interpretations to claim that the world is filled with joy and peace reigns. Is this not like burying one's head in the sand and deceiving oneself?"

"I have heard that the beacon fires in the northern frontier have not yet ceased, and iron cavalry are knocking on the gates; the waves of the eastern seas are restless, and the shadow of Japanese pirates frequently appears. Outside Nanjing, the bloodstains on Plum Blossom Mountain are still wet; along the banks of the Qinhuai River, the tears of refugees are still damp. This is the true meaning of 'birdsong,' not 'song'!"

"The Holy Emperor governs with his hands clasped, his virtue extending to all corners of the world; yet, his senses may be clouded. His civil and military officials, who receive the Emperor's bounty, should share his burdens. If they merely embellish the peace and prosperity, sing praises and glorify 'birdsong' as the 'pure sound of a holy age,' then the day when internal strife arises is not far off!"

By this point in the article, the language had become extremely strong and direct.

Jiao Si's pen continued unabated, his heart still overflowing with pent-up emotions, and he added a poem at the end of the article:

"Behind the red gates, the smell of wine and meat lingers, yet people still sing praises of peace and prosperity."

Before the bones of those stationed at the border have even grown cold, news of victory has already arrived.

Who hears the mournful cries of the wild geese? Only the sight of brocade sails moving on.

If I could obtain the Heaven-Supporting Hand, I would sweep away all evil spirits from the universe!

The poem was finished, and he threw down his pen.

Looking at the ink-stained exam paper, Jiao Si felt not much lingering fear, but rather a sense of relief and satisfaction.

He knew that once this article and poem were published, his hopes for fame and success were largely dashed, and he might even bring disaster upon himself.

But so what?

The Yellow Dragon Mandate Talisman might protect him for a while, but it couldn't protect his true nature.

There were some things he simply had to say.

……

The Imperial Palace, the Imperial Study.

The virtuous Consort Jia Yuanchun was personally holding a bowl of lotus seed soup and gently placing it beside the imperial table.

The emperor had just finished reviewing several memorials, and his brows showed signs of weariness. However, upon seeing Consort Yuan, his expression softened.

"Why has my beloved concubine arrived?"

Consort Yuan said softly, "Your Majesty is busy with state affairs. I have prepared a bowl of lotus seed soup for Your Majesty to calm your mind."

The emperor nodded and was about to pick up the bowl when he suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside the hall.

A eunuch, bowing low, almost ran in, carrying an exam paper in his hands. His face was pale, and his voice trembled.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty! Urgent report from the Examination Hall! There... there are examination papers from candidates..."

The emperor frowned: "What's the rush! Bring it here."

The eunuch placed the examination paper on the emperor's desk with trepidation.

The emperor unfolded it and took a look.

First was the essay "Ode to the Singing Bird".

When he read the lines, "When hungry, it chirps and cries, and people call it a song... When its wings are broken and it is dying, it cries out incessantly, and people still call it a song," his face darkened.

When he saw the article directly addressing issues such as northern Xinjiang, the East China Sea, Meihua Mountain, and refugees, his fingers tightened slightly.

Upon reading the lines "The holy emperor governs by doing nothing... yet his eyes and ears may be clouded" and "The civil and military officials... only know how to whitewash the peace," anger ignited in his eyes.

Finally, the satirical poem came into view.

"Behind the red gates, wine and meat go to waste, yet they still sing praises of peace. On the frontier, bones are not yet cold, yet reports of victory have already arrived..."

"Bang!"

The emperor slammed his hand on the imperial desk, making the bowls and cups rattle.

"Arrogant! Insolent!"

His face was ashen, and his chest heaved.

"Who is this boy? How dare he write such a treasonous piece during the imperial examination, one that slanders the government and mocks the emperor and his ministers! What does he think of the laws of the court? What does he think of me?!"

"His intentions are despicable! His words deserve execution!"

When the emperor was enraged, his imposing aura filled the entire imperial study.

The eunuch fell to his knees with a thud, banging his head on the ground, and said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, the list of candidates is here... This person's name is... Jiao Si."

"Jiao Si?" The emperor was taken aback at first, then laughed in fury, "Good! Good indeed, Jiao Si! Holding the 'Yellow Dragon Mandate Talisman' without reflecting on his actions, I sent him back to the academy to reflect on his mistakes, yet he actually wrote such a rebellious essay in the imperial examination hall! Does he really think I dare not kill him?!"

The kneeling eunuchs and standing palace servants were all silent with fear.

Jia Yuanchun, standing to the side, was also taken aback by the emperor's fury.

Her gaze inadvertently swept over the examination paper on the imperial desk.

Although the handwriting was slightly messy due to anger, the strokes had a unique strength.

Especially the poetry and prose sections...

Her heart skipped a beat.

This handwriting, this writing style... why does it look so familiar?

She instinctively took a half step forward and looked carefully.

When I saw the satirical poem and the signature at the end of the article, a thought flashed through my mind like lightning.

The Imperial Study.

The note had half a poem of palace lament written on it.

"The deep palace stands silent, its heavy doors locked; the jade water clock drips its last drops, the night still lingers. Alone, I lean against the carved railing, gazing into the distance..."

And the continuation, "A lone wild goose disappears into the cold clouds. The spring breeze does not know the way to Penglai Mountain, leaving only fallen flowers to fill the imperial garden."

Although the handwriting on the exam paper was more rigid, the writing habits and structural transitions of certain characters were remarkably similar to the handwriting of the person who continued the poem that day!

It's him!

That stranger who waited in the imperial study, unintentionally continued half of her poem, stirred her heart but ultimately left her feeling melancholy!

His name was Jiao Si.

It turns out that he was the "mandate of destiny" who possessed the Yellow Dragon Mandate Talisman and caused His Majesty and Prince Zhongshun to argue endlessly.

At this moment, he had angered His Majesty with such a sharp and incisive article that directly addressed the ills of the times, and he was about to face a great disaster!

Countless thoughts raced through Consort Yuan's mind in an instant.

That poem was a rare solace for her in the loneliness of the deep palace, letting her know that there were still people in this world who could understand her solitude.

Even if the other party may have acted unintentionally.

But at this moment...

Seeing the enraged emperor, she knew she had to do something.