I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"As expected of Lord Kazumiya!"

"Compared to them, our inferior work is truly unworthy of our attention!"

……

All sorts of flattering praise poured into the palace.

Kazumi seemed accustomed to the praise of others... or rather, completely indifferent to it, calmly placing the poem she held back on her lap.

To be fair, this poem is only a mediocre work, nothing particularly outstanding.

Even someone like Seito, who has never studied classical Japanese literature, can tell that haiku of this caliber are mediocre works that would never make a splash in the annals of history.

However, it is still far better than the works of those who came before.

At least Miyako's works depict vivid scenes, rather than being forced sentimentality.

With Kazumiya taking the lead, those who aspired to write a masterpiece continued to rack their brains.

The slackers, led by Tenshōin and Seidō, continued to pretend to be deep in thought.

Just then... Yoshiki Hitotsubashi secretly raised his gaze and looked at Haruaki Matsudaira sitting next to him.

The two exchanged a glance.

"Your Highness, Prince Tianzhang."

Suddenly, Matsudaira Shungaku straightened his back and respectfully addressed Tenshōin:

"We have long admired Your Highness's beauty and wisdom. Do you have any masterpieces for us to see?"

*******

*******

Ugh! Why is it still so short today?! (Crying leopard head.jpg) I've already tried my best to write! (Leopard head crying.jpg)

P.S.: The haiku by Kazumiya is an original work that Leopard wrote on a whim.

Chapter 502 Even the King of Kings Understands Poetry? A Haiku Amazes the Entire Audience! [6200]

Matsudaira Haruaki's sudden remarks not only stunned Tenshōin, but also Tokugawa Iemochi, Seito, and everyone else.

Tokugawa Iemochi quickly realized what was happening.

He looked displeased and rebuked him sternly:

"Shungaku, this was just a game! It was based on the principle of voluntariness! How could you force someone, especially Omikami, to write a poem!"

Faced with Tokugawa Iemochi's rebuke, Matsudaira Haruaki not only failed to reflect on his actions but also adopted a nonchalant attitude.

"General, I was just very curious."

"It is said that Princess Tianzhangyuan was a talented woman who was proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting."

"It is a rare opportunity to hold a banquet in such a beautiful setting as today, and I would like to take this chance to see its splendor."

Having said that, Matsudaira Shungaku faced Tenshōin again, and with a sincere expression, a earnest tone, and a loud voice, said, word by word:

"Your Highness, if you achieve great success, please be sure to let us enjoy it!"

Tenshōin met Matsudaira Haruaki's gaze with a calm expression.

Her expression and demeanor remained unchanged.

However... Qing Deng, with his "eagle eyes +5" superior vision, clearly saw that Tian Zhangyuan was tightly gripping the brush in his hand with an almost imperceptible movement.

The claim that Tenshōin is a talented woman, or that she is proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting... is nothing but baseless gossip.

For ordinary people, Tenshōin, with her legendary experiences and the added filter of being "the princess of the Satsuma Domain and the chief eunuch of the shogunate," is excellent "creative material."

As a result, all sorts of random and nonsensical settings and events were dumped all over Tenshōin's head.

What kind of ruthless figure is Prince Tianzhang, who can "fight the barbarians on horseback and draft military dispatches on foot"?

Princess Tenshōin is a very lecherous and sexually unsatisfied woman.

What?! His Highness Tenshōin calls young, strong, and handsome men to his room every day!

Anyone who has ever been in contact with Tenshōin, or even just knows a little about her, knows that she has absolutely no connection with refined pursuits like music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

As the "President of Political Affairs," Matsudaira Haruaki could not possibly be unaware of Tenshōin's true nature.

Knowing full well that Tenshōin was not good at poetry, he pretended to be innocent and half-forced her to show her her work.

Clearly, he did it on purpose.

The intention behind this move is obvious...

As the leader of the Hitotsubashi faction, which was at odds with the Nanki faction, Matsudaira Haruaki did not dare to openly provoke Tokugawa Iemochi, but he did have the audacity to publicly humiliate Tenshōin.

Immediately, the members of the "Hitotsubashi faction" sitting opposite Aoto and Katsura Rintarou turned their heads and whispered to their colleagues.

As expected of a high-ranking official who frequently holds secret plots, his ability to whisper is first-rate.

Even Qingdeng, who possesses the talent of "Wind Perception +1", could barely hear what they were saying.

"Ha, Tenshōin is going to lose face."

"Lord Matsudaira, well done!"

"Hahaha, I wonder how Tenshōin will save face this time?"

"How else can they back down? Besides admitting they can't write poetry or making an excuse that they're not feeling well today, what else can they do?"

……

Listening to these people's sarcastic remarks, Qing Deng slowly lowered his eyelids, and a gloomy cloud gathered on his face.

Tokugawa Iemochi also had a sour expression.

As a monarch who was "inherited from an outer domain", Tokugawa Iemochi's first ally after arriving in Edo, a place where he knew no one, was Tenshōin.

Without the strong support of the Tianzhang Academy, his current situation would likely be even more difficult.

For Tokugawa Iemochi, Tenshōin was not only his comrade-in-arms, but also his pillar of support.

Despite being only mother and son in name, and despite being only 10 years apart in age, he always regarded Tenshōin as his biological mother.

His mother was humiliated... How could he maintain his composure?

Just as Tokugawa Iemochi opened his mouth, his face full of anger, ready to say something—

"Chun Yue, that's enough."

Out of the blue, the most unexpected person... Yoshiki Hitotsubashi spoke up.

"His Highness Tianzhang is still carving flowers and leaves. Your urging will affect his performance and creation."

After saying that, he put down his calligraphy brush with a "click".

Seeing this, Matsudaira Haruaki hurriedly asked:

"Lord Hitotsubashi, is your work... finished?"

Yoshiki Ichibashi nodded.

"I've managed to barely manage to complete a haiku."

Matsudaira Haruaki pressed on, asking:

"May we have a look?"

Yoshiki Ichibashi nodded again.

The vast majority of people... especially the "Hitotsubashi faction," immediately shifted their attention to Yoshinobu Hitotsubashi.

Yoshiki Ichibashi calmly raised the poem in his hand and recited it aloud with measured intonation:

The world is always bustling and noisy.

"The plum blossoms vanished silently in an instant."

"A fleeting moment"

……

The banquet hall fell silent once more.

Compared to when Gong was reciting her work earlier, this time the silence lasted a little longer.

Although the duration of the quiet period varies slightly, what happens after the quiet period is the same.

"The world is full of noise... but only for a moment... What a wonderful work!"

"As expected of Lord Hitotsubashi! Not only is he exceptional in martial arts, but his literary talent is also extraordinary!"

"Oh dear, now I'm becoming more and more embarrassed to show my work."

……

It's another round of all sorts of flattery.

However, it is undeniable that their praise was not unfounded.

Yoshiki Hitotsubashi's haiku is indeed wonderful.

Even the previously highly praised He Gong was outshone by him.

Haiku places the greatest emphasis on imagery and meaning.

Throughout history, all haiku poets have strived to express the most beautiful imagery and convey the richest emotions with the most concise language.

A prime example is the timeless masterpiece "The Old Pond" by Matsuo Bashō, who is hailed as the "Saint of Haiku": "The old pond, a frog leaps and breaks the mirror of the sky, with a tinkling sound."

A cursory glance might suggest that the poem "Ancient Pond" is simple, plain, or even bland, but careful reading reveals its subtle and profound meaning.

Three sentences, three images, in this instant, movement and stillness, silence and sound, are seamlessly combined, or rather, movement and stillness, silence and sound, complete several transfers outside of time.

The imagery of "tranquility" and "elegance" leaps off the page.

Yoshiki Hitotsubashi's work does not have a superior visual quality, but it has a very good artistic conception.

Plum blossoms only bloom in winter.

When winter passes, even the proud plum blossoms will wither away.