"Of course this is the best. I also ask Mr. Yu to be the judge here."
Afterwards, Muchuan began to come up with a topic. He would write an ancient poem based on this scene in the Shangshu's mansion, which would then be evaluated by Muchuan and Yu Shinan.
"Okay, everyone, please start."
Muchuan made the announcement now.
You can see that most of the cooks had expressions of embarrassment on their faces. Although they all appeared very confident at first, they all weakened when they were asked to tell the story.
The only person who is confident is Temujin. He stands proudly on the ground, holding a brush in hand, and is confident. It seems that he has already thought out the content of the ancient poem.
After about one stick of incense, the six cooks had already finished the content of the ancient poem.
The result was also quite shocking. Two of the six chefs submitted blank papers and voluntarily surrendered.
Although the other two people have written ancient poems, the ancient poems are difficult to read. It is better to say that they are ancient poems than a piece of Baishui prose.
The ones that are a little more interesting are Temujin Dali and a fat man. The contents of the ancient poems produced by both of them are quite high.
However, after Muchuan and Yu Shinan took a look at it, both of them were 100% convinced that Temujin's ancient poems were better.
His poems are fluent to read, rich in profound meaning, and express emotions through the use of objects, which is very state-of-the-art.
Yu Shinan even praised that it was a pity that someone with Temujin Dali's level could only be a butcher. At this level, he could become a scholar.
You must know that not everyone can be a scholar. According to the selection ratio of the modern education system, becoming a scholar is equivalent to becoming a graduate student. This shows that Temujin Dali is indeed of high standards.
When Muchuan and Yu Shinan jointly announced that Temujin Dali had won, it also meant that Temujin Dali would become the cook of the Shangshu Mansion. It was useless even if others were not convinced. After all, even Yu Shinan recognized it.
Muchuan said cheerfully: "Dali, congratulations, you will stay in the mansion to work from now on. If you don't understand anything, you can ask questions at any time."
"Thank you, Master Mu."
Next, Muchuan arranged for the old housekeeper to take Temujin Dali to get familiar with the situation in the mansion and make corresponding work arrangements.
As for Muchuan, of course he wanted to meet Yu Shinan. After all, such a great calligrapher came to look for him, and it was definitely not possible for him to just chat.
In the main hall of the front hall, Muchuan ordered the maid to serve the best tea. Later, while drinking tea, he asked: "Master Yu, I don't know why you came to see me this time to discuss something important."
"I don't want to beat around the bush anymore. I came here this time to find Master Mu to attend the 'Poetry and Essay Conference' at Prince Qin's Mansion."
The Poetry Club was a gathering organized by Li Tai, the son of Li Shimin, in which poetry was used to meet friends and exchange interests. It was a hobby of literati in the Tang Dynasty.
Muchuan naturally lost interest in such a gathering. He had attended it several times before, and it was very boring for various literati to recite poems and write poems there.
Rather than fighting over food, Muchuan preferred eating meat, drinking, and talking about elegant matters with people in restaurants.
Without thinking much, Muchuan politely declined: "Thank you, Mr. Yu, for your good deeds. However, I have been busy with business affairs recently, so I'm afraid I won't be able to get away."
Yu Shinan was slightly surprised. He had thought that Muchuan would definitely participate in such an annual event. After all, Muchuan held the title of "the number one scholar in the Tang Dynasty", loved poetry and songs, and was full of poems and books. How could such a person be possible?
Don't like such grand events.
Muchuan's answer obviously shocked Yu Shinan. After he calmed down, he hurriedly said: "Master Mu, at this kind of poetry and prose meeting, your talent will shine and you can recognize people from all over the world. This is great for you."
What a perfect opportunity!”
"I see……"
"If you are busy with official duties, the King of Qin and I can report to His Majesty to reduce the content of your official duties."
Muchuan was astonished when he heard this. Can he still appeal to His Majesty to lighten his official duties?
This is unrealistic, after all, he is the Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs, and he has the important position of managing the world economy and managing the country's finances. I'm afraid this job can't be given to others.
However, Yu Shinan's old eyes were looking at Muchuan eagerly, expecting to be taken seriously. It could be seen that he really wanted Muchuan to participate in the "Poetry and Prose Group".
"I understand... Mr. Yu, if my official duties can be relieved, it is not impossible for me to participate in the poetry meeting held by the Prince of Qin's Mansion."
"Haha, Lord Mu, you have to keep your word! So without further ado, I will go with the prince to ask for your Majesty's invitation!"
Without stopping, Yu Shinan walked out of the front hall and disappeared.
Isn't this Yu Shinan too anxious?
And strangely enough, although Yu Shinan was one of the eighteen bachelors of the Qin Palace, it should not have much influence on Muchuan whether he participated in the "Poetry and Prosperity Society" or not.
Could it be that the person who wanted Muchuan to participate was not Yu Shinan, but someone else?
The "big brother behind the scenes" of the Qin Palace was none other than Qin King Li Tai. He was about the same age as Muchuan, had great talents, loved poetry and songs, and was deeply loved by Li Shimin.
Historically, the princes of the Tang Dynasty had to leave the royal capital of Chang'an when they reached adulthood and go to the fiefdoms to participate in national construction. However, Li Tai was the only exception among the many princes. Even when he reached the age and obtained the enfeoffed territory, he still stayed in
In Chang'an City, it was all because Li Shimin loved him too much.
Muchuan and Li Tai had met several times before, but their relationship was not deep. This time Yu Shinan suddenly came to look for the reason why Li Tai was involved.
Suddenly Muchuan felt that things seemed to be happening in this unpredictable direction, which was interesting.
In the afternoon, the sun shone brightly and the white clouds drifted, giving Chang'an a vibrant atmosphere.
In the attic on the second floor of a luxurious restaurant in the center of the city, there are many men wearing Confucian robes gathered here. They all look polite, gentle and elegant, just like local rich men.
At this time, several young men were surrounding one of the tables, chatting happily.
"Not long after, there will be a 'Poetry Contest' held by Prince Qin's Mansion. It's really exciting! I wonder who will win the first place this time?"
"Yes, those who can get a ranking in this 'Poetry and Prose Society' are all extraordinary people, and it is easy for them to achieve great success!"
"But if we want to say that the most powerful competitor in the poetry society, I'm afraid it has to be Mr. Ouyang of our family, right?"
All of a sudden, the literati all focused their attention on a young man.
The young man is wearing a white cloud robe, with a face like a crown of jade, a lean figure, and outstanding temperament. His name is Shangguan Baifeng. He is an authoritative figure in the literati community of Chang'an City and is proficient in all kinds of poems and songs.
In addition to his status as a "literary", Shangguan Baifeng also has a more well-known status, that is, he is the son of Zhongshu Ling Shangguan Jin.
Zhongshu Ling is the decision-maker who controls Zhongshu Province. He has great power and is deeply trusted by the emperor.
