NOVEL NEXT Chapter 21 - Li Chengyuan Prepares to Host a Poetry Banquet!
Chapter 21: Emperor Qing’s First Reading of Journey to the West! Li Chengyuan Prepares to Host a Poetry Banquet!
“You wrote a book? Hand it over for me to see!”
Emperor Qing was now brimming with curiosity.
Li Chengyuan had already prepared. He immediately handed the box he had brought with him to Eunuch Hou.
Eunuch Hou took the box, bowed slightly, and shuffled with small steps to the emperor. He first opened the box himself to ensure there was no danger, then presented it to Emperor Qing.
When Emperor Qing took the box and looked inside, the first thing that caught his eye was a sheet of white paper with three large characters—Journey to the West!
The book that was handed to Emperor Qing was personally written by Li Chengyuan, character by character, while the copies made by Sang Wen and Qingniao were meant for publication and distribution.
Emperor Qing was immediately drawn to the title Journey to the West, but it wasn’t the name that captivated him—it was the calligraphy!
Although he had seen this style of writing many times before, each time he looked at Li Chengyuan’s slim gold script, Emperor Qing was left in awe.
This handwriting is truly beautiful!
After a moment of admiration, Emperor Qing took out the entire stack of paper.
To make copying easier, Li Chengyuan hadn’t bound the pages, but he had numbered them.
When Emperor Qing opened the second page, he was met with the opening poem of Journey to the West:
“Before chaos split, heaven and earth were void,
Vast and unseen by man or gods.
Since Pangu broke the primordial mist,
From then on, light and darkness were distinct.
The sky sheltered all beneath with mercy,
Revealing the essence of goodness within.
If you wish to understand creation’s origin,
You must read the tale of Journey to the West.”
After reading the poem, a flicker of surprise crossed Emperor Qing’s eyes.
I didn’t expect that the novel Li Chengyuan wrote would be about mythological stories.
This world also had its myths. Although it was the world after the Ice Age, nobody—except for Ye Qingmei—knew this secret.
Even Emperor Qing was unaware of the true mysteries of the world.
All he knew was that this world was quite mysterious. There was the Temple, and there were many pioneers from ancient times.
The myths of this world were stories passed down by those pioneers, and one of them was the legend of Pangu splitting heaven and earth!
Emperor Qing had always been curious about the Temple.
So, when he saw that Li Chengyuan’s novel touched upon mythology, his interest was immediately piqued.
Could it be that Li Chengyuan knows some secret about the Temple? After all, his mother is Ye Qingmei.
However, after a quick skim of a few chapters, Emperor Qing was taken aback. He realized that Li Chengyuan’s novel had nothing to do with the Temple, nor did it have anything to do with this world.
Journey to the West was a completely fictional tale in this world. After all, there was no Tang Dynasty here.
Li Chengyuan had deliberately noted that this was a story set in an imaginary world.
In other words, the entire novel was a creation of his imagination and had no connection to the real world.
After realizing he had overthought it, Emperor Qing wasn’t disappointed. Instead, he became more interested in the story itself.
From the brief glimpse he had, he already saw many elements that intrigued him: the art of immortality, the Heavenly Court and Underworld, the rebellion in Heaven, and the Great Tang Dynasty…
All of it captivated Emperor Qing.
So, he decided to start from the beginning and read carefully.
However, when he came back to his senses, he realized that Li Chengyuan was still standing there!
Glancing at Li Chengyuan, Emperor Qing, now slightly impatient, asked, “Why are you still here? Do you have more to say?”
“Huh?” Li Chengyuan was taken aback but didn’t dare say much. “Your Majesty, no, your son has nothing else to report!”
“Oh, good. Since you have nothing else, you can leave now,” Emperor Qing waved his hand, clearly eager to continue reading.
Li Chengyuan also didn’t wish to linger and immediately said, “Yes, your son takes his leave!”
But just as Li Chengyuan was about to leave, Emperor Qing suddenly spoke.
“Wait!”
Li Chengyuan immediately stopped, turning back to listen attentively.
“I’ve heard that quite a few scholars and literati have come to visit your residence recently, but you turned them all away?”
Li Chengyuan’s heart skipped a beat. Here it comes, he thought.
“Your Majesty, I was under house arrest during that time and didn’t dare meet any guests.”
“Hmm,” Emperor Qing nodded in understanding but then asked, “Now that your house arrest is over, what do you plan to do?”
The emperor’s question was subtle, but the meaning was clear.
He was asking if Li Chengyuan was planning to recruit supporters.
If he didn’t, it would show that he still wished to remain detached. If he did, it would mean he was ready to compete for the throne.
Li Chengyuan had already made up his mind before coming, so he answered without hesitation, “Your Majesty, I plan to host a poetry banquet in my residence three days from now and invite all the scholars and literati of the capital!”
“Good!” Emperor Qing, seeing that Li Chengyuan had finally “given in,” beamed with approval. Looking at him with great admiration, he said, “Very well! This is exactly what a prince of the Qing Kingdom should be doing. Don’t worry about the banquet. I will fully support you!”
“Thank you, Your Majesty!”
“Hmm, alright then. If there’s nothing else, you can leave.”
“Yes! Your son takes his leave!” Li Chengyuan bowed and left.
Watching Li Chengyuan’s departing figure, Emperor Qing fell into deep thought.
After a while, Emperor Qing suddenly spoke, “Eunuch Hou!”
“At your service!”
“I seem to recall that the Fan family once circulated a novel. Investigate it for me. If it exists, bring me a copy to read.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
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After leaving the palace, Li Chengyuan ordered his guards to return to the Duke’s residence while he and Old Huang headed directly to the Miaoyin Pavilion.
After half a month of absence, nothing had changed at the Miaoyin Pavilion. It was still the same as ever.
Since the pavilion only offered performances and not other services, unlike Drunken Immortal House, it was most lively during the day.
As soon as Li Chengyuan entered the Miaoyin Pavilion, he was hit by a wave of noise and excitement.
On stage, a dozen dancers were performing an exotic dance, and the surrounding dignitaries were all watching with flushed faces, clearly excited.
The scene made Li Chengyuan feel like he was back in a bar.
However, the ancient people’s reserved nature kept them from joining in the dancing. They merely applauded loudly, lacking the level of interaction found in a modern bar.
As soon as Li Chengyuan entered the Miaoyin Pavilion, the attendants noticed him.
They all recognized him, so one of them immediately came over and bowed, saying, “Your Highness, please follow me!”
Li Chengyuan nodded without saying anything, following the attendant to the third floor.
Once again, it was the Palace Room!
Shortly after Li Chengyuan entered, Gong Yu and Mr. Thirteen arrived one after the other.
Mr. Thirteen remained calm upon seeing Li Chengyuan again, but Gong Yu’s emotions were clear—her eyes filled with excitement and longing.
Seeing this, Li Chengyuan beckoned to her.
Gong Yu’s face lit up with joy as she immediately walked over, sat behind Li Chengyuan, and skillfully began to massage his shoulders.
Mr. Thirteen sat opposite Li Chengyuan in a kneeling position.
As for Old Huang…he stayed downstairs to watch the dancers!
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