Chapter 5 — The Voice of the Heart Unmasks the Fake

Tham Thanh Dao seemed to receive great encouragement. Even if she wanted to press the corners of her lips, she couldn't press them down. She bowed gently, her voice carrying just the right amount of shyness:

"This slave comes from a rural background, and was not allowed to read many books. But after entering the palace, every day I looked at the moonlight on the palace wall. My heart was really moved, so I learned a few random sentences from others. If I'm not good, please don't laugh at me."

【Pretending to be naive is my forte. First step yourself in the mud, then read it later enough to surprise people. I have specially chosen this poem, it is both suitable for the scene and has the spirit, absolutely enough to shock the whole school.】 She stood up straight, cleared her throat and read:

“The sea gives birth to a bright moon, the day of the sea is combined with the test of time.”

The bright moon rises over the sea, people on the horizon look at the same moon. ## 9 As soon as these two sentences were uttered, the entire banquet immediately became quiet. Several civil servants looked at each other, surprise in their eyes. Tham Thanh Dao lowered her eyes and continued reading:

"The lover resents the long night, staying awake all night long because of longing. Extinguishing candles feels like the moonlight fills the room, putting on new clothes or the night dew has absorbed. Unable to hold the moonlight in his hand to give as a gift, he has to return to sleep, hoping to meet each other in a beautiful dream."

After reading, she raised her eyes slightly, quickly looked around at everyone's expressions, then immediately looked down, as if she was so shy that she didn't dare look at anyone. 【How is it? The song "Longing for the Moon" by Truong Cuu Linh, is it qualified? These ancient people have probably never heard such a beautiful poem in their entire lives. Now we should know who is the real talented woman, right?】 The banquet was silent for three breaths. Then the Minister of Rites was the first to applaud:

"Good poetry! Good for the line 'The bright moon rises on the sea, people on the horizon look at the same moon'! Open weather, deep sentiment, yet it comes from the mouth of a palace maid?"

“Your Majesty.”

The chancellor of the Academy of Hanlin Academy also stood up and clasped his hands:

"This poem has a high perspective, uses natural language, and is absolutely not the ordinary work of a noble woman. May I ask who did this lady worship as her teacher?"

Tham Thanh Dao pursed her lips and smiled, her face was slightly red, as if she had been complimented to the point that she didn't know what to do:

"This slave... I don't have a master. I just wrote it casually."

The more she said that, the deeper the surprise in everyone's eyes became. The eyes of several young officials were glued to her, unable to leave. Even the crown prince looked at her twice more, with some surprise in his eyes. The mother's face became not good. Her fingers holding the towel tightened slightly. Just as she was about to speak, I gently placed my hand on the back of her hand.

“Mother, there is no need to rush.”

I lowered my voice:

“Just let her act.”

The mother looked at me, her eyebrows still locked, but in the end she still restrained herself. His father leaned back in his chair, turning the wine cup in his hand, with no expression visible on his face. People didn't even look at Tham Thanh Dao. His eyes stopped on the curved roof of the palace wall in the distance, as if the lapis lazuli tiles on it were more interesting than the "talented woman" before him. But Tham Thanh Dao did not pay attention. She was immersed in the amazing gaze of the entire banquet, her whole body felt as light as stepping on clouds. 【First round won absolute. Looking at Hua Can Nuong's face, she must have been angry to the point of turning blue, right? What about a real princess? No culture is no culture. Later, I will read two more articles, and after tonight, the whole capital will know that there is a maid of great talent and beauty in the palace. At that time, it would be difficult for the emperor not to notice me.】 She didn't see me slowly drinking tea, her expression extremely good.

“Your song 'Wishing the Moon Forever' is truly extraordinary."

The chancellor stroked his beard, still pondering the aftertaste:

"It's just that the old man has one thing he doesn't understand. The sentence 'returning to sleep, hoping to meet each other in a beautiful dream' seems to have a somewhat sudden change of meaning compared to the sentence 'extinguishing the candles and loving the moonlight that fills the room'. The lady just said that she felt emotional when she was in the palace, seeing the moon, so that 'beautiful dream' was just reuniting with relatives, or..."

10 Tham Thanh Dao stiffened slightly. Of course she couldn't answer. This poem was written by Truong Cuu Linh to remember his far away friend. She just copied it and used it, never thinking about the emotions behind it. 【It's so annoying! Why do you ask? Good poetry is fine, these old scholars really like to pick apart every word. How do we know what Truong Cuu Linh was thinking at that time? I'm not him!】 But a smile quickly appeared on her face, she lowered her eyes and said:

"The slave does not dare to arbitrarily explain his work. After the poem is completed, the meaning also belongs to the reader. Whatever you feel it is, then it is what it is."

This statement was said extremely skillfully, as slippery as a loach, while avoiding the question and appearing to be profound. The chancellor was stunned, then clapped his hands and laughed loudly:

"Good! At such a young age, to have such a poetic heart, rare, rare!"

Tham Thanh Dao breathed a sigh of relief, the corner of his eyes involuntarily looked towards his father. His father was still swirling the wine cup in his hand. 【What's wrong with this old man? I read such a beautiful poem, why didn't he have any reaction? Even if you don't give a reward, should you at least give a compliment? Could it be that you were stunned by my talent?】 I almost couldn't help but laugh. The atmosphere at the banquet became lively thanks to that poem. A few young officials who liked to get excited started shouting, saying that tonight was the Mid-Autumn Festival, it was rare to have such a talented woman here, so it was better to do one more song. Tham Thanh Dao pretended to refuse two sentences, and finally "reluctantly" read:

"In the time of Minh Nguyet Ky, the wine bar greets the clear sky..."

When did the bright moon come into existence, raising a cup to ask the blue sky... Half way through reading, she suddenly stopped. I immediately understood. She suddenly realized she had chosen the wrong genre.

"In the time of existence, the moon and moon reign, the wine and the sky" is the opening line of To Thuc's song "Water Rhythm". Perhaps she almost accidentally continued reading the whole article, so she stopped.

Fortunately, she stopped in time, cleared her throat, and forcibly conveyed:

“Raise your cup and ask the blue sky. This night's scene is so clear, I remember another poem.”