Chapter 11

"Could it be that Brother, you are telling Lu something, that you are so poor that you can't even afford a birthday gift?"

"That's not the case..."

"If that's so, then we will wait and see!"

Ye Yu's eyebrows slightly moved, and he turned his face to look at Lu Kun, then respectfully bowed and said, "On the day of your birthday, I have prepared a humble gift here to celebrate. I hope you will accept it with a smile!"

"Oh? Hehe! Then this official must take a look at what precious gift it is..." Lu Kun's face, already plump, was now smiling like a chrysanthemum.

Ye Yu took the cloth bag from Qiu Lan's hands and respectfully presented it with both hands. Lu San, standing nearby, hurriedly took the somewhat heavy bag, but it kept moving in his hand.

This unusual phenomenon not only surprised the Lu family father and son but also startled the onlookers. What could be in the bag that was moving? Could it really be some precious treasure?

"Open it quickly!" Lu Zheng, who had originally intended to humiliate Ye Yu, was now also curious about the contents of the bag.

"Yes!"

When Lu San, puzzled, opened the bag, he pulled out a large, plump white goose.

This made the guests, who had been eagerly waiting, burst into laughter after a brief moment of shock. The curious looks they had given Ye Yu earlier now turned to ridicule and disdain.

Lu Zheng, seeing the restless white goose in Lu San's hands, couldn't help but laugh. He had predicted that, given Ye Yu's family circumstances and his deliberate last-minute notice, Ye Yu wouldn't be able to bring a decent gift.

However, he hadn't expected Ye Yu to use a white goose as a gift. But this suited his intentions perfectly, allowing him to mock Ye Yu and vent his pent-up resentment.

Seeing that Ye Yu remained calm, Lu Zheng reined in his laughter and said mockingly, "Today is my father's birthday, and you bring a white goose. How is that precious? Do you think this banquet is lacking a roasted goose?"

"Ha ha ha!"

"..."

Lu Zheng's teasing words caused the guests to burst into laughter again, pointing and mocking Ye Yu without restraint.

Even Su Quanzhong felt embarrassed. He had thought that Ye Yu's gift, though not as good as the one he had prepared, wouldn't be too far off.

But he hadn't expected Ye Yu to be so out of line, using a white goose as a gift. This not only brought shame upon himself but also made County Magistrate Lu Kun unhappy.

After the laughter subsided, Ye Yu, who had remained silent, said to Lu Zheng, "Brother Lu, you really know how to joke. We are both scholars; isn't burning a lute and cooking a goose a vulgar act?"

"Are you even qualified to talk about elegance? Brother Ye, are you just asking for humiliation?" Lu Zheng was feeling particularly pleased at this moment.

Ye Yu, however, was unperturbed and pointed at the goose, saying solemnly, "The gift I present today is more precious than any of the others here!"

Sigh!

Ye Yu's words, in the already noisy hall, only added fuel to the fire. It was like a bolt of lightning, leaving everyone stunned.

What? A white goose is more precious than their gifts? This was truly a ridiculous and ignorant claim. The gold, silver, ginseng, and deer antlers they had brought today were certainly worth more than a few coins for a white goose.

For a moment, everyone criticized Ye Yu, calling him a madman and saying he was spouting nonsense.

Even Su Quanzhong, standing nearby, couldn't hold back any longer. He gently tugged at Ye Yu's sleeve, signaling him not to anger the crowd.

Lu Zheng, hearing Ye Yu's words, burst into hearty laughter and pointed at Ye Yu, saying, "Brother, you really are a madman. How can you say such mad words? It's truly laughable!"

Ye Yu scanned the crowd with a cold eye and then said loudly, "Goose, goose, goose, with a curved neck singing to the sky, white feathers floating on green water, red feet stirring clear waves. This poem was written by Luo Binwang, one of the Four Talents of the Early Tang Dynasty. It shows that geese are not ordinary creatures. In the eyes of scholars, geese are noble and pure, far surpassing any ordinary birthday gift..."

Uh...

The crowd hadn't expected Ye Yu to use Luo Binwang's poem to describe the nobility and purity of the goose. They couldn't refute this, as their poetic skills and fame couldn't compare to Luo Binwang's.

Moreover, Ye Yu had already stated that, in the eyes of scholars, geese are noble. If they refuted this, wouldn't they be admitting they weren't noble?

"Even if, as you say, the white goose is a noble and pure creature, it still has a price. How can you claim that a white goose is more precious than the gifts of everyone here?"

Lu Zheng's rebuttal was very inciting, and the crowd's emotions were once again ignited. Ye Yu, however, remained calm and explained, "In the past, Wang Xizhi, because of his love for geese, copied the 'Tao Te Ching' for a Taoist priest. If we consider the value of Wang Xizhi's calligraphy, which is worth a thousand gold, can it match the gifts of everyone here?"

"This..."

Ye Yu's words, after mentioning Luo Binwang, now brought up Wang Xizhi. Although it was a bit of a stretch, it was still the truth.

Then Ye Yu turned to County Magistrate Lu Kun and said respectfully, "Ye Yu uses Luo Binwang's poem to offer three blessings. The first line, 'curved neck singing to the sky,' means wishing you a smooth and successful career, and when your term is up, you will return to the capital with honor, singing in harmony with the emperor. Isn't that glorious?"

"Hmm! Well said!"

County Magistrate Lu Kun, hearing Ye Yu's first blessing, couldn't help but praise him. Originally, Lu Kun was very dissatisfied with Ye Yu's white goose gift and saw his son's apparent intention to target Ye Yu, which increased his dislike of Ye Yu.

But now, Ye Yu's words of blessing made him very happy. Who wouldn't want a smooth and successful career, especially when the blessing was given in the form of an ancient poem, which was indeed refreshing.

"The second line, 'white feathers floating on green water,' means wishing you a long life with a youthful appearance, like a fairy, floating in the world of politics, living a carefree life."

"The third line, 'red feet stirring clear waves,' clearly praises your loyalty and dedication to the emperor, managing the people's livelihood, bringing peace and prosperity to the people, and living a life of integrity like clear water and green waves..."

"..."

When Ye Yu finished his eloquent speech, everyone couldn't help but draw a deep breath. At this moment, everyone secretly admired, "This young man is a master of flattery!"

Who could turn a few-coin white goose into the most precious gift? Who could make Luo Binwang's childhood poem a classic blessing?

At this moment, everyone in the hall, except for Lu Zheng, regretted not buying a white goose for the birthday.

Lu Zheng, silenced by Ye Yu's clever argument, was speechless. This argument was not only well-reasoned but also flattered his father.

If he refuted it now, it would be like going against his father. This kind of self-destructive behavior, he, Lu Zheng, would not do.

Clap, clap, clap!

Light applause came from the corner, and when everyone turned to look, Pan Zhi walked over. Pan Zhi stopped, bowed to Ye Yu, and said, "Young brother, you are indeed quick-witted. I admire you!"

"Ha ha ha! Nephew Pan, the people who can make you admire are few in this county!" Lu Kun, with his beady eyes, looked at Ye Yu and laughed heartily, "But the three blessings in ancient poetry have indeed added much to my birthday!"

"Hehe! Your Excellency flatters me!" Ye Yu smiled and bowed humbly.

Lu Kun was in a very good mood today. He waved his hand and pretended to be displeased, "Eh, Zheng is your close friend, so there's no need to be so formal, Brother Ye. Why don't you call me Uncle?"

"Then I wish Uncle a long and healthy life!" Ye Yu didn't hesitate and immediately offered his blessing as soon as Lu Kun finished speaking.

"Good, good, good!" Lu Kun's face was full of smiles, and his satisfaction was evident.

During the banquet, Lu Kun treated Ye Yu very well, specially arranging a seat next to him for better conversation.

After a while, Lu Kun's smile grew even wider because, whether it was about scholarship or hobbies, they had a lot to talk about.

Ye Yu, while being tactful, also told the county magistrate about his conflict with Lu Zheng, hoping Lu Kun could help resolve it, as he was tired of dealing with these provocations.

As the saying goes, a father knows his son best. Lu Kun, who knew his son's temper, now had a good impression of Ye Yu and thus urged the two to reconcile during the banquet.

Lu Zheng, who had been humiliated twice by Ye Yu, wouldn't easily let go of his resentment. But with his father's intervention at the banquet, he could only suppress his displeasure and reluctantly agree to the reconciliation.

After the banquet, the Lu residence returned to peace. In the study, Lu Kun sat in his chair, eyes closed, with a slightly flushed face, indicating he was slightly drunk.

Lu Zheng, sitting beside him, said with a displeased look, "Father, that Ye Yu has humiliated me several times, and you make me reconcile with a..."

Bang!

Lu Kun, who had been slightly drunk, suddenly sat up, his plump hand slamming on the table, causing the teacup to overturn and spill tea.

"What do you want to say?"

Lu Zheng, intimidated by his father's outburst, immediately swallowed his words and said hesitantly, "No... nothing..."

"Hmph! Those who insult others will be insulted in return! If you had been well-behaved, that boy wouldn't have become your enemy!"

"But..."

"But what? Lu San has already confessed everything! You were the one who slandered and extorted first, and you still act so shamelessly! Fortunately, Ye Yu knows his limits and didn't make a big fuss. Otherwise, if Liu Yuanshan found out, I would have to clean up your mess again!"

Lu Zheng, who was usually arrogant, now looked meek and said, "I was also wary of Liu Yuanshan, so I didn't make a big fuss..."

Lu Kun's face turned even colder at the mention of Liu Yuanshan, "That old Liu is really ungrateful. On my birthday, he claims to be sick and doesn't come. He refuses the wine and drinks the penalty!"

"Right! Refuses the wine and drinks the penalty!"

Lu Kun, looking at his unambitious son, felt a deep sense of disappointment, "In the future, be more obedient! That Ye Yu is not simple, so stay away from him!"

"I will remember, Father!"

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