Zhang He interjected, looking puzzled: "However, your majesty's words still leave me clueless on how to compose a poem!"
Cao Rui smiled and shook his head: "If I were to make an analogy by likening it to entering a military campaign, General Zhang has just walked from Chen Cang to Lue Yang. To actually write a poem, he is still two steps short."
"The next thing I will say is about rhyming."
Cao Rui pointed to Sima Yi and said, "General Sima, recite the last four verses of the 'Yan Ge Xing' composed by the late emperor for all of you here."
In his heart, Sima Yi felt helpless but had no choice but to follow. The poem written by the late emperor, especially the 'Yan Ge Xing', an elated piece, was a work that Sima Yi, as one of the four close friends of the late emperor, could not afford to be ignorant of and could not fail to recite.
After clearing his throat, Sima Yi recited aloud: "The bright moon shines on my bed, the Milky Way flows westward and the night is endless. The Cowherd and Weaving Maiden gaze at each other from afar, but why have you been confined by the river bank?"
Cao Rui looked at Zhang He and asked, "Do you feel that the late emperor's poem has a very smooth flow when you read it?"
Zhang He was silent for a moment and said, "Yes, there is! But I cannot quite pinpoint where it feels smooth."
Cao Rui smiled and said, "The last word! Shining on my bed, the night is still young, gazing at each other from afar, confined by the river bank."
"You see, the last character of each line doesn't sound too different, doesn't it? They all have an 'ang' sound."
Zhang He nodded: "That is indeed so."
Besides Sima Yi, Cao Zhi, and Wang Rong, the remaining seven people in the hall were all very curious about the emperor's words.
Even Cao Zhen and Cao Hong exchanged a glance, astonished that they had understood. It's because the last characters sound similar!
Cao Rui turned his back, pointed southward, and said, "From the four scenarios you mentioned, I will choose the first one, the 'Han River'. In poetry, the first line often starts with a cumulative word or mentions a direction."
"Now, I want you to describe the Western Han River with just two characters," Cao Rui guided Zhang He. "Remember to use a cumulative word with two characters."
"I'll give you an example: 'Tao tao Qian Niu Xing, Jiao jiao He Han Nu. Xian xian zhuo su shou, Zha zha nong ji zhu.' "
Zhang He was momentarily stumped and took a while to decide: "Your Majesty, I choose the words 'Tao Tao'!"
"That's fine," Cao Rui nodded, "So General Zhang, your first line of the poem is already written."
"Tao Tao... Western Han River?" Zhang He asked tentatively.
"Cao Rui laughed heartily. "Ha ha ha. It's General Zhang who is composing the poem, not the emperor. If you say it can be done, then it certainly can."
"Then, 'Tao Tao Western Han River,'" Zhang He nodded and asked, "What about the second line?"
Cao Rui continued: "When composing a poem, there should be rhythm and progression, without the need for an excessive accumulation of imagery. Start with a particular scene or object and express your feelings clearly and vividly."
"Have you all heard of Uncle Emperor's 'White Horse' poem?"
The civil officials all nodded. Cao Rui turned to his commanders and said with a hint of helplessness, "Glistening with gold ornaments, the white horse gallops northwestward. Who is this young man? A gallant from You and Bing."
"The opening of this poem is quite good. The white horse carries the gallant to the border and gallops northwestward. Each line builds upon the previous one. The first line is about the white horse, and the second line is about galloping northwest."
"Then, since General Zhang has chosen the Western Han River as his opening, he might as well make it clear and understandable."
Seeing Zhang He seemed to be puzzled again, Cao Rui smiled and asked, "I ask you, where does the Western Han River come from? Where does it flow through, and where does it go? What is its use?"
Zhang He answered, "I know. The Western Han River originates in Longnan and flows through Qinzhou before reaching Yizhou. Now, the army is marching south along the Western Han River towards Wu Du!"
"Good, let's start by talking about where the Western Han River originates from in Longnan." Cao Rui guided him, "You've already used 'Tao Tao' to describe it. Can you use a cumulative word again to describe the Western Han River from a different perspective?"
"Let me think," Zhang He bent his head in thought, "Broad? Spacious? Long?"
"Ha ha ha," Cao Rui shook his head, "General Zhang, you used the word 'Tao Tao' just now for water. The river's flow can be seen with the eyes, but can it be heard with the ears or touched with the hands? Can we describe it in a different way?"
Seeing Zhang He still in deep thought, Cao Rui reminded him, "How about using 'Tuan Tuan' or 'Lie Lie'? Two senses, two different words. You can choose one."
"Then I choose 'Lie Lie.' 'Tao Tao Western Han River, Lie Lie from Longnan.'"
When Zhang He spoke, not only Cao Zhi and the others were enlightened, but even Cao Zhen and Cao Hong, who didn't understand poetry, felt that there was something to this poem.
Whether it's the Han poetry collection or the former literati under the leadership of Cao Pi and Cao Zhi in the capital of Ye, writing poetry emphasizes narrative, with simple words expressing deep emotions and widely using the technique of 'qi' (indirectly setting up a topic).
Poems written in this style often have a very ancient and simple opening, which is only noticeable after two or four lines.
"Now that we have the first two lines, what about the third and fourth lines?" Cao Rui continued to guide him, "You mentioned that the Western Han River flows from Qinzhou to Yizhou. How can we express that better?"
"From Qin to Yi?" Zhang He blurted out, then laughed to himself, feeling that it wasn't appropriate. He quickly added, "Your Majesty, please wait a moment. I'll revise it."
"Flowing through Qin and Yi? Tracing its course through Qin and Yi? Connecting Qin and Yi?" Zhang He tested the words several times.
"The second one sounds better." Zhuo Zhuo whispered from the sidelines.
Cao Rui smiled but said nothing.
Zhang He whispered to himself according to the emperor's suggestion: "So this means it will be the route for the army to march."
"Is it forging a road wide?" Zhang He looked at the emperor again.
This time, it was Guo Hui who reminded him: "General Zhang, perhaps you could change some of the words to make it more literary."
"Can we replace 'road' with 'post road'?" Zhang He didn't mind Guo Hui and turned to ask, "What about post roads?"
"Better, better." Guo Hui said.
"How should we replace 'open up'?" Zhang He started muttering to himself again.
Cao Zhi couldn't take it anymore: "We've used three lines to accumulate the momentum of the Western Han River, and the fourth line should be explosive. Let's use some passionate words."
Zhang He looked towards Cao Zhi, who knew he had said too much but couldn't help giving a hint: "The words 'Qui Kai' (smash open) are better than 'Kai Pi' (open up)!"
"That's..." Zhang He whispered: "Tao Tao Western Han River, Lie Lie from Longnan. Connecting Qin and Yi, Smashing Open the Post Road Wide."
"It's starting to take shape, and the rhyme is in place." Cao Rui smiled, "After describing the scenery, it's time to talk about human psychological activity."
"Let's take you for example, why did you come here today to Qi Mountain? And what are you going to do next?"
"General Zhang answered directly: 'I am the Inspector of Military Affairs for Qin and Yong provinces, appointed by Your Majesty. My duty is to support from Chenchang and assist in the defense of the western regions. I am currently following the army to Qi Mountain, and will proceed towards Wu Zhong in Han Zhong!'"
"That's very good, you have just said three lines, so let's write it as a poem with six lines." Cao Rui nodded.
"From Chenchang to Longyou one line, to Qi Mountain one line, towards Hanzhong one line." Zhang He seemed to have suddenly understood and said out loud, "The general guards Yongliang, leading troops to assist Longyou..."
"The rhyme isn't right, let me change it for you." Cao Rui interjected, "The general guards Yongliang, and at the risk of facing the country's crisis."
"Zhuo Zhuo and Guo Hui, you two will help revise the next four lines together."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Both Qiao Zhao and Guo Hui agreed, though they couldn't help feeling a bit puzzled in their hearts.
"After thinking for a long time, Zhang He continued: 'Obey the order of the Heavenly Emperor, and the army will march out of Qi Mountain.'"
It was Guo Hui who corrected the words: "Army should be changed to 'king's army'."
Qiao Zhao also laughed and said, "It's all in two-character or three-character structures. 'Obey the order of the Heavenly Emperor' might sound better with a change. How about 'Faithfully follow the Heavenly Emperor's will?'"
Guo Hui looked at the emperor and said, "To repay the Heavenly Emperor's intention seems better!"
Zhang He knew he was taking too long to compose the poem, and the people around were eagerly waiting for him to finish. So he just accepted both of their suggestions: "To repay the Heavenly Emperor's intention, the King's Army marches out of Qi Mountain."
Cao Rui reminded, "Just now, General Zhang mentioned four scenes: the Western Han River, the army, and the vast wilderness; the only one left is the banners."
Zhang He nodded and agreed, then after thinking for a moment, said, "The Western Han River has already been reconquered; the military flag points towards Hanzhong."
"It seems the rhyme isn't quite right again."
"Use 'Han River' instead of 'Hanzhong,'" Guo Hui reminded, "and use 'standards' instead of 'military flags'."
Qiao Zhao whispered to Guo Hui: "Recovered, towards Han Chuan. It's all one-character plus two-character structures. Perhaps the first line should be changed."
Guo Hui replied: "We can use 'since already recovered'!"
Zhang He was not at all embarrassed; he accepted Qiao Zhao and Guo Hui's suggestions wholeheartedly. After organizing them in his mind, he bowed to the emperor and said, "Your Majesty, I have completed my first poem."
"Let's hear it," Cao Rui's smile was about to burst out, but the other officials listening were surprised by the emperor's gentle guidance and this method of composing poetry.
The process of writing poetry is not difficult at all.
Zhang He lightly coughed and then recited aloud:
"Glistening with gold ornaments, the White Horse gallops northwestward. Connecting Qin and Yi, smashing open the post road wide. The general guards Yongliang, and at the risk of facing the country's crisis. To repay the Heavenly Emperor's intention, the King's army marches out of Qi Mountain. The Western Han River has already been reconquered, and standards point towards Hanzhong."
After Zhang He recited his five-character poem, he noticed that all his fellow officials around him were silent and staring at him.
"What's going on..." Zhang He asked in surprise, "Your Majesty, have I said anything wrong?"
Of course, there was nothing wrong with what Zhang He had said. In fact, with the help of the emperor, Cao Zhi, Qiao Zhao, and Guo Hui, Zhang He managed to write a five-character poem that surpassed average in just one pillar-scented time!
Cao Zhi clapped his hands and praised, "I have felt something like the initial reading of Emperor Dian's 'Discourses' after listening to Your Majesty's words about General Zhang."
Cao Rui smiled and waved his hand, "Don't compare me to the late emperor. That's not appropriate. However, I've more or less summed up the current approach to poetry."
"The first one is simple yet profound, and the second uses a narrative approach to gradually progress."
"As for the opening of the poem, it was actually a clever move by the emperor to have General Zhang adhere to the conventions." Cao Rui smiled, "Uncle need not be surprised. What I just mentioned about directions or repeated words is just a summary of two kinds of poetry that the emperor has seen."
"Firstly, use repeated words to create a scene, then evoke an emotion, as in 'Green cypresses on the mound, massive stones in the ravine.'"
"Or starting with directions, such as 'A beautiful woman in the north, exceptional and aloof. A high building in the northwest, reaching up to the clouds.'"
Cao Zhi sighed, "Once the army returns to Luoyang, the poetry collection and selections compiled by myself and Wu Ji will greatly benefit from your personal guidance and commentary!"
"Alright, we can discuss it when we return to Luoyang." Cao Rui nodded in agreement.
Zhang He was a bit impatient by the side, "Your Majesty, how does this poem of mine look?"
"It's excellent," Cao Rui smiled, "General Zhang's 'Tao Tao Western Han River' is so good that it can be inscribed on stone for the newly built Qi Mountain City to add some literary flair!"
"You all heard what I said just now. So, by the first line 'Tao Tao Western Han River,' I am commanding each of you to write a five-character poem."
"The same rules apply, those who can't write will have to drink ten bottles of alcohol!"
Everyone agreed.
Cao Hong saw how easily Zhang He composed poetry and couldn't help tugging at Cao Zhen's robe, "Zidan, why don't you and I also compose a poem together?"
"Is it to go against the emperor's words? You'd better do it yourself!" Cao Zhen looked at Cao Hong and flicked his eyes, then shook off his hand without paying attention to him. (This chapter ends)
