I opened the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 236: Appreciative but useless

Emperor Zhenwu: "This Chen Zilong, his poetry is so graceful and moving. If he were my son-in-law, he would write some tender and sweet poetry for my daughter every day, how romantic it would be."

The emperor looked intoxicated, as if he had seen the touching love poems written by Chen Zilong for his daughter. "Look at Chen Zilong, his poems can really melt people's hearts. What about 'holding hands and looking at each other with tears in our eyes, unable to speak'? Oh my, such deep love, if he became my son-in-law, my daughter would definitely live in a honeypot every day. Imagine my daughter walking in the garden, and Chen Zilong whispering the poems he wrote for her beside her. That scene is simply as beautiful as a painting. Moreover, Chen Zilong's talent is obvious to all. In the future, when the gods gather together, I will introduce my son-in-law Chen Zilong, how face-saving it will be. He is like a shining star, which can bring endless glory to our family."

After hearing this, Mizukage rolled his eyes and waved his hands. "Your Majesty, don't just look at his good lyrics. Chen Zilong is always in love with prostitutes. He is a playboy. If your daughter follows him, she will be worried every day, worried that he will be seduced by some young lady. Think about it, Chen Zilong hangs out in those prostitutes all day long, like a headless fly. As the saying goes, 'a dog can't change its eating habits', and his playboy nature is hard to change. If your daughter follows him, wouldn't she be asking for trouble? Moreover, he only knows how to write those romantic lyrics all day long, and doesn't do anything serious. It's like an embroidered pillow - it looks good but is useless. Can you trust your daughter to such an unreliable person? When looking for a son-in-law, you have to find a steady, loyal and affectionate man. Chen Zilong is far from that. If you marry your daughter to him, you are really 'pushing your daughter into the fire pit - asking for trouble'."

Emperor Zhenwu: "The Scholars written by Wu Jingzi is so profound. If he becomes my son-in-law, he will surely bring many sparks of thought to our family."

The emperor raised his chin slightly, his eyes revealing his admiration for Wu Jingzi. "This Wu Jingzi is a thoughtful man. The "The Scholars" he wrote portrayed the ugliness of those literati to the core. If he became my son-in-law, our home would definitely be filled with an atmosphere of wisdom. We could discuss the characters and stories in the book together, which would be very interesting. Moreover, Wu Jingzi's talent can also bring glory to our family and give us a higher status in the circle of gods and immortals."

However, Shuiying snorted disdainfully and said with a curled lip: "Your Majesty, don't be fooled by his books. Wu Jingzi himself is poor and cynical all day long. If your daughter follows him, she will have to live with him and listen to his complaints every day. Think about it, Wu Jingzi himself is in a mess, can he take good care of your daughter? He only knows how to criticize this and that all day long, like an angry young man. This is like 'a stone in a pit - smelly and hard'. If your daughter follows him, won't she be affected by his bad temper? Moreover, in today's society, practicality is important. Wu Jingzi has neither money nor power, and he can't make people happy. This son-in-law is not worth having. If you marry your daughter to him, it would be like 'letting the good cabbage be eaten by the pig - blind'."

Emperor Zhenwu: "Cao Xueqin is a man of great talent who could write a masterpiece like Dream of the Red Chamber. If he were my son-in-law, I would be so happy if he could write some love letters to my daughter."

The emperor put his hands behind his back, raised his head slightly, and his eyes were full of admiration. "This Cao Xueqin is a great talent. The Dream of the Red Chamber describes all kinds of human life, love, hate, and hatred. Those words are like magic, and people can't put them down after reading them. If he became my son-in-law and wrote love letters to my daughter every day, how happy my daughter would be. Imagine my daughter holding the love letter written by Cao Xueqin, with a sweet smile on her face. That picture is so beautiful. Moreover, Cao Xueqin's talent can also add luster to our family. In the future, at the gathering of gods, I can proudly introduce my son-in-law as the author of Dream of the Red Chamber. How face-saving it is. He is like a shining star, lighting up the sky of our family."

After hearing this, Mizukage shook his head repeatedly, with a look of disapproval on his face. "Your Majesty, don't just think of his ability to write novels. Cao Xueqin is so poor that he can barely make ends meet. If your daughter follows him, she will be starving. Think about it, Cao Xueqin is always worried about his livelihood, how can he have the energy to write love letters to your daughter? Maybe in order to fill his stomach, he has to work as a writer for others, and he is exhausted. This is like 'a beggar celebrating the New Year - poor as a jingle bell'. Moreover, his 'Dream of Red Mansions' is full of love affairs, isn't this not doing his job properly? In today's society, practicality is important. He is immersed in love affairs all day long, what can he achieve? This is like 'an embroidered pillow - looks good but is not useful'. Can you trust your daughter to such a poor scholar? To find a son-in-law, you have to find someone who is rich, powerful and capable. Cao Xueqin does not meet this standard. If you marry your daughter to him, it would be 'putting flowers on cow dung - wasting it'."

"Besides, Your Majesty. Cao Xueqin's personality is a bit eccentric. He stays at home all day writing novels and doesn't communicate with anyone. If he were with your daughter, she would get sick. He is like a mute who can't say a word for a long time. If your daughter follows him, her life will be so boring. It's like 'a dumb person eating Coptis chinensis - unable to express his pain'. Moreover, the fates of the characters in his Dream of the Red Chamber are so tragic. How can he be sunny in his heart if he thinks about these things all day? Maybe he will pass on this pessimism to your daughter. This won't do, Your Majesty. You have to think about your daughter's happiness."

Emperor Zhenwu: "Yuan Mei is a gourmet and can write poetry. If you become my son-in-law, you won't have to worry about food in the future."

The emperor raised his lips slightly, as if he had imagined a wonderful life in the future. "This Yuan Mei is a man who understands life. He is not only a gourmet, but also a poet. If he becomes my son-in-law, the food at home will definitely be first-class. He can take my daughter to taste delicious food everywhere and enjoy the fun of life. And he writes good poems, which can add some cultural atmosphere to our lives. How great is that."

Shuiying curled his lips and said disdainfully, "Your Majesty, don't just think about eating. Yuan Mei is a foodie who only knows how to find delicious food all day long. If your daughter follows him, he will feed her into a big fat woman. Think about it, Yuan Mei's mind is full of delicious food all day long, and he can travel all over the country for a bite of food. It's like 'a greedy cat sees a fish - salivating'. He takes your daughter to eat everywhere, so your daughter will be fat like a ball. Moreover, his poems are all about trivial love and no great spirit. How can this be a success? What is needed in today's society is a man with responsibility and ambition. Yuan Mei only knows how to eat, drink and have fun all day long, and has no ambition at all. This is like 'mud cannot be supported on the wall - no future'. Can you rest assured to hand your daughter to such a person without pursuit? If you want to find a son-in-law, you have to find a responsible and ambitious person. Yuan Mei is not good enough."

"Also, Your Majesty. Yuan Mei is too good at enjoying life. He might even lead your daughter astray. Your daughter follows him and only knows how to eat and drink all day long. How can she have the mind to practice? Isn't this a waste of time? It's like 'If you keep company with vermilion, you will be red; if you keep company with ink, you will be black'. You have to consider your daughter's future. You can't just focus on the food in front of you and ignore the long-term development."

The Great Emperor Zhenwu nodded slightly, and said with a smile on his lips: "Zhao Yi is indeed a talented man! The poems he wrote are profound in artistic conception and beautiful in wording, which is truly admirable. If I could recruit him as my son-in-law, we could recite poems together in the future and enjoy the beautiful scenery together, wouldn't it be a pleasure? In this way, we can add interest to life and learn from each other. It's really a wonderful thing!" After that, he couldn't help but clapped his hands and laughed, as if he had already seen the beautiful scene of drinking and reciting poems with Zhao Yi in the future.

The emperor nodded slightly, with a hint of anticipation on his face. "This Zhao Yi is indeed talented. His poems are very charming and memorable. If he becomes my son-in-law, we can discuss poetry and exchange literary experiences together. What a wonderful thing that would be. Moreover, his literary talent can also bring honor to our family."

But Shuiying shook his head and retorted, "Your Majesty, don't be fooled by his poems. Zhao Yi is just a sour scholar with no great future. Think about it, he only knows how to recite poems and write couplets all day long, and doesn't care about real life. This is like 'a nerd reading a book - serious'. What happiness can he bring to your daughter? Moreover, his poems are full of nostalgia for the past and sadness for the present, so negative. What society needs now are positive, optimistic and cheerful people. He is so negative all day long, which will affect your daughter's mood. This is like 'a crow standing on a pig's back - only seeing the black of others, but not the black of himself'. Can you rest assured to hand your daughter over to such a negative person? When looking for a son-in-law, you have to find a sunny and confident person. Zhao Yi does not meet this standard."

"And, Your Majesty. This Zhao Yi is too aloof, he looks down on everyone. If he were with your daughter, they would quarrel all the time. If your daughter was wronged, wouldn't you feel bad? He is like a stone in a toilet - smelly and hard. You have to think about your daughter's happiness, you can't marry your daughter to him just because he can write poetry."

Emperor Zhenwu: "Gu Yanwu is knowledgeable and has integrity. If he becomes my son-in-law, he will definitely bring righteousness to our family."

The emperor looked solemn, his eyes full of respect. "Gu Yanwu is an extraordinary person. He is knowledgeable, upright, and a true gentleman. If he becomes my son-in-law, he will definitely bring righteousness to our family. He can teach our younger generations to become moral and responsible people. How wonderful it would be."

Shuiying frowned and said worriedly, "Your Majesty, don't just look at his integrity. Gu Yanwu is busy with his studies all day long, how can he have time to accompany your daughter? Think about it, he is buried in a pile of books all day long, studying this and that. It's like a 'bookworm burrowing into a book - nitpicking on words'. How can he have time to care about your daughter? Moreover, he has a very stubborn temper. What if he talks back to you? Isn't this asking for trouble? In today's society, what is important is to live in harmony. He is so stubborn that it will bring a lot of conflicts to the family. It's like a 'firecracker temper - it will ignite at the slightest touch'. Can you rest assured to leave your daughter to such a stubborn person? When looking for a son-in-law, you have to find someone who is gentle, considerate and understanding. Gu Yanwu is not suitable."

"And one more thing, Your Majesty. This Gu Yanwu is too serious and has no sense of humor at all. Your daughter would be bored to death if she were with him. He is like an old scholar, with a stern face all day long. He is just like 'Bao Gong's judgments - iron-faced and impartial'. If your daughter follows him, her life will be so boring. You have to consider your daughter's happiness. You can't just marry your daughter to him because he is knowledgeable."

Emperor Zhenwu: "Huang Zongxi criticized feudal monarchy and had ideas. If I become your son-in-law, he will surely give me many good ideas in the future."

The emperor crossed his arms, raised his chin slightly, and his eyes sparkled with admiration. "Huang Zongxi is a man with great ideas. He dared to criticize the feudal monarchy. How much courage and wisdom did he have? If he became my son-in-law, he would definitely give me a lot of good ideas on family affairs in the future. Imagine that we sit together and discuss various major and minor matters, and Huang Zongxi uses his profound insights to guide us. What a beautiful picture that would be. Moreover, his ideas can also bring new vitality and changes to the family. In this era, we need such thoughtful and courageous people to lead us forward. He is like a beacon, illuminating our way forward."

After hearing this, Mizukage shook his head repeatedly, his face full of disapproval. "Your Majesty, don't let his thoughts cloud your head. Huang Zongxi is a thorn in the side, always against the court. If your daughter follows him, she will be hunted down by the court. This son-in-law is not suitable. Think about it, Huang Zongxi always criticizes the heavens, the earth and the court, just like a firecracker, which can be ignited at any time. As the saying goes, 'the first bird to stick its head out gets shot', he loves to stir up trouble so much that he will bring disaster upon himself sooner or later. If your daughter follows him, isn't that jumping into a fire pit? It's like 'a moth flying into a flame - destroying itself'. Moreover, his thoughts criticizing feudal monarchy are very dangerous in this era. If the court knows about it, it will be terrible. Can you trust your daughter to such a person who may get into trouble at any time? When looking for a son-in-law, you have to find someone who is stable and down-to-earth, and knows how to protect himself. Huang Zongxi does not meet this standard."