Although Liu Cheng had "turned back the raging tide," by this point in the poem, "Mother" had already spoken six lines! The poem's rhythm was showing faint signs of slipping out of control.
But Madam Le hardly cared whether the poem succeeded or failed. To her, linking verses was simply a social game, so, quite "blithely unconcerned," she let Mother keep talking: "Today, serve as the Crown Prince's Cavalier."
The line Madam Le supplied was actually not difficult, since the preceding two lines were "The Eastern Palace chooses its aides; by inherited privilege, you may be appointed," and the Crown Prince's Cavalier was precisely one of those aides. Was it not perfectly reasonable for a mother planning her son's career to suggest that post?
Moreover, this line did not even need to rhyme, but the next one was no easy matter. After struggling for ages, Le Zhan finally steeled himself and squeezed out, "Next year, transfer to the Secretariat." Since he had repeated the rhyme word from Xie Xinghan's earlier "Sail smoothly to the Secretariat," he still had to drink a penalty cup. But as he had not strayed from the rhyme, he received a flower all the same.
It was Xie Xinghan's turn to supply a line again. Despite her reputation as a talented lady, even she did not know how to continue.
She could have forced out a rhyme and muddled through with a line. But if they kept stretching and dragging it out like this, the poem would be utterly ruined. Mother had already spoken eight lines in total! What appeal would the poem have if she kept prattling on? Xie Xinghan had to put a stop to Mother's speech, either by bringing the poem directly to a close or by turning around the mountain bend to