Do Not Idle Away Your Youth, Till Your Hair Turns White and You Grieve in Vain

This man was none other than Ye Xuan, who had been mingling with the crowd.

He had not intended to speak, but he had never expected these young masters, who knew jack shit, to mock the Human Emperor so viciously.

That was what had prompted him to voice that exceedingly apt line of poetry.

After all, the present Di Xin was not yet the muddle-headed ruler he would become in the later stages of the Investiture of the Gods.

The Deer Terrace and the Star Picking Tower had yet to be built, there were no pools of wine and forests of meat, and he did not spend his days in debauchery and tyranny.

On the contrary, when he had first ascended the throne, he had slaughtered treacherous officials and cleansed the realm, achieving a measure of distinction.

Otherwise, Di Yi would not have passed the throne to him on his deathbed.

Di Yi's decision to pass the throne to him had been far more than a simple matter of swapping one beam for another.

Although Di Xin had seemed somewhat mediocre in recent years, he was still a long way from entering the cruel and tyrannical phase recorded in history.

Now these people had cursed him bloody, and Ye Xuan was naturally quite displeased.

Everyone was startled by the young man's extraordinary, commanding appearance.

Even Su Daji's eyes lit up when she saw him.

After all, a man who stood out so much was truly rare.

Bo Yikao, however, could not help staring intently at the man who had stolen his limelight.

"Those words just now came from you, did they not?"

"What exactly did you mean by them? Were you mocking our ignorance?"

Bo Yikao felt that the young man looked somewhat familiar.

But he could not remember where he had seen him.

Ye Xuan gave the fellow a cold glance, contempt showing in his eyes.

In his heart, he had already sentenced the fellow to death.

The next time they met, perhaps it would be time for this fellow to be turned into meat paste.

"So what if I said it?"

Ye Xuan truly looked down on these fellows.

Hearing Ye Xuan admit it, Bo Yikao could not help questioning him, his brows drawn down in a hostile glare.

"What exactly did you mean by that? We are discussing affairs of state here. What right do you have to speak? Yet you presume to mock us here. It is truly hateful!"

Had this been Xiqi, Bo Yikao would have killed him long ago.

At Bo Yikao's question, a cold smile appeared on Ye Xuan's face.

"You're discussing affairs of state? What the hell do you know about affairs of state?"

"And you dare discuss the Human Emperor here? Utterly laughable."

"Why can't we discuss the Human Emperor? The current Human Emperor shows no reverence for heaven and earth and speaks insolently. Why can't we talk about it?"

"When the Human Emperor ascended the throne, he slaughtered high officials on a grand scale and even killed several vassal lords. What's wrong with saying a few words about him?"

At Bo Yikao's questions, a mocking expression appeared on Ye Xuan's face.

"You know only that the Human Emperor slaughtered those ministers and killed several vassal lords. Do you know why he killed them?"

"Do you care only whether those lords live or die, and not whether the common people under their rule live or die?"

"Every one of the lords the Human Emperor killed was cruel and tyrannical. There is evidence for all of it. Why haven't you looked into it instead of spouting nonsense here?"

"Could it be that you care only about the interests of the great vassal families, and not those of the living beings under heaven?"

"Look at it another way: you people are holding this spring outing gathering for Bo Yikao. Have you ever considered that the current Human Emperor is run off his feet right now?"

"Do you know the real reason the winds and rains have been unseasonable these past few years?"

"Do you know how many living beings in Yin Shang are waiting for the Human Emperor to send people to provide disaster relief?"

"Do you know how many Di and Yi tribes around Yin Shang are eyeing it like tigers watching their prey?"

"Do you know how many vassal lords within Yin Shang are scheming to rebel?"

"And do you know how much effort the Human Emperor has put in to bring Yin Shang the favorable winds and rains it now enjoys?"

"You people know nothing, yet you dare speak recklessly about affairs of state here. You're as shortsighted as mice and utterly laughable."

"When you get down to it, you're nothing but a bunch of vermin, yet you still make shortsighted, reckless judgments about the Human Emperor. You're laughable, and you still won't admit it?"

Ye Xuan's barrage of questions carried tremendous force.

Overawed by his bearing, no one present dared speak up in rebuttal.

How could they know the answers to those questions?

How could they know how to refute him?

But Bo Yikao was unwilling to let the matter rest.

"We may not understand, but do you? Does that give the Human Emperor reason to slaughter court ministers and so many vassal lords at will?"

"Does that give him reason to disregard the laws of his ancestors and show no reverence for heaven and earth?"

"By doing this, isn't he afraid of being cursed for all eternity?"

Hearing this, Ye Xuan burst out laughing.

"Cursed for all eternity? Do you think the current Human Emperor cares?"

"So what if a thousand fingers point at him?"

"You say he has no reverence for heaven and earth, but what can heaven and earth do to him?"

"Of all the gods and Buddhas filling the heavens, who dares point fingers and issue orders before the Human Emperor?"

"The human sages of ancient times had already cast aside the gods. Only the Holy Mother still has a small connection to the human race."

"Even Her Ladyship the Holy Mother has never reproached the current Human Emperor, yet you people spout nonsense here and show disrespect to your sovereign behind his back. You're a disgrace to your parents!"

Ye Xuan's words were wildly arrogant.

Everyone was so shaken by Ye Xuan's bearing that not one of them dared speak.

For a time, an eerie silence fell. It was truly awkward.

No one had expected Bo Yikao to be left speechless by such a man's rebuttal.

The wealthy young women present now looked at Ye Xuan with an indescribable glimmer in their eyes.

They suddenly realized that the man before them had a commanding presence no ordinary man could match.

Even Su Daji, who had been sitting quietly to one side all this time, could not help seeing Ye Xuan in a new light.

There were almost no men in the world today worthy of her notice.

But the one before her was clearly an exceptionally special person.

Ye Xuan swept his gaze around the gathering, moving from the others to Su Daji.

He met Su Daji's gaze, then finally turned his eyes to Bo Yikao.

"Since this is a spring outing gathering, I shall recite a poem for everyone here."

With that, he picked up a jar of fine wine and began gulping it down.

Then he stood on high and began to chant:

"My wrathful hair lifts my cap as I lean on the railing; the pattering rain has ceased."

"I raise my eyes and laugh at the heavens, my heart ablaze with lofty resolve."

"Thirty years of fame and glory, mere dust and dirt; eight thousand li of road, clouds and moon."

"Do not idle away your youth, till your hair turns white and you grieve in vain!"

"The shame of Xia Jie has yet to be washed away; when will his subjects' hatred be extinguished?"

"I shall drive my chariot and smash through the passes of the Helan Mountains."

"With lofty ambition I hunger to drink the flesh of the Hu captives, and laughingly talk of thirsting to drink the blood of the Di and Yi."

"Then I shall set out anew, reclaim our old rivers and mountains, and pay homage at the heavenly palace!"

Filled with indignation, Ye Xuan recited the poem that had been passed down through the ages in a single breath.

Of course, he had made a few small changes to it.

He felt immensely relieved, as though he had vented the gloom in his heart.

As the saying went, when words do not meet with understanding, even half a sentence is too much.

Ye Xuan had truly lost interest in staying any longer.

He gave a cold laugh and said:

"Everyone, please continue-"

"But if anyone dares continue insulting the Human Emperor, they had better watch the head on their shoulders."

With that, he prepared to turn and leave.

Only the crowd remained, standing there as dumb as wooden chickens.

Just then, a large crowd suddenly surged toward them from afar.

At their head was none other than Su Hu, the Marquis of Jizhou.