Great Zhou Wensheng

Chapter 106: A Poem by Cheng Dafu! "A Spray of Plum Blossoms - Full Moon Over the West Tower - A Gift to Xue Lingqi"

Jiangyin County.

The Xue State Duke's Mansion, an old residence.

The sandalwood incense wafted from the gilded lion-shaped incense burner.

Beneath the gauze curtain, Xue Lingqi leaned against an embroidered stool, her slender white fingers twirling a unicorn pen.

Outside the window, the bamboo shadows swayed, casting mottled ink marks on her moonlit skirt.

"Miss."

Chun Tao, the personal maid, held a gilded tray, hesitant to speak, but then saw Xue Lingqi writing a letter on her desk.

The candle flame popped loudly on the silver lamp stand with its intertwined branches.

Xue Lingqi held her brush with a suspended wrist, the sheep-hair brush spreading a faint ink blot on Xue Tao's paper. Suddenly, she heard a "ding" from the iron horse on the eaves. Looking up, she saw that the spring breeze had shattered the moonlight.

The dripping of the water clock outside the window could not drown out the emotions expressed in her writing—

"As you see Jiang Lang:"
The new willows are already drooping, but your letters are still delayed.

I remember listening to the rain in Langhuan Pavilion in springtime, when you and I were reading the Book of Songs together, the rain pattering on the pipa with urgent sounds.
While idly flipping through the *Yu Tai* (Jade Terrace) today, I came to the line "My longing for you is like a full moon," and suddenly I felt that the candlelight casting shadows on the west window resembled the light from your long robe as you composed the poem.
The ink, still wet on the plain paper, spreads out like a scene from the misty rain of Jiangnan.

Her pen trembled, and a drop of ink fell on the last stroke of the character "思" (si, meaning "to think"), resembling the tears of a departing person.

Full of longing and concern!
After Jiang Xingzhou went to Jiangzhou Prefecture, she and Jiang Xingzhou exchanged letters every seven days.

Every night, she would only read Jiang Xingzhou's replies and poems to ease her longing.

Every word in the letter was carefully considered.

The candle wax condensed into crimson coral on the Yue kiln celadon candlestick, and the wick in the celadon lamp shortened by three-tenths of an inch.

Jiang Xingzhou traveled by boat to Jiangzhou to take the imperial examination.
On Xue Lingqi's desk, there appeared a gold-flecked booklet—a collection of letters from home every seven days, which she carefully kept according to the dates.

When the night was deep and quiet, she would always take out those letters.

As his fingertips traced the familiar handwriting on the paper, Jiang Xingzhou could almost feel the pine soot and ink scent that clung to Jiang Lang's sleeve.

Sometimes, when I read the stunning sentences written by Jiang Xingzhou, I have the illusion that there really are horses' hooves trampling the frost outside the window.

"Young Miss, since you miss Young Master Jiang, why don't you go to Jiangzhou Prefecture to see him?"

The maid Chun Tao put down the fresh fruits on the gilded tray and, while tending to the wick of the silver lamp, couldn't help but say something.

"Silly girl!"

Young people are full of vigor and only care about indulging in pleasure!
If I go, how will he concentrate on his studies!
He missed the prefectural examination, which delayed his future. The next prefectural examination wouldn't come for another three years! Three years after three years, the arduous years of studying by the window were unbearable.

Xue Lingqi tucked the wolf-hair brush into the gilded pen holder at an angle, the shadow cast by her sleeve just covering her reddened earlobes.

I feel so ashamed whenever I think about what happened at Langhuan Pavilion that day.

Ever since that night of pleasure, she knew that if she stayed by Jiang Xingzhou's side, the two of them would inevitably become addicted to his pleasure.

She didn't want her romantic feelings to ruin Jiang Lang's promising future.

"But if you calculate the time carefully, he should have already finished the prefectural examination! I'm afraid even the scholar's banquet has ended by now!"

Chun Tao counted on her fingers, then suddenly exclaimed softly, "I wonder if the young master has passed the exam?!"

"Yes! That's exactly right!"

In an instant, Xue Lingqi's eyes shone brightly, like stars falling into autumn water.

"Let's set off for Jiangzhou Prefecture to find Jiang Lang, and visit my parents along the way! Even if I stay in Jiangzhou for a few days, it won't interfere with his studies at the prefectural school."

A vermilion-lacquered, carved-railed multi-story ship slowly departed from the Jiangyin County dock and sailed downstream.

A river breeze swept by, the sails fluttered, and the bow cut through the shimmering blue waves. Finally, as dusk settled, the boat came to a steady anchorage at the bustling ferry crossing of Jiangzhou Prefecture.

Xue Lingqi and Chun Tao, aboard the Xue family's large ship, were escorted by a group of strong servants led by the steward Xue Li, and sailed down the river to Jiangzhou Prefecture.

As soon as the boat docked, a group of servants from the Xue family's mansion stood respectfully at the ferry to greet them.

The river wind howled, causing everyone's clothes to flutter, but it couldn't conceal the disciplined air of the Xue family's servants.

As night fell, the Xue residence in Jiangzhou Prefecture was brightly lit.

The maid Chun Tao, with her apricot-colored sleeves rolled up, stood under the corridor, quietly directing the servants as they unloaded boxes and luggage from the carriage. The sound of light footsteps and the gentle clinking of objects could be heard.

Xue Lingqi moved gracefully inside to pay her respects to her mother.

When the matriarch of the Xue family saw her beloved daughter arrive from afar, she was overjoyed. She took her hand and examined her closely, her eyes filled with loving affection.

"My son has grown taller again."

Her eyebrows and eyes are increasingly resembling her mother's when she was young, and she is also so beautiful.
Last year you turned 18, and now you're almost of marriageable age! My heart aches with a mix of longing for you to marry well, and reluctance to let you go.

"Mother!"

Xue Lingqi's ear tips suddenly turned a rosy hue, her slender fingers twisting her handkerchief as she lowered her eyes, making the rouge on the girl's cheeks appear even more vibrant.

The mother and daughter held hands and chatted, creating a warm atmosphere in the room, even the moonlight outside the window seemed to soften.

An hour later,

Xue Lingqi arrived at the side courtyard under the moonlight, searching for Jiang Xingzhou.

But all they saw were the two Xue brothers sitting facing each other, playing chess.

There was no sign of any boats traveling on the river.

She was puzzled. After greeting Xue Fu and Xue Gui, she went to her father's study to ask for a visit, only to find the room dark and the teacup on the table cold.

While they were hesitating, they summoned a steward to inquire.
The steward whispered, "Miss, the master is still at the government office and hasn't returned yet. He just sent someone to summon Young Master Jiang, saying he has important matters to discuss."

Before the words were finished, the sound of a night drum came from afar, startling a night bird under the eaves.

"Oh?"

Xue Lingqi unconsciously fiddled with the paperweight on the table, and upon hearing that the two had both gone to the yamen, she suddenly felt listless.

As dusk filtered through the carved window lattices, dappled light and shadow fell on the blue brick floor, making the study appear even more desolate.

She lifted her skirt slightly and sat alone in the study on Magistrate Xue's armchair.

Prefect Xue's study contained numerous military and important documents, and it had always been a forbidden area in the mansion, where even the Xue brothers dared not enter without permission.

Apart from Madam Xue, no one has ever dared to enter.

Xue Lingqi curiously browsed through her father's most treasured rosewood bookcase, picking out a book to pass the time.

I casually opened a volume of "Six Secret Teachings" and was immediately struck by a map of Jiangzhou's defenses—the outline of the arrow towers, drawn in vermilion ink, glowed with a blood-red hue in the twilight.

She wasn't particularly interested either, and was about to close the book when she suddenly caught a glimpse of an ebony box hidden in a secret compartment of the bookcase.

The paint had a faint sheen, and the latch was not locked.

As her fingertips touched the lid of the box, a faint scent of agarwood wafted out.

The moment the lid was lifted, a scarlet letter with gold flecks pierced the eye, and the three characters in vermilion ink at the beginning burned like a branding iron:
[Marriage Contract]

"This"

Xue Lingqi's breath hitched.

On gold-flecked paper,

The private seals of Duke Xue Chonghu and Imperial Censor Jiang Yan are prominently displayed opposite each other, the ink having seeped into the paper.

Her own given name and birth date were listed under the "woman" category.
And the section for the man.
"Jiang Xingzhou?"

She was surprised and slammed the marriage certificate shut, but the silk handkerchief knocked over the celadon brush washer on the table.

Her fingertips trembled, and the vermilion ink on the marriage certificate seemed to suddenly burn.

"Is there such a thing?"

She murmured to herself, pondering, "Why has my father never mentioned this to me?"

As my fingertips traced the yellowed pages, the ink had faded somewhat, yet the solemnity of the two families back then was still evident.

Xue Lingqi suddenly remembered something, her brows furrowed slightly, and she looked enlightened: "Could it be that something happened to the Jiang family later, which is why this matter was put on hold?"

She gently placed the marriage certificate back into the box, but felt as if a restless little deer was pounding in her chest.

These days, she has been secretly worrying about a difficult problem.

Would Father allow the daughter of a Duke to marry into the Jiang family, a humble clan?
Unexpectedly, her father and Imperial Censor Jiang Yan had already arranged a marriage between the two of them.

"If that incident hadn't happened..."

As she gazed at the deepening twilight outside the window, her thoughts drifted far away, and she couldn't help but imagine, "Perhaps the Jiang family will come to propose marriage when she comes of age. The two families will have already become husband and wife."

It turned out to be the case.

Her fingertips unconsciously traced the patterns on the box, and suddenly she understood many things—

No wonder his father brought Jiang Xingzhou to the Duke of Xue's mansion; no wonder the tens of thousands of books in the Langhuan Pavilion were exclusively open to him; no wonder even the strictest old teacher in the private school treated him differently.

"My father is actually..."

Her ears burned slightly. "I've been grooming him as my son-in-law for a long time!"

but,

The marriage certificate was kept in a cabinet and never taken out again.

Her gaze suddenly became fixed.

The marriage certificate was taken out again and placed neatly on the rosewood desk where her father often reviewed official documents.

The vermilion marriage certificate stood out prominently in the twilight, like a silent declaration—the daughter already knows about it!

As the night deepened and the water clock dripped, flickering candlelight filled the study of the Duke of Xue's mansion.

Xue Chonghu returned from the government office, his clothes covered in night dew, and pushed open the door before suddenly stopping in his tracks—

On the table, the marriage contract, sealed away for many years, lay quietly in the candlelight.

The scarlet paper sprinkled with gold reflects the dancing flames, and the vermilion ink is as fresh as new.

"This is."

His thick eyebrows furrowed, and his rough fingertips traced the curled edges of the paper.

The box was intact, except for the marriage certificate, which had been taken out and placed neatly in the most conspicuous place on the table.

"Who disturbed my study?"

Xue Chonghu's voice rolled through the night like thunder, startling the birds perched under the eaves into a flurry of flight.

The steward, standing outside the door, bowed hastily: "Reporting to Master, it's the eldest young lady. She's arrived from Jiangyin. She's been waiting for you in the study for half an hour!"

"What did she say?"

Xue Chonghu's brow twitched.

"The young lady didn't say anything."

The steward looked at the elongated shadow on the ground, "She only said before leaving that she was going to rest first and would pay her respects to the master tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, Xue Chonghu's temples throbbed twice.

In this Duke's mansion, besides his wife, the only one who dared to mess with his study was his eldest daughter, Xue Lingqi, who was incredibly audacious.

This marriage certificate had been sealed away in a box for many years—but this girl managed to find it.

Thinking of Xue Lingqi's temperament, Xue Chonghu's forehead throbbed even more.

This girl has been well-versed in poetry and literature since childhood, and her ambition is higher than the sky. Her talent is far superior to that of the Xue brothers.

I still remember back in our hometown, she and Jiang Xingzhou would often argue fiercely over differing opinions in books. The worst time, they almost bumped into each other.
In his memory, this girl had a fiery temper. Over the years, she had always bickered with Jiang Xingzhou whenever they met and had never given him a kind look.

Jiang Xingzhou is a stubborn guy, and the two of them are always at odds, so they've never gotten along.

Prefect Xue looked down at the four gilded characters "Eternal Union" on the marriage certificate, and his lips twitched—if this girl saw this, she'd probably tear the roof off the Xue State Duke's mansion!

Over the years, he has kept his mouth shut and has never dared to utter a single word in front of her.

"This girl shouldn't throw a tantrum after reading the marriage certificate."

Xue Chonghu stroked the corner of the marriage certificate, his voice deepening, "Did she seem unusual?"

The steward thought carefully and shook his head, saying, "Miss came and went as usual, and her steps never faltered."

Xue Chonghu's brows furrowed even more.

The more composed Xue Lingqi remained, the more uneasy people felt.

That's it!

It was late at night; he would try to find out what the girl wanted to say again tomorrow.

The courtyard of the Xue State Duke's mansion was bathed in the darkness of night.

The green bricks are soaked with cold dew, and the dark tiles are bathed in moonlight.

Jiang Xingzhou returned, his steps shattering the moonlight in the courtyard, his clothes still damp with the chill of midnight.

He pushed open the mottled wooden door of the courtyard, and suddenly stopped in his tracks—he noticed a warm orange halo floating on the gauze window.

He frowned slightly; his usually deserted house was now being visited by someone with a lamp lit tonight.

"Squeak-"

The door hinges made a slight creaking sound.

Before Jiang Xingzhou could even look up, a familiar, sweet fragrance wafted towards him.

A crimson skirt swept past his gaze, and Xue Lingqi bumped into his arms, startling him from the lingering chill of the night on his lapel.

The soft, warm touch of her body made his breath catch in his throat. "Jiang Lang!"

The person in his arms looked up, and the candlelight shattered into a galaxy in her eyes.

She tilted her head back, her eyes and brows brimming with undisguised joy.

The once arrogant eldest daughter of the Xue family,

At this moment, her eyes were red at the corners, her thin lips were adorned with dimples, and even the slight trembling of the gold hairpin in her hair exuded joy.

"Lingqi! When did you arrive!"

Jiang Xingzhou was surprised and subconsciously put his arm around her waist.
The waist in his palm was thinner than he remembered, yet when the word "Lingqi" was uttered, he could clearly feel a vibrant heartbeat beneath the fabric.

My heart skipped a beat when I saw the joy shining in her eyes.

At this moment, the eldest daughter of the Xue family had a charming look in her eyes that he had never seen before.

"I've missed you terribly these past two months! Since you've already finished the Jiangzhou Prefecture exam, I thought I'd drop by and stay for a few days!"

She looked up, a filigree gold phoenix hairpin trembling wildly at her temple, her beautiful eyes gazing at Jiang Xingzhou's cold yet smiling face.

The moonlight was like a veil, half-hidden by floating clouds.

"Squeak-"

A breeze rustled through the sparse bamboo, causing the copper bells on the eaves to tremble slightly, shattering the tranquility of the courtyard.

Like a brush dipped in ink, it delicately outlines a tender and lingering silhouette.

The clouds drifted by, and the moon appeared and disappeared, like a bride's half-hidden fan, revealing a soft, shimmering light.

The sound of the water clock fades into the distance, and the night dew grows heavier.

a long time,

Xue Lingqi nestled in Jiang Xingzhou's arms.

Her hair was slightly disheveled, her bun was loose, and a few strands of her black hair fell in front of his lapel, rising and falling gently with her breath.

Moonlight streamed through the window, casting dappled shadows on her cheeks. Her eyelashes drooped, casting soft shadows beneath her eyes.

Jiang Xingzhou's fingers unconsciously stroked her hair, the touch as smooth as silk, carrying a faint fragrance of osmanthus.

Her body leaned softly against him, her breath sweet and warm.

The night breeze was still, the candlelight had long since gone out, only the moonlight flowed silently, merging the two shadows together, making them indistinguishable.

"Jiang Lang!
I heard that Xiaomannu, the most beautiful courtesan at Zuixianlou, has become famous throughout Jiangzhou Prefecture with her poem "Bodhisattva's Charm: Ode to Feet"! It's even the first poem published outside the county.

Although Xue Lingqi was overjoyed, she still couldn't hold back her words.

She hummed, a hint of jealousy mixed with coquettishness, "Even I, the main wife, don't receive such treatment. I wonder just how beautiful her jade feet are! I'm afraid the Jiang family will have to add a concubine soon!"

"you lost weight!"

Jiang Xingzhou raised his hand to brush away a speck of frost from her brow. As his fingertips brushed against it, he noticed that her dark blue eyebrows looked thinner than they had that night at Langhuan Pavilion.

"Jiang Lang~"

Xue Lingqi pursed her lips slightly, the candlelight flickering on her porcelain-white cheeks, making the hint of rouge on her face even more vivid.

"Don't try to evade the question—what she has, I want too!"

Xue Lingqi smiled and ran her slender fingers across his waist.

"this!"

Jiang Xingzhou was both amused and exasperated.

He made a careless mistake at Zuixianlou, leaving behind the poem "Bodhisattva's Charm: Ode to Feet" written when he left the county, a problem that persists to this day.

That's it,

It seems that if I don't show off my best skills today, and don't have a single [Da Fu] poem, I won't be able to escape this calamity!

"These past few months have been filled with longing and yearning, and I've come up with a new poem that perfectly suits Lingqi!"

Jiang Xingzhou put on his clothes, his wide sleeves fluttering lightly, his moon-white robe billowing like clouds.

He strolled to the carved wooden window, where the Chengxintang paper presented as tribute was as white as snow. A red candle was lit, reflecting the flickering candlelight on the table.

The wolf-hair brush is dipped in pine soot ink, and the tip of the brush hangs three inches above the paper.

He picked up his pen and wrote.

Between the rising and falling green light, the brush moves like dragons and snakes, the ink traces flowing like clouds and water.

[A Spray of Plum Blossoms - Full Moon Over the West Tower - A Gift to Xue Lingqi]

The fragrance of lotus fades, the jade mat grows cool in autumn; I lightly loosen my silk robe and board the orchid boat alone.

Who sends a letter from the clouds?
When the wild geese return in formation, the moon will be full over the western tower.

The flower is floating and the water flows by itself, a kind of lovesickness, and two sorrows.

This feeling is impossible to dispel; it just moves from my brow to my heart.
This is a poem by Li Qingzhao expressing longing between husband and wife, a masterpiece of the graceful and restrained style of poetry, and a timeless classic.

This is a poem expressing the longing between a man and a woman in their boudoir, unsuitable for use in the imperial examinations or given to others. It was most appropriate for him to give it to Xue Lingqi, whom he had been thinking of day and night.

The words have become a masterpiece!

"boom--!"

Suddenly,
The sky trembled, and the bright moon shone like a wheel.

At that moment,
Qinghui surged.

The four characters "Moonlight over the West Tower" faintly appeared in the moonlight!
The gates and households of Jiangzhou Prefecture are all covered in frost.

The entire city of Jiangzhou seemed to be enveloped in the imagery of "the moon shining over the western tower," with silver light flowing over the glazed tiles and the stone steps of the long street soaked in moonlight.

It was as if one could see a wild goose flying through the air, its wingtip brushing against the moon, like ink stains breaking through plain paper, before landing in the backyard of the Duke of Xue's mansion.

Thump—!
Boom-!
Boom-!
Thump—!

The bell of the Jiangzhou Confucian Temple suddenly rang out, its deep and resonant sound spreading like ripples through the night.

The sound of the bell seemed to resonate with the bright moon in the sky, each chime causing the bronze bells on the eaves to tremble slightly and startling the birds that perched throughout the city.

Above the Confucian Temple, a vast and surging literary atmosphere flowed like a long river, intertwining with the moonlight and transforming into dazzling streams of light that swirled among the clouds.

The light was unlike anything ordinary; it seemed to be the spiritual essence condensed from ancient texts, illuminating the entire Jiangzhou city as if it were daytime.

"Look at the sky!"

"The bright moon appears in 'The Moon Over the West Tower'!"

Someone shouted first, and in an instant, the doors of thousands of households opened one after another.

People of all ages flocked to the streets, children pointing at the shimmering, colorful sky and cheering with joy, while scholars held their books and bowed deeply to the moon.

Even more, an elderly man with white hair knelt down tremblingly, muttering "Wenqu manifests its power."

The long street was instantly teeming with people, with women in traditional Chinese dresses and blue shirts ruqun ...

A mother held her young child high above her head, exclaiming, "My dear child, look! This is an auspicious sign of literary talent being bestowed upon you!"

The young men gazed at the moonlight and the mingling of literary energy, their eyes blazing with a burning passion—a yearning for passing the imperial examinations and achieving literary brilliance.

Ever since that poem "Looking at the Waterfall at Mount Lu" on the night of the prefectural examination,
The people of Jiangzhou Prefecture discovered that being bathed in this intense, poetic glow was extremely beneficial to them.

The distant cries of wild geese echoed through the sky, their lingering sounds spreading into the lights of countless homes.

The bright moon shone even more brightly, its light spilling down as if to illuminate the entire Jiangzhou Prefecture with the "moonlit west tower" described in the poem.

"Which talented young man from Jiangzhou Prefecture wrote this poem, 'The Moon Fills the West Tower,' a poem from Dafu?"

In the grand mansions throughout Jiangzhou Prefecture, lights suddenly blazed on. The heads of households, scholars, and officials all rushed out of their houses, gazing at the moon with expressions of utter astonishment.

In the Li family of the east of the city, the over-sixty-year-old patriarch Li staggered out of the courtyard, leaning on his cane. Looking up at the unusual moonlight in the sky, his beard trembled slightly: "The literary spirit soars to the heavens, and the moonlight resonates with it. This is another sign of a great scholar!"

"Quick, quick, look who wrote this essay by Da Fu!"

"Is that even a question? If anyone else could write a poem for the Da family, they would have wanted the whole family to know about it and make a big fuss about it long ago."

This piece appeared out of nowhere; it must have been written by Jiang Xingzhou, the top scholar in the prefectural examination!

"Besides him, who else could write a poem about leaving the county when there's nothing to do, and a poem about going to the prefecture when there's something to do?!"

For a time,

The whole city was in an uproar.

Those patriarchs who had previously criticized Jiang Xingzhou for "neglecting his duties and composing the poem 'Ode to Feet'" were now burning with embarrassment.

The young students, on the other hand, were filled with eager anticipation, wishing they could immediately go to the Duke of Xue's mansion and ask Jiang Xingzhou for guidance on this poem!

"This is the third Da Prefecture within the territory of Jiangzhou Prefecture this year, isn't it?"

Some people were so excited that their faces turned red, while others were pale and muttering to themselves.

Jiangzhou Academy.

"If nothing unexpected happens, this piece will probably be written by Jiang Xingzhou again!"
Is there really someone in this world who can write a poem that is "leaving the county" and another that is "reaching the prefecture"?

Professor Zhou stood before the blue stone steps of the prefectural school, his wide Confucian robe fluttering in the night wind.

"Ordinary scholars, after a lifetime of studying, would be fortunate enough to produce a poem about leaving the county, their ancestors' graves emitting auspicious smoke. But Jiang Xingzhou is different; he can casually compose a poem about a high-ranking official!"

He looked up at the increasingly bright moon in the sky, his fingers unconsciously clenching his long beard.

The instructors behind him had already lost their composure.

The eldest instructor, Zhao, looked up at the moon and suddenly stumbled.

In the night sky, the bright moonlight hovered above the west tower of the Duke Xue's mansion, lingering and intertwining with the moonlight to form a dazzling curtain of light.

Even more terrifying, golden characters flickered and floated within the light screen, clearly displaying the four large characters "The Moon Shines Over the West Tower"!
A night wind suddenly rose.

The wind blew, causing Xue Lingqi's stray hairs to flutter at her temples, her red skirt to billow like clouds, her clothes to sway, making her look like a graceful fairy.

A "flying goose" formed from the essence of talent and moonlight descended from the sky and landed on her arm, with a poem in its mouth.

"Poetry has become a famous poem?!"

Xue Lingqi looked up at the sky, her eyes reflecting the solitary moon, and exclaimed in shock, "This poem... has actually triggered a celestial phenomenon?"

She had never seen Jiang Xingzhou write poetry to such a high level!
Jiang Xingzhou stood with his hands behind his back, his moon-white robe fluttering in the wind, a smile playing on his lips.

The snow-white Chengxintang paper on the desk

At this moment, it has become the [top book of the Da family].

"Who sent this letter from the clouds?"

Xue Lingqi gazed intently at the words on the paper, which were elegant and graceful, as if a faint fragrance of orchids wafted through the air.

That one sentence struck her heart like lightning!
As she lightly traced the four characters "When the wild geese return, the moon shines bright over the western tower" with her fingertips, she suddenly felt a tremor in her heart, as if the moonlight of that night had once again graced her brows.

"'This feeling is impossible to dispel; it just moves from my brow to my heart'...!"

Xue Lingqi murmured softly, her voice as light as a whisper, yet seemingly containing a thousand thoughts.

Her expression was deeply moved!

How much longing does Jiang Lang have for her?!
How could one poem, composed in such a way, be so deeply moving, with every single word and phrase so powerful and resonant?

"This wild goose is no ordinary bird; it is the embodiment of a high-ranking official's poem—[Who sends a letter from the clouds?]—derived from this line of poetry!"
In the future, when we correspond, we can use this to send letters; it will only take one or two hours to travel between Jiangyin County and Jiangzhou Prefecture.

Jiang Xingzhou put down his pen, looked up at her, and smiled faintly.

The candlelight reflected in his eyes

It also reflected the slightly reddened corners of her eyes.

This poem from Dafu is the pinnacle of the art of "flying geese carrying letters," and there is probably no other poem in the world that can compare to it.

The poem is titled "A Gift to Xue Lingqi," so Xue Lingqi could also use the literary techniques in this poem to send a letter by flying crane.

"Hmm~!"

Xue Lingqi nodded gently, carefully tucking the precious poem, "A Spray of Plum Blossoms - Full Moon Over the West Tower - Presented to Xue Lingqi," into her sleeve, and nestled in Jiang Xingzhou's arms.

She turned to look out the window. The night was as dark as ink. In a corner of the west building of the Duke of Xue's mansion, the moonlight was like water, just as described in the poem.

"Jiang Lang! I'll let it go this time and not hold your poem 'Bodhisattva's Charm: Ode to Feet' against you!"

Xue Lingqi's eyebrows curved with laughter.

A single poem from the "Dafu Shouben" collection is an extremely rare literary treasure, worthy of being passed down through generations. It would be more than sufficient as a betrothal gift!

"Let's go admire the moon tonight!"

Jiang Xingzhou took her delicate hand and leaped up to the west tower of the Duke Xue's mansion.

The moonlight tonight will probably shine all night long.

Bathed in the moonlight, Xue Lingqi's talent also benefited greatly!
Students below the level of Mengsheng (蒙生) do not need to take the imperial examinations; both boys and girls can acquire talent through education. Students above the level of Tongsheng (童生) must take the imperial examinations to advance in their literary ranks.

Although the Great Zhou Dynasty did not have a civil service examination for women, there were still a small number of female officials who were personally granted the title of maid by Her Majesty the Empress.

In addition, women in the Great Zhou Dynasty had another very important way to obtain a civil rank—that was through imperial decree and the conferment of the title of Lady of Imperial Decree.

Based on the official rank of the husband and children, titles or honors are bestowed upon parents, wives, children, and ancestors of a certain rank, thereby granting them higher literary ranks and the ability to perform advanced literary arts.

Lady Xue, wife of the Duke of Xue, held the title of a third-rank duke's wife, and her literary rank was equivalent to that of a Juren (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations).

On the west tower of the Duke of Xue's mansion, Jiang Xingzhou, dressed in white, sat on the eaves, his robes fluttering as if vying with the bright moon for brilliance.

Nestled beside him, Xue Lingqi, a beautiful woman in a red dress, held a precious letter containing the poem "A Spray of Plum Blossoms: The Moon Fills the West Tower," the first of her family's collections. Bathed in moonlight, she resembled a fairy maiden in a painting.

(End of this chapter)