Great Zhou Wensheng

Chapter 135, "Black Robe Lane"! A poem about seizing the throne in Mingzhou! Would you mind donating this piece?
Duojing Tower.

Jiang Xingzhou's fingertips trembled slightly as he took out a worn blue cloth bag from his sleeve, looking extremely troubled.

"Wow--"

Forty or fifty taels of loose silver were scattered on the table, appearing particularly meager among the gold and jade utensils displayed around it.

He lowered his eyes and stared at the scattered silver coins, as if he were counting the copper coins he had spent on his studies, or the holes in the windows of the academy that had been patched up again and again.

Outside Duojing Tower, the river breeze blows through the glazed tiles of the painted boats.

The candlelight inside cast his shadow on the pink wall, making him appear as handsome as bamboo. He seemed to be caught in a dilemma, hesitating about how much to donate.

However, a cold smile appeared on Jiang Xingzhou's lips.

He already understood that today's "Spring River Banquet" was a feast hosted by Prefect Wei Guanlan and Education Commissioner Du Jingchen for the entire Jiangnan region's powerful and aristocratic families!

It was clearly the two adults who set up this scheme together, intending to force the powerful families of Jiangnan Province, led by the twelve families of Jinling, to contribute money and provisions to support the 100,000-strong army that was about to set out on a campaign, amidst the carved beams and painted rafters of this Duojing Tower!
The fact that the provincial education commissioner Du Jingchen specifically named the scholars to start the fundraising was clearly intended to make him, the "top of the four great talents of Jiangnan," take the lead in donating silver, which was the beginning of this grand banquet.

He had already seen through seven-tenths of this drama.

The governor wants money and provisions from the powerful clans of Jiangnan, while the education commissioner wants to assist the governor in accomplishing this task to preserve the reputation of the officials!

However, the only thing that cannot be guessed is how much the provincial education commissioner Du Jingchen expects him to do—how much money and grain should be raised to meet the needs of an army of 100,000?

Jiang Xingzhou caught a glimpse of Xie Qihe's fist loosening, revealing a stack of silver notes hidden in his sleeve—these scions of powerful families in Jinling were all holding their breath, waiting for him, a scholar from a humble background, to make the first move so they could seize the opportunity.

"Brother Jiang, is it because of a shortage of funds?"

Xie Qihe swished open his folding fan, obscuring half of his handsome face, revealing only a pair of smiling eyes that curved like crescent moons.

Why make things difficult?
We all know that you come from a poor family in Jiangzhou, have a heavy academic burden, and have no money left.

Even if you only donate ten or eight taels, will anyone laugh at you?

Xie Qihe closed his jade fan, and the gold buckle on his waist jingled. "If Brother Jiang donates fifty taels, I will immediately donate one thousand taels of silver." He smiled and looked at the assembled noblemen. "Consider it as me paying half for you, each of us donating five hundred taels of silver."

The assembled dignitaries held their breath, watching to see how Jiang Xingzhou would respond.

Jiang Xingzhou did not answer immediately, but turned his gaze to the high-ranking Academic Commissioner, Lord Du.

The provincial education commissioner has not yet given him a clear answer, but he will eventually have to give him a hint or an indication of how much money is needed for him to do things properly!
The educational commissioner, Du Jingchen, stroked his long beard, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, and pondered, "Jiang Sheng is poor and self-disciplined. To ask him to donate a large sum of money would be asking too much of him."

However”

He paused slightly, then said, "I have long known of your exceptional literary talent. Your works, such as 'The Humble Abode Inscription,' 'The Full Moon Over the West Tower,' and 'The Banquet at the Vermilion Gate,' are all of the highest caliber [in Dazhou and Mingzhou].

Du Jingchen looked around at everyone, then suddenly clapped his hands and laughed, "Why not compose a poem or essay instead of donating silver?"

The first article of this precious book will be auctioned off on the spot at this banquet, and the highest bidder wins!

Those present today are all prominent figures from Jiangnan, heads of the most powerful and wealthy clans and families, who will surely be very interested in this.

You can also raise a considerable sum of money for donation?

How is Jiang's business going?

Jiang Xingzhou suddenly understood, his eyes lit up, his sleeves moved without wind, and he solemnly bowed to Du Jingchen: "Thank you for reminding me, sir. I was so stupid that I forgot about this method."

The first article is a valuable treasure!
A student is willing to donate an article by [Mingzhou] and auction off its first volume.

I only ask to raise some silver to support the 100,000-strong army of Jiangnan Province on their expedition to Taihu Lake, to do my utmost.

Jiang Xingzhou had barely finished speaking when
In an instant, the Duojing Tower erupted in chaos, and the entire audience of noblemen and ladies suddenly became restless.

"Mingzhou's premier literary treasure?!"

"Jiang Sheng's work must be a rare treasure!"

Wow!

Dozens of powerful family heads were greatly shocked and stood up abruptly, the clinking of teacups echoing around them.

Pairs of burning eyes, like hungry wolves eyeing their prey, were fixed on Jiang Xingzhou.

The literary treasures will be awarded to the highest bidder!

Upon hearing this, Xie Qihe and Wang Moqing's pupils constricted sharply, and even their breathing froze.

—A rare literary treasure of the Mingzhou level!?
—They're actually putting it up for auction?!
The two exchanged a glance, both seeing shock in each other's eyes.

You should know that a literary treasure of this level is enough to support a family of the prefecture level!
Jiang Xingzhou was merely a scholar, yet he possessed a literary treasure like "A Night Mooring at Maple Bridge" from Mingzhou, and was able to defeat three other scholars, including Wang Yuan, in the Jiangnan Examination Hall, causing them to faint on the spot!
If this treasure falls into the hands of a successful candidate in the imperial examinations or a scholar who has passed the provincial examinations, its power will increase dramatically!

If the two of them could obtain a literary treasure of this level...

Xie Qihe's knuckles turned white as he gripped his sleeves tightly.

Wang Moqing's Adam's apple bobbed, and a burning glint flashed in his eyes.

—If they possessed this item, they could even break away from the Wang and Xie families of Jinling, establish their own clan, become a minor branch, and spread their influence far and wide!
This is a priceless treasure that countless powerful families have been searching for but could never obtain!

Of course, it is absolutely impossible to seize it by force.

All articles published above the county level are registered at the Confucian Temple, and the ownership of the first and most precious articles is clearly recorded.

Unless the owner voluntarily transfers it, even if someone else takes it away, they will not be able to activate its inscription.

Who dares to rob us?

If anyone dares to do such a despicable thing, they only need to ask the Confucian Temple for judgment. At best, their literary rank will be revoked; at worst, their entire family will be exiled!

However, holding a public auction is a compliant practice.

Once the transaction is completed and registered at the local Confucian temple, the ownership of the first literary treasure will be officially transferred. At that time, the new owner can activate the literary treasure's magical power without any further obstacles!

At this moment, Xie Qihe and Wang Moqing's hearts suddenly raced, igniting a burning passion—if they could win this treasure in the auction, what worries would they have about their future?
However, as they glanced around, Xie Qihe and Wang Moqing's expressions instantly darkened.

Inside Duojing Tower, hundreds of heads of powerful families and aristocratic clans gathered together. They were all scholars who had passed the imperial examinations, or even Hanlin scholars, and their eyes were sharp as they rubbed their hands together in anticipation.

Such a fierce competition is not something that two mere scholars like them can interfere with.
At the Spring River Banquet, surrounded by wolves, they didn't even have the right to bid.

In terms of wealth, power, and connections, they are inferior to others in every way.

The two men exchanged a bitter smile. As two scholars, they could only watch from the sidelines as the bidding for the Mingzhou cultural treasure went.

"Good! Good! Good!"

A wealthy gentleman dressed in brocade suddenly slammed his hand on the table and stood up, his beard trembling slightly. He shouted, "Nephew Jiang! If you are truly willing to part with a masterpiece of literature from Mingzhou, I am willing to spend all my wealth to acquire it!"

In Jiangnan, countless families have longed to purchase a precious artifact from the Da Mansion, but to no avail!
What's more, it's the first and most precious article in [Mingzhou]?

Dozens of heads of powerful families in Jiangnan stood up one after another. Some hurriedly summoned servants to bring wooden boxes full of silver notes, some directly ordered people to move boxes of cash from Jinling City, and some even began to whisper with their stewards to mobilize the silver deposits of the money shops.

—Even top-tier clans like the Twelve Families of Jinling would never sit idly by when bidding for the first literary treasure of the [Mingzhou] level!

Acquiring a Mingzhou cultural treasure is enough to greatly increase the wealth of a powerful local family, and even elevate them to the ranks of a prominent family in a prefecture!
The atmosphere inside the building suddenly became tense, and everyone's eyes were fixed on Jiang Xingzhou.

"Young Master Jiang, please!"

A yamen runner had already respectfully placed a set of writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone on the table in front of Jiang Xingzhou.

That unrolled scroll of Xuan paper seemed to hold a mountain of gold within it.

Everyone looked around.

With the pen hovering over the paper, Jiang Xingzhou's gaze darkened slightly.

He pondered what kind of poem or essay he should write.
An ordinary piece of writing from Mingzhou can certainly bring in a huge sum of money.

However, this sum of money was merely a drop in the ocean compared to the 100,000-strong army that Governor Wei Guanlan was tasked with leading.

The governor and the education commissioner held this Spring River Banquet, inviting all the powerful and influential families of the ten prefectures in Jiangnan to attend. What was their real purpose? Was it really to make a mere scholar like him write an article to raise funds for grain?
The governor's true intention is to force the hundreds of powerful families present to obediently donate large sums of grain and salary.

This "Spring River Banquet" invited hundreds of aristocratic families, with the key figures being the Twelve Families of Jinling.

The head of the Twelve Families of Jinling was the Wang and Xie families, the two most powerful clans in Jiangnan.

All the powerful families were watching the attitudes of the two families towards donating silver.

Only by forcing the two powerful families of Jinling, the Wang and Xie, to submit will other powerful families follow suit.

Jiang Xingzhou glanced at Hanlin Academician Wang Su and Xie Yuheng out of the corner of his eye—the two Hanlin Academicians represented the two most illustrious families in Jiangnan at this moment.

The wealthy and powerful men in the hall seemed to be vying for attention, but in reality, they were all secretly trying to gauge the attitudes of the Wang and Xie families.

If this stalemate cannot be broken first, even if he writes a famous essay, it will be difficult to move these powerful families in Jiangnan in the slightest!

The ink on the tip of the pen gradually congealed.

Jiang Xingzhou suddenly looked up and gazed at the vast, misty spring river outside the building.

—This article today is not only meant to expose the problems in the city, but also to strike at the heart!

To eliminate the ambitions of the Wang and Xie families of Jinling, the two most powerful clans among the twelve major clans of Jiangnan!

Jiang Xingzhou's lips curled slightly, his brushstrokes flowing like dragons and snakes, his talent gleaming brightly—

[Black Clothes Lane]
Wildflowers bloom by the Zhuque Bridge, the setting sun slants over the entrance to Wuyi Lane.
Breathe!
The first line had just been written, the ink still wet.

The onlookers were already in an uproar and stunned!
The title of the poem is actually "Black Clothes Lane"?!

—Everyone in Jiangnan knows that it is the ancestral home of the Wang and Xie families of Jinling, two powerful clans that have been entrenched for generations!
Could it be that Jiang Xingzhou's poem "Wuyi Lane" was written specifically for the Wang and Xie families of Jinling? Dedicated to these two powerful clans?

How are the other powerful families supposed to compete in this bidding?
Everyone looked at each other.

wrong!

When Wang Su saw the words "Black Clothes Lane," his expression changed drastically, and a bad premonition immediately arose in his heart.

Jiang Xingzhou was not only skilled at writing poems and essays about Dazhou and Mingzhou,
He can also write satirical poems!

The title "Black Clothes Lane" already explicitly names the area—

If this is a satirical poem, then things could get very bad!

He slammed his fist on the table and stood up abruptly: "Wait—!"

Just as he was about to stop Jiang Xingzhou from writing, it was too late.

Jiang Xingzhou's wrist moved with the fluidity of dragons and snakes, a bluish light flickering within. The second line of wild cursive script was cleaved like a knife or axe, the ink seemingly seeping through the paper—

[The swallows that once graced the mansions of the wealthy and powerful now nest in the homes of ordinary people!]
"boom--!"

Suddenly, the entire sheet of Xuan paper burst forth with dazzling purple light, and a purple beam of light, about ten feet thick, pierced through the dome of Duojing Tower and soared straight into the sky!
Purple aura stretches for hundreds of miles!
Within the beam of light, the illusory silhouettes of the vermilion gates and towering pavilions of Wuyi Lane appeared.

One after another, swallows formed from purple aura emerged from their nests amidst the carved beams and painted rafters of the Wang and Xie mansions.

"Puff puff!"

The swallow of fortune pierced through the illusory image, transforming into countless purple stars that showered down upon the world.

Each ray of light landed precisely under the thatched eaves of ordinary people in Jiangnan, where swallows rebuilt their nests.

A precious book, the first of its kind in Mingzhou, has appeared in the world—the Xuan paper gradually turns jade-like in the purple aura, and its edges gleam with a cold, metallic light.

The academic administrator, Du Jingchen, was taken aback.

The teacup in Governor Wei Guanlan's hand clicked.

From afar, the sound of the bells from the Nanjing Confucian Temple resounded, "Dong dong dong dong dong—!"

The poem is finished.

[Mingzhou]——!
The entire Duojing Tower seemed to have been struck by lightning, and the hundreds of heads of powerful families, large and small, fell into an instant—dead silence.

The powerful family heads and gentry who had been bidding fiercely and shouting just moments before now seemed to have their throats grabbed, and they all slumped back into their seats, their faces pale.

Someone gripped the corner of the table so tightly that their knuckles turned white;
Some people stared down at their teacups, as if treasures were hidden in the murky tea.

Some even stole glances at the seats of the Wang and Xie families, their foreheads beaded with cold sweat.

Who dares to buy?
This piece, "Black Clothes Lane," is a masterpiece, every word piercing the heart and every sentence tearing at the bones!
If we were to make an offer now, wouldn't that be a public slap in the face to the Wang and Xie families?
Hanlin Academician Wang Su's outstretched hand froze in mid-air, pointing at the article "Wuyi Lane" on the table, his fingertips trembling uncontrollably.

Upon its publication, the article was immediately enshrined in the Nanjing Confucian Temple.

It's absolutely impossible to erase it now!
Wang Su was so angry that he couldn't speak, and then he spat out a mouthful of blood.

He could clearly sense that the jade disc bearing the clan's destiny, enshrined in the Wang Clan Ancestral Hall in Jinling, was developing more cracks at a visible rate!

Hanlin Academician Xie Yuheng was stunned. His face turned deathly pale, and he swayed slightly before straightening his chest again.

Xie Qihe, one of the four great talents of Jiangnan, stared in utter shock at Jiang Xingzhou's writing. The teacup on the table shattered with a "crack," and scalding tea splashed all over him without him even noticing.

Jiang Xingzhou!
How dare he?
This is hardly poetry.
It was clearly a sharp sword aimed at the ancient aristocratic families of Jinling City—the once illustrious Wang and Xie families would eventually be reduced to the homes of ordinary people.

In just twenty-eight characters, the story of the Wang and Xie families, two aristocratic clans with a history spanning thousands of years, from their rise to their decline is fully captured!

After Jiang Xingzhou finished writing, he didn't even look at the extremely ugly expressions on the faces of the Wang and Xie families. He put down his pen and looked up. In the distance, he could faintly hear the sound of the great river crashing against the shore, just like the turbulent waves surging inside the building at that moment.

To be precise, this is not purely satirical poetry, but rather poetry that steals the spirit of life!

Satirical poetry is a derogatory term.

The poem about seizing power and fortune is not merely satire; it simply exposes the hypocrisy of the Wang and Xie aristocratic families, revealing that [the swallows that once graced the halls of the Wang and Xie families now fly into the homes of ordinary people].
Let the world know that the once powerful and influential Wang and Xie families of Jinling, who were renowned throughout history for their literary talent and elegance, are now nothing more than empty shells! The remaining fortune of the two great families has been completely stripped away.

In the multi-view building,

Deathly silence!

No one dared to speak out.

You can hear the needle drop.

The air seemed to freeze, and even the river breeze held its breath.

"This is... a poem of destiny."

Someone squeezed out those three words through gritted teeth, but their voice trembled uncontrollably.

The assembled dignitaries were all pale-faced, their gazes shifting back and forth between Jiang Xingzhou and the two officials, Wei Guanlan and Du Jingchen.

Jiang Xingzhou wrote this article at the "instruction" of Lord Du Jingchen, with the aim of donating grain and provisions to the imperial army.

Without the authorization of Du Jingchen and the provincial education commissioner, how could a mere scholar like him dare to sever the fortunes of the Wang and Xie clans with a single essay that could supposedly seize destiny?
Prefect Wei Guanlan and Education Commissioner Du Jingchen exchanged a glance, both filled with shock.

They did indeed hint and instruct Jiang Xingzhou to write a satirical article to curb the arrogance of the Jiangnan aristocratic families and force them to obediently hand over their money and grain.

But who could have imagined—

Jiang Xingzhou's poem "Black Clothes Lane" severed the very foundation of the Wang and Xie families' fortunes!
Du Jingchen's fingertips trembled slightly, and cold sweat had seeped into his palms beneath his official robes.

He looked at Wei Guanlan, whose expression was equally solemn.

—The effect is simply too good!
It was so good that even they were shocked!

However, suppressing the powerful clans of Jiangnan was already a consensus between the two of them.

Today, the treasury of Jiangnan Circuit is gradually becoming empty, and tax revenue has been reduced by more than half.

If we continue to allow powerful clans to seize land and monopolize trade routes, a hundred years from now, I fear there will be no place for ordinary people to stand in Jiangnan!
The imperial court should not expect to receive much grain, salary, or tax revenue from these gluttonous aristocratic families of Jiangnan.

Du Jingchen glanced at the ashen-faced members of the powerful families and gentry, then at the livid faces of the Wang and Xie families.

Jiang Xingzhou's sword strike was too ruthless!

They were so ruthless that even these two "behind-the-scenes manipulators" had to remain silent at this moment.

Wei Guanlan slowly picked up his teacup, using his sleeve to conceal it, and gave Du Jingchen a meaningful look—

Wait and see.

The two of them waited a little longer to see if the twelve powerful families of Jinling and the hundreds of powerful families of Jiangnan would rise up in anger and launch a joint attack on Jiang Xingzhou.

They were still suppressed and subjugated, silently accepting this humiliation.

Outside the building, the evening drums beat softly, much like the undercurrents of power struggles taking place in the imperial court.

Wang Su, the head of the Wang clan and a Hanlin scholar, suddenly turned his head and stared intently at the high platform.

But then they saw that the Imperial Education Commissioner, Du Jingchen, was leisurely sipping his tea, seemingly appreciating the poem.

—To tacitly agree is to condone!

Jiang Xingzhou stood with his hands behind his back, his robes fluttering even without wind.

He looked up toward Wuyi Lane, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"My lords"

His voice was clear and bright, each word sharp as a knife: "Who wants to bid for this masterpiece, the first of its kind in [Mingzhou]?"

This question isn't just about the price of writing, but also about taking sides!

"Jiang Xingzhou!"

"you!"

The two young men from the Wang and Xie families, Xie Qihe and Wang Moqing, stood up abruptly in anger, their jade pendants jingling at their waists.

But when they met the gaze of Du Jingchen, the head of the School of Education, who had a half-smile, they froze on the spot.

Just thinking about the upcoming autumn imperial examinations!

They slumped into their seats, not daring to utter another word.

If they obstruct this auction of literary treasures, or the fundraising for the provisions of an army of 100,000, then on the day of the autumn imperial examination, the Imperial Academy Commissioner Du Jingchen will surely sentence them both to "dismissal".

Even leaving a negative comment on the exam paper, such as "disregarding the overall situation," could ruin one's chances of passing the imperial examinations and entering officialdom!
As the sun sets, the last rays of light sweep across the ink of "Wuyi Lane," and the seven characters "flying into ordinary people's homes" seem to faintly turn blood red.
The heads of all the powerful families looked toward the high platform in unison—Prefect Wei Guanlan and Education Commissioner Du Jingchen were seated there.

The two most powerful officials in Jiangnan Circuit protected Jiang Xingzhou, and no one dared to touch him in the slightest!

Jiang Xingzhou's poem "Black Clothes Lane" cornered the Wang and Xie families, the most prominent of the twelve powerful clans in Jinling, Jiangnan.

They are in a dead end no matter what!

Jiang Xingzhou stood with his hands behind his back, his clothes billowing slightly in the breeze.

His gaze swept over the room filled with people in red and purple robes, and he suddenly chuckled: "Gentlemen, no one is bidding? Well then, if that's really the case, I can only..."

That sound was like a sharp blade slicing through brocade.

"Humph!"

Wang Su, the head of the powerful Wang family of Jinling and a scholar of the Hanlin Academy, was so angry that he laughed and slammed his fist on the table. The sandalwood tabletop immediately cracked with spiderweb-like patterns.

His sinister gaze swept across the entire room—

Let's see who dares to take on this hot potato!
Jiang Xingzhou, a poor scholar from Jiangzhou, was all alone and had no ties. He was also protected by two officials from Jiangnan Province and was the top of the Four Great Talents of Jiangnan. In order to win the title of Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examination) in Jiangnan Province this year, he shamelessly flattered the two officials.

After the autumn imperial examinations, Jiang Xingzhou will win the title of Juren (top scholar) in Jiangnan Province. He can then simply leave Jiangnan Province and head to the capital.

The Wang and Xie families cannot touch him for the time being.

However, the businesses of other powerful clans were all located in Jiangnan.

Who dares to offend the Wang and Xie families?
The hall was deathly silent, like a graveyard.

That top-tier literary treasure of Mingzhou level floated quietly in a purple aura, radiating an alluring light—if one could obtain it, one could share in the remaining fortune of the Wang and Xie families over the past century!

The room was filled with powerful and influential families, and no one dared to make a move.

This isn't a precious book; it's a death warrant!

Anyone who reaches out will incur an irreconcilable blood feud with the two great clans of Jinling!
Wang Su sneered, tapping his fingertips lightly on the cracked tabletop, each tap sounding like a death knell.

A crisp "crack" came from the Xie family's seat—Xie Yuheng, the head of the Xie family, crushed the jade cup in his hand.

The silence that filled the room was the best answer.

(End of this chapter)