Great Zhou Wensheng

Chapter 87 [Seven Steps to Compose a Poem]? Never mind, let's go with [Couplets]!

Jiang Xingzhou accepted the brocade box handed to him by Zhou Yuanjun with both hands. When his fingertips touched the warm and jade-like [Ji Shen Xiang], he felt a wisp of clear and refined literary energy flowing between his fingers.

This scholar-official-level literary treasure was the prize for the champion of the archery competition.

At the same time, the instructor brought out a pure white writing brush from the Jiangzhou Prefecture, a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations—an extra reward for writing a poem [about leaving the county].

The cloud-like patterns on the penholder exude a sense of talent, and the material alone reveals its exceptional quality.

This pen will be perfect for passing the imperial examination and becoming a scholar.

Zhou Shanchang, the abbot, took Jiang Xingzhou's hand affectionately and kindly. "As for those wooden arrows..."

His gaze swept casually over the scattered mulberry wood arrows in the archery venue, while his knuckles gently caressed the precious arrow engraved with the poem "Archery of the Pot" in his sleeve.

He is known for his combat prowess and profound cultivation.

However, he has never been very good at poetry and prose.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have gone to the capital twice to take the imperial examinations before finally passing with flying colors.

But the poem "Shooting the Pot" on this wooden arrow, though written in the county, already has a hint of the grandeur of a high-ranking official, making it a rare and precious work.

He was very pleased.

If he could take it back and study it day and night, it would surely benefit his poetic skills.

"cough"

He coughed lightly, glancing at Prefect Xue beside him out of the corner of his eye—he had hurriedly put the arrow into his sleeve just now precisely to guard against this old rival stealing his love.

However, he still needed to consult the "original owner" Jiang Xingzhou's opinion.

"These wooden arrows and arrow quivers belong to the academy. How dare a student take them without permission? They are naturally to be disposed of by the academy head!"

Jiang Xingzhou was both amused and exasperated, and answered with a cupped-hand salute.

"good!"

Zhou Shanzhang immediately clapped his hands and laughed.

Talking to such a bright and intelligent young man, with unspoken understanding, is truly like drinking fine wine—it's exhilarating.

"Nephew Xingzhou!"
Back then, your father and I were classmates at the prefectural school for three years. Although we didn't become sworn brothers like Prefect Xue, we often talked late into the night, and our friendship was like that of gods.

From now on, just call me Uncle, don't be so formal!

With a gentle expression, Zhou Yuanjun reached out and patted the boy's shoulder kindly.

"Yes, nephew greets Uncle!"

Jiang Xingzhou quickly cupped his hands in greeting again.

Xue Chonghu's eyes twitched slightly. When did Zhou Yuanjun learn to be shameless?

He actually coveted the county school students' poetry and prose treasures [the first edition], and even referred to himself as their uncle, saying something like, "We talked late into the night, our spiritual connection has been long established!"

On the high platform of the former academy, Jiang Yan, dressed in a blue robe, discussed literature and philosophy with the instructors late into the night.

He effortlessly explained the subtle meanings of the Spring and Autumn Annals, astonishing the teachers and students present who applauded him in admiration.

Meanwhile, Zhou Shanzhang, a scholar in the audience, gazed up at the scene as if thirsting for fine wine, completely unaware that his clothes were damp with night dew.

However, now, Zhou Shanzhang has accumulated a wealth of knowledge and experience, achieving great things late in life, and has been promoted to the position of Prefectural Academy Master, shining ever brighter in Jiangzhou Prefecture.

Prefect Xue secretly regretted not being able to take the arrow made of mulberry wood first.

"Uncle/Nephew?"

Upon hearing this, the many students and scholars around them were filled with envy, their throats feeling as sour as if they were swallowing unripe plums.

Prefect Xue and Jiang's father were sworn brothers, so it was only natural that Prefect Xue treated Jiang Xingzhou like a son or nephew.

But this is Zhou Yuanjun, who is in charge of the cultural heritage of Jiangzhou Academy!

He even addressed Jiang Xingzhou as "Xingzhou, my dear nephew"?
This is clearly the affectionate way the elders of the clan call their own son!
These ordinary students from county schools had never received such kind and gentle words from the academy lord.

The students immediately clenched their fists, feeling as if the arrows Jiang Xingzhou had just shot at them had become thorns piercing their hearts, leaving them riddled with holes.

Zhou Yuanjun, dressed in a green robe and with a loose belt, led the way alongside Prefect Xue, Master Pei, and other Hanlin scholars, Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), and Juren (successful candidates in the provincial imperial examinations).

Jiang Xingzhou, Shen Zhiyun, and other top students followed closely behind, their clothes brimming with youthful vigor.

A group of dozens of literati strolled around the Guyu Cultural Conference venue, sharing the joy of the event with the students.

Upon arriving at the "Seven Steps to Poetry" sub-venue, one sees a sea of ​​people surging like waves.

The rules for this breakout session are also very simple.
The instructor would publicly draw a topic slip from a bamboo tube.
Then the students participating in this event began to walk forward. After taking seven steps, they had to write a poem on the Xuan paper on the table in front of them.

The first person to finish writing, and with the highest grade, wins.

The place was crowded with students, bustling with activity.

All the young students wanted to showcase their talents in this "Seven Steps to Compose a Poem" competition and vie for the top spot, making the competition extremely fierce.

"Sailing!"
Having won the championship in the Shooting Pot category, will you try your skills again in the Seven Steps to Poetry category?
"Would you gentlemen be willing to compete against each other?"

With a smile in his eyes, Zhou Yuanjun looked around at everyone and asked the five top students, including Shen Zhiyun and Zhao Zilu.

"You mustn't! You mustn't!"

Upon hearing this, the five top students who had passed the preliminary examination turned pale and repeatedly waved their hands in refusal.

Zhao Zilu, in particular, took a half-step back in a panic, his face turning deathly pale, and said, "Your Excellency, you are wise enough to judge, Brother Jiang's poetic talent is beyond our reach!"

"Brother Jiang can compose a poem in seven steps, while we would struggle to even manage a single line in seventy. Let's refrain from making such a fool of ourselves!"

Composing a poem in seven steps?

Just now, Jiang Xingzhou was writing the poem "Shooting the Pot" at the shooting pot sub-venue. Where did he need seven steps?
Without moving an inch, this poem about leaving the county was born.

If we really want to have a competition, wouldn't we be humiliating ourselves?

Isn't this tantamount to making a fool of themselves in public?

"Enough! Today is a grand literary gathering, let's leave the chance to be the champion of the 'Seven Steps to Compose a Poem' sub-venue to other classmates."

Jiang Xingzhou thought for a moment, then gently flicked his sleeve and shook his head in polite refusal.

Today’s Guyu Literary Meeting,

The only prize he had his eye on was this "Jishen Incense," a symbol of academic excellence.

In addition,

Another purpose of attending the Grain Rain Literary Gathering was to see if we could discover any hints from the chief examiner, Lord Yuanjun, regarding the prefectural examination questions.

At each Grain Rain Poetry Competition, the chief examiner would give a few hints to help the students guess the questions!

As for whether they can find clues and predict the questions for the Zhongfu examination.

That depends on the students' individual observation skills.

If you can detect it in advance, you can prepare for the exam two months ahead of time. With careful preparation, you will undoubtedly have the upper hand.

This is the true purpose of the Grain Rain Literary Gathering.

Many of the students who followed Zhou Yuanjun were quietly observing his every move and word.

For example, we only saw a few casual words exchanged between Zhou Yuanjun and Prefect Xue.

They mentioned that a painting titled "Spring Ploughing" hanging in the Grain Rain literary gathering was of excellent quality. In the painting, a farmer holds a plow, the distant mountains are dark green, and the ink on the inscription is still fresh.

Is it possible?
One of the questions in the prefectural examination, the metropolitan examination, was on "Spring Ploughing"?
It's worth noting that the previous provincial examination had a topic on "Autumn Harvest"!
If this year's prefectural examination follows this precedent, it is highly likely to fall on the topic of "agricultural affairs".

Looking more closely at the blue robe Zhou Yuanjun was wearing today, the jade belt at his waist was actually carved with several bundles of rice ears, subtly echoing the [Ji Shen Xiang] that the Yuanjun had taken out!
This further increases the probability that the prefectural examination questions may include "agricultural affairs - spring plowing".

This seemed to alert many astute students, who frequently examined the painting "Spring Ploughing".

Shen Zhiyun gently waved her folding fan, secretly noting down every word Zhou Yuanjun uttered about "agriculture and sericulture" under the cover of the fan.

This silent test-prediction game requires even more thought than composing a poem in seven steps. Fortunately, there is still plenty of time before the prefectural exam, enough to ponder it slowly.

Jiang Xingzhou had no intention of participating in the "Seven Steps to Compose a Poem" competition.

Winning the top prize at the Grain Rain Literary Gathering—the benefit is a guaranteed degree as a scholar, which is something all the young students desperately desire.

If he wanted, he could win several rounds in a row and secure the guaranteed spot as a scholar.

But this is meaningless!

He was already the top candidate in the preliminary examination, and had a guaranteed position as a candidate for the county-level examination.

The prefectural examination, held every three years, saw only one hundred scholars selected from two thousand candidates—a truly nightmarish and brutal competition. Even becoming a selected scholar was the dream of countless candidates.

He naturally had no need to snatch away all the leaders from the various branches of the Guyu Literary Society, leaving no room for the other students.

Among the many young students at the "Seven Steps to Poetry" sub-venue, Jiang Xingzhou shook his head and refused.

The students, who had been gripping their sleeves tightly, all breathed a sigh of relief, and some even secretly wiped the cold sweat from their foreheads.

In front of Jiang Xingzhou, he probably wouldn't even have the courage to pick up a pen and write a poem!
If Jiang Xingzhou were to participate, he would surely take away the title of champion in composing a poem in seven steps.

Their hopes of winning the title of Gu Yuwen Kui have been dashed once again!
Zhou Yuanjun turned to look at the five top students at the table.

The five people had different expressions—some stared down at the tips of their shoes, some pretended to straighten their sleeves, and some simply turned around to examine the calligraphy and paintings on the stalls of the vendors in the next hall. No one dared to meet Zhou Yuanjun's eyes.

They had been so disheartened by Jiang Xingzhou's poems that they dared not participate in the "Seven Steps to Composition of a Poem" competition.

"Alright then, we'll just wander around as we please!"

Zhou Yuanjun nodded slightly, not forcing anyone to do anything, and simply walked slowly with his hands behind his back.

After passing through several corridors, the group arrived at the couplet sub-venue of the Guyu Literary Society. Various couplets were hanging on bamboo poles, their ink still fresh.

After pausing to admire the couplets for a moment, Zhou Yuanjun suddenly turned around and asked, "Have you all studied the art of couplet composition?"

"Your Excellency, I have some knowledge of it!"

Shen Zhiyun hesitated for a moment, then cupped her hands in greeting.

I have studied it, of course.

The primer on prosody that students in private schools read consisted of extremely rhyming couplets—but they were very simple.

In couplet writing, the most difficult techniques are the five types: character splitting couplets, homophonic double associations, reduplicated character couplets, palindromic couplets, and anaphoric couplets.

The techniques of wordplay and punning, and the subtle meanings of homophones, are enough to keep one pondering for half a day. Not to mention the ingenious couplets with repeated characters, repetitions, and parallel structures that are absolutely mind-bending.

He wasn't sure if Jiang Xingzhou had done in-depth research on couplets.

He turned around and glanced at Jiang Xingzhou, who stood beside him, expressionless with a slight furrow in his brow.

"."

When the top students saw Jiang Xingzhou's furrowed brows and troubled expression, their hearts skipped a beat. They exchanged glances, and a faint glimmer of hope suddenly flickered in their previously dim eyes.

Jiang Xingzhou has already completely surpassed them in poetry, prose, the profound meaning of literature, and the art of archery. Could he also be so skilled in couplets?

Perhaps, he's not good at it?

Or should we bite the bullet and give it a try?
Let's take a gamble!

What if I win the bet?!

Jiang Xingzhou wasn't good at this, so wasn't this their chance to impress Lord Yuanjun?

If Jiang Xingzhou is not good at couplets, and they lose the opportunity to suppress him because of their fear, that would be too unfair.

The case leaders were caught in a mental whirlwind of thoughts, a mixture of hesitation, resentment, and a sense of侥幸 (a lucky break).

A gambler's obsession arose in his heart, like a drowning man grabbing the last piece of driftwood, staring intently at Jiang Xingzhou—both hoping he would fail and fearing he would win again.

Bet!

Zhao Zilu finally gritted his teeth and made a bold decision. He bowed deeply to Professor Zhou and said loudly, "My lord, I dare to challenge the six top scholars to a duel to determine the winner!"

Even if he suffers repeated defeats, he will still fight Jiang Xingzhou to see who is better!
"Ugh--"

Jiang Xingzhou frowned slightly and finally sighed softly.

He was initially unwilling to take action.

If he retreats now, the other five top students will be overjoyed and press him hard, and then all eyes will be on him—thinking that he is afraid!

We cannot allow ourselves to be trampled underfoot by those few top officials and used as stepping stones to their fame!

"Lord Inner Court, we are all willing to give it a try!"

Shen Zhiyun, Lin Haizhou, and the others exchanged glances. Seeing Jiang Xingzhou sigh, they became even more resolute.

really!

His weakness might be his ability to write couplets!

Inside the couplet-writing venue, the hundreds of students who were composing couplets dispersed, revealing a space where six students competed against each other.

"it is good!

Then we'll come up with five couplets—one each of the following: character splitting, number splitting, character reduplication, palindrome, and anaphora.

Let's have a quiz!

The person who answers the most correct couplets will be the champion of this [Couplet Match]!

Zhou Yuanjun nodded slightly, took out a slip of paper from the bamboo tube in the couplet hall, and upon unfolding it, found it to be a palindrome couplet that required considerable thought.

His gaze swept over the crowd, and he slowly recited the first line of the couplet: "[Mist locks the mountaintop, the mountain locks the mist]".

Upon hearing this couplet, the entire room fell silent.

The difficulty of palindromic couplets lies in their ability to be read forwards and backwards, and to maintain perfect parallelism.
Not only must the word order fit perfectly like a reflection in a mirror,
Furthermore, the artistic conception should be seamless, like a landscape painting that can be appreciated from both sides.

This couplet has an excellent artistic conception in its first seven characters: "Clouds and mist swirl among the overlapping mountains, the mountains and mist are intertwined and indistinguishable, it is hard to tell whether the mountains lock the mist or the mist locks the mountains."

"[Tian Lian Shui Tail Shui Lian Tian]!"

Shen Zhiyun responded loudly almost without hesitation.

The crowd erupted in uproar.

A glint flashed in Zhou Yuanjun's eyes, and he slammed his hand on the table, exclaiming, "Brilliant!"

This couplet not only has a perfect wordplay, but what's even more remarkable is that—

The first line describes the green mountains shrouded in mist, while the second line describes the sky meeting the blue waters. The beginning and the end, the vertical and the horizontal lines, connect the heavens, earth, mountains and rivers!
That was a great answer!
"Shen, the top scholar, truly possesses lightning-fast wit and is worthy of being the top student in Jiyang. His answer was swift and his artistic conception was in no way inferior to the first line!"

"This couplet has a broad and expansive artistic conception, and it is a perfect match with the first line!"

The crowd erupted in thunderous cheers.

Zhao Zilu, Zhou Wenyuan, Du Qingyin, and other top candidates for the preliminary examination were taken aback, their eyes revealing shock.

Unexpectedly, Shen Zhiyun, the top scholar in Jiyang, was so capable that he instantly snatched the first couplet and stole the limelight.

Shen Zhiyun smiled calmly: "You flatter me!"

"He does have some skill."

Master Pei Jingyi stroked his beard and smiled, a glint of light flashing in his eyes. Suddenly, he raised his hand and said, "Then I will present a numerical couplet—"

His voice boomed as he recited the first line of the couplet, word by word: "A second cycle of sixty years, plus another thirty-seven years."

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire room fell silent.

The students looked at each other, their eyes filled with confusion.

What hidden meaning is there in this couplet with numbers?

Someone murmured, "Sixty years old? Reopen and add another sixty?"

His companion next to him scratched his head anxiously: "Three times seven... could it be twenty-one? That adds up to one hundred and forty-one?"

The couplet was quickly disassembled.

The problem is, how do you connect the couplets?
Whispers began to rise in the room, but no one dared to answer rashly.

"A new sixty years have passed, thirty-seven years have gone by. This is one hundred and forty-one! How do we break it down?"

Shen Zhiyun murmured softly, her brows slightly furrowed.

Mathematics was not his forte, yet he was now trapped in this numerical puzzle.

In that instant of hesitation,

Jiang Xingzhou smiled and said loudly, "Celebrating my 70th birthday twice, with one more year to go!"

The words had barely left his mouth when the room erupted in another uproar!
"it is good!"

Everyone exclaimed in admiration, "Sixty years old versus seventy! Seventy is seventy, so a double celebration would be one hundred and forty, plus one more year, making it a perfect couplet! Absolutely brilliant!"

In the blink of an eye, Jiang Xingzhou and Shen Zhiyun each displayed their brilliance and had already taken the lead in the two couplets!

(End of this chapter)