The aroma of cooking filled the house: I sent my eldest brother to become the Grand Secretary.

The afternoon sun had lost the intensity of the late summer heat.

However, Xueyuelou thoughtfully prepared a bowl of refreshing and delicious Caijin Ganluo for everyone who came to participate in the Mid-Autumn Poetry Gathering.

Because the weather had turned to autumn, and considering that the students would soon be participating in the autumn imperial examinations, Shen Cao specifically instructed the kitchen to take the Caijin Ganluo (a type of sweet pastry) out of the ice cellar 15 minutes in advance.

At this point, the jasmine cheese is just refreshing, but not icy.

Most of the students had already arrived in twos and threes; the rest were young masters from wealthy families who had paid for invitations.

There are also some spoiled rich kids.

Their main purpose in attending the Mid-Autumn Poetry Gathering was to make friends and expand their social network.

After all, many of these students may immediately change their identities after participating in the autumn examination and become pillars of the nation.

Adding flowers to brocade is never as unforgettable as providing charcoal in the snow, and the sentiment is different in weight.

Similarly, the way students get to know each other before and after the autumn examination is completely different.

Carriages came and went in an endless stream at the entrance of Xueyue Tower.

At this moment, another carriage stopped.

The students are intently appreciating the poems they have just written.

When Grand Tutor Zhou entered the room, he saw this scene.

Students from all over the country are gathered together discussing whether a certain word in a poem is appropriate.

He nodded with great satisfaction; these were the future of the Great Xia Kingdom.

Someone casually glanced at the door and noticed Grand Tutor Zhou.

He was a little unsure, so he nudged the student from the capital next to him with his elbow, wanting him to confirm whether he had mistaken the person for someone else.

The other person was listening intently when someone suddenly bumped into them. They turned around impatiently and were told to look towards the door.

He opened his mouth in surprise at just one glance.

He was speechless for a moment, and could only nod repeatedly.

At this point, the students who had gathered around began to stir.

Grand Tutor Zhou, it really was Grand Tutor Zhou.

When Grand Tutor Zhou saw that someone recognized him, he simply walked up to the students and greeted them with a smile.

After exchanging a few words with these people, Grand Tutor Zhou led Ye Shu to the backyard.

"Brother Yang, Grand Tutor Zhou just praised your calligraphy."

Yang Tong, with a hint of pride on his face, waved his hand modestly, "I wouldn't dare."

"Grand Tutor Zhou has arrived. Does this mean the poetry gathering is about to begin?"

Sure enough, a quarter of an hour later, a servant told them that the poetry gathering had officially begun.

Grand Tutor Zhou sat in the center of the stage, looking down at the students below, each one full of energy and eager to try, which pleased him greatly.

The activity that Cao'er prepared was really good; it allowed him to see the passion of youth once again.

Poetry emphasizes imagery and scenery.

The sky gradually darkened.

The moon was already high in the sky, and although it wasn't bright yet, it was very round and large.

A group of servants came in and lit the lanterns hanging in different locations in the garden.

Lanterns of various styles, hidden behind branches and beside flowers, not only illuminate the entire night sky, but also add a unique charm to the daytime scenery.

After everyone was seated, the orderly maids began to bring out the cold dishes that the kitchen had prepared in advance.

Since I need to compose a poem today, I chose a lighter, more delicate wine.

At Shen Cao's request, Grand Tutor Zhou prepared some words of explanation.

His words reignited the passion of every student present.

Everyone raised their glasses together and drank the wine in one gulp.

At this moment, a woman wearing a red ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), with plum blossoms pasted on her forehead, red plum blossoms in her hair, and a veil covering her face, walked in.

She possessed a cool and aloof demeanor, much like a proud red plum blossom standing tall amidst the pristine white snow of winter.

She was holding a red plum blossom in her hand and a scroll in her arms.

"I will now announce the first topic for today." Her voice was cool and clear, much like her temperament.

After she finished speaking, she opened the scroll, on which was written a large character '梅' (plum blossom).

She walked around in a circle, making sure everyone could see her.

"The shopkeeper said that we have half an hour to compose a poem on the theme of 'plum blossom'."

"You may enjoy the food while composing poems, or discuss them in small groups. However, please make sure to clearly write your names on the poems you submit at the end."

After saying that, she slowly left.

A delicate fragrance lingered in the air, as if the Plum Blossom Fairy had just departed.

Students in the lobby and on the second floor also received the first topic at the same time.

To help them better appreciate the 'plum blossoms', the servants specially brought out plum blossoms for them to admire.

Several people were also surrounding Shen Chen.

He never expected to run into an acquaintance in the capital.

"Brother Shen, it's been a long time. How have you been?"

Shen Chen smiled and looked at the newcomer. He cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Brother Zhao, it's been a long time."

Zhao Kuo was a friend he met during the provincial examination.

The two hit it off immediately and had a very pleasant conversation.

However, the two lost contact after the exam, and Shen Chen never expected that they would meet again in the capital.

"This is Li Wenchao, who is from the same academy as me," Zhao Kuo introduced his friend to Shen Chen.

"You're Shen Chen?" Li Wenchao looked at Shen Chen with some surprise.

"Brother Li, do you know me?" Shen Chen asked, somewhat puzzled, clearly not expecting a stranger to recognize him.

"Of course we know each other. Back then, Grand Tutor Zhou personally went to Xin'an County to take you as his student, which made us all very envious." His eyes were full of admiration and envy for Shen Chen.

"I am truly humbled by your kindness, teacher."

“Hey, what’s there to be afraid of? The fact that Grand Tutor Zhou is willing to take you as his disciple shows that you have the ability,” Zhao Kuo said with a smile. “When I saw your writings back then, I knew you were no ordinary person.”

"That's right, and since you're Grand Tutor Zhou's student, your pressure must be greater than that of us ordinary students."

Li Wenchao echoed this sentiment.

Shen Chen felt the goodwill of the two. He had liked Zhao Kuo's carefree nature back then, something he himself did not possess.

Unexpectedly, his friend was just like him.

The three hit it off immediately and raised their glasses to drink together.

After chatting for a while, they began to discuss their first topic, "plum blossoms".

From allusions and poems related to plum blossoms to the virtues of plum blossoms.

As they got into the conversation, they all had ideas and picked up the pens on the table to start writing.

Before long, a few lines of poetry appeared on the paper.

Their discussion attracted a lot of people, who gathered around and chimed in with their own opinions.

With the wine adding to the merriment, the discussion became quite enjoyable.

Half an hour passed by in the blink of an eye.

The completed poem was copied onto new paper, and the poet's name was signed. Some people who were more particular would take out their personal seal and make a rubbing of it.

Immediately afterwards, the dishes on the table were replaced.

The color of this dish is white.

Under everyone's curious gaze, a woman dressed in white walked in carrying her orchids.

Sure enough, the second theme was 'orchid'.

Today's topic is surprisingly the Four Gentlemen.

After the fourth theme concluded, the moonlight was bright, and everyone thought the poetry gathering was about to end.

Another girl walked in.