The First National Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 26

Although your speech is usually simple and uses many new words, which may seem a bit eccentric, I believe your talent in poetry and prose is in no way inferior to that of the top scholar Zheng.

He then added, “These two rhyming couplets are truly excellent and have been very inspiring to me. In the past, I only collected good poems and lines, but these rhyming couplets take it a step further, breaking down the lines of poetry into lyrics.”

If you exhaustively search for beautiful words in the world and keep them in your heart, you'll never have to worry about not being able to compose good verses when the time comes.

Could it be that those great poets and writers did it this way? Perhaps this kind of family learning included related instruction. While mastering it this way might feel rigid afterward, it is undoubtedly the best method for beginners to select words and construct sentences.

"I believe that poetry is essentially an accumulation of emotions and knowledge. As long as you follow the methods, you can write well-structured verses."

"As for those poetic lines with a touch of inspiration, they are probably born from a momentary burst of creativity, and they are the hardest to learn," Xu Tian replied.

“This meter is excellent, but I’m afraid I don’t have Xu Tian’s talent to continue and perfect this rhyme scheme,” Mr. Cui said somewhat uncertainly.

In fact, Xu Tian was unable to continue writing it, which is why he wanted to hand it over to Mr. Cui, feeling that it would be better than writing it himself. He really didn't want to give up on this kind of primer on prosody.

Since neither of them had confidence, Xu Tian thought for a moment and said, "Brother Cui, I also know that it is difficult to continue writing this rhyming couplet. I can only think of these two sections at the moment, but the process of thinking and writing is also a process of learning and improvement."

Furthermore, purposeful learning and thinking yield greater results than simply reading superficially.

“I agree with your point of view, but if we do that, the completion of the rhyme scheme will probably be a long way off.”

"Your reminder has given me an even better idea: why don't we combine the strengths of everyone?"

"Let's write down the beginnings of the 'Three Character Classic' and 'Rhyming Couplets' and our ideas in a letter, and send it to the talented people we know near Dingxiang City, so that those who are interested can also participate. What do you think?" Xu Tian suddenly thought of this.

"Excellent! Gathering the wisdom of all the wise men is a wonderful idea, Xu Tian. However, your handwriting is truly lackluster. I will handle this matter. I will issue it in your name, and given your recent reputation, someone should be willing to respond," Mr. Cui said, clapping his hands.

Xu Tian's calligraphy, to put it nicely, is nothing special; in reality, compared to his current reputation, it's appalling. He's well aware of this.

“Well, you can write here now. Let me organize my ideas and tell you. The two rhyming couplets just now only describe scenery. In fact, they can be subdivided into several categories, similar to the Three Character Classic, and each can be a separate piece.”

So the two of them worked for a long time that day and finally completed the first draft of the letter. They just had to wait for Mr. Cui to return so that he could rewrite and copy it, and then send it to the appropriate person.

On the day before the end of the month, Song Liang came over and said that Zheng Zhuangyuan had come to the restaurant for dinner again. As Xu Tian had reminded him before, he had arranged for him to stay in a private room on the second floor to avoid being disturbed by others.

After all, Zheng Xietong was different from ordinary guests; he held an official position and was a proper official.

When they met last time, Zheng Zhuangyuan had already said that he didn't need to be specially entertained in the future and could be treated as an ordinary guest, so Xu Tian didn't plan to show up this time.

Not long after, Song Liang came over and said that Zheng Zhuangyuan had asked about Xu Tian and knew that he was at home, and invited him to come over for a chat if he had time.