A crown princess who doesn't do infrastructure construction isn't a good doctor.

"Young Master Gongshu truly lives up to his reputation."

The one who narrowly lost to Gongshu Yu and came in second bowed, lowered his eyes, and uttered words of praise that were hard to believe were genuine.

Gongshu returned the bow and said, "I dare not, I just often play the zither in quiet contemplation."

The first place, which many people were envious of, was won by Gongshu Yu. At this moment, he casually explained the reasons for winning, which was not very harmful, but extremely insulting.

The second person was breathing heavily, but thinking of the people around him, he restrained himself and had no choice but to return to his seat.

Gongshu Yu, still with great composure, bowed to the second-place winner, then turned to Kong Qi and said, "Teacher, I injured my hand yesterday and it is in unbearable pain. I am afraid I can no longer play the zither. I sincerely ask Young Master Liang and the other fellow disciples for your help."

"what?"

When suddenly called upon, Liang Yi was stunned for a moment before feeling a surge of surprise, as was the feeling of being hit by a big prize. The other top three and below also felt the same way.

According to past practice, the next two players will play the zither. Since it is not a continuous performance, it does not require three people. In the past, even one person was enough.

However, Gongshu Yu gave up this time. He should have been second in line, but he just stormed off. Gongshu Yu didn't tolerate someone who didn't give him a good look, so he simply skipped him.

Upon hearing this, the man's face changed from pale to green, and his fists clenched so tightly that his nails almost dug into his flesh. After Kong Qi nodded in agreement, he nearly coughed up a mouthful of blood.

He couldn't voice his opposition now, otherwise he would seem petty, so he could only watch helplessly as an opportunity to shine slipped away.

Liang Yi sat down on the side, and in front of him was the world-famous Yaomu Guqin, which was collected by the great Confucian scholar Kong Qi. They could only have the good fortune to see it at this time. Today, he could not only see it, but also play it himself. It was as if he had accumulated great virtue in his previous life to encounter such a good thing!

Liang Yi maintained a calm demeanor on the surface, but inside she was overjoyed.

Each session begins with an announcement from the host. Under the gaze of the crowd, Kong Qi said, "We scholars live in this world, not seeking that everyone be a sage, but we must also have a sense of righteousness. Now, some people are suffering from natural disasters and man-made calamities. I would like to hear your opinions, and on this occasion, I will incorporate them into my poems and essays."

This is about composing poetry and prose. Poetry and prose are not difficult, but what is difficult is that Kong Qi brought up this topic when no one was prepared.

Recently, news of flooding in Qingshan City and several surrounding cities has been circulating widely. When the court was soliciting opinions on how to handle the situation, it sparked a debate among several ministers. In the end, a few people who sided with Prince Jing received the approval of Beitang Zhen.

However, there have been reports of embezzlement of disaster relief funds and supplies in recent days. Today, two princes, including Prince Jing and Prince An, are present. If one of them accidentally writes something offensive, he may lose his head.

"It's not limited to young people; everyone can participate, and we can all enjoy it together."

Kong Qi slightly raised his hand, indicating that Liang Yi could begin.

Liang Yi felt incredibly lucky today. Not only did he get to touch the Yaomu guqin, but he also avoided having to write a poem. He could learn many things well at the academy, but he seemed to be missing a screw when it came to memorizing texts and writing poems, and his grades were always at the bottom of the academy.

After carefully wiping her hands to make sure there was no dirt or sweat, Liang Yi gently placed them on the strings.

The clear, resonant sound rang out. Although there were people sitting in the square, it was still relatively spacious. The surrounding buildings enveloped the music, allowing even those sitting further back to hear it clearly.

"His skills are quite good, only slightly inferior to Gongshu Yu's. How did he become third?"

As Lu Xi listened to the music, which sounded like a mountain breeze or a babbling brook, he couldn't help but mutter to himself.

"That's the ranking of their three major academies, they've got their sights set on it."

Ke Zuo was always the one answering the questions. Lu Xi turned to him and asked, "How did you know that again?"

Ke Zuo took a small sip of tea, then put it back with a hint of disdain.

“My Ke family has been a renowned family for centuries in Zhongzhou City. Although there has never been any rivalry between families in Zhongzhou, my father has told us everything he needed to know.”

The thought of this sent chills down Ke Zuo's spine. His father knew perfectly well that he wouldn't learn to be a steward, but he still forcefully instilled all sorts of knowledge into his mind, and even embellished the stories of the secret families outside Zhongzhou. That period was truly torturous.

He rubbed his arm, which was now covered in goosebumps, and shook his head.

"Never mind, let's not talk about this anymore..."

Before Ke Zuo could finish speaking, the gentle and pleasant piano music suddenly stopped, accompanied by a cracking sound.

"The string is broken!"

"This is a Yaomu guqin! The strings are said to be made from the finest ice silkworm silk from the snow-capped mountains, a foot of which is worth a fortune!"

"Liang Yi is finished this time. Even if Master Kong doesn't pursue the matter openly, I'm afraid he won't be able to get along with the literati in the future."

The sudden accident brought everyone to a halt, and amidst the discussions, some were relieved, realizing that they wouldn't have to write that dangerous poem today.

After all, it was something he had cherished for a long time. Even the usually composed Kong Qi couldn't sit still any longer and immediately got up and walked quickly to the guqin.

Liang Yi raised her trembling hand, her face pale, her lips trembling as she uttered words, until Kong Qi walked up to her and she suddenly came to her senses.

"Master Kong, I...I didn't...I'm sorry, it's all my fault!"

Liang Yi trembled as he tried to apologize, his words somewhat incoherent. His teacher and fellow disciples, seeing this, wanted to step forward and say something, but Kong Qi raised his hand.

"The literary gathering is temporarily suspended today."

After saying that, Kong Qi picked up the guqin and walked towards the room where he usually rested.

After signaling Kong An to follow, Kong Wen and Kong Yan stayed behind to take charge. After calming everyone down, they had several students, represented by Gongshu Yu, lead everyone to a pre-prepared place to rest.

"Youyou, you said the strings made of the finest ice silkworm silk from the snow mountain just broke like that? Is there something fishy going on?"

Following the flow of people, Lu Xi saw Xia Yuanzhou in front of him, who was whispering something to Gu Huaiyuan.

"If it is truly top-grade ice silkworm silk, it is indeed not easy to break."

Qin Suiyou's words were as good as his silence. Since he knew nothing at the moment, he couldn't make any hasty conclusions. After pondering for a moment, Qin Suiyou glanced at Gongshu Yu, who was leading the way, and Liang Yi, who was already wiping away tears, through the gaps in the crowd, and shook his head.

As if sensing something, Gongshu Yu glanced back. The person beside him asked, "What's wrong, Senior Brother?"

Gongshu Yu withdrew his gaze and shook his head.

"Nothing, let's go."