The emperor is biased and wants to kill me, but you chickened out when the army is at the city gates

Beining City, Yaoyue Tower.

The two timeless masterpieces continue to resonate, attracting an increasing number of Confucian scholars from other regions.

At first, the Confucian scholars simply discussed things with each other, but as time went on, the Confucian refugees from other places began to feel the sense of superiority that the local Confucian scholars possessed.

You scholars are just like us, unable to come up with a matching couplet, so why do you have such an arrogant expression?

Thus, the two groups of Confucian scholars gradually began to argue, which eventually escalated into a mutual insult.

Of course, scholars don't use foul language, so their insults should be called a debate.

In this debate, the scholars of Beining City were clearly at a disadvantage. Most of the Confucian scholars from other places came from major Confucian academies, and some were even students of the Imperial Academy.

Students nurtured by the cultural heritage of Beining City are naturally no match for it.

"There is no way that there could be a second line to this couplet. The King of Chu only obtained it by chance and used it to make a name for himself."

"Indeed! The fact that so many of us can't come up with a matching line is enough to prove that this couplet has no second line. The King of Chu is just trying to gain fame and reputation!"

"They tricked all of us scholars into coming to Beining City with just two pairs of deadly weapons. It's utterly despicable!"

"Hmph, they even said they'd reward 100,000 taels of silver; they're complete liars."

"..."

The debate between the two sides gradually shifted from mutual attacks back to those two timeless masterpieces, but this time, these foreign Confucian scholars dragged Qin Xuan into the fray.

This move undoubtedly touched a raw nerve among the scholars of Beining City!

The reason is simple: Beining City was rebuilt under Qin Xuan's leadership, and every resident of Beining City owes Qin Xuan a life.

These people were all Confucian scholars; if they were others, they would probably have been beaten to death by the people of Beining City long ago.

"You scoundrels, stop spouting lies! The reason why Beining City is so prosperous today is entirely due to the blood and lives of the King of Chu and his Shence Army!"

"That's right, you can insult us by saying our literary talent is inferior to yours, but if you dare to disrespect the King of Chu again, don't blame us for being impolite."

"You son of a bitch! Stop being so arrogant."

"..."

The Confucian scholars argued more and more fiercely, and it seemed they were about to come to blows.

But just then, a loud voice stunned the entire audience:

"Silver frost and jade dew, a full moon, the land and rivers share the beauty of the moon that lasts for a thousand autumns."

A tall, handsome young scholar, full of vigor, said, "Since the scholars of Beining City look down on us outsiders, then I humbly request your guidance with this couplet!"

The room immediately fell silent upon hearing this.

"Silver frost and jade dew—these opening four characters already possess an extraordinary artistic conception; this couplet is truly elegant!"

"Although it is only the first line of a couplet, these few words vividly depict the beautiful scene of moon gazing during the Mid-Autumn Festival..."

"This couplet is extraordinary, but how can we come up with a matching second line?"

"..."

When composing couplets, one must pay attention to matching tones, similar parts of speech, equal number of characters, and consistent punctuation. These requirements are not difficult on their own, but they are quite challenging when applied to the same sentence.

At the same time, if it can create a unique artistic conception, it will naturally be even better.

The scholars of Beining City began to rack their brains, but matching couplets required quick wit, and even those with talent might not be able to come up with a matching one immediately.

"Please don't be impatient, everyone. I can give you the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Take your time to think it over."

The handsome scholar smiled faintly, looking confident and composed.

"Brother Yuan's talent is extraordinary; how could these ordinary people compare to him?"

Beside him, a scholar in a blue robe laughed without any restraint: "Since my brother Yuan is in such a good mood today, I will also indulge in a bit of refined taste and give you all a couplet."

"The green waters are inherently carefree, but the wind wrinkles their surface. Esteemed talents of Beining City, please proceed!"

This is another excellent first line of a couplet, equally evocative, instantly conjuring up images of a spring breeze ruffling the surface of a green lake.

"Who are these two people? How can they be so talented?"

"These two couplets are not ones that ordinary people can match."

"..."

Many onlookers couldn't help but sigh, as the many Confucian scholars in Beining City blushed with embarrassment, yet were helpless.

"May I ask which academy you two come from?" a Confucian scholar from Beining City asked, bowing respectfully.

"My name is Yuan Huai, a lecturer at Mingya Academy."

"My name is Zhao Qixuan, Assistant Instructor at the Imperial Academy."

The two answered one after the other, their eyes filled with arrogance.

Upon hearing this, the people around exclaimed in amazement.

The Imperial Academy's status in the literary world of Daqi was self-evident; those who could study there were all exceptional geniuses, let alone someone so young who had already become a teaching assistant.

As for Mingya Academy, it comes from Jiangnan and its reputation is no less than that of Qingshan Academy. It is one of the three major academies of Daqi.

"He is actually Yuan Huai, who is known as the Little Poet Immortal? His teacher is Bai Mufei, the last disciple of the Confucian sage. This person can write characters at the age of three and compose poems at the age of five. He can be described as a genius."

"Such a young lecturer truly deserves the title of Little Poet Immortal."

Those who knew Yuan Huai's background couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.

The people around him were even more shocked, and their gazes toward Yuan Huai naturally held a touch of admiration and respect.

"The first person to come up with a couplet was the Little Poet Immortal, so who's the second one?"

Everyone was curious.

Someone immediately introduced: "Zhao Qixuan, known as the eccentric scholar, once composed three poems in a row at a poetry gathering in the capital, which made his opponent so angry that he vomited blood."

"This man was extremely unrestrained and unconventional; he even wrote poems to mock the teachers who taught him."

"So he is the eccentric scholar Zhao Qixuan. I heard that he comes from a family of scholars, and his ancestors once had the remarkable achievement of three Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) in one family."

"No wonder he was able to get into the Imperial Academy as an assistant instructor. His talent is something that the scholars in Beining City can't match!"

"..."

Many people began to worry about the scholars in Beining City, since most of them were students.

Yuan Huai and Zhao Qixuan, however, remained calm and composed, drinking and chatting happily, completely disregarding all the scholars present.

"People from remote and impoverished areas, with limited knowledge, really think that two couplets can suppress all the scholars in the world and make them unable to stand up straight?"

"Since even Brother Yuan and I can't come up with a matching line for these two couplets, they are dead couplets and there is absolutely no way to get a matching line."

The eccentric scholar Zhao Qixuan downed the wine in his cup in one gulp and laughed loudly.

The scholars of Beining City, who had previously been indignant and loudly refuting the accusations, now dared not utter a sound.

Firstly, no one could match the opponent's two couplets; secondly, the opponent's status in the Confucian community was already extremely high, which made him feel intimidated.

"Silver frost and jade dew, a full moon, the land and rivers share the beauty of the moon that lasts for a thousand autumns."

Suddenly, someone began to recite aloud.

Yuan Huai and Zhao Qixuan exchanged a smile, their eyes filled with pride. Although the scholars of Beining City were not particularly talented, they could recite their couplets with great emotion and expression.

Just as the two were about to get up and praise him, the man's voice came again:

"Golden osmanthus and red maple leaves, a gentle breeze for thousands of miles, Beining welcomes the winds from all corners of the world."

Is this second line considered well-structured?

His voice was deep, tinged with a hint of mockery and ridicule, and Yuan Huai and Zhao Qixuan's expressions immediately changed drastically.