The Tang Dynasty: Wu Zetian made me her imperial tutor

In the center of the pavilion was the seat of the top scholar. Lu Jun raised his sleeves, instantly drawing all eyes to him.

A gentle breeze blows, causing the hem of her long gown to flutter like a fairy, her turban and soft shoes to dance in the air, her starry eyes sparkling, and her thin lips holding a hint of spring in them, as if the beautiful scenery is being embraced.

The onlookers, seeing his radiant appearance, couldn't help but secretly cheer and feel a sense of anticipation.

"Give me a pen!" Lu Jun called out again.

Raise a glass of wine, tilt your head back and drink it all in one gulp.

"My lord, the pen is right in front of you..." The clerk hesitated for a long time before finally speaking up to remind him.

"Oh, it's nothing, just warming up my voice. I'll write and you can read." Lu Jun put down her wine glass and picked up the wolf-hair brush.

The other candidates couldn't help but laugh. Those who were nearby leaned over to look, while those who were further away got up and crowded around.

"Just listen to it, why bother going over there?" Wang Gou, Wen Tui, and the others exchanged a knowing smile, too lazy to leave their seats.

The ink was prepared, and Lu Jun soaked her brush in it, then wrote the first sentence on the paper—

The peony in the courtyard is unparalleled in its beauty...

The official immediately read it aloud in a loud voice, which could be heard clearly throughout the pavilion and among the common people. The story spread by word of mouth and quickly reached the surrounding area.

Most of them didn't understand poetry, but the people in the pavilion were all successful candidates in the imperial examinations. After listening, their brows furrowed slightly.

"Nothing special, just a few peonies, and that's already used up a whole sentence..."

"It's not peony season yet, only a few branches have bloomed early; isn't that out of place?"

"How can you use the word 'demon' in a poem? With just that one word, the entire poem's tone is hard to elevate..."

"With such beautiful spring scenery before us, yet only focusing on the most inconspicuous parts, the composition falls short..."

"Brother Chu Yu, I'm afraid you don't understand poetry very well. You probably just wrote this casually. It's taken you so long to write it, so I guess you just wanted to get it over with."

"Then don't act so high and mighty..."

As they talked, they all shook their heads.

Wang Gou raised an eyebrow and scoffed, "For the top scholar to write like this is utterly disappointing; it hardly qualifies as poetry, does it?"

Wen Tui twitched his nostrils and exhaled a soft breath: "In my humble opinion, since the champion receives a prize, we should also award a prize to the lowest-ranking participant, and the one who wrote the worst should walk back."

"Hmm, that makes sense! Otherwise, if everyone wrote it down, who would be punished?" The other Wu Chengsi's retainers echoed in agreement.

Zhang said he was the second-highest scorer in this imperial examination and sat closest to Lu Jun. After reading the first sentence, he remained silent.

He thought to himself, "The opening lines are daring and rugged; either the writer is a novice in poetry, or they have profound meaning..."

Turning my head to the side, I continued reading the second sentence—

The lotus on the pond is pure and innocent, yet lacks passion.

My heart skipped a beat: "Just like the first sentence, the imagery is narrow and it's hard to conjure up a vivid picture."

A well-written descriptive poem can capture the essence of a painting in just a few lines, but Lu Jun's two lines fall far short of that...

After the minor official read it aloud, the news spread quickly, and the pavilions and terraces were once again filled with commotion:

"The peonies in the courtyard are charming but lack elegance, the lotuses on the pond are pure but lack passion"—is this a description of the beautiful scenery before our eyes?

"The scenery is scenery, but if you remove the word 'beautiful,' it's all wrong; there's not a trace of appreciation or poetic sentiment in it."

"Knowing that the lotus has not yet bloomed, and there are only stems and branches, it naturally lacks emotion, so why bother writing it down?"

"Lu Chuyu truly hasn't grasped the essence of poetry; she would be better off listing a few flowers, plants, fish, and birds, which would appear more refreshing and lively..."

"I'm afraid he's used to writing policy essays, and he wants to criticize everything he sees, but he has no poetic talent whatsoever..."

"Alas, what a pity to waste such a beautiful pond..."

Wang Gou, Wen Tui, and the others were already laughing so hard they were doubled over, spraying the wine they had just drunk all over the floor.

The common people couldn't understand poetry, but these two lines were plain and unadorned, spoken like vernacular, and they vaguely felt that they could do the same.

The goodwill towards the top scholar plummeted abruptly, with someone muttering, "All looks and no substance..."

wow——

Just as he was shaking his head in disappointment, he suddenly heard a cry of surprise from inside the pavilion.

Many candidates gathered around Lu Jun's seat. Before the minor official could finish reading, some had already seen the third sentence and were greatly surprised.

Immediately, those in the outer circle heard the chanting: "Only the peony is truly a national beauty..."

A single turning point completely reversed the course of the poem, causing the classmates to fall silent.

They were just reading and commenting on each sentence, but now they realize that Lu Jun's plan is much grander. The first two sentences were a prelude to the later two sentences. They had drawn their conclusions too early!

No one spoke up about the third sentence; they all waited quietly to see how it would end.

Wang Gou, Wen Tui, and the others had uncertain glances, their wine glasses hovering in mid-air, and they couldn't help but feel flustered.

Although they didn't know what the last sentence was, upon hearing the third sentence, they already guessed that their expectations were about to be dashed.

Lu Jun can write poetry!

They're probably much more skilled than me...

Upon reading this, Zhang said with a smile, "You don't even need to read the last line to know it's a fine poem!"

He was the best Chinese speaker among his peers, far surpassing the others, and he could already sense the proud spirit in the poem.

In the stillness of the pavilion, the fourth line was written in one stroke, along with the annotation "Appreciating Peonies," thus completing the poem—

The peonies in the courtyard are charming but lack elegance, while the lotuses on the pond are pure but lack passion.

Only the true national color of peony can move the capital when the flowers bloom.

"What a wonderful poem!" Zhang exclaimed, giving the first shout of praise.

"After Brother Chu Yu uttered the last two lines, no one remembered what poems had been written today, or what lines had been recited. All that remained in my mind were these two lines."

Although he was very satisfied with his own poem, he had to admit that Lu Jun's poem was a resounding success.

That's how poetry works; a few dozen words can contain brilliant phrases that set it apart from other works.

Lu Jun smiled slightly: "Brother Daoji, you are too modest. Your writing is elegant and natural; I am not as good as you."

Seeing that Chu Yu remained calm and modest even after writing such a fine piece, Zhang was even more impressed: "Brother Chu Yu's magnanimity is truly admirable!"

He was the first to applaud, not merely because the last two lines were aphorisms, but because he saw a second layer of meaning—

This is using objects to express one's aspirations.

During today's court hearing, Lu Jun was first harassed by Wu Chengsi, then ridiculed by Zhang Jiafu. At the appointed gathering, Wu Chengsi set up a poetry party, clearly intending to embarrass him.

Despite their shared kinship as classmates, Wang Gou, Wen Tui, and others made snide remarks and belittled them, which can be described as the behavior of petty people.

"Peony in front of the courtyard" literally describes a few flowers in the garden that don't stand out from the crowd, but it actually refers to them.

Looking back, the word "demon" is used very aptly and vividly; causing trouble is exactly what they do!

The phrase "in front of the courtyard" has a double meaning: it refers both to the area in front of the pavilions and the fact that they are lackeys in front of the prime minister's court.

The phrase "lotus on the pond" likely refers to those fellow candidates who remained neutral and did not take sides.

On the surface, the lotus symbolizes nobility and purity, and its upright stem is a praise for their impartiality.

In reality, the term "lacking in sentiment" is an overstatement to describe them as aloof, self-centered, and devoid of human warmth.

The "peony" is clearly a self-comparison.

Only I am truly a peerless national hero!

According to the season, it is currently the peak season for peonies to bloom, and his achievement of becoming the top scholar in the imperial examination perfectly matches the meaning of the last sentence.

If he wins the poetry contest, the Duke of Zhou will have people buy paper to copy the poem and display it in various neighborhoods, which will help him become famous in the capital.

This is what is meant by "When the flowers bloom, the capital city is abuzz with excitement"!

In just four short sentences, the author skillfully combines description, emotion, and rebuttal, leaving Zhang Shuo deeply impressed.

The other candidates were also intelligent and talented. Although they were not as quick-witted as him, they pondered the matter for a long time and eventually understood it.

"We were so focused on describing the scenery that we didn't even notice such a brilliant layout; we are truly ashamed..."

"When I first read the first two sentences, I was sarcastic and cynical. Now, I realize that I was just looking at the leopard through a tube and the sky from the bottom of a well..."

"Brother Chu Yu's assessment is correct. We are indeed only lotus flowers on a pond, far from being peonies..."

"That's not bad either, better than the peonies in the courtyard..."

"Hahaha……"

All eyes turned toward Wang Gou, Wen Tui, and the others, the smiles in their eyes carried away by the spring breeze.

Those men had already lowered their heads, their faces dark, and they didn't dare to utter a single word.

Although he gritted his teeth, he was powerless to refute the other party's brilliant poetry and excellent writing, which used metaphors in their counterattack. He could only endure it.

They've created their own trap!

The metaphors in the poem are internal jokes, known only to the candidates, but not to the onlookers.

They felt that the last two lines were powerful and resonant, and when read aloud, it seemed as if a surge of momentum was coming, which was very inspiring.

Some people started having wild thoughts and making all sorts of comments:

"I always felt that the 'top scholar' was a metaphor for something... otherwise, he could have just praised the peony directly, why write it this way?"

"Do you think it's possible that the peony actually refers to the Empress Dowager...?"

"What do you mean?"

"The Empress Dowager's favorite flower is the peony; this is known throughout the land. And the only flower that can be compared to her as a national beauty is the peony!"

"That makes sense... Now that you mention it, I'm even more convinced it's true. Just think about the last sentence and you'll understand."

"When the flowers bloom, the capital is abuzz... Does that mean the Empress Dowager will ascend the throne...?"

"Shh, be quiet! You know what I mean!"

Even though someone pointed it out, the interpretation spread quickly, growing louder and louder, and eventually reached the pavilion.

Zhang Yue and the other candidates were startled, only then realizing that Lu Jun's poem had a third layer of meaning—

Peony refers to the Empress Dowager.

When flowers bloom, it refers to...

They had previously been somewhat confident in their poems, because today's theme was gratitude, and even the best poems would be incomplete without praising the monarch.

But once they understood this meaning, they realized what true praise was.

He expressed himself too obviously, it was practically plain language, Lu Jun's approach was truly brilliant!

If those last two lines were to reach the palace and be heard by the Empress Dowager, she would be overjoyed...

Lu Chuyu is a prodigy!

"If Brother Chu Yu's poems are second to none, then no poem dares to claim first; that's a settled matter!"

Having figured out the third layer, almost all of his classmates bowed deeply to Lu Jun, unanimously awarding him the top prize.

In every sense, this poem must be number one, and no one else can agree with it if anyone objects.

The clerk's face was grim. His orders were to make things difficult for Lu Jun and embarrass the top scholar, but now he really didn't know how to handle the situation...

Staring at that plate of copper coins, I didn't know whether to go buy paper or not, but standing there dumbfounded seemed rather awkward.

"I have a small suggestion, cash is also acceptable," Lu Jun said with a smile.

That's the truth.

He was about to become an official, and he could no longer take advantage of the free dormitory at Sungkyunkwan Academy. Given the housing prices in the capital, he couldn't afford to buy or rent a place there.

Ten strings of cash are far from enough to buy a house, but renting a house close to the capital should be enough to tide you over for a while.

The minor official naturally couldn't give it: "Sir, you jest. Since the top scholar has been publicly chosen, we should keep our promise..."

Lu Jun stared at the plate of gleaming gold coins, her Adam's apple bobbing up and down several times.

On this day of the gathering, the scholars were in high spirits because of the excellent works that had been produced. They drank and recited poems incessantly, toasting Lu Jun one after another, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Although the alcohol content is low, the amount consumed is large, and as you drink, your mind becomes increasingly confused.

I don't know how I got back to the dormitory.

When Lu Jun woke up the next day, it was already noon, and the sun was high in the sky. She drank a lot of water before she recovered.

Just as I was about to go and freeload lunch, I saw Zhang Shuo, Liu Yan, and several other classmates waiting in front of the courtyard gate.

"Hey, what brings you all here?"

Zhang said with a bow, "Brother Chu Yu, you probably don't know this yet, but your poem has been posted all over the capital and is being widely praised!"

Liu Yan spoke mysteriously, "The news has also reached Dongcheng and Taichu Palace. The Heavenly Officials Division is submitting our official rank assignments tomorrow, so they'll probably all be affected!"