Anti-poems

“The Tang family’s case was personally reviewed by the Emperor and written in his own hand; it cannot be overturned,” Xu Qiu said. “Your poem is a seditious poem; to put it more seriously, it is treason.”

"Moreover, this new paper of yours is from Wenmoxuan, and the people who bought it this month were nothing more than those nobles... And this pine soot ink... If we really investigate, it will soon lead back to the Gu family."

"Then I really must thank Young Master Xu." Gu Yu took a sip of tea and reflected. This time she was too hasty. Her only advantage in eliminating the Sun faction was to operate in the shadows.

If it were made public from the very beginning, it would definitely cause obstacles at every turn, and might even implicate the Gu family.

"I will break off the engagement with the Shen family, but not now." Gu Yu smiled gently, her peach blossom eyes staring at him without any hesitation.

"I'll have someone copy this poem and send it to Lord Guan's residence later, just as a way of making friends with Miss Gu." Xu Qiu understood Gu Yu's meaning.

"I hope that when I meet Mr. Xu again, we will still be friends."

Gu Yu wouldn't make any unnecessary promises. She only felt that Xu Qiu was a useful tool, but she didn't want to get too involved with the Eastern Depot.

As soon as she stepped out of room number two, she saw a bustling noise in the lobby. It turned out that Wei Cong's poem and that lyric were tied. This time, it was getting late, and Guan Yiyun did not allow anyone to continue voting.

Instead, they announced that the two were tied for first place. However, when it came time for the winners to go up and receive their awards, something went wrong. Wei Cong claimed his poem, but no one claimed the other poem.

I had originally thought that since I had chosen two songs, one of them would be Guan Yiyun, written by Shen Changqing. I wiped the cold sweat from my brow.

He desperately wished that the other poem was written by Shen Changqing, but looking at the closed door of the No. 1 private room, he knew that was impossible.

That should be the third song.

By the way, a few days ago, it seems that Young Master Shen did go to the Lakeside Pavilion to see the snow, and he invited someone... Oh right, the Gu family's young lady. How could he have forgotten?

He really tried to flatter someone but ended up blundering; he went to great lengths to hold a poetry gathering, only to hand over the top prize to someone else.

He glanced at Wei Cong and thought, "Oh no, he's a complete stranger. I wonder which remote, impoverished place he's from."

Another poem remained unclaimed, and just as he was about to declare that the person was not qualified and to put Shen Changqing's poem back at the top.

Suddenly, a person jumped out from the crowd.

"I, I, I..." Su Bicheng stammered with a smile, bowing to the scholars on either side of him. "Please make way, everyone. I went to have some tea earlier and almost missed it..."

"...I wrote this poem." At this moment, his jade crown was askew, his brocade robes were disheveled, and he looked disheveled and somewhat comical, clearly having squeezed in from the outermost edge of the crowd.

"What is this young master's name?" The steward bowed politely and invited him to come up on stage and stand with Wei Cong.

"My surname is Su, and my given name is Bicheng."

He was gambling. First, since Gu Yu hadn't married Shen Changqing yet, she was still a handle against him. Second, Guan Yiyun had promised to help him, and since no one was taking the lead, he wanted to see Guan Yiyun and the Shen family's attitude and whether their previous promises were still valid.

Moreover, if he wins the championship, he can keep Gu Yu on his side, and he can also get Liu Qingqing's favor when he returns to the Liu family. The advantages outweigh the disadvantages, and everything he wants seems to be within his grasp.

Since the person who wrote this poem doesn't dare to claim the title, he must not care about the empty title of champion, or he must have a reason why he can't show up. In that case, let him take the empty title.

"Young Master Su, please come up."

As Su Bicheng took the stage, Guan Yiyun's face became increasingly gloomy.

Back then, Lord Shen had him bribe Su Bicheng, promising him a place on the imperial examination if he broke off his relationship with Miss Gu. Did he not know Su Bicheng's abilities?

Su Bicheng is trying to claim someone else's poems, and the people who wrote the other two poems will be revealed later. He's trying to climb the social ladder by stepping on Shen Changqing's face.

This forced the Shen family's promise to take effect. Originally, Lord Shen had indeed said that he no longer needed to concern himself with Su Bicheng's affairs and that he should rely entirely on his own abilities.

Guan Yiyun glanced at the No. 1 private room, his mind already racing.

*

What audacity! What a greedy heart! What is he relying on? Could it be her?

As Gu Yu was pondering, the door to the first private room opened, and a somewhat familiar-looking servant walked out.

"Miss Gu, my young master invites you."

The person sitting inside was none other than Shen Changqing, whose demeanor was as clear as the wind and as bright as the moon.

Gu Yu blushed and said, "Young Master Shen? I never expected to meet Young Master Shen today."

She did not say that she did not know that Shen Changqing had come, indicating that she knew that the poem was written by Shen Changqing and that Shen Changqing was at Zuixinlou.

Shen Changqing had a smooth life from childhood to adulthood, so it was rare for her to feel frustrated. How could she possibly watch Su Bicheng, who still wanted to cheat on her, claim the title of this poem?

Gu Yu was happy to watch the show. She explained that she had just made an appointment with a friend she had met a few days ago, and then Su Bicheng invited her out. She just wanted to come out and make things clear with him, adding fuel to the fire of Shen Changqing's anger towards Su Bicheng.

"Miss Gu, please have a seat. I wonder if Miss Gu has participated in this poetry gathering?"

"This humble woman is not talented enough to have written two lines of poetry, but they have not caught the eye of you gentlemen, and are no match for the scholars among you," Gu Yu continued to flatter, "I never expected that Young Master Su's literary talent would improve so much after he entered the Liu family..."

She looked at Su Bicheng, who was adjusting his clothes on the stage, with a hint of envy, which made Shen Changqing tighten his grip on the teacup in his hand. "Oh? Miss Gu thinks that poem was really written by Su Bicheng?"

"Isn't that right?" Gu Yu looked at Shen Changqing with a puzzled expression, her beautiful eyes filled with confusion.

Doesn't Shen Changqing feel any anger towards Gu Yu?

Of course he did, but he didn't dare to get angry at her.

But it's different for Su Bicheng. This man has no status or position, and is even just a son-in-law of the Liu family. Now he's jumping out to step on Shen Changqing's face and take the championship.

How could Shen Changqing possibly agree to that?

"Poetry and prose cannot be mastered overnight. He is just a clown who only wants the title of champion."

Shen Changqing looked coldly down at the person below, "Miss Gu, please stay here for a moment, I'll be right back."

As he and Shen Changqing descended the stairs to retrieve the quatrain he had composed, the real show began on stage.

"Young Master Su, you say that poem is yours, but is there any witness?" Shen Changqing asked coldly. "Young Master Wei and Young Master Dongfang wrote the poem together, and they can corroborate each other's claims."

“Only you have no evidence,” Shen Changqing said. “As far as I know, you have been in Shengjing City for three years and have attended quite a few poetry gatherings, but your poems and essays have never been outstanding.”

The talented scholars of Shengjing City all regarded Shen Changqing as their leader. Since Shen Changqing had said this, his supporters naturally sensed that something was amiss.

“Yes, Su Bicheng, I am from your hometown. You failed the imperial examination last time because you didn’t write good poems and essays.”

"If you say you wrote these lyrics, you should at least provide some proof."

"Su Bicheng, this handwriting doesn't look like yours. How dare you come to claim it?"

Because Su Bicheng won first place, the manager also posted the original work. Although the characters were small, these scholars who were good at writing could still see the problem at a glance.

Su Bicheng is only half-learned; now he wants to step on Shen Changqing's head to take the top spot. Isn't that a slap in the face to all of them?

The crowd chanted in unison, "Show us some evidence..."

"I...I have witnesses." Su Bicheng's mind raced, and he noticed Gu Yu standing in the corridor watching the commotion. "Today, Miss Gu invited me. I was composing a poem, and Miss Gu was grinding ink for me..."

Gu Yu was so angry at Su Bicheng that she almost laughed. Everyone knew that she was Shen Changqing's fiancée, yet Su Bicheng actually wanted to use her reputation to testify for him.

If it were the naive girl from before, she might have actually accepted it, but unfortunately, Gu Yu, who deeply loved Su Bicheng, had already died of a broken heart.

Her opinion of the original owner had changed somewhat. The original owner had been cowardly and timid her whole life, but the first time she had shown courage was for such a scumbag.

I pity their misfortune, and I am angry at their lack of resistance.

The gazes of everyone downstairs all fell on Gu Yu on the second floor. If Gu Yu was willing to vouch for her, even if Su Bicheng had fraudulently claimed the title, no one would say anything more because of Marquis Wu'an's reputation.

"What are you saying, Young Master Su?" Gu Yu asked pitifully, tears welling up in her eyes, looking somewhat aggrieved. "You invited me several times, and I couldn't bear the disturbance, so I came."

"Besides, I've only come here to make things clear to Young Master Su. Since my Wu'an Marquis's Mansion is engaged to the Shen family, we naturally have no connection with Young Master Su."

Looking down at the crowd below, she said sadly, "Since Young Master Su is already married, I know I should avoid suspicion, so I also invited Young Master Wei and Young Master Dongfang to come together, just as a meeting of ordinary friends."

"I just didn't expect Young Master Su to arrive early, so I have to explain things to you now..."

"Afterwards, Young Master Su was going downstairs to attend a poetry gathering, so I was unaware of his situation. However, Young Master Wei and Young Master Dongfang both composed their poems in my private room, using paper and ink that I brought from the Marquis's residence. Both gentlemen can testify to this..."

"The paper and ink used for that poem are different from the ones I brought from the Marquis's residence. You talented gentlemen will understand this at a glance."

The steward examined the original sheets of paper and smelled the ink. He understood what was going on and whispered something to Guan Yiyun.

Dongfang Hongyao looked at Su Bicheng with disdain, "Young Master Su, you wouldn't be so desperate as to try to ruin Miss Gu's reputation, would you?"

"It is true that the poems by Brother Wei and I were written in Miss Gu's private room. Moreover, the door to the private room was always open during this time. Brother Wei and I have a gentlemanly relationship with Miss Gu, and our relationship is completely innocent. I believe that the distinguished guests on the second floor are aware of this."

Wei Cong, who had been silent all along, finally spoke up, "What Brother Hongyao said is true. Miss Gu has indeed not seen Young Master Su since the competition began."

Upon hearing Gu Yu's explanation, Shen Changqing's expression softened slightly. "Of course I believe what my fiancée said. Su Bicheng, what else do you have to say?"

"I...I..." Su Bicheng was speechless with shock at Gu Yu's change. He didn't understand why Gu Yu seemed like a different person at this moment. He once again placed his hopes on Guan Yiyun.

"Even so, how can you prove that I didn't write this poem?"

Su Bicheng knew that if he denied it outright, his imperial examinations and his official career would be ruined. So he decided to admit it to the end.

"Then let me ask you, there's a line in this poem that's an allusion. Can you tell me its source?" Wei Cong frowned slightly, as if this was the first time he'd encountered such a shameless scholar.

This allusion is extremely subtle, and he pondered it for a long time before he came up with it, because he rarely reads poems written by women in the past.

Shen Changqing tapped the jade pendant on his side with his index finger and asked, "Since this poem is about freedom, Young Master Su has married into the Liu family and feels restricted. Why don't you ask your wife to come over and see if the Liu family is neglecting you in any way?"

Everyone burst into laughter, causing Su Bicheng to blush. "This poem is not adapted. Does Young Master Wei think he understands my poem better than I do?"

Gu Yu lowered her head, suppressing a laugh. Liu Qingqing had actually come today; she was probably in a private room at the end of the second floor.

As expected, as soon as Shen Changqing finished speaking, the door to the private room where Liu Qingqing was located opened. She walked out of the room, glanced at Gu Yu opposite her, and looked at Su Bicheng with displeasure.

"Su Bicheng, I also want to know, my Liu family has been providing you with a life of luxury, what has made you uncomfortable? You actually dare to slander Miss Gu's reputation. You want freedom, I'll give you freedom, I'm divorcing you!"

Liu Qingqing's expression softened considerably. Since Su Bicheng's path in the imperial examinations had come to an end, and all that remained was his physical appearance, what was there for her to be reluctant about?

Since Su Bicheng is determined to walk this dead end, she might as well see him off. "Young Master Wei, the line 'The round fan fears the new coolness' is an adaptation of a poem by Master Ban."

I often fear the arrival of autumn, when the cool breezes will steal away the heat.

Abandoned in a chest, affection severed midway.

“That’s right, Miss Gu is absolutely right.” Wei Cong nodded slightly.

"The round fan fears the autumn chill, and a woman also fears the fading of her beauty and the fleeting nature of youth. Although I have never met the person who wrote this poem, I believe he must have been well-read, even able to readily quote poems written by female officials of the past..."

Since Su Bicheng wants to use his and her affair to his advantage, why doesn't she just be more open? She is a young lady of the Marquis of Wu'an's mansion, why should she be afraid of those criticisms?

"Although I don't understand why you would claim someone else's poem, I know that a fake will always be a fake... Young Master Su, it's better to be honest at this time."

Gu Yu looked worried but also looked down at Su Bicheng, her eyes still full of schadenfreude.

"I..." Su Bicheng tried to argue in the face of everyone's questioning, but was stopped by Guan Yiyun, who had a stern face. "Alright, Young Master Su, since the evidence is conclusive, stop arguing. If you continue to pursue this matter, I will not let you off easily."

"Now that you're engaging in this impersonation, it seems you'll only be doing shady things during the imperial examinations. If you see Young Master Su on the day of the examinations, you'll inevitably be subjected to several body searches..."

"I am ashamed as the referee for such a disgraceful incident today. It is my failure to manage the academic atmosphere in the capital that has allowed such a despicable person to think he could take advantage of the situation."