Nanqian Yue smacked her lips, thinking to herself, "What a grand spectacle."
"Is this Miss Nan? Miss Nan! I heard that your young master is having his hair-tying ceremony today, so I have prepared a small gift for you to accept. However, I have a favor to ask. I have composed a poem and would appreciate your guidance!"
"Miss Nan, I am a disciple of Master Xu, and I have also prepared some small gifts. I also have a request: I hope Miss Nan can give me some pointers on my poem!"
"Miss Nan, I also have some poems here that I would like to ask you for your guidance!"
"Miss Nan!..."
At the foot of the steps of the mansion, a group of young scholars, each carrying a gift in one hand and a piece of paper in the other, crowded together, vying to hand their poems to Nanqianyue.
Nan Qianyue's eyebrows unconsciously lifted; this was someone using the guise of giving gifts to find her.
Looking at these young people, they were dressed in both fine clothes and simple clothes, and each of them had a passion for literature on their face.
She was very anxious about moving south. She could recite poems, many poems, but it was difficult for her to give pointers on other people's poems.
Unless these people are at a near-elementary or middle school level, in which case she can give a textbook answer.
"Young lady, what should we do?" The steward wiped his sweat; he dared not offend these scholars.
The literary scene in Dongling was weak, and these scholars were the hope for its development. They were supported by the imperial power, and if anyone offended them, there was no need to go to the imperial family; the prime minister would be the first to stand up for them.
With a perfectly measured smile, Nan Qianyue looked at the young men on the steps and slowly opened her mouth, “Thank you all for taking my younger brother’s coming-of-age ceremony seriously. At the same time, I am also very humbled by your recognition of me. I dare not accept your ‘guidance’ or ‘instruction’. If you do not mind, I will go to Mingyi Hall to study tomorrow, and then we can appreciate poetry and literature together.”
“Miss Nan, I am not qualified to enter the Hall of Fame. Could you please give me some pointers on my poem?” A slender scholar held up his poem, speaking earnestly.
Before Nan Qianyue could reply, another young man in brocade robes said with great displeasure, "You can't even get into the Hall of Righteousness, yet you dare to ask Miss Nan for advice? Aren't you afraid of making a fool of yourself?"
"That's right, Mingyitang doesn't charge tuition, it only looks at knowledge. How dare you bother Miss Nan if you don't have enough knowledge!"
"I...!" The thin scholar was speechless after being rebuked.
He wasn't unable to get in; his twin brother took his place.
“Miss Nan, since you will be going to Mingyi Hall tomorrow, we will wait for you there. We won’t bother you today.” With that, the young men handed the gifts to the servants of the Prime Minister’s residence.
Nanqianyue smiled and nodded, watching the group of young people leave, and the area outside the mansion gate gradually returned to tranquility.
The thin scholar walked behind, his shoulders slumped, as if his earlier enthusiasm had been completely dampened by cold water.
"Steward, summon that thin scholar," Nan Qianyue instructed in a low voice, tilting her head slightly.
The steward responded and quickly ran towards the scholar. After calling him over and saying a few words, he led the scholar over.
"Miss Nan." The scholar stood at the bottom of the steps and bowed to Miss Nan.
Nan Qianyue nodded slightly in response. Her gaze swept over the scholar, whose cotton and linen clothes were neatly arranged and who was also clean.
She smiled and asked, "May I ask how you are addressed, sir?"
The scholar seemed somewhat nervous, as if a renowned teacher was testing him, both expectant and flustered.
"The student's surname is Liu, and his given name is Bi, the Bi of Bifu."
Nan Qianyue's smile froze slightly, because Liu Bi actually called himself her student, which made her quite apprehensive.
"Young Master Liu, may I have a look at your poem?" Nan Qianyue's attitude was gentle, showing Liu Bi full respect.
A wave of surprise and delight washed over Liu Bi's tense face in an instant. He couldn't contain his excitement, "Please, please enlighten me, teacher!"
He held the paper up with both hands and bent down at the same time.
Nan Qianyue pressed his lips tightly together to keep his expression from crumbling. He called himself a student and asked her to call him teacher... If he couldn't figure out the meaning of his poem, wouldn't he make a huge fool of himself?
"I dare not accept such praise." Nan Qianyue nodded modestly and then had the steward take the poem.
Talented and ambitious, yet the world finds him unacceptable; his vast knowledge and profound thoughts remain unfulfilled. Discord within the household adds to his melancholy; peace is elusive in his home, and sorrow deepens his grief. To whom can he confide his hidden feelings? His lofty ambitions remain unfulfilled, leaving him only with mediocrity. Alone, facing the dim lamp and the waning moon, his worries toss and turn with the cold tolling of the bell.
She nodded in agreement with the southward migration, at least she couldn't write it down.
"This poem expresses sincere and profound emotions, and its delicate strokes vividly portray the dual predicament of unfulfilled talent and family discord." The poem, written by Nanqian Yue, casually reveals the standard answer to the exam question.
Suppressing his excitement, Liu Bi said, "Teacher, you are too kind. Compared with your poems and essays, my writing is particularly crude."
Nan Qianyue's eyelids twitched, and she calmly corrected him, "I really don't deserve to be called 'teacher,' Young Master Liu, please just call me Miss Nan."
Before Liu Bi could reply, she continued, "If Young Master Liu doesn't mind, I will go back and analyze this poem word by word on paper. Tomorrow, outside the Mingyi Hall, I will trouble you to come and collect it yourself."
Liu Bi's chest heaved with excitement. He bowed again, "Thank you for your guidance, teacher! I will be waiting for you outside the Yiming Hall tomorrow!"
Nan Qianyue's smile froze. She forced a smile and slowly turned to enter the mansion.
"Young lady, you truly impress me beyond measure," the steward said, following behind her and unable to contain his admiration.
Nanqian Yue's heart was pounding. "Steward, please don't praise me. These scholars came so suddenly today. I really can't understand how three poems could cause such a big literary uproar."
The steward was taken aback, then smiled and said, "Young lady, have you forgotten that on the day you went to Hengyang Mountain, you wrote ten poems in a row? They have now spread throughout Dongling and are widely circulated among students."
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