"Mu?"
The renowned scholars present all fell into deep thought.
Are there any talented scholars surnamed Mu in this capital city?
Everyone shook their heads.
"Never heard of it."
Mr. Dongshan said.
"There are countless talented people in the world, and many of them are hidden gems. How could we possibly have heard of them all?"
Everyone agreed.
At this moment, none of the people present had any idea that the talented man they spoke of, whose talent was like a pearl yet tarnished, was the same man who once made a city full of peach blossoms for one person, the Duke of Zhenguo, Mu Zi'an.
After all, before this, Mu Zi'an was known to others as a spoiled brat who was good for nothing.
How could it possibly have anything to do with the word "talented scholar"?
Just as everyone was wondering who this talented man surnamed Mu was.
Xiao Xiuning suddenly stood up and walked to Liu Gong, and said softly.
"May I have a look?"
Xiao Xiuning took the paper from Liu Gong's hand and examined it carefully.
The handwriting is exactly the same as that on the poem "Shuidiao Getou".
Her gaze fell on the last character, "Mu".
Xiao Xiuning finally remembered where she had seen these words before.
It was that triumphant letter from Luzhou!
At this moment, an absurd and laughable idea suddenly popped into Xiao Xiuning's mind.
Could it be that Mu Zi'an was the one who wrote this poem and this lyric, two timeless masterpieces?
Unbelievable! Yet it seems to be the only answer right now.
"What does Your Highness, the Ninth Princess, think of this poem?"
Mr. Dongshan's words interrupted Xiao Xiuning, who was deep in thought.
Xiao Xiuning forcibly suppressed her doubts and looked at everyone with certainty.
"A masterpiece for all time, its fame will last for centuries."
These simple eight words surprised everyone present.
Mr. Dongshan couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"First came the poem 'Shuidiao Getou,' and now we have this one. This trip has been worthwhile! It has been worthwhile indeed!"
Those present could already imagine the upheaval that would engulf the literary world of Beijing after tonight's poetry gathering.
Another gong sounded from inside the painted boat.
Someone on the main ship shouted.
The results are in!
The news spread like waves to the surrounding pleasure boats.
The poetry rankings have already been posted, and students who feel they still have a glimmer of hope have arrived at the results posting location.
On the deck, Pei Shaoji slowly walked in, surrounded by a crowd.
Upon seeing Pei Shaoji, they all stepped forward to greet him and then praised him.
"The top spot in this first round undoubtedly belongs to Young Master Pei!"
"Naturally, Young Master Pei is a prodigy of our time; who dares to rival him?"
Praises poured in, but Pei Shaoji remained calm, a confident smile still playing on his lips.
Just as everyone was offering their congratulations, a gasp suddenly came from the crowd.
"Incredible! Incredible! There is such a brilliant and talented person in the world! How can I ever catch up with him after decades of hard study?"
"With such a person standing in the way of poetry and lyrics, there is no room for us to make any progress! Alas! Alas!"
Upon hearing this, Pei Shaoji felt utterly bewildered.
Although he is now widely recognized as the foremost figure in Beijing's literary circles.
However, since ancient times, scholars have been prone to belittling each other. Although my poem can be considered a masterpiece, it is absolutely impossible for them to utter such a lament.
Upon seeing this, Pei Jianzhi immediately stepped forward and dispersed the students surrounding the list.
Pei Shaoji walked through the crowd to the bottom of the list, and then looked up.
His name was prominently listed at the top of the list.
However, above these names are four separate columns of verses.
From a distance, it looks like a mountain peak and its base.
Although Pei Shaoji was ranked first, he was still just a figurehead.
Gazing into the distance, Pei Shaoji murmured to himself.
"Fine wine in a luminous cup, I long to drink, but the pipa urges me on."
"Do not laugh at me, drunk and lying on the battlefield; how many have returned from ancient battles?"
After reading the four lines, Pei Shaoji felt as if he had been struck on the head and almost fainted.
His eyes were glazed over, and his body began to tremble uncontrollably.
In my panic, everything in front of me seemed blurry.
At this moment, Pei Shaoji felt like a frog in a well looking at the moon in the sky, and a sense of powerlessness welled up in his heart.
Looking at the signature, only the three characters "Young Master Mu" stand out with a touch of arrogance.
One poem surpasses a hundred! Who is worthy of my name?
"Young Master Mu?"
"Who is Young Master Mu?"
"Never heard of it?"
The people below the list looked at each other in bewilderment and began to discuss among themselves.
They were completely baffled by the name "Young Master Mu," having never heard of a talented scholar with the surname Mu in the world.
Just then, someone suddenly spoke up.
"I've heard that the current Duke of Zhenguo's surname is Mu..."
These words immediately drew ridicule.
"Have you been exposed to too much cold wind tonight? How could a mere martial artist possess such talent?"
"How could a mere playboy from the capital possibly create such a masterpiece?"
"In my opinion, this must have been done by a renowned scholar who had been on the frontier for many years."
At this moment, a hint of hesitation flashed through Lu Yunxue's mind amidst the crowd.
But then he shook his head, thinking that someone who could produce such timeless words must be a renowned Confucian scholar.
How could Mu Zi'an possibly have such talent?
It's just a coincidence that they share the same surname; there are countless people in the world with the surname Mu.
When Pei Shaoji came to his senses, he felt a surge of anger rising within him.
He absolutely would not allow anyone to surpass him in the art of poetry.
He was a prodigy, a once-in-a-century talent in the Pei family! He was destined to be the top scholar in the imperial examinations!
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com