Chapter 27 You didn't think I really...
Su Shi felt that his idea was simply genius.
This would shut up his classmates who disliked him, and also give back the opportunity to steal the limelight he had previously taken. A double win!
To everyone's surprise, Zhao Xiaolang quietly tugged at his sleeve, his face full of anxiety and difficulty: "I can't compose poetry!"
Su Shi was greatly surprised: "How is that possible?!"
“But you defeated the Western Xia envoy in a short time, and just now you casually recited a quatrain in front of the dog hole.”
You call this what it means to not be able to write poetry?
That's far too modest!
Su Shi's eyes were filled with this meaning.
Fusu remained silent, but inwardly he cried out: No! One of them came from the screenwriter of the 1994 TV series "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," and the other from the Hungarian poet Sándor. They had absolutely nothing to do with him.
His literacy level was only enough to write four-character poems or in the Sao style, but those were things that had already become obsolete in the Song Dynasty.
But once Su Shi had spoken, there was no going back. Besides, Fu Bi was looking at him with interest.
Fusu had reason to suspect that Fu Bi's quick agreement to the judgment was a test of his abilities. Don't forget, Fusu had not only been exposed before the Emperor, but he had also largely discredited Fu Bi.
Fusu sighed silently and took small, nervous steps.
Mei Yaochen, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up: "Cheng Hao, you step down first. Zhang Jifu, you come and spar with this young man."
"……yes."
The man who had just pointed his sword at Su Shi was indignant, but he obediently stepped aside. The man who stepped up to replace him, however, was trembling with fear and pale-faced. Fusu could tell at a glance that he, like himself, lacked confidence.
A sudden burst of whispers erupted among the students of the Imperial Academy.
Fusu raised an eyebrow slightly: What's going on?
Wait a minute, just now Mei Yaochen called that person Cheng... Cheng Hao? The Cheng from Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism? The character of a great Neo-Confucian scholar is generally trustworthy, so it wasn't covert bullying. It's likely that Cheng Hao genuinely disapproved of Su Shi's behavior and complained to his teacher.
Fusu whispered, "So, is Zhang Jifu the one who might be targeting Dongjun?"
“Exactly,” Su Shi said. “I don’t know why, but this person especially sees me as a thorn in his side. But he rarely takes the lead himself; he always instigates others in secret. Brother Cheng is one of those he has persuaded.”
"...Ahem, but Brother Cheng and I have never gotten along."
Fusu nodded knowingly.
Even he would occasionally be challenged by Su Shi. Would the rigid and meticulous Neo-Confucian scholars of the future find him pleasing?
By the way, do I have a name like Zhang Jifu in my historical records...? I don't think so.
Fusu suddenly felt much more at ease.
Difficulties are like springs; the stronger you are, the more resilient they become. Fusu initially lacked confidence, but when he encountered someone just as insecure as himself, who seemed even more timid and cowardly, he felt reassured.
Moreover, Zhang Jifu doesn't have the aura of a historical figure to protect him, so he's easy to handle.
At worst, he could just write a four-character poem and say it was "an imitation of the ancients." Putting aside others, Mei Yaochen, who admires the ancients, would definitely like it.
-
It would be improper to have a competition next to a dog hole, so they found the nearest empty classroom to use as the examination room.
The subject matter for the poems is limited to: reading.
No restrictions on genre.
The time limit is one incense stick's time.
When it comes to "learning," Fusu could think of so many things. After the advent of the imperial examination system, there were many poems encouraging learning, and Emperor Zhenzong of Song even wrote "There are houses of gold in books."
But wouldn't simply admonishing others be too mature and vulgar? What should I write then? Scholarly insights? The most popular Zen koans in Song Dynasty poetry?
Having too many ideas makes it difficult to clarify them, which is actually a bad thing.
Fusu subconsciously bit the end of his pen, jotting down any fragments of inspiration that came to him on the draft paper. Before long, he had accumulated a large number of notes scattered about.
Suddenly, he felt the gaze of the person at the next table and realized that the fragments he had just written were copied onto a piece of paper by the person opposite him, not a single word missing.
Fusu: "..."
No, you plagiarize so openly and honestly?
Zhang Jifu was still extremely arrogant. After being discovered plagiarizing, he not only didn't stop, but even gave him a defiant look and wrote even faster. Soon, he had copied it all without missing a single word.
Unfortunately, he took advantage of a blind spot in the examination, so even if Fusu wanted to report him on the spot, he would not have solid evidence and might even be falsely accused.
Is it more reasonable for a three-year-old or a teenager to copy whom?
Moreover, Zhang Jifu was, after all, a student of the Imperial Academy. Compared to outsiders, his classmates trusted him more, and he naturally had the upper hand in the home field.
Yes, maybe they're planning to turn the tables on us.
Fusu: ...So annoying!
On second thought, he realized that what he had written himself was not particularly exquisite, and was insignificant compared to his future literary giants and classmates.
Zhang Jifu actually plagiarized this? How much of a fool is he?
Wait a minute, doesn't that mean that no matter what I write, he can't tell whether it's good or bad?
Fusu's bright eyes darted around.
—Plan in place!
He pretended to ponder for a while, looking like he was preparing a masterpiece. Before long, he quickly copied a few words onto the draft paper, smiled and nodded to himself, looking very satisfied.
Even if Zhang Jifu copied it, they pretended not to see it.
Just as the incense stick had burned out, Fusu suddenly wrote another poem on the paper. Zhang Jifu couldn't copy it down in time.
It wasn't until someone came to collect the papers that Zhang Jifu realized what was happening and hastily cobbled together a poem using the punctuation Fusu had previously written.
Because the Imperial Academy lacked a blackboard, Mei Yaochen selected two students to announce the exam papers by reciting poems. Cheng Hao received Fusu's paper, and Su Shi received Zhang Jifu's.
The latter burst out laughing when he saw Zhang Jifu's exam paper. He quickly composed himself, but anyone could tell he was struggling to suppress his laughter.
Su Shi's performance greatly raised everyone's expectations for Zhang Jifu. What kind of poem could elicit that kind of expression from him?
But Su Shi deliberately kept everyone in suspense: "Brother Cheng, please read Zhao Xiaolang's masterpiece first."
The best part of the show is always saved for last.
Cheng Hao remained expressionless, nodded, picked up Fusu's examination paper, and read aloud—
The ancient terraces stand tall and verdant, the Bian River flows mightily.
Morning and evening, they sang and played music, and the students gathered together.
...
Reflect on your thoughts and actions, and let your virtue shine forth.
Establishing faith and achieving results, one's virtue will be evident.
...
Time flies like a white horse chasing the sun; every moment should be cherished.
When the Great Way is in effect, sages and saints can be expected.
"..."
The entire audience at the Imperial College erupted in uproar.
Fu Bi and Mei Yaochen exchanged a glance, and their gazes toward Fusu instantly changed.
Although it is a rare four-character poem, and the allusions are so simple that everyone here can recognize them at a glance, everything changes once the phrase "the author is three years old" is added.
Lord Yan, how old were you when you were able to compose poetry?
Seven years old.
Today's child is three years old.
Regardless of whether he did it well or not, just ask him if he did it at all!
Even Cheng Hao, after reading it, was filled with admiration and sincerely apologized to Fusu: "I misunderstood you, young master, as being lacking in virtue and talent. I was mistaken. At least when I was three years old, I could not have written such a work."
Fusu: Uh.
I don't think it's a compliment at all!
People think he's three years old, but doesn't he know how old he is?
Fusu closed his eyes and silently recited: "Everyone in the Song Dynasty was a great writer, everyone in the Song Dynasty was a great writer, everyone in the Song Dynasty was a great writer, don't compare yourself to them..." He felt a little better after that.
However, Fusu did indeed conceal his shortcomings, using simple allusions to fit the persona of a three-year-old. Otherwise, how could an uneducated child readily quote lines from the Book of Documents or the Book of Rites?
How terrifying!
Mr. Fu is an old man, so let's not scare him.
The room was filled with whispers, and even Zhang Jifu looked at Fusu with displeasure. Only Su Shi quietly curled his lip—he felt that this was not Zhao Xiaolang's true ability. Why did this child always pretend to be stupid? Wasn't he tired of living like this?
"Cough cough!"
Su Shi cleared his throat amidst the lingering eulogy: "Next up is my turn. Let's admire Zhang's masterpiece—"
"The lamp wick flickers and the candle smoke dissipates, the bright moon hangs in the west as if floating."
"..." The crowd fell silent.
Uh, okay, is this something I can say?
The opening line was rather unremarkable, even less grand than Zhao Xiaolang's earlier one. And was it just my imagination? The imagery seemed rather odd.
Su Shi's voice suddenly stopped—
"The water clock is about to stop, the clear sound fades away, and suddenly I recite the verses of the bamboo slips at Xie Bridge."
Before he could finish speaking, Mei Yaochen slammed his hand on the table, startling everyone: "You bastard!"
He pointed at Zhang Jifu's nose and cursed, "Is this how you read the classics?"
Zhang Jifu stared blankly: "Huh?"
He still doesn't know why he's being scolded!
Fusu pursed his lips, turned his head away, and concealed his merits and fame.
This is another purpose of his writing simple four-character poems: to distance himself from this poem about longing for love!
Strictly speaking, this poem cannot be called a poem about longing for love, but the last allusion in the poem, "Xie Bridge," is quite problematic, giving the whole poem a lingering, sentimental feel.
"Xie" specifically refers to Xie Daoyun, a talented woman from the Eastern Jin Dynasty.
"Xie Niang" and "Xie Qiao" have come to mean the location of a beautiful woman or a beloved.
The most famous is Yan Jidao's "My soul is used to being unrestrained in my dreams, and I tread on willow catkins to cross Xie Bridge again," and another example is Nalan Xingde's "After Xie Niang left, who will cherish her?"
In this poem, the line "Suddenly I was reading the classics and found myself reciting them at Xie Bridge" translates to, "While reading the classics, I unknowingly went to meet my sweetheart." How could Mei Yaochen not be angry upon hearing this?
But at first glance, Xieqiao? Just an ordinary place name.
Could Zhang Jifu not understand such a subtle allusion?
He certainly wouldn't understand.
To be honest, the reason Fusu was able to use this allusion to trick people was because Yan Jidao was present.
He silently clasped his hands together: Let us thank Xiao Yan! The Yan family!
The story of Xie Bridge is about romance, so Mei Yaochen certainly wouldn't explain it to his students. But some of the students watching understood the story, and it spread quickly, causing their gazes towards Zhang Jifu to change drastically.
—He dared to write love poems in front of the PhD student. What would he dare to do when the PhD student wasn't around? Tsk tsk tsk, it's unthinkable!
Seeing the reactions of those around him, even the most dense person would know that Zhang Jifu had been ambushed.
He quickly said, "This wasn't written by me, it was him, it was him! I copied it all from him!"
Mei Yaochen simply didn't believe it: "Zhang Jifu, you have to have a limit to your nonsense. This little Zhao is only three years old! How could he understand those obscene words?"
"It's true, it's true, I copied everything from him..."
Zhang Jifu immediately went to lift the draft paper on Fusu's table, but after lifting it for a long time, he only found a few scraps of paper covered in ink, making it impossible to see the original writing.
On the contrary, the ink he copied on his own manuscript became the only handwritten version of this outrageous seven-character quatrain.
Fusu met Zhang Jifu's gaze and winked.
I understand the principle of destroying evidence after doing something wrong. You don't really think I'm three years old, do you?
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The author says: I'm late. Writing poetry is like squeezing toothpaste; it's killing me.
This chapter includes 20 red envelopes~
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