"Hehe!" Hou Yuan was not afraid of the two transformed hunting dogs. Holding the talisman in his hand, he walked towards Qin Mu with a sinister smile.
"Cough! Cough!" Hou Yuan's laughter hadn't even stopped when he choked on his own, coughing fits. This was because Qin Mu had picked up his pen again. This surprised him greatly. Generally, a Confucian scholar's limit was reached after using the precious scrolls and poems twice; using them a third time would likely drain him dry, causing irreparable damage to his body and affecting his very foundation.
Of course, there are always exceptions. Geniuses are always different from others, and it's possible for a powerful younger generation to use their talents three times.
"Stop!" Hou Yuan's expression shifted between anger and rage, his chest heaving as he loudly stopped Qin Mu. After a long pause, he gritted his teeth and said, "You win!" Then he turned and left.
"What an impolite fellow!" Qin Mu muttered, putting away his rabbit-hair purple bamboo brush.
After using it a few times, he discovered that a good pen not only makes writing more comfortable, but also allows for less resistance when using it. It's like water flowing through a pipe with a core; the better the pipe, the smoother the flow.
"Oh! Oh! Brother Qin Mu won!" Xiangli Yanran jumped up and cheered happily, even happier than if she had won herself.
"Thanks, brother!" Qin Yue patted Qin Mu's shoulder forcefully. He thought Qin Mu had volunteered to fight because he didn't want Qin Yue to get hurt, and had even used the precious scroll for the first attack.
"No need to thank me! I'll benefit from winning too," Qin Mu said with a smile. The thought of soon acquiring a genuine Confucian classic filled Qin Mu with immense joy.
The Qin family won two consecutive matches, both best-of-three. This greatly frustrated the ten great families. This final match was a matter of pride, and they were unwilling to lose. Therefore, they were gathered together, whispering amongst themselves.
Qin Mu accepted the box and eagerly opened it. Inside, lying quietly, was a scroll of bamboo slips, emanating an astonishing, restrained, and powerful aura. Since it was in public and inconvenient to examine it further, Qin Mu suppressed his joy and put the box away.
"Ahem! Your Highness, we just discussed it and think it would be best to set some rules for the literary contest." Murong Yun walked up to Qin Yao, cupped his hands in a salute, and said with a slightly embarrassed smile.
"Oh! Didn't you just say that the young people should decide on the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and prose themselves? What's the new rule now?" Qin Yao asked with a slight smile.
"That's true, but since the young master of the Duke of Yi can compose a poem that has inspired the heavens, wouldn't it be a bit unfair to win in another poetry contest?" Although it was somewhat embarrassing, Murong Yun still forced himself to say it. Firstly, they didn't want to lose too badly, and secondly, they wanted the prize and hoped to win back some ground at the end.
Qin Yao was pleased that Murong Yun had given in, but since Qin Mu had been brought up, he turned to Qin Qiong and respected his opinion.
This was a tacit acknowledgment of his son's abilities, so Qin Qiong was naturally happy. With a smile on his face, he humbly said, "My son was just lucky for a moment."
"You are too modest, Duke Yi. Young Master, your literary talent is outstanding. May I ask which great scholar you are a student of?" Murong Yun said with a fake smile.
"I am ashamed! My son and I have been separated for many years and have been living in the countryside ever since. I have not been able to find him a famous teacher to guide him." Qin Qiong said with a look of shame, shaking his head.
"Ah! No famous teacher to guide him!" Murong Yun asked dumbfounded. No famous teacher to guide him? Unless Qin Qiong was lying, it must be because Qin Mu was exceptionally talented.
Qin Qiong would never lie about this, so it must be that Qin Mu himself is a genius. Murong Yun secretly rejoiced that he had suggested changing the competition method earlier.
"Congratulations, Duke Yi, on finding your son." Murong Yun said sourly.
"Hehe! Thank you. Let's talk about how you want to set the rules." Qin Qiong smiled calmly. He didn't believe that his opponents, who were previously at each other's throats, would sincerely offer their congratulations.
"We suggest a three-way competition: gaming, musical instruments, and composing poems! Hmm! If it's difficult to determine a winner in the poem competition, then we'll decide based on the quality of the calligraphy." Murong Yun's eyes darted around, and he abandoned his initial decision, changing his mind at the last minute. Of course, he mainly avoided Qin Mu's strengths. Since he knew Qin Mu didn't have a renowned Confucian scholar to guide him, his writing skills would definitely be lacking. And coincidentally, someone on their side was skilled in these areas.
Having already won two matches, this last one didn't matter much, so Qin Yao nodded and agreed, "Since you've come from afar, let's do as you wish!"
"Then I'll trouble Your Highness to make the arrangements." Murong Yun smiled even more broadly upon seeing Qin Yao's agreement, cupped his hands in greeting, and then returned to his group to recount the matter.
"Which round will the young prince choose?" Qin Yue asked Li Chongyi after the guard explained the competition format.
"I have a rudimentary understanding of music, so I'll choose music theory," Li Chongyi said confidently.
"Okay! Huai Dao, what about you?" Qin Yue nodded and asked again.
"I don't understand the art of strategy, so I'll choose to write a poem instead," Qin Mu said with a wry smile.
If we're talking about playing chess, then there's no problem with Chinese chess, but it's clear they're not playing Chinese chess.
"Alright then! It's settled then! I'll play!" Qin Yue agreed. They then waited for their opponents to make their moves.
Soon, the other side also decided on their choice. One person stepped forward, holding a bamboo flute and twirling it in his hands. Upon seeing this, Li Chongyi stood up, took a newly delivered zither from the guard, held it in both hands, and walked to the table in front.
"How do we compete?" Li Chongyi asked with a hint of dissatisfaction, seemingly disliking his opponent.
"Hehe! The young prince is still so impatient."
"Hmph! Dongfang Wu, why bother pretending to be refined in front of me? Everyone knows you're a scoundrel," Li Chongyi sneered.
This Dongfang Wu is quite good-looking; you could say he has rosy lips and white teeth, is handsome and dashing, and holds a flute, looking every bit the elegant and refined gentleman.
"I've heard that Dongfang Wu is fond of seducing respectable women and then abandoning them. He has a terrible reputation in the Northwest!" Qin Yue said with a similar sense of disgust.
Qin Mu had initially thought Li Chongyi was dissatisfied because others were more dashing than him, but after hearing Qin Yue's explanation, he couldn't help but feel a little more favorably toward Li Chongyi. It turned out that this kid wasn't so bad after all; at least he still had a sense of justice.
"Hmph! It's a pity he wasn't in the martial arts competition, otherwise I would have cleaved him in two with one sword." Xiangli Yanran said angrily, raising her arms.
"Watch their match! It's starting." Qin Yue smiled and patted her head reassuringly.
Dongfang Wu, instead of getting angry because of Li Chongyi's bad behavior, smiled and said, "Let's choose the same song! It will be clear who wins and who loses."
"No problem!"
"Three Variations on Plum Blossom!"
"That suits me perfectly!"
The two quickly settled on a question-and-answer session, and Li Chongyi began to pluck the strings to test the sound.
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