"Poetry gathering, interesting! I thought it would be quick, but it's been so long. You have good patience!" Qin Mu held an invitation, smiled faintly, and muttered to himself.
"Cousin, what are you saying?" Luo Tong looked up and asked.
"It's alright! Have you finished your practice questions?" Qin Mu put down the invitation and asked with a smile that remained unchanged.
To Luo Tong's surprise, he quickly finished the math problems given to him. Qin Mu then taught him addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Although he didn't use Arabic numerals, the simplified numbers one, two, three, and four were just as easy to write.
He has already mastered addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division up to ten. After systematically learning calculation, his calculations are extremely fast, which greatly surprised Luo Yi and his son. Therefore, they felt even more at ease letting Luo Tong hang out with him.
At the foot of Zhiquan Temple, Qin Mu, accompanied by Luo Tong, disembarked from the carriage and slowly walked up the stone steps. Lu Ce followed behind with two guards.
Outside Zhiquan Temple, people come and go, some chatting in twos and threes, others pointing and gesturing to the hillside.
Qin Mu saw Lu Chengli and Cui Yanxing, whom he had met some time ago, sitting under a big tree, surrounded by a large group of people, standing out like a crane among chickens.
Looking around, Qin Mu understood why they had chosen to hold the poetry gathering outside the temple.
Outside Zhiquan Temple, several large trees, estimated to be at least a hundred years old, completely block out the sunlight. A gentle breeze blows, making it very cool.
Outside the hillside is a cliff, not very high, but with a nice view. Looking out, you can see the farmland at the foot of the mountain in the distance, which makes you feel more open-minded.
The arrival of Qin Mu and his group was quickly noticed by others. Lu Chengli and Cui Yanxing exchanged a glance, got up and walked over.
Qin Mu also greeted him with a smile.
"Young Master Qin!"
"Young Master Lu! Young Master Cui! I apologize for being late."
"Not too late! The poetry gathering hasn't even started yet."
"Young Master Qin, please take a seat."
"please!"
After exchanging pleasantries, the group led Qin Mu to a prepared seating area next to them. Since they were sitting around a tree trunk, there was no distinction between upper and lower seats.
Just then, a group of people walked out of the temple.
"The one in the very middle is called Lawyer Pei, the governor sent by the imperial court; the other one is Han Zheng, the chief administrator of Youzhou, from the largest family in Youzhou, whom the prince often relies on," Lu Ce introduced softly.
Qin Mu stood up to greet them, nodding almost imperceptibly upon hearing this. No wonder he hadn't seen Luo Yi for the past few days; it must be because the court had sent someone. He wondered if Li Shimin had sent someone because Luo Yi had chosen to send his son's family to Chang'an, or if Li Shimin had sent someone on his own initiative. The difference was significant.
"I hope nothing goes wrong," Qin Mu thought to himself, then stopped thinking about it. Anyway, he was too insignificant to get involved in those things.
"Please be seated, everyone! I've been invited by Brother Han to be here today to witness this poetry gathering. You are all outstanding young talents from Youzhou, and I hope you will serve the country in the future," Lawyer Pei said with a slight smile, in a very formulaic manner.
"Today, all the outstanding young talents of Youzhou City are gathered here, along with the third young master of the Lu family, the fifth young master of the Cui family, and Young Master Qin, a guest from the Prince's Mansion. This is a grand event for Youzhou City. I hope you will all demonstrate your true abilities and leave behind a legendary legacy," Han Zheng said loudly, looking down at the crowd.
After Han Zheng finished speaking, he waved to the people behind him, and several servants came and placed several boxes on the table.
"The poems composed today will be published as a collection at the expense of the Prince's Mansion; in addition, the first place winner will be awarded a piece of gilded tribute ink, the second place winner will receive ten catties of top-quality Xuan paper, and the third place winner will receive a rabbit-hair purple bamboo brush," Han Zheng continued.
As soon as Han Zheng finished speaking, Qin Mu noticed that everyone's eyes lit up and their expressions were somewhat excited.
He guessed it was because of the prize; although he didn't know what made it so valuable, tributes were certainly the best. Another point was that the people present today included all the well-known scholars of Youzhou City, which would be very beneficial for spreading their fame.
A good reputation is beneficial to one's righteous spirit, so Qin Mu secretly decided to try his best to take first place. With so many ancient poems in his mind, he didn't believe he couldn't overpower these people.
Seeing the somewhat excited crowd, Han Zheng nodded in satisfaction, then clapped his hands lightly, attracting everyone's attention, and said, "The first question will be posed by Mr. Pei."
“Youzhou is a land of outstanding people and abundant resources. The first question will be about various places in Youzhou, whether it be people, things, or places. You have one incense stick's time limit,” said Attorney Pei, stroking his short beard.
Following Attorney Pei's words, maids began to place writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones on each table. After everything was arranged neatly, an incense stick was lit in front of the table.
As Attorney Pei began speaking, Qin Mu was pondering whether the poem he remembered was related to Youzhou.
I have quite a few poems in my memory. I used to read a lot of materials to practice calligraphy and to study the ancients. However, not every poem is suitable. After thinking for a while, I decided to use "Youzhou Huma Ke" by Zhang Yuniang of the Song Dynasty.
Once he had made up his mind, he picked up his pen and started writing without any pause or hesitation. Both Attorney Pei and Han Zheng, who had been paying close attention to him, couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
However, their thoughts were different. Han Zheng, the Prefect of Youzhou, naturally knew about the divine gift that day. Moreover, Luo Yi, in order to help him gain fame, had also revealed the removal of the gift in his summer poem. Therefore, Han Zheng was admiring Qin Mu's confidence.
"The person who could compose 'Ascending the Youzhou Terrace' must be very familiar with Youzhou. Composing another one shouldn't be difficult," Han Zheng thought to himself. As for Tianci, that wasn't even on his radar. After all, these kinds of assigned poems tested quick wit and accumulated knowledge. It wasn't easy to come up with a poem based on genuine feeling.
Contrary to Qin Mu's assumption, the governor, Pei, did not come specifically for Youzhou. The Tang Dynasty had governors and inspectors traveling throughout the country every year. Qin Mu simply didn't know this; after all, he studied historical figures and events, and was not familiar with such systems.
"At this age, to be able to compose a masterpiece is probably just a coincidence; otherwise, how could one have such profound insights?" Attorney Pei said calmly, then turned his gaze to Lu Chengli and Cui Yanxing.
These two were the most famous among them, and they came from five prominent families and seven prestigious clans. The Pei family was also a great family, so they naturally understood how capable the geniuses cultivated by such families were.
The maid who ground the ink for Qin Mu had been watching intently from the moment he began writing. After Qin Mu finished writing in one stroke, she silently read it aloud. Upon finishing, she almost shouted with approval, but then quickly covered her mouth. Her eyes then lit up as she looked at Qin Mu.
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