"Prefect Wu, a high-ranking official of the fifth rank, who is also responsible for the safety of Wuxian Garden, can't even get in?"
Wu Yong sneered, "Don't even mention a mere fifth-rank official like me. Even a first-rank official wouldn't be able to get in without His Majesty's invitation!"
He then pointed inside and said, "Young Master Akun, don't get confused. I am only responsible for maintaining order outside the garden. As for inside the garden, that is the job of the Imperial Guard."
Upon hearing this explanation, Jing Zhe was quite surprised, thinking to himself that this poetry gathering was indeed quite well-organized.
This effectively prevents unimportant and irrelevant individuals from appearing at the poetry gathering, especially wealthy young men and sons of officials who want to show off at the gathering.
Of course, with Emperor An present, they couldn't pretend.
Looking at the sea of scholars outside, Jing Zhe asked curiously, "With so many scholars, even though Wuxian Garden is large, it's impossible for them all to go in, right? Could it be that there's a first-come, first-served order?"
If that's the case, how could he get in so late?
Wu Yong shook his head, pointed to the line of people slowly entering Wuxian Garden, and explained, "Not every scholar can enter Wuxian Garden. Anyone who wants to enter must present a poem they have written within the past year. Only if they can gain the approval of the scholars at the gate will they be allowed to pass!"
Jing Zhe looked carefully at the entrance and found that the slow-moving queue was not just moving forward. Many people lingered at the entrance for a moment, then shook their heads and turned back.
Presumably, their poems failed the review process.
The scholars who entered the garden could already be called talented men.
"Young Master Kun, don't worry. I heard that His Majesty greatly appreciates your poem about spring waters. You'll definitely be accepted!"
Seeing Jing Zhe frown, Wu Yong assumed he was worried about that and quickly tried to comfort him so he would leave his side soon.
Jing Zhe nodded very modestly: "My thoughts are the same as Prefect Wu's!"
He then added with a smile, "Prefect Wu, would you like to go in?"
Wu Yong's father was the Vice Minister of War, and there were few scholars in his family. He himself looked down on scholars, so naturally he didn't want to go in.
But he couldn't say that to Jing Zhe's face, so he said, "So what if you want to go in? You can't get in anyway."
"Prefect Wu, I'll let you in!"
Wu Yong pursed his lips and didn't say anything.
"What, Prefect Wu doesn't believe me? Do you believe I can let Prefect Wu in right away?"
"hehe…"
Do you really think you can act with impunity just because you've written a few poems?
ridiculous!
Jing Zhe glanced at him, a half-smile on his face, and said, "Prefect Wu, see you at the garden later! Farewell!"
After saying that, Jing Zhe led Zhang Xiaoyu toward the door.
...
Because there was a long queue in front of him, Jing Zhe couldn't cut in line and could only wait in line at the back.
But he soon discovered that not everyone needed to queue.
Some people walked directly past from the side, and the two young scholars at the entrance clearly recognized them, smiled, and let them pass.
Especially when he saw Chen Jiannan swaggering in through the door and the two scholars praising him, Jing Zhe made up his mind and pulled Zhang Xiaoyu toward the door.
"Young master, don't we need to wait in line anymore?"
Zhang Xiaoyu blushed slightly as Jing Zhe held her small hand, but she was reluctant to pull away, so she changed the subject.
"Only those who aren't famous line up; someone as famous as me can just walk in!"
Jing Zhe said with a confident expression.
As he approached the door, he noticed that the scholars inside had gathered around, pointing at him through the door with excited expressions.
"They're here! They're here!"
"Don't push, let me see too!"
"Don't rush, everyone gets a share—let me see first!"
"..."
Jing Zhe was slightly surprised at first, then overjoyed.
It seems that he is quite famous in Jingzhou City because of his poems on spring water and lyrics on clear autumn days. He was sought after by so many people as soon as he made his debut.
Seeing so many people suddenly appear in front of them, Zhang Xiaoyu hid behind him in fear and whispered:
"Young Master..."
"Don't be afraid! They are all scholars who have heard of my poems and come here out of admiration!"
Jing Zhe raised his head and said calmly.
"Young master is amazing!"
Zhang Xiaoyu's eyes sparkled, while Jing Zhe quickly waved his hand, extremely modest, though he felt a little regretful. If Hanhan were here, he would definitely show him what "prestige" really meant!
"It's just so-so!"
Then he saw even the two scholars at the door stop their inspection and walk towards him.
Holy crap, am I really that famous?
Straightening his clothes, Jing Zhe took a step forward, facing him directly and said with an air of nonchalance, "I am—"
"Get out of the way!"
Then, something incredible happened.
The two scholars somewhat rudely reached out and shoved him aside, then looked with smiles at Jing Zhe's back!
Jing Zhe was stunned, then angry, then looked at Zhang Xiaoyu, and finally blushed.
Damn it, what's going on here?
Fortunately, he was thick-skinned enough not to feel too embarrassed. He turned around to look, and once he did, he couldn't take his eyes off him!
A young and beautiful woman was walking towards them. She walked quietly, but seemed to radiate a dazzling light.
She wore a light blue fitted silk dress, draped with a snow-white emerald green gauze, and her hair was styled in a bun with a hollowed-out gold hairpin adorned with specks of purple jade, the tassels cascading down her dark hair.
Her face was like the moon on Mid-Autumn Festival, her complexion like the flowers of spring dawn, her sideburns as if cut by a knife, her eyebrows as if painted with ink, her eyes like autumn waves, her skin like solidified cream, and her breath like a fragrant orchid. The moment she appeared, the surroundings paled in comparison.
Jing Zhe once boasted that he was the most handsome guy at today's poetry gathering, so this woman in front of him must be the most handsome "girl" right?
Whether it was the talented scholars in Wuxian Garden or the bookish people outside who were engaged in lively discussions, they all stopped talking and stared intently at the woman.
The woman seemed used to such grand scenes and was no longer surprised by what she was seeing.
Calm and composed, walking slowly, head held high as we move forward.
Like everyone else, Jing Zhe's eyes were somewhat vacant, but it wasn't because of her beauty.
Compared to her looks, Lu Li, Liu Jinghong, Su Mochen, and Qingqiu were all equally beautiful, except that she had a more mature demeanor.
Jing Zhe's blank expression carried a hint of melancholy and entanglement, as if he had been transported to another world, because he had already guessed the identity of this beautiful woman.
There is no other woman besides his second sister, Zhu Xinning, who possesses such beauty and is willing to attend the Mid-Autumn Poetry Gathering.
The two scholars who had just pushed Jing Zhe away now fawned over him like dogs wagging their tails.
"Make way, make way!"
"Lord Zhu, you've arrived?"
————
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