The garden is full of people, and the moonlight is bright.
At this moment, Zhu Xinning stood up, glanced at the back of the crowd, and announced loudly, "The poetry recital is officially beginning! We will need to trouble Master Wang to preside over the event today!"
As soon as the words were spoken, a melodious guzheng sound came from the osmanthus grove, and the crowd dispersed to both sides, making way for a path.
Stepping to the beat of the music, Wang Yingqiu gracefully walked out from the crowd.
Jing Zhe curled his lips, thinking to himself that she was still the most flamboyant. She dared to make such a flamboyant entrance in front of Emperor An. No wonder she was from the Wuxian Pavilion.
Standing in the backyard, Wang Yingqiu's eyes curved slightly, and she bowed to Emperor An, saying, "I am deeply grateful for Your Majesty's kindness in once again hosting the Mid-Autumn Poetry Gathering in Wuxian Garden. I thank Your Majesty!"
He was about to bow in respect when Emperor An stopped him.
"Today, I am merely one of many scholars. Let us exchange ideas through poetry and literature, without the need for formalities."
Wang Yingqiu nodded, then looked at the crowd, "It is an honor for our Wuxian Garden to have you all here today. On behalf of Wuxian Pavilion, I would like to express my gratitude to you all!"
Hearing Wang Yingqiu's charming voice, the talented men in the courtyard couldn't help but cheer.
Unlike the others who were enthusiastically celebrating with Wang Yingqiu, Qi Junguang's gaze was fixed on Zhu Xinning. He was pondering: "Why haven't I seen her before? If I can't marry Princess Anguo, marrying her would be excellent..."
So I started thinking about it.
Then, Wang Yingqiu stood up, her expression becoming solemn, "Now, Yingqiu will explain the rules of today's poetry gathering to all the talented gentlemen!"
He then spoke eloquently, and the crowd began to discuss it animatedly.
It turns out that this poetry competition is divided into three rounds of competition, with each round having its own qualifying round. The first round involves composing poems on the spot, which are then reviewed by three judges, and the top five will advance to the next round.
The three judges, besides Zhu Xinning, were Hanlin Academician Song Baiyun and Grand Tutor Bai Qingyuan.
The second round was a calligraphy competition. The five finalists wrote down their poems for the three judges to critique, and the top two advanced.
The first two competitions were held in the backyard and main hall of Wuxian Garden, respectively. After all, composing poetry requires a certain atmosphere, and admiring the full moon in the open osmanthus grove can inspire creativity.
To practice calligraphy, one needs a fixed table and chairs, as well as brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, especially late at night. Although the backyard of Wuxian Garden is brightly lit, it is not as pleasant as the indoor setting.
As for the final round, it was a competition of words, and the judges were no longer Zhu Xinning and the other two, but all the scholars and common people in Jingzhou.
Of course, if so many people are to participate in the evaluation, the venue can no longer be Wuxian Garden.
It is said that the backyard of Wuxian Garden was built along the river, which is the Yi River, which runs from Jingzhou all the way to Jiangling. Most of the poetry gatherings in Jiangling are held by the river and are often called "Yi River Poetry Gatherings". In order to distinguish it from this, Jingzhou has not held a poetry gathering on the Yi River for many years. This time it can be considered a revival.
Meanwhile, the large boat, consisting of six painted boats that had been moored along the busiest street of the Yi River, slowly sailed away from the shore and arrived at the riverbank behind Wuxian Garden, where it waited quietly.
In the third round of the competition, the two contestants boarded the painted boat and were free to create their own poems. Their poems were then read aloud by Zhu Xinning, who was standing on the boat as it circled the city. The contestant whose poem received the most praise was the winner.
Since the local people on the shore didn't know whose poems were being recited, this competition was the fairest.
After Wang Yingqiu finished explaining the rules of the competition, a murmur rippled through the crowd. This competition had exceeded most people's expectations.
However, they soon felt somewhat relieved. This poetry gathering included the top talent in Jingzhou, the top talent in Yongzhou, the third prince of Southern Qi, and a very impressive young master named Akun whom they had never met but had heard of. It was originally a stage for these people to showcase themselves, and the others were just there to make up the numbers.
Thinking about it this way, I feel much more at ease.
Of all the people in this group, Qi Junguang was the happiest.
Before the poetry gathering began, his biggest concern was the X factor, Jing Zhe. Since becoming famous, Jing Zhe had only written two lyrics. Why hadn't he written any poems?
Although poetry and lyrics share the same theme, the methods of writing them are quite different.
Lyrics emphasize imagery and unrestrained expression, while poetry focuses on rhyme. Some people write excellent poems but only average lyrics, while others are the opposite. In his view, Jing Zhe is probably in this situation as well.
But he was different.
He has been composing poems and lyrics since he was a child. He can write a good poem and also compose a beautiful lyric. He dares not say that he can win in terms of lyrics, but he is full of confidence in terms of poetry!
He then stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, before the poetry gathering begins, there is one more thing I would like to confirm!"
"Please speak, Third Prince!"
"If I win the poetry competition, will you really marry Princess Mo Chen to me?"
Qi Junguang deliberately asked this question in front of so many scholars, so that as long as Emperor An agreed, he wouldn't have to worry about him going back on his word later!
Qi Junguang's confident expression made Emperor An feel a sense of crisis. He frowned and said in a deep voice, "Third Prince, don't forget that you said before that you would prioritize literary skills over military ones. You should win the literary battle first!"
"What if I win?"
Qi Junguang didn't care that Emperor An was angry and continued to be aggressive.
"Why is the Third Prince so long-winded? Since Father has already promised you, he will certainly keep his word. However, the Third Prince should not be careless. If you lose both the literary and martial arts exams, you will become a laughing stock!"
At this moment, Su Mochen's voice came from behind the screen.
Qi Junguang, without blushing, cupped his hands and smiled, saying:
"Thank you for your concern, Princess Mo Chen. I will surely win a great victory and bring the princess back to Southern Qi as my wife!"
"..."
...
"Damn, this bastard has such a thick skin! Bah!"
Jing Zhe spat and cursed.
The spit landed squarely on a young man in a jacket in front of him. The young man had already turned around when he heard Jing Zhe cursing, and then saw a wad of phlegm coming straight at his groin.
The young master was startled, but he was quick enough to move his feet and twist his body to the side to dodge.
He patted his chest, still shaken.
Jing Zhe was somewhat embarrassed and immediately said, "Young Master, I'm so sorry! I was confused with anger!"
The young master had a good temper and didn't take it to heart. "It's nothing. I felt like throwing up when I heard that damned Third Prince talking! You're so straightforward, it's admirable!"
Jing Zhe smiled and asked again, "Judging from your accent, you don't seem to be a local, do you?"
Having been in this world for over a month, Jing Zhe could roughly distinguish between the dialects of Jingzhou and those of Yongzhou and Pengzhou. As for the accent of the young master in front of him, it didn't sound like the dialect of Jingzhou, but rather it was similar to that of the enchantress named Qiu Qianqian from before.
"Young master has a good eye! I am from Jinxi!"
He really is from the same hometown as that vixen!
Tongtianque is located in Jinxi, and the annual martial arts competitions of various sects are held in Jinxi. Jinxi is the only place in Anguo that values martial arts over literature. No wonder he was so agile just now!
————
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
