He organized this poetry gathering to assess the level of the candidates in his cohort, and also to learn from their experiences.
After all, it's difficult to walk alone, especially in officialdom. If one can find a few like-minded people, they can help each other in officialdom and make things go more smoothly.
Chen Lianming stood in the center of the hall dressed in plain brocade robes. He had a gentle face and a scholarly air about him, which made him look very kind.
With a perfectly timed smile, Chen Lianming said, "I am grateful to all of you for coming. It is my honor. I hope that you will all gain something from this gathering. Since we have said that today is a poetry gathering, if you do not mind, let us discuss poetry."
The following comments were all in agreement.
"Brother Chen, you don't mind at all."
"Yes, Brother Chen, why don't you tell me how to discuss the Dao through poetry?"
"Yes, Brother Chen, please tell us quickly!"
...
Seeing this, Chen Lianming said, "Since that's the case, then I'll speak. I've ordered someone to prepare one hundred topics, including the scenery of the four seasons, seasonal flowers, mountains and rivers, and interesting anecdotes about the common people. In a moment, one person will be randomly selected to start by drawing one from a wooden bucket and composing a poem based on that topic. The one with the most profound meaning will win. What do you gentlemen think?"
"Just as Brother Chen said."
No one objected, since what he said was fair and reasonable.
Then they quickly chose the first question, which was "Plum".
It is a very common theme. There have been many poems about plum blossoms since ancient times. Moreover, plum blossoms bloom in the cold winter, and scholars have always liked to use plum blossoms as a metaphor for themselves.
However, while the question may seem simple, it is quite difficult to stand out from the crowd.
After all, there are just too many poems of this kind, and very few people can write something original.
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