Having traveled all the way from Zhengyang County, the group was exhausted and decided to rest first.
The house is quite large; it can easily accommodate several people.
As evening fell, Zhao Cheng arrived, bringing two wine jars.
The next morning, the group got up early and went to the government office after breakfast to attend the poetry gathering.
The poetry gathering was arranged in a large hall of the government office. When they arrived, some people had already entered.
Since Zhao Cheng didn't have a ticket, Zhao Xian told him to wait in the carriage outside. Someone should call him later to bring the wine inside.
The hall where the poetry gathering was held was very large, with different people sitting in different areas, while officials were concentrated in one area, where they had a strict seating arrangement.
The writers were in one area, located in the very center of the hall, and they were the main figures at this poetry gathering.
The businessmen in the area are all relatively wealthy. They are the sponsors of this poetry gathering and are here mainly to look for business opportunities.
In those days, merchants did not have a high social status. They were ranked last among scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants. However, at this poetry gathering, Prefect Shen also invited them and designated a specific area for them.
This shows that Prefect Shen attached great importance to merchants, which was unprecedented.
At the poetry gathering, Zhao Xian was both a scholar and a businessman. Since the county had to arrange for three scholars to participate in some games, he was naturally assigned to the scholars' seats, sitting with Wang Zhibo and Li Qi.
Another area is the VIP area, which is located on the outermost edge, almost circling the entire hall. This area has the largest number of people, and most of them have purchased their tickets.
These guests came from all walks of life, some even illiterate, and were there purely to watch the spectacle.
Some people attend poetry gatherings to enhance their resumes; it shows they have some knowledge. Regardless of the reason, these people all have one thing in common: they are all rich.
There were also some guests who were invited by the government. These people had special status, and their tickets were given to them as a gift.
All personnel have arrived. Qing'an Prefecture has dispatched a powerful contingent, the largest in number and with the most scholars. They are determined to win some of the games and competitions.
At this moment, Prefect Shen walked into the hall, followed by two people: his advisor Yu Wen and his bodyguard Bao Ping.
As soon as Prefect Shen arrived, the hall immediately fell silent, and he slowly sat down in the main seat at the front of the hall.
A handsome young official walked to the center of the hall and began to read aloud:
"The hometown of Huizhou, the new prefecture of Qing'an, bordering Suzhou and Luzhou, is a land of abundant resources and treasures..."
After a passionate explanation by the presiding official, a series of solemn and serious rituals for warding off disasters and praying for blessings took place. After the rituals, incense was burned to mark the time, and the poetry gathering officially began.
People in ancient times didn't have many forms of entertainment, and poetry gatherings like this one, organized by the government, were even rarer.
This poetry gathering, which brought together talented individuals and also included product presentations, sparked great interest among everyone present.
The first item on the agenda of the poetry gathering was an introduction to the local customs and culture of each county by the officials of each county. The situation of Qing'an Prefecture had already been introduced by the official in the opening remarks. Next, the magistrates of the five counties would give their introductions.
The five county magistrates had prepared for this, and they explained in turn. Since they were facing the prefect, literati, and business tycoons, the magistrates' explanations were quite pragmatic and contained virtually no clichés.
After the five county magistrates introduced the local customs and culture of their respective counties, the poetry gathering moved on to the entertainment and games segment, which was reserved for the literati, while the others were the audience.
Drinking was required for this project. The poetry gatherings were organized by the government, and the wine was sponsored by merchants, so the wine that the literati drank was certainly of a high standard.
Games such as the winding stream party, pitch-pot, and backgammon were played in succession, broadening people's horizons and keeping literati entertained.
After the game, there was a promotion event for local specialty products. The products promoted were diverse, including cloth, livestock, ironware, ceramics, furniture, soap, and snacks. Most counties promoted several products, but Zhengyang County only promoted one product: barnyard grass wine.
At this point, the presiding official went on stage and announced that for each product to be promoted, a scholar must compose a poem on the spot, with the product being promoted as the title.
This caused quite a stir. They hadn't expected to have to write poems about the products they were promoting. Because they hadn't prepared beforehand, writing poems on the spot greatly increased the difficulty.
Composing poetry is a matter for scholars. You were enjoying your wine and games just now, having a great time. Now I'll find something for you to do.
All the scholars began to rack their brains, but there was no time left; the impromptu poetry writing had already begun.
These scholars seemed to have grasped something; perhaps this was a way for the prefect to select talented individuals.
The product promoted by Zhengyang County at the poetry gathering was millet wine, which required the creation of a poem about wine. Since no prior preparation was made, the poem had to be made and recited on the spot.
Wang Zhibo and Li Qi were a bit anxious, and it was difficult for them to compose good poems in a hurry. The two of them rarely drank alcohol and did not know much about it.
This time, Zhengyang County is promoting millet wine, which they know absolutely nothing about.
The two men turned their attention to Zhao Xian, hoping he could compose a poem to promote the millet wine.
There are many poems about wine in ancient times, some of which are masterpieces. You can find one and recite it on the spot to pass the test.
Anyway, those poems hadn't been published yet, so as long as you recited them, you could consider them your own creation.
Thinking of this, Zhao Xian spoke up:
"I had nothing to do at home the other day, so I wrote a poem. It will come in handy. You two don't need to worry."
Wang Zhibo and Li Qi breathed a sigh of relief. They hadn't expected Zhao Xian to have already written a poem about millet wine. They wondered how the poem was. Since it was written in advance, it must have taken a lot of effort and was definitely better than making it on the spot.
The scene was very lively. When the presiding official introduced a product, a scholar would recite a poem in its honor.
Most literati have decent literary skills, and they can compose poems quickly. Although the overall quality is not high, most of them are passable.
Some writers, hastily creating poems that are completely nonsensical, have drawn laughter from the audience, leaving the writers extremely embarrassed.
Finally, it was time to introduce the millet wine, which was also the last product to be introduced. After the presiding official introduced the millet wine, the literati of Zhengyang County began to compose and recite poems.
Zhao Xian stood up, bowed to the presiding official, and began to recite aloud.
"Enjoy life while you can, for the golden goblet will stand empty before the moon. I was born with talents that will surely be put to use, and though I spend all my money, it will come back again."
This is Li Bai's "Bring in the Wine." The poem's message is that when life is going well, one should let go of oneself and not let an empty cup face the bright moon. Everyone who comes into this world has their own value and should strive to achieve something. Even if one spends all one's wealth, one will surely gain something, and what is meant to be gained will surely come.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
