The poetry competition has officially begun.
A maidservant, holding an embroidered handkerchief, approached the first person, Yang Zhe.
According to custom, these embroidered handkerchiefs were all embroidered by the most beautiful courtesan chosen in the imperial concubine selection. Therefore, this one was naturally made by Du Yinyun.
Now, this treasure is placed in front of Yang Zhe, who wants it but dares not take it.
Because once you obtain this item, it means that "Fallen Flower" has failed and has lost the right to compete for the title of the most sought-after courtesan.
In other words, this handkerchief is a consolation prize, a souvenir left for the various young men who spent a lot of money to participate in the competition.
A maidservant approached Yang Zhe with a handkerchief in her hand, signaling that it was Yang Zhe's turn to answer the question about "flowers".
In theory, the answer format can be varied, including poems, songs, idioms, and even famous quotes. As long as it contains the word "flower" or implies the word "flower," it counts as a successful answer.
But who exactly is Yang Zhe?
That was a scholar who excelled in both the civil and military examinations!
With so many people watching, he couldn't afford to be careless. Even Yang Zhe himself was eager to showcase his literary talent in front of Du Yinyun.
Standing up unhurriedly, Yang Zhe paused for a moment, then recited the lines of his own poem: "Riding a horse north of the salt-making mountain, I hear songs as the sun sets. The wind blows through the lavender fields, and golden spears illuminate the northern frontier."
Although this poem cannot compare to the timeless masterpieces of its predecessors, it is still considered excellent if it was written on an impromptu basis.
Even Liu Feiyun, who was sitting next to Yang Zhe and ranked second, applauded sincerely.
"Brother Yang, what a fine poem! In just twenty characters, you have painted a vivid picture of the frontier scenery. A general is riding a horse in a lavender field, looking north, with songs of peace and tranquility slowly playing in his ears. In stark contrast, under the afterglow of the setting sun, the general's long spear is polished to a gleam."
Yang Zhe usually disdains calling people brothers. Given his family background and talent, to be fair, there are very few people who can call him brother.
Moreover, he considered himself to be of the same generation as the eldest princess.
Therefore, even Li Jin, a second-generation heir who was always good at bullying others because of his father's influence, never received any respect from Yang Zhe, who was of the same generation as the eldest princess, because he was a generation younger than her.
Although Yang Zhe was not much older than Li Jin, he considered himself a generation above Li Jin because of his admiration for the Princess, and often spoke to Li Jin in the tone of an elder.
This made Li Jin extremely dissatisfied.
It's one thing for my cousin to lecture me, but besides being handsome, skilled in martial arts, and talented in writing, what else do you, Yang Zhe, have that I, Li Jin, have?
However, today, Liu Feiyun's flattery was so apt that it made Yang Zhe feel very important in front of Du Yinyun. So, Yang Zhe made an exception and cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "Brother, you flatter me."
We are all people who can read between the lines.
For Tie Weiqi's Iron Eagle Gang to thrive in Yinjing, they naturally needed the help of this Imperial Guard Commander and close advisor to the royal family. Whether it was Chu Fan or Yang Zhe, these promising pillars of the nation were people to befriend; of course, it was desirable to cultivate a good relationship with them.
When you're out in the world, having more friends means having more options.
Tie Weiqi also stood up and complimented, "What a fine poem, 'Golden spears illuminate the northern frontier'! Truly a wonderful poem!"
Shen Kuan was not to be outdone. As the son of the Prefect of Yinjing, he had heard some of the affairs of the court from his father. This Commander Yang Zhe was highly regarded by both Prime Minister Han and the Eldest Princess. Although he was currently only a fourth-rank official, it was only a matter of time before he rose rapidly through the ranks.
Shen Kuan: "Indeed, this poem reveals Commander Yang's deep patriotism."
After Shen Kuan, it was Li Jin's turn.
Things are often much simpler when they come to Li Jin.
To put it simply, when Li Jin was attending classes at the Deer Horn Academy, his father, Li Gongqin, the Minister of Rites, specifically went to inquire about his son's grades. The teacher pondered for a long time, then sighed and said to Li Gongqin:
"Your Excellency, your son should read books; it's just as good as reading books."
Seeing that everyone else was standing up to praise Yang Zhe, Li Jin, who had always been unconvinced by Yang Zhe, had no choice but to stand up and applaud as well in order to show off his extensive knowledge.
"This poem is well written! It's quite good. Very good, very good."
When it was Chu Xiaoxiao's turn, she certainly wouldn't try to curry favor with Yang Zhe. She just sat there, blinking her beautiful big eyes, doing nothing.
Finally, there's He Yunxiao in tenth place. He Yunxiao certainly wouldn't praise Yang Zhe, but he's not like Chu Xiaoxiao who has nothing to do.
Sister Jiang and Sister Du were sitting opposite him. At this moment, he was resting his chin on his hand, his eyes darting around as he looked at the two courtesans.
Yang Zhe intended to embarrass He Yunxiao, since He Yunxiao's reputation indicated that his literary skills were inferior to Li Jin's.
No matter what, Li Jin was still an educated person. But He Yunxiao didn't read any books at all.
In the words of spoiled brats: Studying? Study my ass! Is studying something a spoiled brat should be doing?
Yang Zhe said to He Yunxiao, "Young Master He, what do you think of my poem?"
He Yunxiao was too lazy to stand up, so he sat down and picked at his ear.
"It's alright, but you have to clean your ears after listening to it."
Yang Zhe snorted coldly, not wanting to waste his breath arguing with He Yunxiao, and instead asked Du Yinyun and the other five girls.
"Ladies, does this little poem of mine count?"
After discussing it, the five of them gave the poem a "superior" rating.
If the score is higher than "good", then the poem is considered valid; a score of "excellent" already indicates high approval of the poem.
Yang Zhe sat down with satisfaction, and then a maid holding an embroidered handkerchief came to the second-ranked Liu Feiyun.
Liu Feiyun pondered for a moment, then said tenderly and affectionately, "The peach tree is young and tender, its blossoms are bright and beautiful."
This is a famous line from the Book of Songs. No one questioned it, and there was no need for the courtesan to rate it; it was passed directly.
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