Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 388 The third-place scholar returns empty-handed; how can he wear flowers in his hair?

As soon as Du Mengyin finished speaking, a chorus of boos erupted from the audience, and some even laughed and cursed, "You cunning brat! Even if you weren't a courtier, didn't you witness the grand spectacle of the imperial procession just now? Why can't you compose a couplet? Does your past poems only reflect your personal experiences and what you saw with your own eyes and ears?"

Hearing these mocking and sarcastic remarks, Du Mengyin felt a deep sense of bitterness. When the Emperor arrived that morning, all the newly appointed scholars were stuck inside Ci'en Temple and couldn't get out, so they naturally had no chance to see him.

Zhang Dai's poem is particularly vivid, making the reader feel as if a magnificent scene of a royal procession is right before their eyes. Even if one were to be there in person and witness the scene firsthand, one would not have the talent and confidence to surpass it.

Helan Jinming has already admitted his inferiority, and if he were to also admit defeat, he would inevitably return empty-handed from this trip to the top of the list of scholars. At present, there are at least tens of thousands of people enjoying themselves around Qujiang. If such a situation were to occur, they would naturally become a laughing stock.

Although he knew his reason was far-fetched, he could only grit his teeth and persist, hoping to change to a poem topic with a better chance of success.

Zhang Dai didn't dwell on it. He raised his hand to signal the people around him to stop making noise, and then said with a smile, "I didn't have the chance to witness the grand spectacle of the imperial procession, but I'm sure you remember the spring scenery of Qujiang vividly. What do you think of using this as the theme?"

Upon hearing this, Du Mengyin felt somewhat relieved and immediately said, "Zhang Xielu has already presented a fine piece to the public. How about I make an example of myself by writing this piece first?"

Zhang Dai had no objection to this. This guy had no idea what kind of existence he was facing and challenging. If he said he was going to make a fool of himself, then he really was. Why should Zhang Dai stop him?

"A thousand acres of blue waves are as smooth as a mirror, the clear river reflects the sun and the sky. Outside the dike, the apricot garden is warm with spring colors, and flying flowers and butterflies accompany the singing of orioles."

Du Mengyin picked up his pen and quickly wrote a seven-character quatrain describing the spring scenery of Qujiang. Naturally, he would prepare one or two poems to exchange with his fellow scholars at such gatherings and banquets.

The spring scenery of Qujiang was a very fitting topic for poetry, and he had naturally prepared similar themes before. So when Zhang Dai proposed this topic, he immediately felt at ease and calmly wrote the poem he had prepared long ago.

This was one of his favorite pieces, which he often practiced imitating. Even his elders praised it, saying it had the same charm as Song Zhiwen's work and that he could present it to the world without feeling intimidated. Even if Zhang Dai had written a poem on the same topic, they could each distinguish their own merits, so he was not entirely without merit.

“Zhang Lang was careless; he shouldn’t have chosen such an ordinary topic. Du has prepared a carefully crafted poem, so I’m afraid he won’t be able to win easily this time.”

The Tang Dynasty was a capital of poetry. Even ordinary people, without the talent to compose verses, would still have a certain ability to appreciate poetry through exposure to it. When they saw Du Mengyin's quatrain, they couldn't help but admit that it was indeed of a certain standard.

Hearing the whispers and discussions among the onlookers around him, Du Mengyin couldn't help but show a happy expression. Today's competition was not only about whether he could successfully find the apricot blossom, but also about wiping away the shame of being stripped of his title as the head of the Jingzhao Prefecture several years ago!
He handed the pen directly to Zhang Dai, saying with a smile, "I eagerly await Zhang Xielu's guidance!"

Zhang Dai did not refuse, took the brush and began to write on the paper: "Green eyebrows and red makeup are painted among the egrets, all are surprised by the clouds with a gentle breeze. The flute and pipe melody is long and has not yet ended, flowers to the south and waters to the north are shrouded in misty rain."

After reading Zhang Dai's poem, Du Mengyin first frowned slightly, then slowly relaxed. Compared with Zhang Dai's poem on the same theme and rhyme, his own poem, though with a more general imagery, had a broader perspective: the vast expanse of the Qujiang Pool, where the river and sky blend into one, and the Xingyuan Garden, filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers, a vibrant scene of spring.

Although Zhang Dai's poem has a more profound artistic conception, it merely focuses on the pleasure boats and painted barges on the Qujiang River and the romantic atmosphere. Even with a richer artistic conception, its perspective is narrow. Therefore, there is no significant difference between the two poems; they simply describe different aspects and have their own strengths.

But before he could utter his critique, Zhang Dai had already begun writing: "The calamus leaves flutter and the willow branches intertwine, the lotus boat silently boards, unnoticed by the birds. Further on, in the deepest, flowerless place, the shadows of jade towers and golden palaces are uneven. The sound of springs fills the fields and enters the fragrant isle, the foam blowing over the flowers and grasses..."

Upon seeing this scene, Du Mengyin's expression changed instantly, and his thoughts immediately flew back to the scene two years ago when he participated in the provincial examination re-examination and all the candidates were asked to write a poem on "Early Spring When All Things Shine".

At that time, all the candidates were worried and their inspiration was blocked because of the sudden setbacks in the provincial examination. But Zhang Dai wrote with great speed and wrote a total of fifteen poems for the examination in one go, and each one was above average.

This greatly shocked all the candidates, and even the examiners. Despite the fact that the chief official of the selection department clearly disliked him, Zhang Dai still passed the imperial examination with top honors based on his undeniable talent!

Du Mengyin failed the imperial examination last year and was extremely disappointed. After returning to his hometown, he secluded himself to study hard and finally took the examination again this year and passed with flying colors.

This inevitably made him feel quite proud, believing that his talent and knowledge had made significant progress compared to previous years. In contrast, Zhang Dai had not produced any outstanding works in recent years, resulting in a gradual decline in his reputation. This shift in power made Du Mengyin secretly feel that he should now have the ability to challenge Zhang Dai.

But when he saw Zhang Dai once again display his skill in writing multiple poems on the same topic, the oppressive sense of powerlessness he had felt in previous years surged back into his heart. Cold sweat poured down his forehead, and even his breathing became rapid with the movement of Zhang Dai's brush across the paper. Fortunately, this time Zhang Dai did not write more than a dozen poems in one go; he only wrote three seven-character quatrains. Seeing that Du Mengyin's expression was changing, he smiled, put down his brush, pushed the poems forward, and said with a smile, "Please appreciate them, Master Du."

Qujiang, a scenic spot south of the capital, was a renowned landmark of Chang'an during the Tang Dynasty. Throughout the Tang Dynasty, many literati and poets came and went, and each left behind a number of poems describing the scenery of Qujiang.

Lu Lun, one of the Ten Talented Poets of the Dali Era in the mid-Tang Dynasty, wrote three poems entitled "Spring View of Qujiang," which are outstanding descriptions of the scenery of Qujiang. Zhang Dai did not leave any of them behind, but copied them all out.

Du Mengyin was still immersed in the oppressive feeling from before, and had no time to carefully read the contents of the poem. He dared not continue to force himself to stand up, and simply bowed and said, "Zhang Xielu's talent is outstanding and unmatched. I admire him greatly..."

As soon as he said this, the onlookers applauded and laughed, and some even shouted, "Both of the top scholars have admitted defeat. Get out of here quickly and don't go back into the Apricot Garden!"

Upon hearing this, the two men couldn't help but show expressions of shame and anger. However, they had indeed lost and failed to surpass Zhang Dai in literary talent. Staying any longer would only bring more humiliation. So, they each bowed slightly to Zhang Dai and then turned and left.

Zhang Dai had no intention of deliberately making things difficult for the two. He was quite interested in seeing the event for the top three scholars in the imperial examinations. However, the two scholars who came to take the top three spots were really not good enough, so he had no need to go easy on them. Therefore, he was happy to take on the role of the gatekeeper.

As the two third-place scholars slunk away, the area around Qujiang immediately erupted in excitement. Those who enjoy a spectacle never tire of a good show. In previous years, around this time, people would only see the successful candidates enjoying themselves at Qujiang, with the third-place scholars adding to the festivities. Even if there were a few exchanges of poetry and prose, it was primarily for entertainment.

It was extremely rare for the third-ranked scholar, chosen by the successful candidates in the imperial examinations, to be directly rejected by the supervisor of the imperial garden. The playboys in the capital, who were annoyed that the successful candidates had stolen their limelight, were naturally gloating, while the onlookers cheered loudly and were overjoyed.

At this moment, more luxurious carriages and painted boats approached to join in the fun. Li Guinian, with a ruddy complexion and an air of perfume, appeared out of nowhere and greeted Zhang Dai, saying, "I have heard that Zhang Xielu is planning to create new lyrics here. I have taken the liberty of asking you to compose a new melody and music for it so that it can be sung. May I ask if Xielu would approve?"

Poems are meant to be sung, and Zhang Dai smiled and nodded when he heard Li Guinian say this. With Li Guinian's arrival and his on-the-spot arrangement of music, all the young women around Qujiang gathered around, eager to learn and sing this fresh and popular melody as soon as possible.

"There has never been a first place in literature since ancient times. How can you admit defeat so easily! You two have disregarded your reputations, yet you have made your classmates a laughing stock!"

Not to mention the bustling entrance to Xingyuan Garden, Helan Jinming and Du Mengyin returned to the cruise ship looking disheveled, only to be met with a barrage of complaints from their fellow students.

“This Zhang Zongzhi is indeed from a family with a strong academic background and has extraordinary talent. He is highly regarded by everyone. Trying to get entangled with him would only bring shame upon oneself.”

Du Mengyin lowered his head and remained silent, while Helan Jinming spoke up to defend himself.

"So what should we do now? The third-ranked scholar returns empty-handed; how can he wear flowers in his hair?"

Someone next to them said with a distressed look, "Passing the imperial examination is one of the most glorious moments of their lives. How can they be willing to leave behind such a great regret and a laughing stock?"
Seeing the resentful looks in everyone's eyes, Helan Jinming forced himself to speak again: "Who says there can only be two candidates for the third-place scholar? There are plenty of candidates in the boat, everyone can apply. Since Zhang Zongzhi has been appointed by some busybodies to make things difficult for us, we can take turns to test his talent! No matter how brilliant his talent is, there will always be a time when his inspiration runs dry. When he shows signs of fatigue, we can defeat him!"

"Isn't this...isn't this a bit shameless?"

Although these scholars longed for glory, they had not yet become too deeply tainted by the corruption of the world. When they heard Helan Jinming propose a series of challenges, they hesitated to some extent.

Upon hearing this, Helan Jinming said, "But who would remember the details if it wasn't personally involved? As time passes, those who like to talk about it will only briefly discuss the outcome. Who can really explain the means of victory or defeat at the time? Do you want to become a laughing stock from now on, or do you want to defeat Zhang Zongzhi, this young man who has resigned from his post?"

Upon hearing this, the crowd did not respond immediately, but their flickering, eager eyes revealed their true thoughts.

After hearing what Helan Jinming said, Du Mengyin couldn't help but recall the scene of Zhang Dai writing more than a dozen poems in one go during the provincial examination. He was about to advise his fellow candidates not to be too optimistic, but then he thought, if the whole boat sank and became a laughing stock, who would remember him, the third-place candidate who returned empty-handed?

(End of this chapter)