Great Zhou Wensheng

Chapter 152 [Half-Step Nation Protector], New Rules of the Holy Academy!
Holy Temple.

At the summit of a solitary peak, a cloud platform reaches the sky.

At the summit of Yuntai.

The purple-robed demigod sneered, his wide sleeves billowing out as his fingertips unleashed a burst of purple energy that, like a sword of divine punishment, cleaved the moonlight chains into stardust.

"The way of poetry is like a long river, surging forward; how can it tolerate stagnant waters with mere ripples?"

He suddenly raised his arm to the sky, and the Thunder Pool of the Nine Heavens poured down in response.

"The original intention of establishing rules for the Confucian Temple was to protect the cultural heritage, to provide a safety net, to support, and to encourage debate!"

Ultimately, it is to encourage more excellent articles from our human race and to inspire their talent!
However, this poem, "Spring River Flower Moon Night," has already surpassed all other poems in the Great Zhou Dynasty. Its talent soars to the heavens, and its ink charm moves the sacred academy!
What debate is there left to make?!
Who will challenge its voice?

The Confucian Temple never stifles truly groundbreaking works!
You said, "If we make an exception for this one poem today, hundreds or thousands of poems and essays will demand the same treatment tomorrow"?
Such articles are extremely rare.
His brushstrokes startled wind and rain; his poems moved even ghosts and gods to tears!
Such a piece is rare even after thousands of years. Is there ever another like it?
—This Sage proposes that a special exception be made for this article, specifically for its "National Protection" function!

He threw the scroll of poetry to the highest point of the Holy Academy, where a golden pillar of talent, thousands of feet tall, pierced through heaven and earth: "I, the Holy One, swear by my literary heart that if such a national treasure of literature is not exceptionally well-received, I will resign from my rotating post in the Holy Academy!"

"This"

The female demigod was speechless for a moment.

Such articles are indeed extremely rare. It's impossible for hundreds or thousands to appear.

"The rules are set, and this precedent must not be broken!"

However, she still adhered to the rules of the Confucian Temple, suddenly taking a step forward, causing her jade crown to fall off and her black hair to cascade down like a waterfall.

The Moon Goddess, a half-saint, pressed her slender hand on the iron scroll of the "Confucian Laws and Regulations," her knuckles turning white from the force, yet her voice was like a glacier cracking a ravine: "Today I made an exception for 'A Moonlit Night on the Spring River,' tomorrow there will be imitators—!"

Those usually gentle eyes now burned like cold stars: "If the rules are breached even once, they will eventually lead to a complete collapse!"

Enough! Enough!

There's no need for you two to argue!

A semi-saint, sitting upright amidst the illusory shadows of green mountains, suddenly stroked his beard and sighed deeply. A scroll of "Literary Laws" in his sleeve moved without wind, spreading out in a myriad of golden rays on the cloud platform.

Seeing that the two semi-saints were arguing, he couldn't help but advise, "Gentlemen—I have a compromise that can resolve this matter—it can elevate the grade of this article without violating the rules of the Confucian Temple that have been in place for thousands of years!"

"Why?"

The teacup in the hands of the white-bearded sage suddenly froze into ice.

The half-saint of Green Mountain laughed and said, "The Confucian Temple can add a third rule—if a masterpiece is encountered, the nine sages can jointly decide, and an exception can be made—an additional half a rank can be added!"

Suddenly, the Half-Saint of Green Mountain joined his fingers into a brush and inscribed a new line of crimson-gold characters in the void: "If approved by more than half of the Saints on duty, this piece can be specially promoted to—[Half-Step Nation Guardian]!"

What is meant by "half a step"?

His poems were a testament to his ability to govern the country, but his influence, as well as his talent and ability to govern the country, were limited to a corner of Jiangnan and did not extend to other places!

—Therefore it is said: Half a step to protect the nation!

Other normal articles about protecting the country involve ringing bells in the imperial city of the Great Zhou Dynasty, with influence spreading throughout the entire country!

The Moon Goddess, a half-saint, had just opened her lips, about to speak again, when suddenly a bolt of purple lightning struck the Cloud Platform.

"it is good!"

The purple-robed half-saint, his palm crackling with lightning, interrupted her, saying, "In that case, I invite all the saints to—throw down their chopsticks and settle the matter!"

If they still disagree with this method, then we will have no choice but to ask the Sage to make a judgment!

Just as the semi-saints were about to draw their swords, a sudden change occurred—

The ink of that poem, "A Moonlit Night on the Spring River," rose into the air, each character transforming into a golden dragon and a jade phoenix, forming a breathtaking scroll in the void:

The spring tide overflows the steps of the monastery, and the bright moon over the sea illuminates the plaque of the monastery!
The spring river tide transforms into a dazzling Milky Way that stretches across the land of Dongsheng in the void—the river flowing with not water, but the national treasures of past dynasties!

"[The Long River of Poetry] An Unusual Phenomenon?!"

The semi-saint was horrified.

Upon seeing this, the purple-robed half-saint burst into loud laughter: "What are you all still hesitating about? This is clearly the will of the Poetry Way telling us—if we do not make an exception today, we will be making an enemy of the entire Poetry Way!"

The white-bearded demigod suddenly bowed deeply towards the "Long River of Poetry": "This old man understands. This is the meaning of the Way of Literature!"

Then let the nine sages jointly decide!

Please—use the sacred chopsticks!

The Moon Goddess lowered her gaze slightly, finally saying nothing more, and gently raised her delicate hand.

If the nine semi-saints are unable to make a judgment, they will need to ask a sub-saint to intervene.

This means that the nine semi-saints are unable to fulfill their duties as judges of the Confucian Temple, which is a very serious matter, and they will no longer serve as judges of the Confucian Temple in the future.

Say it.

Nine streams of light pierced through the air from the depths of the sacred academy; they were actually nine ancient bronze chopsticks inscribed with the true words of the Six Arts: Ritual, Music, Archery, Charioteering, Calligraphy, and Mathematics.

Amidst the mottled patina on the chopsticks, traces left by sages throughout history can be faintly seen.

"Zheng——"

With a flick of her jade fingers, the holy chopsticks in her palm transformed into a beam of moonlight, tracing the trajectory of a cascading Milky Way in the void before finally embedding themselves into the "unbreakable" bronze holy cylinder.

The ancient inscription on the tube suddenly lit up, casting a flickering light on her pale face.

The purple-robed half-saint laughed loudly, and the holy chopsticks in his sleeve transformed into a crimson rainbow, carrying the force of thunder and penetrating into the bronze tube that was "exceptional".

The cylinder vibrated, producing a clear and melodious sound like a set of chimes, which caused the clouds around the platform to surge like waves.

"clang--!"

"Dang, Dang——!"

When the seventh sacred chopstick was driven into the "exceptionally allowed" bronze tube.

The nine saints together made their respective judgments.

Support the addition of a new rule to the Confucian Temple. This sacred judgment is titled "[Half-Step Nation Guardian]", and there are a total of seven half-saints.

Only two people adhered to the old rules of the Confucian Temple.

It was almost a one-sided crushing!

The Moonlit Maiden, a half-saint, stared at the bronze cylinder floating in the air and fell silent. The four words "[Half-Step Nation Protector]" burned into her eyes.

The old rules have been broken.

From now on, any masterpiece that is groundbreaking will be jointly judged by the Nine Sages and may be exceptionally promoted to [Half-Step National Guardian]!

As for this 'half-step to protect the nation' bell-ringing!

The half-saint of Qingshan stroked his beard and pondered for a moment, then suddenly laughed loudly: "Right here in the city—strike the State-Protecting Spring and Autumn Annals Bell six times!"

Before the words were finished, nine semi-saintly divine thoughts descended from the Holy Academy of Dongsheng Divine Continent, like a cascading river of stars, reaching straight to the mortal realm.

Jinling City.

Temple of Confucius.

The bronze bell hammer, which had been suspended in mid-air for so long, finally moved—

"Boom--!"

The first chime of the bell was like a thunderclap splitting the sky, causing all the birds in the city to scatter and the eaves to tremble incessantly.

"Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump—!"

The remaining five notes were played in one breath, the sound of bells surging like a raging tide sweeping across the ten prefectures of Jiangnan.

The pens and ink in the hands of countless literati in Jiangnan trembled on their own, as if echoing the unprecedented pronouncements of this new rule.

The lingering sound of the bells had not yet faded.

The ancient inscriptions engraved on the surface of the Spring and Autumn Period bronze bell suddenly lit up, golden light flowing like dragons and snakes, finally condensing into four large characters above the bell—

"[Half-step to protect the nation!]"

On the cloud platform, a half-saint in purple robes stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the strange phenomenon at the Jiangnan Examination Hall in the mortal world, his eyes seemingly reflecting a reversed Milky Way.

"The Confucian Temple set a precedent for this [half-step to protect the country] by creating the poem 'Spring River Flower Moon Night'!"

The literary tradition of the Great Zhou Dynasty... has changed from this point on.

Jiangnan Examination Hall.

The bell of the Confucian Temple resounded, like thunder rumbling across the sky.

"Six bell tolls?!"

Inside and outside the examination hall, thousands of candidates suddenly looked up, their ink brushes hovering in mid-air, and the Xuan paper moving on its own even without wind.

"Six rings. This is the bell that guards the nation's destiny!"

In my Jiangnan region, how could an article reach the highest level of officialdom? This is unprecedented in the past thousand years!

Du Jingchen, the academic administrator, looked up at the sky, his lips trembling slightly.

Prefect Wei Guanlan's fingers dug deeply into his palm beneath his official robes, while Hanlin Academician Zhou Dunshi's jade belt fluttered at his waist.

The examiners—the prefects and educational commissioners of the ten prefectures of Jiangnan—had their official hats and tassels rustling, as if they were under the invisible pressure of the literary tradition.

They looked at each other, their expressions filled with shock.

How many years has it been?!

Since the establishment of the rule of the Holy Court of Humanity regarding the judgment of the Temple of Literature, it has never been changed "because of people or because of literature".

Today, a new rule has been added because of this poem, "A Moonlit Night on the Spring River"!
The hall was filled with silent, respectful guests.

"Report! Your Excellency, Your Excellencies!"

A clerk stumbled in.
"The Imperial Decree of the Temple of Literature: [Half-Step Nation Guardian]!"

The Confucian Temple has added a new rule and provided an explanation for [Half-Step Nation Guardian]!
— His poetry was so powerful that it could "protect the nation," and his talent was so great that it could "protect the nation." However, his influence was limited to the Jiangnan region, hence the saying "[half a step to protect the nation]!"

To be promoted to [National Guardian] in the future, scholars must travel to the Great Zhou Imperial City to participate in 'debate'!

"[Half-Step Nation Guardian]?"

The four words struck like a thunderbolt, and Wei Guanlan's eyes suddenly lit up.

Although it is called a half-step national protector,

It's actually about protecting the country!

However, the phrase "the sound of bells and the talent" only appeared in Jiangnan Province, not in the capital city of the Great Zhou Dynasty!

This article has not yet reached the capital!
"No wonder! The battle between the sages just now was so intense!"
This is because the rules for determining the quality of items at the Confucian Temple have been revised for this article, breaking with millennia-old literary conventions!

now,

Above the Nanjing Confucian Temple, the four characters "Half-Step Guardian of the Nation" seemed to carry immense weight, causing all the eaves and roof ornaments of Nanjing to bow low.

Inside the examination hall of the Jiangnan Examination Hall.

The six bells rang out like dragons' roars, resounding throughout Nanjing.

"Six Sounds of Jiangnan. Half a Step to Protect the Nation!"

Jiang Xingzhou sat quietly at his desk, his inkstone untouched, his gaze as still as water.

The bell tolled high into the sky, yet it did not stir the slightest ripple in his eyes.

The Confucian Temple determined the grade of this article.
He didn't care too much.

Thinking of the hardships that led to the fame of this article, "A Moonlit Night on the Spring River," I am filled with emotion.

He gently stroked the Xuan paper with his fingertips.
"Spring River Flowers and Moonlight Night"!
This masterpiece of poetry was written by Zhang Ruoxu, one of the "Four Scholars of Wuzhong" in the early Tang Dynasty.

Back then, Zhang Ruoxu drank with the eccentric He Zhizhang, discussed philosophy with the cursive script master Zhang Xu, and composed new poems with the scholar Bao Rong.

These four individuals possessed unparalleled talent and were collectively known as the Four Great Talents of the Jiangnan Literary World!
How romantic!

Even so, despite Zhang Ruoxu's immense fame in the Jiangnan literary world, his poem "A Moonlit Night on the Spring River" was still not appreciated by Tang scholars.
The Tang Dynasty was a brilliant literary era, yet this piece is a waste of its brilliance.
The ink's fragrance has faded, and the paper has yellowed.

During the glorious literary era of the Tang Dynasty, this pearl was obscured and remained silent for hundreds of years.

Then, during the Song Dynasty.

Even during the golden age of poetry in the Song Dynasty, it remained unknown.

This lonely moon, which once shone brightly during the Tang Dynasty, remained unnoticed even when Song Dynasty poets wrote of "willows on the bank, a gentle breeze at dawn, and a waning moon."
Then, during the Yuan Dynasty.

The Yuan dynasty compilers of the "Tang Yin" (Tang Prose), a magnificent volume containing 1,300 top-tier Tang poems and essays, once again overlooked this gem, omitting it.

While Guan Hanqing's brushstrokes flowed like dragons and snakes, and Ma Zhiyuan's ink splashed like the west wind, the moon over the river in the glorious Tang Dynasty remained silent in the piles of worm-eaten old papers, its shadow never even reflected on the glazed tiles of Yuan drama.

Until the Ming Dynasty!
Finally, someone brushed away the dust of time that covered it.

However, the moon in "A Moonlit Night on the Spring River" is just one of the ordinary stars that was included in the "classics of Tang poetry" by famous Ming Dynasty poets.

—Although it is considered a classic of Tang poetry, can it rival Li Bai and Du Fu? It is still a whole Tang Dynasty away from being truly outstanding, and remains just another ordinary poem.

Until the Qing Dynasty,
Wang Kaiyun, a literary master of his generation, wielded his pen like a knife, cleaving through the fog of a thousand years in his "Xiangqilou Commentary on Poetry," praising this piece as: "A solitary masterpiece that stands alone, truly a work of great stature!"

The eight words struck like a thunderclap, causing the lamps of the scholars of the Qianlong and Jiaqing schools to sway violently.

From then on—

That poem, "A Moonlit Night on the Spring River," forgotten for a thousand years, was finally hailed as the pinnacle of Tang poetry, becoming—

The poem within a poem!

The summit of summits!

From the early Tang Dynasty to the Ming and Qing Dynasties, this period of silence lasted for a full thousand years!
From the pipa strings of the early Tang Dynasty to the bronze camel tears of the Ming and Qing Dynasties!
How many generations of scholars went through this period?
Yet it lies buried in old papers, piled up in bookshelves, with no famous scholars leaving even a half-line comment on this poem!

Jiang Xingzhou closed his eyes.

He seemed to see—

Under the bright, lonely moon, Zhang Ruoxu, dressed in a blue robe, sat alone by the riverbank, lost in thought, tears streaming down his face. In frustration, he threw his masterpiece, "A Moonlit Night on the Spring River," a work brimming with talent, into the flowing waters of the spring river.

"This stunning piece of writing, which captivated the early Tang Dynasty, has been buried by time in the dusty archives, forgotten by all."

From dusty, fragmented scrolls to the pinnacle of poetic achievement, it took a thousand years to traverse before the world rediscovered its beauty.

Jiang Xingzhou opened his eyes, his fingertips brushing over the scroll of paper on the table, a soft sigh escaping the air amidst the fragrance of ink.

"[Who first saw the moon by the riverbank? In what year did the river moon first shine on people?]"
Human life goes on endlessly, generation after generation; the river moon shines the same year after year.

He couldn't help but sigh.

In his previous life, countless articles were written in this style.

Over thousands of years, how many brilliant works have been lost to the passage of time?
Let alone becoming famous at a young age.

To have one's writing become famous throughout the world while the author is still alive is already a stroke of luck!

Many excellent articles, even after ten, thirty, or a hundred years, never gain fame.

And today——

In this prosperous and flourishing Zhou Dynasty, he personally witnessed the miracles of literature and scholarship.
The poem was completed in an instant.

Extraordinary phenomena manifest!

The Confucian Temple's Sacred Judgment

The golden bell tolls on its own!

Once the article was completed, his talent soared to the heavens, and in an instant, he was judged by the Confucian Temple and appointed as [a person who is promoted to the rank of county, prefecture, state, or state].

In no time, the article "Spring River Flower Moon Night" became famous and spread throughout the Jiangnan region, with scholars vying to read it.

In this era of supreme literary excellence, any excellent writing that surpasses the county level will not be overlooked.

As for whether one is determined by the Holy Tribunal to be one rank higher or lower.

Jiang Xingzhou didn't pay much attention to this.

At least within his lifespan in the Great Zhou Dynasty, it would only take him one or two years for his [Half-Step Nation-Suppressing] article to be promoted to the [Nation-Suppressing] or higher rank, which is perfectly acceptable.

The entire city of Nanjing trembled!

A talent worthy of a national treasure, like an inverted Milky Way, surged down from the dome of the Confucian Temple.

It filled the entire city of Jinling, which spanned a radius of 100 li!

On the upturned eaves of the city walls, glistening dewdrops of talent condensed, refracting a rainbow of light under the morning sun.

All the scholars and common people in the city felt as if they were immersed in a great tide of talent.

"A masterpiece that safeguards the nation!"
This is truly a masterpiece that can safeguard the nation's destiny!

Brother Jiang, this article is wonderful!

This has shown us what truly national-level writing looks like!

At the Jinling Inn, the white-haired old scholar Zhang Youyi held a wisp of golden talent in his hands, as if he were holding a drop of water containing talent.

His talent flowed through his fingers, blossoming into flowers of genius on the bluestone slab.

"With this infusion of national talent, I have a good chance of passing the imperial examination in three years!"

All the scholars, without prior arrangement, spread their arms wide and embraced the talent that had fallen from the sky.

Their blue robes were filled with the energy of their talents, which flowed into their bodies—more effective than months of studying in the library.

Zhou Guangjin suddenly realized that the classic texts of sages that he had never been able to understand before were now gradually becoming clear to him through his talent!

Jiangnan Examination Hall.

"Second round of the autumn imperial examinations, papers closed!"

Wei Guanlan placed Jiang Xingzhou's examination paper on the table, which contained the poem "Half Step to Protect the Nation." Seeing that it was getting late, he stood with his hands behind his back in front of the Zhigong Hall.

"Second round, time to collect!"

The yamen runners struck the gong to signal the collection of documents.

"clang--!"

The sound of the gong was like tearing silk, shattering the silence of the examination hall.

The four thousand examinees inside the ten thousand examination rooms were suddenly awakened.

They hurriedly picked up their pens and rushed to finish their exam papers, completing the answers with the last few strokes.

He then stuffed the slightly illegible exam paper into the exam bag and handed it to the yamen runner who was collecting the papers.

Hundreds of yamen runners carried four thousand examination bags into the hall in single file, instantly filling the room with an atmosphere of scholarly rigor.

The vermilion-lacquered examination bags trembled slightly on the table, radiating light as if they contained living creatures.

The chief examiner, deputy examiners, and fellow examiners began to write and grade the papers.

"Wow——!"

The Yangzhou education commissioner opened one of the examination bags, and the moment the paper was unfurled, a beam of white light burst forth from the paper, condensing into a three-foot-long rainbow of text in the beam.

"Auspicious signs abound!"

He smiled immediately, his fingertips trembling. "This article alone is enough to get me out of the county! Let me take a closer look at the contents!"

Suddenly, the assistant examiner slammed his hand on the table and burst into laughter: "Wonderful! This essay has already reached the peak of 'leaving the county,' and is only one step away from 'reaching the prefecture'!"

But who was the student who wrote this?!

The atmosphere in the hall gradually became more refined.

Wei Guanlan sat upright in the hall, waved his sleeve, and his voice was like the clang of metal: "Anyone whose literary brilliance and extraordinary phenomena do not surpass 'Wenxiang'—will be dismissed!"

Not long after.

The thirteen chief and deputy examiners have finished grading the four thousand exam papers.

"Second round, name announcement!"

Wei Guanlan's shout was like a thunderclap, and the glazed tiles of the entire examination hall resonated with a dragon's roar.

"[The Second Round of the Autumn Provincial Examination—Announcement of Names!]"

The announcer's voice suddenly became exceptionally loud, each word solidifying into golden seal script in the air:

"Examination Room No. 1, Class A, Jiangzhou, Jiang Xingzhou, Wencheng Half-Step Zhenguo, First Place in Class A!"

Examination Room No. 2, Class A, Jinling, Xie Qihe, Wencheng County Exit, Class A Second Place!
Examination Room No. 7, Class A, Suzhou, Tang Yanqing, Wencheng County, Grade A, Third Place!
Examination Room No. 17, Class A, Hangzhou, Xu Canming, Wencheng County, Grade A, Fourth Place!
Examination room number 20, Yangzhou, congratulations on your passing the examination, Wencheng passed the county examination, fifth place in Class A!
Examination Room No. 3, Class A, Jinling, Wang Moqing, Wencheng County, Grade A, 6th!
Examination Room No. 350, Class B, Jiangzhou, Gu Zhimian, Wencheng Kouzhen, Class B, 7th.

"

Inside Examination Room No. 3, Class A.

Upon hearing the announcer loudly proclaim the names, Wang Moqing's fingers suddenly tightened, causing the wolf-hair brush handle to crack.

"fifth.?"

He gritted his teeth,
Being suppressed by Jiang Xingzhou and Xie Qihe, the two great talents of Jiangnan, is one thing!
—The names Tang Yanqing, Xu Canming, and Zhu Hezhi hung above his head as if carved by a knife and axe.

He was one of the Four Great Talents of Jiangnan!
Moreover, he was also present when Governor Wei Guanlan hosted a banquet at Duojing Tower.

It would be a disgrace if one failed to make it past the third level of the imperial examinations.

"Of the four thousand test takers, only one thousand will remain!"
Anyone who does not qualify for the four categories of A, B, C, or D will be disqualified!
Leave the examination hall immediately!

As the announcer uttered the last word, the vermilion gates of the Jiangnan Examination Hall burst open with a resounding crash.

Those who are rejected will emerge from the Dragon Gate!
Outside the gate of the examination hall stood a large number of black-armored guards from Jinling Prefecture, their long spears reflecting the cold light of the waning moon.

During the autumn imperial examinations, candidates may leave, but not enter!
now,

The area outside the examination hall was already teeming with people.

The glazed lanterns on the carriages of numerous noble families shone like stars, illuminating the entire Gongyuan Street as bright as day, making it magnificent and resplendent.

But the light couldn't illuminate the pale faces of the three thousand unsuccessful students.

"Young master, don't be sad. Take care of yourself and take the exam again in three years!"

An old servant was helping a young nobleman stagger out of the examination hall, his embroidered gold sleeves wiping away tears from his face.
Scholars from poor families were even more distressed.

One by one, they staggered out of the Jiangnan Examination Hall. Some stood blankly in front of the stone steps, letting the autumn wind blow away the green scarf that bound their hair, while they tightly gripped the vermilion pen in their hands.

"Why have I failed the imperial examination after thirty years of hard study?!"

A sob suddenly pierced the night sky.

The servants looked in the direction of the sound and saw an old scholar with white hair staggering and kneeling in the middle of the road, clutching a cracked inkstone tightly in his arms.

That sob, tinged with the scent of ink, was followed by the disheartened examinee's sluggish departure, shattering into dust amidst the shimmering light of the lamps on the ground.

but,
Hundreds of lanterns still stubbornly burn brightly outside the Jiangnan Examination Hall, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the imperial examinations.

The servants in their brocade robes clutched their sweat-soaked name cards, craning their necks to stare intently at the pair of bronze rings bearing the mythical beast Bi'an on the vermilion gate—

"My young master is still inside!"

The head steward of the silk shop gazed into the distance, his palms sweating.

Their son remained inside the Jiangnan Examination Hall and did not come out, which meant that they had entered the third round of the autumn examination, the final and most crucial competition.

The final three hundred scholars will emerge victorious in this year's autumn imperial examination in Jiangnan Province and become Juren!

Perhaps tomorrow they will change the plaque on their ancestral hall from "Passing Down the Family Tradition of Farming and Reading" to "Inscribed with the Name of a Golden Osmanthus".
-
P.S.: It suddenly occurred to me that this is the day of the grand competition, so I would like to extend my best wishes to all students across the country:

The stroke of the pen startled wind and rain.
Ink stains the heavens and earth.

On the day the fish leaps over the dragon gate,
When your name is on the honor roll!
(End of this chapter)