Great Zhou Wensheng

Chapter 161 [The Seventh Night of the Seventh Month: The Literary Champion]!
Inside the Fragrant Pavilion, the music of the zither gradually faded.

With a flick of their fingers, the last chilling note vanished like the glint of a blade, and the piece "Guangling San" came to an end.

The assembled scholars were already completely absorbed in the music.
All the scholars knew that this piece of music came from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, and was based on the story of "Nie Zheng assassinating the Prime Minister of Han during a grand gathering to repay Yan Zhongzi's kindness in recognizing his talent!"

Some exclaimed in admiration: "The melody's gentle melody is like an undercurrent, while its sudden bursts of violence are like thunder splitting the sky! The ending is even more breathtaking, making one's soul almost fly away with the sound!"

"This newly composed 'Guangling San' has reached the pinnacle of perfection!" another exclaimed. "If it were played on the battlefield, it would surely invigorate the entire army, adding three parts of killing intent and making their fighting spirit soar to the heavens!"

The hall erupted in cheers, with scholars either closing their eyes to savor the moment or clapping their hands in admiration.

Only the three barbarian envoys, though they had studied the literature of the Great Zhou Dynasty, did not understand its allusions and were completely confused by what they heard, ultimately unable to grasp its profound meaning.

They felt the sound of the zither was like a cold blade scraping their bones, its murderous aura chilling them to the bone, making their backs tingle and their palms sweat.

"Wow, this is wonderful! This old elephant has truly broadened his horizons!"

The barbarian envoy laughed loudly, his palm-sized hand slamming against the table, making it rattle, but there was a hint of unease in his laughter.

Seeing that all the guests were applauding and praising the song, the three barbarian envoys, though they did not understand the deeper meaning of the song, dared not show their weakness and be looked down upon. They had no choice but to put on a brave face and join in the applause and cheers.

The Tiger Barbarian envoy managed a weak smile, while the Ox Barbarian envoy lowered his eyes and tapped his wine cup, clearly unsettled.

Wei Guanlan's gaze swept across the three barbarian envoys like a knife, a faint smile playing on his lips: "Well played." He stroked his long beard and announced loudly, "Reward the musicians with one hundred taels of silver!"

"Thank you for your kindness, sir!"

After Su Xiaoxiao led the twenty-four musicians in playing "Guangling San," she gracefully bowed, her wide sleeves cascading down like clouds.

With her eyes lowered and eyes lowered, she glanced at Jiang Sima with gratitude, then quietly led the women away.

If it weren't for Jiang Lang's newly composed "Guangling San," how could she have been qualified to perform a dance before the governor and the education commissioner!
The beaded curtain swayed, leaving only a faint, lingering fragrance, along with the lingering, fierce rhythm of "Guangling San," that permeated the hall for a long time.

Inside the Fragrant Pavilion, the music gradually faded, and the Milky Way began to appear.

There was still half a cup of wine left in the celadon cup on the table.
Governor Wei Guanlan rose with a flick of his sleeve and looked around at the assembled scholars.

The guests were all outstanding scholars from various prefectures in Jiangnan, some holding jade-handled whisks, others caressing sandalwood prayer beads, their brows radiating literary brilliance.

"The Qixi Literary Gathering is an annual grand event in the literary world of Jiangnan!"

Governor Wei's voice was like a booming bell, startling several egrets roosting outside the boat. "I still remember last year, the 'Ode to the Stars Shining in the Milky Way' resounded throughout the prefecture, and the year before that, the 'Beggar's Song for the Skillful [in the capital]."

Tonight, with all the wise men gathered, we are sure to produce brilliant writings that will resonate throughout the region!
The winner of this literary competition will be awarded the title of "[Qixi Literary Champion]!"

As soon as he finished speaking, cheers erupted from the various pleasure boats.

To win first place in a literary gathering jointly organized by one city and ten prefectures in Jiangnan Province is an immense honor.

The scholars established their status in the literary circles of Jiangnan through these literary gatherings.

The title of "Literary Champion of Qixi Festival" is no less prestigious than that of "Four Great Talents of Jiangnan".

The only drawback is that the title of "Qixi Literary Champion" can only last for one year and will be replaced by a newcomer the following year, while the "Four Great Talents of Jiangnan" are replaced every three years.

Wei Guanlan laughed heartily and raised his cup: "I hereby announce—the Qixi Literary Gathering of the fifteenth year of Tianshou in Jiangnan begins!"

He nodded to Li Huai'an, the assistant commander beside him.

"Gentlemen, the Qixi literary gathering has concluded with a light banquet. Now let's witness the main event of this year's Qixi Festival!"

Li Huai'an, the Prefect, bowed, flicked his wide sleeves, and stepped onto the high platform of the painted boat.

His voice, clear as gold and jade, could be heard clearly in the night breeze of the Qinhuai River: "Please welcome Su Xiaoxiao, the most beautiful courtesan of Jinling, to present a song and dance performance of 'The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl'!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the entire Qinhuai River suddenly shone brightly—

In the middle of the river, a 30-zhang-long bridge of flowing light was erected, supported by 5,000 lotus lanterns, and the 28 constellations shone brightly on the semi-transparent star-like gauze curtain.

Suddenly, a celestial melody was heard, drifting down from the clouds.

The courtesan Su Xiaoxiao, dressed in a flowing silver-white gauze gown, rose from the shore into the air. With her wide sleeves fluttering, she stepped on the moonlight and walked straight up to the Magpie Bridge.

On the opposite bank, a cowherd rowed his oar, carrying a cow, and sailed in a small star boat, with thirty-six starlight lanterns lighting up one after another at the bow.

When the two met in the middle of the Magpie Bridge, the musicians played music, and suddenly thousands of fireflies appeared on the entire Qinhuai River, as if the Milky Way were pouring down to earth.

at this time,

The banks of the Qinhuai River were bustling with people and brightly lit.

Tens of thousands of people, young and old, crowded the ten-mile-long river embankment, making it impossible to move.

The young children rode on their fathers' shoulders, the old women leaned on their bamboo canes and tiptoed, and the boys simply climbed up the willow trees to look out—all eyes were focused on the thirty-six shimmering painted boats in the middle of the river.

Suddenly, thunderous cheers erupted from the Fragrant Pavilion, and then the courtesan Su Xiaoxiao performed a stunning dance on the Radiant Magpie Bridge.

A figure in a scarlet gauze dress danced gracefully on the water, and with a gentle stretch of her jade-like arms, the starlight in the sky seemed to dim in comparison.

"Look! It's 'The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl' written by Su Shi herself!"

A deafening roar of cheers erupted from the riverbank, the sound so powerful that the weeping willows along the shore trembled.

"it is good!"

The audience erupted in cheers, and some scholars watched with rapt attention, their wine cups tilting unnoticed.

At this moment, Prefect Li Huai'an solemnly announced: "The Governor commands:

The time limit is set by the courtesan's performance of the song and dance "The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl"!

As the dance music ended, thirty-six painted boats on the Qinhuai River each presented a poem for the Qixi Festival, vying for the title of "Poetry Champion" at the Qixi Literary Gathering.

Before the commotion subsided, inkstones and brushes were already laid out on the thirty-six painted boats of Qinhuai. On each boat, scholars were either gazing at the moon with their hands behind their backs or writing furiously at their desks, composing poems.

Before the clinking of jade cups had even faded, several talented scholars had already eagerly unfurled their gold-flecked Xuan paper and begun to write down their inspirations.

A silent battle of words unfolded on the star-studded Qinhuai River.

"Good! Good!"

The envoy from Niu Man stared wide-eyed at the Magpie Bridge dance.

Suddenly, it slammed its fist on the table in excitement, its copper bell-like eyes gleaming red, and the veins on its thick neck bulging.

It raised its wine cup and said, "Qixi is the sacred festival of my Ox Clan! The Great Zhou Dynasty has set up such a grand ceremony to celebrate, which truly gives my Ox Barbarian Kingdom face! I, the old Ox, toast to you all."

The sound was like muffled thunder, making the wine cups on the table clink and rattle.

The elephant-headed envoy rolled his eyes, flicked his trunk, and exhaled a cloud of foul air from his nostrils.

Its face was full of sarcasm, and its fan-like ears tapped impatiently.

The Tiger Barbarian envoy simply turned his face away, speechless—this is a human cowherd, what does he have to do with you, the Bull Barbarian?
The young scholar sitting next to him couldn't help but cover his mouth with his sleeve and chuckle softly, his shoulders twitching suspiciously.

Inside the Golden Branch and Painted Boat.

The lights were dazzling, and celebrities gathered.

The twelve powerful families of Jinling gathered together, with Hanlin scholars Wang Su and Xie Yuheng sitting in the main seats, followed by more than a hundred scholars and Jinshi (successful candidates in the imperial examinations) in formal attire.

Although it no longer enjoys the former glory of "the elegance of Wang and Xie filling the Book of Jin".

Jiang Xingzhou wrote sarcastic poems about him, making him lose face.

However, the twelve powerful families of Jiangnan still have their foundations—the Wang family alone has five Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) and thirteen Juren (successful candidates in the provincial imperial examinations) at tonight's Qixi literary gathering. Such a lineup is incomparable to that of small aristocratic families.
However, despite the abundance of talent among the Twelve Families of Jinling, they were overshadowed by Jiang Xingzhou's writing.

Wang Su and Xie Yuheng were seething with resentment and wanted to turn the tables at the Qixi literary gathering, hoping that the Wang and Xie families would win the title of "Qixi Literary Champion".

Scholars from the Wang and Xie families had long been eager to write their Qixi Festival poems, which they had been preparing for a whole year, onto decorative paper.

The Xuan paper on the table was as white as snow, and the fragrance of ink wafted through the air.

Suddenly, a scholar surnamed Wang rose to his feet, his brush sweeping across the lamplight in a flowing rainbow: "Star Bridge, [A thousand lotus lanterns illuminate the Milky Way, half the city ablaze with fireworks, half a city a poem!]"

With a flourish of his brush, half a poem of fourteen characters leaped onto the paper.

The poem is not yet finished.

In an instant, all sorts of colorful fireworks and strange phenomena erupted from the paper roll.

"good!
This piece has a great chance of winning the literary crown tonight on Qixi Festival!

Wang Su paused slightly as he stroked his beard, a look of approval flashing in his eyes.

Although the scholars from the twelve powerful families of Jinling could not compare to Jiang Xingzhou, there were still many outstanding individuals among them.

The aristocratic scholars of Jinling present had not yet had a chance to comment on the poem.

Suddenly, a "whoosh" was heard—it turned out that Xie's eldest son was writing the manuscript in his hand with sharp strokes, and the four characters "The sound of the phoenix flute is broken" on the plain white Xuan paper still had dripping ink marks.

But then I saw him calmly unroll the scroll and start writing again, his brushstrokes flowing like dragons and snakes, creating a new poem.

In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the scholars from the twelve powerful families had already composed dozens of poems and essays, piling up like snowflakes on the rosewood desk.

Xie Yuheng, the head of the Xie family, gently tapped the jade paperweight and began to appreciate it piece by piece.

From among the many articles, the one with the most prominent anomalies was selected as the best, and the strongest one was chosen to be sent to the main venue to compete with the Taoist priests from Jiangnan.

Wang Su picked up a piece called "Star Bridge" that had just been recommended by everyone and couldn't help but admire it.

"What a fine young man of the Wang family! This piece has the makings of a [Da Fu]!" He slammed his hand on the table and stood up, his expression extremely excited.

On the painted boats of Suzhou, lights reflected on the water, exuding an air of literary elegance.

Dozens of scholars from Suzhou gathered together, all of them Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) and Juren (successful candidates in the provincial imperial examinations) among those dressed in blue robes and jade belts.

Prefect Su Ze of Suzhou stood at the bow of the ship, his wide sleeves billowing in the wind: "Gentlemen, tonight's literary gathering is a battle concerning the reputation of Suzhou's literary circles. I will join you all in giving our all!"

"Please, Lord Su!"

Before he finished speaking, the scholars responded in agreement.

"Then let me go first!"

Prefect Su Ze smiled, his eyes gleaming with golden light like stars. His fingertips brushed across the sandalwood pen holder, and he picked up a purple-tipped brush.

The surrounding scholars held their breath—

This prefect was once the top scholar in the autumn imperial examination of Jiangnan Province, and was known as the "Number One Talent in Suzhou".

Suddenly, cheers were heard from a neighboring painted boat. It turned out to be the Wang family of Jinling, who had composed another excellent new poem.

The scholars of Suzhou exchanged glances and began to compose their own ideas.

This year's top scholar, Tang Yanqing, took the lead in writing, and his brushstrokes, swift and powerful, already revealed the line "The Sparrow Bridge hangs across the banks of the Qinhuai River."

In an instant, the fragrance of ink in the boat became even stronger, causing the willows on the riverbank to sway without any wind.

Half an hour later, the beaded curtain of the painted boat in Suzhou was slightly rolled up, and the scholars and officials discussed for a long time among many poems and selected the best one.

Prefect Su Ze was seen carrying a gilded brocade box as he headed towards the main venue's painted boat.

Inside the box, the ink on a scroll of "Magpie on a Branch" was still wet, and the four characters "Cloud Steps and Moon Ground" were faintly visible, gleaming with an eerie glow under the moonlight.

The courtesan Su Xiaoxiao's performance of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl song and dance is about to end.

Suddenly, the sound of a gong came from outside the painted boats on the Qinhuai River, startling the stars and moon reflected on the pond.

"The time is approaching—!"
Please submit your poems and lyrics to the literary gathering on each of the pleasure boats!

"Prefect Li Huai'an said loudly."

On the Qinhuai River, thirty-six painted boats shone brightly in succession, and extraordinary celestial phenomena bloomed in competition.

Suddenly, a clear cry pierced the air from the painted boats of Suzhou. Hundreds of magpies emerged from the void, their wings shimmering with light, and formed a crystal-clear laurel branch among the carved railings. When the magnolia blossoms bloomed, starlight fell in a shower.

Suddenly, a thousand-foot-long beam of light burst forth from the painted boat in Yangzhou, its seven-colored rays soaring into the sky like a dragon. Within the beam of light, one could vaguely see magnificent palaces and pavilions, which made the entire Milky Way pale in comparison.

A moment later, a starlight rainbow bridge suddenly appeared above the Golden Branch Painting Boat, spanning the heavens and the earth. The bridge was formed from the condensation of starlight, dazzling and bright. On the bridge, there were faint phantoms of sages moving back and forth, their robes fluttering and scattering golden dust, which caused people on both banks to exclaim in amazement.

Hai Shi San Ke,

The beaded curtains of each boat are gently rolled up, and the poems have already been composed.

A young boy in blue robes, carrying a brocade box, swiftly moved between the linked boats—

The Xuan paper in the box still carries the scent of ink; it contains the finest poems and lyrics, meticulously crafted over many years by talented scholars from various prefectures. The best of the best was selected and sent to Xiefangfang.

"Reporting to Your Excellency, the Suzhou pleasure boat performing 'Magpie on a Branch - Qixi Festival' has arrived—"

"Presented from the painted boats of Yangzhou, 'Song of the Milky Way: Qixi Festival'—"

"The Wang family of Jinling presents 'Star Bridge - Qixi Festival' here—"

"Hangzhou painted boats, 'Ode to the Twin Stars - Qixi Festival'."

Inside the Xiefang Pavilion, Prefect Wei Guanlan and Education Commissioner Du Jingchen sat at their desks.

The scrolls on the desk were piled up like a small mountain, and the gold-flecked corner of the top scroll, "Tianhe Yin," shimmered with a dazzling array of colors, trembling slightly in the river breeze.

"Wonderful!"
Su Ze's poem, "Magpie on a Branch - Qixi Festival"!

Holding a poem titled "Magpie on a Branch - Qixi Festival" written by Su Ze, the Prefect of Suzhou, Wei Guanlan recited it aloud. As he did so, the gauze lanterns on the four walls of the painted boat moved without wind, illuminating the ink on the paper like a cascading river of stars.

"On the road to the Milky Way, the cassia tree stands tall, and the magpie's shadow forms a bridge. We meet again, but it has been a long time since we last met."

Under the moonlight, countless threads are threaded through the needle; atop the cleverly designed tower, who can understand the pain of longing?

If the Heavenly Weaver Girl could have her own destiny, she wouldn't be separated from us by the clouds year after year.

The assembled scholars clapped their hands in response, and a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations raised his teacup and shouted, the sound of clinking porcelain mingling with cheers.

Outside the Xiefang Pavilion, on dozens of small boats that had gathered at some point, people had already begun copying these amazing verses.

Education Commissioner Du Jingchen suddenly pulled a scroll of gold-flecked paper from the rosewood table, and heavily traced the line "The Milky Way flows westward, the night is not yet over" with his fingertip.

"Wonderful, 'The Milky Way Melody'! 'The Milky Way flows westward, the night is not yet over, I wish to ride the celestial raft to visit the Weaver Girl'!"
This sentence truly made the Milky Way hang upside down, and the literary spirit soar to the heavens!
This piece is written with such powerful strokes that it seems to leap off the page, creating an extraordinary effect that is truly exceptional—it's already at the level of a "master craftsman"!

Inside the main pleasure boat, the leading scholars of the Jiangnan literary world held scrolls and commented on the poems and essays sent from various pleasure boats, and couldn't help but marvel at them.

Du Xuezheng's fingertips trembled slightly.
The teacups on the table, stained with Biluochun tea, seemed to have the appearance of a flowing Milky Way.

"Five of them are from the prefecture level, and the rest are from the county level or above. They truly deserve to be called the most outstanding group of scholars in Jiangnan!"

Du Jingchen, the provincial education commissioner, stroked his beard and sighed, “I have been in charge of education in Jiangnan for many years, and I have never seen a Qixi literary gathering with such a grand occasion!”

The distinguished scholars in the room looked at each other, caught in a dilemma – the authors of these articles of such high caliber were either high-ranking officials or great scholars and officials.

If we were to choose the literary champion of this Qixi Festival from among these articles by Dafu, we would probably argue until we were red in the face!

Governor Wei Guanlan flipped through the numerous documents, then suddenly turned to Jiang Xingzhou, who was sitting next to him, and asked, "Jiang Sima, where is your Qixi Festival essay? How come your calligraphy is the only one missing from this table full of exquisite essays?!"

The Hanlin Academy scholar, mindful of his status, did not participate in this Qixi literary gathering. Hundreds of successful candidates in the provincial examinations and over a hundred successful candidates in the imperial examinations participated—all top scholars and prominent figures from Jiangnan Province!

Many successful candidates in the imperial examinations were determined to win this literary gathering.

But Jiang Xingzhou was pouring himself a drink, his jade-white fingertips reflecting the amber light, appearing even more translucent than the glass cup on the table.

"My lord, I am ashamed."

Lately, I've been overwhelmed by paperwork, and my inspiration has sluggish. I haven't been able to prepare properly, and I can't even find a single brilliant phrase! This article will have to be abandoned for now!

Jiang Xingzhou awkwardly put down his wine cup, his face slightly flushed.

Upon hearing this, the entire pleasure boat was filled with commotion.

This Qixi literary gathering brought together five or six hundred scholars from Jiangnan, more than a hundred Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), and even many retired scholars from the Hanlin Academy came to offer their opinions.

Upon hearing this, everyone's gazes turned like silver needles, piercing towards Jiang Xingzhou.

"This is not okay!"

Prefect Su Ze of Gusu clapped his hands and laughed, the gold talisman in the fish-shaped pouch at his waist jingling. "I have heard that since Jiang Sima took office, he has been frequently visiting the painted boats and proofreading scores for the singing girls every night."

Where does the saying "burdened by official documents" come from?

He even had the reputation of "if the music is wrong, Jiang Lang will notice!" Jiang Sima's reputation was even greater than before the autumn examination.

The quality of this article absolutely cannot be allowed to decline!

"good!
The Qixi Literary Gathering is the most prestigious literary gathering in Jiangnan Province, and all the scholars have been preparing for it for a long time.

Jiang Sima is the top scholar in this year's Jiangnan provincial examination, one of the Four Great Talents of Jiangnan. How could he not write an article for such a grand Qixi Festival?!

A glint flashed in Hanlin Academician Wang Su's eyes as he slowly stroked his silver beard and suddenly tapped the teacup lid on.

Amidst the crisp sound of porcelain, the old scholar raised his eyes with a smile: "Could it be that the saying 'Jiang Lang's talent has run dry' has truly come to pass?"

The room fell silent instantly.

Outside the window, the lights on all thirty-six painted boats on the Qinhuai River dimmed for a moment.

Jiang Xingzhou froze, speechless, his fingers pausing slightly, and the white jade wine cup trembled almost imperceptibly.

The two family heads, Wang Su and Xie Yuheng, exchanged glances briefly, a barely perceptible hint of joy flashing in their eyes.

This renowned scholar, famous throughout Jiangnan, found himself unable to write a single Qixi Festival essay, his inspiration waning and his thoughts drying up.
Could it be that he was actually harmed by wine, women, wealth, and power?!

Imagine this young man, having just arrived in Jinling, the capital of Jiangnan, from the small county of Jiangyin. Upon first seeing this land of splendor from the Six Dynasties, with its painted boats and melodious music, he is inevitably dazzled and captivated, lingering there, reluctant to leave.

Even with a wealth of knowledge, how can one resist the intoxicating allure of this gentle embrace?
It's not impossible that he could be harmed by alcohol and women!

Wang and Xie exchanged a smile, their fingers rubbing together in unison in their sleeves—once Jiang Xingzhou's genius was gone, the literary world of Jinling would likely be in turmoil.

"It seems."

Wang Su twirled the tea lid, the celadon clattering against the glass like shattered ice. "The rouge water from the Qinhuai River is too strong; even Jiang Lang's mighty writing brush has become soggy?"

The assembled dignitaries reacted with varying expressions upon hearing this.

Some shook their heads and sighed, while others secretly rejoiced.

They have been suppressed by Jiang Xingzhou for too long, and suppressed too severely!
Whenever Jiang Xingzhou was around, his literary talent soared, and they had little chance of standing out!

Xie Yuheng clapped his hands and chuckled: "Jiang Sima, could it be that you are still immersed in that poem 'The Moonlit Night of the Twenty-Four Bridges' from the past, and have forgotten what day it is today?"

(End of this chapter)