Great Zhou Wensheng

Chapter 163 Qixi Festival Literary Star, [Half-Step Nation Protector]!

Zhou Dunshi, a senior scholar, was in charge of the "Jiangnan Elegant Gathering" for more than ten years, making him one of the leading figures in the Jiangnan literary world.

His comment was absolutely fair and beyond question!

"With this poem published, it is feared that new lyrics for the Qixi Festival will be hard to find in the world."

The thirty-six pleasure boats on the Qinhuai River were completely silent at this moment.

The scholars in the room were dumbfounded; even the soft clinking of cups seemed to freeze in the night breeze.

After reading the second half of the new poem, Tang Yanqing, a talented scholar from Suzhou, suddenly burst into tears, staggered back several steps, and knocked over a wine cup on the table.

"No wonder...no wonder Brother Jiang has been so hesitant to pick up his pen!"

Tang Yanqing's voice choked with emotion, her fingertips trembling.

"Brother Jiang has long had a masterpiece in his heart, but he couldn't bear to put it into words... He couldn't bear that once this poem is written, there will be no new poems for the Qixi Festival in the world!"

Even when subjected to slander that he had "lost his talent," he remained silent.

It was we who, time and again, forced him to write this poem!

"Once this piece is published, it will be at the pinnacle of [Mingzhou], or even at the level of [Half-Step Nation Protector]!"
Within six months, the news will spread throughout the Great Zhou Dynasty, and it will surely protect the nation!

"Brother Jiang... Commander Jiang!"

Tang Yanqing looked up to the sky and sighed, her voice filled with sorrow, "From now on, who will dare to compose poems for the Qixi Festival? Who can cross this insurmountable chasm of poems for the Qixi Festival?!"

"Just now, I hesitated for a moment... how dare I question Brother Jiang's great talent!"

He suddenly pounded his chest, staggered, and knelt on the ground, crying out, "I deserve to die! I deserve to die!"

On the Qinhuai River, the scholars in the painted boats were also pounding their tables and stamping their feet in regret.

They had just questioned Jiang Xingzhou's talent, wondering if he was indulging in the pleasures of the Qinhuai River and being harmed by wine and women.

"[A single encounter in the golden autumn breeze and jade dew surpasses countless meetings in the mortal world.]"
Such a masterpiece! I could never write a single line of it in my entire life! How utterly ashamed I am!

A scholar in blue robes repeatedly recited this line, when suddenly he vomited a mouthful of blood, staining the poem in his hand red.

"[If love between two people is destined to last, why should they be together every day and night?]"
With this line in mind, why would I need to write poems for the Qixi Festival, or about romantic love?

Someone covered their face and sighed deeply, muttering to themselves, before breaking their treasured purple-haired brush in two and throwing it into the surging river.

Alas!

Someone wept bitterly at his desk, then knelt and prostrated himself, saying, "With this poem, the art of writing for the Qixi Festival is lost forever! I will now lay down my pen and never again dare to write a poem for the Qixi Festival!"

Inside the pleasure boat, people were drinking heavily, seemingly trying to drown their sorrows, spilling fine wine all over the floor.

Some people poured wine over their faces, letting the fine wine mix with their tears and snot streaming down their faces;

Some people embraced the pillar and wept bitterly, pounding the vermilion railing with a deafening roar.
Someone even took out the Qixi Festival poem they had just written, and without leaving the county, set it on fire in full view of everyone—as the ashes flew, their literary heart turned to ash inch by inch.

It is said that in literature there is no first place, but in martial arts there is no second.

These talented men from Jiangnan were most at odds with each other, and each of them was usually arrogant and looked down on everyone else.
But tonight, they all collapsed in despair.

It's not that I'm unconvinced, but I know all too well that even if I spend my whole life studying, I could never write such a stunningly beautiful Qixi Festival poem again!
The light reflected on the tear-streaked faces, turning the entire river into a desolate amber color.

Amidst the shimmering waves, it seemed as if countless shattered literary hearts were rising and falling with the current.

Jinling City.

sky.

Suddenly, a galaxy appeared to split open in the sky, and countless talented magpies descended from the heavens, their wings fluttering as they wove a bridge to the sky.

This bridge, composed of millions of magpies, stretches like an inverted Milky Way, starting from the top of Nanjing City, across thousands of miles of clouds, and ending in Jiangyin County.

The sound of the magpie's wings flapping was like thunder rolling across the ground, and every feather shimmered with the clear moonlight.

People along the way who were celebrating the Qixi Festival all knelt down in worship.

But then, on the Magpie Bridge, the golden characters of "Magpie Bridge Fairy - Delicate Clouds Weaving Clever Patterns - A Gift to Xue Lingqi" faintly appeared, each character as large as a bushel, illuminating half of Jiangnan.

Jiangyin County.

The Duke of Xue's Mansion.

As night falls and the stars begin to shine,

Dozens of maids in green robes held silver hooks and hung hundreds of firefly lanterns among the jade trees in the back garden.

The gauze was as thin as a cicada's wing, and fireflies inside were fluttering their wings, reflecting a seven-colored glow within the glass dome.

Even more skillful maids would sculpt magpies from Xuan paper, each no bigger than the palm of a hand, yet with clearly defined feathers.

Thousands of paper magpies were tied to the vermilion railings of the corridor with red silk. When the night breeze blew, the paper shadows danced with fireflies, as if the Milky Way had been shattered and fallen to earth.

"Hang it higher!"

The head maid stamped her feet in frustration: "Today is the Qixi Festival! If the garden isn't bright as a new moon tonight, you'll all be in for a beating!"

Now that Miss Xue is in charge of the household, the Qixi Festival is more important than any other festival.

Xue Lingqi leaned against the bamboo pavilion swing.
There were not many important matters to attend to in the manor on ordinary days. She only needed to manage the Xue family's land and oversee the servants. The only other thing she could do was to look at the letters she exchanged with Jiang Xingzhou to ease her longing for him.

She gently picked up a letter with her delicate hands.

The swing swayed slightly, and the clear sound of the copper bells rang out, but it couldn't dispel the lingering longing between her brows.

Fortunately, every three to five days, Jiang Lang would send a letter to ease his longing.

In the back garden, the noisy sounds of the old nanny and the maids busy decorating with lanterns and streamers seemed to pass through a veil to her ears.

Her slender fingers traced the lines "Who sends a letter from the clouds?" in the poem "A Spray of Plum Blossoms"—

"Today is Qixi Festival, I wonder what Jiang Lang is doing?"

Xue Lingqi's graceful body lay on the swing, her fingertips lightly tracing the still-wet ink marks on the poem paper.

The scent of ink was mixed with a hint of orchid fragrance—Jiang Lang's favorite scent.

Judging by the time, Jiang Lang should send a letter back in a day or two.

Chuntao was bored out of her mind, counting the paper magpies under the eaves to pass the time, when she suddenly felt a coolness in her palm.

She looked up in astonishment and saw countless stars falling from the sky, transforming into thousands of magpies forming a bridge.

The Magpie Bridge descended from the heavens, the wind whipped up by golden wings causing the paper magpies throughout the Xue mansion to rustle, as if echoing the gilded verses floating on the bridge: "The Magpie Bridge Fairy - Delicate Clouds Weaving Patterns - A Gift to Xue Lingqi"

"[The clouds weave patterns, the stars convey sorrow, the Milky Way stretches vast and silent. If love is meant to last, why should it be confined to day and night?]"

Xue Lingqi suddenly stood up and used her sash to flip through a stack of letters.

She was completely unaware, gazing intently at the Magpie Bridge—

A phantom of a young man in a blue robe, formed from the essence of his talent, arrived under the moonlight, his sleeves still damp with lotus dew from Jinling City.

"Jiang Lang!"

That call was so soft, yet it seemed to shatter the moonlight that filled the garden.

Xue Lingqi was excited and went to greet her.

In an instant, a burst of talent leaped from between her brows, transforming into a dazzling phantom, holding the poem "A Spray of Plum Blossoms: The Moon Fills the West Tower," and flew towards the Magpie Bridge, soaring straight into the heavens.

The night wind on Jiangnan Road suddenly stopped.

above the starry sky,

In the middle of the Magpie Bridge, the young man's official boots and the young lady's embroidered shoes both stopped at the same time.

With scattered stars as witness, two strands of talent intertwined and rose, blooming into a twin flower of poetry above the Milky Way.

Jinling City.

The Qinhuai River suddenly became still, its surface as clear as a mirror.

Scholars and commoners alike—the courtesans on pleasure boats forgot to play their instruments, the storytellers in teahouses hung their gavels in mid-air, and the ladies of Jinling City were filled with longing.

They all gazed intently at the silhouettes of the dashing young man and the beautiful young woman meeting on the Magpie Bridge under the starry sky.

"Gentlemen, behold!"

"Qixi Festival Literary Song?!"

On a painted boat on the Qinhuai River, a scholar suddenly pointed out the window in alarm.

Above Jinling Prefecture, the starlight rainbow bridge that spanned Jiangnan Road transformed into countless golden dust particles, condensing into the four characters "Qixi Wenqu" in the night sky, shining brightly like the moon and illuminating Jiangnan Road!
—This is a written phenomenon, a creation of heaven and earth!

Even though this year's Qixi Festival literary gathering in Jiangnan saw five poems and lyrics from scholars and officials, surpassing previous gatherings, they were still like fireflies, unable to shake Jiang Sima's "Magpie Bridge Fairy: Delicate Clouds Weaving Skills" in the slightest.

The poems for the Qixi Festival on the thirty-six painted boats of Qinhuai, and throughout the entire Jiangnan region, moved without wind, their pages fluttering as if the ink characters had come alive, crawling beneath this Qixi poem, "The Magpie Bridge Fairy - Delicate Clouds Weaving Patterns."

Just like all rivers flowing into the sea!

Ten thousand swords pay homage!

"The celestial energy soars to the ninth heaven, triggering extraordinary phenomena in the Jiangnan region."

The old scholar Zhou Dunshi trembled, his beard and hair shaking as he wiped away tears with his sleeve, saying, "This poem has captured the essence of the Qixi Festival! From now on, every Qixi Festival, the scholars of our Great Zhou will recite this poem!"

Holy Temple.

In the Eastern Divine Land, at the pinnacle of the heavens.

The three semi-saintly figures sit solemnly on cloud platforms.

Although it is not the autumn imperial examination, tonight, on the Qixi Festival, countless literati and poets are writing and composing, creating a vibrant literary atmosphere.

The three demigods on duty
The purple-robed half-saint's robes fluttered without wind, the white-bearded half-saint's long eyebrows trembled slightly, and ripples appeared in the eyes of the Moon Goddess half-saint.

They stared in shock down at the night sky over Jiangnan Road.

At this moment, a magnificent rainbow spans the sky like a magpie bridge, its shape resembling an inverted Milky Way, its brilliance like the sun and moon shining together.

This extraordinary phenomenon, triggered by the poem "The Magpie Bridge Fairy: The Delicate Clouds Weave Clever Patterns," originated in a corner of Jiangnan, yet its influence extends in all directions.

However, even in the surrounding areas of Jiangnan Road, such as Jingchu Road, Lingnan Road, and Zhongyuan Road, this rainbow-like magpie bridge can be seen.

Students from Jingchu Road laid down their pens and gazed at the sky; literati from Lingnan Road raised their cups to invite the moon; scholars from the Central Plains Road played their zithers and sighed deeply.
—The scholars and literati of the Great Zhou Dynasty, who looked up at the Magpie Bridge of Talent under the night sky, trembled at this moment.

Finally, countless golden dust particles fell from the rainbow and condensed among the clouds to form the four naturally formed seal characters "Qixi Wenqu".

This is not man-made, but a natural phenomenon born from the inherent talent and wisdom of heaven and earth.

They looked shocked, exchanged speechless glances, and fell into silence.

"This piece, 'The Pinnacle of Mingzhou,' is no longer sufficient to describe it; it should be 'Half-Step Nation Guardian'!"

The purple-robed half-saint's gaze was intense, his voice deep and resounding, as if he were suppressing some indescribable excitement.

His fingertips trembled slightly.
Pointing to the four characters "Qixi Wenqu" still lingering in the sky, he said, word by word, "The lyrics are astonishing, the talent shakes the literary world; in hundreds of years, there is only one like this!"

The white-bearded demigod took a deep breath and murmured, "The words are naturally perfect, and the Daoist charm arises spontaneously. If one is not a half-step guardian of the nation, what can compare?"

Once this poem is passed down through generations, all scholars in the world will submit to its power.

"Another [Half-Step Nation-Suppressing]?!"

The Moon Goddess, a half-saint, suddenly raised her eyes, her voice rising abruptly, like a silver bottle shattering, causing the rosy light on the cloud platform to tremble slightly.

Her slender fingers gripped her sleeves tightly, her knuckles turning white, and she sneered:

"I've said it before—the rules for judging cases at the Confucian Temple will not be broken!"
Soon, someone will make a second, a third, and so on, and who knows how many more!

You all insisted on calling it "once in a millennium" or "rarely seen," but what about now?! Only a few days have passed since the last exception in the autumn imperial examinations, and another "half-step to the nation's defense" has appeared!

The white-bearded demigod remained silent, his long eyebrows drooping, the silver threads on his whisk trembling slightly in the wind.

They originally thought that poems and essays of the [Half-Step Nation-Suppressing] level were extremely rare, appearing only once in a thousand years, and that obtaining even one was a sign of the great prosperity of the Zhou people's literary tradition.

The Confucian Temple can make an exception for this!

But who could have imagined—

The same person managed to write the first article, and then a few days later, they published the second one!

The purple-robed demigod's fingertips trembled slightly as he whispered, "The writing is a masterpiece, the star of literature is in motion; this is the favor of heaven... beyond human control!"

The Moonlit Maiden, a demigod, sneered: "What, has it changed from 'once in a thousand years' to 'once every few days'?"

The silence between the two demigods on the cloud platform was more deafening than thunder.

"According to Article 3 of the new regulations of the Confucian Temple—if more than half of the sages on duty approve, they may be exceptionally promoted to [half-step guardian of the nation]!"

The purple-robed half-saint waved his sleeve and said in a deep voice, "Since there are objections, then let's settle this by throwing down our chopsticks!"

When faced with a dilemma, the only option is to throw down your chopsticks.

"it is good!"

Above the cloud platform, three streaks of light suddenly appeared.

Three ancient bronze chopsticks spun in the air and landed simultaneously in the "exceptional" bronze tube, emitting a clear and melodious ringing sound.

—Three chopsticks to secure the throne, half a step to protect the nation!

The purple-robed half-saint's pupils contracted slightly, and he abruptly turned to look at the Moonlit Half-Saint: "You..."

Didn't she say she was always against it?

Why did they also vote for "exceptions may be made"?
"This poem on the Double Seventh Festival is the pinnacle of Double Seventh Festival poetry. It surpasses all others in the Great Zhou Dynasty, every word is a gem, and it is no exaggeration to call it 'Half-Step Nation Protector'!"

"The new regulations for the Confucian Temple are already so; shall I, the Sage, be the one who obstructs the Way of Heaven?"

The Moon Goddess Half-Saint pouted.

So you can vote "yes" but she can't?
The night in Nanjing was suddenly awakened by the sound of the bell from the Confucian Temple—

"Boom-"

The first chime of the bell dispelled the lights on the Qinhuai River, and the music and singing on the painted boats came to an abrupt halt.

Thump! Thump!

Two consecutive bell tolls, like thunderclaps, swept across the theaters, startling crows that filled the city, their dark wings skimming over the eaves of the painted boats on the Qinhuai River.

"Thump, thump, thump—!"

As the third tolling of the bell shattered the sky, the scholars on the painted boats of the Qinhuai River and along its banks looked up sharply, only to see the direction of the Confucian Temple—

A streak of azure-purple talent cleaved through the sky and soared straight to the heavens, condensing into four dazzling characters amidst the stars of Jinling Prefecture: [Half-Step Nation Protector].

In an instant, the entire Qinhuai River reflected the sky, resembling a flowing galaxy.

"Brother Jiang's poem 'The Magpie Bridge Fairy' is a masterpiece for the Qixi Festival. Its literary brilliance will surely be passed down through the ages!"

"Congratulations, Commander Jiang! The Imperial Decree of the Confucian Temple [Half-Step Nation Protector]!"

"I said it long ago, who else but Jiang Sima could be the top scholar of the Qixi Festival? He is the number one talent in Jiangnan, unparalleled in our Great Zhou!"

"...Even with [Da Fu's] work, how could it possibly shake Jiang Sima in the slightest? Let alone [Da Fu's], even [Ming Zhou's] work must bow down today!"

The thirty-six painted boats on the Qinhuai River stirred with excitement as hundreds of scholars and officials flocked to the scene. Their jade belts and golden crowns clashed, producing a sound like pearls falling onto a jade plate, causing the entire river to boil with excitement.

"Wonderful! 'A single meeting of golden wind and jade dew surpasses countless encounters in the mortal world'—once this line is uttered, all the poems about the Double Seventh Festival in the world pale in comparison!"
Wen Kui tonight, who is Shejiang Sima Qi? "

Governor Wei Guanlan laughed loudly, his crimson robe billowing in the wind, the silver fish-shaped pouch at his waist trembling with his laughter, his deep voice even drowning out the thousands of songs and music along the Qinhuai River.

Jiang Xingzhou, as an assistant official of the governor's office, won the title of literary champion on the Qixi Festival amidst hundreds of talented scholars from the twelve prominent families of Jinling, Suzhou, Yangzhou and other places. This not only brought great honor to the governor's office, but also allowed him to fully embrace the brilliance of the Qixi literary gathering.

Aside from the congratulatory crowd, five scholars, both Jinshi and Juren, held their poems and essays, their fingertips trembling slightly, and finally closed their scrolls in despair, tears welling in their eyes.

—They poured their hearts and souls into creating this Qixi Festival [Dafu] poem.

Such masterpieces are rare, perhaps only a few in a lifetime!

They all poured their hearts and souls into their work, waiting to make a name for themselves at important literary gatherings, so that their literary talent would spread far and wide and their influence in the literary world would increase dramatically.

In previous years, this would have been a grand event that would have shaken Jinling. The entire family would have even held a grand banquet and a literary feast, inviting famous scholars from all over the city to appreciate the magnificent writings together.

But tonight...

Under the radiant light of Jiang Sima's "Qixi Literary Champion" title, and bathed in the auspicious glow of an article titled "Half a Step to Protect the Nation."

Their "Da Mansion" was like a firefly compared to the bright moon; even the brocade scrolls had faded in color and no one bothered to ask about them anymore.

Born at the wrong time, how bleak were those five articles by [Da Fu]!

On the painted boats of the Qinhuai River, the two heads of the Wang and Xie families stood with ashen faces. Behind them, the scions of the twelve powerful families of Jinling looked as if they had lost their parents.

Jiang Xingzhou was never "harmed by the wine and women of Qinhuai".
Clearly, he was biding his time, and his literary talent was only growing stronger!

Tonight, a poem titled "Half a Step to Protect the Nation" appeared out of nowhere for the Qixi Festival, winning the title of the best Qixi Festival writer in Jiangnan and forcing the scholars of Jiangnan to bow down once again.

They had hoped to seize the opportunity to overshadow him, but their attempt backfired spectacularly—they not only lost two scholar-level literary treasures.

The Twelve Families of Jinling, who had gathered sixty or seventy Jinshi and Juren, were once again humiliated and defeated by Jiang Xingzhou under the watchful eyes of the entire city—not one of them was his match!
(End of this chapter)