Great Zhou Wensheng

Chapter 177 The Temple of Literature is Shocking! A Scent of Imperial Aura is Detected!
Deep within the Confucian Temple, an invisible restriction quietly flows.

The scholars all felt a sense of unease, knowing that the rare treasures they had gained from the Spirit Island of Learning could not be taken out of the country; they could only fully appreciate their wonders by consuming and absorbing them on the spot.

As Jiang Xingzhou sat cross-legged on the edge of the jade cliff, his knuckles lightly tapping the dragon liver melon—

"Crack!"

A golden glow burst forth from the crack, causing the entire spiritual island's earth veins to tremble instantly.

The golden light condensed in mid-air into a five-clawed golden dragon, its scales shining like a galaxy, its whiskers fluttering and carrying countless scripture characters.

When the dragon's eyes open and close, the left eye reflects the bamboo slips of the Spring and Autumn Annals, while the right eye displays the hexagrams of the Book of Changes. A long chant causes the waves of the sea of ​​learning to surge backward!

"Roar--"

The golden dragon coiled three times, shrinking by one-third with each rotation, eventually transforming into a gilded torrent that flowed into the spirit of the boat on the river.

Within the [Flawless Palace of the Purple Mansion], the Yellow Bell and the Great Bell resound together; within the [Seven Apertures Exquisite Literary Mind], seven-colored rays of light burst forth; and on the [Spring and Autumn Literary Courage], the four seal characters "Subtle Words, Profound Meaning" suddenly illuminate.

"This is."

Upon internal inspection, Jiang Xingzhou was astonished to see a crystal-clear, jade-like organ of literature taking shape between his [literary heart and literary courage].

Its surface is naturally engraved with dragon-shaped patterns, and each pattern echoes the sayings of sages on the beams and pillars of the Wen Palace—it is exactly the "dragon-patterned liver" recorded in ancient books!
As soon as this thing was completed, a strange change occurred.

Wen's liver trembled, and he spat out nine golden threads that wrapped around the Purple Palace.

His heart leaped with joy, and the sound of his reading aloud emanated from all seven orifices.

With a bold and inspiring spirit, he condensed the essence of the Spring and Autumn Annals into a tangible sword-like force!
Jiang Xingzhou suddenly had a flash of inspiration and thought to himself, "The Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic says that 'the liver governs planning and strategizing.' This dragon-patterned liver is actually the central organ that governs the heart, gallbladder, and uterus!"

With each pulse of the newly formed liver, the circulation speed of his talent surged, and the originally obscure meanings of the classics became as clear as the lines on his palm.

Three zhang away, Song Chuwang, the top scholar of Jingchu Dao, held a three-hundred-year-old peach in his hand. The flesh of the peach was as smooth as amber, and it shimmered with spiritual light.

He took a light bite, and instantly the peach flesh transformed into sweet dew, a refreshing energy flowing straight into his dantian, cleansing his soul.

Suddenly, dust began to fall from the surface of the literary mind, and the messy traces that had accumulated from studying various subjects in the past melted away inch by inch, like snow meeting the scorching sun.

Unaware that the feather fan in his hand had fallen to the ground, only the bamboo slips of "Chu Ci" in his sleeve unfurled without wind, the ink characters on the slips shimmering like waves, as if recreating the Chu River and misty clouds that had rippled for a thousand years when Qu Yuan wandered and recited poetry by the river.

At the mountaintop, strange phenomena appeared around the scholars who had passed the provincial examinations and the imperial examinations.

Those who swallow the Vermilion Fruit will have crimson flames rising around their bodies, and the glazed tiles of the Wen Palace will gradually be tinged with rosy clouds, like the first rays of the rising sun.

Those who have drunk the essence of jade have a clear and bright mind like ice, and their five orifices radiate a clear and lustrous light, like the moon reflected in a cold pool.
The white-haired old scholar swallowed three hundred years' worth of Solomon's Seal, and his hunched back suddenly straightened by a third. His cloudy eyes shone with a sharp light, like withered trees coming back to life.
Suddenly, six bells rang out from the clouds.

All the candidates in the literary palace were simultaneously shaken, and saw that the articles they carried with them, formed from their talent, automatically unfolded, and every word and sentence became clearer under the nourishment of spiritual energy.

Some people were even surprised to find that passages of scripture that were once obscure and difficult to understand suddenly became clear and understandable!
"I see!"

Qin Wen suddenly stood up, his robes billowing as he spoke with a dragon's roar: "The profound meaning of the Spring and Autumn Annals lies not in the complexity of its language, but in the praise or criticism contained in a single word!"

Before he finished speaking, a golden beam of light descended from the heavens, enveloping him and instantly bringing him into a state of enlightenment.

Song Chuwang, the top scholar from Jingchu, seemed to sense something and suddenly turned around—

Jiang Xingzhou had transformed into a dazzling golden cocoon, with the phantom images of the four classics, the Book of Poetry, the Book of Documents, the Book of Rites, and the Book of Changes, moving around its body. Each character was like a dragon or snake leaping and causing the surrounding talent to form a vortex!

The Confucian Temple stands majestically, with its vermilion eaves reaching towards the clouds and its green tiles reflecting the sun. A thousand-year-old cultural heritage flows between its carved beams and painted rafters.

This sacred land, directly under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Rites, has every blue brick engraved with the maxims of sages throughout history. Officials coming and going all wear plain-colored robes from the Ministry of Rites, and their every step exudes an air of integrity.

"Thump thump thump thump thump—!"

Suddenly, the sound of bells rang out, one after another, six in a row.

The sound was like a grand bell, resounding across the nine heavens of the imperial city of Luoyang, causing the bronze bells at the corners of the palace to tremble and startling the cranes perched under the eaves.

Where the sound waves passed, the inscriptions on the bricks glowed with a faint golden light, as if resonating with the sound of the bells.

"The Wenzhong bell. Six strikes?"

Inside the Ministry of Rites' office, Vice Minister Xu Shilong was reviewing documents when his hand suddenly froze. His expression changed slightly, and the ink on his brush smeared across the Xuan paper.

"The bell that guards the nation is ringing?!"

The editors of the Hanlin Academy trembled simultaneously as they held the bamboo slips, the slips striking each other with a clear, melodious sound.

"The Confucian Temple opened its 'Sea of ​​Learning' today, and a remarkable article was born!"

The white-haired libationer suddenly pushed open the carved window frame, and the sandalwood window frame hit the wall with a dull thud.

His cloudy eyes suddenly cleared, reflecting the magnificent rainbow of talent that stretched across the sky above the Confucian Temple—

It actually coalesced into the strange phenomenon of "facing the Jieshi Mountain to the east, with the vast sea flowing horizontally".

An old scholar from the Hanlin Academy copied down the entire text of "Viewing the Sea." The ink on the silk scroll was still wet, and it seemed to carry the sound of the tide. He couldn't help but say softly, "This is like bringing the entire East China Sea into a single scroll!"

The young scribes under the corridor of the Hanlin Academy, gazing at the "turbulent sea," already had tears in their eyes.

They knew in their hearts that when this new masterpiece was enshrined in the Confucian Temple of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the talent displayed by scholars throughout the land would be amplified once more.

But the more she understood, the more intensely the jealousy burned in her heart!
I only regret it!

Such magnificent and national-level poems and essays could not have been written by them!

Otherwise, if one obtains this text, how could one not "rise from a humble peasant in the morning to a high-ranking official in the evening"?
Deep within the Confucian Temple, the air is filled with the fragrance of sandalwood.

A scholar-official dressed in a purple robe sat cross-legged, a jade ruler in his hand gleaming with a warm luster.

His eyes were slightly closed, but his divine sense had already penetrated the sea of ​​knowledge, monitoring the movements of thousands of candidates.

Suddenly, his brow furrowed and his eyes snapped open!

"wrong!"

The official in purple robes abruptly stood up, his sleeves fluttering, his eyes filled with astonishment and disbelief. "Hundreds of rare and exotic fruits on the Spirit Island at the end of the Sea of ​​Learning [the First Sea] have all vanished in a short span of time?!"

He dared not delay and immediately rushed to the Ministry of Rites, bursting into the office of the Vice Minister on duty, Xu Shilong, and cried out urgently, "Lord Xu, something terrible has happened! The first sea of ​​learning has encountered an accident!"

Xu Shilong was initially puzzled by the strange phenomena in the sky.

He slowly raised his eyes, his gaze unfathomable, and asked in a deep voice, "What is it?"

The official in purple robes took a deep breath and said, "Just now, Jiang Yuan, the governor of Jiangnan, wrote a poem called 'Viewing the Sea,' which was a powerful and inspiring piece of literature that suppressed the first sea!"

Several hundred scholars took advantage of the situation to land on the island and swept away all the hundreds of precious fruits on Ling Island!

"My lord, what should be done about this matter?"

"Jiang Xingzhou?.!"

Xu Shilong's heart skipped a beat, his expression changed drastically, a cold glint flashed in his eyes, and he slammed his fingers down on the table, causing a few drops of ink to splash out of the inkstone.

He abruptly stood up, his purple-gold official robe gleaming coldly in the candlelight: "Immediately close the Confucian Temple and the Imperial Academy! Order all candidates in the [First Academy] to leave immediately!"

Upon hearing this, the scholar in purple robes was startled and hurriedly said, "Your Excellency, please reconsider! Since the founding of the Confucian Temple by Emperor Taizu, there has never been a precedent for the sea of ​​learning to be closed halfway!"

"Confused!"

Xu Shilong rolled up his sleeves, pointed in the direction of the sea of ​​learning, and said sternly: "Do you know that those spiritual fruits, nurtured by the talent of the Confucian Temple, take decades or even hundreds of years to mature?"

In previous years, the sea of ​​knowledge was opened, and the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter would rotate, with no more than ten people being selected each time to receive the fruit.

Now, hundreds of precious fruits have been picked in a single night—

His voice suddenly lowered, yet became even more sinister: "Three years from now, what do you expect all the new scholars in the world to comprehend in front of the empty Ling Island of Learning?"

Seeing that the official in purple robes was still arguing, Xu Shilong slammed his hand on the corner of the table and smashed it: "Get out of here! I will take full responsibility for all the consequences!"

"Yes, sir!"

The scholar in purple robes gritted his teeth, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and turned around. His official boots left cracks on the blue bricks as he hurriedly went to close the Confucian Temple and the Sea of ​​Learning.

The restrictions on the Confucian Temple's academic sea slowly contracted, like the receding tide. The once solid edges of the island gradually blurred, turning into wisps of literary energy that dissipated.

The candidates had different expressions; some sat cross-legged on the mountaintop, frantically inhaling and exhaling the last bit of their talent.
Some, however, were riding the wind at breakneck speed, attempting to explore one last secret place within the [Sea of ​​Learning] before it was completely shut down.

"Quick! Take another breath! One breath of spiritual mist here is equivalent to a day of my arduous cultivation!"

A scholar in a blue robe inhaled deeply the island's spiritual mist, his face flushed, and his literary energy surged like waves around him.

"boom--"

As dawn breaks and the first golden rays of sunlight fall...

The entire academic community trembled violently, and all the thousands of candidates shattered like bubbles, forcibly sent back to the Great Zhou Confucian Temple.

"Whoosh, whoosh—!"

Figures appeared in front of the Confucian Temple. Some staggered a few steps before regaining their balance, while others remained in meditation posture.

After realizing what had happened, I found myself unwittingly expelled from the sea of ​​knowledge.

Anger immediately flashed across their faces.

"That's unreasonable!"

A burly scholar slapped his thigh and stood up, his sleeves brimming with literary energy. "I just recovered my talent by meditating in the [First Sea] and was planning to go to the Second Sea to explore opportunities. Who ordered the Sea of ​​Learning to be closed?!"

"Exactly! Some people are just jealous because we, the successful candidates in this year's imperial examinations, have such good fortune."

Another scholar surnamed Lü sneered, a wisp of lingering spiritual fruit aura still clinging to his fingertips.

"I'm so angry! I was about to reach the island at the end of the [first sea], and they shut down the Sea of ​​Learning!"

The official in purple robes, surrounded by a thousand candidates, had cold sweat beading on his forehead. He repeatedly clasped his hands and said, "Gentlemen! Please hear me out!"

This year, hundreds of spiritual fruits nurtured by the Sea of ​​Learning were taken away at once, which is dozens of times more than in previous years!
If this continues, future generations going to sea might not even find a single low-grade spiritual fruit!

He glanced furtively towards the Ministry of Rites and explained earnestly, "Besides, this was a personal order from Vice Minister Xu of the Ministry of Rites, and I was merely following orders..."

Among the crowd, some were filled with resentment, while others were secretly delighted.

"Hey! Who cares what happens to those who come after me? I've made a killing this time!"

A thin scholar touched his stomach; the spiritual fruit he had just eaten had not yet been fully digested, and a smile crept onto his lips.

"Indeed, one spiritual fruit is equivalent to five or ten years of hard study and diligent cultivation of literature! This opportunity is enough to allow us to take another big step forward and surpass many of our peers in the imperial examinations!"

His companion echoed him in a low voice, his eyes gleaming.

As Jiang Xingzhou stepped out of the Confucian Temple, his scholarly aura lingered, and the aftertaste of consuming the dragon liver melon still remained in his eyes.

He slightly raised his eyes and met the fiery gaze of Li Yiguang, the heir apparent of the Prince of Langya.

Under the ancient locust tree, Li Yiguang's brocade robe was covered in dust, and the dozens of candidates behind him looked ashen-faced.

They were among the first to be eliminated by the "sea crash," never even touching the edge of the first sea. Now, seeing Jiang Xingzhou appear in full spirits, their eyes almost bled.

"River—Sailing—Boat!"

Li Yiguang's knuckles turned white from clenching his fists.

He became a candidate for the imperial examination, but before he could even understand the true nature of the academic world and gain any benefits, his ship "crashed into the sea" due to Jiang Xingzhou's actions, resulting in the loss of a valuable literary treasure of the [Dafu] level.

He wanted to say something harsh, but when he thought of Jiang Xingzhou's masterpiece, "Viewing the Sea," which was considered a national treasure, his throat tightened, and he could only manage to squeeze out a "humph" through gritted teeth!

Prince Li flicked his brocade sleeves and turned to leave.

Dozens of candidates hurriedly followed behind, but then they heard a "crack"—Li Yiguang had broken off half a dead branch that had fallen from an ancient tree on the ground in the Confucian Temple, as if he was venting his anger.

Suddenly remembering something, Li Yiguang, the heir of Langya, turned around and went to the Ministry of Rites.

He stepped into the side hall of the Ministry of Rites, his brocade robe slightly furrowed, his brows still bearing the lingering melancholy.

He sat down with a flick of his sleeve, his tone feigning calmness, yet unable to conceal the sharpness in his words—"Lord Xu, is the Ministry of Rites ordering the Confucian Temple to close the School of Learning in an attempt to cut off the path to success for scholars like us?"

According to the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty, feudal lords and commanderies were not allowed to privately associate with court officials. However, his visit to the Ministry of Rites to discuss "official court matters related to the closure of the Confucian Temple" was not a major problem.

Xu Shilong stood with his hands behind his back by the window of the side hall, his gaze coldly fixed on the direction of the Confucian Temple. Upon hearing this, he slowly turned around, his official robes glowing a dark purple in the candlelight.

"Your Highness, you are mistaken!"

A smile played on his lips, but his eyes were icy. "Ninety percent of the spiritual fruits of the Sea of ​​Learning have been harvested. If it is not closed in time, what will the scholars of the world seek to comprehend when they enter the Sea of ​​Learning in the Confucian Temple again in the spring examination three years from now?"

Li Yiguang suddenly raised his eyes and lightly tapped the table with his knuckles: "Oh? Then, in Lord Xu's opinion, who should bear the blame for this short-sighted approach?"

Their eyes met, and both of them saw a tacit, cold glint in each other's eyes.

—Xu Shilong’s concubine was expelled from the mansion because of Jiang Xingzhou, which also severed her connection with Zhao Huai of the Jiangzhou Canal Transport Office;
—The Langya Prince's Mansion failed to recruit Jiang Xingzhou, the top scholar from Jiangnan, and was instead publicly humiliated, which angered them.

Neither of these matters was a secret; they were both fully aware of it.

Although the Langya Prince's Mansion and the Xu Vice Minister's Mansion have different stances, they are now on the same side when it comes to Jiang Xingzhou.

Xu Shilong asked casually, "Whom does Your Highness think is at fault?"

Li Yiguang's face darkened: "As for the crime, of course it lies with Jiang Jieyuan."

But now, he has actually written a national-level essay, "Viewing the Sea," in the sea of ​​knowledge!
This article has made him famous throughout the Great Zhou Dynasty. Having rendered meritorious service to the Great Zhou, it will likely be difficult to punish him!

"Viewing the Sea?!"

Xu Shilong chuckled softly, tapping his knuckles lightly on the table. His voice was deep and sharp: "To decipher this text and determine the crime is not difficult... but I wonder if the young master dares to make a move?!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he lowered his eyelids slightly, his fingertips tracing the edge of the teacup, and said no more.

However, the implication was already quite clear—

He himself would absolutely not take action!

If this national treasure poem is to be touched and punished, the Crown Prince of Langya must personally intervene!
Otherwise, there's no point in discussing anything further.

"What do you mean by this?"

Li Yiguang frowned, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

Xu Shilong's gaze was deep as he slowly said, "I sensed a different atmosphere in this poem."

"What breath?"

Li Yiguang was puzzled.

"Imperial aura!"

Xu Shilong's lips curled slightly, his smile chilling.

"Imperial aura?!"

Li Yiguang's pupils suddenly contracted, his back tensed like a bowstring, and he almost sprang up from his seat!

"How can it be?!"

His voice trembled slightly, "I have also read 'Watching the Sea,' and there is not a single word in the entire poem that mentions emperors or royalty. So where does this talk of 'imperial aura' come from?!"

His heart was in turmoil, yet a sense of bewilderment remained—

That poem is clearly just describing the vastness of the sea and sky; how could it be considered presumptuous?
"Can't the young master see it?"

Xu Shilong chuckled softly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. He lightly tapped the table with his fingertips, the sound like dripping ice water.

"The very first line of 'Viewing the Sea'—'Looking eastward to Jieshi, to view the vast sea'—already subtly conveys the aura of an emperor!"

What's wrong with this sentence?

Li Yiguang frowned, his heart filled with doubt and unease.

"Ah."

Xu Shilong sneered, "Does Your Highness know that from ancient times to the present, how many people have dared to 'go east to Jieshi'? And what were their purposes in going to Jieshi?"

Li Yiguang was speechless for a moment.

Although he was well-read, he was busy preparing for the imperial examinations.

The imperial tours of emperors throughout history are countless, and they weren't used for examinations. Unless one is an expert in this field, who would pay special attention to them, and who could know them all?
"Fine, I'll tell you!"

Xu Shilong flicked his sleeve, his voice deep and cold as iron—

According to the "Records of the Grand Historian: Annals of Qin Shi Huang", in the thirty-second year of his reign, Qin Shi Huang made an eastern tour to Jieshi, where he performed the Fengshan ceremony to worship the sea and sought the elixir of immortality. He also inscribed the "Jieshi Gate Inscription".
According to the "Annals of Emperor Wu" in the Book of Han, Emperor Wu of Han made seven eastern tours, climbed Jieshi to build the "Hanwu Terrace", offered sacrifices to heaven, viewed the sea, and sought out immortals;
According to the "Annals of Emperor Yang" in the Book of Sui, in the tenth year of the Daye era, Yang Guang led a northern expedition against the barbarian tribes, stayed at Jieshi, and held a banquet for his officials on the shore of the Canghai Sea.

According to the "Essentials of Governance in the Zhenguan Era", in the nineteenth year of the Zhenguan era, Emperor Taizong of Tang conquered the demon tribe, ascended the Hanwu Terrace, inscribed a stone to commemorate his achievements, and gazed at the vast sea, sighing deeply.
The Book of Wei, Treatise on Rites, explicitly states that Emperor Wencheng of Northern Wei, Tuoba Jun, on his eastern tour, personally went to Jieshi to offer sacrifices, saying, "During my eastern hunt to Jieshi, I gazed at the vast sea and thought of the sage king!"

He spoke as if reciting a treasured possession, and with each word he tapped lightly on the table with his fingertips, producing a clear, resonant sound, like being carved by a knife or axe, each word piercing the heart!

That's precisely why—

Xu Shilong's eyes turned icy. "Li Daoyuan of the Northern Wei Dynasty clearly stated in his 'Commentary on the Waterways Classic': 'Jieshi was the place where ancient emperors performed the Feng and Shan sacrifices, overlooking the sea!'"

Jiang Xingzhou's poem "Viewing the Sea" begins with the bold line, "Facing the eastern cliffs of Jieshi..." Ah, is he merely viewing the sea, or is he comparing himself to a sage king?!

As the last word fell, the study fell into a sudden, deathly silence!
"Qin Shi Huang, Emperor Wu of Han, Emperor Taizong of Tang... all the sage emperors of past dynasties ascended Jieshi Mountain to perform the Fengshan ceremony for the sea?!"

Li Yiguang's pupils contracted sharply, cold sweat instantly soaked his back, a chill ran up to the top of his head, and his scalp tingled instantly!
He was completely stunned.

That's it!

The book makes no mention of emperors, yet it begins by describing the places where emperors of past dynasties made their eastern tours!
This story... it's far too obscure!

How could someone who is not well-versed in poetry and literature and has read extensively in ancient books know such obscure allusions?
Not to mention remembering the line from Li Daoyuan's "Commentary on the Waterways Classic"—"Jieshi was a place for emperors to offer sacrifices!"
Ordinary scholars, upon reading Jiang Xingzhou's "Viewing the Sea," would merely consider it a common piece expressing feelings while observing the sea; who could have imagined...

This short phrase, "[Facing the eastern cliffs of Jieshi, to view the vast sea]," actually conceals so many emperors' eastern tours to Jieshi to offer sacrifices to the sea?!

However, this Vice Minister of Rites, Xu Shilong, is too terrifying!

With so many historical records and classics from various dynasties, he could casually mention which emperor ascended Jieshi and from which classic text it came.

"This is only the first sentence!"

Xu Shilong suddenly raised his voice and slammed his fingers on the table, making the teacups clink.

"Now look at the second half—"

He slowly rose, stood with his hands behind his back, and recited, word by word:

"[The movement of the sun and moon seems to originate from within it;]"
The starry sky is brilliant, as if emerging from within it.

Every word uttered was like a thunderclap!

"Has the young master ever considered this—"

Among them, is it in the palm of one's hand?

"Is it inside the chest?"

Xu Shilong whirled around, his hawk-like eyes flashing like lightning: "In this world, who dares to regard the sun, moon, and stars as mere objects in their grasp?"

He slammed his hand on the table, the sound echoing throughout the room.

Only emperors!
Only the emperor, the supreme ruler, has the right to—point the sun and moon in his palm, and hold the stars in his heart!

Xu Shilong sneered repeatedly, his voice growing colder: "The grandeur of this poem is beyond the reach of anyone but an emperor or general! Yet Jiang Xingzhou is merely a scholar who dared to write such presumptuous words—"

He suddenly lowered his voice, like a viper flicking its tongue:
"The last line—[How fortunate I am! I sing to express my aspirations]?"

This is not awe, this is ecstasy!

This isn't humility, it's ambition!

Xu Shilong looked at Li Yiguang, the heir apparent of the Prince of Langya, his eyes flashing with a cold light: "Your Highness, now—"

Can you sense the imperial aura, the dragon appearing in the field, emanating from the lines of "Viewing the Sea"?

"I smell it!"

Li Yiguang's pupils suddenly contracted, and his voice trembled slightly with excitement:
"This is clearly an imperial poem!"

No wonder! No wonder his poem brought him such national honor and high rank!

He clenched his fist tightly, his knuckles turning white.

The image of Jiang Xingzhou effortlessly crushing his warship in the vast sea of ​​knowledge flashed through his mind—this hatred was hard for him to let go of!
“Even as the son of a feudal lord, I dare not write such poems.”

"Jiang Xingzhou, you're courting death!"

A sinister smile curled at the corner of Li Yiguang's lips as he lowered his voice and said:

"Your Highness only needs to grasp four words!"

Without making a sound, Xu Shilong dipped his finger in tea and slowly wrote four bold, powerful characters on the sandalwood table: "His heart is despicable!"
The water stains gleamed coldly in the candlelight, as sharp as a knife's edge.

"This is quite a merit, so consider it a great gift from me to the Crown Prince!"

Xu Shilong chuckled lightly, his voice as cold as ice: "The Langya Prince's Mansion has eliminated this 'hidden danger' ahead of time! His Majesty will surely remember who was the first to smell this dragon aura."

He paused meaningfully, "This achievement is enough to win His Majesty's favor, and he might be awarded the second or third place in the imperial examination."

Li Yiguang's eyes flashed with a sharp light, as if he could already see Jiang Xingzhou struggling in the imperial prison.

He slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement: "Lord Xu is indeed a man of extraordinary strategy!"

A thunderclap boomed outside the window, and a bolt of lightning cleaved the night sky, illuminating the four words on the desk: "His heart is despicable!"
Prince Li Yiguang of Langya stared at the four gradually drying characters on the table, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. He slammed his palm down—

"To dare to write poems for emperors is to court death!"

He abruptly stood up, his sleeves billowing like raging waves:

"I will return to the Langya Prince's Mansion immediately to draft a memorial!"
Don’t talk about next spring——

I'll throw him in prison, so he won't even see this winter's snow!

Before he finished speaking, he had already strode out of the hall.

A gust of wind swept in the cold air and rushed through the threshold. The water stains on the table that read "His heart is despicable" finally disappeared completely into the grain of the sandalwood.

After the carriage of the Prince of Langya drove away, crushing the accumulated frost, Xu Shilong slowly strolled to the side hall corridor.

"Someone, make a record of this."

He lightly tapped the vermilion pillars with his fingertips, the sound three degrees colder than the frost under the eaves.

"Yes!"

A clerk in a blue robe hurried forward.

But then Xu, the Vice Minister, stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the sky, and said calmly, "In the fifteenth year of Tian Shou, on the day of Li Dong (the Beginning of Winter), Li Yiguang, the Heir Apparent of Langya, came to visit to protest the closure of the Confucian Temple's academy. I received him as is customary. After completing my official business, I will depart immediately."

The clerk's hand holding the pen trembled slightly.

This seemingly ordinary record changes the "private meeting" to "official reception," shortens the half-hour private conversation to "immediately," and makes no mention of the crucial poem "Watching the Sea."
"My lord, remember this well!"

The clerk stole a glance at his back, his inner shirt already soaked with cold sweat.

Xu Shilong suddenly turned around, and with a clang, pressed a bronze official seal onto the still-wet ink of the logbook.

The newly printed file was gently closed, and the clerk locked it in an iron cabinet deep inside the archives for safekeeping.

Xu Shilong stood with his hands behind his back under the eaves of the side hall, watching the light snow gradually fall, a faint, cold smile appearing on his lips.

"Passing through a sea of ​​flowers, not a single petal clings to me!"

He lightly ran his fingertips over the fish-shaped pouch at his waist, the cool silver embroidery digging into his fingertips—this official robe of a vice minister, in the end, could only be worn for a long time thanks to these seemingly minor and superfluous efforts.

(End of this chapter)