Great Zhou Wensheng

Chapter 192 [An old steed in its stall may still aspire to gallop a thousand miles]! Words cannot express the praise!
The custom of gifting poems was quite prevalent during the Great Zhou Dynasty.

When fellow townsmen travel far away or close friends visit, they will always compose a few poems when the mood strikes. One or two out of ten poems in the world are works of gift and response.

However, few scholars of the Great Zhou Dynasty dared to ask Jiangnan Daojie Yuanjiang Xingzhou for even a single piece of paper or a few words.

The reason for this is that his three poems, which he once presented to Jiangnan, shocked and terrified people.

The moment the poem "Presented to Zhao Huai, the Transport Commissioner - A Banquet at the Vermilion Gate" was written, Xue Chonghu, the Prefect of Jiangzhou, personally led three thousand armored soldiers to break down the vermilion gate of Zhao's mansion.

"The rich feast while the poor feast" became the most scathing commentary on the list of confiscated property. Even today, storytellers in Jiangzhou teahouses still slam their fists on the table when they recount the part about "frozen corpses on the road."

Even more chilling is the poem "Black Clothes Lane".

The patriarchs of the Wang and Xie clans of Jinling, holding the ink-stained manuscript, were so enraged that they vomited blood on the spot.

The few words, “The swallows that once graced the halls of the Wang and Xie families now fly into the homes of ordinary people,” are like a powerful iron swallow, shattering the thousand-year-old lintel of Wuyi Lane.

As for the line "What did the Six Dynasties do, only to become private schemes of their own families" in "Nian Nu Jiao: Climbing Duojing Tower", it is like a thunderclap.

The remnants of the twelve powerful clans of Jinling burned all sorts of clan archives that were not meant to be seen by others overnight.

From then on, they avoided seeing Jiangnan Dao Jieyuan Jiang's boat as if it were a snake or scorpion.

From then on, the prominent families of Jiangnan finally understood that there really were people in this world who could overturn the foundation of a thousand-year-old clan with just a pen and a few lines of ink.

Jiang Xingzhou's poem was even more terrifying than the impeachment petition from the Censorate.

Inside the warm pavilion of the Lu residence, more than a hundred scholars, seeing Jiang Xingzhou pick up his brush and dip it in ink, all held their breath and gathered around him.

I'd like to see what kind of poem Jiang Jieyuan, whose poetry is unparalleled in all the provinces of the Great Zhou, will present to former Prime Minister Lu at his birthday banquet today.

Everyone stared intently at the ink that slowly appeared under his brush.

"Though the Tortoise Lives Long!"
The moment those three words were uttered, everyone in the room was slightly taken aback.

Scholars often use auspicious symbols such as cranes, cypress trees, and peaches to congratulate the elderly on their birthdays!
The tortoise also symbolizes longevity!
However, using a tortoise to celebrate the birthday of an elderly person is ultimately somewhat awkward, and even carries a hint of sarcasm.

The scholars looked at each other, hesitant to speak.

After all, Jiang Xingzhou's poems have never followed the rules.

I haven't seen any further updates, so I won't comment further.

They could only suppress their doubts and wait for what would happen next.

Jiang Xingzhou began writing the main text of the poem as soon as his pen touched the paper.

As the blue light pulsed, the ink flowed like dragons and snakes, a layer of blue glow faintly shimmering on the rice paper—"[Though the divine tortoise lives long, it too has its end.]"

This sentence was uttered.

As soon as the eight characters were completed, the entire sheet of Xuan paper suddenly shone with a clear light, as if shrouded in a thin mist, exuding a scholarly atmosphere!

—This line foreshadows the poem about "leaving the county"!
Inside the warm pavilion,
The candidates had different expressions and whispered among themselves.

Song Chuwang, the top scholar from Jingchu, frowned slightly and said in a low voice, "This line comes from Zhuangzi's 'Autumn Floods'—Zhuangzi said: 'I have heard that there is a divine tortoise in Chu, which has been dead for three thousand years.'"

He looked up at Jiang Xingzhou, his eyes filled with both admiration and doubt.

"The meaning of this sentence is clearly that even if a divine tortoise lives for three thousand years, it will eventually die."

This serves as a warning to the world: do not vainly seek immortality or harbor the fantasy of 'eternal life'!

Qin Wenyi, the top scholar from Guanzhong, couldn't help but speak up: "A poem for birthday celebration should praise longevity and good fortune, but Brother Jiang's line seems to be saying directly that 'human life has an end'... This... isn't quite appropriate!"

The scholars stared at the first line of the eight-character poem on the Xuan paper, their expressions varying, and they whispered among themselves—

"Brother Jiang's talent is such that most of his articles are at least at the [Mingzhou] level... Logically speaking, this birthday poem shouldn't just be at the 'outside the county' level!"

"The poem creates extraordinary phenomena, and the literary spirit arises spontaneously; it is indeed a realm 'beyond the county'!"
The real problem is the poem's message—even the divine tortoise, though long-lived, has its end…

This is hardly a birthday celebration.

This is clearly a direct statement: Human lifespan is finite! Don't delude yourself into thinking you can live forever!

"Brother Jiang's poems have always been subtly sharp and extraordinary! Today, at the Lu family's birthday banquet, he actually started with 'the end of his life'?"
Does he not know the meaning of the divine tortoise's lifespan ending?

"Or...did he have something in mind all along?"

The candidates looked at each other, bewildered and uncertain.

Prince Yongning's heir, Li Junxiu, sneered, his eyes filled with even more mockery:

"Humph!

I thought Jiang Jieyuan was going to write something amazing, but it turns out it's just a trivial matter of "leaving the county".

not to mention--"

His gaze swept over the eight-character mantra, and a mocking smile curled at the corner of his mouth: "Even the divine tortoise, though long-lived, has its end?! What a fine 'birthday greeting'!"

How dare you utter such ominous words at Old Master Lu's birthday banquet?

Even so, his tense shoulders and back relaxed almost imperceptibly, and he shook his head with feigned regret.

—[Leaving the County] is a very ordinary piece of writing. Any one of the hundred candidates present could easily write it, and it is ultimately difficult to catch the eye of Minister of War Tang.

Moreover, the poem implies that "human life is finite, yet people vainly seek immortality," which is simply bad luck at Old Master Lu's birthday banquet!
Inside the warm pavilion, the air suddenly seemed to freeze.

Old Master Lu sat in the main seat, his smiling face slightly hardening.

—The very first sentence, is it merely a display of talent for "leaving the county"?
His aged fingers tapped lightly on the sandalwood armrest, a barely perceptible hint of disappointment flashing in his eyes.

His great-grandson, Lu Ming, had been whispering in his ear a lot these days, saying things like, "Jiang Xingzhou, the top scholar of Jiangnan, is the most talented in the Great Zhou Dynasty. He is destined to be the top scholar in the imperial examination!" and "He possesses many masterpieces that can be used to protect the country, such as 'Bodhi Verse' and 'Non-Bodhi'."

He had read it before, and it was indeed an excellent article.

But what I see before me is far from perfect!
"Could it be."

The old prime minister's gaze darkened slightly, and he thought to himself, "Is it because this Jiang Jieyuan is unwilling to give me a [Zhenguo] birthday poem?"

That's not hard to understand!

After all, the only masterpiece that one can create by writing a poem or essay that can be considered a national treasure belongs to oneself.

However, the first and most precious poems that are presented as gifts are actually given away!

How many people in the world would be willing to give away their "Poems of National Protection"?
During the banquet, Tang Xiujin, the Minister of War, and Wu Shiqi, a Hanlin Academician, exchanged a glance and both secretly shook their heads.

Regardless of whether the implied meaning of "human life is finite" in the poem is appropriate, the quality of this poem [about leaving the county] is noteworthy.
Even at this birthday banquet filled with top scholars, it still wasn't enough to satisfy everyone!

If he's unwilling to write a piece like "[Mingzhou]" to present to Old Master Lu, then that further proves that Jiang Xingzhou is not willing to make sacrifices for his mentor!

Even if he is a genius, such a person is not suitable for Tang Gong to take as a disciple!

Lu Ming stood in the corner of the warm pavilion, his fingertips digging into his palms, and a layer of cold sweat had seeped out on his back.

He praised Jiang Xingzhou to the skies in front of the old master, even implying that this classmate would surely become the leading figure in the literary world of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

This way, the old master can use his connections to help Jiang Xingzhou!
—But if so, Jiang Xingzhou really only brought out one poem today to celebrate leaving the county.
"It's over."

Lu Ming's vision blurred, as if he could see the little bit of goodwill he had built up with the old man for Jiang Xingzhou over the past few days dissipating little by little under the disappointed gazes of everyone.

He knew, of course, that Jiang Xingzhou, as the top scholar in the Jiangnan region, did not actually need the Lu family's support.

The real problem is that the Lu family needs Jiang Xingzhou!
Since Old Master Lu retired from his position as Right Chancellor,
The Lu family has never produced another prominent figure since!

My father wasted many years in his position as a clerk in the Ministry of Works.
My second uncle made some mistakes in his position as salt commissioner and was on the verge of being replaced by his political enemies.
Lu Wenyuan, the only remaining young talent in the Lu family, is striving to become a Hanlin Academician, but even if he succeeds, he will only be a Hanlin Academician.

If Jiang Xingzhou were to pass the imperial examination with the highest score, he would be directly admitted to the Hanlin Academy, starting as a Hanlin Academician!
He and Jiang Xingzhou were classmates, and he watched Jiang Xingzhou rise step by step to where he is today, with no one of his peers being his match.

He knew all too well that Jiang Xingzhou was a hidden dragon lurking in the abyss!
Only by leveraging the power of Jiang Xingzhou, a hidden dragon within the Lu family, can they restore their former glory!

"Snapped!"

A drop of sweat fell onto the blue brick floor.

Lu Ming looked at the mocking smile on the lips of the Prince of Yongning with despair.

Watching the curve of Tang Shangshu's beard as he secretly shook his head.

He could even clearly hear the sound of his blood freezing in his veins—he wanted to cry but couldn't.

The young man in black, Cui Hao, frowned, crossed his arms, and his gaze was as sharp as a knife.

He snorted coldly, his voice soft, yet it silenced the entire warm pavilion.

"Brother Jiang is playing with fire."

He unconsciously tapped his elbow with his fingertips, his speech becoming increasingly rapid: "From what I can tell, Brother Jiang's poem 'Though the Tortoise Lives Long' is probably intended to begin with 'deprecation,' a strategy of first suppressing and then elevating? What a risky move!"

"But Brother Jiang, have you considered this—"

Cui Hao suddenly raised his hand and pointed to the thin layer of blue light on the Xuan paper with the eight-character mantra, and said: "Once this poem is published, it is like climbing a mountain. The higher you climb, the more difficult it becomes!"

Your very first sentence merely mentions "leaving the county"!

The meaning behind the sentence plunges the text into an abyss, digging its own grave!

Even with extraordinary abilities, how difficult would it be to climb out of this deep pit?!

He clenched his fingers tightly, as if to crush the air: "Even if you manage to climb out, at worst, you'll just end up climbing back to the edge of the cliff!"

"Do you still have the audacity to dream—"

He suddenly raised his voice, causing dust to fall from the beams, "Reaching the summit?!"

These words startled all the scholars present.

Brother Cui's words...

The purple-robed young master Li Junxiu couldn't help but clap his hands and exclaim, "This is truly an eye-opener! He has completely guessed Jiang Jieyuan's thoughts!"
But looking at that surging literary talent—this shallow layer of [literary talent beyond the county level]—I'm afraid it can't even touch the edge of the cliff!

Upon hearing this, many candidates nodded in agreement.

"Indeed, Brother Jiang, the story is sure to take a dramatic turn for the better! But how much of a turnaround you can achieve depends on your true abilities in the future!"

Inside the warm pavilion, the air was stagnant and heavy.

Old Master Lu tapped the table lightly with his knuckles. Minister of War Tang Xiujin's eyes flashed with a sharp light, while Hanlin Academician Wu Shiqi stroked his beard and remained silent, his gaze sharp as a knife, as if he wanted to cut the Xuan paper open.

The candidates had different thoughts: some mocked, some worried, and some waited patiently for the show to unfold.

Jiang Xingzhou merely smiled faintly, his gaze sweeping over the young man in black and the gentleman in purple, without uttering a word, and picked up his brush again.

In an instant, the entire audience held their breath, a hundred or so gazes like chains tightening around the sheet of Xuan paper shimmering with blue light—

How exactly will he turn things around?

How can we pull that first sentence, which has already fallen into the abyss, back to the edge of the cliff, and even continue climbing the mountain?

The brushstrokes fall, the ink stains sharp as knives—

"[The serpent rides the mist, but ultimately turns to dust.]"

hum!
The layer of bluish light on the Xuan paper suddenly trembled, darting left and right, like a candle flickering in the wind, its light uncertain.

Immediately, the clear and bright light dissipated inch by inch, as if it had been ruthlessly extinguished by an invisible hand!
—The preceding two lines of poetry and prose seem to vaguely suggest that the text has been reduced to scorched earth and ashes!
"Ultimately turning to dust and ashes?"
this……!"

Song Chuwang, the top scholar from Jingchu, cried out in surprise, and the wine pot in his hand fell to the ground with a crash.

The radiant vision of this poem grew increasingly dim, and it could not even be maintained beyond the borders of the county!
They were on the verge of falling to the [Kouzhen] realm!

Inside the warm pavilion, there was an eerie silence.

Everyone was shocked.

"pat-"

Someone's teacup slipped from their hand and fell to the ground, the sound of shattering porcelain breaking the still air.

Lu Ming closed his eyes in despair; he dared not look any further! Let fate decide; the development of this poem was completely out of his control!
The guests' expressions changed drastically, their pupils dilated, as if they were witnessing a complete collapse of literature and morality.

"This phrase comes from Han Feizi's 'Difficulties of Power,' which says, 'Dragons and snakes are no different from ants!'—Even if dragons and snakes possess great supernatural powers, they cannot escape the laws of nature. After their lifespan ends, they will eventually turn to dust along with ants!"

Song Chuwang stared blankly at Jiang Xingzhou, letting out a long sigh in his heart.

The sources and allusions used in the poem by Jiang Yuan, a scholar from Jiangnan, on his journey across the river are so meticulously chosen!
Every sentence is profound!
But why use it in the birthday poem presented to Old Master Lu?!

Jiang Xingzhou's birthday poem "Though the Tortoise Lives Long" begins with the line, "Though the divine tortoise lives long, it still has an end," which is already a fatal mistake.

It's understandable that the opening with "degradation" serves as a prelude to the unexpected twists and turns to come!
But this second sentence—

"[The flying serpent rides the mist, but ultimately turns to dust and ashes]!"
Will they continue to lower the price?!
Even worse?
This top scholar from Jiangnan Province dared to start his poem with "His life is over" and end with "Ashes" at the birthday banquet of former Prime Minister Lu?!

"Are you crazy?"

Even the purple-robed young master Li Junxiu was stunned. He snapped his folding fan shut with a "whoosh," making a startlingly crisp sound as it tapped against his palm.
Even he, the heir apparent of the Prince of Yongning, wouldn't dare to do such a thing!

He never expected that Jiang Xingzhou's birthday poem would be so bold!
They thought this cliff pit wasn't deep enough, so they wanted to dig it several times deeper?!

Once those two sentences were uttered, there was no going back!

Is this because they think Prime Minister Lu is living too long?

The divine tortoise and the flying serpent have reached the end of their lifespan; hurry and turn into dust!
It's not that the language used in these two lines of poetry is bad.

The problem is that "dying of old age and turning to ashes" is simply not suitable as a birthday poem!
If used in a birthday poem, its grade rating will inevitably be extremely low.

For a scholar who has achieved the highest rank in the Jiangnan region to present a poem entitled "Kou Zhen" as a birthday gift to a former prime minister would be a laughing stock if word got out!

The young man in black, Cui Hao, looked doubtful, wondering if his judgment was correct.

Is this really a birthday poem?
Beside the desk, Hanlin scholar Wu Shiqi's face darkened, and the wolf-hair brush in his hand snapped with a "crack," splashing ink onto his brocade robe.

The scholar, however, was completely oblivious, staring intently at the Xuan paper where the blue light had completely dissipated—the blue brilliance of his talent had plummeted from the "leaving the county" level to the "touching the town" level, a warning sign from the image of his talent!

This top scholar from Jiangnan is truly audacious and presumptuous!
This is a birthday poem presented to his mentor, Old Master Lu!

Once these "filthy poems" are written, they will affect Old Master Lu's fortune!

If this matter cannot be resolved, he will definitely make Jiang Xingzhou pay!

Jiang Xingzhou ignored the strange looks on everyone's faces and continued to write on the Xuan paper!

The tip of that purple-tipped brush is gathering ever-increasing literary brilliance.
"An old steed in its stall may still aspire to gallop a thousand miles."

Suddenly, the gold threads on the Xuan paper surged, and the literary energy at the tip of the brush, as deep and boundless as the sea, condensed into a tangible golden glow.

That faint golden light suddenly spread like wildfire, in an instant—

The first two lines, transformed into "ashes and dust," suddenly exploded as if the ashes had been rekindled.

The moment the eight characters were written, the entire warm pavilion shook violently!

"Boom——!"

Amidst a thunderous explosion of talent, a line of poetry floated in the air.

But then, the four characters "老骥伏枥" on the Xuan paper broke free from the paper's constraints and, amidst the golden light and wondrous phenomena, transformed into an old dragon steed with wings on its back, neighing loudly as it soared into the sky and vigorously strides forward.

"Xilulu——!"

The old dragon steed neighed so loudly it shattered the glass lamp, and its golden wings spread out from its ribs like clouds hanging from the sky.

Its forelegs were raised high, and it leaped out of the abyss of words. Wherever its hooves passed, golden lotuses bloomed in the void, and a golden rainbow stretched for thousands of feet!
The literary atmosphere of the entire warm pavilion was like a raging sea, and the golden light on the Xuan paper was surging layer by layer.

The dragon steed with wings on its ribs neighed loudly as it strode through the air, golden lotuses blooming beneath its hooves, and every step it took shook the void!

The level of literary talent also rose steadily!
"A psalm vision. Returning to [the county]?!"

Someone gasped in surprise.

Before the words were even finished, a brilliant blue light shone on the Xuan paper, breaking through the constraints in an instant—

"[Dafu]!?"

Song Chuwang was stunned.

A birthday poem that was about to fall to the [Kouzhen] level was instantly soared to the [Dafu] level by adding just this one line?

The dragon steed neighed, its golden wings spread wide, and countless lotus blossoms transformed into streams of light that soared straight into the heavens.

The beams and pillars of the warm pavilion creaked under the weight, as if they were about to be burst by the overwhelming literary atmosphere!
"[Mingzhou] Peak?!"

The purple-robed young master, Li Junxiu, was incredulous, his face turning pale. The sandalwood table beneath his hand shattered with a crack. "This is only a hair's breadth away from [National Defense]?!"

Minister of War Tang Xiujin's expression suddenly changed, his eyes gleaming, and he abruptly stood up, exclaiming, "This is... a talented dragon steed?!"

Wu Shiqi, the Hanlin scholar, widened his eyes and exchanged a glance with Tang Gong, his whole body trembling slightly: "The dragon steed soaring through the sky is the extraordinary phenomenon of the first-class 'virtuous minister' recorded in 'The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons'!"

Neither the divine tortoise nor the soaring serpent are symbols of a subject.

The birth of this extraordinary phenomenon, the Dragon Steed, was an expression of boundless praise for a former prime minister and for the subjects of the Great Zhou Dynasty!
(End of this chapter)