Great Zhou Wensheng

Chapter 194 "Song of White Snow Sending Scholar Wu to Beiting City" Suddenly, like a spring breeze, thousands of pear trees bloom.

The night breeze carried the scent of sandalwood, causing the longevity lanterns under the eaves of the Lu residence to sway gracefully.

Outside the vermilion gate, the sound of cart tracks rolling over the bluestone slabs rose and fell.

The once deserted Lu family mansion was now filled with long queues.

Scholars in brocade robes and fine clothes, along with their stewards, crowded together on the steps, holding gilded name cards.

"Make way! My master is from the Ministry of Works' Land Reclamation Division."

"Bah! A mere fifth-rank official dares to cut in line? Didn't you see that the person in front is the chief steward of the Ministry of Personnel's office, a third-rank official?"

Further away, some poor scholars, having heard the news, clutched their carefully prepared gifts and stamped their feet in the cold wind, gazing around with hopeful eyes—who didn't know that this literary gathering at the Lu family mansion might be the ladder to success in next year's imperial examinations?
The faint sounds of string and wind instruments drifted out from inside the mansion, mingling with the noise of the streets and alleys.

Inside the warm pavilion, the charcoal fire illuminated the four walls.

Old Master Lu's ruddy hands trembled slightly as he grabbed Jiang Xingzhou's wrist: "Young friend Jiang!" The old man's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and without further ado, he led him to the armchair on the right, "Today you will sit to my right!"

The whole house was in an uproar.

Old Master Lu sat in the center, flanked by rosewood armchairs, clearly belonging to Tang Xiujin, Minister of War, and Wu Shiqi, a Hanlin Academician.

This naturally pushed Hanlin Academician Wu Shiqi to the third position.

"useless!"

Jiang Xingzhou quickly took half a step back and bowed deeply to the ground: "This junior is but a commoner, how dare I overstep the bounds of the two lords?"

Inside the warm pavilion, the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood.

"This is a family banquet, not an official banquet!"
They are all my students.

From this day forward, you are a disciple of Master Tang!

With such a prodigy as you under Master Tang's tutelage, he must be extremely proud!

Lu Ming and you are classmates and close friends, like the friendship between Guan Zhong and Bao Shuya.

I regard you as if you were my own great-grandson.

Since we're family, why speak like strangers?

Old Master Lu stroked his beard and smiled, his eyes full of affection.

He suddenly raised his voice, his aged hand gesturing a semicircle with the assembled scholars, “All of you here are my great-grandchildren, not outsiders.”

"My old teacher had such discerning eyes!"

Wu Shiqi clapped his hands and laughed heartily, his expression pleased, and subtly stepped aside to give up his seat.

Next spring, Jiang Xingzhou will surely become a disciple of Master Tang, and will undoubtedly be the top student among them!

This matter is now a done deal, with no room for further changes.

This means that from the former Minister of War—now Minister of War Tang Xiujin—to Jiang Xingzhou, there is a lineage of teachers and students passing on the torch from master to student.

When the results of the imperial examinations are announced, Tang Xiujin, the Minister of War, will serve as his mentor, and three hundred newly appointed scholars will become his disciples, forming a bond of "fellow students."

Jiang Xingzhou is undoubtedly the most outstanding among them, surrounded by admirers.

At this moment, among the hundred or so scholars in the warm pavilion of the Lu residence, at least a dozen or twenty have passed the imperial examination and will become disciples of Tang Gong, passing the examination in the same year as Jiang Xingzhou and becoming "fellow graduates".

This is no ordinary friendship!

Classmates, fellow townsmen, and fellow graduates—in the officialdom, having these three commonalities allows one to affectionately address others as brothers and help each other.

Without this relationship, one can only remain a nodding acquaintance, as distant as water.

If you pass the imperial examination in the same year and in the same venue, you can easily become a disciple of the same master!
As for relatives by marriage, allies, and friends, those involve deeper relationships and require separate consideration and a greater price to pay.

Although the scholars in the hall were envious, none of them felt that there was anything wrong with Jiang Xingzhou sitting comfortably to the right of Old Master Lu.

In this Great Zhou Dynasty, what cannot be exchanged for a poem of celebration for the nation's birthday?!

The relationship between the Lu family and Jiang Xingzhou has long since transcended the ordinary teacher-student relationship and is almost an alliance.

Even Li Junxiu, the heir apparent of the Yongning Prince, and Cui Hao of the Cui family, who were both from prominent families and proud, were now completely subdued and dared not utter any disrespectful words to Jiang Xingzhou.

They knew perfectly well that even though they possessed the "National Treasure" poems, they were determined not to give them away to others.

They can't do it!
But Jiang Xingzhou did it!
This is genuine strength, without any trickery, decisive and efficient, leaving no room for criticism!
You can't win even if you try!
Moreover, if they pass the imperial examination next spring, they will surely become disciples of Master Tang and become classmates with Jiang Xingzhou.

If that's the case, why bother making things difficult for yourself?
Incense wafted from the burner inside the warm pavilion, and the guests and hosts enjoyed themselves immensely.

As the conversation grew more animated, the topics became increasingly broad.

Minister of War Tang Xiujin, unusually setting aside his official airs, actually started talking.

Although he didn't mention the imperial examinations at all, he recounted in detail the border anecdotes from his time as governor of the northern frontier and the court stories from his time in the Ministry of War.

Those military and political secrets gleaned from the snowy frontiers, and the ways of officialdom navigating the power struggles of the imperial court—every word and phrase is a priceless treasure.

All the candidates present were extremely quick-witted and had already pricked up their ears, afraid of missing a single word, carefully savoring every sentence.

How could the literary gathering at the Lu residence in the warm pavilion at this moment possibly be nothing more than idle chatter?!

These seemingly casual anecdotes may contain hidden secrets—if one can grasp their essence, it may be more beneficial than painstakingly studying ten or a hundred volumes of "Tang Gong's Collected Works" or "Secret Examination Papers."

This is clearly Tang Gong using his life experience as ink to personally mark and highlight the key points of the examination questions on those "Secret Examination Papers"!

As the night deepened, the water clock dripped away, and the night grew dark.

Old Master Lu looked tired, and although everyone was still reluctant to leave, they had no choice but to get up and take their leave.

The warm spring atmosphere inside the pavilion is only a step away from the biting north wind outside.

Pushing open the vermilion gates of the Lu residence, one sees—

Jade fragments and broken pieces pave the long street, while drifting catkins and condensed petals adorn the painted eaves.

The entire capital city of Luoyang seemed to have been sprinkled with salt by immortals, and everywhere was covered in silver.

The white breath exhaled by the scholars swirled into mist under the lanterns, and their boots shattered the moonlight on the ground.

"My beloved teacher!"

Wu Shiqi suddenly took three steps back, straightened his clothes, and bowed deeply to Old Master Lu.

Snow pattered on the bluestone slabs, reflecting off the slightly trembling hem of his official robe.

"This student is going to Beiting City, where he will spend ten years guarding the frontier, abandoning his studies."

His voice trailed off, and as he swallowed the rest of his sentence, he finally managed to cut it off: "On this journey through wind and snow, who knows if I might die on the battlefield?"

Old Master Lu's fingers, gripping the doorframe, turned slightly white. The lantern under the eaves cast dappled light on his aged face: "You absolutely must go?"

Among his students, only Tang Xiujin, the Minister of War, and Wu Shiqi, a Hanlin Academician, were considered to have achieved success.

The night wind swept through the courtyard, carrying snowflakes, scattering this question amidst the swirling snowflakes.

"It's not that I absolutely have to go."

Wu Shiqi raised his head and looked north, his eyes reflecting the lingering snow on the eaves. The night wind rustled through his official robes.

"But at the foot of Tianshan Mountain, the 100,000 border residents of Beiting City are now surrounded on three sides by barbarian cavalry and demon army."

With the imperial supply lines cut off, for every shi (a unit of dry measure) of millet transported to the city, 30% of the soldiers transporting the grain and 70% of the grain were lost.

His voice grew deeper, "Many high-ranking officials in the court believe that the losses are too great and advocate abandoning the city so that the students will not go. Who would be willing to go?"

Old Master Lu's expression suddenly trembled, and he slammed his cane heavily into the snow, letting out a silent sigh.

"If the students can persevere for ten years after this journey..."

Wu Shiqi suddenly knelt on one knee, clasped his hands above his head, and said, "Perhaps we can wait until the court has accumulated its strength and changes its mind!"

Old Master Lu gazed at his few remaining prized students for a long time before finally saying, "Tonight...we're setting off?"

"Yes!"

Wu Shiqi suddenly stood up, the jade pendant at his waist making a clear, melodious sound in the snowy night. "After celebrating my master's birthday tonight, I will take my leave of Luoyang!"

The snow fell silently, and more than a hundred candidates stood motionless in front of the Lu residence, deeply moved.

The lanterns under the eaves swayed in the wind and snow, casting flickering light on the solemn faces of the crowd.

They stared at the Hanlin scholar in his green robe and jade belt, their throats tightening—he was a Hanlin scholar!
The imperial examinations in spring aim to produce one of the top three scholars, a position chosen from among a hundred.

Those who entered the Hanlin Academy after passing the imperial examination were extremely rare, truly exceptional individuals.

Countless scholars have devoted their lives to studying classics, yet still find it difficult to even come close to their level.

The refined scholar before us could have lived a leisurely life in Luoyang, surrounded by the fragrance of ink and the melodious sound of the zither, a life that would be the envy of countless people.

Moreover, he is a member of the Wu clan, a relative of the emperor!
It was precisely this kind of person who volunteered to go to the perilous border town of Beiting to defend the frontier, in an attempt to save this border town from its predicament.

Go and face the barbarian's blades and the demon's claws.

Once Beiting City falls, this Hanlin scholar's life will be in constant danger.

"ten years."

Someone murmured softly, let out a sigh, and the sound quickly dissipated into the wind and snow.

How difficult it is to defend a besieged city!
This is far from a simple border defense.

Clearly, he was acting out of a sense of duty to die, despite his high status as a Hanlin scholar!

This is righteousness!

"Send off Duke Wu!"

The scholars, without prior arrangement, straightened their clothes and bowed deeply to Hanlin Academician Wu Shiqi to bid him farewell. The snow fell even more heavily.

"Brother Wu—"

Minister of War Tang Xiujin suddenly stepped forward, the goldfish pouch at his waist gleaming brightly in the snow.

The servants had already brought over warmed yellow wine, the amber liquid shimmering gently in the white jade cup.

"This journey will take you ten thousand miles to the Tianshan Mountains."

Tang Xiujin raised the cup above his eyebrows with both hands, his voice as deep as the clash of metal, "As long as I, Tang, live, I will do everything in my power to protect Beiting City!"

Wu Shiqi took the wine glass and lightly paused his fingertips on the rim.

Their eyes met in the crisp air, and fifty years of being classmates, fellow students, and twenty years of working together in the imperial court were all contained within this single, brimming cup of wine.

"Chong-"

The two jade cups clinked together, and the wine was drunk in one gulp. The splashed wine droplets fell on the snow like tears of blood.

"treasure."

"Take care of yourself."

The brief farewell was torn apart by the north wind.

Wu Shiqi turned and stepped into the snowstorm, heading straight into it.

"Uncle-Master Wu, please wait!"

But then, a clear shout pierced through the wind and snow.

As Wu Shiqi turned around, his cloak fluttered in the wind, and snow fell in rustling sounds from his shoulders.

Jiang Xingzhou stepped out from the crowd, his voice clear and bright, his footsteps leaving no trace in the snow.

Wu Shiqi turned around and saw Jiang Xingzhou. He smiled and asked, "Young Master Jiang, is there anything else?"

"Uncle Wu went to Beiting City alone and guarded the border for ten years, a feat that made him famous throughout the world!"
How could we, the younger generation, not see our senior uncle off on his journey?

Jiang Xingzhou bowed deeply to the ground, then straightened up and smiled: "May I ask what kind of divine weapon my martial uncle usually wields? Could you perhaps broaden our horizons?"

"Wu is skilled with a bow!"

Wu Shiqi laughed loudly, and with a flick of his sleeves, he pulled something out of a brocade pouch.

The scholars heard a clear "clang" and saw a twelve-foot-long bow appear out of nowhere. The bow was as white as jade and covered with a layer of radiance, and it even shimmered with a precious light in the wind and snow.

"Good bow!"

A sharp-eyed scholar exclaimed in surprise.

On the bow, carved from the finest pear wood, was a war poem from Mingzhou.

[The iron-bound bow, drawn like a collapsing moon, freezes the arrows of ten thousand Wolf Mountain!]
Every word is sharp as a knife, every stroke shines brightly—this is clearly the "literary brilliance soaring to the sky" phenomenon that only the first precious book possesses!
"open!"

Wu Shiqi shouted, as if drawing an arm, and suddenly drew his bow like a full moon.

In the lingering echo of the bowstring's vibration, the snow falling all around for a hundred feet seemed to pause.

This bow has been with its master for ten years and has long been connected to him. Today, it is striking its own note in the wind and snow, as if it longs to drink blood on the battlefield.

"What a beautiful poem!"
"What a fine bow!"

Jiang Xingzhou took the [Mingzhou] treasure bow with both hands, his fingertips gently stroking the battle poem written in bold, powerful strokes on the bow. His eyes shone brightly, and he couldn't help but praise it.

He looked up at Wu Shiqi, his voice clear yet tinged with heat: "Can my uncle trust me?"
My junior apprentice dares to compose another poem for this bow, adding a touch of its brilliance!

The frontier poem "Song of White Snow," which Cen Shen wrote for Judge Wu, could be given to Wu Shiqi as a token of his support.

Wu Shiqi paused slightly.

This bow has been with him for many years and has long been in harmony with his heart. If he were to make any changes to it rashly, it might be inappropriate.

But the talented scholar from Jiangnan who is the top scholar in the imperial examination is a rare genius in poetry in this era. His writing can startle the wind and rain and make ghosts and gods weep.

If we could get a poem from him, the power of this bow might truly be enhanced to an even higher level!
After a moment's hesitation, Wu Shiqi finally nodded: "Agreed!"

As soon as the word was uttered, a sharp light flashed in Jiang Xingzhou's eyes. He flicked his finger, and a wisp of talent, like a ray of light, hung in the air, condensing and not dissipating.

"Edict!"

Jiang Xingzhou shouted, his right hand forming a sword shape with his fingers, a flash of blue light appearing at the tip of his finger, as if dipped in thick ink!

Just as the bowstring of the samurai bow trembled, he wielded his brush in mid-air, his strokes flowing like dragons and snakes!
A bluish light, like a swimming dragon, coiled around the bow's body, and on the other side of the pearwood bow, word by word, a new chapter was inscribed—

"Song of White Snow: Sending Scholar Wu to Beiting City"

The north wind sweeps across the land, breaking the white grass; in the eighth month of the lunar calendar, snow flies in the northern regions.

Suddenly, like a night of spring breeze, thousands of trees and pear blossoms bloomed.

Scattered through the beaded curtain and damp silk screen, the fox fur coat is not warm and the brocade quilt is thin.

The general's horn bow is difficult to control, and the protector's iron armor is cold and hard to wear.

The vast sea is frozen solid, hundreds of feet thick; gloomy clouds gather, stretching for thousands of miles.

The general set out a feast to welcome the returning guests, accompanied by the sounds of the erhu, pipa, and qiang flute.

As the evening snow falls heavily outside the camp gate, the wind whips the red flag, freezing it stiff and unmoving.

The east gate of Luntai sent you to go to Tianshan Road with snow.

The mountain path winds and turns, and you are no longer in sight; only the horse tracks remain on the snow.

The poem was completed in an instant.

His body suddenly jolted!
It was a war poem that protected the nation!
The original [Mingzhou] battle poem and this newly engraved [Zhenguo] poem complement each other, their literary spirit soaring to the sky, and they even condensed into a dazzling pillar of light in the midst of the swirling snow!
Jiang Xingzhou felt the weight of the precious bow in his hand suddenly increase, and the bowstring rang out, making a clear and resonant sound, as if there were the roars of dragons and tigers!

"[Suddenly, like a spring breeze overnight, thousands of pear trees bloom.]"

The general's horn bow is uncontrollable, and the protector's iron armor is too cold to wear!
open--!"

The sound of the boat gushing across the river, like lotus blossoms blooming, resounded through the heavens, and the last word "open" boomed like a spring thunderclap.

He stretched out his arms, and the vibrating bowstring caused a strange phenomenon in the heavens and earth—

Suddenly, the pear wood bow came to life, and a dazzling blue light burst forth from the knotted part of the bow. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a towering pear tree and a divine bow!
Thousands of branches soared into the sky like dragons, each one bent like a full moon bow. The blossoms on the branches were not pear blossoms, but arrows formed from frozen ice!
"This"

Samurai's tiger-like eyes widened in shock.

All the snowflakes falling from the sky froze, turning into countless ice crystal arrows.

The ten-mile-long street fell into an eerie silence, with only the lingering echo of the bowstring reverberating between heaven and earth.

Jiang Xingzhou let out a long roar, pointing his arrow towards the sky above the Heavenly Street: "Go!"

An arrow pierces the sky!
Thousands of arrows fired!

"boom--!"

The sound of a thousand arrows piercing the air merged into a deafening dragon roar!
The icy rain of arrows tore through the sky, and wherever they passed, the wind and snow swirled back. The bluestone pavement of the ten-mile-long Heavenly Street was plowed with thousands of frost marks by the arrow energy!
As the last ice arrow disappeared into the sky at the end of the long street, the mystical pear tree gradually closed its branches and transformed back into an ancient and precious bow.

The newly engraved poems on the bow were now shimmering with a dazzling blue light, clearly indicating that it had been promoted to the [National Guardian] First-Class Cultural Treasure Divine Weapon!

The snow fell silently.

"This piece is written by my junior brother to bid farewell to his senior brother!"

Jiang Xingzhou stood with his hands holding the precious bow, his green robe bathed in snow: "Uncle-Master, on your journey to Beiting City, you shall take this bow as your companion and establish unparalleled achievements."

With a precious bow in hand, it's as if a thousand troops are at your side!
When a thousand pear trees burst into bloom, it will be time to spread good news!

Wu Shiqi took the newly revitalized "Pear Snow Treasure Bow" and ran his fingertips over the still-warm inscriptions on the bow.

The bowstring trembled slightly, echoing like the rustling of thousands of pear branches swaying in the snow.

"What a wonderful line, 'Suddenly, like a spring breeze overnight, thousands of pear trees bloom!'"

great poem!

What a fine bow!

One poem opens, a thousand arrows are released! This bow should be renamed 'Pear Snow'!

Wu Shiqi suddenly burst into loud laughter, shaking the snow off his shoulders. "Jiang Lang, the top scholar of Jiangnan, thank you for the poem! Jiang Lang's poem deserves three cups of wine!"

He untied the wine pouch from his waist and drank it all in one gulp. The amber-colored wine splashed onto his bow, turning into tiny pear blossom-like marks.

Tang Xiujin's hand holding the cup trembled slightly.

As the ice crystals spread along the rim of the cup with a subtle sound, he heard the same vow he made fifty years ago when he was just as young, a vow to achieve unparalleled feats.

Now, the thunderous power of my disciple's writing surpasses even the bold pronouncements of my past.

Brother Tang.

You have a good student!

Wu Shiqi suddenly turned around, his silhouette already blurring in the snow. "When I return after ten years of guarding the border, you must bring this boy to celebrate my victory!"

His voice abruptly stopped as his figure in the green robe completely blended into the swirling snow, leaving only the lingering sound of the bowstring echoing long afterward in the sky above the Heavenly Street.

Tang Xiujin stood there for a long time, her cloak covered with fresh snow, her eyes reflecting the trajectory of the last ice arrow disappearing in the sky.

"Come back alive!"

He watched intently as his fellow disciple, the Hanlin scholar Wu Shiqi, disappeared down the street, until the empty cup in his hand formed a thin layer of frost.

(End of this chapter)