Food gives me an entry, I will be invincible if I stay alive

Chapter 320 Weeding and Spinning Hemp, Going Against the Grain
Luo Wenhuan vomited blood for the second time.

But this time he wasn't at home, and no one was anxiously and immediately called a famous doctor to treat him.

Only a few soldiers came over, frowning, and asked, "What's wrong with you? Should we call a doctor?"

Yes, there were actually imperial physicians on standby in the examination hall.

However, to prevent cheating, the rules of the examination hall have always been that if someone needs to see a doctor, it is equivalent to abandoning the exam.

How could Luo Wenhuan willingly give up the exam?
He gritted his teeth and said, "I won't call a doctor." After saying that, he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve.

After wiping him, he closed his eyes and sat in his cell to regulate his breathing.

In fact, his mind was in turmoil, and trying to reason with him at this moment would have no effect whatsoever.

But he forced himself to forget all the disturbances and disappointments, and kept reminding himself that he must not continue to pay attention to Chen Xu.

Luo Wenhuan wasn't stupid; he knew that if he continued to keep a close eye on Chen Xu, the likely outcome would be that he would be the one to be crippled first.

Fame and fortune are like swords, and delusions are like knives.

Luo Wenhuan was young and impetuous, and he couldn't let go of anything.

The only way to restrain one's impulsive actions at this moment is to have an even stronger desire for fame and fortune.

It was precisely because of this that Luo Wenhuan had completely forgotten the blue carp in his dream by this point.

At the bottom of the river, in a deep abyss.

The mighty Yuancang River flows eastward in torrents.

At this time, the river's flow continued unabated.

However, the river embankment, which was originally full of water, actually dropped by more than sixteen or seventeen feet between June and July.

Many tributaries of the Yuancang River are in a state of decline due to the drop in water levels.

In some areas, the riverbed is almost completely exposed.

The only thing that could offer the people any solace was the dragon bone waterwheel that had been circulating throughout Pingyang Prefecture in recent days.

Driven by dedicated individuals, waterwheels with dragon bones quickly appeared on various riverbanks.

In the summer, a hot wind blows, and the sound of the dragon bone chains can be heard clattering.

The cool water gurgled and flowed upstream, irrigating the fields that desperately needed plenty of water.

The neat and vivid scenery meanders along the rivers, bringing a different kind of charm to Pingyang Prefecture amidst the heat.

But somewhere deep beneath the Yuancang River, the scene was completely different from the peaceful one outside.

It was an abyss isolated from the world, a forbidden zone where no living beings could exist.

Light cannot penetrate, yet the undercurrents surge and churn violently within.

Calamity energy converged from all directions, and terrifying malevolent forces let out a silent roar.

It roared in fury: "You brat! You monster! You damned Heaven... You won't let me become a dragon, but I'll defy Heaven, defy Heaven!"

The silent roar carried a strange power, making the dark currents and calamity energy in the abyss even more violent.

This place is clearly the cold and deep bottom of a river, yet for a moment, it felt more like the depths of a volcano brewing a massive explosion.

The enormous shadowy figure raised its head and roared.

Until a gentle, hoarse sigh was heard.

A slender shadow, with long white hair like seaweed, rose from the deeper abyss.

The shadow gently embraced the head of the enormous shadow, its voice soft and soothing: "My dear child, it's almost over, almost over..."

If one or two don't work, we'll look for three or four, or even dozens, hundreds... or even thousands or tens of thousands.

What's there to be afraid of? We've waited through such a long time.

This world is inherently full of suffering.

How can one have their wishes fulfilled without suffering?

Good child, we are not afraid of setbacks, not afraid, not afraid...

As the white-haired figure soothed him, the enormous shadow at the bottom of the river finally lowered its head.

The white-haired figure sighed softly, the sound carrying far and wide along the ripples of the river's undercurrent. In the examination hall, the turmoil surrounding the poem "Green Smoke" had finally subsided briefly.

All the scrolls of poetry in the room have been taken away.

Of course, Chen Xu's copy was presented separately to the examiners.

This may seem against the rules on the surface, but in reality, submitting Qingyan Poems separately is exactly the rule.

After all, poems written in the style of green smoke are recognized by heaven and earth to some extent. If a poem is recognized by heaven and earth, how could the examiners not recognize it?
Of course not!

Unless the examiner doesn't want to wear an official hat, or has a clean reputation.

Or perhaps, the poem contains some extremely taboo language.

Therefore, even the Green Smoke Poem could be rejected.

However, apart from this, Qingyan Poetry will be considered the top-ranked poem in the examination.

Naturally, the sealing of the Milu Tengfeng would lose its meaning.

Thus, the examiners on the Star-Gazing Platform were immediately checking whether Chen Xu's examination poem contained any taboos.

The examiners exchanged glances, their eyes conveying sighs, admiration, and a complex mix of emotions.

After decades of diligent study and the ups and downs of officialdom, I have lost the inspiration I had in my youth. I am not as gifted as some people who can compose masterpieces with ease.

The scroll of poems was passed around among the people. When it reached the hands of an elderly examiner with white hair, he rested one hand on his lap and tapped it lightly to the rhythm, reciting the poem in a relaxed and leisurely tone:
"Plums are golden, apricots are plump, wheat flowers are snowy white, and rapeseed flowers are sparse."

The sun shines long over the fence, no one passes by, only dragonflies and butterflies flit about.

He smiled as he recited the poem, and after he finished, he expressed his appreciation and admiration.

"This poem is truly...simple and vivid, with a profound and leisurely meaning."

In this poem, golden plum blossoms adorn the landscape, white snow stains the wheat fields, apricots ripen plumply, while vegetable leaves are scarce.

Although it is poetry, it is like painting.

It can truly be described as having colors as if painted by a master artist, with the essence lying beyond saltiness and sourness.

Wonderful! The beauty of the countryside is fully captured in poetry.

After reading this poem, I couldn't help but feel a longing to retire to the countryside.

Sigh, I wonder when I'll be able to leave behind this worldly life and spend my days on a farm. And savor these... golden plums and plump apricots!

The white-haired examiner stroked his beard in praise, smiling and sighing.

After his explanation, the scenes in Chen Xushi's poems seemed even more real, vividly reflected in everyone's eyes.

Everyone present was well-read and had an unquestionable appreciation for poetry and prose.

The white-haired examiner's analysis immediately drew responses and discussions.

“What Mr. Su said was very true and really captured the essence of this poem.”

However, in my humble opinion, the most wonderful aspect of this poem lies in its use of stillness to depict movement and its exquisite use of blank space.

I particularly admire this poem for its depiction of flowers and fruits, its vivid colors and shapes. It goes beyond mere pastoral seclusion, emphasizing instead the cultivation of fields and the spinning of hemp.

The line reads: "On this long day, no one passes by the fence; only dragonflies and butterflies fly."

It is written that no one passes by, but what it actually describes is the farmers working hard, leaving early and returning late. Only in this way can the village be described as "long days with no one passing by the fences," a scene of quiet solitude.

Such vividness and authenticity are truly unprecedented in pastoral poetry. If this writing style can be developed, it is possible that a new school of thought may emerge.

No wonder, as soon as this poem was completed, wisps of smoke rose from the paper and soared into the sky.

At this point, the middle-aged examiner clapped his hands together, almost unable to resist applauding.

The examiners responded one after another, each expressing their own opinions.

The poem, once written, was almost entirely met with praise.

Until the chief examiner at the head of the table, Feng Xing, the Vice Minister of Rites from Yujing Tiandu, stroked his short beard, chuckled softly, and said:

"This poem is wonderful, but you have not yet seen its most wonderful aspect."

Everyone immediately turned their attention to Feng Xing.

(End of this chapter)