Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 195 A man's seven-foot frame, how could he be content with mere music and song? [Seeking monthly votes!]

What do you want most?
For a candidate traveling to the capital for the imperial examinations, what could be more enticing than the patronage of a scholar from the Duanming Hall, a literary giant?
If one could obtain even a single comment or a letter of recommendation from him, it could be an immeasurable boost in the upcoming provincial examination and even the palace examination!
The reason for this is that, among the current speculations in the Song Dynasty regarding the selection of the chief examiner for next year's provincial examination by the Ministry of Rites, Song Xiang is the most popular choice.

After all, among Ouyang Xiu, Song Xiang, Fan Zhen, and Mei Yaochen, only Song Xiang served as prime minister, and he was prime minister twice.

This level of seniority and status is far superior to that of Fan Zhen, who is currently only the Director of the Censorate, and Ouyang Xiu, who is now the Director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

As for Mei Yaochen, there is no need to say more. Although he is known for his poetry, he has not been able to obtain a position in the Imperial Academy for thirty years. This year, he was appointed as the editor of the New Book of Tang and a lecturer at the Imperial Academy on the recommendation of Ouyang Xiu. He is far from meeting the qualifications required to be the chief examiner of the provincial examination of the Ministry of Rites.

Those caught in the torrent of time do not possess the ability to see the future.

Therefore, in the eyes of these candidates, if they could gain Song Qi's favor and he could write a letter of recommendation to his brother Song Xiang, who was likely to become the chief examiner, their chances of passing the imperial examination would instantly increase significantly.

Lu Huiqing's breathing quickened almost imperceptibly, and her sharp eyes shone with an astonishing light, as if flames were burning deep within them.

Although Wang Shao remained composed, the fingers gripping the wine glass tightened slightly, clearly indicating that his mind was far from calm.

Song Qi was in high spirits, and all the guests in the hall focused their attention on him.

At this point, any refusal would be inappropriate, as it would not only offend Song Qi but also make him appear cowardly and incompetent.

"The scholar is in high spirits, and the student dares to make a fool of himself."

Lü Huiqing was the first to stand up.

He bowed deeply to Song Qi, and then recited the poem.

"Knowing that I am a petty person, what more can I say?"

In my dreams on quiet nights, I often see the spirit of the Master.

Listening attentively to insightful opinions is like drinking from a golden goblet.

I feel I cannot come or go; I wish to fly, but have no wings.

Upon hearing this poem, the local gentry could not hide their admiration.

—What audacity of this person! Daring to use poetry to satirize in such a setting!

Translate this: Who is the "petty person"? What does "listening attentively to insightful opinions is like drinking from a golden goblet" mean?
Wang Kui's face instantly darkened, and a sinister glint flashed in his eyes.

This poem is clearly a slap in his face!
Song Qi replied, "Clear and unconventional, insightful about the ways of the world, indeed."

Lu Huiqing bowed in thanks and returned to her seat. Her back was soaked with cold sweat, but she felt much more at ease.

He knew he had taken a risk, but it was worth it!

For Lü Huiqing, leaving a deep impression on Song Qi and making Song Qi, who was actually not very happy, feel better was not the most important goal.

His most important purpose was to promote his own reputation through this poem that directly satirized Wang Kui.

And this situation is practically his only chance.

After all, everyone knows Wang Kui has a bad reputation, and everyone wants to kick him while he's down to make a name for themselves. But if Song Qi hadn't been there, and Lü Huiqing had dared to make such sarcastic remarks about Wang Kui, it would have been questionable whether he could even leave Jiangling Prefecture tomorrow.

For Wang Kui, who was already on the verge of giving up, what could he do if he found some excuse like "suspected fugitive" to detain Lü Huiqing for a month or so, and even if you rushed to catch up, you still missed the time for the Ministry of Rites to verify the "request for release", and your life was wasted like that?

Reporting to the authorities? Don't be ridiculous. Bao Zheng reported Wang Kui to Emperor Renzong, but in the end, Wang Kui had to interrogate himself. Wang Kui had done countless despicable things, so this was nothing to him. As long as he didn't directly kill anyone, he would be fine.

But the situation is different when Song Qi is here.

As long as Lü Huiqing clings to Song Qi's coattails, feasts all night, and then slips out of the city with Song Qi the next morning, Wang Kui can't do anything to him. After all, Wang Kui is already at odds with Han Qi, Wen Yanbo, Bao Zheng, and their group; only a madman would offend Song Qi and Song Xiang as well.

Then came Cui Wenjing, who composed a poem titled "Dian Jiang Chun".

"The painted candles flicker red, and amidst the clamor of music and song, people swarm like ants. Jade platters and golden slices, yet what can be done about the burdens of fleeting fame?"

All my calculations and schemes have been futile, like water flowing eastward. Leaning on the railing, I gaze at the distant clouds over Chu; better to moor my boat and return home.

"Dian Jiang Chun" is considered a relatively easy short poem to write on the spot because it has few characters and allows for more improvisation. Generally speaking, the standard form is based on Feng Yansi's poem "Dian Jiang Chun: Yin Lü Wei Hong", which is a double-tone poem of forty-one characters. The first section has four lines with three oblique rhymes, and the second section has five lines with four oblique rhymes.

From a metrical perspective, only the line "玉盘金脍" in this poem should be in the "仄仄平平" pattern, but because Cui Wenjing couldn't find a more suitable word, he used "仄平平仄". However, this can be considered a correction, so it's not a big problem.

Objectively speaking, the entire poem is elegant and beautiful, with flowing rhythm. The ending line, "It's better to return to the boat and moor it," uses a three-character phrase with a strong sense of conclusion.

However, there was always a sense of alienation between the words and the lavish banquet.

Phrases like "What can one do about fleeting fame?" and "All the scheming and plotting is ultimately just like the flowing water in the east" subtly reveal a weariness of striving for fame and fortune and a longing for a life of seclusion.

"It has the spirit of Tao Yuanming," Song Qi commented.

Then, Song Qi turned his gaze to Wang Shao.

Wang Shao remained silent for a moment, then recited a poem, just like Lü Huiqing, in the five-character ancient style.

"The autumn moon shines on the Jingjiang River, its clear light filling the magnificent hall."

The jade flute urges on the rapid beat, and emerald sleeves dance in flowing robes.

Intoxicated by the fine wine, cheers resounded throughout the capital.

Suddenly, news of an attack on the border was heard: Qiang cavalry had invaded Qin territory.

The blood of our comrades is still hot, and the night in this lonely city is not yet over.

"A man of seven feet tall, why would he be so attached to music and song?"

Ancient style poetry, also known as classical poetry, refers to the poetic forms before the Tang Dynasty, including four-character, five-character, and seven-character poems. It is free in form and not very restricted by strict rules of prosody.

Classical poetry, also known as regulated verse and quatrains, originated in the Tang Dynasty and has strict metrical requirements, such as tonal patterns, parallelism, and rhyme.

However, since the introduction of metrical rules, even ancient-style poems written by Song Dynasty poets usually make a conscious effort to rhyme in order to avoid criticism.

The first half of the poem describes the extravagance of the night banquet, but then the poem takes a sharp turn when the phrase "suddenly I heard alarms from the border" appears, and the author's pen is sharp as a knife, pointing directly to the troubles on the northwest border.

The latter half, with its lines "The blood of comrades is still hot" and "How could we be so attached to music and revelry?", can be described as passionate and resounding!

A surge of intense patriotism, a desire to abandon one's studies for the sword and fight for one's country, burst forth, instantly dispelling the extravagance of the banquet.

After Wang Shao finished reciting, even the music played by the musicians seemed to be stunned by the powerful sound and quietly stopped.

Even Lü Huiqing took a second look at the silent young man.

Song Qi's drunkenness seemed to have dissipated somewhat, and he slowly said, "This poem has the sound of metal and stone, and the spirit of killing! How magnificent! However, the border affairs are dangerous, and the court has its own strategies. You scholars should prioritize entering officialdom through the imperial examinations."

Wang Shao bowed silently, but his eyes remained as firm as iron.

Finally, everyone's gazes focused on Lu Beigu.

(End of this chapter)