The Great Song Dynasty: You were put in charge of teaching, and you produced a whole bunch of prime

Su Shi looked around, his gaze sweeping across the hall as if it were a tangible object.

He saw Lord Wang's ashen face, which was tinged with a hint of smugness; he saw the ugly face of the Lin family head, who made no attempt to hide his triumph; and he saw the expressions of the onlookers, some full of expectation, some full of contempt, and some even ready to kick him while he was down.

Instead of feeling pressured, he felt a surge of pride rising within him.

In Bianjing, he had witnessed too many grand scenes with his teacher Jiang Lin, and had even competed with powerful figures in the court such as Wu Chong and Cai Jing. What were these local tycoons and old scholars compared to him?

The master said that to deal with such people, you should use what they are most proud of to completely crush them.

Comparing yourself to someone who writes poetry? That's just asking for humiliation.

Su Shi chuckled lightly, and instead of walking to the center of the hall, he stood in front of his seat, gazing out the window.

At this moment, the moonlight is perfect, like mercury spilling onto the shimmering West Lake. The lights of the island in the middle of the lake are faintly visible in the distance, and a gentle evening breeze carries a hint of moisture and the fragrance of grass and trees.

"Master Lin is right. It's better to hide one's shortcomings than to make a fool of oneself. Since you all have some reservations about my management of West Lake, then today I will compose a poem on the theme of West Lake to celebrate this poetry gathering."

His voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.

The hall fell silent instantly, even the sound of breathing became much quieter.

The Lin family head sneered inwardly. He didn't believe Su Shi could compose a poem on the spot that would surpass everyone else's. Even if he was exceptionally talented, facing such criticism, his mind would be in turmoil, and how good could his poem possibly be?

Lord Wang also picked up his teacup, ready to see Su Shi make a fool of himself.

The two "talented scholars" who had been thoroughly criticized craned their necks, their eyes filled with resentment, waiting for Su Shi to make a fool of himself.

Su Shi stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the lake and mountain scenery outside the window, and slowly spoke, his voice clear and resonant:

"The shimmering water is beautiful on a sunny day, and the misty mountains are equally enchanting in the rain."

The moment those two sentences were uttered, a slight commotion arose in the hall.

Those in the know already had a change in expression.

These two lines of poetry are perfectly matched, with a broad and expansive artistic conception, and are completely natural. They vividly depict the shimmering beauty of West Lake on a sunny day and its hazy beauty on a rainy day, and are written effortlessly without any trace of artifice.

Compared to this, those two doggerel poems are like mud compared to a beautiful jade.

Lord Wang paused slightly in his teacup, and his brows furrowed involuntarily.

The smile on the Lin family head's face froze. Although he wasn't a great scholar, he still possessed a certain level of appreciation. The quality of these two lines of poetry far exceeded his expectations.

Jiang Lin stood behind, nodding inwardly. "Not bad, Zizhan, this level is truly impressive."

Zhao Lingjun's eyes shone brightly, and he gently waved his folding fan, his face full of pride and honor.

Su Shi ignored the crowd's reactions and continued reading:

"If you want to compare West Lake to Xi Shi, she is beautiful whether she is lightly or heavily made up."

After the last two sentences were read, the entire hall fell into a deathly silence.

You could hear a pin drop.

Everyone was stunned by these four lines of poetry.

To compare West Lake to the ancient beauty Xi Shi! What an amazing and brilliant imagination!

The beauty of West Lake is perfect, whether in sunshine or rain, whether adorned or simply adorned. This is not merely a description of the scenery, but rather a capture of its spirit, a transcendent and refined elegance.

This poem is simple and easy to understand, yet it possesses a profound and far-reaching artistic conception. It not only praises West Lake but also cleverly responds to previous criticisms.

What does "mixing the good with the bad" mean? What does "becoming obsessed with money" mean?

In Su Shi's writings, West Lake today is merely "lightly made up," and the temporary hustle and bustle and construction sites are simply preparations for a more beautiful "heavily painted" future. Regardless of its state, the inherent beauty of West Lake will not change; it is "always fitting"!

What confidence and spirit that is!

"What a wonderful poem!"

Someone, stammering, was the first to shout out, breaking the silence.

Immediately afterwards, cheers rose up like a tidal wave, one wave higher than the next!

"Incredible! Absolutely incredible! To compare West Lake to Xi Shi, a legendary beauty, is an idea that will resonate throughout the ages!"

"Whether lightly or heavily made up, she is always beautiful; Judge Su is truly a genius!"

"We are fortunate enough to hear such a masterpiece in person today; this trip has been truly worthwhile!"

Those scholars and literati who truly understood poetry had already stood up, their faces flushed with excitement, bowing repeatedly to Su Shi, their eyes filled with admiration and respect.

The two scholars who had been reciting poetry earlier were now ashen-faced, wishing they could disappear into the ground. Their meager knowledge was utterly insignificant compared to Su Shi's poem.

The Lin family head's face was extremely pale, alternating between ashen and ashen. He felt his face burning, as if he had been slapped countless times in public.

Lord Wang remained frozen in his seat, his hand holding the teacup trembling.

He originally intended to use the poetry gathering to suppress Su Shi, but it ended up becoming a stage for Su Shi to make a name for himself. He personally elevated this newly appointed vice prefect to a pedestal among Hangzhou's literati!

This is incredibly embarrassing!

Su Shi remained calm and composed as he observed the crowd's enthusiastic reaction.

He smiled faintly and cupped his hands in greeting to Lord Wang and Patriarch Lin: "Lord Wang, Patriarch Lin, this is just a short poem, please excuse its poor quality."

The phrase "Please excuse my poor attempt" was even more offensive to Lord Wang and the Lin family head than a direct insult.

Su Shi paused, seemingly feeling it wasn't enough, and added, "Just now, Patriarch Lin said that one poem wasn't enough, so I, Su, will offer another verse."

What? There's more?

The emotions that everyone had just calmed down were instantly stirred up again.

Everyone stared wide-eyed, holding their breath, at Su Shi.

Su Shi picked up a cup of wine from the table, drank it all in one gulp, and then, emboldened by the wine, sang aloud:

"Below Wanghu Tower, the water stretches to the sky, but I love Tsinghua University more than money."

"A different kind of business is no ordinary thing; a natural way of life is the true meaning."

"...Sometimes one thinks of the Luoshe Society on the lake, and everywhere in the world is there no Southern Zen."

"Who knows this better than the head of the household, whose elegance is found in the wine cup?"

This poem, "Written in Drunkenness at Wanghu Tower," is inseparable from West Lake and contemporary events in every line.

"I love Tsinghua University more than money," directly refutes accusations of "merchants pursuing profit" and "becoming corrupted by money," indicating that his governance of West Lake is for the sake of Tsinghua's refined culture, not for financial gain.

"Unconventional business model" further clarifies that their land-selling fundraising model is an extraordinary "unconventional business model," not the vulgar business model they describe.

The final line, "Who knows this better than the head of the household? The real charm lies before the wine cup," is filled with an air of unparalleled confidence and pride!

Who can understand the true meaning of this as well as I do? All the romance, all the scheming, is contained in this cup of wine!

This isn't just writing lyrics; it's clearly a declaration: you ordinary folks simply don't understand my level of understanding!

A poem and a lyric struck Lord Wang and the Lin family head like two heavy hammer blows.

No one in the entire hall dared to utter a single word of dissent.

The rare Duan inkstone, the prize money, still sat on the table, yet it seemed utterly ironic. Who would have the face to take it?

Lord Wang's face was ashen, his lips trembled, and he couldn't utter a single word. He knew that tonight, he had suffered a complete defeat.