After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

Embroidered on the screen is a painting titled "A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains," in which the red sun shines on thousands of mountains, shrouded in mist. A poet stands atop the mountains, the sun piercing through the clouds and turning that spot golden, creating a refreshing beauty that feels like the dust has been washed away and the light has been restored, exuding a majestic aura that illuminates the mountains and rivers.

Du Zi stood in front of the screen, holding a piece of paper in her hand.

"Searching and searching, so desolate and lonely, so utterly miserable and wretched!"

The commotion subsided completely after Du Zi read the first sentence from the note.

The crowd stiffened, their expressions showing astonishment, as if they had misheard something.

Fortunately, Du Zi seemed to realize this as well, and read the first sentence again. Everyone's expressions turned serious, and they finally realized that something was amiss.

Some poems require reading the entire piece to determine their quality, while others can reveal their entirety simply by reading the first line.

"In the fickle weather of early spring, when warmth gives way to chill, it's hardest to find peace. A few cups of weak wine are no match for the evening's sudden gust of wind!"

The courtesan's voice was as mellow as wine, its intonation rising and falling perfectly matching the emotions in the poem. Almost everyone held their breath, and someone couldn't help but whisper the poem's title, "Sheng Sheng Man..."

"The wild geese fly past, and I am heartbroken, for they are old acquaintances—"

When Du Zi recited this line, she sang it with a certain intonation, conveying a sense of Qingyi Yunbai.

"Yellow flowers lie scattered on the ground, withered and faded; who is there now to pick them?"

Lu Jing's shoulders slumped slightly, and he bit his cheek.

Previously, he had felt somewhat indignant that someone's poetry could surpass his, thinking that this seemingly eccentric old man had finally lost his bias and was boasting about a second-rate work to save face for the Southern Dynasty.

But when the first line of this poem, "Sheng Sheng Man," was sung, Lu Jing's expression changed.

After listening to the first part, his vision became somewhat unfocused, realizing that he was indeed no match for his opponent... and it was even highly likely that he would not be the only one who was no match for his opponent tonight.

He sighed quietly, feeling a growing sense of anxiety.

"Alone by the window, how can I bear the darkness?"

Du Zi's voice fell silent, as if sinking into water, revealing a hint of sorrow.

Shangguan Xiu stopped every three steps.

Finally, I reached Ningnan's side.

His face was blank with surprise, as if he had a lot to say.

Ning Nanchao nodded his chin: "Let's go~"

He pointed, and a somewhat dazed servant came to his senses and hurriedly led the way.

Jiang Sixue's expression was priceless as she linked arms with Ning Beizhi and followed.

Ning Beizhi's face was flushed, and she puffed out her cheeks when she heard the recitation coming from behind her.

"The wutong tree, accompanied by fine rain, drips and drops until dusk... How can a single word 'sorrow' suffice to describe this feeling!"

As a chorus of exclamations arose from Du Zi's location, Ning Nan and the others, led by a servant, arrived at a clean and elegant seat on the east side. The servant served tea, and soon, a young lady would come to bring them refreshments.

I originally came to the east side because Miss Ning wanted to meet a talented scholar, but Doctor Jiang just said that the scholar is not here.

But since we're already here, it's not good to go back now. Besides, the way back is almost completely blocked... Many people are gathered around the brothel madman, copying that poem.

Ning Nan picked up the teacup; it was steaming hot, but not scalding. Tears welled up in her eyes.

I took a sip, and the tea was fragrant, not bitter, and had a sweet aftertaste. I remember a servant once introduced it to me; it was called Junshan tea.

The Wu dialect storytelling performance on the first floor continued, with a young girl playing the small sanxian (a three-stringed plucked instrument) in a soft, sweet voice, and an old man sitting next to her playing the erhu (a two-stringed bowed instrument).

The leading lady opened the show, warming up the atmosphere.

Now, the Suzhou storytelling and ballad singing style has slightly calmed the atmosphere, allowing the guests to catch their breath. Soon, the first round of the competition should begin, with the twelve top courtesans from the North and South taking turns to perform.

Ning Nan glanced at the little girl playing the sanxian below and muttered a few words to himself.

Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, he finally turned his head, glanced at the three of them, and said with a somewhat helpless expression, "Why are you all looking at me? Drink tea, eat snacks, and listen to Suzhou storytelling..."

Shangguan Xiu sat next to him, staring at his profile, and after a long pause, finally said, "Brother Ning..."

Ning Nan waved his hand: "I didn't write that poem." He pointed to Ning Beizhi across from him. "Young Master Ning wrote 'Sheng Sheng Man' first. I remembered that a female poet in my dream also wrote a poem in this style, so I wrote it and gave it to Young Master Ning."

"Yes!" Ning Beizhi's eyes shone brightly, "Mine!"

"In a dream? A female poet?"

"Yes, Yi'an Jushi."

Ning Nan nodded her chin.

In his view, what had just happened was nothing more than a young woman being bullied by a wild man. This young woman happened to be surnamed Ning, and she was from his Ning family, or a friend of his friend. In addition, the poems of these people were all mediocre, so he brought up Li Qingzhao to scare them a little, which was just a small prank.

Although these people reacted rather strongly, once the poetry gathering gets lively and the talented poets put in their best effort, the competition should subside.

This poetry gathering was quite large, and Li Qingzhao's poem should spread as a result, which could be considered as indirectly raising the average level of poetry in this era. He smiled leisurely and put down his teacup.

Seeing the man in front of her looking so nonchalant, calmly sipping tea and listening to a tune, Shangguan Xiu couldn't help but lean back slightly, creating some distance between them, and took a deep breath.

Ning Nan smiled and popped a piece of candy into his mouth, then said with a smile, "Brother Shangguan, I'd like to ask you a question."

Xiuxiu maintained her pose, but raised her eyebrows.

"This pastry—" he held up the candy in his hand, "can you take it to go?"

"It's all yours!" Jiang Sixue said irritably.

"I'll give you a whole cartload!" The now-famous Ning Xiaoniang patted her chest, and if she had a tail, it would be wagging its tail in the sky right now.

"Hmm..." Ning Nan nodded with a smile.

Erlai and Sanzhuang would definitely drool over this pastry as soon as they saw it. If their mother and Yang Qiniang and the other aunties took a bite, they could probably brag about it for half a year while playing mahjong.

Miss Zhu has certainly tried it, but giving it to her won't bring any surprises.

But Cui Cui may not have eaten it before. If she had, that would be even better. She would definitely be craving it terribly.

Okay, I'll take it back for her to try.

Imagining the shocked expression that might appear on Cui Cui's aloof face—"Where did you get the money to buy such expensive pastries!"—Ning Nan's lips curled into a smug smile. "A friend gave them to me!"

Shangguan Xiu patted his forehead, unsure of what to say: "Brother Ning... Brother Ning, oh Brother Ning..."

Shortly after Xiuxiu uttered these words that Ning Nan couldn't understand.

One after another, dignitaries and talented men came to the east side to offer toasts.

Ning Nan looked surprised for a moment, but still raised his glass, giving the other party face, and drank it all in one gulp without even realizing it.

At first, he was just a little suspicious, but as more and more people came and said strange things, such as "I've heard so much about you" and "Seeing you today, you truly live up to your reputation," his expression gradually became strange.

Especially those sons of noble families, after toasting, they winked at Shangguan Xiu: Seventh Brother! Why didn't you say so earlier that you had invited such a great talent?

Shangguan Xiu looked helpless and shrugged, saying, "I don't know, I just came here to visit a brothel!"

...

...

Ya Ming Xiao Zhu is located in the northeast corner of Yan Chun Ge. It features winding corridors, artificial hills and ponds, and is separated from the main building by a deep courtyard.

Unlike the bustling and magnificent atmosphere of the main building, the atmosphere here is much more elegant.

"Perhaps half of the world's literary talent lies here."

Grand Secretary Liu Zhenxi was not wearing his official robes today, but dressed as a scholar, and happily raised his wine cup.