Great Zhou Wensheng

Chapter 123 The King and the Xie Family of Jinling!

Jiangnan Road, Jinling Prefecture.

Dusk bathed the ancient bluestone path at the entrance of Wuyi Lane in Jinling Prefecture.

A few swallows returning to their nests skimmed across the mottled black tiles, drawing several nimble arcs in the twilight.

Deep in the alley, a lantern with the character "谢" (Xie) painted in vermilion and gold swayed gently in the evening breeze, casting a dim yellow glow on the golden plaque above the door that read "Poetry and Etiquette Passed Down Through Generations."

This is the Xie family of Jiangnan—a renowned family of scholars, poets, and musicians for a thousand years, a powerful clan in Jiangnan.

At this moment, inside the main hall of the mansion,

"boom!"

The carved wooden door was flung open by a strong gust of wind, and Xie Yunmiao, her wide sleeves fluttering, burst into the study, carrying a wisp of the cold fragrance of winter plum blossoms.

Before the desk, Xie Qihe, dressed in a plain white scholar's robe, was painting. The wolf-hair brush moved freely, and on the rice paper, a bluebird fluttered its wings as if about to take flight, lifelike and vivid.

"elder brother!"

Xie Yunmiao's voice was urgent, and the wind from her sleeve brushed against the desk, startling the jade pen holder, "There is a newly promoted scholar in Jiangzhou Prefecture named Jiang Xingzhou, who is aggressive and wants to take away our title of [Four Great Talents of Jiangnan]!"

Xie Qihe's eyebrows twitched slightly, but he did not raise his eyes; his brushstrokes remained steady.

With a light flick of his fingertips, the ink blurred, making the bluebird's feathers appear even more vibrant, as if they were about to burst forth from the paper.

"Oh? What's the panic! A nameless fledgling dares to boast of soaring to the clouds? There's no need to pay attention to such a madman."

He chuckled softly, his voice as cold and clear as ice hanging from the eaves.

The wolf-hair brush paused lightly on the Xuan paper, the ink spreading out, and the bluebird's feathers were gilded with a layer of gold.

Xie Qihe's expression remained unchanged, his pen moving smoothly like flowing water, his voice unhurried: "Every two or three months, I have at least one article published in 'Jiangnan.' In three years, I've accumulated twenty articles in this journal—five from towns, twelve from counties, and three even reaching prefectures!"

With a slight lift of the fingertips, the ink, still wet, faintly gleamed.

As the last stroke fell, the bluebird suddenly flapped its wings, as if about to break free of the paper.

Xie Qihe finally raised his eyes, a cold glint in them. "There are only two months left until the selection of the Four Great Talents of Jiangnan. Even if every one of his poems makes the list, he can only have four or five of them surpass me."

His lips curved slightly, his smile as faint as the remaining ink on an inkstone.

"Brother! This person's strength is extraordinary; we must not underestimate him!"

Xie Yunmiao flicked her wide sleeves and slammed a scroll of "Jiangnan" heavily onto the table. With a "bang," ink splashed from the inkstone, blooming into several plum blossoms on the Xuan paper.

His voice grew increasingly urgent, and his fingers trembled as he turned the pages of the book: "Look at this Jiang Xingzhou—the June issue of 'Jiangnan,' ten articles published in a row!"

"Grass", "Moon Over the West Tower", "Looking at the Waterfall at Mount Lu", "Inscription of a Humble Abode", "Banquet at the Rich Gate"

In a single day, paper in Nanjing became scarce! Now, all the scholars in the city are inquiring about just who this Jiang Xingzhou is!

"Ten articles?"

Xie Qihe's expression changed drastically, and his wolf-hair brush suddenly stopped.

A drop of thick ink fell from the tip of the brush and splashed onto the rice paper with a "plop," instantly staining half of the feathers of the bluebird that was about to take flight.

He slowly took the book, and as his fingertips traced the still-wet ink of the words, he unconsciously tensed up—

The styles of each piece are so different!
"Deep in the Clouds" - A Poem by the Clouds!

"A Spray of Plum Blossoms - The Moon Shines Over the West Tower" is a graceful and delicate poem.

"Ode to the Feet of a Bodhisattva" - A beautiful poem written on a painted boat!
"Viewing the Waterfall at Mount Lu" is a poem of great talent!

"The Ballad of the Frontier: Stone Arrow" is a poem about archery battles in the northern frontier!
"Grass" - A collection of poems by Shennong about herbs and plants!
"Ode to My Humble Abode" - a collection of poems and lyrics by the author Dexin and Dongfu!

"The Banquet at the Rich's Gate" is a satirical and defamatory poem!

—The vast and diverse realms of poetry cannot be mastered by one person alone!
Xie Qihe's eyes flashed with a cold light, and his knuckles turned white: "Such skill seems to have come from the hands of more than a dozen different scholars who passed the imperial examinations! They went to great lengths to attribute it to this scholar in order to promote his literary reputation!"

His voice suddenly turned cold and deep, like an ice blade being drawn from its sheath.
"Could he be a direct descendant of a family of sages?"
How could someone from a family of sages possibly mobilize such vast resources and acquire so many masterpieces from the "Da Fu" collection, encompassing a myriad of styles and grand themes?

Xie Qihe tapped his fingertips heavily on the cover of "Jiangnan," the sandalwood table echoing with a dull thud.

As dusk settled over the windowpanes, the last rays of the setting sun gilded his silhouette with a crimson-gold edge.

"No, he comes from a poor family! He studied at the Duke Xue's mansion in Jiangzhou for five years!"

Xie Yunmiao quickly explained.

"From a poor family? You actually believe that?"

Xie Qihe tapped his knuckles on the cover of "Jiangnan" with a dull thud.

As dusk settled outside the window, the last rays of sunlight slanted across his suddenly cold and stern profile. "Do you know—where do these empty titles of yours come from?"

The top scholar in Nanjing!

The top scholar in Nanjing!
The eldest grandson of the prestigious Xie family of Jiangnan! A prodigy of Jiangnan, his talent surpasses all others in Jinling Prefecture! If his essay ranks among the top four in this year's "Jiangnan Elegant Gathering," he will be awarded the title of one of the Four Great Talents of Jiangnan!

Xie Yunmiao was puzzled as to why he would say such a thing.

"These titles."
Do you think I achieved this all by myself, that I could write twenty or more pieces in three years and have them included in the "Jiangnan Elegant Collection"?
The third uncle restructured the structure.

My fifth uncle was a fellow Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the same year, and he embellished and filled in the allusions.

The power of family resources is countless!

Xie Qihe stroked the pages that had been repeatedly crumpled and then smoothed out, his voice icy, "My brother's writings over the years—are also thanks to the entire Xie clan, the combined efforts of the whole family, and the hard work of five generations of Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), that we have achieved the literary reputation of 'twenty pieces all included in the literary anthology,' making us famous throughout Jinling City!"

Xie Qihe gently stroked the inscription "Top Scholar of Jinling" on the jade seal with his fingertips, and suddenly chuckled softly.

The candlelight flickered, casting shadows of varying depths between his brows.

"And this person—Jiang Xingzhou!"

His ink-stained fingertips pointed directly at the name in "Jiangnan," "How can someone from a humble background transcend the literary barriers erected by my thousand-year-old prestigious family?"

He raised his hand and lifted a stack of manuscripts on the side of the desk.

The candle flame crackled and burst open, creating a tiny flower.

Xie Yunmiao looked at the manuscript that her brother had suddenly opened—the vermilion annotations covered the pages like a blood-red spider web, and the "a certain sentence should be changed" and "the allusion here is inappropriate" in more than a dozen different handwritings were piled up, tearing the originally elegant ink characters to pieces.

Xie Yunmiao's throat tightened, and she lowered her eyes, remaining silent.

How could he not know? Those annotations soaked in cinnabar, those clan elders still pondering late into the night, those visiting cards sent to the Jiangnan Bookstore—the Xie family of Jiangnan, a century-old prominent clan, had exhausted all their efforts, turning them into axes and knives, carving out a path to success.

Otherwise, whose articles could be published in the county every single day, and included in the "Jiangnan Elegant Gathering" almost every few days?!

The purpose of this was to support Xie Qihe, to help him obtain the title of "One of the Four Great Talents of Jiangnan," and to make him the future leader of the Xie family and a master of the entire Jiangnan literary world.

Becoming a master of literature and philosophy grants one immense influence and authority!
This ensured the enduring and prosperous status of the Xie family, a prominent clan in Jiangnan!

Xie Yunmiao saw the raging flames surging in her brother's eyes—it was not the ambition of a scion of a noble family, but the fiery chariot of an entire prominent clan.

From the day he was born, Xie Qihe's spine was etched with the clan emblem, and even his breathing carried a heavy shackle. His ancestors forced Xie Qihe to fight for the honor of the entire Xie clan in Jiangnan!
No one can stop Xie Qihe's literary fame from rising!

Anyone who stands in our way is a formidable enemy of the Xie clan and must be crushed!

"Given my humble origins, Xie Qihe already faces such difficulties. To be published in the Jiangnan magazine every two months has already consumed half the efforts of my Xie family. How much more so for a poor scholar like myself?!"

These ten articles by him could not possibly have been written by one person alone!

The accumulation of ten articles is probably the result of years of accumulation by him... or the forces behind him!
I suspect that the entire noble class of the Great Zhou Dynasty, unwilling to accept their gradual decline in the court, wants to join forces to support a newcomer as their representative.

This explains why he alone has so many articles in the "Dafu" style!

This reminds me of an old story.

A decade or two ago, Jiang Yan, who had once topped the list of scholars in Jiangzhou Prefecture, was a powerful figure in Jiangnan Province. Later, as expected, he passed the imperial examination and was promoted to the position of Imperial Censor in the Bureau of Suppressing Demons.

The powerful noble families of the Great Zhou Dynasty wanted to support Jiang Yan, a rising star from humble beginnings, to become their representative in the court. Unfortunately, they failed and returned empty-handed!

That was probably their first attempt!

Xie Qihe looked at the desk and said slowly.

The "Jiangnan Elegant Gathering" on my desk moved without wind, and the ten articles "leaving the county and reaching the prefecture" seemed to be drawn like swords, gleaming coldly in the candlelight.

If it weren't for the combined strength of the entire noble class of the Great Zhou Dynasty, how could so many high-ranking officials' articles have been so easily put together?
"How can this be?!"

Xie Yunmiao's pupils suddenly contracted to needle size, and the teacup in his hand fell to the ground with a clatter. Shards of celadon porcelain scattered everywhere, just like his fragmented understanding at this moment.

How could those deeply entrenched noble families of the Great Zhou Dynasty join forces to support a poor scholar to the top?
"Impossible!" He clenched his sleeve tightly, his knuckles turning white. "Why don't the nobles recommend their own sons? They're connected by blood and share the same interests, wouldn't that be more advantageous?"

"You just don't understand!"
Do you think they don't want to?
The blood and bones of the sons of noble families are etched with the war exploits of their ancestors!

Xie Qihe's voice suddenly lowered, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue.

He took out a volume of "Records of Nobles of the Great Zhou Dynasty" from the bookshelf and unfolded it with a "whoosh." On the yellowed pages, all the surnames were marked with red ink.

Xie Yunmiao suddenly realized that none of these hereditary noble families of the Great Zhou Dynasty had reached the pinnacle of literary achievement!

"The Xue family has been a military family for generations, with three former Ministers of War. Now, the head of the Xue family, Xue Chonghu, has stopped at the position of Prefect of Jiangzhou."

A family of generals for three generations, yet now not even one member can become a high-ranking official in one of the six ministries of the three provinces! Their careers have been blocked by the imperial examination system!

Xie Qihe coldly replied, "But have you ever seen a single line of poetry about 'protecting the country and spreading throughout the world' in their family genealogy?!"
Without poems and essays of the [National Defense] caliber or higher, how can one reach the pinnacle of literary achievement?!

Xie Yunmiao gasped.

"Besides, do you think His Majesty wants to see the nobles grow powerful?"

I dislike every single one of them: noble families, prominent clans, powerful families, feudal lords, and relatives of the emperor!

These are all forces that the royal family wants to suppress and weaken!

His Majesty is promoting the imperial examination system, and he wants to select people from humble backgrounds who have no connections.

Such a humble person, without any family background, ancestral blessings, or ties, is most suitable to become a clean blade for His Majesty.

Only then will they listen to His Majesty's words and serve the royal family with all their might!
Since the founding of the dynasty, the noble class has gradually declined, partly because they themselves could not produce literary geniuses, and partly because the imperial family did not favor them!
Naturally, the nobles learned their lesson.

They were loyal to the royal family and dared not support their own sons, so they were forced to choose to cater to His Majesty's preferences—to support a poor scholar as a proxy!
As long as the nobles fully support His Majesty's new imperial examination policy, His Majesty will naturally reward them in some way.

Xie Qihe said coldly.

Xie Yunmiao trembled all over. In Xie Qihe's cloudy pupils, he saw his own pale face—like a crumpled piece of Xuan paper, filled with fear.

"The imperial examination system is a guillotine hanging over the heads of our noble families, aristocratic clans, and powerful clans!"

Xie Qihe's voice was like iron striking stone, each word hitting Xie Yunmiao's heart.

"Although His Majesty does not favor the nobles."

However, the noble families of the Great Zhou Dynasty possessed hereditary power, were granted iron certificates of merit, and were bound to the fate of the nation. Although their official careers were not smooth, they remained utterly loyal to the royal family! Naturally, they would not disobey His Majesty's decree!

Xie Yunmiao barely managed to steady herself, but her voice still trembled slightly. "Even so, it is by no means easy for the noble families of the Great Zhou to support a scholar from a poor family and make him their agent in the court!"
Ten works by 'Da Fu' officials must have already exhausted the resources of the Great Zhou nobles!

"Ah……"

Xie Qihe suddenly sneered and slammed the teacup down heavily. The tea churned, ripples spreading outwards, reflecting the chilling light in his eyes.

"Second brother, you must not be naive!"
Do you think the noble families of the Great Zhou Dynasty are merely cultivating talented individuals and supporting a proxy for their group?!

They certainly had that intention, but!

With a wave of his wide sleeve, the poems on the table fluttered down like snowflakes, revealing a secret letter from a powerful family that had been hidden under the inkstone.

The powerful families and clans of various states in the Great Zhou Dynasty colluded to secretly oppose His Majesty's civil service examination system.

Xie Qihe clenched his fingers, and the wax seal shattered. A wisp of eerie red mist seeped out from between his fingers, coiling around like blood.

"But they are mostly forging swords for His Majesty—"

He clenched the letter tightly, and a sudden surge of crimson mist made half his face appear bloodstained. "A blood-stained blade, specifically for slaying the powerful clans, noble families, eunuchs, imperial relatives, and feudal lords of my Great Zhou!"

Xie Yunmiao's heart trembled violently, as if she heard the clang of a blade being drawn from its sheath. Her mind was buzzing, and she couldn't utter a single word.

He suddenly remembered that when he traveled to Jiangzhou, he heard that the Duke of Xue's mansion had opened a private school and had taken in many poor scholars. He vaguely understood what was going on.

"The noble families of the Great Zhou Dynasty support children from poor families, and now they want to obstruct the literary reputation and official career of my Xie family!"

Xie Qihe slowly raised his eyes, his gaze filled with murderous intent.

"Then let them try."

"Jiang Xingzhou... let's see if his representative, this noble group, can reach the top, or if I, Xie Qihe, a scholar from a powerful clan, can ascend to the heavens?!"

Xie Qihe's deep voice echoed among the carved beams and pillars, startling the swallows under the eaves into flight and disappearing into the deep twilight.

(End of this chapter)