Great Zhou Wensheng

Chapter 124 [The Twelve Families of Jinling] Poetry Gathering: Impromptu Poetry Composition!

Jinling, the Gu family mansion.

As dusk settled, the ginkgo trees in the courtyard rustled softly.

Gu Qingyang walked along the bluestone path, clutching the newly published "Jiangnan Elegant Gathering," and hurried through the triple moon gate.

Behind the artificial hill made of Taihu stones, his elder brother Gu Yong, dressed in a plain robe, was leaning against a five-hundred-year-old ginkgo tree, flipping through a chess manual, oblivious to the few tender leaves that fell on his shoulder.

"Brother!"

Gu Qingyang was still breathing heavily when the jade hairpin was already crooked. “Jiangnan” was published in June. I thought that my brother’s position as one of the Four Talented Scholars of Jiangnan would be easy to obtain. Who knew that Jiang Xingzhou of Jiangzhou would suddenly appear and publish ten articles in a row, causing a sensation in Jinling in a single day.

He suddenly unfurled the book at the stone table and tapped a name heavily with his fingertips.

Gu Yong's fingertips, which were holding the chess manual, suddenly stopped.

His gaze was fixed on "Jiangnan Elegant Gathering"—ten works by officials of the Da family, the ink still carrying the clear scent of pine soot, each one stunning, prominently displayed at the beginning of the volume.

The five characters “Jiangzhou Jiangxingzhou” are as sharp as if carved by a knife and axe, piercing the eye.

In contrast, his own poem about leaving the county was relegated to the edge of the pages of the book "Jiangnan," its words like dusty pearls, dull and lifeless.

"Brother!"

Gu Qingyang's voice was deep and urgent:

"This person was completely unknown half a month ago, but now he has become famous overnight!"
Now, in June, the ten essays in "Jiangnan" caused a sensation, making Nanjing's paper scarce. Who would still care about your essay about leaving the county?
Your hopes of using the June publication to advance your career beyond the county level to the prefecture level have also been dashed!

Gu Qingyang leaned closer, lowering his voice even further, "He has the Duke of Xue's mansion secretly pulling the strings behind the scenes, and now the whole city is praising Jiang Lang's great talent. If this continues for another two months, the position of one of the Four Talented Scholars of Jiangnan may change hands!"

Gu Yong's face turned pale, and he clenched the "Jiangnan Elegant Gathering" so tightly that it formed deep wrinkles.

He read through Jiang Xingzhou's ten poems and essays word by word, his eyes trembling—the talent between the lines was like a cold blade piercing the air, its sharpness overwhelming, making his breath catch in his throat.

After a long silence, he finally spoke in a low voice: "What do you want?"

A glint flashed in Gu Qingyang's eyes, and he lowered his voice: "Brother, there is still room for maneuver in this matter! The four great families and eight powerful clans of Jinling are closely connected. As long as they join forces to exert pressure, they can ruin his literary reputation!"

"Stop him from appearing on 'Jiangnan Elegant Gathering' first!"

"Zhou Dunshi, the chief editor of Jiangnan Book Society, is a Hanlin scholar and is not subject to our influence. However, Yang Xianyu, the scholar who collected the manuscript, is a member of the Yang family of Jinling."

He sneered, "All we need to do is have him secretly withhold Jiang Xingzhou's manuscript and hold it back for two months. It's perfectly normal. 'Jiangnan' receives thousands or even tens of thousands of manuscripts every month, and they all go through Yang Xianyu's hands first. Who would care if ten manuscripts were 'temporarily suspended'?"

"Prevent him from participating in the literary gathering again!"

"Let all the young men of Jinling shut him out of all literary gatherings, big and small. No matter how talented he is, he will be like a trapped beast with nowhere to run!"

Gu Qingyang's tone grew colder, and a sharp glint appeared in his eyes.

"The struggle between literature and morality has always been this brutal!"

He scoffed lightly, but his eyes were as cold as a deep pool. "When Liu Zhendong first arrived in Jinling, he was ridiculed as a 'poor scholar' at the Xie family poetry gathering. For twenty years, the prominent families of Jiangnan joined forces to suppress him, and he was powerless to rise. If it weren't for the late emperor's exceptional promotion, which finally made him a Hanlin Academician, even with his extraordinary talent, he would have been buried in the misty rain of Jiangnan!"

"Now, as long as the twelve families of Jinling are of one mind and join forces to block them!"

The Yang family was secretly placed under control of the "Jiangnan" publication, and the four prominent families of Wang, Xie, Gu, and Lu were put in charge of all literary gatherings and public discussions, preventing them from having any further opportunities to gain literary fame.

Even with the support of the Duke of Xue's mansion, Jiang Xingzhou would find it impossible to move an inch!

He raised the corners of his lips slightly, his smile sinister: "From now on, whenever he attends a literary gathering, all the disciples of Jinling will immediately leave their seats. Who would dare to get even a step closer to him?"

No matter how powerful the Xue family is, they are still nobles and have never been on the same side as the gentry of Jiangnan. Therefore, we don't need to care about offending the Xue family.

Literary infighting and political exclusion are nothing new and have always been the case; what can they do about it?

Gu Yong's knuckles were slightly bent, his eyes were deep, and he was still calculating the whole situation.

Gu Qingyang sneered, his eyes full of mockery: "In that case, all Jiang Xingzhou can do is bury himself in writing poems and lyrics!"

"But even if he could write a work like [Da Fu], so what?"
Jinling was the capital of Jiangnan Circuit, a place of great literary influence. Although the poems of Dafu were recorded in the Confucian Temple, they were not mentioned by the bells and were not known to anyone.

Even with extraordinary talent, without the praise and recognition of major publications and literary societies, one will ultimately remain like a pearl covered in dust, unseen by anyone!

He tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, his voice growing increasingly stern: "Only a work by [Mingzhou] can evoke the five sounds of the Confucian Temple and resonate throughout Jiangnan!"

By then, there will be no need for books or periodicals to spread his writings; everyone in Jiangnan will naturally be able to see his articles and know his literary reputation!

"Can--"

Gu Qingyang suddenly sneered, his eyes full of contempt, "An article [Mingzhou]? Easier said than done!"
The *Jiangnan Elegant Gathering* receives tens of thousands of poems and lyrics every month, publishing only fifty or so. Articles from [Mingzhou] and above are limited to one or two, and most of these are written by Hanlin scholars!

He slowly rose, his sleeve brushing against the ginkgo leaves on the stone table, his voice chilling: "Just suppress him for two months, cut off his path to publication and literary gatherings, and ensure that he has no chance to make a name for himself before the [Four Great Talents of Jiangnan] and the autumn imperial examinations!"

"Two months later, when the selection of the [Four Great Talents of Jiangnan] is finalized and the autumn examinations are over, people will only say that he 'has run out of talent and was just a flash in the pan!'"

"What happens after the evaluation?"

Gu Qingyang's lips curled slightly, his smile icy. "The 'Four Great Talents of Jiangnan' are judged every three years. If he wants to compete for this title again, he'll have to wait at least another three years!"

"And after the autumn imperial examinations, there are only two paths—"

Gu Qingyang held up two fingers, then slowly lowered them. "If he passes the imperial examination, he will definitely leave Jiangnan next year to go to the capital for the final exam. Naturally, he won't stay in Jinling City in Jiangnan to compete with us for literary fame in Jiangnan!"

If I unfortunately fail the exam

He suddenly chuckled, his voice filled with biting sarcasm, "If you label him as 'having run out of talent,' how will he have the face to stay in Jinling? He probably won't even dare to return to Jiangzhou, and will only be able to slink away to some remote and impoverished place to lick his wounds."

Three years later—

He slowly exhaled, his eyes flashing with sharpness. "By then, who will remember a 'flash in the pan' talent forgotten by the literary world of Jiangnan?"

The ten articles by Da Fu published in today's *Jiangnan* are merely proof that he has run out of creative talent!

Gu Yong stood with his hands behind his back in the courtyard, lost in thought for a long time, a dark glint in his eyes.

Not bad!

Gu Qingyang's plan was indeed watertight, extremely meticulous, and flawless.

The selection of the "Four Great Talents of Jiangnan" and the Jiangnan Provincial Autumn Examination were both finalized two months later. These two months alone, by completely blacklisting Jiang Xingzhou, would be enough to oust him from the Jiangnan literary scene!
Once the matter is accomplished, the so-called "Number One Talent of Jiangzhou" will be completely out of the running for the title of "One of the Four Great Talents of Jiangnan".

Three years have passed, and no matter how brilliant he is, he will find it difficult to shake the established pattern of the literary world in Jiangnan.

As for what happens after the autumn imperial examinations?

Gu Yong gently touched the jade pendant at his waist, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.

Whether he passed the imperial examination or failed, the city of Jinling could not tolerate a poor scholar who was ostracized by the twelve families of Jinling.

"The literary scene of Jiangnan Road."

He suddenly sneered, "In the end, it's still the domain of the Twelve Families of Jinling!"

However, dangers still lurk within, like a bottomless abyss!
One wrong move and the whole game is lost!

After a long silence, Gu Yong considered the matter carefully, then slowly shook his head, his voice as cold as iron: "My Gu family must never get involved in this matter!"

Let the families of Jinling handle this matter!
My Gu family must remain aloof and uninvolved.

"Why do you say that, elder brother?"

Gu Qingyang suddenly stood up, the teacups on the stone table rattling loudly. "A mere poor scholar dares to make the four great families and eight powerful clans of Jiangnan give way?"
So what if he has the Duke of Xue's mansion backing him up?
The Prefect of Jiangzhou has no jurisdiction over our Jinling Prefecture; Xue Chonghu has the Governor of Jiangnan Circuit above him!

Gu Qingyang clenched his fists tightly, his eyes blazing with anger: "If you, brother, are concerned about your status and feel that suppressing those from humble backgrounds would dirty your hands."

"I'll do the dirty work!"

With that, he turned to leave.

"No!"

Gu Yong suddenly raised his hand, his eyes flashing with cold light, his voice deep and thunderous.

"My concern isn't about getting my hands dirty. It's that there's a poem inside that mocks and stigmatizes someone!"

He tapped his fingertips heavily on the book "The Feast at the Rich Man's Gate" on the table, the paper trembling and the ink like a knife.

"Ten articles from Dafu, ten completely different styles, covering various categories, each one is excellent and of extremely high quality!"

But unfortunately—one of them was a stigmatizing poem of the "Da Fu" level!

He slowly raised his eyes, his gaze sharp as a sword, piercing straight at Gu Qingyang.

"As far as I know, out of a hundred poems and essays throughout history, perhaps not even one is defamatory; that's less than 100%. Masters who can write defamatory poems are even rarer, one in a thousand!"

Have you ever thought about it?

Why is there a stigmatizing poem of the "Da Fu" level among these ten?

Take a look!
Savor it carefully!

Gu Yong sneered, his fingertips slowly tracing the pages, his voice chilling:
"A poem presented to Zhao Huai, the Transport Commissioner, on the theme of 'Banquet at the Rich's Gate': 'Behind the rich gates, the smell of wine and meat lingers; on the road, there are frozen corpses.'"

"Zhao Huai's family is a prominent family, but isn't the Xue family also a prominent family? Why then did Xue Chonghu not only not stop Jiang Xingzhou from writing this defamatory poem, but also tacitly approve of it?"

"This is a stern warning to all the powerful families and clans of Jiangnan—anyone who dares to harbor any wicked thoughts or resort to petty tricks will be slain with a single, defamatory poem, ruining their reputation!" "Do you think the methods of high-ranking officials in the imperial court are limited to this? Don't underestimate the scheming of these officials!"

"The waters of officialdom in Jiangnan are much deeper than you can imagine!"
The situation is far beyond the control of the twelve families of Jinling!
The attitudes of high-ranking officials like Prefect Wei Guanlan and Education Commissioner Du Jingchen are still unclear; taking rash action will only bring disaster upon themselves!

"Xue Chonghu had long anticipated that someone in Jiangnan would obstruct Jiang Xingzhou! ... This defamatory poem from Dafu was a warning he planted beforehand!"

"Who will be the first to jump out—"

"Whoever is targeted by his defamatory poems will become the next protagonist of the 'Feast at the Rich'!"

Gu Yong slowly raised his eyes, a sharp glint flashing within them. He stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze as deep and unfathomable as an abyss.

If you don't understand the deeper meaning behind these ten articles by [Dafu], then you're just recklessly rushing in to your death!

Gu Qingyang suddenly stopped, a layer of cold sweat seeping out from his back.

—He almost overlooked this stigmatizing article that concealed murderous intent!

Behind the red gates, meat and wine go to waste; on the roads, the frozen dead lie scattered.
These few words are like a sword hanging over the heads of powerful families! A defamatory poem of such high rank, once it falls upon any family, will lead to their downfall and eternal infamy!

The fate of Zhao Huai, the transport commissioner, serves as a bloody warning from the past.
"I see."

Gu Qingyang's throat bobbed, and his fingertips trembled involuntarily.

No wonder my usually decisive elder brother pondered for so long; he was calculating the purpose of Jiang Xingzhou's defamatory poem!
This was clearly a stern warning that the Duke of Xue's mansion had laid out in advance!

Whoever loses their temper first will become the next "rich man's banquet" protagonist to be nailed to the pillar of shame!
Gu Qingyang's palms were sweating with anxiety: "If we are afraid of his defamatory poems, are we just going to stand by and watch him take away the title of 'Four Great Talents of Jiangnan'?"

Gu Yong picked up the teacup, the celadon reflecting a cold light: "I am already a Juren (successful candidate in the imperial examination), but I lack the title of [One of the Four Great Talents of Jiangnan]."

He suddenly snapped the tea lid shut with a startling crack, and said calmly, "It's the Wang and Xie families, Wang Moqing and Xie Qihe—they not only want to pass the imperial examinations this autumn, but also want to compete for the literary fame of the [Four Great Talents of Jiangnan]!"

"Brother, you mean...?"

"They're even more eager to suppress Jiang Xingzhou than they are to take care of my family!"
Go and add fuel to the fire at these two places.

Remember!

"Let the sons of the Wang and Xie families of Jinling lead the way in suppressing Jiang Xingzhou! My Gu family will never be the one to take the lead!"

Gu Yong coldly pointed out.

Gu Qingyang's pupils contracted sharply, and his heart pounded with fear.

His elder brother was even more ruthless than him. He not only wanted to attack his rivals from humble backgrounds, but also wanted "allies" like the Wang and Xie families to shield him from Jiang Xingzhou's defamatory poems!
"Yes, brother is absolutely right! I will certainly be careful not to be the one to stick my neck out!"

Gu Qingyang immediately realized what was happening, gave a slight bow, and hurriedly left the Gu residence to invite the twelve families of Jinling Prefecture to discuss a strategy to jointly stop Jiang Xingzhou's rising literary fame.

In Nanjing, the June issue of "Jiangnan Elegant Gathering" became an instant bestseller, with paper prices soaring to unprecedented levels.

As soon as the new books were put on the shelves of various bookstores, they were snapped up by scholars in no time, making them extremely difficult to find.

In just a few days, Jiang Xingzhou's ten poems and essays, including "Looking at the Waterfall at Mount Lu", "A Plum Blossom Under the Full Moon over the West Tower", and "Inscription of a Humble Abode", had spread throughout Jinling Prefecture and become the focus of heated discussion in Jinling's literary circles.

In any tavern, teahouse, or gathering place for literati, if one does not engage in a lengthy and insightful discussion of these ten essays, one appears ignorant and out of touch with others.

After all, it is extremely rare for ten articles from various prefectures in Jiangnan to be included in the "Jiangnan Chronicle" at once. This is unprecedented in Jiangnan Province and is simply astonishing.

Gu Qingyang, Xie Yunmiao, and other scholars from Jinling Prefecture gathered dozens of talented individuals from the Twelve Families of Jinling overnight on a painted boat on the Qinhuai River.

The painted boat was brightly lit, the music had temporarily ceased, and only the murmurs of the crowd could be heard.

"After careful consideration by everyone in the Xie family, we believe there must be something fishy about this matter!"

Xie Yunmiao slammed her hand on the table and stood up, “How could Jiang Xingzhou, a mere scholar, possibly write ten works of high caliber on his own?”

Moreover, their styles are quite different and their interests are wide-ranging.

Even the most learned scholars and high-ranking officials of the time did not possess such talent when they were just scholars!

"Not bad!"

Gu Qingyang nodded: "In my opinion, this must be the work of the Duke of Xue's mansion, which has joined forces with the Great Zhou merit group to write the manuscript for them behind the scenes."

Jiang Xingzhou is nothing more than a poor, lowly puppet, a proxy they've placed before them!"

"Exactly! My Wang family also thinks the same way!"

A young talent from the Wang clan suddenly stood up and said angrily, "Moreover, I learned from people in Jiangzhou today that there is an even stranger thing - these ten works by Dafu were all written by Jiang Xingzhou in the past year."

In the preceding fifteen years, he hadn't even written a single decent article about leaving the county!

He surveyed the crowd, his gaze intense: "If this situation wasn't due to the Great Zhou Noble Group secretly paving the way for him and helping him win the imperial examination, what other explanation could there be?"

"Is there such a thing?"

The disciples were overjoyed, their eyes blazing with fire, their fighting spirit instantly igniting.

This method of ghostwriting was all too familiar to these scholars from Nanjing!

Naturally, they were also very aware of its weaknesses!
"very good!
Then there is no doubt that the Duke of Xue's mansion was behind it all!

Without the support of the elite elites behind the scenes, he would certainly lack the ability to write poetry in response to changing circumstances.

Xie Yunmiao sneered and snapped her folding fan shut: "If that's the case, then it's easy! Why don't we set a trap to force him to reveal his true form?"

Gu Qingyang pondered, "Brother Xie, what do you mean...?"

A glint flashed in Xie Yunmiao's eyes: "Since he has no real talent and is entirely relying on the backing of the noble group, he is certainly unable to improvise on the spot."

We'll just hold one poetry gathering, giving him no chance to prepare beforehand! He'll be given a topic on the spot and have to compose poems spontaneously—

If he then stammers or fails to express himself clearly, his literary reputation will crumble on its own!

"it is good!"

"He would be so shocked by the impromptu poem he composed on the spot that he would be speechless, revealing his true colors and making a complete fool of himself!"
Today, ten articles by Dafu have been widely praised throughout the city, and his popularity has surpassed that of the twelve writers in Jinling!
Tomorrow, when their true colors are revealed, they will surely be met with widespread condemnation and scorn!

Upon hearing this, everyone clapped and praised the idea.

"Alright! Since we're going to try, let's try it thoroughly and expose his true colors completely!"

Xie Yunmiao unfolded her folding fan, her eyes revealing a sharp edge: "Now, scholars from the ten prefectures of Jiangnan are gathering in Jinling one after another, all for the autumn imperial examinations."

Why don't we seize this opportunity to send out invitations widely and hold a grand "Twelve Poets of Jinling" gathering right here in the most bustling and lively spot along the Qinhuai River!

He pointed out the window and saw that the riverbank was brightly lit, teeming with people, and the pleasure boats were filled with the sounds of music and singing.

As soon as this statement came out, the whole audience was in an uproar.

The "Twelve Poetry Gatherings of Jinling" was an irregular poetry gathering established by the sons of four prominent families and eight renowned households in Jinling.

Only those scholars who are renowned throughout the prefecture are allowed to sit at the table.

Scholars from all ten prefectures of Jiangnan Road considered it an honor to be invited to poetry gatherings and to join the circle of the top aristocratic families in Jinling.

Even if one cannot enter the venue, being able to watch from the sidelines is enough to make one proud in the village.

Gu Qingyang clapped his hands and laughed: "Excellent! At that time, we will give everyone a topic and let them compose poems on the spot, and the quality will be judged by themselves."

He's a complete fool—he'll surely be exposed in front of the talented scholars of the ten prefectures of Jiangnan!

"Exactly!
We are merely friends through literature; we have never framed or slandered him!

His inspiration dried up, and he made a fool of himself in public, revealing his true colors. That was his own fault for being unskilled and bringing shame upon himself; he had no one else to blame!

Inside the painted boat, the night breeze swept across the Qinhuai River, causing the surface of the river to shimmer like scattered gold.

"If he can't even produce one article [about leaving the county], then we'll have a good show to watch! Do you think the Jiangnan magazine will be so angry that it will retract the article?"

"The old Hanlin scholar Zhou Dunshi is intolerant of any nonsense!"

The crowd clapped their hands, looked at each other and laughed. The more they talked, the more smug they became, as if they had already grasped Jiang Xingzhou's fatal weakness. Everyone was beaming with joy.

"Brother Wang! Thank you, Brother Xie!"

Gu Qingyang bowed deeply, his wide sleeves cascading down like clouds. “The Twelve Masters of Jinling have always regarded the Wang and Xie families as the most prestigious. At this poetry gathering of the Twelve Masters of Jinling, these two families should naturally take the lead and set the standard for the rest of the group.”

Xie Yunmiao frowned slightly upon hearing this.

Among the twelve families of Jiangnan, the four prominent clans and eight powerful families were the Wang and Xie families, with the Wang and Xie families being the most powerful.

But the remaining ten families have always been unwilling to be last, so why have they so openly bowed down and submitted? It is puzzling that Gu Qingyang has surprisingly taken the last seat today.

"Very well, let the Wang and Xie families take the lead in this poetry gathering!"

Xie Yunmiao had no time to think about it. She was still pondering how to expose Jiang Xingzhou more thoroughly. She casually agreed, and her jade crown shone brightly in the candlelight.

At this moment, the Qinhuai River ripples with golden waves, and a subtle fragrance wafts from the carved windows of the painted boats.

The young scholars of the Twelve Families of Jinling, having settled the matter, their eyes gleaming in the glow of the glass lamps, drank heartily, their smiles radiant.

(End of this chapter)