Great Zhou Wensheng

Chapter 80 The pedantic scholar wreaks havoc in the government office! (Fourth update)

Jiangzhou Prefectural Government Office.

dawn.

The sound of the drum shattered the thin mist of dawn over Jiangzhou.

"This old man from Jiangzhou requests an audience with the Prefect!"

More than ten white-haired old scholars, holding their Xiucai (successful candidate in the imperial examination) certificates, stood proudly on the stone steps of the government office.

Their green robes and wide sleeves fluttered in the morning breeze, and the scholar's pendants at their waists jingled—this was the honor bestowed upon scholars by the Great Zhou Emperor, who granted them the title and dignity of scholars, allowing them to speak directly to the Emperor without bowing to officials.

Liu, the guard on duty, hurriedly came out and took the joint letter from the old scholars. When he saw that the letter accused "Jiang Xingzhou, a poor but eccentric scholar, of writing erotic poems and ruining the literary scene in Jiangzhou," he was immediately shocked and gasped.

How could he not know?

The poor but talented scholar who wrote erotic poems was living in the backyard of the Duke Xue's mansion on the back street of the yamen, sharing a room and studying with the two young masters.

Last night, the prefect specifically instructed that Young Master Jiang should focus on preparing for the exam and that no one should disturb him except for literary gatherings and poetry banquets.

"Gentlemen, you really dare to sue!"
"Don't you know this Young Master Jiang?"

Liu, the squad leader, held the joint petition in his hand, which trembled slightly, and cold sweat had seeped out of his back.

Looking at these stubborn, indignant old scholars before him, he suddenly felt that this thin piece of paper was as heavy as a thousand pounds.

The lingering echo of the court drum still reverberated between the beams of the government office.

"Who's beating the drum?"

Xue Chonghu put down the case file of "The Attack on a Young Scholar in Jiangyin" in his hand, and his cinnabar pen smeared a little scarlet on the file. He suddenly frowned.

Early in the morning, he came to the government office from the Duke of Xue's mansion and was reviewing many files of the "Jiangyin Student Attack Case".

But then, the sound of a court drum was heard outside the government office.

Before he could finish speaking, Liu Bantou rushed into the main hall, sweat dripping down his forehead and into the egret patch on his official robe.

"Reporting to Your Excellency, it is the old scholar Li Qing!"

Liu, the squad leader, kept his voice extremely low.
"He brought a group of old scholars to the government office to make trouble, holding up a petition. They said that Jiang Xingzhou, the young master, wrote a lewd poem called 'Ode to Feet' at Zuixianlou last night, ruining the reputation of the literary world in Jiangzhou!"
"Young Master Jiang must be banned from the prefectural examinations for three years!"

"Oh?"

Xue Chonghu tapped his knuckles on the prefect's desk, the sound exceptionally clear.

This eighty-year-old scholar, Li Qing, was a frequent visitor to the Jiangzhou prefectural government office. Every year, he would come to the government office to file a complaint, without fail.

Last year, I reported that salt merchants in Taicang County had used vermilion lacquer for their gates without authorization.

Six months ago, the magistrate of Kunshan County was impeached for performing a traditional opera at a banquet.

Today, things have escalated to the point of suing the nephew of the Jiangzhou prefect for writing the erotic poem "Bodhisattva's Charm: Ode to Feet".

"This kid Jiang Xingzhou can write erotic poems too?"

Xue Chonghu suddenly chuckled as he looked at the handwritten copy of "Bodhisattva's Lament for Feet" on the joint petition.

He simply couldn't reconcile the usually aloof, serious, and mature-minded young Jiang Xingzhou with this erotic poem.

"That Yan Ci is such a troublemaker!"

Xue Chonghu shook his head, rubbed his temples, and looked somewhat helpless.

at this time,

All the officials of the prefectural government had gathered in the main hall. Prefect Xue Chonghu had started his work early, and they did not dare to be negligent, arriving at the government office early in the morning to handle the case.

"Oh, erotic poetry?"

"Show it to me!"

Vice-Prefect Cui Chengye held the petition in his hand and examined it closely.

The registrar, Liu Mingchuan, held the poem "Ode to the Bodhisattva's Feet" in his hands, his brows furrowing and relaxing as if he were quite engrossed.

When Zhao Shiheng, the clerk, read the erotic poem, he was both amused and exasperated.

"Jiang Xingzhou, that good lad!"

Commandant Lei Wanting took the erotic poem, his bushy beard trembling, his voice booming like a bell, and he slammed his hand on the table, laughing so loudly that the teacups on the table clattered together.

"He seemed very serious and mature to me, and usually acted like a young moralist!"
I was worried that he was too old-fashioned and wouldn't be able to find a wife in the future!

Who knew he possessed such a romantic talent, even writing erotic poems? Looks like we don't need to worry about him not finding a wife!
Excellent, excellent, very well written.

I'll take a break tonight and definitely go to Zuixianlou to support the courtesan Xiaomannu!
Listen to this song, and see just how wonderfully it's sung!

He shook the letter and turned to the crowd.

Chief Clerk Liu Mingchuan scoffed, "Come on, Commander Lei! You've got so many files piling up on your desk that you can't even finish reviewing them all. You're so busy that you don't even have time to go to Zuixianlou to show your support?"

"must go!"

Cui Chengye slowly folded the poem and said with a smile, "This is Young Master Jiang's masterpiece from his youth, it's priceless! You must go to Zuixianlou to hear a performance!"
Afterwards, he left Jiangzhou Prefecture and went to Jinling Prefecture in Jiangnan Circuit, and then went to the capital to take the imperial examination!
This poem, "Ode to the Bodhisattva's Feet," will likely become the last of its kind in Jiangzhou Prefecture!
We will never hear such wonderful lyrics and music again!

Prefect Xue Chonghu rubbed his temples and smiled wryly as he listened to their joking remarks.

Outside the government office, the angry shouts and curses of the old scholars could still be faintly heard.

"Stop fooling around!"

Xue Chonghu shouted, "Let's begin the proceedings!" On either side, the prefect's assistants took their seats in the hall, dressed in scarlet robes and jade belts, their expressions solemn.

The yamen runners, armed with water and fire sticks, stood in two rows on either side. Under the plaque that read "A Clear Mirror Hangs High," sixteen black and red plaques stood imposingly.

"mighty--!"

The sounds of singing and chanting swept through the hall. The old scholars lifted the front of their blue-collared robes, stepped over the threshold of the government office gate, and entered the main hall.

The old scholars bowed to Xue Chonghu, the dignified prefect of Jiangzhou, who was sitting in the hall.

Scholars are exempt from kneeling before officials.

A commotion broke out outside the government office.

at this time.

Many ordinary people, scholars and literati were coming out of the painted boats, restaurants and teahouses when they heard the sound of drums beating at the yamen early in the morning—a group of pedantic old scholars had jointly accused Jiang Xingzhou, the top candidate in the Jiangyin civil service examination, of writing erotic poems. They were immediately astonished and shocked.

The streets were crowded with idlers in wooden clogs, literati waving folding fans, and even the gamblers who had been gambling all night rubbed their drunken eyes and clung to the fence of the government office to watch the spectacle.

In the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, thousands of people had gathered in front of the screen wall of the government office—the sensual verses of last night's "Bodhisattva's Charm" had already spread throughout Jiangzhou Prefecture along with the girls on the painted boats.

"quiet!"

Prefect Xue Chonghu slammed his gavel, and the celadon brush washer on the sandalwood table trembled in response.

"My lord, I am hereby suing Jiang Xingzhou, a poor scholar from Jiangyin, for writing obscene poems about jade feet, which defile the classics!"
We, the old folks, have jointly petitioned to strip Jiang Xingzhou of his eligibility for the prefectural examinations for three years!

Li Xiucai gave him a good scolding.

Xue Chonghu looked at the handwritten copy of "Ode to the Feet of Bodhisattva" on the table, feeling a bit of a headache, and said indifferently:

"Scholar Li!"
This prefect is in charge of the livelihood of the people in Jiangzhou!
It's not convenient for me to comment on these literary poems myself; let's leave this matter to Director Zhou of the Imperial Academy to decide!

Lord Zhou will be emerging from seclusion in a few days to preside over the Grain Rain Poetry Gathering. Would you be so kind as to ask him about this poem in person?

Xue Chonghu really didn't want to pay any attention to this old scholar.

These stubborn old folks won't listen to reason; they just keep pestering me.

Unfortunately, the Great Zhou Dynasty had a law that "a scholar who is seventy years old will not be punished with caning for minor offenses," meaning that the canes used by the government office were also forbidden.

These elderly scholars, in their seventies and eighties, had something to rely on and therefore no scruples.

"grown ups!
We can't wait any longer!
If such obscene and lascivious songs are not severely punished!

Are we to let him freely copy and spread his ramblings, causing harm to the students and young men of Jiangzhou Prefecture?!

How could a mere student write such an article? This obscene piece should be banned and not passed down to future generations, lest it mislead young people!

The old scholars remained angry, slamming their canes heavily on the ground as they fiercely attacked "Ode to the Foot of the Bodhisattva".

"Whether it's refined or vulgar, whether it's offensive or not, is that up to you few scholars to decide?"

Xue Chonghu slammed his hand on the table, his face expressionless, and said coldly.

"Yes, Your Excellency, you are absolutely right!"

"Please, Your Excellency, comment on this erotic poem! Only Your Excellency is qualified to do so!"

The old scholars suddenly realized what was happening and immediately felt embarrassed.

With so many accomplished scholars in Jiangzhou's literary circles, it's really not their place to judge the essays.

Let's not talk about them.
Even Prefect Xue Chonghu, in the literary circles of Jiangzhou, could not have the final say in evaluating poetry and prose.

In the literary world, literary rank, talent, and reputation are highly valued.

The ranks of scholars are relatively easy to determine—from Juren (举人) to Jinshi (进士), Hanlin Academician, Grand Academician (封号大学士), and Daru (大儒), increasing in that order.

Qualifications – If you have several articles that are at the level of “reaching the county, prefecture, or state,” then you will definitely speak with more authority than your peers.

Both being Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), Zhou Shanzhang, the Prefectural Governor of Jiangzhou, held a higher position in Jiangzhou's literary circles than Prefect Xue Chonghu, and was more qualified to judge a poem or essay.

If Professor Zhou were here, he would surely be the one to give his comments.

This poem is titled "Bodhisattva's Charm: Ode to Feet".

The last sentence uses the technique of leaving blank space!

It clearly describes jade feet, yet it deliberately writes, "[Delicate and exquisite, hard to describe, must be seen in the palm of one's hand]!"

There is clearly an unwritten line following this: "[Her skin, shimmering like ice in thin crimson silk, gleamed with the smoothness of snow; her jade-like feet, fragrant and delicate!]"
Leave a refined phrase!

But it avoids anything gaudy or vulgar!
Leave this blank and let your imagination run wild; it's truly a place that leaves you with endless aftertaste!
Elegant without being vulgar,
Refreshing without being greasy!
It is the finest of erotic poetry, a work of great refinement and elegance!

Why have you bunch of pedantic old scholars made no progress in decades and failed the imperial examinations?
They only know how to criticize literary titles, but they can't see the brilliance in other people's writing!

Xue Chonghu sneered.

"Your Excellency, this...!"

The dozen or so scholars were stunned by the scolding, and remained meek and submissive, unwilling to admit their dissatisfaction but not daring to utter a word.

"Moreover, this is clearly an article from Dafu!"
Can't you see it?

Xue Chonghu said calmly.
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PS: Fourth update, 10,000 words! Please vote with monthly tickets!

(End of this chapter)