Great Zhou Wensheng

Chapter 88 Looking across Jiangnan, it is undoubtedly first-rate!
"Uh"

Shen Zhiyun paused, then suddenly looked up!

He was engrossed in calculating the number [the second sixty years plus three times seven] when he suddenly heard Jiang Xingzhou blurt out the second line of the couplet—

[Celebrating two years of old age], the ten characters resounded in my ears like thunder!

My mind went blank for a moment.

Shen Zhiyun's pupils contracted slightly as she abruptly looked at the figure in green beside her.

This person can even recite numbers with ease?

He hadn't come to his senses yet.
The cheers and applause from the couplet-writing session could already be heard.

Shen Zhiyun swallowed bitterly. This opponent was far more troublesome than he had imagined. Did he really have no weaknesses?
The atmosphere suddenly became tense at the couplet sub-venue of the Grain Rain Literary Society!
The four top students, Lin Haizhou, Zhou Wenyuan, Du Qingyin, and Zhao Zilu, exchanged glances, their palms already damp with sweat.

There are only five couplets, but six people are the top scholars!
The player who answers the most correctly wins and becomes the champion of this competition!

Shen Zhiyun and Jiang Xingzhou each snatched a couplet in the blink of an eye, getting ahead of the competition. They only had three chances left!

"I have to answer the next question first!"

Lin Haizhou dug his nails into his palm, a resolute glint in his eyes.

"Lord Xue, why don't you also offer a couplet for me?"

Professor Zhou invited him with a smile.

Magistrate Xue stroked his long beard, his piercing gaze sweeping over the crowd. He thought of a word-splitting couplet and slowly said, "This wood becomes firewood, and mountains produce it!"

Adding "wood" to "this" makes "firewood," and stacking "mountain" on top of "mountain" makes "emerge"!
The characters [柴] and [出] were separated.

Moreover, it evokes the imagery of "firewood coming from the mountains".

"How can this be right? Firewood? Firewood produces smoke!"

"Got it!"

A glint flashed in Lin Haizhou's eyes, and a perfect couplet instantly came to mind. Almost before Prefect Xue could finish speaking, he suddenly said, "[Because of fire, smoke rises every evening]!"

The character “因” combined with “火” becomes “烟”, and “夕” stacked with “夕” becomes “多”!
Moreover, the smoke from the firewood always appears at sunset, creating a perfect atmosphere.

Every word is perfectly matched, the artistic conception is perfect, and there is not a single flaw!

"Brother Lin Haizhou, you are truly a man of great talent!"

"A single moment of confrontation, breathtaking!"

The audience was filled with amazement.

"it is good!

This top scholar from Taicang County truly possesses genuine talent, without any exaggeration!

Even Prefect Xue nodded slightly in approval.

"The fourth pair!"

Our professor is going to keep setting questions!
This couplet, I'd like to see who can match it!

Zhou Yuanjun smiled broadly, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, and the third couplet burst forth: "[Chickens and dogs cross the frosty bridge, plum blossoms and bamboo leaves along the way!]"

Suddenly,

He coughed.

The entire venue was deathly silent, save for the occasional gasp.

"Nine Views Linked in a Row"

Lin Haizhou's Adam's apple bobbed. He wanted to continue answering the couplets quickly, but after thinking about it carefully, his body trembled slightly, and his face turned pale. "Chicken, dog, frost, bridge, all the way, plum, flower, bamboo, leaf"

"Image, form, and artistic conception—three perfections combined into one!"

Du Qingyin suddenly looked up, “The second line must match two objects, depict two scenes, and even more importantly, it must have an excellent artistic conception!”

"How come each question is harder than the last? How can we possibly answer this? Just understanding the first line is as difficult as climbing to heaven!"

Zhao Zilu's face was ashen, and his voice trembled.

His mind couldn't even process it, let alone come up with a matching couplet. Had he known this would happen, he should have answered the first question first.

"Students, please answer!"

Du Qingyin, steeling herself, seized the opportunity to answer, but closed her eyes and concentrated for ten breaths before finally coming up with a couplet, which she quickly replied: "[Cattle and sheep return to the fields at dusk, the bright moon shines like shattered jade on the hillside]".

This is already the fourth to last couplet, and it's already so difficult to match.

I'm afraid the last couplet will be as difficult as climbing to heaven!

"Brother Du! You are quick-witted!"

The audience erupted in applause and admiration.

Zhou Yuanjun stroked his beard and pondered: "The twilight fields face the frosty bridge, the 'bright moon' faces the 'plum blossom,' and the 'shattered jade' faces the 'bamboo leaves'—each corresponding to the hooves of cattle and sheep!"
Although the artistic conception is slightly inferior, the idea of ​​using the bright moon and shattered jade is already quite remarkable!

Zhao Zilu felt dizzy and his vision blurred, and a metallic taste rose in his throat.

He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails almost dug into his flesh.

Of the six top scholars, four had already demonstrated their talent by quickly answering the couplets, but he alone stood out.
They've become the bottom team?!

"me."

His lips trembled, but he couldn't utter a single word in response.

a shame!

Zhao Zilu suddenly closed his eyes, feeling as if he had been struck hard in the chest with a heavy hammer. Regret, shame, and resentment burned like wildfire in his internal organs!
Had he known this would happen, why did he rush to suggest that the six top scholars compete on the same stage in this [couplet sub-venue]?

Now look what's happened, I've become the laughingstock!
For the last question, you absolutely must answer it first!
The instructor, who was standing to the side, suddenly thought of something, took out a roll of yellowed Xuan paper from his sleeve, and solemnly handed it to Zhou Yuanjun.

"Your Excellency, this is a 'double-character homophonic perfect match' left by the previous academy master—in the decades-long Guyu Literary Gathering, no one has been able to match it! Why don't we give it a try?"

"Oh!"

When Zhou Yuanjun unfolded the couplet, his pupils suddenly contracted—

"The sea ebbs and flows every morning."

The room fell silent.

Everyone stared at the couplet with its repeated characters; you could hear a pin drop.

"Seven 'dynasties' repeated characters?!"

Lin Haizhou was stunned, his voice trembling slightly.

Du Qingyin clenched her fists and murmured softly, "One word with three meanings, a double entendre in sound and form."

The character “朝” can be read as “朝” (chāo).
The character “朝” can be read as “朝阳” (zhāo).
The character “朝” is a homophone for “潮水” (cháo).
Seven consecutive characters of the character "朝" (cháo).

Although it is the same character,

However, it has three completely different meanings.

These seven characters for "dynasty"

How to punctuate sentences?

How should it be interpreted?

All the students in the room were dumbfounded, their mouths agape, unsure how to read the seven-part couplet fluently.

Zhao Zilu's face turned deathly pale, and his lips trembled as he stammered, "How...how do you read this?!"

The top students looked at each other, their foreheads beaded with cold sweat.

Let alone come up with a matching second line, they can't even read the first line coherently!

"This is probably an absolute masterpiece for all time!"

Zhou Yuanjun sighed, pondered for a moment, and then glanced at everyone present. "Gentlemen, is there anyone who dares to try?"

He didn't hold out much hope for this couplet that no one had been able to decipher for decades.

Dead silence.

No one else answered.

Shen Zhiyun's lips trembled slightly, but she couldn't utter a sound.

Du Qingyin looked up at the sky, closed her eyes for ten breaths, and still couldn't understand the couplet.

If they can't even read it correctly, how can they possibly understand it?
The scholars and graduates exchanged bewildered glances, shaking their heads with wry smiles. Someone murmured under their breath, "What was the former abbot thinking? Leaving this here to make things difficult for us, his successors?!"

"That's it!"

Zhou Yuanjun surveyed the room, and seeing that no one dared to respond, he finally sighed and slowly rolled up the couplet, saying, "This couplet is left for future generations."

In the ensuing silence, a clear voice suddenly rang out.
"The students are here, right?"

Jiang Xingzhou stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze calm as still water. After a moment of contemplation, he slowly said, "[Floating clouds rise and fall]".

“长” can mean “length” (cháng).

“长” can mean “to grow taller” (zhǎng).

The character “长” can be pronounced similarly to “涨水” (zhǎng), meaning “rising water”.

The character “长” can be pronounced similarly to “常” (cháng).

Seven "long" characters paired with seven "dynasties" characters, one character with three meanings, perfectly matched!

"boom--"

The students were struck dumb, and looking at the boats on the river, they felt their scalps tingle.

"[The sea ebbs and flows]"

"[Floating clouds rise and fall]"

Some people even exclaimed in surprise, "There really is someone who can match that?!"

terror!
What is this idea?

A sharp glint flashed in Zhou Shanchang's eyes, and he slammed his hand on the table, exclaiming, "Excellent! Absolutely!"

He stared intently at Jiang Xingzhou, his heart filled with shock—this young man's quick wit and profound knowledge were simply unheard of!

He could hardly see any weakness in Jiang Xingzhou!
Such a brilliant and outstanding student who topped the imperial examinations is extremely rare. Jiangzhou Prefecture hasn't seen one like this in nearly twenty years.

The final couplet concludes the task.

Zhao Zilu closed his eyes in despair.

As expected, he became the worst performer among the six top-scoring candidates—he couldn't even answer a single couplet.

"Jiang Xingzhou has broken two couplets in a row, he should be the champion of the [Couplet Competition]!"

Dean Zhou's resounding voice echoed throughout the couplet sub-venue.

The lingering sound echoed.

The instructor slowly approached, carrying a sandalwood box in his hands.

The box is carved with cloud patterns and dragon scales, which gleam with a restrained purple light under the sunlight.

"Bestowed by imperial decree, a single piece of 'Dragon Sprout Tea Before Rain' by the Imperial Scholar!"

The wooden box is gently opened.

A dark green tea cake lay quietly on a brocade, wrapped in an imperial paper stamped with an official seal. It was shaped like a full moon, and the tea patterns resembled dragon scales.

Even before brewing, the aroma of the tea rises, its refreshing fragrance lingering in the air, instantly clearing the mind.

"The student thanks you for the reward!"

Jiang Xingzhou calmly accepted the tea cake. The moment his fingertips touched it, he felt a slight tremor in his body – this [Pre-Rain Dragon Bud] was not only a tribute tea for the imperial court, but also a literary treasure that could nurture one's literary spirit!
A tea cake of the highest imperial quality!
Drinking this tea can quickly restore one's depleted energy.

Zhou Shanchang stroked his beard and nodded, his gaze meaningful—although Jiang Xingzhou did not want to win the championship of the Guyu Literary Gathering, he had already won the championship twice in a row, making him the student with the most championships in the Guyu Literary Gathering at present.

Other students could only win the championship in one of the ten branch competitions at most.

The title of "Literary Champion of Guyu" in Jiangzhou Prefecture this year will inevitably fall on Jiang Xingzhou's head again.

As the sun dips westward, dusk begins to fall.

The hustle and bustle of the Grain Rain Literary Gathering gradually subsided in the evening breeze.

Jiang Xingzhou followed with his hands behind his back, his clothes fluttering lightly, and did not step into any other competition venues.

He no longer needs to argue.

The five top students, including Shen Zhiyun, looked at his figure in a blue robe, exchanged bitter smiles, completely giving up any illusions, and dared not challenge him to a duel.

Some gaps are beyond the reach of courage!
The setting sun painted the eaves of the East City Tower golden. As the literary gathering ended, groups of young scholars left together, still excitedly discussing the day's grand occasion.

"Have you seen that poem 'Shooting the Pot'? It's a game-related piece, yet it's written with such ethereal beauty; it's simply unbelievable."

"The most amazing thing is that repeated character combination!"

Seven dynasties were utterly astonished by the seven generations of history!

"I heard that Chief Jiang refused many competitions at the branch venues. Otherwise, he would probably have swept all ten branch venue championships!"

The afterglow of the sunset faded, and a cool mountain breeze blew.

Zhou Shanzhang returned to Jiangzhou Academy, stood with his hands behind his back in front of the cave stone, his green robe tinged with a thin layer of gold by the twilight.

He looked up at the last rays of the setting sun, a faint smile playing on his lips: "This year's Grain Rain brought a good rain."

After speaking, he turned around.

The stone gate closed silently behind him, isolating him from the world.

Inside the cave, several spiritual pearls hung from the ceiling, their soft light illuminating the stone chamber as if it were daytime. The walls were smooth, except for a small jade table in the center, upon which sat an ancient purple clay teapot.

This secluded retreat cave is simply furnished, with only stone and jade tables and chairs and not many other items.

Zhou Shanzhang sat down at the desk, his wide sleeves fluttering as he took out a mulberry wood arrow with the inscription "Shooting the Pot" from his sleeves. The arrow's body was as white as jade, with flowing gold patterns on it, which upon closer inspection turned out to be densely packed tiny characters.

He lightly stroked the arrow shaft with his fingertips, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, and softly recited:
"[Having already judged himself to be drunk and no longer a sage, I suddenly heard music and singing that sounded like that of immortals.]"
[The guests all measured the grain by the bushel, and the wine cups and goblets were calculated accordingly.]

The sound was like a clear spring striking rocks, echoing in the tranquil cave.

I savored it for a long time.

Zhou Shanzhang suddenly burst into laughter, "What a fine poem! Even with all my strength, I could not write such a celestial poem. Let's drink a big cup of wine, and not be able to enjoy ourselves until we're drunk!"

Having said that, he raised his hand and beckoned, and the purple clay teapot on the table moved on its own without any wind.
A stream of amber-colored wine rose into the air, tracing a graceful arc before falling into the jade cup he had prepared.

Zhou Shanzhang held a wooden arrow in his hand, and the clear light from the spiritual pearl in the dome illuminated his slightly trembling beard and eyebrows.

Brother Jiang Yan

A soft call, as if from another world.

He ran his fingertips along the gold paint that hadn't faded over the years on the arrow.

The image of that brilliant and talented figure in the mansion courtyard from back then vaguely appears before my eyes—upright in his blue robe, his poems astonishing all who heard them, capturing the essence of spring in Jiangnan with a single stroke.

"Years ago in the Jiangzhou government office, I witnessed your extraordinary talent and was immediately awestruck! From then on, I took you as my role model, diligently cultivating myself day and night, never daring to slack off in the slightest!"

The spiritual light in the stone chamber flickered, as if echoing this sigh that spanned twenty years.

"I always dream that one day I can shine as brightly as you."

Since you went to the Demon Suppression Bureau to serve as an Inspector, we have been separated forever, and I have never seen you again. This is a great regret in my heart.

He tilted his head back and drank the rich, mellow wine in his cup, the jade cup striking the stone table with a clear, resonant sound.

The words stopped abruptly.

On the table, the newly engraved poem on the arrow reflects the shimmering golden light of the pearl.

Zhou Shanzhang suddenly burst into laughter, the sound so loud that the spiritual pearls on the cave ceiling jingled and collided.

"Unexpectedly—"

"Twenty years later, your child will be even more outstanding than you, surpassing the top officials of a prefecture and five counties to the point of suffocation!"

He pushed open the stone door to let in some fresh air; the night wind, carrying a drizzle, rushed towards him.

Beyond the distant mountains, Jiangzhou Prefecture was shrouded in a hazy mist.

"This young man is more than just the best in Jiangzhou Prefecture."

Zhou Shanzhang stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the sky, letting the rain soak his beard and hair. "Even if I look across the Jiangnan region!"

A thunderclap boomed in the distant sea of ​​clouds, and lightning illuminated his burning eyes: "It should also be considered first-rate!"
-
PS:

Sigh, I've been reciting "[The sea ebbs and flows, the clouds rise and fall]" for half an hour, and I still can't get it right!

(End of this chapter)