Frost for a Thousand Years

Chapter 34 Shining Brightly, Winning the Heart of a Beauty
To offer a starting point for discussion.

The top scholar casually coined a classic little phrase.

Upon hearing this, the first reaction of most people would be that it's a good way to be modest.

Only a moment later would one realize how arrogant and offensive this guy was.

All ten Asian geniuses are here; the rest are bricks. You are superior, a piece of jade.

Alright, this is the true champion of my Great Yu.

Wei Yiyuan had waited too long for Song Shi'an's outburst.

He couldn't help but glance at Sun Situ, who was standing to the side.

Sure enough, the other person frowned, their face turning as angry as a tiger; they were truly furious.

But the main reason for my anger was that this kid was disrespectful to Sun Heng.

Even members of the imperial family would not dare to offend the Sun family in this way.

Sun Heng was definitely furious, and he clenched his fists.

Oh no... Dad and my older brother are both angry.

Sun Jinhua could sense that the atmosphere was extremely terrifying.

She had never liked this kind of environment before. In Yangzhou, she was relatively unrestrained, but in the capital, there were too many unseen 'swords and shadows'.

Even now, she still doesn't think it's right to target Jieyuan.

For someone who has done nothing wrong.

Of course, this was directed at the students present.

After all, this directly refers to them as bricks.

Even those who had initially remained neutral couldn't help but sigh and felt quite angry at Song Shi'an.

"Song Shi'an, are you drunk?"

Han Zhongchen stood up and, following the flow of the situation, spoke up for everyone, saying, "Why are you acting so drunk?"

"I'm drunk, you're the only one sober."

Sitting casually, Song Shi'an raised a finger and said lazily to the person, "When the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked."

"..."

These six words immediately left Han Zhongchen speechless and blushing.

He directly insulted her, while the other party continued to deliver classic lines casually.

"Lackey!" Just as he was about to freeze in anger, Song Shi'an pointed again and said, word by word, "Cook."

The words "lackey" felt like they were shoved into his lungs, and the veins on his forehead bulged.

Gao Yunyi, who had long been dissatisfied with this idiot, didn't even wait for him to think of a way to refute him before bursting out laughing: "Hahaha—"

Everyone looked over at that smile.

Laughing at this time is a bit too bold.

“I have lost my composure; I will punish myself with a cup of wine.”

Gao Yunyi quickly admitted his mistake, his attitude was extremely good.

"Since he is the top scholar in the imperial examination, he must be the most talented person. We should all take him as our benchmark," Fan Wuji said calmly. "Then, to borrow a phrase from Brother Song, I will offer my humble opinion as a starting point. Is that alright?"

Although Sun Heng was annoyed, he suppressed his emotions and said in a cold tone, "Please."

Slowly, Fan Wuji walked to the center, facing Sun Situ and Prince Zhongping.

Both of them had a good impression of this person.

At this time, those who do not curry favor with the powerful are considered to have the demeanor of a gentleman.

Gao Yunyi looks the same, but in reality, they are completely different.

reckless.

Because he didn't understand what he was thinking at all, and blindly took sides based solely on his likes and dislikes of people.

If they have clearly chosen sides, then that's fine.

However, it was just youthful impetuosity.

"I am not very good at poetry, so please excuse my poor performance."

Fan Wuji bowed to Sun Situ, then paused for a moment before slowly saying, "With white hair and a bushy beard, his spirit is like a rainbow; with the posture of a pine and the bones of a cypress, he is naturally composed."

"He once supported the nation like a pillar supporting the heavens, and now rests his head on the bell of poetry and books that calms the sea."

The poem is written in four lines of seven characters each, concise and straightforward, yet it possesses a magnificent momentum and deeply moves the reader.

It even echoes the red jade horse carving that was given as a gift earlier.

It's nothing more than four words.

With the spirit of a dragon and horse, he remains vigorous even in old age.

Moreover, not just anyone can be worthy of this poem.

Having served as prime minister for over a decade, Sun Situ undoubtedly deserved the title of prime minister in terms of status.

Not long after he finished speaking, the Prince of Zhongping slowly clapped his hands and commented with a smile, "Fan Sheng's words are sincere and earnest, and Master Sun's reputation is well-deserved."

Sun Situ, who had been somewhat amused upon hearing the poem, waved his hand humbly after being praised by the Prince of Zhongping. He then addressed the students, saying, "I am old and useless. The future of the Great Yu state will depend on your efforts."

It was a lick, but it hit the mark perfectly.

Moreover, Fan Wuji was initially placed in the most 'expensive' position, indicating that he was deeply favored by Sun Situ.

Now, this moment to showcase talent is so excellent.

The youngest daughter of the Sun family is probably going to marry him.

Wei Yiyuan actually knew from the very beginning that this would happen.

The principle is very simple.

A descendant of a military general, he was handsome and dignified.

What intrigued him even more was whether, if Song Shi'an wasn't actually a concubine's daughter, would Minister Sun try to win her over?

After all, in terms of family background, talent, and appearance, she was no less than him.

In fact, Song Shi'an might even surpass him in looks. That's possible, too.

After all, the emperor was going to implement the land reclamation program regardless of whether he opposed it or not.

After reciting the poem, Fan Wuji bowed slowly to Sun Situ and then returned to his seat.

On his way back, he saw Sun Jinhua.

After their eyes met, the other person smiled faintly.

Her delicate dimples are visible.

Fan Wuji's cheeks flushed slightly, and as he sat down, he casually drank a cup of wine.

Langjiu, it's really kicking in!

Oh no! Judging from this, if nothing goes wrong, this young lady Situ will be going to belong to Fan Wuji!

Han Zhongchen was getting a little anxious.

He served as Sun Situ's dog... I mean, his knife! It wasn't just for wealth and status, but also for the most beautiful woman in Jiangnan.

That's why he works so hard.

Having already become the Asian champion, the future will naturally be bright and smooth. Why ruin your reputation and be attacked by those self-righteous guys?
I just want to show my loyalty to Lord Situ so that he will marry my daughter to me!

"Then I'll offer my humble contribution as well."

Upon his entrance, he rolled his eyes at Song Shi'an before turning to Sun Situ and Prince Zhongping with an extremely respectful and obsequious smile.

The traitors are about to begin.

Everyone was filled with anticipation.

The gift of copying the book just now was really hard work.

Now let's offer him a poem in praise and see what kind of performance he can come up with.

"I was startled by the early snow at my temples, and then I feared the frost falling quietly on my brows."

Slowly, Han Zhongchen spoke.

The recitation was beautiful, with perfect intonation and rhythm.

Although he was a lackey, he was still a sub-Yuan, so his literary skills were not to be underestimated.

These first two sentences were enough to make Sun Situ listen attentively, and even feel a little sad.

Isn't this the most genuine mindset of the elderly?

Growing old is like the falling frost.

Lonely and desolate.

Is this the poem I prepared all night? Not bad at all.

Sun Heng's opinion of Han Zhongchen has improved somewhat.

When he first entered officialdom, there was already the imperial examination system, and it took him two sessions to pass the exam and become a regular scholar.

As for becoming a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), that was out of the question; it was impossible for him to pass.

And everyone present was an Asian.

My younger brother is the Asian champion, ranking second in two subjects.

It would be a lie to say I'm not jealous.

But what can he do if his talent far surpasses his own?
After reciting the first two lines, Han Zhongchen slowly took a step forward, raised his head, and, amidst everyone's anticipation, said: "I wish to steal the hundred-year-old peach from the Jade Pool and steal the sundial to continue the spring's beauty."

After these two sentences were read aloud, all the students were dumbfounded.

Sun Heng and Sun Qian even widened their eyes.

No.

Is this kid trying to find a father figure?!

Laughed.

Let time slow down, and don't let you grow old anymore.

Song Shi'an was almost singing it out loud.

Sun Situ, who had just been feeling sentimental, couldn't hold back any longer. His eyes narrowed into slits as he burst into laughter: "Hahaha..."

"Haha." Prince Zhongping pointed at him and said to Minister Sun, "This scholar is truly filial, Minister Sun."

The words of the Prince of Zhongping made Minister Sun laugh even harder.

Too messed up.

Even if his son said such things, he would find it nauseating.

"What a fine poem!" This was the first time the Prince of Zhongping had displayed such a rich expression, without even trying.

Han Zhongchen, flattered by the praise, smiled and bowed.

Then, he returned to his table with a forced smile throughout.

Lord Situ, I'm very pleased!
But when he looked back, he found the other scholars there enjoying themselves as well.

And he seemed to have a lot of contempt for himself.

Those bastards, let them be sour!
With Han Zhongchen's actions, it's practically impossible for anyone to surpass him.

Moreover, the top ten are mainly masters of strategy and theory, not everyone is good at writing poetry.

Some people, coupled with a lack of timely preparation, performed only moderately well.

Back at our seats, we awkwardly ended up drinking.

Until finally, only two people were left.

"It's best to be modest, to avoid any suspicion of leaking the exam questions. Besides, today's purpose is to choose a husband for my younger sister."

Sun Qian declined the offer, firstly because of what he said, and secondly because he didn't want to be a 'brick' (a derogatory term for someone who is easily bullied).

In the end, only Song Shi'an remained.

All eyes were on him.

Even Sun Situ himself coldly said, "Then, let's begin, Jieyuan Lang."

(End of this chapter)