Chapter 28: Poetry Competition

Chapter 28: Poetry Competition

The Zhu family, having provided the prizes for the poetry competition, naturally wouldn’t miss the chance to make a good impression on the prefect and the examination commissioner, as well as to mingle with talented scholars. Zhu Jingcheng, as the leading figure of the younger generation of the Zhu family, had been busy with the preparations for the poetry competition for several days.

"This poetry competition will have its topic personally set by the examination commissioner. Later, someone will transcribe the topic onto the screen on the first floor. Anyone inspired to write poetry can enter the building and compose their verses."

"The submitted poems will first be screened by several talented scholars from Class A of Qingfeng Academy. After being transcribed, they will be evaluated by the prefect, the examination commissioner, and the academy head. After 1:45 PM, no further submissions will be accepted, and the names of the outstanding poets will be announced on the screen on the first floor, with one being crowned as the poetry champion."

"Starting with the champion, the named scholars can choose any one treasure from the prizes to take away."

Zhu Jingcheng smiled as he said this, "The other prizes are just trinkets such as gold, silver, and jade. Only the one offered by the examination commissioner has a significant background—it's an ancient book from the previous dynasty. It's said that even a juren would stoop to compete for it!"

Qiu Huanian listened with great interest. It seemed that the competition at this poetry competition was quite fierce. He didn’t expect Du Yunse to win any valuable prizes but found the event itself quite intriguing.

After speaking with them for a while, Zhu Jingcheng had to leave to attend to other matters. Before leaving, he instructed Zhu Jingwei to take good care of the guests. Zhu Jingwei readily agreed, as long as he wasn’t forced back to his studies, he was fine with anything.

The three waited in front of the colorful building for the poetry competition to begin. More and more scholars interested in the event gathered, many wearing the attire of Qingfeng Academy, their white robes and lake-green overcoats standing out fresh and conspicuous in the crowd.

The head of Qingfeng Academy had come to judge the poems, so naturally, any student from the academy who could compose poetry would come to showcase their skills. Yu Min walked towards the colorful building for the poetry competition with his classmates on the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, enjoying the admiring looks from the onlookers.

"I heard the prizes for this poetry competition are very generous, with many merchants being very generous, offering countless treasures," said a classmate from an ordinary family with anticipation.

"Just common items; merchants without depth can only offer these," Yu Min snorted lightly. As a scion of a noble family, he had the capital and pride to look down on these prizes.

The classmate from the ordinary family stiffened. He understood that Yu Min didn’t mean to target him, but the words were indeed unpleasant.

Yu Min, walking at the front, didn’t notice his classmate’s mood. Flicking open a sandalwood fan bought from Jiangnan, he said to himself, "Only the ancient book offered by the examination commissioner is somewhat interesting. I’ll compete for the poetry champion and take it to read in detail."

Yu Min was quick-witted, with beautiful literary expressions, and excelled at composing poetry. This wasn’t an overconfident boast. His classmates, knowing his usual intolerance for any criticism, all congratulated him accordingly.

When the poetry theme was announced on the screen on the first floor, Yu Min’s eyes lit up, and he was immediately inspired. He entered and chose the frontmost desk, completing his poem in less than half an incense stick’s time, then waved for a nearby attendant to take it upstairs.

Outside the colorful building, after seeing the theme of the poetry competition, Qiu Huanian struggled in his mind but couldn’t come up with half a line of poetry. He immediately chose to give up and asked Du Yunse beside him, "Yun Se, what do you think?"

Du Yunse looked down at him. Having stood for so long and watched the dragon boat race intently, Qiu Huanian’s face showed signs of fatigue, with a few strands of sweat-dampened hair sticking to his pale forehead, his eyes still bright and beautiful.

"It’s still early, I’ll take you to sit in the tea shed over there."

Near the colorful building, many small merchants who knew how to seize business opportunities had set up simple tea sheds, selling tea inside and providing a resting place for tourists watching the poetry competition.

Zhu Jingwei clapped his hands, "Brother Du is right, it’s still early before 1:45 PM, no rush."

Having stood for so long, Zhu Jingwei was already thirsty and just wanted to sit down and rest.

Du Yunse protected Qiu Huanian through the crowd to a seat in the tea shed, where Zhu Jingwei spent money on the best cold tea and snacks in the shed.

"This little money is nothing, I want to eat too, let’s not stand on ceremony."

Ensuring that Qiu Huanian was safely seated in the cool, breezy tea shed, Du Yunse gave a few instructions before turning back to the colorful building to participate in the poetry competition.

After Du Yunse left, Zhu Jingwei only rested for a while before becoming restless, saying he would go out for a stroll and meet again in front of the colorful building when the poetry competition ended.

Qiu Huanian sat alone in the tea shed, enjoying the breeze, smelling the air filled with the scents of mugwort and realgar, watching the beautiful scenery of the bustling tourists, and occasionally taking a bite of a snack, feeling very comfortable.

Suddenly, he felt the breeze in front of him blocked. Looking up, he saw an unexpected person.

Yu Min, after finishing his poem, passed by the tea shed and unexpectedly saw the young man he had met on the street that day. Without thinking, he left his classmates and walked over.

"Did you come to the poetry competition to watch the poetry? Can you read?"

Qiu Huanian didn't like Yu Min's arrogant and overbearing attitude and didn't want to respond, but Yu Min's Qingfeng Academy attire was too conspicuous. Most people attending the poetry contest were somewhat familiar with the talents of Xiangping Prefecture, and some were already whispering Yu Min's name. Qiu Huanian had no choice but to respond, "I'm waiting for someone here, Mr. Yu. Feel free to carry on."

Qiu Huanian displayed an unwillingness to engage further. Yu Min, coming from a superior family background and being exceptionally talented, had always been flattered wherever he went. This was the first time he had been treated so dismissively, and while he felt displeased, it also sparked a competitive urge in him.

"Is the person you're waiting for also participating in this poetry contest?"

Seeing the affirmative answer on Qiu Huanian's face, Yu Min was immediately frustrated and declared, "After the poetry contest ends, there will be a public display of the poems for everyone to admire. I'd like to see the level of the person you're with."

"I doubt his poem will be displayed prominently, making it easy for me to spot."

After saying this, Yu Min flicked his folding fan and turned to leave. The crowd near the tea stall was buzzing, and Qiu Huanian had no choice but to abandon his tea and snacks, stepping out of the stall to find a quiet place to wait for Du Yunse.

After a while, Du Yunse returned, and the two went together to the Ai River to watch the folk dragon boats.

The top teams from the earlier dragon boat race had each received at least five qian of silver, which made many envious and eager to practice more to win the prize next year.

At the third quarter of the Wei hour, the poetry contest at the decorated pavilion officially ended, and the submission of poems ceased. The examination commissioner Feng Mingjun and others who were appreciating the poems on the second floor had almost finished reviewing all the entries.

"This year's poetry contest has yielded over 180 new poems, 30% more than previous years, all thanks to the efforts of the examination commissioner."

Facing the flattery, Feng Mingjun remained indifferent and directly stated, "There are a few standout poems here, and we should select a poetry champion from them."

As he finished speaking, the prefect of Xiangping Prefecture, Si Jing, picked up a poem from the pile, "This poem is elegantly written with beautiful imagery, not falling into clichés, and carries a charming southern style, deserving of the title of poetry champion."

The headmaster of Qingfeng Academy, Min Taikang, also picked up a poem, "This poem stands out for its pure and upright style among the entries, with a smooth flow of words without any artificiality, reminiscent of ancient styles. The last two lines are particularly profound, truly the champion of this poetry contest."

Each had recommended a poem for the championship. Feng Mingjun took them, read them carefully, and then exchanged them with Si Jing and Min Taikang. After reading both, the three had their preferences.

"Then, let's nominate this one as the champion."

"It should be him."

...

At the fourth quarter of the Mao hour, several servants carried down hundreds of poems and posted them in the hall on the first floor. Among them, the dozen or so poems displayed on the central screen were selected as the works of the talented scholars of this contest, and the poets could choose a prize to take away.

Outside the decorated pavilion, the crowd surged, everyone eager to get a glimpse of the talented scholars' poems before the announcements.

Qiu Huanian also wanted to squeeze in to see, but in the chaos, someone pushed him, and he almost fell. Du Yunse quickly caught him in his arms.

"Brother Hua, be careful, there's no rush."

Zhu Jingwei, who had already joined them, also said, "Later, the top scholars from Qingfeng Academy's A Class will recite the poems. Later on, the poems on the screen will also be posted at the entrance of the examination hall for the whole city to see!"

Qiu Huanian touched his thin arms and legs and could only regretfully give up on joining the excitement.

On the other side of the decorated pavilion, Yu Min, taking advantage of his height and long legs, held the flower in his hair with one hand and his sandalwood fan with the other, pushing through the crowd until he reached a spot where he could clearly see the poems on the screen.

In front of him, a fellow student from Qingfeng Academy was already there. Yu Min tapped his shoulder with the fan, "Wang Yinzhi, have you seen any good poems?"

Wang Yinzhi turned around, startled to see Yu Min, and hesitated, "You'd better see for yourself."

After saying this, he squeezed out from the side, unwilling to face the bad luck.

"All mysterious, what's going on?" Yu Min muttered a couple of times, then his gaze went directly to the top of the screen. After a moment, his eyes widened, "How is this possible!"

...

"The poetry champion of the Xiangping Prefecture Dragon Boat Festival Poetry Contest in the 21st year of Yuanhua is—"

"Du Yunse of Zhang County, Xiangping Prefecture, Liaozhou."

Hearing the familiar name from the shade, Qiu Huanian's eyes lit up, "Yun Se! It's you!"

Zhu Jingwei, who had not expected that a friend he casually befriended would become the poetry champion, repeatedly congratulated, "Congrats, buddy! Well done!"

Now he would not only avoid punishment for the Dragon Boat Festival outing but might also receive praise from his family!

Du Yunse glanced at Qiu Huanian's hands excitedly gripping his forearm, then looked up to meet his sparkling, smiling eyes, "I'll go claim the prize, and we'll celebrate together when I return."

According to the order of the announcements, those whose poems were selected as the works of talented scholars could enter the prize pavilion to pick a prize to take away.

Under the gaze of the crowd, Du Yunse straightened his slightly wrinkled clothes and walked into the prize pavilion as casually as if he were taking a stroll. Yu Min had been staring at the entrance of the prize pavilion, wanting to see who this Du Yunse was who had snatched the poetry champion title from him. Upon discovering that the other was only a few years older than himself, Yu Min's resentment reached its peak.

Yu Min had read Du Yunse's poem and admitted it was well-written but lacked charm and finesse, not quite exquisite. Yu Min did not think his own poem was inferior, and he did not understand how the academy head and the others had decided, why they placed him behind Du Yunse?

Thinking that the antique tome he had been longing for would be picked by Du Yunse first, Yu Min was filled with anger.

Du Yunse entered the prize pavilion, reported his name, and first verified his handwriting to confirm that he was the author himself, not an imposter.

The examination commissioner, the prefect, and the academy head had already arrived on the first floor. Seeing Du Yunse so young, the latter two were somewhat surprised.

"Du Yunse, Du Yunse... Could it be the prodigy who was taken on a study tour by the great scholar Wen Huiyang nine years ago?" Prefect Si Jing recalled this person from his memory.

The academy head of Qingfeng Academy, Min Taikang, also remembered, "He should be here to take the prefectural examination. Next spring, Qingfeng Academy will open its doors to new students, and we could invite him to study at the academy."

The first-floor hall of the prize pavilion was already set up with more than a dozen open boxes, containing prizes that made the tourists outside envious, including antique artifacts, pearl treasures, ivory, and bright jade, all dazzling and eye-catching.

Du Yunse stood in the center, his eyes scanning each of these boxes.

Yu Min outside the building curled his lips, "What is he pretending to be mysterious about? Just take the antique tome and leave!"

Du Yunse was not at all affected by the eager gazes outside the building. After looking at all the items in the boxes, he walked straight to a box on his left.

"The antique tome is on his right, what is he going to choose?"

Du Yunse picked up the item from the box, allowing the curious onlookers to see what it was.

It was a warm jade hairpin (a traditional ornament) about five inches long, with a faint red hue. The jade hairpin was of crystal-clear and smooth texture, flawless throughout, with a naturally flowing curve and the head carved into an exquisite phoenix shape.

Those in the know could see at a glance that this jade hairpin was worth at least twenty taels of silver, ranking high among the prizes, but in any case, it could not compare to the antique tome offered by the examination commissioner.

The style of this phoenix-facing-sun warm jade hairpin was more suitable for young men than for men... Could it be that Du Yunse intended to give this hairpin to a beauty?

Examination Commissioner Feng Mingjun frowned, "Why did you choose this ornament?"

Feng Mingjun certainly remembered the former high disciple of his old friend Wen Huiyang. Just after confirming the poetry champion, the student tasked with transcribing the poems brought out the original manuscript to check the names. When Feng Mingjun saw Du Yunse's name, he felt somewhat pleased, thinking to himself that Wen Huiyang's disciple was indeed extraordinary.

His expectations for Du Yunse were high, and his scrutiny intensified. At Du Yunse's age, with such talent, if he strayed from the path and indulged in the arms of beauty, it would be a terrible waste!

Du Yunse put the warm jade hairpin into his pocket, calmly clasped his hands, and said, "My family is poor, and it is only with the support of my fiancé that I have come this far. I have nothing of value and often feel ashamed towards him, so I chose this warm jade hairpin to give to him as a token of my feelings."

Feng Mingjun remembered that many official families in the capital had wanted to choose Wen Huiyang's disciple as a son-in-law, but Du Yunse had refused, citing that he already had a fiancé at home. His expression finally softened, "It's commendable that you've stayed true to your roots. You were chosen as the poetry champion because your poetic style is upright, and you care about the people and the state. You must maintain your original intentions and not be blinded by superficial things in the future."

Du Yunse nodded in agreement and exited the prize pavilion.

The scholar from the top class (Class A) of Qingfeng Academy announced the second name, which turned out to be Yu Min, who had originally thought the poetry champion title was within easy reach.

Yu Min quickly chose the antique tome, finally getting what he had longed for, yet he felt unsettled. It felt like the antique tome was a cast-off from Du Yunse, handed down to him.

I never expected that Du Yunse, whose poetry is so formal and dignified, would be such a romantic as to publicly pick a jade hairpin for his husband at the poetry competition.

Yu Min suddenly remembered the young man he had met twice, each encounter leaving him seething with anger.

Du Yunse has a good eye; that Vermilion Bird Facing the Sun Warm Jade Hairpin is indeed a treasure. It would look exquisite on that nameless young man.

What a shame. If Du Yunse had chosen the ancient book, I might have selected that hairpin and had the opportunity to give it as a gift.

Yu Min's mind wandered from one thought to another. By the time he remembered to find that young man and ask about his own poem, Qiu Huanian had already left the colorful tower with Du Yunse.

Yu Min wandered around the colorful tower for a while, then, feeling disheartened, took the ancient book and returned to the academy early.

...

Du Yunjing, with a gloomy face, walked all the way from Yuanzheng Street back to his rented courtyard. On the way, he accidentally bumped into a few well-dressed young masters, drawing ridicule. He clenched his fists, trying to suppress the turmoil in his heart.

In Zhang County, people respected him when they saw him wearing a scholar's robe. But in Xiangping Prefecture, his plain clothes meant nothing.

If everyone were like this, it would be one thing, but why should Du Yunse be any different?

Du Yunjing thought of how his poem was posted in the farthest corner of the colorful tower, while Du Yunse's name was the first to be announced loudly. The jealousy and hatred in his chest almost burned his eyes dry.

Could he really be so much worse than Du Yunse? Impossible! Du Yunse was just a show-off in his childhood, and by sheer luck, he was taken away by a great scholar.

Du Yunjing always felt that his talents were unrecognized. If he had been born into a prominent family, he would have been a renowned talent long ago.

He was insanely jealous of Du Yunse, who always seemed to outshine him, and hated this clansman who, despite coming from the same rural background, had managed to study under a great scholar.

His earlier interest in Qiu Huanian was not only due to Qiu's beauty but also because Qiu was Du Yunse's childhood betrothed—a fact he couldn't openly admit.

Later, his mother saw through this and, thinking he liked pretty young men, arranged for him to marry the son of a wealthy tofu shop owner in town. Although Du Yunjing wasn't entirely satisfied, seeing that Meng Yuanling was cute and his family was well-off, he reluctantly agreed.

Fortunately, a few days later, a teacher at the county school hinted at wanting him as a son-in-law, putting an end to his family's plans. Otherwise, he would have married an illiterate young man with only looks to offer, further falling behind Du Yunse.

Thinking of this, Du Yunjing recalled Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse's public act of choosing a hairpin for his husband in the colorful tower.

"Pretentious and narrow-minded!"

If practicality were the measure, Du Yunse should have chosen the prize that could fetch the most silver. If pleasing the examination commissioner were the goal, he should have picked the ancient book offered by the commissioner. Yet, without hesitation, he chose a mediocre jade hairpin.

"The commissioner praised him for staying true to his roots? Ha, what a farce."

"Of course, the new commissioner was previously a capital official and is said to have close ties with Du Yunse's mentor. Naturally, he would favor him. The poetry competition's top prize was surely decided after seeing his name."

With this thought, Du Yunjing finally felt somewhat relieved.

"He just happened to have all the luck fall into his lap."

Over the years, Du Yunjing had been maneuvering within the county school and knew many insider secrets about the imperial exams.

The education commissioner of Liaozhou in recent years was a cautious man, preferring to play it safe rather than take any risks.

According to Yu Dynasty law, scholars must take the imperial exams in their ancestral hometown. Upon hearing that Du Yunse's mentor, Wen Huiyang, had been imprisoned, Du Yunjing knew Du Yunse's path to the exams was cut off. The education commissioner of Liaozhou would never risk offending the emperor by allowing Du Yunse to pass the academy exam.

Overjoyed, Du Yunjing couldn't resist the urge to spite Du Yunse and his kin. He returned to Du Village and spread the news, half-truth and half-lie, causing Qiu Huanian and Du Yunse's younger siblings to suffer even more.

Everything was supposed to go as he had predicted, but who could have anticipated that just before the academy exam, the emperor would replace the education commissioner of Liaozhou with someone connected to Du Yunse's mentor!

"No matter. The academy exam isn't like the poetry competition; it's tightly controlled. Even if the commissioner wants to show him favor, he can't. I'll face him when the exam results are announced!"

Du Yunjing took a deep breath and stepped through the outer gate of the rented house, where the pungent smell of horse manure hit him, causing him to grimace once more.

The family they rented from was fairly well-off, with a three-courtyard compound. The outermost section had a row of rear-facing rooms on the left and a stable on the right.

There were five rear-facing rooms in total, all short, small, and poorly lit. Three of them housed the family's servants, while the other two had been empty and were now rented to Du Yunjing's family.

Every day, Du Yunjing watched the master of the house commanding servants and maids, while he could only live next to the stable, sharing space with the servants. A constant fire of resentment burned within him.

He couldn't help but resent his parents for dragging the whole family to the city. If only his sister-in-law, Wei Liuhua, had come to take care of him, the money saved could have gotten them a better place.

Truth be told, these two rear-facing rooms were better than what most families in Du Village had. The stench of horse manure was no big deal for those used to country life—after all, who didn't have a few animals around? Unfortunately, Du Yunjing, who had grown accustomed to a comfortable life in the county, could no longer tolerate it.

Du Yunjing could only comfort himself by thinking that, at least, he had it better than Du Yunse. Given how poor Du Yunse's family was, they were likely sleeping on a straw-covered bed in some rundown inn!

Du Yunjing walked into the room, adjusted to the dim light, and ordered, "Guer, fetch me a cup of water."

Li Guer bit her lip and turned away, seething with resentment.

After arriving in the city, Zhao had been intimidated by the high prices and the wealthy people. She only went out a few times before staying indoors, finding ways to torment Li Guer every day, as if any comfort Li Guer enjoyed would be a waste of the money spent on bringing her here.

Envious of the master's household having servants, Zhao began treating Li Guer like one, which infuriated her. Proper servants had food, shelter, and even three taels of silver a month—what did Zhao give her? Just abuse!

Li Guer had completely forgotten how she and Zhao had once teamed up to torment her sister-in-law, Wei Liuhua, back in Du Village.

Zhao had rented two rear-facing rooms: one for herself, her husband, and Fu Bao, and the other for Du Yunjing. Li Guer had no bed to sleep on and could only set up a small makeshift bed by the door of Du Yunjing's room using stools and wooden planks. She lay there every day, not even daring to turn over.

Once the academy exam is over, once the academy exam is over...

Li Guer took a deep breath and touched the two medicines hidden in her bosom. Living in the same room as Du Yunjing made it convenient for her to act. Once the academy exam was over, she could finally make her move!