Confucianism under Heaven

Chapter 76 Poems in the Style of Words

Chapter Seventy-Six: Ten-Character Poem

The writing of "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River" proceeded at breakneck speed, and at this moment, everyone's faces were once again filled with shock, because when Ye Ru wrote, it actually caused the surrounding talent energy to begin to tremble.

"A realm of calligraphy? Practicing calligraphy by the pond?"

Some well-informed students were speechless.

Zhao Qingfeng and Liu Juecheng looked even uglier, but they moved even faster.

"Then the wind subsided and the river calmed. Feng Yi beat the drum, and Nuwa sang a clear song... Though she dwells in the shadows, her heart is always with the king. Suddenly, she realizes where she has gone, and her spirit is saddened by the darkness..."

After Ye Ru finished writing the sixth paragraph, Zhao Qingfeng and Liu Juecheng had only written up to the beginning of the sixth paragraph.

"Faster, faster!"

Qian Wei, Zhao Cheng, and the others blushed, secretly encouraging themselves, while Su Tongyao looked at Ye Ru with admiration.

This is the man she loves, and the only one.

"I ordered my servants to prepare the carriage, for I was about to return to the eastern road. I grasped the reins and raised the whip, but lingered there, unable to leave."

As the final period was written, the entire area where Wenxing Private School was located erupted in cheers, unable to contain their overwhelming joy.

"Ye Ru will win!"

"Wenxing Private School is number one!"

"Ye Ru will win!"

"Wenxing Private School is number one!"

Qian Wei and the others raised their fists and cheered, Wenxing Private School won first place!

"I'm starting to suspect that you did this on purpose, Fang Zifeng. This is clearly bullying our two great private schools."

"Teacher Liu Feng said with a bitter face."

"This was proposed by your Liufeng Private School first, what does it have to do with my Wenxing Private School?"

Fang Zifeng remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was overjoyed.

Since Han Dingsheng left, Wenxing Private School has been like a setting sun, never to regain its former glory. However, the young man in front of us has broken this deadlock.

After Ye Ru finished writing, Liu Juecheng put down his pen. About fifty breaths later, Liu Juecheng finished writing first, followed by Zhao Qingfeng.

While Liu Juecheng's eyes were filled with gloom, Zhao Qingfeng's expression was somewhat better, though his face looked a little unnatural.

After all, losing a second-grade literary treasure is more painful than cutting off a piece of flesh.

"Should we continue the competition? Perhaps we should call it a day..."

Ye Ru smiled and said to Liu Juecheng, seemingly in a sarcastic tone.

"Why not compete? Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. I just don't believe you can really win all three titles!"

Liu Juecheng was furious. He never expected that his specialty would be so easily surpassed by the other party.

Zhao Qingfeng did have the intention to back down, but he had Peixin Private School behind him, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and go on.

"Then please give me another question, Brother Liu."

Ye Ru shook his head and cupped his hands in greeting.

"Very well, I have long admired Brother Ye Ru's exceptional talent. Today, I would like to ask you about poetry. Let us each compose a ten-character poem for you all to appreciate, and then vote to choose the best one. What do you all think?"

"A ten-character poem?"

Ye Ru fell into thought about this poem with the character "ten". This is one of the most common types of numerical poetry, which embeds the ten numbers from "one" to "ten" into the poem.

Legend has it that after Sima Xiangru achieved some success in his career, he decided to take a concubine. He sent his wife a letter with thirteen characters, which were the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, hundredth, and thousandth. Zhuo Wenjun was deeply saddened and her heart turned cold. With great sorrow, she replied with the poem "Lament for My Husband".

The original lines of "Lament for My Husband" are composed of these numbers, which are used to indirectly express my feelings.

After reading his wife's letter, Sima Xiangru felt ashamed thinking of their past love and vowed to stay with her forever, never mentioning taking a concubine again.

This poem became Zhuo Wenjun's representative work, a numerical poem.

"As Brother Liu said."

"A little while later," Ye Ru said.

"Okay, then I'll write a poem first."

Liu Juecheng took a deep breath and nodded. He couldn't afford to lose again this time. He then picked up his pen and began to read and write:

"A lone boat, with two or three people in it. Four or five mountains piled high, six or seven colorful clouds in the starry sky, the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden, and ten shadows dancing in the firmament."

After finishing writing, a burst of talent erupted, a poem of virtue born from two feet of brilliant talent.

"It seems Liu Juecheng was prepared all along."

"To be able to write such a difficult ten-character poem, you truly deserve to be called a talented student of Liu Feng Private School."

……

"Excellent, excellent. This poem has a profound artistic conception. It makes one feel as if there is a landscape before one's eyes, with a lone boat drifting along. The mountains, water, and people are all one. It is indeed a poem about cultivating virtue."

The teacher of Liu Feng Private School did not hold back his praise for the students in his private school, and commented as follows.

"It is indeed a masterpiece."

Fang Zifeng nodded.

"Now we'll see who wins the second prize, but don't forget our bet."

Pei Xin Private School smiled slightly. Now it seemed that Zhao Qingfeng and Liu Juecheng were just supporting characters.

However, he couldn't understand why Zhao Qingfeng, with his shrewdness, would gamble on this precious artifact.

"Brother Ye Ru was the champion of the last round, so let him be the last one. I'll go second."

Zhao Qingfeng seemed like a different person. He glanced at Ye Ru, then picked up his pen and wrote:

"A bright moon, the sound of reading at two or three tables, the lonely atmosphere of four or five strokes of the pen, the cicadas singing in the deep forest, the Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art, ten years of hard study to achieve fame and success."

As Zhao Qingfeng finished writing and reciting, the papers on his desk suddenly trembled, and then a burst of orange-colored talent shot out, causing everyone to gasp in surprise.

"This is yet another poem on cultivating virtue. Zhao Qingfeng and Liu Juecheng are evenly matched. I just wonder if Ye Ru can compose such a poem."

"I think it's a bit risky, but a draw is probably more or less the case."

"Let me tell you a secret, this ten-character poem was created by Brother Liu back then, but he never wrote it down, so it didn't inspire his talent. Today, it should be a scheme to lure Ye Ru into a trap."

The students at Liu Feng Private School looked at Ye Ru and began to discuss among themselves, with some even whispering in his ear.

"This poem reflects the mindset of students who study hard for years, which is similar to the state of mind of the imperial examination today. It is suitable for me to enter Peixin Academy."

The middle-aged man from Peixin Private School smiled slightly and said.

"Now only Ye Ru is left."

Fang Zifeng looked at Ye Ru nervously.

Not only Fang Zifeng and his group, but also Wen Xing, Liu Feng, and the three major private schools all turned their gazes in that direction, a sense of anticipation rising in their hearts.

After all, Ye Ru's performance in the first round was quite impressive.

Under everyone's gaze, Ye Ru cupped his hands in greeting to those around him and then said:

"As the saying goes, Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Parents, and Teacher, today is the Imperial Examination and Literary Gathering. The ancient sages only failed to respect their teachers. It is also the time for us to express our gratitude to our teachers and mentors. They have devoted themselves to us and are our teachers who have taught us and resolved our doubts. Therefore, I have written a ten-character poem centered on our teachers and mentors and am now presenting it to you."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ye Ru picked up his pen and wrote:

"A touch of ink, two wisps of orchid smoke, a three-foot platform, uninterrupted through the four seasons, along with the five tones and six rhythms, seven stops and eight points, all done with utmost care."

"Ten volumes of poetry and books, nine chapters of etiquette, eight volumes of literature and history, seven books of style and spirit, together with the Six Arts and Five Classics, cannot be expressed in four words, three sentences, two strokes, or one article."

After the poem was completed, his talent soared from two feet to four feet, and his writing was astonishing.

Ye Ru slowly turned around, bowed towards a certain direction, and said loudly:

"Thank you for your instruction, Master Fang!"

The entire hall fell silent, followed by thunderous applause that soared to the heavens!