The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 58 I predicted your prediction
Upon hearing Xue Xiuming's suggestion that Zhu Xiu write an essay on the spot, the expressions of everyone present suddenly became unnatural.

There are more than a dozen civil servants in Jiedu Prefecture. Three of them are Jinshi, Xue Xiuming, Song Shen, and Pei Jin, and six or seven are from Juren. The rest are mostly official students and apprentices from Jingzhou or several nearby states, and they are not considered elite. Official title is in hand.

If people with Gongju background are regarded as high-level talents, the proportion of high-level talents in Changyi Army's civil service system is not low. In the northern festival towns, they are definitely regarded as a category that values ​​​​literati.

This also reflects the concept of preferential treatment of scholars by three generations of historians.

Anyone who has participated in the rural tribute selection or even the official academic year examination knows how difficult and painful it is to write an essay under examination conditions.

Xue Xiuming's suggestion brought back painful memories of your studies.

It felt like I was back when I was young, sitting in the examination room, facing an unfamiliar question and being asked to write an essay within a time limit. The tortured pain of having my mind full of blanks, feeling lost, and pulling my hair out and picking my scalp came to my mind again.

A dozen pairs of slightly sympathetic eyes turned to Zhu Xiu.

Judge Song Shen stroked his beard and shook his head with a wry smile. He glanced at Shi Kuangwei, who had a dark and ugly face, and secretly prayed that the commander would not get angry on the spot and fight with the Xue brothers.
Pei Jin, the commander-in-chief, turned a little green and twisted uneasily. He was also a high-ranking Jinshi, so logically he shouldn't be so pale.
The old man Wen Taiwen, the magistrate of Jingzhou County, laughed happily. Among the people present, only Xue Sima and Judge Song were able to compose impromptu poems, but they could only barely convey the meaning, and the artistic conception of the diction could not be guaranteed.

As for the old man Pei Jinwen who secretly pouted, the fame he bought is quite impressive~
Wen Tai was the last Jingzhou township tribute before the fall of the Tang Dynasty in the fourth year of Tianyou (907) and the first year of Kaiping in the Later Liang Dynasty.

The 19-year-old Wen Tai was originally going to Luoyang to take the provincial examination. Unexpectedly, halfway through the journey, news came from Luoyang that the emperor had enthroned the throne, the Tang Dynasty had perished, and Liang Wang Zhu Wen had ascended the throne.

The new dynasty was busy consolidating its political power and purging its political enemies. Most of the government offices were shut down, so there was no time to hold the Spring Ceremony. The Ministry of Rites issued a notice saying that the Spring Ceremony Examination was canceled this year, and all the rural tributes that had been accepted would not be counted. The rural tributes would be re-selected in the autumn.

As a result, the shocked Wen Tai and several classmates prepared to return to Jingzhou.

Unfortunately, as soon as he arrived in Qizhou, King Li Maozhen of Qi went out to the world to denounce Zhu Wen for usurping the Tang Dynasty, and continued to use the title of Tianyou to show his opposition to the Zhu Liang court.

Li Maozhen ordered the entire territory of Qizhou to be sealed off. Wen Tai and his classmates were trapped in Yong County, unable to advance or retreat. They did not return to Jingzhou until the following year, completely missing the local autumn examination.

Wen Tai, who was exhausted physically and mentally, never recovered from the fall, and it was difficult to make any achievements in the imperial examination.

Wen Tai's cloudy old eyes flashed with tears, and his mind was pulled out of the unbearable memories of more than forty years ago.

Wen Tai looked at Zhu Xiu and sighed and shook his head. With his talent as the top literary talent in Jingzhou Township at that time, it was difficult to write a fu. Now that Zhu Xiu is only fifteen or sixteen years old, what ability does he have to compose an impromptu fu?

Such a request is too cruel for a young man!
Old Man Wen felt some sympathy in his heart.

Xue Xiuming's suggestion of writing a poem made everyone present have their thoughts swirling and their hearts filled with mixed feelings. It can be imagined how afraid today's scholars are of writing a poem.

Zhu Xiu's heart also tightened, her clenched hands were full of sweat, and her mind was spinning rapidly, recalling the famous poems she had memorized in her previous life.

"How is Zhu Shaolang's preparations?"

Xue Xiuming said with a smile.

Zhu Xiu laughed awkwardly and cursed this guy in his heart for being despicable.

Before he even agreed, this guy directly asked him if he was ready!

Clearly to catch the ducks on the shelves?

"This is a poem."

Zhu Xiu's eyes rolled, she stammered, and her face looked unnatural.

Xue Xiuming saw the fear on his face and sneered in his heart.

Even if he randomly gave a question, the young man in front of him would not be able to write a decent essay.

As long as he couldn't write it, he could use this as a reason to veto Shi Kuangwei's proposal to appoint him as secretary-general.

Want to get involved in personnel arrangements for civilian staff?Not that easy!

Zhu Xiu glanced at the head of the throne and saw that Lao Shi's black face was full of worry, and his eyes were full of anger, helplessness, and sadness.
He is a man who is upright and upright, handsome at all times, but he is always controlled by others. He is toyed with by the Xue brothers. He would not be willing to do it.
It's just that the Fu test teaches real knowledge and literary talents, and he only has so much in his stomach. If Xue Xiuming gives him a question that is beyond the outline, and it doesn't match what he has in his stomach, he will be dumbfounded.
A layer of white sweat broke out on Zhu Xiu's forehead, her eyes flickered, she swallowed, pretended to be calm and puffed out her chest, fully displaying the image of a stubborn young man who desperately wanted to save face:

"When you write a poem, just write a poem! To be honest with Xue Sima, when students study under their teacher, they often get praise from their teacher for the poems they write! Especially the poems that describe scenes and seasons, students have written a lot of them. Please Xue Sima Come up with a question!”

Xue Xiuming twirled his beard and squinted his eyes slightly, like a poisonous snake waiting for its prey to approach.

He stared at Zhu Xiu with penetrating eyes, seeing through his frightened eyes and uneasy heart.

Xue Xiuming sneered, what a cunning boy, he deliberately emphasized that he was good at writing about scenery and seasons, it was obviously a bluff to cover up the truth!
The real situation is that this guy is not good at writing about scenes and seasons at all!

He was deliberately inducing himself, hoping that the questions he asked would avoid scenery and seasons!
The corners of Xue Xiuming's mouth curled up, thinking that he saw Zhu Xiu's little trick clearly.

Xue Xiuming glanced out of the corner of the hall and saw the snowflakes swaying down from the sky, and the sky and the earth were completely white. He immediately thought about it and said with a bit of sarcasm:

"Since Mr. Zhu is good at scenery and seasons, why not write an essay with 'snow' as the title, and I and my colleagues are waiting for a masterpiece! Let's see what level of articles can be praised by Mr. Siyou, the respected teacher! "

Zhu Xiu was stunned, her eyes were dull, and she looked unexpectedly shocked.

Xue Xiuming is getting more and more proud. How can he hide this little trick from me?

"Xue Sima really wants me to write an essay about 'snow'?"

Zhu Xiu's face calmed down and she asked seriously.

Xue Xiuming was stunned for a moment and nodded subconsciously, confused by his sudden change of expression.

"Come here, I will serve you with pen and ink!" Xue Xiuming ordered and looked at Zhu Xiu deeply and suspiciously, "When you are ready, start composing!"

Xue Xiuming sat back in his chair and watched intently, wanting to see what tricks Zhu Xiu would do.

A table was lifted in front of Zhu Xiu, the paper was laid out, and the inkstone filled with the fragrance of ink.

A dozen pairs of eyes looked either mockingly or sympathetically, but there was no one looking forward to it.

No one thinks that a young man can write praiseworthy prose.

The title of snow is quite satisfactory. If you think hard in private for a few days and make a dozen drafts, it is not uncommon for anyone who has read for several years to reluctantly write an essay.

It's just that in an on-the-spot environment, and the topic is improvised, it is very difficult to write a passable essay.

Zhu Xiu had previously boasted that he was good at describing scenes and seasons. No one here believed his words and thought they were just the harsh words of a young and competitive young man.

Zhu Xiu smiled slightly, scanned the crowd, and landed on the envoy Pei Jin.

"Can I ask Pei Zhi to write on behalf of the students?"

Pei Jin was stunned, glanced at Shi Kuangwei and Xue Xiuming, hesitated for a moment, smiled reluctantly, stood up and sat beside the table in the hall, dipped his pen in ink, and waited for Zhu Xiu to recite.

Zhu Xiu saluted and thanked him, cut her hands behind her back, closed her eyes slightly, and walked around the hall calmly.

More than a dozen pairs of eyes stared at him with wide eyes. The scene was quiet except for the sound of snowflakes falling outside.

When he heard that Xue Xiuming asked him to compose a poem on snow, Zhu Xiu felt more at ease. He had memorized several poems about snow and memorized them countless times while practicing calligraphy, which left a deep impression on him.

When I asked Pei Jin to write for me, I was also worried that he might not remember all the new words, especially traditional Chinese writing, which he was not very proficient in.

Xue Xiuming thought he had seen through his little trick, but he did not know that there was reality within the imaginary, and imaginary within the reality. The man named Xue was really fooled, and limited the scope of the questions to scenery and seasons.

Zhu Xiu was proud. Xue Xiuming thought he had seen through his second layer of disguise and imagined his true purpose as the first layer, but in fact he was hiding on the fifth layer.
"Ahem, does Zhu Shaolang have any manuscripts?"

Pei Jin saw Zhu Xiu standing motionless at the door of the front hall, hands behind his hands and head raised as if admiring the snow scene, so he couldn't help but give a reminder.

Pei Jin dipped his hand in the ink again, cursing secretly that if he didn't write, the ink would freeze.
".I have kept Ambassador Pei and all the princes waiting for a long time. The article has been published. Please read it for your review!"

Zhu Xiu laughed dryly, turned around and bowed apologetically.

After taking two steps, Zhu Xiu cleared her throat and chanted loudly:

"The Yuan Sheng is good at making plans, and when the weather is cold, he will be obedient."

The clear voice resounded in the hall, and everyone present was startled at first, and then slightly surprised.

The first two sentences are quite extraordinary. This is about the winter snow season.

"The six-pronged Jia Kuang is nourished by jade essence. It grows and accumulates moisture in heavy ridges, and sprouts in the back of prayer."

After a pause, Zhu Xiu took another two steps and recited aloud.

Hiss, hiss~~ There was a sound of inhalation in the hall, and except for Shi Kuangwei and Xue Xiuliang, who looked confused, everyone else had goosebumps.These two sentences lay out the cause of snow, they are grand and unique, and the opening is impressive.

"The order of restraining the yin and yang is used to suit the heaven and the earth. Watching the mysterious laws of the husband travel around the world, the clouds of sorrow are gathering. Beilu Siji, the young girl is in charge."

Zhu Xiu quickened his pace and walked around the hall, his expression a bit solemn and a bit frivolous.

Xue Xiuming's hand twirling his beard shook, and several black beards were pulled off hard, causing his face to tremble in pain.

If the opening few sentences are refreshing, then the following sentences are enough to shock people!

In just a few sentences, the cause and source of snow are described as being given by heaven and earth, descended by gods, and the majestic momentum rushes towards us!

"The water is flowing to drive away the screen, and the cleaning is sweeping with flying feet. At first, it is dark and warm, and it is vigorous, and then it is dense and quiet. With the midges, it is diffuse, and the path is swaying and full of energy."

Zhu Xiu walked faster and faster around the tables in the hall, shaking his head and chanting loudly, as if he had entered some mysterious artistic conception where inspiration burst out.

He rushed out of the hall, pointed to the vast sky, stretched out his hand to scoop up a handful of snow, and chanted loudly with almost no pause:

"The scarves and shoes are lost to the people, and the Gui Fu is falsely guarded. I am close to the closed territory of the Huan River, and I visit the gardens of Liangtai. I play with the flowers and Chu of Gui, and feel the mingling of secrets and glory."

Pei Jin's writing was sloppy, sweat stains appeared on his temples, and a large bead of sweat rolled down the tip of his nose, which he hurriedly wiped away with his sleeves.

He suppressed the shock in his heart, tried hard to remind himself to stay awake and calm, and tried not to write a single word wrong.

His hand holding the pen was shaking, his breathing became rapid, and every word he wrote seemed to weigh a thousand pounds.

This snow poem with its extraordinary wording and lofty style, the elegant taste and magnificent literary talent revealed in the words, have far exceeded the lifetime accumulation of an ordinary scholar.

It is simply everyone’s work and a masterpiece handed down from generation to generation!
Pei Jin smiled bitterly and was excited in his heart. He was the one to write and write such a shocking work for the first time. He really didn't know whether he should be grateful or terrified.

The article has its own weight, and Pei Jin now truly understands the meaning of this sentence.

Xue Xiuming lowered his eyelids, his face was extremely gloomy, and his hands on his knees tightly grasped the hem of his robe.

He tried hard to recall the origin of this poem. To his disappointment, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember anyone who had written this article.

He absolutely did not believe that such a gorgeous poem was written by a young man!

Xue Xiuming looked at Zhu Xiu, who was standing under the eaves with his hands behind his hands, looking up at the flying snow, and suddenly understood something.

He was deceived!

Zhu Xiu had previously vowed that he was good at writing about scenery and seasons, and that was not a lie at all!

He expected that he would deliberately make things difficult, so he did the opposite!
There were a few bloodshot eyes in Xue Xiuming's eyes, but he didn't expect to be plotted by a young man!

This poem was most likely written by his master, a hermit from Tanzhou.

But no matter what, this article was published for the first time, and it came from Zhu Xiu's mouth, so it was naturally stamped with his imprint.

"Brother, why do you look like this? How is your article written?"

Xue Xiuliang was startled when he saw his brother's face sinking like water, and asked in a low voice.

Xue Xiuming pursed his lips and said nothing. He glanced at Shi Kuangwei, who was restless, and shook his head slightly without speaking.

Judge Song Shen's face was full of intoxication, and he silently recited one sentence after Zhu Xiu's recitation, as if he was immersed in the grand scene of the snow country described in the poem.

Wen Tai sat up unconsciously, his wrinkled old face full of horror.

As the most talented scholar in Jingzhou 40 years ago, he could certainly appreciate the extraordinary features of this poem.

He had never heard of most of the many allusions listed in the article.

The words describing the scene of falling snow were gorgeous, beautiful, and vivid. He could understand the meaning, but if he were allowed to write it by himself, Old Man Wen knew that he might not be able to write it even if he studied hard for two lifetimes.

Zhu Xiu staggered back to the hall, as if he was drunk, his face was flushed, and he read the last few lines loudly:
"The dead body of Nan is here to share the banquet, and to send happiness and health to the wine. Zhen Qian is kind to the world, and continues the long song to the guest's right. The song goes: The north wind is cool and the sky is scattered, and the dew is sweet and the sun is shining together. There are apples in the sky. There are Wei in the mountains, and the road is long, who will return home?"

There was silence in the hall for a long time, and you could hear a needle drop.

Pei Jin finished writing the last word with trembling hands and placed the pen on the pen holder. He was soaked with sweat and almost half-lying on the table, breathing heavily.

Wen Tai's skinny hands gripped the armrest tightly, and his body almost slipped to the ground.

"The road is long. Who will return with you?"

Old Man Wen murmured, his eyes were moist with vicissitudes of life, muddy tears fell from the corners of his eyes, and a sense of desolation and loneliness came to his mind.

Song Shen took deep breaths, suppressed the shock in his heart, and sighed inaudibly: "As soon as this article was published, no one would dare to compose a poem with snow in 50 years."

Xue Xiuming had calmed down from his shock and anger, and looked at Zhu Xiu with squinted eyes.

Shi Kuangwei rubbed his hands and opened his mouth to speak but then stopped.

Looking at the stupid and dumb faces of the people in the hall, Lao Shi was a little unsure whether Zhu Xiaozi's article was good or bad.
Zhu Xiu took a sip of tea, bowed to everyone, and said with a smile: "I would like to present you a piece of "Xue Fu", please correct it! I wrote it in a hurry. If there is anything wrong, please give me some advice!"

Everyone present laughed awkwardly and lowered their heads, not daring to look at Zhu Xiu.

Everyone is powerless to complain, and a hastily written article is a work of art. If you want to calm down and think about it for a few days, why don't you spit out lotus flowers, bursts of wonderful sounds, have neon lights fall from the sky, and appear in front of people?
Could it be that the literary saint descended to earth?

Still right?
When this famous work is widely circulated and known to the world, there was once a guy who overestimated his ability and tried to modify the words of the famous work. How about he be ridiculed and reviled by the world?

The white-faced boy Zhu is very bad!
More than a dozen officials either looked up at the rafters or looked down at their toes, not daring to praise out loud, let alone give unscrupulous comments on this "Snow Ode".

Zhu Xiu smiled brightly. Uncle Yan Tong's "Snow Ode" can be regarded as a treasure in the ocean. Although it is not very famous among the scenery and seasonal poems after the Song Dynasty, it was enough to shock the world in the chaotic times at the end of the Five Dynasties and the decline of the literary world. .

"Xue Sima, I wonder if the poems written by students can still be heard?"

Zhu Xiu bowed and saluted with sincere expectation on his face.

Xue Xiuming's pale cheeks were a bit livid, and he forced a stiff smile:
"Mr. Siyou, my respected teacher, is really brilliant in literary talent. Xue admires him! This article can be regarded as the best literary work in the world!"

"Haha, Xue Sima is too praised!" Zhu Xiu smiled and didn't explain much.

This guy is so small-minded that he can't find fault with the article, so he secretly mocks him for reciting the teacher's article.

Shi Kuangwei coughed dryly and said with a tigerish face: "Everyone, Zhu Xiu has also written an article. Can you tell me, with his talent and learning, whether he is qualified for the position of secretary-general?"

Everyone looked at each other and remained silent.

Song Shen opened his mouth, but when he saw Xue Xiuming's face was gloomy, he hesitated and shut up.

Pei Jin slumped on the chair and tried to stand up, but was frightened back by Xue Xiuliang's fierce look.

Wen Tai's old face was dull, as if he was in a daze.

Xue Xiuming weighed it for a moment, raised his hands and said with a smile: "Jie Shuai has a keen eye for talents. It is really gratifying to invite a young genius like Zhu Shaolang to our Zhangyi Army! Xue agrees with Zhu Shaolang to take up the post of secretary!"

Xue Xiuliang's eyes widened and he wanted to speak, but Xue Xiuming quickly gouged him out and told him to shut up.

After a brief silence in the hall, there was a chorus of agreement.

"What Xue Sima said is true! I second my opinion!"

"Jie Shuai always knows how to recognize people, and he will never go wrong with the talents he chooses!"

"Zhu Shaolang is talented. Joining the Zhangyi Army is a blessing to our soldiers and people in Jingzhou!"

"Congratulations, Young Master Zhu! No, I should change my name to Secretary Zhang!"

"Congratulations, congratulations~~"

Zhu Xiu smiled and returned the gifts one by one, with a humble attitude and neither arrogance nor impatience, and once again won praises.

Shi Kuangwei became impatient after hearing this, slapped the table and stood up, shouting: "That's it! From today on, Zhu Xiu will serve as the Secretary-General of the Zhangyi Army, with the power to counselor military aircraft and assist in government affairs!"

　The big chapters are no longer divided.
　　Happy National Day~~~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)