novelhk Chapter 90 Ancient Quatrains
Chapter 90 Ancient Quatrains
Back at the entrance to the valley, Pan Ruoan had indeed passed the test.
After all, he was the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, so he was naturally very knowledgeable about even the simple matter of "etiquette".
"I never imagined that Brother Jin was both a scholar and a warrior. I admire him greatly."
Pan Ruoan was slightly surprised to see Qin Xuan and the others approaching, and sighed.
He could also ride horses and shoot arrows, but after witnessing Qin Xuan's archery skills, he could only lament that he had only learned the basics.
As for the art of horsemanship, he had already heard about it from the page who came back to report, and he was greatly impressed.
"I've loved wielding swords and spears since I was a child, I'm afraid I've made Brother Pan and Brother Bai laugh at me."
Qin Xuan said modestly, then noticed that the people from Loulan Bookstore were gone, and he didn't know whether they had passed or been eliminated.
Seemingly sensing Qin Xuan's question, Bai Mufeng led everyone towards the school while saying:
"Loulan Bookstore has passed the first three assessments and is now undergoing the fourth assessment, but the situation does not seem optimistic."
"Oh? Which one did they draw for the fourth item?"
Pan Ruoan asked.
"The last of the Six Arts of a Gentleman—Number!"
When Bai Mufeng said this, he paid special attention to Qin Xuan and Pan Ruoan, seemingly wanting to take this opportunity to see how capable the two were in this area.
Unfortunately, both Qin Xuan and Pan Ruoan had expressions of complete confidence.
Soon the group arrived at the so-called "school". In reality, it was just a huge side hall with some desks, writing implements, and ancient books on the shelves.
"Brother Pan, I am not good at music, so a page will take you to the stone chamber ahead. One of my senior brothers will be there to supervise you, so please be careful."
Bai Mufeng gave a apt reminder, then turned to Qin Xuan and said:
"Brother Jin, I will personally oversee the upcoming 'book' assessment. I look forward to your guidance."
Bai Mufeng is always humble and polite to everyone, like a gentle breeze, making people feel close to him without even realizing it.
"Please give me a question, Brother Bai."
Qin Xuan bowed and expressed his gratitude.
"This assessment has no fixed format or content, and is limited to one hour. Brother Jin may write articles, compose poems or lyrics, but the only requirement is that they must be related to encouraging learning and scholarship."
Bai Mufeng said with a faint smile.
Qin Xuan suddenly realized that this must be the rule set by the Confucian sage.
Although he had never met this sage of the time, from the couplet in front of the bamboo house to the Six Arts examination, everything he did was to encourage people to study, which shows that he cared about the world and was indeed worthy of respect.
However, since the question was set by a Confucian sage, ordinary poems would probably not be very effective if the answer was given using poetry.
"It seems I have to write something truly shocking."
Having made up his mind, Qin Xuan began to search his thoughts.
That's the good thing about being a plagiarist; you don't need to use your brain, you just need to recall.
Seeing that Qin Xuan had stopped talking, Bai Mufeng assumed that he had begun to ponder how to begin writing, so he decided to read some books to pass the time.
But as soon as he picked up the book, Qin Xuan had already picked up the pen.
Bai Mufeng paused, looked over curiously, and thought to himself that the King of Chu was indeed quick-witted.
Then Qin Xuan splashed ink and wielded his brush, and a simple seven-character poem appeared on the paper:
"The lamp burns at midnight and the rooster crows at dawn; this is the time for a man to study."
“If you don’t study hard when you are young, you will regret it when you are old.”
The poem is titled "Exhortation to Learning".
In that instant, Bai Mufeng was struck dumb, stunned for a moment, then rushed out like an arrow, grabbed the poem, and couldn't help but recite it.
He seemed to see himself studying hard in his youth. At that time, his family was poor and could not afford to buy books, so he could only borrow books from his classmates and friends.
Just when I was enjoying the book and wanted more, it had to be returned.
Therefore, he cherished his time and studied diligently. If he couldn't read it all, he would copy it down first.
Although this seven-character poem is written in a straightforward style, its message of encouraging learning surpasses that of countless other poems on the subject.
His hands trembled slightly, and his eyes were filled with ecstasy and excitement.
"Brother Jin, was this poem a chance inspiration or something you had been thinking about for a long time?"
Bai Mufeng asked with burning eyes.
Qin Xuan smiled calmly and said, "It was just a chance encounter."
"Brother Jin, could you write another poem?"
As soon as Bai Mufeng spoke, he realized that he had made a mistake and quickly explained, "Brother Jin, please don't misunderstand. I have passed this test, but I really admire your talent. If you could compose another poem, I would be extremely grateful."
This poem, "Exhortation to Learning," is Yan Zhenqing's most famous work. It ranks among the top three poems on exhortation to learning, so it's no wonder that Bai Mufeng lost his composure.
Since he intended to lure Bai Mufeng to Beining City as well, sending him an extra poem wouldn't be a problem.
Anyway, he's a plagiarist; whether he copies one poem or a hundred, it's still plagiarism.
Thinking of this, Qin Xuan immediately nodded and picked up his pen to write.
Bai Mufeng's eyes widened immediately, and he asked in a surprised tone, "Brother Jin, are you going to write again?"
"Didn't you want another one? I'll write it for you."
Qin Xuan didn't realize that his act of writing poetry so readily was somewhat frightening. He smiled nonchalantly and continued writing:
"The ancients spared no effort in encouraging learning, for what is done in youth will bear fruit in old age."
"What you learn from books is never enough; you must put it into practice to truly understand."
This seven-character poem comes from Lu You's "Reading on a Winter Night, Showing it to My Son Yu," in which he advises his son to read more and put his knowledge into practice.
"What you learn from books is never enough; you must put it into practice to truly understand. How wonderful, how wonderful!"
"This poem not only encourages people to read more books, but also reminds readers that much knowledge needs to be combined with practice. Only in this way can one achieve true scholarship."
"Brother Jin, this poem is excellent. I thank you on behalf of my teacher."
Bai Mufeng's face was flushed red as he looked at the two poems encouraging study, sighing and praising them incessantly, as if he had gone mad.
"Brother Bai is so excited, it seems Brother Jin must have written a great poem, right?"
Just then, Pan Ruoan, who had already passed the test, walked over.
He had only meant it as a joke, but his gaze happened to fall on the first poem encouraging study, and he was immediately taken aback.
The next second, just like Bai Mufeng before, he rushed over and began to carefully read it.
"This poem can be considered the foremost exhortation to study; it is truly a timeless masterpiece!"
Pan Ruoan was so excited that his voice became hoarse.
But as soon as he finished speaking, he was drawn to another song, and after singing it softly, he was already completely shocked.
He looked at Qin Xuan incredulously, then at Bai Mufeng: "Both of these poems encouraging study were composed on the spot, Brother Jin?"
Bai Mufeng nodded smugly and laughed heartily, "And it only took less than a quarter of an hour."
"How is this possible? How could such a timeless poem be composed so casually?"
Pan Ruoan said he didn't believe it, but his expression and eyes already showed that he did. However, the feat of writing two timeless poems in less than a quarter of an hour was so astonishing that he instinctively questioned it.
After a moment, Pan Ruoan gave a helpless, self-deprecating laugh: "Brother Jin has such talent, yet I have never seen your name appear in the Confucian circles. This shows that Brother Jin has a detached and indifferent nature, which truly makes me feel ashamed and admiring."
"If you knew that Jin Xuan was actually King Qin Xuan of Chu, you probably wouldn't say that."
Bai Mufeng chuckled inwardly, quickly put away the two poems encouraging study, and then said, "Since you two have both passed the assessment, let's do the last assessment together!"