Chapter 48: Encouragement to Learn

Although Education Inspector Lin was somewhat displeased by Xu Jing's abrupt proposal, having served as an official for many years, he had long mastered the art of concealing his emotions. Seeing that the scholars were echoing the suggestion, he simply nodded and spoke.

"Since that is the case, this official shall witness your literary talents. Should brilliant works be born from this, it will certainly make for a fine tale. You will all need to take the provincial examinations in the future, so let the theme be 'Exhortation to Study.' You have the time of one stick of incense. You shall begin first, Qixian."

Education Inspector Lin saw right through the thoughts of the person before him: either the man was arrogant about his talent and wished to show off to win his favor, or he was being manipulated as a tool by someone else. Unfortunately, regardless of which it was, this person had already been mentally disqualified in the inspector's mind.

This candidate clearly had not bothered to research Education Inspector Lin's background. Had he done so, he would have known that Lord Lin valued decorum above all else in his life. Engaging in such a blatant breach of etiquette meant that no matter how high one's talent might be, one could never catch his eye.

Li Jie was somewhat surprised by the proposal. The scholar who suggested it was truly lacking in wisdom. He knew the impression he had left on outsiders—that his poetry and prose were merely conventional. However, if someone genuinely wanted to outshine him in poetry, they were making a grave miscalculation. Although the Ming Dynasty and subsequent eras did not lack masterpieces, Li Jie had also memorized quite a few.

Since ancient times, literary banquets had always been accompanied by the composition of poetry and matching verses, especially at such important gatherings as hairpin banquets and Luming banquets. Many would naturally feel eager to try their hand—first, to express the joy of passing the examinations, and second, to attract the attention of high-ranking officials and stand out.

Li Jie was unaware of the relationship between Xu Jing and Gao Sheng, so he merely assumed Xu Jing was taking a chance to win Education Inspector Lin's appreciation, never suspecting it was aimed directly at him. Even if it was targeted at him, he had nothing to fear.

The time of one stick of incense passed in the blink of an eye.

Xu Jing stood up, bowed deeply to Education Inspector Lin, and said, "This student has completed his work."

"Oh? Then recite it aloud."

Hearing this, Xu Jing respectfully recited the poem he had composed.

After listening, Education Inspector Lin furrowed his brow slightly, thinking to himself that this candidate belonged to the second category—someone being used as a tool. He then spoke:

"Well, it is conventional, yet it fits the occasion. I hope you will apply yourself diligently to your studies in the future."

Following the recitation of Xu Jing's poem, the others, who had long been eager to try, successively presented their own compositions. Unfortunately, they were all mediocre pieces that failed to inspire any sense of pleasant surprise, causing Education Inspector Lin to shake his head inwardly.

At that moment, a scholar spoke up: "Gao Sheng, Brother Gao, has always possessed a fine talent for poetry. Why don't we listen to his brilliant work?"

Upon hearing this, Gao Sheng wore a look of self-satisfaction. He first offered a modest display of humility, then took a light sip from the wine goblet on his desk and slowly recited:

"The human heart is like a tender sprout, nourished only then it grows;
The sprout is watered by spring streams, the heart by principle and righteousness nurtured.

A single day without reading, and the breast holds no fine thoughts.
A single month without reading, and eyes and ears lose their crisp clarity."

Education Inspector Lin's eyes lit up upon hearing this. Finally, a masterpiece had appeared. He had already heard of Gao Sheng's literary reputation, and seeing that his poem was indeed exceptional, he clapped and shouted in praise:

"Splendid!"

Hearing Education Inspector Lin's praise, the gathered crowd joined in with enthusiastic acclamations.

"A magnificent poem! Truly worthy of Gao Sheng!"

"Fuqing's foremost talent indeed lives up to his reputation!"

"At tonight's literary gathering, this poem is bound to claim the top rank!"

Sounds of praise flooded toward Gao Sheng from all corners of the room. Beaming with delight at the inspector's evaluation, Gao Sheng cupped his hands in return salute to the assembly.

As the poetry gathering proceeded, no further exceptional works emerged. Seeing that Li Jie remained completely unmoved, Gao Sheng grew slightly anxious and subtly winked at another henchman of his. Recognizing the signal and understanding its meaning, Liu Xingchao wore a troubled expression, but thinking of Gao Sheng's powerful family background, he gritted his teeth and said:

"Lord Inspector of Studies, do you have any brilliant work to let us all appreciate?"

The moment Liu Xingchao's voice fell, the previously lively and bustling atmosphere came to an abrupt halt. Education Inspector Lin frowned slightly; recalling the earlier incident, he instantly grasped the true origin of the matter. He was about to issue a stern reprimand to cut it short, but upon second thought, he decided he wanted to see how the top scholar would handle the situation.

Among the scholars below, those with sharp minds cast playful glances toward Gao Sheng, followed by a look of pity toward Liu Xingchao. Thinking of Liu's predicament, they could not help feeling a sense of shared sorrow—all of them had fought their way through a sea of thousands of competitors, yet some people were simply born a cut above the rest.

Naturally, there were also quite a few who reveled in others' misfortune, their thoughts varied and complex.

"Ha! Now we're going to have a good show!"

"Alas, why must it be so? Born from the same root, why be so eager to hound each other!"

"I wonder how the top scholar will respond to this?"

"This Liu Xingchao has truly lost his mind. Such a person is not worth befriending."

"Gao Sheng's maneuvering is far too obvious. It seems this fellow is also full of straw, wasting both his talent and his family background!"

Upon hearing Liu Xingchao's words, Li Jie understood instantly that this poetry gathering was intended to target him. Unfortunately, the tactic was far from clever, and it seemed inescapable. He had always maintained a low profile in his daily life yet still managed to invite jealousy. So be it; only the mediocre are never envied.

With a light chuckle, he stood up, first offering a formal salute to the Education Inspector, then taking a step forward and reciting:

"Today follows today, how few todays there are!
If today nothing is done, when will these matters ever end?"

"Tomorrow follows tomorrow, how many tomorrows there are.
If my life waits for tomorrow, all affairs will be wasted in delay."

After listening, Education Inspector Lin clapped in admiration, his expression deeply stirred as he declared: "In antiquity, Cao Zhi composed a poem in seven steps; today, Lin Pingzhi from Fujian has composed one in a single step! Splendid! Splendid!! Splendid!!! This calls for a grand cup of wine!"

"I declare this poem to be the champion of tonight! Do any of you have objections?"

The scholars responded in unison with loud voices:

"We have no objections!"

With that, Education Inspector Lin raised his wine goblet and drained it in one gulp. The look he cast toward Li Jie became even more affectionate. He had never expected Li Jie to produce such a masterpiece. With the birth of this poem, tonight's gathering could effectively be brought to a close.

Following the inspector's verdict, heated discussions instantly broke out among the crowd below.

"With this poem out, the difference in skill is instantly clear!"

"The lingering echoes resonate, refusing to fade for three days!"

"Just hearing this poem today makes this trip entirely worthwhile!"

"Ha, the scene has certainly become interesting now."

"This truly can be called lifting a stone only to drop it on one's own feet."

The crowd showered Li Jie with congratulations, to which he responded with a calm smile.

Hearing the surrounding chatter, Gao Sheng's expression flickered between green and white, resembling the swift face-changing acts of Sichuan opera. The hands hidden beneath his desk were clenched so tightly that his knuckles cracked. After tonight's banquet, he would undoubtedly lose all face and suffer a complete defeat. He had calculated everything except that Li Jie's mastery of poetry and prose would be so profound; he had been entirely deceived by the poems Li Jie had written during the previous imperial examinations.

The events of tonight would inevitably spread once the banquet concluded, and his standing within his family would surely be compromised as a result. Thinking of this, Gao Sheng's complexion turned deathly pale. He bitterly regretted resorting to such tactics and giving in to a momentary impulse of rivalry. Even if his poetry had surpassed Li Jie's, it would not have shaken Li Jie's position as the top scholar in the slightest—in terms of formal examination essays, Gao Sheng still respected Li Jie's ability.

He could only lament what sort of madness had possessed him to commit actions he would never have stooped to in the past.