Chapter Twenty-Nine: He Is the One in First Place!

Liang Jingru’s sharp, clear cry abruptly cut through the suspense that was about to be resolved.

The venerable Scholar Xu turned to look at her. Old Master Jiang and his two companions followed suit. Even all the students gathered around Willow Pond turned their gazes toward her.

"The first-place antithetical couplet is here!" she declared. What did this mean? Who was this spirited young woman? An incense stick's worth of time had long since passed, and the rankings were already out; from where had she produced a new, top-ranked couplet? By what authority did she claim it was the best?

In the crowd, Pan Qingyun shook his gold-threaded folding fan and smiled. He spoke deliberately: "It seems the first place should belong to Chen Xiaofu."

Standing within three feet of him were the twelve students from the State of Qi, who immediately turned to look at him. One of the students asked with dissatisfaction, "Why does this brother think so?"

Pan Qingyun looked at him with a faint smile. "Because I know her. She is a close friend of An Xiaowei, and An Xiaowei and Chen Xiaofu were at the library... Since she arrived late, she must have gone to the library, and what she has brought now must be the couplet composed by Chen Xiaofu!"

Mo Zhiqiu frowned and asked, "Can a couplet composed by Chen Xiaofu really take first place?"

Pan Qingyun shook his fan. "I suspect the couplet Chen Xiaofu composed wouldn't even make the top hundred, but what if it were composed by An Xiaowei?"

Mo Zhiqiu and the others were silenced. An Xiaowei was a renowned talent of the Great Zhou; if she took action, it was not impossible for her to produce a superior couplet and claim the top spot.

"Then the first place should still be An Xiaowei!"

Pan Qingyun arched a brow slightly. "Just wait and see. I said it is Chen Xiaofu, so it must be Chen Xiaofu!"

Mo Zhiqiu and his companions felt a sinking sensation; they understood the implication in Pan Qingyun's words. They all cast their gazes toward the Willow Pavilion. It was too far away to hear anything without someone speaking loudly.

Yu Fu’s brow furrowed tightly, her hands clenched into fists.

Liang Jingru had already placed the paper she was holding onto the table. "Gentlemen, please take a look and see how these two couplets fare."

Scholar Xu picked up the paper and took a look, his aged eyes suddenly lighting up! He handed the paper to Old Master Jiang. "Take a look. I believe both of these are top-tier!"

Old Master Jiang took it and stared intensely... "A magnificent couplet!" he exclaimed. "These two are superior to the four we have already evaluated!"

Old Headmaster Li leaned in, took a look, and clapped his hands. "A brilliant match! These two have profound flavor and are thought-provoking; they are top-tier in every sense!"

Scholar Xu was not angry that his own student would lose the top spot; he was delighted. He looked at Liang Jingru: "'In the pursuit of knowledge, perseverance is key; scroll through the heavens, scroll through the earth, and with every scroll, practice what is preached'—this handwriting is clearly from a woman’s hand, so this must be the work of An Jingwei’s granddaughter, An Xiaowei." He paused. "And this second one... could it be by Chen Xiaofu?"

Liang Jingru nodded. "Yes, it was indeed composed by the two of them."

Old Master Jiang asked, "This second one... did An Xiaowei compose it and then have him transcribe it?"

Liang Jingru was visibly indignant at the suggestion. "How could that be? I saw it with my own eyes! It took Xiaowei ten breaths to compose her entry, but Chen—Ji'an—he only had to glance at it!"

The four men looked at each other in shock. Among the students outside the pond, the fastest had been Mo Shaoqiu, who had taken a full cup of tea’s time. An Xiaowei had taken ten breaths, and Chen Xiaofu had only needed a glance...

The difference was immediately apparent! It wasn't just the speed, but that such a perfect couplet had been produced in such a short time.

Official Huang was overjoyed. "In that case, Ji'an’s talent is beyond doubt!"

Old Master Jiang remained more conservative. While he trusted the young Lady Liang, he hadn't witnessed Chen Xiaofu's composition personally. He did not want Chen Xiaofu to be elevated too high. If that poem reached the Imperial Capital and truly entered the seventh floor of the Wenfeng Tower, Chen Xiaofu might very well be summoned by the Empress. Even if not, the Imperial Academy would certainly invite him to the autumn literary gathering next year. After all, in the sixteen years since the founding of the Great Zhou, a youth with the wisdom of a great scholar had finally emerged—a youth who was once dismissed as an illiterate fool.

The Imperial Academy needed to verify the truth. If it were real, it would be a testament to the Empress's civil governance and her policy of prioritizing literature, a sign that a literary star had descended from the heavens. If it were fake, or if his talent did not match the poem, he would surely perish. Even Lady Zhuang Qingdie would find it difficult to protect him.

Scholars were a fickle lot. If you stood at the peak, they would look up to you as a bright moon. But if you fell, they would trample you, spit on you, and use their pens to ensure your infamy for ten thousand years.

Thus, Old Master Jiang said, "This... well, the time limit of an incense stick has passed. I feel the rankings for today should remain as they are, should they not?"

Scholar Xu waved his hand. "It takes time to get from the library to here. Good is good! I believe Ji'an’s couplet is even more profound than Xiaowei’s, and it should be first!"

"I agree!" said Official Huang.

"I agree!" said Headmaster Li.

"Very well," Old Master Jiang conceded. "I shall have Ji'an come for the poetry and parallel prose competition tomorrow."

Liang Jingru was happy. She lifted her eyes and saw two figures walking away. Suddenly, she wasn't so happy anymore.

By the side of Willow Pond, Chen Xiaofu and An Xiaowei had already passed through the crowd, heading toward the guest house.

"Don't you want to hear who took first place?" An Xiaowei asked.

Chen Xiaofu shook his head. "No need."

"Why not?"

"There's no suspense. As long as your husband takes the field, all the others are just trash!"

An Xiaowei’s face flushed red, and she said shyly, "We aren't married yet... and in literature, there is no first; in martial arts, there is no second. You are getting arrogant!"

Just then, An Xiaowei tugged at his sleeve. "Wait, listen!"

At the Willow Pavilion, Scholar Xu had stood up once more, sweeping his gaze across the students. He announced in a loud voice, "Gentlemen, the situation has changed slightly. We have just received two more couplets... and all four of us agree that they are unparalleled masterpieces!"

The students were stunned. Unparalleled masterpieces? Did this mean no one could compete with them? Where had this genius youth come from?

"Therefore, the previous rankings must be revised. Sixth place, Li Sanqiu of the Lin'an Academy. Fifth place, Ye Shaoyan of the Jielu Academy. Fourth place, Mo Zhiqiu of the State of Qi. Third place, Yu Fu of the State of Qi. Second place... the Great Zhou talent, An Xiaowei."

He paused, then declared: "And first place is... Chen Xiaofu of Lin'an!"

The entire place fell into a deathly silence. Three breaths later, the banks of Willow Pond erupted in a roar of excitement.