Chapter Forty-One: The First Question

Master Jiang was dumbfounded!

It was he who had personally gone to the library to inform Chen Xiaofu that the competition was about to begin. Chen Xiaofu had said he would come immediately. Immediately... yet an entire stick of incense had burned away, and where had he gone?

Just then, the chubby Sun Yue came scurrying up onto the stage. He stood before the four judges, caught his breath, and wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve.

"Sir, Young Master Chen, he... he says..."

Master Jiang asked urgently, "What does he say?"

"He says it is too hot on the stage, so he won't be standing up there for now. He says he wants to stay with Miss An. And he also says... he asks that you gentlemen set the topic and let all the other students begin first."

"He said that after careful consideration, he is worried that if he were to finish first, the other students would lose the courage to even pick up their brushes."

Behind the stage were the three thousand students of Lin'an Academy and the twelve prodigies from the State of Qi. Everyone near the front of the stage heard Sun Yue's words clearly.

The students were immediately offended. Although Chen Xiaofu was a benefactor who had donated silver to the academy, his words were a stinging insult to the self-esteem of these young men. Scholars, especially those who fancy themselves talented, are known for their pride. The twelve scholars from the State of Qi, in particular, saw their expressions darken instantly.

Yu Fu clenched his hands into fists. He narrowed his eyes slightly and took a deep breath. "This fellow... he has quite a big mouth!"

Mo Zhixiu pondered for a moment before saying, "Young Master, do not be impatient. Let him be arrogant for now; we shall see how he ends this later."

The students of Lin'an Academy were also whispering angrily. Some said he must need the time to think about how to respond. Others wondered if he was waiting for Master Xu to set the topic so that he could ask An Xiaowei to write the poem for him. This theory seemed quite plausible. While they did not respect Chen Xiaofu, they dared not speak ill of a great talent like An Xiaowei.

However, the courtesans from the brothels near the stage had a different perspective.

"Oh, Young Master Chen has such a strong personality!"

"Exactly! Since it was Young Master Chen who issued the challenge, he should naturally be the last to appear. Isn't that how it always goes in the stories?"

Hongxiu giggled upon hearing this. "This Young Master Chen has truly provoked public anger. If he manages to take first place, that would be one thing, but if he loses, I fear he will be drowned in the spit of those mocking students!"

Her maid, Xiaoman, who was fanning her, chimed in, "He must have some confidence to say such things. I, for one, feel that victory is already in his grasp!"

"Hee hee, Miss, if he really does win, will you fulfill your promise?"

Hongxiu glanced at Xiaoman, her face flushing with shyness. "I'm only afraid he wouldn't dare!"

"If he is truly a great scholar, then... then it would be a blessing if I could become his concubine, sigh..." Hongxiu sighed, lowered her head, and whispered, "If he is truly a great scholar, why would he ever look at someone like me?"

"Miss, don't say that. He isn't the legitimate eldest son of the Divine General's Mansion; he's just an illegitimate child with no noble status. I think it would be his good fortune if you were to take an interest in him!"

"But... Miss, why are you saying such things today?"

"It sounds so sudden to me. After all, Young Master Chen has never been to the Moon Gazing Pavilion, and you two have never even met."

"Besides, this Young Master Chen's reputation hasn't been very good. As you said earlier today, this is likely just an absurd farce."

"If I may say so, the Young Master Chunshan from the Imperial Capital is a much better match for you..."

Hongxiu waved her hand, cutting Xiaoman off, her expression turning lonely. "Do not mention Young Master Chunshan again!"

Xiaoman was startled and quickly lowered her head. "This servant is in the wrong!"

Hongxiu said no more. She looked up toward the stage, and for a fleeting moment, a look of profound sorrow flashed in her eyes.

On the stage, the four judges exchanged glances. Chen Xiaofu, the protagonist of the day, had actually failed to appear for such an absurd reason! They couldn't exactly drag the boy up there by force, could they? But with the ten taels of silver collected for admission, the competition had to proceed.

The great scholar Master Xu smiled helplessly. He turned to look at the three groups and announced in a loud voice:

"I hereby declare the first round of today's competition officially begun!"

"All students, please listen carefully to the topic..."

The entire arena fell silent. It wasn't just the students listening; the tens of thousands of spectators also pricked up their ears. Those who could afford ten taels of silver to watch this spectacle were generally not from poor families—after all, ten taels was the equivalent of two or three months' income for an average household. Thus, eight or nine out of ten people here were literate. Aside from the courtesans, there were many daughters from wealthy families and scholars from Lin'an City. They were all curious about what kind of topic the great Master Xu would set.

"I ask all students to compose a palindrome poem on the theme of 'Longing.' It may be in five-character or seven-character verse."

"Timing begins... now!"

This was the first task of the day! It caught all the students—and all the spectators—completely by surprise. A palindrome poem? This form had not existed for long; it was pioneered twenty years ago by the great scholar Zou Jiuzhang of the Southern Yue Kingdom.

What was a palindrome? It was a poem that could be read both forwards and backwards! It not only had to remain coherent but also had to be poetic and evocative. Moreover, both the forward and backward readings had to convey the theme of "Longing."

The difficulty... was comparable to the exams held at the Mountain of Books Literary Gathering!

All the students gasped, and even the twelve prodigies from the State of Qi furrowed their brows. Master Xu sat down, and Master Jiang looked at him with surprise.

"This topic... isn't it a bit too difficult?"

Xu Zizhou looked up at the sun and smiled. "If it were too simple, we would spend far too much time grading the papers."

This reasoning held water. If all three thousand students could write one, the grading would take half the day. This topic would likely eliminate ninety percent of the students on the spot!

Hongxiu frowned slightly upon hearing the topic. Qier squeezed through the crowd to her side.

"Sister Hongxiu, what do you think of this topic?"

Hongxiu pondered for three breaths. "It is very difficult!"

Qier was surprised. "How long would it take you, sister, to compose such a poem?"

Two years ago, Hongxiu had arrived at the Moon Gazing Pavilion in Lin'an. That autumn, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the annual Twelve Pavilions Courtesan Competition was held on Mirror Island in West Lake. Hongxiu had stunned everyone. The competition tested not only singing, dancing, and musical performance but also poetry, tea ceremony, calligraphy, and painting—known as the Nine Arts of the Courtesan House. Hongxiu had triumphed in seven of these categories to become the reigning champion. Last autumn, she won eight categories and retained her title. Her mastery of poetry was extraordinary. She was the only courtesan in all of Lin'an who could compose both lyrics and melodies. Because of this, the other courtesans revered her as a "female scholar," lamenting only that she was a woman and that she had ended up in a brothel. That was why Qier had asked her.

Hongxiu pondered for a moment and shook her head. "I have no ideas yet. Palindrome poetry is too obscure; it is not my specialty."

Qier looked disappointed. Xiaoman asked curiously, "If even you, Miss, find it difficult... could it be that Young Master Chen won't be able to do it either?"