CHAPTER 79: CHAPTER 78: CRUSHING VICTORY

This upper couplet by Bai Shixi took him many days to come up with, and seeing the students clamoring about its difficulty, he turned his gaze to Su Jingchen.

But just as Su Jingchen made a move, Zheng Yuanfeng quickly interjected, "Dean, the student has a matching lower couplet."

Bai Shixi, seeing how quickly Zheng Yuanfeng produced the lower couplet, smiled brightly, "Go ahead."

"Not yet out as ’armor,’ all out as ’shen,’ the armor-shen monkey is impatient, the impatient monkey pursues ’shen,’" Zheng Yuanfeng quickly recited, then gave Su Jingchen a provocative look.

"Good, well matched."

Bai Shixi nodded with satisfaction, "Sixty years make a cycle, ’shen’ belongs to the monkey, part of the twelve; it also corresponds in meaning with the upper couplet’s ’youth, life, old, examination.’

Su Jingchen, unwilling to lag behind, immediately stepped out, "Dean, the student has thought of two matching lower couplets."

"Oh? Two pairs?" Bai Shixi was overjoyed, "Please, tell us quickly."

Su Jingchen spoke word by word, presenting the first lower couplet, "Single man is human, double man is follow, man follows the mass, mass follows one man."

Bai Shixi and the teachers applauded, quickly urging Su Jingchen to recite the second one.

Su Jingchen glanced casually at Zheng Yuanfeng, his lips slightly curved, continuing, "One man is large, two men is sky, sky large human relations, human relations exceed sky."

As soon as Su Jingchen finished speaking, the room was filled with gasps of admiration and applause.

The unanimous thought among the boys: What kind of genius is this, matching two such difficult lower couplets at once, how can they even survive?

The girls, meanwhile, looked at Su Jingchen with stars in their eyes, unwaveringly.

It’s one thing to look handsome, but to possess such scholarly talent, truly remarkable.

Zheng Yuanfeng, seeing Yu Xiaolian bouncing and clapping for Su Jingchen, angrily went back to his seat.

Su Jingchen gave Yu Xiaolian a gentle smile before returning to his own seat.

Yu Xiaolian noticed a teacher in the corner specifically recording notes, jotting down Su Jingchen and Zheng Yuanfeng’s names along with their couplets.

Bai Shixi conversed with several teachers, then one of them stepped forward to propose another upper couplet.

Zheng Yuanfeng was naturally unwilling to lose to Su Jingchen, so as soon as the upper couplet was introduced, he immediately put forth a lower couplet.

But Su Jingchen seemed to exist solely to overshadow Zheng Yuanfeng; for every lower couplet Zheng Yuanfeng produced, Su Jingchen offered two, for two he gave three, always outdoing Zheng Yuanfeng.

The tension was so palpable that even Bai Shixi noticed something was amiss and quickly halted the couplet competition.

They began to compete in poetry composition.

Once again Bai Shixi set the subject, "Compose a five-word quatrain with the theme of plum blossoms."

As soon as Bai Shixi finished speaking, a lively girl quickly responded, "Even if the north wind is fierce, plum blossoms are naturally fragrant. Snow shore in the cold, pure bones resist frost."

"Good poem!" Bai Shixi nodded continuously, feeling excited; having prizes changed everything, everyone was enthusiastically participating, unlike previous poetry meetings that often fell silent, leaving him quite embarrassed.

"In the twelfth month, Fragrant Fei fades, winter red starts to bloom.

Gracefully casting icy shadows, fragrance penetrates dust." Another girl, not wanting to be outdone, seemed to be competing with the previous poet.

Yu Xiaolian peeked, seeing the teacher had recorded the names Xiao Fangfei and Yu Wanying.

Yu Xiaolian remembered these names as prominent supporting roles in the book.

Among them, Xiao Fangfei ended up as the ultimate winner of life, marrying Prince Jin Jun Yian as his concubine, and later being titled Consort Xiao when Jun Yian became Emperor.

Yu Wanying, on the other hand, was the half-sister of the protagonist Yu Yanran, constantly jealous of her since childhood. Her illness was not a mere cold but due to Yu Wanying and her mother putting Cold Cicada Gu Eggs in Yu Yanran’s tea.

Making the protagonist suffer for over ten years without suspicion falling on them was quite a deep cover.

But it was less about Yu Wanying’s cleverness and more about her stepmother being cunning and skilled.

Yu Xiaolian couldn’t resist examining their appearances closely, one with red lips and rosy cheeks, soft and charming as a flower. The other had skin as white as jade, delicate and beautiful. Both were rare beauties.

Bai Shixi offered praise for Xiao Fangfei and Yu Wanying, then asked everyone to compose seven-word regulated verse on plum blossoms.

Seven-word regulated verse was indeed much more challenging, and no one spoke for a while.

Zheng Yuanfeng had prepared a draft in his mind, but knowing that if he stepped forward, Su Jingchen would definitely suppress him, he refrained.

If the enemy doesn’t act, I won’t either; Su Jingchen, calmly seated, didn’t care about winning first prize, his focus solely on overshadowing Zheng Yuanfeng.

If Yu Xiaolian was said to have eyes unaware of Mt. Tai, wouldn’t that indirectly diminish him?

Today he had to teach Zheng Yuanfeng a proper lesson.

Being constantly glared at by Zheng Yuanfeng, Yu Xiaolian felt utterly wronged.

The tension between these men seemed to arise out of nowhere.

It’s their internal conflict, what does it have to do with me?

Next to Zheng Yuanfeng sat his longtime rival Wang Ruping, who saw Zheng Yuanfeng, usually able to best him, being bested by the eleven-year-old Su Jingchen, and felt secretly delighted.

Just as he finished chuckling quietly, Bai Shixi called his name.

Wang Ruping remained unfazed; he had been a scholar for many years and attended numerous such poetry gatherings, having already figured out the teachers’ patterns in setting themes, and had prepared ahead.

"Alone atop the peak, proudly sweeping snow, blossoming fiercely in the cold, revealing charm.

Born fragrant with iron bones against wind and frost, in the painting, an icy soul chisels time.

Modest face greeting the sunrise, winter with smiles announcing youth.

Natural grace deserving of gentlemen, accompanying jade branches in solitude."

Bai Shixi nodded in satisfaction, telling Wang Ruping, "You’ve made great progress lately. Next year is the triennial provincial examination, and you must give it your all."

Three years ago, Wang Ruping had participated once in the provincial examination but unfortunately did not pass.

Though he didn’t succeed, there were many older scholars in the academy, some having taken the exam three or four times without passing.

Having failed only once, Wang Ruping was not disheartened but often ridiculed those who had been trying for over ten years without success.

Anyway, his family was wealthy, and even if he didn’t pass, it was better than those reaching middle age still relying on their parents and spouses to support their studies.

"The student has been diligently studying by candlelight lately, working hard. Next year’s provincial exam, I will fully commit to not disappointing the teacher’s expectations."

Wang Ruping held high hopes for the next year’s provincial exam. Having gained some experience from the last one, he felt maybe next year he’d make it.

Bai Shixi provided Wang Ruping with some candid advice and encouraging words, then turned to Su Jingchen, asking if he had composed a seven-word regulated verse about plum blossoms.

Su Jingchen nodded; he had initially not wanted to make a big show, but since Bai Shixi had called on him, saying he hadn’t written anything would imply he was lacking in talent, wouldn’t it?

Su Jingchen cleared his throat, speaking slowly, "Leaning by the bridge, what awaits, the road long, mountains distant, the traveler slow.

Year-round dreams linger by the tranquil rail, this moment feelings open, rhythm fills the branches.

Gladly sends green messages from the East Lord, secretly shifts shadows donning red.

Sorrow of separation as years end, eager to see beloved’s smiles widening."