Chapter 70

Xun was the last to board the boat, so his poem was also the last to be completed. After the others had all recited their poems, none of them were worth reading—some were like a pile of feces, and the worse ones were like worms in the feces. After a short while, he finally finished his draft, stood up, and confidently recited:

"Greedy for the green spring waves, a pole stirs the distant white sand. Intent wanders, heart swells, clouds high, wind lingering. Thoughts begin from Yao’s ruins, teaching the people to fish. Since then, villages have been sparse, and the reeds by the marsh are short."

The first four lines describe the scenery, while the last four express emotion. They speak of how in ancient times, Emperor Shun came from Yao’s ruins to the Lei Marsh to teach the people to fish, forming settlements into towns. But now, the places he passed through have been ravaged by war, the villages are in ruins, and the people are displaced, leaving only the natural scenery without any human presence.

In fact, facing this group of amateurs, it would have been enough to simply describe the scenery without adding any profound meanings. However, Xun was using them to practice, and in the future, he would have to show off in front of Cao Cao. If his poetry was merely flowery and empty, it would never pass Cao Cao’s scrutiny. Besides, writing only four lines would be too brief and seem perfunctory, so he deliberately added the last four lines.

After he finished reciting, Li Quan and the others clapped repeatedly, saying that it was no wonder he was from the prominent Hongnong Yang clan, praising his style, his diction, his phrasing, his recitation, and even his posture when spitting. They said it was truly superior and beyond their reach. However, all their praise was empty, and none of it hit the mark. Xun thought to himself that it wasn’t his poem that was good, but rather the prestige of the Hongnong Yang clan.

In his heart, he mocked these pretentious people, but on the surface, he humbly thanked them. Just then, he suddenly heard someone outside the cabin shouting, "Sir Li, when will you agree to go to the county office to testify?"

Li Quan’s face darkened, and he shouted back, "You dog, daring to ruin my mood here! Unforgivable! Get lost, get lost!"

Wei quickly tried to calm him down, "Why should Brother Li take such a petty person seriously? The actions of a small person naturally anger a gentleman, but if you let it affect your health, it will only satisfy the small person."

From outside the cabin, the person replied, "The Ning family’s case requires Sir Li’s testimony. Until you agree, I will follow you, and I will not stop until I die!"

The word "die" made Li Quan sneer, "If the county magistrate really needs me to testify, why hasn’t he sent someone to invite me? This case is already decided. What business is it of yours, dog?"

Wei smiled, "I have a plan. Let this common official also write a poem. If he can, why not let him have what he wants?" Everyone in the cabin, except Xun, laughed, "He’s just a common official. What does he know about poetry or literature? Brother Wei, you’re too cruel."

Li Quan also laughed, "If this dog had any sense of shame, he would have thrown himself into the marsh upon hearing this. Brother Wei, what a good plan." He then called out for the person outside to write a poem. Sure enough, the person fell silent.

Xun reached out and lifted the curtain to look outside. Not far from the boat, a small skiff was floating on the water. The person on the skiff was very young, wearing a long robe but tucking the bottom into his waist, exposing his bare legs. He was rowing with both hands, not like a boatman but doing the work of one. No wonder the people in the cabin called him a "commoner," or someone from a humble background. He looked like a commoner or a small landowner.

The person was bowed in thought, unsure whether he was thinking about the poem or considering whether to jump into the water to wash away the humiliation. Xun asked who this person was, and Bian explained, "He’s a minor patrol officer from this area, utterly vulgar. Sir Yang, you don’t need to pay attention to him."

According to Han regulations, counties had towns, pavilions, and neighborhoods. The town head, called You Zhi, was appointed by the prefecture, and there were also the Three Elders responsible for moral education, both of whom worked in offices. The running errands were done by the patrol officers and the town assistants. The patrol officers were responsible for catching thieves, and the town assistants for collecting taxes. In modern terms, they were like the chief of a police station (without any officers) and a junior tax officer. Such minor officials were definitely not something the children of noble families would deign to do. Even if they couldn’t be recommended as outstanding talents or filial and honest officials, they would at least start as clerks in the county administration.

Xun smiled faintly and let the curtain fall, ignoring the person. But unexpectedly, less than three minutes later, the patrol officer actually began to recite a poem:

"Your troubles are not yet relieved, the high city has become a wasteland. Graves form the dikes, white bones float like water chestnuts. In this state, how can you still have the heart to enjoy spring? Are you no different from the useless tree in the forest?"

Upon hearing this poem, Xun was greatly surprised, thinking, "This kid is impressive!" It wasn’t surprising that he could write a six-line poem in such a short time, as it might have been an old work slightly revised. However, the poem’s language and meaning were truly commendable. The first two lines spoke of Emperor Xian still being in the hands of rebels, the country not yet at peace, and cities turned into ruins. The middle two lines described the scenery, with graves forming the dikes and white bones floating like water chestnuts. The last two lines were a scathing criticism, asking how they could still have the heart to enjoy spring, comparing them to the useless tree in the forest that Zhuangzi predicted.

Li Quan sneered, "The title is ‘Spring Tour,’ but the poem mentions ‘spring tour’ directly, truly vulgar." Xun thought, "Yes, if he didn’t mention ‘spring tour,’ how could he have criticized us without naming us?" He was still pondering the poem when the cabin floor suddenly shook, and he heard the patrol officer’s voice at the cabin door, "I have finished my poem, Sir Li, you cannot go back on your word."

Li Quan was furious, slapped the table, and shouted, "You dog, daring to board my boat! Men, throw him into the marsh!" The cabin was then filled with shouts and curses.

"Wait!" Xun called out, and seeing the puzzled looks of the others, he quickly put on a smile, "This person is interesting. Let me play with him." He picked up his poem board, lifted the curtain, and stepped out of the cabin.

He saw several servants from the boat grabbing the patrol officer, about to throw him into the water. Xun gently waved his sleeve, and the servants, recognizing him as a guest of the master, let go. Xun handed his poem board to the patrol officer, "Look at this poem. How does it compare to yours?"

The patrol officer, clearly indignant, straightened his nearly torn clothes, took the board, glanced at it, and sneered, "The diction is acceptable, but the transitions are abrupt, and it lacks the courage to speak the truth. It’s not a good poem."

Xun thought, "Well, that’s a direct hit on my weak point. In terms of poetic talent, this dog is far superior to the young nobles in the cabin." He carefully observed the patrol officer, who was very young, with a smooth, beardless chin, probably around fifteen or sixteen years old. He was inwardly surprised but showed no emotion on his face. He asked, "How old are you, and how did you become a patrol officer? How dare you show such disrespect to your elders?"

The patrol officer replied, "I inherited the position from my father. Ambition does not depend on age. In the past, Xiang Tuo, at seven, challenged Confucius. I am twice his age, and the person I face is not even a fraction of Confucius."

Xun thought, "Not even a fraction of Confucius, can you say ‘dog feces are not even a fraction of a Manchu banquet’? Comparing Li Quan and the others to Confucius is a great insult to the old man." Hearing the patrol officer’s eloquence, he became even more interested and asked, "What is your name?"

The patrol officer was taken aback, probably used to being called "dog" or "common official" by the noble children. Suddenly being addressed as "sir" by a young noble, he felt uncomfortable. After a moment, he bowed, "I dare not, I am Wu Zhi."

Xun’s eyebrows raised, and he asked again, "Do you have a courtesy name?" "My courtesy name is Jizhong."

The cabin erupted in laughter, "A commoner like him, even learning to have a courtesy name, like horse manure trying to be gilded, truly laughable." But Xun did not laugh; instead, he stepped back and widened his eyes, "You are Wu Zhi, Wu Jizhong?"

Wu Zhi, in historical novels, only appears briefly and has little presence. Even in the official "Records of the Three Kingdoms," he does not have a separate biography but is only mentioned in others’ biographies. However, those who study the Three Kingdoms know that he is far from simple.

First, his literary talent is not simple. Although he left few works and cannot be compared to the Cao family, Kong Rong, and others, he is mentioned in the biographies of the "Seven Sons of Jian’an" and was specifically noted for his literary talent, which led to his being chosen by Cao Pi as a subordinate. Second, his intelligence is not simple. In the