Chapter 64

The entire courtyard was silent, the students below with blank expressions, staring blankly at Wang Ke in front. The judges behind also had looks of disbelief, and as for the onlookers around, they all wore faces of disbelief. Wang Ke's voice from just a moment ago still echoed in their ears, and a sudden surge of indescribable energy filled their chests, continuously impacting and rolling, trying to burst out to vent. It was as if a fire had been ignited inside their bodies, burning their blood to a boil. Their fists were tightly clenched, and they longed to roar and rush out, wishing they could immediately charge to the front of the Turks and cut off their heads with one stroke! For a moment, the entire courtyard was silent, only the suppressed, heavy, and rapid breathing of the people could be heard.

After a long time, a sudden sound of a hand slamming on a table came from behind, and an old man praised, "What a spirit! What an ambition! ... Majestic and full of life, splendid and awe-inspiring. The phrase 'Do not idle away your youth, or you will only grieve in vain when your hair turns white' should be a timeless maxim!"

"Indeed! Indeed! This poem is grand and unstoppable, truly a hero among the young! A hero among the young!" The school master was also excited, pulling his beard so hard that several strands came off without him noticing, and he praised, "This poem starts with lofty aspirations, covering the mountains and rivers, written with a grand momentum. Then, with the fourteen words 'Thirty years of fame and glory are but dust and soil, eight thousand miles of road are cloud and moon,' it is unexpected and makes one exclaim. These fourteen words show a general patting his chest, recounting his half-life of ambition, his nine bends of a strong heart, a hero is also a man of deep emotion! Glory is what is expected, how can it be buried in dust and soil; how can the hardships of galloping be bitter, when one can enjoy the clouds and the moon! What a broad-mindedness, what a profound insight! A full heart of ambition, pouring out: the alliance at the Wei River, the shame of the Tang Dynasty, all the subjects and people bear endless resentment, when will this resentment be resolved? It is precisely the encouragement of 'Do not idle away your youth, or you will only grieve in vain when your hair turns white.' The powerful pen, every word resounding! 'Hunger to eat' and 'thirst to drink' are a pair of antithetical phrases, only such can fully express the emotion and momentum. A full heart of loyalty and indignation, a heart of blue blood, pouring out from the lungs, the strength of the pen, the clarity of the structure, the depth of the sentiment, are truly extraordinary, truly extraordinary!"

"Sir, is this poem better than those empty, pretentious, and flowery words?" Wang Ke bowed to the school master and asked, "It is because of this poem that I truly understand what poetry is, what the spirit of a scholar is, what it means to serve the country and the people, and what it means to truly benefit the state and the people!"

"I wonder, does this poem have a name? Who is the author?" The school master's voice was slightly trembling with excitement as he asked Wang Ke.

"Reporting to the school master, the blood of the Turks, dyed the river red. This poem is called 'Man Jiang Hong'!" Before Wang Ke could answer, a student stood up from below. Looking up, it was the student surnamed Zhou, the first place winner of the last poetry meeting, who bowed to the school master and said, "The other day at Yi Xiang Ju, a group of Turks caused a disturbance while drunk, intending to bully a singing girl and beat up the manager. At the time, the crowd was indignant, but because the Turks were exceptionally strong, although the guests were angry, they did not dare to intervene. Only two people stepped forward, one of whom scolded the Turks, and that was this gentleman. The other, with a 'Man Jiang Hong,' sang and stirred the hearts of the people, making their blood boil. All the guests were moved and chanted together, the momentum was overwhelming, and the Turks were frightened and fled. That person is a student of Luanzhou Academy, Xia Hongsheng, whose courtesy name is Jing Shi!"

As he spoke, Wang Ke raised his hand and pointed to Xia Hongsheng.

Xia Hongsheng's scalp tingled; the plot shouldn't develop like this! How did a good poetry meeting suddenly involve him? He was just watching the poetry meeting quietly, all because of this brainless second-generation official! At this moment, Xia Hongsheng just wanted to kick Wang Ke into the water.

"Since you have such talent and are a student of the academy, why didn't you participate in the poetry meeting?" The school master of Luoyang Academy looked at Xia Hongsheng and asked.

Because I want to make a fortune quietly!

Xia Hongsheng thought this in his heart but did not dare to say it out loud. He bowed respectfully and said, "Sir, I only have a bit of small intelligence. These poems have broad requirements and are not as strict as poems, and I had time to think about them, so it was fine. But if I were to compose a poem on the spot, I couldn't do it. I haven't read as many books as my senior brothers, and my poems are not as good as theirs. I am grateful to Master Yan and the senior brothers for allowing me to attend the Luoyang poetry meeting and learn and observe, which is a great fortune for me!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Ke laughed and said, "Brother Jing Shi, you are too modest. If you have talent, you should show it. When I asked you just now, the phrase 'When the wind breaks the waves, I will hang my sail and cross the sea' was perfectly fitting and grand, how can you say you can't compose a poem on the spot?"

Xia Hongsheng frowned and looked at Wang Ke, finally realizing that everything from the beginning, including the loud shouting, was intentional on Wang Ke's part, but he didn't know what his purpose was.

"Brother Jing Shi, don't blame me. I did this for your benefit. I will explain the reasons later." Wang Ke lowered his voice and whispered hurriedly to Xia Hongsheng, then turned to the school master and bowed, saying, "Sir, I cheered just now because I heard this poem and thought it was excellent. If there were a complete poem, it would be even better. Please, Sir, order Brother Jing Shi to recite the complete poem, so we can all appreciate it, wouldn't that be wonderful?"

"Sir, that was just a spontaneous phrase I came up with. I cannot compose a complete poem, my knowledge is shallow, and my studies are poor. Please forgive me, Sir." Before the school master could speak, Xia Hongsheng bowed and apologized, then changed the subject, "Please, Sir, have someone relight the incense, don't delay the poetry meeting."

The school master thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "Since you are unwilling, that's fine. You two, go to the back hall and wait, I have something to ask you."

After that, someone came to take Xia Hongsheng and Wang Ke away, and the other students began to think and write, but they were all disheartened. The 'Man Jiang Hong' just now had a profound impact on them, making them doubt themselves. They wondered if, as that person said, their own works were indeed empty and pretentious. The more they thought about it, the more they felt their own poems were contrived and couldn't write them.

As for Xia Hongsheng and Wang Ke, when they walked to the back, Wang Ke immediately said to Xia Hongsheng, "Brother Jing Shi, I offended you just now. But I did it for your benefit. I can't explain it to you now, but you should know that even false fame is indispensable!"

Xia Hongsheng stared at Wang Ke, seeing his sincere expression, which didn't seem like a lie, but he still didn't know his purpose, so he asked, "I don't know your purpose. If it's just for fun, I advise you to give up."

"Jing Shi, you misunderstand me. I genuinely admire you and want to help you. Fame is very important, especially a reputation for talent. Many times, without fame, even if you achieve something, you will be seen as a schemer. But with a reputation for talent, you will be seen as truly talented." Wang Ke explained to Xia Hongsheng, "I can only say so much. Although you understand more and have more insight than me, in these matters, you are not as experienced as I am. You will understand in the future."

These words caused a great stir in Xia Hongsheng's heart. Who is Wang Ke? He is a second-generation official from a noble family, but his thoughts and methods are far beyond what a young man of his age should have. There is a maturity in Wang Ke that Xia Hongsheng can't fathom, and he can't imagine what kind of family could raise such a child.

However, Xia Hongsheng knows that, as Wang Ke said, with this 'Man Jiang Hong' that he plagiarized, his name will soon spread throughout Luoyang. The people who attended or watched the poetry meeting will quickly spread this poem, along with his name, Xia Hongsheng.

He doesn't know if this is good or bad. With this reputation, he can do many more things, but he also can't do many things. He originally wanted to be unknown and quietly make a fortune, but now he won't be unknown anymore.

Xia Hongsheng doesn't plan to wait for the school master to return, as it will just cause more trouble. He might as well leave. Since he didn't intend to develop through the path of reading, he doesn't need to be too cautious about the school master.

The poetry meeting caused such a big stir, and people fear fame as pigs fear being fat. He should be low-key for the next few days. He might as well check if the innkeeper has prepared the things he needs and take advantage of the next few days to make the rock sugar and flower tea.

"Brother Zi Ke, I don't want to wait for the school master to return. I have other things to do, so I will take my leave." Xia Hongsheng said goodbye to Wang Ke.

Wang Ke also bowed and smiled, "Brother Jing Shi, go ahead with your business. We will meet again."

Xia Hongsheng smiled, turned, and left, heading straight for Ming Xiang Ju.