Chapter 22

Shortly, Fang Daniu said from outside the door curtain, "We're out of the city."

"Hmm."

After a while, Fang Daniu said again, "We're about to cross the Ji River. There are many people standing at the pavilion of the post station. I wonder who they're waiting for."

Fang Yun lifted the door curtain. In front was the stone bridge over the Ji River, and beyond that was the Ji County post station, originally a place for the imperial court to relay letters and provide food, lodging, and horse changes for officials on their journeys.

However, due to the flourishing talent system, the court's documents were directly transmitted through the Academy of Literature's "swan message," which arrived instantly. The post station no longer handled official documents but was responsible for civilian mail.

Using the Academy of Literature's "swan message" for private correspondence was very expensive for non-officials or officials: one tael of silver within the same prefecture, ten taels within the same country, and a hundred taels across countries.

Fang Yun was surprised to see that important figures from Ji County, such as County Magistrate Cai, Scholar Wang, and Scholar Su, were all there. Behind County Magistrate Cai stood a Niu Man who was over seven feet tall, very conspicuous.

Fang Yun was initially stunned, thinking they were welcoming some high official. But when he saw someone waving, he realized they were there to see him off.

Fang Yun felt a warm sensation in his heart and immediately jumped off the carriage, walking with it toward the pavilion of the post station.

The sun had not yet risen, and frost hung in many places, making the spring chill biting. Fang Yun did not let Yang Yuhuan get down.

Approaching the group, Fang Yun bowed and said, "What virtue or ability do I have to receive such kindness from all these esteemed elders?"

Scholar Su said, "You are mistaken. You, Fang Yun, are like a young phoenix just beginning to sing. You will surely soar in the sky in the future. It is our honor to see you off. You are 'Fang Yun of Ji County,' and as fellow residents of Ji County, it is our duty to see you off. By the way, will you marry my daughter or granddaughter?"

Everyone laughed. The city had been buzzing about Scholar Su's failed attempt to recruit a son-in-law. Knowing that Fang Yun had not abandoned Yang Yuhuan, the scholars of Ji County's evaluation of Fang Yun rose even higher.

County Magistrate Cai took out three letters and handed them to Fang Yun, saying, "I am a fellow townsman of Prefect Sun, a fellow scholar with the head of the provincial criminal court, and a good friend of the chief clerk of the provincial Academy of Literature. Since you are going to Dayuan Prefecture, please take these three letters for me."

Prefect Sun was the highest civil official in Dayuan Prefecture, a fifth-rank official. The head of the provincial criminal court, who was in charge of the province's criminal investigations, was a fourth-rank official. The chief clerk of the provincial Academy of Literature was a sixth-rank official, higher in rank than County Magistrate Cai.

Fang Yun knew that County Magistrate Cai was helping him pave the way, allowing him to meet these three high officials through the letters. If anything happened to him in Dayuan Prefecture, these three would likely help him for County Magistrate Cai's sake.

"It seems these three are all under the Minister of Literature. The Minister of Literature is the leader of the Academy of Literature, but he must also have officials under him. Although Left Minister Liu Shan is only the head of the civil officials, his disciples and old friends are also in the military and the Academy of Literature."

Fang Yun thought, took the three letters, and thanked County Magistrate Cai.

The head of the Wu clan, another prominent family in the county, handed over a small red cloth bag, saying, "This is ten taels of silver as a travel gift, wishing you a smooth journey, Fang Yun."

Then others also presented travel gifts, and Fang Yun thanked each of them.

The journey from Ji County to Dayuan Prefecture by carriage took only four hours, but these people had given him over a hundred taels of silver, more than what they had given to congratulate him on passing the child examination, showing that his status in their eyes was rising.

They chatted about some of the sights and useful advice in Dayuan Prefecture. As the sun was about to rise, someone suggested that Fang Yun should leave quickly to avoid delaying his journey.

But Scholar Wang said, "We may not meet again after today, Fang Yun. Why don't you write a poem or a ci here, so our trip won't be in vain?"

Fang Yun smiled and said, "So, Scholar Wang, you're not here to see me off but to test me. You are indeed a dedicated scholar. How about we do it next year?"

"No! Today's work should be done today!" Scholar Wang's words caused the crowd to laugh kindly.

Many people looked at Fang Yun curiously. His reputation for talent and poetry had already spread throughout Ji County, and they were eager to see what kind of poem or ci he would write today.

"Please allow me a moment to think."

Fang Yun said, looking around.

The crowd became even more curious. It was clear that Fang Yun was preparing to draw inspiration from his surroundings. If he could write a good poem, it would truly be a "seven-step poem."

Fang Yun slowly observed his surroundings. There was a post station nearby, a thatched cottage not far away, a rooster crowing, and the waning moon in the sky becoming fainter.

Leaves fell on the mountain path in the distance, and unknown flowers bloomed by the wall of the post station. As he was about to leave Ji County, he felt an increasing attachment to the place.

Fang Yun asked, "Do you have ink and brush?"

Suddenly, the crowd around the pavilion laughed and moved to the sides, making way for Fang Yun to reach the stone table in the middle of the pavilion.

On the stone table, there were ink, brush, paper, and an inkstone, all the Four Treasures of the Study, and the ink was already ground.

Fang Yun smiled wryly, walked over, picked up the brush, and after a moment of contemplation, dipped it in the ink and wrote in "Liu style," reciting as he wrote.

"Morning bells stir the traveler, who grieves for his homeland."

After writing, he did not immediately continue, as if in deep thought.

The crowd nodded, some looking at the bells on the horses' necks.

Fang Yun continued writing and reciting, "Rooster crows at the thatched inn, footprints on the frosty wooden bridge."

Many people's eyes lit up. This line was very vivid, and it seemed that Fang Yun was not writing a poem but painting a picture.

Then, Fang Yun wrote the last few lines, forming a five-character regulated verse.

"Morning bells stir the traveler, who grieves for his homeland.

Rooster crows at the thatched inn, footprints on the frosty wooden bridge.

Holly leaves fall on the mountain path, hawthorn flowers brighten the post station wall.

Thinking of the dream of Ji Ling, ducks and geese fill the pond."

Finally, Fang Yun wrote "Early Morning Departure from Ji County" at the top.

Upon completion, County Magistrate Cai frowned, walked to Fang Yun's side, and stared at the poem for a long time without speaking.

Scholar Wang nodded in approval and said, "This poem may have the talent of Mingzhou. The sentiment is sincere, the scene touching. It starts with the poet's departure, then describes the journey, and ends with thoughts of the dream of Ji County's mountains and waters, with ducks and geese floating in the pond, like a traveler returning home. The emotion is genuine and profound, rare and precious."

Scholar Su said, "The antithetical couplets in this poem are extremely well-crafted, the language beautiful. It is the best travel poem I have ever seen."

The crowd nodded. Scholars had farewell poems, frontier poems, and travel poems, and this "Early Morning Departure from Ji County" was indeed outstanding.

"Especially the line 'Rooster crows at the thatched inn, footprints on the frosty wooden bridge.' This is a brilliant example of 'liejin,' with rooster, thatched inn, moon, footprints, wooden bridge, and frost, six images perfectly arranged. The most remarkable thing is the rhythm, which is clear and resonant, like a stream of clear water entering the throat," a scholar said.

Liejin is a rhetorical device where the entire sentence consists of nouns or noun phrases, cleverly combined and arranged. The most famous and best example is "Wilted vines, old trees, and crows, small bridges, flowing water, and cottages, ancient roads, west wind, and lean horses," but in terms of "absolute" excellence, it does not surpass this "Early Morning Departure from Ji County."

This poem is a famous work by the Tang Dynasty poet and ci writer Wen Tingyun, the founder of the "Flower Between" ci school. The prosperity of ci in later generations is largely due to Wen Tingyun.

Although Wen Tingyun is often mentioned alongside Li Shangyin as "Li-Wen," he is only superior to Li Shangyin in ci, not in poetry. The only poem that can rival Li Shangyin's is this "Early Morning Departure from Ji County," which is an "absolute" poem of all time.

The second-to-last line was originally "Thinking of the dream of Duling," but it clearly did not fit here, so Fang Yun changed "Dul" to "Ji," both being仄 (zè) sounds, which did not affect the poem's rhythm or imagery.

The crowd discussed, and Fang Yun remained silent.

Suddenly, County Magistrate Cai said loudly, "Well, Fang Shuangjia, I see why you didn't speak after writing. You were testing us! Gentlemen, you underestimated this poem. This is not just a poem from Mingzhou, but a 'state-stabilizing' poem!"

Fang Yun couldn't help but smile, thinking that County Magistrate Cai, being a jinshi, had quickly discovered the poem's brilliance.

"County Magistrate, are you exaggerating?" Scholar Wang was surprised. From the current perspective, it was hard for this poem to reach the level of "state-stabilizing," as such poems had to be outstanding in some aspect, whether in emotion, grandeur, sharpness, beauty, uniqueness, or absolute excellence.

County Magistrate Cai laughed and asked, "Didn't you see that this is an 'absolute' poem?"

An "absolute" poem is not a "quatrain" but refers to a poem that is unparalleled in some aspect, making it difficult to find a similar one.

"This..."

The crowd discussed, unable to see what made the poem "absolute." After all, "absolute" poems were extremely rare, and many great scholars could not produce one in their lifetimes. Such poems were rare and hard to come by.

County Magistrate Cai said word by word, "Rooster, crows, thatched, inn, moon, footprints, wooden, bridge, frost! Each word is a liejin, unprecedented, how can it not be absolute!"

Many people's expressions changed, and they surged to the stone table to examine it closely, even pushing Fang Yun aside.

County Magistrate Cai cleverly held onto the stone table to avoid being pushed away.

"Indeed, each word is a liejin. This poem is unprecedented, unique for generations, a masterpiece of talent, a masterpiece of talent!" Scholar Su shouted, his face flushed with excitement, as if he had written the poem himself.

Scholar Wang's mouth trembled with excitement, saying, "Could it be that the sage favors me, and my luck has turned? I actually have the chance to witness the birth of a state-stabilizing poem?"

Several older scholars were equally captivated, their expressions more fervent than a twenty-year celibate bandit suddenly seeing a naked beauty.

"To witness a state-stabilizing poem, I would die content, die content!"

"An unparalleled genius, an unparalleled genius!"

A group of scholars shouted and wailed like madmen.

Scholar Wang couldn't contain himself, reached out to take the poem, but his hand couldn't lift the paper.

"This..." Scholar Wang had to use more force, then he held it with both hands, clearly exerting great effort, as if holding a large stone.

Scholar Wang sighed, "A page weighs a hundred catties, indeed, this poem is state-stabilizing, no doubt about it!"

The paper was clearly not large or thick, yet it was abnormally heavy. Many people were witnessing this for the first time, feeling deeply moved.

"How can the ink not spread? Isn't this 'ink not sticking to the skin'? Only a scholar can do this, how can Fang Yun's writing be like this?"

"Is a child scholar before the sage the same as us?"

"That's true."

"Nonsense! Even a child scholar before the sage can't achieve 'ink not sticking to the skin' in ten days. This is clearly due to Fang Yun's hard study."

"Agreed."

The crowd took turns observing and evaluating the poem, and before they knew it, the sun had risen.

The morning light shone on Fang Yun's words, and a faint halo appeared on the surface of each character.

"These are truly words of pearls," Scholar Su praised.

County Magistrate Cai's expression was mixed, frowning, seemingly deep in thought.

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