The buzzing sound, the gathering of hundreds of people, and the strange atmosphere.
In the first few hours of this Beginning of Autumn poetry meet, the development was full of twists and turns.
From the moment Lu Tuizhi suggested writing a poem, the originally cold atmosphere caused by the brawl had actually gradually dissipated. Those who could survive in officialdom and fame, whether it was Lu Tuizhi or the few elders who could lead the overall situation, were all quite skilled in the art of livening up the atmosphere. When Lu Tuizhi said that Hangzhou was the topic, the following situation could be imagined that everyone would produce excellent works. They would discuss and appreciate each other happily. Originally … there should have been no surprises.
But the atmosphere began to become strange again. Of course, it was somewhat different from the estrangement and strangeness from before.
"The southeast is a victory, the capital of the Three Wu Kingdoms, Qiantang has been prosperous since ancient times … this Gazing Sea Tide is grand, but …"
"I've never seen it before …"
"This rhyme …"
Discussions buzzed through the crowd. At the forty-two round tables, there were some merchants, some scholars, and some women who had accompanied their husbands. They all whispered to each other. At the front of the main ship's hall, the gathered scholars were also frowning and discussing. Some of them had been writing poems, but now they couldn't help but stop. The things they were discussing … were very strange.
Lou Shuwan and her husband, Song Zhiqian, walked towards the front. Along the way, they also greeted a few people of the same generation or elders that they knew. Just now, Ning Yi finished his poem in the crowd. This was the first poem he wrote in Hangzhou. It was very straightforward, and it was also the standard by which everyone regarded him as the number one scholar of Jiangning. From the moment he put pen to paper, the poem he wrote began to spread from the crowd around him, and then spread everywhere. Logically speaking, whether a poem was good or bad, in the eyes of these highly talented scholars, they should be able to judge it very quickly. But that strange atmosphere also began to spread as the poem was gradually written. By the time he finished writing half a poem, the entire hall was already in an indescribable whisper.
By this time, he had finished writing his poem. The atmosphere was still going on. Although Lou Shuwan and her husband had heard the whole poem intermittently, they couldn't help going over to take a closer look. Surrounded by scholars, the Xuan paper that Ning Yi had written the poem had already been presented to Lu Tuizhi, who could not help but come over to have a look. Lu Tuizhi looked at it and frowned, occasionally looking at Ning Yi and saying, "This poem is really impressive … watching the tides …" But he did not give a clear evaluation. This was not in line with his original intention of trying to stir up the atmosphere.
After Ning Yi finished writing, he said, "This is' Gazing at the Tide ', please revise it." This was originally a polite remark, but the atmosphere now really seemed like it was being revised by a group of people.
Lou Shuwan looked over. The Xuan paper was still on the table. The words were nimble and elegant, but Lou Shuwan had never seen such words before. However, she didn't think too much about it. She just looked at the content. The poem was naturally "Gazing at the Tide". Only now did she finish reading the contents of the poem on the paper and read it out.
"The southeast is shaped like victory, the capital of the three Wu, Qiantang has been prosperous since ancient times … Smoke and willow painted bridges, wind curtains and green curtains, a hundred thousand families. Cloud trees encircle the sandy banks, angry waves sweep up frost and snow, the natural moat is boundless … The market is lined with pearls and pearls, the households are filled with silk, competing in luxury. "
This poem was impressive and magnificent. Almost from the beginning of the first sentence, one could see the outline of the following sentences. For a moment, it felt like a painting. It only made people feel that it was impressive, but not frivolous. Just the first half of the poem had already outlined the style of Hangzhou. Even Lou Shuwan, who had always lived in Hangzhou, was fascinated.
She looked at Ning Liheng, who was holding his wife's hand and walking to the side. Because of curiosity, she had read the other's poems many times. Even though she already had a deep impression of his impressive poem skills, she couldn't help but tremble slightly at this poem. After all, this was the scene where he made such a poem. She was personally experiencing it. She felt that the people around her were muttering to themselves, so she looked at the second half of the poem.
"Heavy lakes stacked on top of beautiful, with three autumn osmanthus, ten miles of lotus. Qiang pipes clear the sky, water chestnut songs floating in the night, fishing for old lotus children. A thousand riders crowding high teeth … While drunk, listening to the flute and drum, singing and admiring the rosy clouds. Another day will paint a good scene, returning to the phoenix pond to praise … "
It was still an extremely magnificent style, like fireworks and amber. She finished reading the poem softly and looked at her husband, who was frowning. On the other side, Lu Tuizhi was already walking towards Qian Xiwen and the others with rice paper in hand. In reality, a few old people were already silently reading something. Their gazes were complicated, and they were even using their fingers to rhythmically tap on the table. At the side of the hall, a few brothel girls holding pipa and zither were also leaning over. Some of them were stretching their necks, as eager as swans — after all, they were lowly citizens. Under these circumstances, they didn't dare to go too far and could only wait for someone to officially make a copy of the poem.
"Husband, that poem is pretty good. What's going on? Everyone is like this … "
Among the crowd, Su Tan'er actually had the same doubts as Lou Shuwan. In fact, Ning Yi's poem didn't mean that there would be excellent reviews immediately. After all, he wasn't the only one who held the poetry contest. There were people around him who were also writing. Whether others would give their reviews or not, that was their business. Su Tan 'er only understood a little. Although she could understand the meaning, it was difficult for her to evaluate the quality of a top-notch poem. Moreover, this was the first time she accompanied her husband to participate in such a gathering. It was also the first time that Ning Yi was by her side and displayed his talent in front of everyone. For someone like her who admired and longed for the romantic affairs of scholars, this was an occasion that she was looking forward to. After Ning Yi finished writing the poem, she also felt that these sentences were definitely excellent. However, the reaction of the crowd was still beyond her expectations.
Then, Ning Yi led her, who had her head lowered, to a round table and sat down. Her hand was still held by Ning Yi. Only when she saw that the surrounding scholars weren't too close did she dare to say softly, "What … what's wrong with that poem …" Xiaochan, who was at the side, also asked curiously, "Yes, yes, what's wrong? Is it not written well? "Ning Yi glanced at the two of them, then smiled and didn't answer. Su Tan'er frowned and pursed her lips. Her face was full of doubt. Su Wending, who had been following them, finally stuck his head out from the chair at the side.
"Second sister, have you heard of the poem 'Gazing at the Sea Tide' before?"
"Uh … I, I don't think so. What's wrong with that …"
Su Wending looked at Ning Yi with a complicated expression. He didn't know if he was admiring or lamenting. He said softly, "Brother-in-law, is that poem your new creation?"
Ning Yi glanced at him, then looked at Su Tan'er and smiled, "Yes, there wasn't this name of the poem before …"
"A new creation of the poem?" On the other side, Lou Shuwan also widened her eyes. She didn't dare to believe what Song Zhiqian had said. Song Zhiqian frowned, "Yes, this poem of his is extremely magnificent and grand. The rhyme … is also extremely good. And it's a poem that he created himself. He wants to crush people to death with this move of his … even if this poem was created for Hangzhou previously, it's still scary to take it out at this time … "
At this time, no one dared to judge whether this poem was good or bad. In other words, no one was willing to immediately make a judgment.
This poem "Gazing at the Sea Tide" was originally created by Liu Yong. Before this poem, there wasn't the name "Gazing at the Sea Tide".
There were various origins and origins of the names of the various poems. Since the Tang Dynasty, or even the Han Dynasty, the poems had transformed from the lyrics and songs of various Yuefu. In the Tang Dynasty, the mainstream of the literati mainly wrote poems. Various kinds of songs were only minor and not valued. But gradually, it developed to the Wu dynasty. Just like the Song dynasty, it formed a scale that could compete with poems. The length and rhyme of the poems corresponded to the songs. When it was put in the mouth of the singer, there would be a fixed singing style. There were also many styles of the poems that gradually changed after being tempered. But one thing was certain. It didn't mean that you could casually write a crooked poem and say that it was your own creation.
The length of the sentence and the rhyme of the poem had to be tested. Everyone had to read it in a fixed way, just like a song, rhyming and pleasing to the ear. And from the mouths of these female singers, even if there was no musical score, they could still sing these words. In fact, the ancient poetry already included a way of singing.
This was also the reason why the women in the brothel were so sensitive to this word.
To create a new poem on the spot — even if it wasn't on the spot, to be able to create a poem, one had to be a master in terms of poetry skills. Originally, everyone thought that there were books and even top poems here. But when Ning Yi suddenly showed such a skill, no one present thought that they could do it.
They couldn't and didn't want to immediately evaluate the merits of this poem. And yet, they couldn't even find any mistakes in this new poem. This was the most complicated thing.
The draft was passed to Qian Xiwen, to Mu Bochang, and to Tang Xiuxuan. The few elders pondered the length and rhyme of this poem. Lu Tuizhi and the others were also thinking about this poem. Actually, Lu Tuizhi liked it very much. He was the prefectural magistrate of Hangzhou. He used Hangzhou as the topic, and everyone wrote praises. This was equivalent to his achievement. He couldn't help but sigh. He shook his head and quietly recited, "A thousand riders crowding high tooth, drunk listening to the flute and drum, admiring the haze and clouds. In the future, the scenery will be good, returning to the phoenix pond to praise … "These few lines made him the most intoxicated, but then he was a little surprised. And at the side, Tang Xiuxuan also laughed softly.
"In the future, the scenery will be good, returning to the phoenix pond to praise … Master Qian, just now he rejected your suggestion, but I didn't expect that he also had such ambition."
Qian Xiwen shook his head and laughed, "In terms of poetry skills, these few lines can be said to be perfect. But for him to write it now, isn't it a little artificial?"
Mu Bochang's relatively rigid face also had a smile. "Just now, everyone worked hard. This is also a deliberate concession. He wrote it for the scholars of Hangzhou to see. After this poem, it should be enough to forget all enmity with a smile …"
In this poem, "A thousand riders crowding high tooth, drunk listening to the flute and drum, admiring the haze and clouds. In the future, the scenery will be good, returning to the phoenix pond to praise. "These few lines roughly meant that a thousand riders crowding around an officer, drunk listening to the flute and drum, admiring and singing the haze and clouds. In the future, they would paint a beautiful scene, and when they returned to the capital for promotion, they would brag about it to others. This kind of writing, for those ambitious scholars or officials who diligently sought fame and position, was naturally the best kind of expectation. But just now, when Ning Yi rejected Qian Xiwen's suggestion, there was a bit of hypocrisy. Of course, when everyone thought about it carefully, naturally, it was because Ning Yi did not want to incur public anger, so he used such words to flatter everyone, to reconcile with each other.
Among the scholars, at this time, there were also many who understood this meaning. Facing Ning Yi, they revealed a slight smile. Some came over to greet him, and praised him, "Brother Ning, Brother Ning is very talented, your poems are very good, and will definitely be sung by everyone …" After all, after Ning Yi had displayed such talent, it did not matter if they befriended him or carried his sedan chair.
Therefore, in this moment, Lu Tuizhi had already come out to speak with a smile. Comparing Ning Yi's poem to the poems of the others, it was naturally easy to determine who was superior. But since they were making friends through literature, and the atmosphere of meeting friends at this time was more than sufficient, there was no need to so urgently draw out who was superior. In any case, in their hearts, they would always be able to see, so it was fine to keep it in their hearts. But also in this moment, another strange atmosphere that was difficult for ordinary people to detect flowed among the crowd, as if someone had suddenly realized something, causing many people to look towards Ning Yi in astonishment, and then turn their gazes away.
At the beginning, this kind of feeling actually appeared among the most famous scholars in Hangzhou. On Hangzhou's side, those who were known as the number one scholars were He Qiming, Yu Lanzhi, and Geng Huoran. These people were mostly parallel names, and in everyone's hearts, there were also people who were second or third … these people might have a habit of meeting with scholars on a daily basis, occasionally competing with each other, but they still had a personal relationship with each other. When they knew the weight of this new poem, a few of them also gathered together to exchange their views, and to judge each other. They knew that in the end, Ning Liheng had the intention of reconciling with the crowd, so for a moment, they did not say anything strange. Someone also said, "This poem's rhythm is harmonious and harmonious, grand and magnificent, with a lingering aftertaste. His writing skills, I am not as good as him."
But in the midst of the discussion, someone suddenly vaguely realized something. It was hard to say who first thought of it, but in that silent gaze, many people who realized this, for a moment, even felt their scalps go numb. Many years later, when these people were already old, when they talked about today's matter again, someone would use the word "scalps go numb" to describe it …
That kind of understanding could be summarized as follows: If this person had created this poem a month or two ago, why would there be such a phrase in his poem that conveys the meaning of reconciliation with the people?
Most of the people present had a desire for fame and wealth, and wanted to read the books of sages and do great things. In all fairness, it was hard for them to believe that there were no young people in this world who did not have this kind of expectation. But just now, Ning Yi rejected Old Qian's proposal, so they had no choice but to face this fact. Because no matter how crazy a person was, he would not use the identity of a son-in-law to raise his prestige. At most, he would use the identity of a hermit.
Ning Yi's previous few poems had already spread throughout Hangzhou. Just now, these top scholars had already taken them out and examined them many times. They could more or less understand his style. For such a person, if this poem was not written on the spot, but within a month or a few days, how could he write "The future will be good, and I will return to the phoenix pond to praise it"? Right now, everyone could see that this person would not write such a sentence filled with the expectation of fame and wealth in his leisure time for fun.
This was written on the spot …
Just when everyone was thinking of bringing out the meticulously crafted poem from the past, this person wrote such a poem on the spot. To be able to blend it to such a degree, a new poem could actually blend it to such a shocking degree! Regardless of whether the poem was created by him in the past or now, this poem was written by him on the spot. At that time, he nodded his head and agreed to write the poem. He did not even think about it, and did not even walk seven steps. And when they realized this, the crowd was already somewhat unwilling to think about the possibility that the poem was made up at that time or in the past.
This was almost not in the category of a genius. At this level, it was enough to send shivers down people's spines.
Ning Yi sat there with his head tilted. He used his fingers to pick at his face. That place had been hit by someone. Now there was a small patch, and it was slightly bruised.
Not many people voiced out such thoughts and speculations. But they were all smart people. Gradually, some people felt that this was not harmonious. After a while, Song Zhiqian, who was sitting far away, suddenly raised his head. He stared at the couple at the side of the hall. "No, he, he … he wrote the poem on the spot …"
Lou Shuwan turned her head to look at him. Song Zhiqian's face was full of disbelief. But his cheeks twitched, and then twitched again. "He … no wonder he doesn't write poems. He doesn't participate in the poetry meet not because he is indifferent. It's just, it's just …" That's just because others can't play with him at all … Song Zhiqian did not finish his words. Lou Shuwan looked at him in confusion, and then turned her gaze back out of boredom.
Many people present could not predict how much Ning Yi's talent would reach after the news of this poetry meet got out …
Ning Yi and Su Tan'er sat there, one of their hands held together under the table. They looked like a pair of immortal lovers. Occasionally, people would come over to greet them. There were even a few people who timidly came over to ask Ning Yi for advice. They looked very sincere. Not long after, they heard the music. They sang the poem Ning Yi had just written, "Watching the Tide", and then went on to sing other songs.
"After today, I'm afraid business in Hangzhou won't be easy …"
After going through such a poetry meet and receiving all kinds of praise, Su Tan'er was actually very happy. Of course, her cute vanity was also satisfied. She was experiencing the first time in her life that she was truly touched by the "Wife of the Great Scholar". Her heart was thumping, but she had a gentle and quiet smile on her face. However, she also maintained a trace of calmness, which allowed her to say some things that were not on the topic.
Ning Yi was also smiling. He looked around and said, "You've suffered today. I'm sorry."
"I'm your wife." Su Tan'er replied with a smile. She looked at a woman who was playing the zither. "However, there's no need to fight with the Lou family. We won't take advantage of their territory. When we go back today, let's go back to Jiangning after I finish up the business here in Hangzhou … Then I'll accompany Husband to the capital. "
"Yes, when the time comes, we'll collude with the government and become a pair of husband and wife who rob money. I'll help you earn back all the losses here."
"Haha." Su Tan'er smiled happily. "Actually, I had an idea when I was talking to you. However, I thought that Husband wouldn't agree to it, so I gave up."
"Yes?"
"I want to tell everyone that I'm pregnant with Husband's flesh and blood."
"Really?"
"It's not true. Anyway … not yet. I originally thought that when we go home today, I'll arrange an accident. A few days later, I'll tell the public that I lost my child because of this incident. This way, the Lou family will bear the infamy of hounding a child to death. They won't be able to touch us then. " As she said this, the smile on Su Tan'er's face disappeared. She was as cold as frost. This was her ruthless mode as a decision-maker.
Ning Yi squeezed her palm. "There's no need to do this. It'll make everyone unhappy."
"Yes, I thought about it later. I didn't want to do this either. However, it was only because there were many doctors around. "Su Tan'er smiled sweetly.
The gathering began like this. At the VIP seat, Lu Tuizhi gradually realized the possibility that the poem was written by Ning Yi on the spot. He hinted to everyone, looked at Ning Yi a few times, and said to Qian Xiwen, "With such talent and mentality, it's no wonder that Prime Minister Qin invited him to the capital to help. Moreover, he's skilled in both literature and martial arts …" Talent naturally referred to the poem, while mentality referred to the sentence that reconciled with the Hangzhou students.
Qian Xiwen also smiled and simply said, "I don't know whether he's good at learning or martial arts. I heard that not long ago in Jiangning, there was an assassination attempt by Liao, and it was he who saved Prime Minister Qin."
"That's … life-saving grace?"
"Yes, it should be life-saving grace."
Qian Xiwen said lightly and didn't say anything else. Lu Tuizhi looked at him, and a chill ran down his spine. He was ready to give up on Ning Yi because he knew that Ning Yi had a relationship with Prime Minister Qin, but that was only a simple relationship. These powerful people naturally had their own considerations. Since Qian Xiwen knew that Ning Yi had saved Qin Siyuan's life, he had probably decided early on to go all out. But this old man only gave him a little reminder, and didn't say much. If he really went in the direction of convicting Ning Yi, then … he would really offend him. If he offended the current Qin Siyuan, no matter how high his political achievements were in the future, or how much credit he had, he would probably not be able to bear the consequences … Although he was the prefectural magistrate, the old man in front of him was basically warning him.
The harmonious atmosphere continued, and no one could know the undercurrent that was surging under the table. Lou Jinlin had also come over at this time, and was laughing and chatting with some people. The poets were still occasionally composing, but at this moment, no one raised a challenge to Ning Yi. The sun gradually set, and lanterns were blown up on the big ship, waiting to be lit later. Afterwards, the dishes of Fuqing Restaurant were also brought up.
The magnificent sunset dyed the western horizon, the clouds, the lake, and the mountains a magnificent orange-red. The evening breeze blew over from the lake and into the open hall. Some people stood up and looked at the scenery in the distance in the warm wind and sunset. Some people were reciting poems. They were dressed in white robes and silk scarves, elegant and graceful. On Ning Yi's side, a scholar from Hangzhou came over to talk to him. Ning Yi also stood up and chatted with him. The banquet was about to officially begin. Some servants went up to the top of the ship, preparing to light the lanterns later.
It was a magnificent, refreshing, clean, and happy evening. Ning Yi looked at the sunset. For a moment, he was also fascinated by such a scenery, and was slightly intoxicated by the wind.
Flocks of geese flew across the sky in the setting sun.
The person next to him said something, and Ning Yi frowned slightly. Although his attention was not on the conversation, it was easy to respond. He was probably about to say the next sentence. Ning Yi felt something, but it was hard to describe. Perhaps it was an illusion. Those slight movements tickled his heart, like ants, and then like mosquitoes. That illusion … rose from the soles of his feet!
Under the sunset, there was a quiet moment like the beginning of the primordial world, and then …
His feet suddenly moved!
Countless table legs squeaked in panic. Ning Yi grabbed the scholar who almost fell to the ground. At this moment, he also did not know what was happening, but in the next breath, the big ship began to ripple.
Boom — — A loud sound.
The big ship on the lake first jolted to the left, and then crashed into the other boat. There was the sound of wood breaking. The boatman was probably lighting lanterns above, and one of the lanterns suddenly turned into a fireball. With a shout of "Ah — —", the boatman fell to the side of the field of vision.
The tables and chairs shook violently. Su Tan'er grabbed him, and Ning Yi threw the scholar away and grabbed Xiaochan and Su Tan'er's wrists. Bang, bang, bang. There was the sound of bowls and chopsticks falling to the ground. In the hall under the sunset, many people fell to the ground unexpectedly. It was a panic, and no one knew what was happening. The ship was shaking. Someone was shouting, "What's wrong? What's wrong?" There were also various strange sounds, such as the sudden scream of a woman, the broken strings of a lute, and a woman's finger was cut. Rumbling sounds could be heard from afar and nearby, as if they could topple mountains and overturn seas.
"What's wrong — —"
"Steady — —"
Someone shouted hurriedly outside. Someone said something vaguely like "brother," but in the next moment, it turned out to be "Earth Dragon …"
Then, like a horn being blown, a panicked voice tore through the sunset.
"Earth Dragon — —"
"Earth Dragon Turning Over — —"
"It's turning over — —"
The ship was still rocking. Ning Yi looked outside, and his vision was shaking. It was not because the ship was rocking too fast, but because the rocking on the ship was not fast enough, and the image of the faster rocking outside was different. Rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble. The water on the lake seemed to be boiling at this moment. The mountains in the distance, the city, and the nearby Little Yingzhou were all shrouded in a violent tremor.
The setting sun was as red as blood. In this magnificent evening, the tremendous power that was sucked out from the depths of the earth turned into a substantial nightmare. With violent shockwaves, it swallowed the Primordial World as far as the eye could see, and even the entire continental plate that was out of reach …
*****
The Cataclysm had begun. This was the turn from the family line to the national line in the three parts of Family, Country, and World.
Cough, it's been seven days, and it's really not easy. As usual, I'll ask for monthly votes from everyone ^ _ ^
Also, I'd like to recommend two books to everyone. One is Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio, and the writing is quite good. Many people say it's like Records of Xu Xian. I've read it, and although I don't think it's similar, it's still very good. The other book is Divine Glory, which is the best at suppressing one's desires first, and exploding one's climax under a suppressed state. Yes, I've published one in the past few days, and it's really cool. Both of them are in the monthly voting period for new books, so why don't everyone give it a try? Vote for me or vote for them.
Yes, I've finally finished writing the Cataclysm series today, and I'm feeling very nostalgic, so I can't come up with any exciting or funny proclamations. If everyone is satisfied, then vote as you see fit. Thank you ^ _ ^
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