Zhang Zongshi drank his tea in silence. Beside him were a few good friends he had known for many years. From time to time, people would look at him with undisguised envy.
At this time, a person at the next table asked loudly, "Brother Zhang, why don't you go to Dongting Lake to look for Zhang Longxiang?"
Zhang Zongshi smiled and put down the porcelain cup in his hand. He asked, "Do you want me to tell the truth or lie?"
The first floor of the restaurant immediately quieted down. In this Wenyou Restaurant, Zhang Zongshi's position was not the highest, nor was he the most powerful. However, he was definitely the most promising and also the most eye-catching.
That person asked, "What if I lie?"
"Zhang Mingzhou is a hidden expert. If he wants to show himself, we can see him from the bottom of Yueyang Tower. If he doesn't want to show himself, we won't be able to find him even if we search Dongting Lake. Rather than doing something futile, it's better to stay here and drink tea while waiting for Yueyang Tower to start. "Zhang Zongshi smiled.
"What if I tell the truth?" That person continued to ask.
"Fang Xusheng will definitely lose if he comes to Xiangzhou. It's better if we don't disturb his state of mind. Otherwise, all the scholars will say that Fang Xusheng has an unfair advantage." Zhang Zongshi smiled.
Many people also laughed. As a person from Jingguo, as a person from Xiangzhou, as someone who stood with Fang Yun, they indeed needed to have this kind of confidence.
"That's right. Fang Xusheng will definitely win this competition! Come, everyone, let's toast Fang Xusheng! "A burly man wearing a scholar's robe said.
Everyone loudly raised their cups, whether it was tea or wine. They raised their cups full of blessings and drank their warm hope.
A scholar said, "Brother Zhang, the reason why we aren't in a hurry to go to Yueyang Tower is because we can't get a good spot. When the time comes, we can just sit outside and watch the show. Why are you still here? With your connections, you should be able to get a good spot, right? Needless to say, the A, B, C, and D seats should be reserved for you. "
Everyone in the restaurant quieted down and looked curiously at Zhang Zongshi.
The seats for this Literary Meeting were a very lively topic.
This literary event was jointly organized by Kong City and the Xiangzhou government. Due to the large number of participants, it was extremely difficult to arrange seats. Therefore, according to Kong City's custom, there were five seats, namely, the first seat, the second seat, the third seat, the fourth seat, and the last seat.
Seat A was just below Yue Yang Tower, and the seats behind were getting further and further away. Up to the D section, not only did each person have their own chair, but they also had a table for ten people. There was food on the table.
There were only individual seats at the end of the table. There were no tables, but there were mooncakes given by the Wen Association.
A large number of benches were placed at the end of the table, and the seats were arranged according to the region of each country. However, even these seats were already taken. After all, the number of people attending this event would continue to increase. There would definitely be more than a million people. Even though many people from Baling City had brought their own chairs, it was impossible for everyone to sit down.
The burly man at the side said enviously, "Is there even a need to ask? With Brother Zhang's talent, he can definitely be ranked last."
A scholar dressed in blue beside him put away his fan and started talking non-stop.
"That's not necessarily true. There's no need to talk about the first seat. That seat is for the sovereigns, heads of aristocratic families, great scholars, and powerful ministers of each country. Not only do they have the right to speak in Notre-Dame, but they can also decide the affairs of a country. No matter how much money Ge Baiwan has, he won't be able to get a seat there. As for the second seat, those sitting there are all Grand Scholars or heads of aristocratic families. They all have a high status in each country. Although they can't decide the affairs of a country, they have a strong influence over the country. Similarly, money can't get a seat there. "
"The third seat is for the Hanlin Academy. If one is an official, they can influence the affairs of a province. It is said that Ge Baiwan is in the third seat. Although his civil rank is not high, he controls the Qingjiang Trading Company, which is enough to influence the people of several provinces. It can be said that the third seat is the limit that people with lower civil ranks can reach. It is impossible to rise to the second seat. In the third seat, other than the shopkeepers of the Hanlin Academy and the major trading companies, there are also some sons of aristocratic families. Some are young talents, and some have higher seniority. Even if they are not from the Hanlin Academy, they can still sit there. The high status of the sons of aristocratic families is obvious to all. There's no need to say more. "
"The fourth seat is for the scholars. Apart from the Grand Scholars, the sons of ordinary aristocratic families and the elites of wealthy families can all sit there. A few heads of aristocratic families and the richest people in the city also have the right to sit there. These people have a certain influence over the affairs of a government. "
"The last seat is for the High Scholars. The heads of aristocratic families and wealthy people from all over the country have a way to enter. These people can influence the land of a county. In the past, we might not be able to reach the last seat in our entire lives. However, with the explosive increase of our literary star power and the increase of the Qi of Heaven and Earth, we have a chance to become one of them! "
"Although Brother Zhang's civil rank is only a scholar, his words are insightful and have the potential to become a Grand Scholar. However, this literary conference is jointly organized by the Xiangzhou government and Kong City. Most invitations are sent in the form of letters. Brother Zhang doesn't have an official's seal or the Literary Name. The possibility of the person in charge of the conference inviting him is very slim. "
The burly man retorted, "That may not be the case. I heard from a friend of mine who is an official in Baling Prefecture that the last seat of this scholarly meeting is not only for High Scholars, but also for some famous old Xiucai and Scholars, as well as dozens of Scholars and Xiucai who are famous for their talents. It's not surprising that Brother Zhang is invited. "
The scholar in blue smiled and said, "Some people on the list have already concluded that this year's Mid-Autumn Festival has already surpassed the previous ones in Kong City. It is the grandest festival in the past decade, and only the Saint Conferral Festival can surpass it. In terms of scale and impact on the human race, it's equivalent to a Ten Nations Grand Tournament. Such an important literary conference cannot tolerate any sloppiness. Brother Zhang has no connections in the government, but he has an extremely distant relationship with Fang Xusheng. Hence, I think it's difficult for him to get a seat. "
The burly man said, "Forget it, I won't argue with you. I won't make wild guesses either. I'll just ask directly. Brother Zhang, have you received an invitation to the literary conference? "
The people present looked at Zhang Zongshi, and some of them even made some calculations. If Zhang Zongshi really didn't receive an invitation, it would mean that he had almost nothing to do with Fang Yun. Even if they used some means to obtain Xusheng's Blood Poem Wall, Fang Yun might not appear.
Zhang Zongshi smiled and said, "I didn't want to make this matter public, but since this brother has asked, I'll tell you directly. Yesterday afternoon, I received an invitation from the Governor-General's residence. "
"See, I told you that Brother Zhang has an invitation to the last seat!" the burly man said with a smile.
The people in the restaurant looked at Zhang Zongshi enviously. Just as the scholar in blue was about to speak, Zhang Zongshi smiled and said, "It's not an invitation to the last seat, it's an invitation to the D seat."
The restaurant was silent. For a scholar to receive an invitation to the last seat was already an extremely high treatment, but Zhang Zongshi was able to receive an invitation to the D seat. Other than being related to Fang Yun, there was no other possibility.
The restaurant manager calculated and laughed, "Brother Zhang's mouth is too tight. I'll tell you the truth. After the Mid-Autumn Literary Conference, Brother Zhang will enter the state office as an official. If he does well, he will enter the Governor-General's residence."
Everyone was shocked. They didn't expect that there would be such an important person here.
"Congratulations Brother Zhang!" Everyone present looked at Zhang Zongshi with fervent eyes. Most of them were thinking of how to befriend Zhang Zongshi.
Zhang Zongshi stood up and cupped his hands, "Thank you everyone." He wasn't arrogant, and was no different from before.
The restaurant became lively again. Everyone was discussing Zhang Zongshi's matter. Suddenly, someone shouted from outside, "Zhang Longxiang composed a poem! Zhang Longxiang composed a poem during the ranking discussion! "
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