sbdcsierra Chapter 78 Three Realms of Poetry
Chapter 78 Three Realms of Poetry
Chapter Seventy-Eight: Three Realms of Poetry
As Fang Zifeng's voice fell, a deafening cheer erupted from the crowd. The students of Wenxing Private School were flushed with excitement, waving their arms, while the students from the other two private schools were also infected by the atmosphere.
For a time, the entire Imperial Examination Assembly was engulfed in a sea of noise and excitement.
Ye Ru took the Taihe Qin and the Wolf Wind Brush, along with his three literary treasures, and put them into his storage bracelet.
Liu Juecheng and Zhao Qingfeng were helpless about this. They never expected that their original intention to beat Ye Ru and stand out at the literary gathering would not only greatly enhance Ye Ru's literary reputation, but also cause them to lose a second-grade literary treasure.
"Alright, everyone quiet down. Now that the competition for the top three positions is over, I hereby declare the Imperial Examination officially open."
Fang Zifeng smiled and waved his hand, then said seriously.
Upon hearing this, everyone went to their respective seats and became serious.
The imperial examination was a very serious matter. Before it began, one could have fun as one pleased, but once it started, it had to be taken seriously to show respect for the God of Literature and for the sages and saints of the past.
Then, Fang Zifeng and the others looked at the statue of Confucius on the table, as well as the statue of the Second Sage and the tablets of the past Semi-Sages.
Previously, Ye Ru had not paid much attention to the statues of Confucius and others, but now, upon seeing them, he realized that the sacred power emanating from the statue of Confucius was as vast as a mountain and as boundless as the sea.
“Every statue of Confucius and the statue of the Second Sage will receive the blessing of the Holy Light of the Academy of Saints.”
Ye Ru thought to himself.
"The first item of the Imperial Examination Literary Gathering: Pay homage to Confucius, to revere the Holy Spirit of Confucius!"
Fang Zifeng's clear voice resounded throughout the area, and everyone immediately became serious and respectful, and performed the rites of worship.
"The second bow is to the Second Sage and all the Sages, wishing all students success in the examinations!"
The crowd paid their respects again.
"The third bow is to respectfully invite the God of Literature to descend to the mortal realm and pray for the examinees."
Fang Zifeng bowed to the God of Literature again, and everyone else followed suit with three grand bows.
"I'll burn incense."
Mr. Liu took a handful of incense, lit it, and placed it in the bronze incense burner.
Immediately afterwards, Mr. Wang held the Analects in his hands and began to recite it.
As Mr. Wang recited the Analects, the atmosphere here suddenly became more refined, and accompanied by the burning incense, it was exceptionally comforting.
"Every literary gathering must have poetry to add to the festivities, and this imperial examination literary gathering is no exception, except for one change: the teacher's lectures have been replaced by the students' lectures."
"We're going to let you choose one person to be the main speaker this time, mainly on reading methods and the meaning of poetry and classics, to assess the students' true level. Who would like to volunteer?"
After reading the Analects, the serious expressions on everyone's faces relaxed slightly, and then Fang Zifeng spoke.
The group exchanged bewildered glances, all knowing their own limited knowledge and skills. If they were to volunteer, they would likely be laughed at.
Ye Ru also shook his head slightly, knowing that this would easily make him a target of public criticism and put him in a difficult position.
The difference between a lecturer being the main speaker and a lecturer being the main speaker is significant.
"Brother Ye Ru's talent will last forever, and he is also the leader of this literary gathering. We should recommend Ye Tongsheng as the main speaker. Don't you all agree?"
Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out, causing Ye Ru to narrow his eyes slightly and look through the crowd.
It is Lin Yanze.
Clearly, Lin Yanzhe was aware of the drawbacks of this lecture, so he ruthlessly pushed Ye Ru into the eye of the storm.
With such high praise, if one doesn't speak well, one's courage as a writer might be attacked.
"Yes, logically speaking, Ye Ru is the most qualified to stand on that main stage. What do you all think?"
Qian Wei's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed. He hadn't thought about it too deeply; he just thought this move would enhance Ye Ruwen's reputation.
With so many people praising him, Fang Zifeng and the others also looked towards Ye Ru:
"How about it? How about Ye Tongsheng gives us a lecture today?"
"I am deeply grateful for the kindness of my fellow students. I am unworthy of being chosen as the main speaker. Brother Liu and Brother Zhao are far superior to me, and the choice should be made from the two of them."
Ye Ru cupped his hands in a humble manner and said.
"Brother Ye Ru, you should do it. You are the top scholar in this year's imperial examination. How can you say you are unworthy of the honor? You are truly deserving!"
Liu Juecheng shook his head and refused.
Zhao Qingfeng returned the smile, indicating that he would absolutely not go up there and embarrass himself.
"Yes, you are the aspiration of all students, so please do not refuse."
Lin Yanze and the others said in unison, as if they had discussed it beforehand.
"Yes, you are their role model now, so don't refuse."
Fang Zifeng said.
"In that case, I shall take the liberty of sharing my talents with everyone. I'll make a fool of myself here. Tong Yao, please sit with me."
Ye Ru sighed helplessly, then walked up to the platform. The first row was occupied by Fang Zifeng and others, while the second row extended backwards from Ai Mingchao.
"cough."
Ye Ru coughed lightly, then looked at everyone and said softly:
"Thank you for your kindness, my classmates. I am now taking the liberty of showing my skills here."
"Hmph, be careful you don't make a fool of yourself!"
Lin Yanze's eyes flashed with a hint of coldness, then he chuckled and said loudly:
"As we all know, Ye Tongsheng was illiterate before, but now he has surpassed others and created many excellent poems that even those who passed the imperial examinations and those who passed the metropolitan examinations admire. I wonder how Ye Tongsheng achieved such great learning?"
He was determined to avenge the defeat of Wen Zhan's class.
Upon seeing that it was Lin Yanze speaking, Ye Ru frowned, and then said:
"Lu Meng, a famous general of the Wu Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms period, once said: 'A scholar should be viewed with new eyes after three days of separation. Brother Yanze, you only need to cleanse your mind of distractions and you will surely achieve great success.'"
These words made Lin Yanzhe's expression turn somewhat unpleasant, and Ye Ru then said:
"Since Brother Yanze asked me how I study, I will share some of my personal insights with you. If you can gain something from this, I hope it will serve as a starting point for discussion."
As soon as he finished speaking, a thunderous roar erupted from the audience, and many people looked at Ye Ru with hopeful eyes.
Some of them knew that Ye Ru had given a speech in the Four Mirrors and Three Brightnesses Hall, and that it had caused many strange phenomena. Now that they had the good fortune to see him, they naturally wouldn't let this opportunity pass them by.
"Ye Tongsheng, please tell us quickly."
"Yes, we were also planning to listen to Yip Tong-sheng's wise words to gain some enlightenment."
"Yes, stop keeping us in suspense, we're all waiting to learn more."
"Hmph, what a show-off! Losing yourself in such flattery, how will you ever advance on the path to sainthood? What a fool."
Some people admired Ye Ru's talent, while others murmured sourly.
Ye Ru nodded, and then said:
“Those who achieve great things and profound knowledge in ancient times must pass through three realms. The first realm is ‘establishing’, the second is ‘preserving’, and the third is ‘attaining’.”
The soft voice fell into the crowd, causing an uproar. Even Fang Zifeng and the others looked at Jiang Wei with strange expressions.