After speaking, Zhuo Zifang handed the sheathed treasured sword to Liang Xiao for examination.
Liang Xiao couldn't help but chuckle, "Lord Zhuo, your actions are truly abrupt."
To dare call Lord Zhuo abrupt?
The entire crowd was stunned.
Especially Gu Pingtin, He Qiushui, and Gongyang Long, their faces turned pale with shock!
Dugu Xiao and Ouyang Sheng, their faces ashen, dared to be angry but not to speak.
In contrast, Liu Feng and his companions seemed lost in thought, as if they had realized something!
Grand Tutor Gongyang He's expression changed, "Could it be..."
"Not abrupt at all. I don't want you to prepare in advance. I just want to see you compose poetry spontaneously. Don't force yourself if you can't," Zhuo Zifang said with a smile.
He Jingyun stroked his beard and laughed heartily, rising to cup his hands, "So that's how it is! Lord Zhuo, letting this young man compose poetry is excellent, truly excellent!"
Upon hearing this, Gongyang Long quickly stood up, "Lord Zhuo, as the foremost Confucian scholar, I should lead in composing poetry!"
Zhuo Zifang turned and gave Gongyang Long a displeased look, "Is there anyone else in this world more suitable than him to lead in composing poetry?"
Ignoring the astonished gazes of the crowd, Zhuo Zifang turned back to Liang Xiao and said, "Liang Xiao, you may begin."
"Liang Xiao?!"
Zhuo Zifang's casual call was like a clap of thunder, making the minds of everyone present buzz!
Gongyang Long, Gu Pingtin, and He Qiushui's minds went blank for a moment.
Marquis An Guo, Liang Xiao!
Ye Qingyi observed the entire process silently, watching Liang Xiao, who appeared at ease, and the three young girls behind him looking at him with pride and adoration. A pang of sadness struck her, and she couldn't help but smile bitterly.
What foremost Confucian scholar, what talented individuals, all seemed dim and even ridiculous in the face of his presence!
Dugu Xiao and Ouyang Sheng trembled with anger, their faces contorting.
Zhuo Zifang had always been impartial, and even if he had never met Liang Xiao before, it was impossible for him not to choose Liang Xiao to lead the poetry composition!
Gongyang Long felt as if he had swallowed a fly, his throat choked.
He now only blamed Dugu Xiao and Ouyang Sheng for not explaining things more clearly!
However, Ouyang Sheng and Dugu Xiao were also equally choked and had no way to express their grievances.
They hated Liang Xiao so much; he not only ruined their reputations but also brought immense losses to their families! This twisted hatred was enough to make them temporarily lose their reason. In their hasty encounter, they couldn't form any other words to attack Liang Xiao, nor could they afford to scold him publicly while maintaining their scholarly image! Of course, the two of them also harbored a small selfish thought, hoping that everyone would not recognize Liang Xiao for the time being, thus deepening the conflict between everyone and Liang Xiao...
Gu Pingtin and He Qiushui, the two renowned talented ladies, slightly parted their lips, looked at Ye Qingyi, and then back at Liang Xiao, their expressions complex.
"Why did Sister Qingyi keep this from us..."
The Marquis An Guo we admired turned out to be the "shameless scoundrel" we wanted to reprimand! It's all over, we're so embarrassed!
In a brief moment, a myriad of expressions flickered across the faces of the onlookers!
"I offer my humble attempt."
Liang Xiao merely smiled and nodded, then looked at the treasured sword in his hand and recited loudly, "I possess the Kunwu Sword."
The crowd came back to their senses, looking at Liang Xiao. They saw Liang Xiao step forward, holding the treasured sword with both hands, and then said, "Seeking entrance to the Master's courtyard."
The crowd was surprised again.
Was he going to compose a line for each step?
As expected, with every step Liang Xiao took, he uttered a line. After taking seven steps, he completed eight lines.
"I possess the Kunwu Sword,
Seeking entrance to the Master's courtyard.
White rainbows occasionally slice jade,
Purple aura pierces stars at night.
The hibiscus on the hilt stirs,
Frost and snow gleam within the scabbard.
I hold it to the heavens to serve the nation,
And draw on the ground to seize renown."
The entire hall was shaken!
The sword's aura was majestic, expressing loyalty to the nation and ambition. It was truly worthy, embodying the upright spirit of swordsmanship!
Even Zhuo Zifang, Yunxiu Zhai Master, Lin'er, and Yun Jiu were filled with astonishment!
"Singing of the sword to serve the nation, the sentiment is heroic. But what truly impresses is composing a poem in seven steps, an unprecedented feat!" He Jingyun couldn't help but clap his hands in admiration, then bowed to Liang Xiao, "Your subordinate, He Jingyun, Prefect of Jinling, greets Marquis An Guo!"
He Qiushui's beautiful face instantly turned pale.
It's over!
She and Gu Pingtin had publicly criticized this Marquis An Guo.
"Prefect He, no need to be so polite. I am but a junior," Liang Xiao replied with a smile, holding the treasured sword, and ascended the high platform with Zhuo Zifang.
Zhuo Zifang pointed to the Xuan paper hanging on the wooden board beside him and proposed on the spot, "Liang Xiao, would you mind writing this poem down and leaving it at the Jiangnan Spring Banquet?"
Liang Xiao readily agreed and walked to the table. Zhuo Zifang personally ground the ink for him and watched as he wrote with vigor.
The title of the poem was a single character.
"Sword"!
He began with a running script, completing it in one go, to thunderous applause!
"This calligraphy is also exceptional. Good writing complements a good poem, each enhancing the other!" Liu Feng and others were flushed with excitement, even forgetting to ponder why Liang Xiao would impersonate Zhang Yang with Lü Changhe!
Grand Tutor Gongyang He's face was grim throughout, and he remained silent.
Given his status, he certainly couldn't prevent Liang Xiao from writing the poem. After all, Liang Xiao was already recognized as the foremost scholar of the new generation, with extraordinary status. He was also the first Marquis of Ten Thousand Households to be enfeoffed in the Great Gan Dynasty in thirty years!
Zhuo Zifang was in high spirits and turned to ask the entire assembly, "Are there any others who wish to try and compose a few more poems?"
As soon as he spoke, everyone shook their heads.
Dugu Xiao, Gongyang Long, and the others' faces grew increasingly displeased.
They racked their brains, but couldn't come up with a poem that could surpass this "Sword." If they shamelessly came on stage to write, they would likely become a laughingstock for overestimating themselves!
"Magnificent! Absolutely magnificent!" He Jingyun was already overjoyed. Then, remembering something, he asked eagerly, "May I ask if Marquis An Guo could bestow a name upon this sword? Perhaps the Kunwu Sword, as mentioned in the poem?"
Liang Xiao replied without hesitation, "For a hundred generations, Kunwu. I only hope this Kunwu Sword can be passed down for a hundred generations, inheriting the spirit of the Jiangnan Spring Banquet."
"A good name!" He Jingyun praised sincerely, his heart pounding. He could already foresee that this sword would be immortalized in history alongside Liang Xiao! A hundred generations, Kunwu!
Countless scholars and young ladies below marveled endlessly.
At this moment, the three of Yunxiu Zhai were applauding Liang Xiao. Only then did people around them remember the trio, forcing them to look at them with newfound respect, even keeping a distance. These were friends of Marquis An Guo, not to be offended! Jiangnan bordered the Great Liang Dynasty, and this was not a place solely for the scholars and young ladies of the Great Gan Dynasty!
At the back of the crowd, more than a dozen renowned scholars and young ladies who had traveled from the Great Liang Dynasty to attend the Jiangnan Spring Banquet were also full of admiration. One of them, a young man in green, sighed, "No wonder Marquis Zhenguo believed that Marquis An Guo's talent was ten times his own, and that Li Xin could not forget him..."
Liang Xiao's unexpected yet entirely reasonable appearance had ignited the heat of the Jiangnan Spring Banquet like a spark thrown into a gunpowder barrel, quickly exploding the atmosphere! After calming down, the crowd below began to applaud and cheer. Only the scholars of the Gongyang faction had grim expressions. They felt awkward whether to applaud or not, and simply clapped silently with dark faces.
"I never expected Marquis An Guo to grace the Jiangnan Spring Banquet in such a manner; it's truly surprising!" He Jingyun praised repeatedly.
"One must always leave some space for others," Liang Xiao said with a gentle smile. The crowd couldn't help but feel ashamed and instantly understood. If he had appeared at the Jiangnan Spring Banquet earlier, he would have already become the center of attention, and how could everyone have had the leisure to chat?
Gongyang He, seeing Liang Xiao's spirited demeanor, grew angry and finally couldn't hold back. He smiled and said, "Marquis An Guo, does this old man, as Grand Tutor, not even have the qualification to receive a greeting from you?"
Everyone's hearts tightened. The Grand Tutor, who had been silent all along, had finally spoken!
Liang Xiao was startled, he looked at Gongyang He, then pointed at him and asked Zhuo Zifang, "Oh, is this person the Grand Tutor?"
The entire assembly was stunned! Gongyang He's face instantly darkened. He had expected Liang Xiao to respond with a thousand kinds of arrogance and sarcasm, but he never expected Liang Xiao to pretend not to know him! Wasn't this more unbearable than slapping him in the face?