The crowd's eyes lit up, their gazes filled with anticipation as they looked towards Wang Canghai.
The three great scholars of the capital secretly let out a sigh of relief.
Wang Canghai, the foremost civil official of the court, upright and incorruptible, yet not lacking in worldly wisdom, would surely not set any tricky or bizarre questions!
Wang Canghai approached the front, his expression solemn, and said, "First, we invite our distinguished guest, Lord Zhuo Ling, to enter."
"Lord Zhuo Ling?"
Aside from Liang Xiao and Zhang Yang, everyone else gasped in surprise.
Zhuo Zifang emerged from behind the screen, his demeanor calm, his gaze sweeping across the hall.
He possessed an immortal aura, transcendent and unparalleled!
Liang Xiao observed him and couldn't help but admire him.
Zhuo Zifang, without showing any favoritism due to their personal acquaintance, did not glance at him any more than necessary.
Li Xiuyun and others were both astonished and delighted.
To finally meet the world-renowned Lord Zhuo Ling in person today made the journey worthwhile!
A eunuch began to read Zhuo Zifang's biography.
"Zhuo Zifang, a veteran of three dynasties, hails from Jiangnan. In his youth, he studied swordplay and enjoyed the life of a wandering knight, appreciating fine wine in moderation. After reaching manhood, he dedicated himself to scholarship, becoming a master of various schools of thought and gaining renown. At thirty, he served as the Prefect of Yanzhou, bringing peace and prosperity. At forty, he was promoted to General of the Vanguard, defeating the barbarians and achieving meritorious service, earning him fame throughout the land and enfeoffment as a Marquis."
"At fifty-one, he was appointed Grand Chancellor, dedicating his heart and soul to the nation, earning the admiration of all! At sixty-two, he retired to his hometown, leaving behind disciples and former subordinates throughout the realm. The world esteemed his impartiality and high virtue, reverently calling him 'Lord Zhuo Ling'!"
A smile finally appeared on Wang Canghai's solemn face.
"By the decree of His Majesty, I shall set the question: All scholars of the Great Qian, without exception, look up to Lord Zhuo Ling as an example. Today, you shall all compose a poem in honor of Lord Zhuo Ling, but you must not mention any of his achievements! The time limit is two quarters of an hour!"
As soon as Wang Canghai finished speaking, the participants immediately began to write, conceiving their verses.
Zhuo Zifang and Wang Canghai returned to the ranks of officials, standing beside Luo Changfeng and Liang Qing.
As soon as he sat down, Zhuo Zifang turned and saw Liang Xiao in the distance, his expression changing.
Liang Xiao was gazing at the screen, seemingly in thought, not yet writing?
Zhuo Zifang dared not inquire and looked towards Liang Qing and Luo Changfeng.
At this moment, Liang Qing and Luo Changfeng also wore worried expressions: Zhuo Zifang had only just turned around and had not yet sat down, and Liang Xiao had already stopped writing!
The other officials gazed at their respective disciples, their faces full of expectation.
"Poetry and lyrics are also my son's specialties. This is a perfect opportunity for him to improvise and expose that Liang Xiao's lack of talent!"
Dugu Qun whispered to He Wanli, the Minister of Personnel beside him, full of confidence in Dugu Xiao.
Two quarters of an hour later, the eunuch announced, "Time is up. Cease writing on the original drafts and make a copy!"
Under the watchful eyes of the guards behind them and the palace attendants before them, no one continued to write on the original drafts. They simply fetched another roll of white paper to copy their work onto, which was then handed to the palace attendants.
After the copying was finished, one hundred palace attendants, under the supervision of a large number of guards, randomly selected the copied scrolls, transcribed them on the spot, and finally tore up all the copied drafts.
Afterward, all the transcribed contents were randomly stacked and sent behind the screen.
The hundred participants waited quietly.
Xiao Qing, Wang Canghai, and Zhuo Zifang each perused the poems.
"Excellent!" Xiao Qing murmured, nodding in praise as he reviewed one scroll after another.
"Little Frosty is indeed here!" Hearing Xiao Qing's voice, Liang Xiao rejoiced inwardly.
After a moment, Wang Canghai took out a scroll and presented it to Xiao Qing and Zhuo Zifang.
"Poetry and wine, a traveler from Jiangnan, sword beyond his being, / His gaze, a marvel of ink, carrying celestial truth. / Who dares say you have no equal? / The world, it seems, has indeed produced another such as you."
The three men's expressions were filled with joy, and they exclaimed in unison, "Exquisite!"
Zhuo Zifang couldn't help but stroke his beard and laugh heartily.
He loved this poem dearly!
Subsequently, Xiao Qing and the two elder ministers discussed quietly, finally determining the rankings, and invited the officials to appreciate the poems and announce the results.
"Do any of Your Excellencies have any objections?" Wang Canghai inquired.
The officials all shook their heads, sighing in admiration, "No objections!"
Gu Hong, the Minister of Rites, appraised it on the spot, "The first half of this poem speaks of Lord Zhuo Ling's life, subtly revealing that he still retains a child-like heart! The second half praises Lord Zhuo Ling as unparalleled in this generation, that such a person as Lord Zhuo Ling truly exists in the world!"
After reading the rankings marked on the transcribed scrolls, the officials were all filled with respect, saying, "Well-deserved!"
A moment later, Wang Canghai held that poem and came to the front to read it aloud, calling out, "Whose poem is this? Please present the original draft!"
Everyone sighed, yet they had to concede.
"Whose is it?"
Wang Canghai asked again, and seeing no one respond, he frowned.
Does the first-place winner not want their reward?
The officials looked towards the examination hall, and Dugu Qun roared, "Liang Xiao, sleeping in the examination hall, what kind of conduct is this!"
All eyes converged on Liang Xiao's desk, and they were astonished.
Liang Xiao was indeed fast asleep!
Xiao Qing and Luo Changfeng's hearts sank to their throats, and even Zhuo Zifang's breathing hitched.
Xiao Qing, across the screen, lowered her head sadly.
The thing she had worried about had come to pass.
Liang Xiao slowly raised his head, rubbed his temples, and smiled, "I was thinking of my Little Frosty so much last night that I couldn't sleep. I didn't get enough rest."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Qing's heart fluttered, and her gaze was complex.
Should I be moved, or should I be guilty?
"Nonsense, what kind of conduct is this!" He Wanli couldn't help but become angry.
Just then, Wang Canghai exclaimed, "It was you who wrote it? Liang Xiao!"
Under the astonished gaze of everyone, Wang Canghai approached Liang Xiao's desk, took the original draft, and displayed it.
"How is this possible..." The crowd could not believe it.
Xiao Qing, across the screen, her worry for Liang Xiao vanished, replaced by overwhelming joy, yet she dared not show it publicly!
Liang Qing and Luo Changfeng finally breathed a sigh of relief, their faces radiant with joy!
Zhuo Zifang was stunned at first, then his eyes reddened, filled with emotion.
He, a hero of his generation, had never imagined that the one person who could truly understand him in the end would be a young man he had only known for a month!
Recalling how he had repeatedly lost his composure and "blackmailed" Liang Xiao, Zhuo Zifang blushed again.
Fortunately, this小子 didn't expose him in the poem, only calling it innocent, otherwise, wouldn't my reputation be ruined...
Liang Xiao remained calm, glanced at Zhuo Zifang, and chuckled.
Zhuo Zifang noticed Liang Xiao's action, coughed violently to compose himself, and praised, "This poem is undoubtedly worthy of first place!"
The palace attendants matched the original drafts one by one and announced the rankings.
"My son is third?" Dugu Qun was shocked and enraged.
Dugu Xiao couldn't believe it.
Losing to Liang Xiao was humiliating enough, but he had also lost to the scholar from Jiangnan, Li Xiuyun!
Li Xiuyun smiled at Liang Xiao, still harboring a hint of jealousy.
Outside the imperial palace, Luo Qingxue, Yue Lian, and Zhen Mi had been waiting for a long time.
The palace gates slowly opened, the eunuch shouted the title of the question, and then announced the rankings.
"The first prize for the first question goes to Number One, Liang Xiao! Second place, Number Five, Li Xiuyun! Third place, Number Two, Dugu Xiao!"
"Liang Xiao?!"
The entire audience erupted in an uproarror!
"Liang Xiao's poem reads as follows..."
As the eunuch recited the poem, countless young women cried out in admiration, wishing they could meet Liang Xiao immediately and express their adoration!
Luo Qingxue and the other two were overjoyed.
Composing a poem on the spot for the question, who else could refuse the second young master of the Liang family!
Unlike the clamor outside, the examination hall, after a brief period of noise, regained its calm.
Even if Dugu Qun and others had dissatisfaction, they had to accept it now.
They had personally supervised the copying process, and no one could have cheated!
"For the second question, the examiner has been personally appointed by His Majesty, the former Grand Chancellor, Marquis Zhuo Zifang, Lord Zhuo Ling!"