The next day, Shao Yanzhe dressed neatly and headed alone to the Luming Banquet.
Originally, Liu Mingyuan and the other three had wanted to accompany him, but since he intended to stir up trouble at this banquet, it was better to maintain some distance from them. He made an excuse to avoid going together.
If he incurred the wrath of the officials at the Luming Banquet in the future, they wouldn’t be implicated because of him.
Soon, Shao Yanzhe arrived at the Luming Banquet.
He had deliberately come early, and while the banquet hadn’t yet begun, he wandered around casually, appearing to admire the surrounding scenery.
In reality, while others weren’t paying attention, he discreetly buried the black jade tokens that had fallen from his sleeve into the ground.
These black jade tokens had been given to him by Yun Suqing. They served as a medium for her ghost domain, and with these tokens in place, she would no longer fear the National Luck Qi unique to government offices and could enter the area.
Of course, this effect would only last for half an hour.
As time passed, the Xiucai participating in the Luming Banquet arrived one after another. They gathered in small groups, discussing essays and putting on a studious appearance.
Only Shao Yanzhe sat alone in the seat closest to the main position, occasionally pouring himself a cup of tea. Though solitary, he seemed perfectly at ease.
Liu Mingyuan and the other four spotted him from afar and initially wanted to go over for a chat. However, as the four were renowned talents throughout Pingshan Prefecture, other Xiucai crowded around them, hoping to catch a glimpse of their brilliance.
Shen Jingzhou disliked such an atmosphere. He glanced sideways at Shao Yanzhe drinking tea alone, feeling envious and wishing he could swap places with Brother Shao.
A Xiucai who was conversing with him noticed his gaze and followed it to Shao Yanzhe sitting alone with his tea.
What Shen Jingzhou saw as serene and carefree, this Xiucai interpreted as loneliness and desolation. He couldn’t help but sneer inwardly.
It seems this Top Candidate isn’t all that impressive—he doesn’t even have any close friends. He must have some flaw in his character!
So he thought.
In reality, after the incident at the teahouse, many Xiucai had wanted to befriend Shao Yanzhe. However, before the Luming Banquet, he had given them some of the exam questions he had previously worked on.
He made an agreement that none of them could visit him individually until they had solved all the questions.
It was at this moment that Shen Moyuan arrived with the examination supervisors.
Noticing their arrival, the chatting Xiucai quickly lined up according to their exam rankings and bowed respectfully to the officials.
“Greetings, Your Excellencies!”
“Very well, everyone be seated!”
As the chief examiner for this event, Shen Moyuan naturally took the main seat.
The other two officials instinctively glanced at Sun Heqing. Seeing him casually take a seat elsewhere, they didn’t bother meddling or asking Shen Moyuan to vacate the main position.
Shao Yanzhe settled into his seat and looked ahead, locking eyes with an acquaintance.
He raised an eyebrow in surprise, not expecting to see Zhou Jiming here.
Zhou Jiming had also noticed him—or rather, had been keeping an eye on him all along. Meeting his gaze, Zhou smiled slightly in greeting.
Shao Yanzhe gave a slight nod in return, then shifted his focus to Shen Moyuan in the center.
He carefully observed the man. Due to the special occasion of the Luming Banquet, the man wore a crimson official robe, which made him appear even more imposing and intimidating, making it difficult to meet his gaze.
Shen Moyuan noticed a scrutinizing gaze directed at him. He looked up and saw a scholar dressed in a moon-white robe.
The scholar’s face seemed somewhat familiar. After a brief moment of recollection, he remembered having seen him outside a bookstore.
He never expected that such a destitute and impoverished scholar would turn out to be the Top Candidate!
Narrowing his eyes, Shen Moyuan recalled the examination paper he had once read, and a sense of displeasure washed over him. With a stern expression, he fixed his gaze on Shao Yanzhe, a flicker of malice in his eyes, before speaking: “So this is the Top Candidate of this examination. He appears dignified and refined, and his literary talent is extraordinary—no wonder he surpassed all the scholars of Pingshan Prefecture to claim the title of Top Candidate. Since that is the case, why not let Scholar Shao compose a poem on the spot for everyone to appreciate? Let the theme be the Mid-Autumn Festival. I wonder if everyone agrees?”
Upon hearing this, the Xiucai below cast subtle glances toward Shao Yanzhe. Some were curious whether his literary skills truly surpassed those of Shen Jingzhou and others, while others resented him for overshadowing them at such a banquet.
Feeling the varied gazes upon him, Shao Yanzhe remained perfectly composed. He immediately cupped his hands and said, “Then this humble student will respectfully comply!”
He stood up, looked around at the crowd, and said, “I happen to have a poem that I consider quite decent. I will recite it now for everyone, including Lord Shen, to evaluate.” When he mentioned “Lord Shen,” he slightly emphasized the words, casting a meaningful glance at Shen Moyuan before beginning to recite.
The more Shen Moyuan listened, the darker his expression grew. His hand, holding the wine cup, tightened its grip, and a flash of jealousy and resentment flickered in his eyes.
He had not expected this impoverished scholar to not only write exceptional essays but also possess considerable talent in poetry—his skill was nearly sixty percent as good as that person’s.
“Excellent! This poem depicts the beauty of nature through the imagery of the bright moon and falling leaves, while also metaphorically conveying a sense of loneliness and wandering. A fine poem indeed!”
“Absolutely! A remarkable poem! However, I believe Scholar Shao’s work reflects transcendence and open-mindedness, not mere loneliness!”
“Truly worthy of being the Top Candidate! To compose such a timeless masterpiece in such a short time—I am far from matching such skill!”
“Do not belittle yourself, my friend. One day, you and I will also be able to write commendable poetry.”
“Well said, well said!”
…
Shen Moyuan’s face grew increasingly somber. He tilted his head back and drained the wine in his cup in one go. As the continuous praises of Shao Yanzhe’s poem echoed in his ears, he picked up the wine jug beside him, poured another cup, and downed it again. After three to five cups, the pent-up anger in his heart finally subsided.
Seeing his actions, Shao Yanzhe couldn’t help but smile. Yun Weiyue truly understood Shen Moyuan—he simply couldn’t stand anyone outshining him.
He cupped his hands toward the crowd and expressed his gratitude: “Thank you all for your praise!”
Turning his head, he saw Shen Moyuan down another cup of wine.
He then spoke directly: “Might Lord Shen offer some guidance?”
Shen Moyuan set down his empty wine cup and looked up at Shao Yanzhe, meeting his calm yet subtly proud gaze.
Seeing this familiar yet unfamiliar look, he suddenly felt a sense of disorientation, as if he had been transported back to the time when he attended the Luming Banquet during his own Imperial Examination.
That person, just like Shao Yanzhe now, had become the center of attention as the Top Candidate in the Imperial Examination.
He could only remain in a corner, gazing up at that person, watching her make friends while he drank alone to drown his sorrows, overhearing others’ mockery about himself.
“I heard Scholar Yun’s husband is called Shen Moyuan, who only ranked second in this Imperial Examination.”
“Tsk! Is Shen Moyuan even a real man? How can he lose to a woman?”
“Of course he’s a man! If he weren’t, how could he be so lucky to marry Scholar Yun?”
“Heh, do you think when Scholar Yun tops the golden list, even becomes the Six-time Champion Zhuangyuan, while Shen Moyuan remains second, suppressed by his own wife, he’d be too ashamed to show his face?”
“Hmph! If I were Shen Moyuan, I’d be too embarrassed to go out now! A man actually inferior to his own wife! Useless!”
Shen Moyuan’s expression twisted momentarily, his hand gripping the wine cup so forcefully that the beautiful white porcelain cup shattered in his grasp.
The sharp shards pierced his palm, the pain jolting him out of his bitter memories.
Things are different now!
That woman is already dead!
Even her soul is under my control!
Thinking this, a self-satisfied smile returned to his face.
“Of course, this poem of yours is passable, though several parts are too artificial. Changing ‘jade plate’ to ‘bright moon’ would be more natural…”
Shen Moyuan spoke eloquently, criticizing Shao Yanzhe’s poem as utterly worthless.
The other Xiucai present began to look rather strange. They had originally thought Shen Moyuan made Shao Yanzhe the Top Candidate because he appreciated his literary talent.
But seeing Shen Moyuan now, it seemed more like he held numerous grievances against Shao Yanzhe.
They turned their gazes to Shao Yanzhe, curious to see his reaction.
Unexpectedly, Shao Yanzhe remained expressionless, standing there as if the poem being harshly criticized wasn’t his own.
Finally, Shen Moyuan stopped and concluded, “You still lack experience, making your poems too shallow. When you’ve experienced more in the future, you’ll be able to compose better poetry.”
Shao Yanzhe bowed respectfully, humbly accepting Shen Moyuan’s seemingly reasonable advice: “Thank you for your guidance, Lord Shen.”
Shen Moyuan was quite pleased with his attitude and was about to dismiss him when Shao Yanzhe added:
“Might I ask Lord Shen to also compose a poem at this Luming Banquet, so all present may have the honor of appreciating your poetic work!”
Instantly, all the Xiucai and officials present turned to look at Shen Moyuan, their eyes filled with anticipation.
Shen Moyuan’s expression immediately stiffened.
“Lord Shen is the Six-time Champion Zhuangyuan, particularly outstanding in poetry! The poem from his examination paper is still circulating today! If we could witness Lord Shen composing poetry live, it would make our lives worthwhile!”
“Exactly! Perhaps this Luming Banquet might even be recorded in the history of the Dayong Dynasty!”
“Observing Lord Shen compose poetry might even improve my own poetic skills – that would truly be invaluable!”
“Lord Shen, please agree!”
“Yes! Lord Shen, compose a poem for us!”
Shen Moyuan’s eyes darkened. He glanced at Shao Yanzhe, displeasure flashing in his gaze. He had originally thought this man was well-behaved, but it turned out he was also one to stir up trouble!
Just as he was about to decline, Zhou Jiming, seated beside him, spoke up: “Minister Shen, it’s hard to refuse such hospitality. Why not compose a poem? I’ve long heard of your literary reputation, and surely the other officials have been looking forward to this for some time. Please don’t decline further!”
The other officials nodded in agreement, urging him one after another.
“Very well, then I shall make a fool of myself today!”
Shen Moyuan knew he couldn’t refuse today, otherwise it would damage his reputation if word got out.
He began searching his memory for poems related to the Mid-Autumn Festival, but it had to surpass the one Shao Yanzhe had just recited.
Although he had memorized many poems in the past, over the years he had used most of them, leaving only about twenty remaining.
Shen Moyuan’s expression didn’t escape Shao Yanzhe’s notice, who immediately guessed that he must be searching through the poems left by Yun Weiyue. A faint smile curled at the corners of his lips.
What isn’t yours will never be yours. See? Today you’re going to expose yourself!