Zhou Tong Plays Host

He turned and bowed to Shen Jingchuan, his expression solemn:

"Young Master Shen is a man of great talent. This ordinary invitation is hardly worthy of your poetry. As the person in charge of this evaluation, I would like to personally write a recommendation letter for you, as a distinguished guest invitation. You are welcome to enter the garden on the Mid-Autumn Festival and sit at the main stage. However, my writing is crude and I am afraid it would be an insult to your talent."

Shen Jingchuan quickly returned the greeting, repeatedly declining:

"Sir, you flatter me. It is already an honor for me to have your appreciation. A regular invitation would suffice; how could I dare trouble you to write it yourself? Absolutely not."

"Oh, why not?" Juren Zhang waved his hand, already taking a sheet of expensive gold-flecked stationery and picking up a wolf-hair brush.

"Such a fine poem deserves only an ordinary invitation; otherwise, it would make us at Jade Autumn Garden seem unappreciative of talent. Young master, please don't refuse. Consider it an old man's appreciation of talent, and a chance to make a friendship despite the age gap."

After saying this, he concentrated on writing, each stroke extremely neat and tidy. Finally, he solemnly affixed his personal seal and handed over the invitation with both hands.

The two elderly gentlemen beside him stroked their beards, looked at each other, and shook their heads. They secretly envied Juren Zhang —such a timeless masterpiece, worthy of being remembered for generations, had fallen into his hands. Today's opportunity to recognize talent would surely become Lin Jia along with this poem.

Shen Jingchuan accepted the gold-flecked recommendation letter with both hands, bowed deeply, and said, "I am deeply grateful for your kindness, sir."

He paused, then looked up and asked thoughtfully:

"Sir, I have another question. I will be entering the park tomorrow with a friend. I wonder if this invitation letter allows my friend to enter as well?"

Juren Zhang stroked his beard and laughed loudly:

"Young Master Shen, rest assured, this is a VIP invitation, and there are appropriate formalities. You may bring two people with you into the garden, whether they are attendants or family members, it is all fine."

"Thank you very much, sir." Shen Jingchuan bowed deeply again to express his gratitude, and then greeted Elder Wang and Elder Li beside him before turning around and walking slowly outside with Lin Shan and Lin Yue.

Just as Shen Jingchuan turned around, Juren Zhang was in high spirits and secretly planned to spread the good story.

Seeing that the original scroll, though neatly written, contained many simplified characters and abbreviations, which would spoil its appearance if it were to be circulated, he immediately ordered someone to bring a large sheet of plain white paper, grind thick ink, and meticulously transcribe the poem "Autumn Mountain Journey" into regular script. Every stroke was upright and neat, and he instructed his men to paste it on the screen wall outside the examination hall.

His actions were partly out of appreciation for talent, and partly for his own benefit—now that he has recognized such a timeless masterpiece, his name, Juren Zhang, will inevitably benefit from the poem's transmission to the world, Chang'an Village, Chang'an.

There were already many scholars waiting for or having finished their exams gathered inside and outside the examination hall. They had been peeking around from afar, wondering what was going on, when they saw the three learned scholars personally greeting them and handing them valuable stationery. Now, seeing the newly copied poems posted on the wall, they immediately swarmed around them.

A voice with a clear, loud voice immediately pointed to the words and read them aloud:

"Autumn Mountain Journey"

A winding stone path leads up the cold mountain; where white clouds rise, there are houses.

"I stop my carriage to admire the maple forest at dusk; the frosted leaves are redder than February flowers."

As soon as the thought was uttered, the crowd fell silent for a moment, then erupted in a clamor. The knowledgeable old scholars stared at the line "Frosty leaves are redder than February flowers," stroking their beards and shaking their heads repeatedly, muttering, "Absolutely brilliant, truly brilliant." The young scholars were even more astonished, reciting it over and over, feeling that its meaning was boundless, and the more they pondered it, the more their minds broadened.

Zhou Tong, Xu Mo, and Su Yan were asking Shen Jingchuan what had just happened when they saw this and squeezed over. Zhou Tong, who had a rudimentary understanding of literature, found the text easy to read aloud and didn't find it particularly groundbreaking. Turning his head, he saw Xu Mo's expression change and Su Yan nodded slightly, and couldn't help but ask in a low voice:

"Brother Xu, Brother Su, is this poem... really that good?"

Xu Mo sighed softly, his gaze still fixed on the wall.

"Brother Zhou, this line, 'Frosty leaves are redder than February flowers,' uses spring blossoms to symbolize autumn leaves, offering a fresh perspective never before seen, and its clear and distant imagery makes it a timeless masterpiece. The person who could write such a poem must be a truly talented individual with a profound understanding of nature."

Su Yan nodded in agreement. "The poem is skillfully crafted in its word choice, and its imagery is seamless. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would have thought it was the posthumous work of some famous scholar from a previous dynasty."

As the three were talking, Xu Mo suddenly looked up and saw Shen Jingchuan's figure almost reaching the carriage by the street, about to get in and leave. He panicked and, without thinking, quickly chased after him, calling out:

"Brother Shen, please wait!"

Shen Jingchuan turned around upon hearing the sound and saw that it was Xu Mo chasing after him. He looked somewhat surprised and stopped to wait for him to approach.

Xu Mo quickly approached, cupped his hands in greeting, and smiled:

"Brother Shen, you are truly talented. I witnessed your abilities just now and was filled with admiration. I didn't expect Brother Shen to leave so soon. I wonder if Brother Shen have any free time today? I would like to treat Brother Shen to a few drinks, so I can learn a thing or two from Brother Shen."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Zhou Tong and Su Yan arrived. Hearing this, they slapped their thighs and exclaimed, "Hey, Brother Xu, that's not right! Brother Shen has come to Chang'an, how can you be the host? If anyone should be invited, it should be me! Drunken Immortal Tavern in Chang'an City is the best restaurant right now, with great food, great wine, and great scenery. Let's go there tonight! Brother Shen, you must do me the honor!"

As he spoke, he slapped Su Yan on the shoulder again and laughed heartily:

"Brother Su, come along too! It's fate that we met today, let's get together!"

Su Yan had also intended to make friends, but Zhou Tong spoke first, so he smiled and cupped his hands in greeting:

"That is indeed my wish, but I dare not ask. I had originally intended to trouble Brother Shen, but since Brother Zhou is hosting, I may accompany you."

Seeing the three men's earnestness, and knowing he had already intended to make connections with scholars and literati in Chang'an, Shen Jingchuan no longer declined, and smiled as he cupped his hands in greeting:

"Since you gentlemen have so kindly extended the invitation, then I, Jingchuan, will gladly accept. However, I still have family members in my carriage, and I need to take them home and settle them in first. How about we go to Drunken Immortal Tavern later?"

Zhou Tong immediately agreed loudly, waving his hand with a brisk and decisive air:

"Alright, Brother Shen, please go back to your residence and settle your family first. We'll meet at Drunken Immortal Tavern around 7 PM. You must do me the honor of joining me; I absolutely must have a few drinks with you today!"