The Finest Spring Scene Outshines the Misty Willows Filling the Imperial Capital
Riverview Tower.
It is indeed incredibly luxurious.
Carved dragons and painted phoenixes, pavilions and towers, green tiles and red eaves, every corner is lit with a stick of fine sandalwood incense, to calm the mind and soothe the spirit.
Riverview Tower has five floors.
Qian Qiye's private rooms are located on the fifth floor. Each private room is separate from the others to prevent any accidents and to maintain absolute soundproofing.
Qian Qiye was right. The maids of Riverview Tower were all extremely beautiful. When they arrived at the fifth floor, eight stunning women stood at the door with smiles on their faces. However, when they saw Lu Changsheng, they were all taken aback.
I was momentarily stunned!
After regaining their senses, they eagerly led Lu Changsheng into the private room.
This Qian Qiye, who was standing to the side, somewhat stunned.
"You'll get used to it. Every woman who sees my Eldest Senior Brother is captivated. But you're quite strange, aren't you? Don't you feel anything for Eldest Senior Brother?"
Liu Qingfeng was already used to it.
"Roll!"
Qian Qiye replied with a single word, and then followed him to the elegant room.
Inside the elegant pavilion, some spiritual fruits and fine wines had already been laid out.
Qian Qiye naturally sat down by the window and then poured wine for Lu Changsheng.
"Master, I've heard that you are a literary sage of the human race. Would you like to participate in this poetry competition?"
Qian Qiye asked this question.
"Who is my Eldest Senior Brother? How could he possibly participate in this kind of competition with a bunch of ordinary mortals?"
Liu Qingfeng finished installing the embellishments for Lu Changsheng.
Lu Changsheng took a sip of wine but did not reply.
"That's right. Although there's a reward of 100,000 jin of Spirit Stone if we can win first place, I don't think Master would be interested in that."
Qian Qiye nodded and said with utmost seriousness.
How many?
100,000 jin?
Lu Changsheng did know about Spirit Stone.
Equivalent to hard currency in the world of immortals and heroes, although Spirit Stone are priced by weight, they have a very high density, so a pound of Spirit Stone is actually only about the size of a fingernail.
But in the world of immortals and heroes, with Spirit Stone one can travel thousands of miles, without Spirit Stone one can hardly move an inch.
It was easy for Lu Changsheng to get Spirit Stone: he could sell his supplies or get them directly from someone, like Qian Qiye.
But Lu Changsheng wouldn't do something like that. He might joke around normally, but if he really needed something, he should go to the Great Luo Holy Land instead of anyone else.
Owe a favor, that's a small matter; incurring karmic debt is a real problem.
Upon hearing about the 100,000 Spirit Stone, Lu Changsheng took another sip of wine and looked at Liu Qingfeng.
"Junior Brother, you are mistaken. Scholars are not distinguished by social status. Moreover, in my hometown, there is a famous saying. Do you know what it is?"
Lu Changsheng said calmly.
"What?"
Both Qian Qiye and Liu Qingfeng showed curiosity.
"Since we're already here!"
Lu Changsheng answered with a serious expression.
Liu Qingfeng:???.
Qian Qiye:???.
They didn't understand what it meant, but it sounded like it made a lot of sense.
"Clang!"
"Clang!"
"Clang!"
Suddenly, as the bell rang, the poetry recitation competition officially began.
In the center of the square, an old man held a jade scroll in his hand and said with a smile, "This Lantern Festival Poetry Competition is jointly sponsored by the Great Qian Dynasty, Ten Thousand Treasures Trading Company, Jifubao Trading Company, and Qie Trading Company. The topic was also proposed by the Grand Tutor of the current dynasty an hour ago!"
"Please listen carefully to the question, my esteemed scholars."
"Write a seven-character poem on the themes of green grass, drizzle, spring, and the Imperial Capital. You have only one incense stick's time to finish writing your poem. Simply put it in the cabinet and the head of the Hanlin Academy will cross-review it. The top three poems will be selected within one hour."
The old man's voice was incredibly loud; he was a cultivator. At that moment, everyone began to ponder.
Grass!
Drizzle!
Spring!
Imperial Capital!
Lu Changsheng pondered carefully, searching his mind for five hundred Tang poems.
"I've got it!" Liu Qingfeng slapped his thigh.
What came to your mind?
Qian Qiye was somewhat curious.
"Write a poem."
Liu Qingfeng said this.
"You think you can write poetry?"
Qian Qiye was full of curiosity.
"Why not? With my Eldest Senior Brother, even a pig can write poetry."
Liu Qingfeng said Qi Ingestion, but after saying it, he realized that his words seemed to be an insult to himself.
Liu Qingfeng waved his hand and said, "Listen to me read it first!"
"You read it."
Qian Qiye nodded.
"Ahem!" Liu Qingfeng coughed deliberately before standing up and speaking slowly.
"Green grass grows swiftly, drizzle falls continuously, spring arrives early, and joy fills the Imperial Capital!"
"How is it? Is it good?"
Liu Qingfeng asked, sounding very excited.
"Puff!"
Lu Changsheng spat out his tea.
Is this what you call poetry?
That's it?
Are you kidding me?
Isn't this just adding one more character to an idiom?
However, what is surprising is...
Qian Qiye sharp-tongued, actually nodded and said thoughtfully, "Your poem is not bad, but people say it's a seven-character poem, and yours is a five-character poem, so it won't do."
Qian Qiye said this.
Lu Changsheng burst out laughing again. He looked at Qian Qiye and couldn't help but ask, "Are you serious?"
"What's so serious about it?"
Qian Qiye looked completely bewildered.
"You think this poem is pretty good?"
Lu Changsheng asked.
"Although I don't think this kid is very likable, his poem is actually quite good."
Qian Qiye nodded seriously.
Liu Qingfeng was initially annoyed by the first half of the sentence, but after hearing the second half, he lost his temper. After all, this was the first person to praise his poetry, so he swallowed his anger.
"Oh"
Lu Changsheng had nothing more to say.
This world is great in every way, except for the humanities, which are really weak.
Is this what you call poetry?
Not bad?
Hehe.
"So, do you think we should add anything?"
Liu Qingfeng inquired about Qian Qiye.
"What should I add? Let me think."
Qian Qiye pondered it carefully.
Lu Changsheng was too lazy to pay attention to the two of them.
I began to reflect on my own poetry.
After a while, Lu Changsheng had an idea.
"Serve me with pen and ink."
Lu Changsheng spoke.
In an instant, the woman at the door brought over pen and ink.
Lu Changsheng picked up his pen and then slowly put it down.
"The drizzle on the street is as soft as butter."
"The grass appears green from afar, but is barely visible up close."
"Springtime is the best time of the year."
"It surpasses Imperial Capital."
Lu Changsheng completed it in one go.
This poem is very famous and fits today's topic perfectly.
Green grass, drizzle, spring, the Imperial Capital.
Very good, excellent.
It is both timely and a good poem.
Liu Qingfeng and Qian Qiye both peeked out to look.
"What a fine poem! What a fine poem! Eldest Senior Brother's work is truly remarkable. Alas, compared to his, my poems are probably only a tenth as good. The gap is still too large."
Liu Qingfeng flattered him.
"The poem is quite good, but I don't understand it. It's a bit complicated, not as simple as the one you wrote."
Qian Qiye answered very honestly.
"Send the poem over."
Lu Changsheng left his signature and then had someone from Riverview Tower deliver it to him.
And so, the time it takes for an incense stick to burn quickly passed.
Immediately afterwards, a song and dance performance began in the center of the square.
The grand finale will be revealed in an hour.
Soon, an hour passed quickly.
The song and dance performance has ended.
The old man stepped onto the stage again, holding several poems in his hands, and said with a smile, "Very well, thank you all for your enthusiastic participation. With the fierce competition, the top three winners of the poetry contest have been determined. Now, I will recite the works of the top three winners for you."
As soon as the sound rang out, the talented men applauded enthusiastically, creating a lively atmosphere.