Two Poems, One Treatise

The woman by the lake slowly turned her head. She looked like a young girl of sixteen, but her eyes were like a lake of spring water, stripped of youthful immaturity, filled with the brilliance of a wise person.

"Isn't today the Provincial Examination? Why are you here instead of guarding the examination hall?"

"He's here!" Qiu Mochi said, a little excited.

"Who?"

"The person who wrote 'Bring in the Wine' and sent my teacher into the Literary Heart Extreme Realm!"

"It's him?" The girl's eyes rippled like blue waves. "What's he doing here?"

"Taking the Provincial Examination!"

"What? He's taking the Provincial Examination this year?"

"I was surprised too. He himself said he was just here to get a feel for the atmosphere. Aunt, should I bring him to you after the exam? Didn't you want him to write a 'Painting Poem'?"

Aunt had been immersed in the Way of Painting her entire life. Her paintings were already close to the realm of "Separation of Virtual and Real," but she could never truly achieve the separation, lacking a certain mystical element.

Aunt was a tragic figure. Why tragic? It had nothing to do with true love, but rather that as a woman, she was destined to find it difficult to achieve her ambitions in this society.

She loved literature and painting, and her talent was exceptionally high. If she had been born a man, she would have long since broken through the imperial examinations and ascended to the highest ranks. But she was a woman, and women could not tread the path of the imperial examinations. They could only explore on their own.

Without a famous teacher, all things in heaven and earth became her famous teachers.

Without guidance, she sought it herself within the classics of the Hundred Schools of Thought.

For the first ten years of her life, she sailed a small boat through the water towns of her hometown, leaving behind countless fresh and elegant paintings.

For the next ten years, she, as a mere child of ten, traveled to the famous mountains and great rivers of the world.

For the final ten years, she drew a prison for herself, sealing herself within Qiankun Academy, gathering the streams, merging heaven and earth, and forging her own Way of Painting...

She repeatedly used her paintings as a medium to seek an audience with literary giants and masters of painting, like Deng Xianchu. However, Deng Xianchu never met her, only sending back a message: "The Way of Painting is but a side branch of the Literary Way. If one cannot comprehend the Literary Way, how can one speak of the Way of Painting..."

What did he mean? Deng Xianchu only discussed the Way of Painting with scholars. You, a woman, not even a scholar, what could you possibly understand about the Way of Painting? Yours was just a wild path, not fit for polite society!

She thought she would only be able to explore on her own for the rest of her life, but more than twenty days ago, Mr. Bao Shan, who was in the same realm as her, broke through to the Literary Heart Extreme Realm, taking that crucial step.

Mr. Bao Shan's breakthrough was closely related to a person's wine and a person's poetry, so she also wished to meet this person...

That person was taking the imperial examinations today and had come to Qiankun Academy.

Aunt slowly stood up and turned around twice, finally shaking her head. "Mr. Bao Shan's breakthrough was primarily due to finding good wine; the good poetry was merely supplementary. Moreover, wine and poetry are easy to obtain, but a Painting Poem is difficult to create! He is not skilled in the Way of Painting, so he cannot possibly write a Painting Poem. Meeting him rashly would be an abrupt disturbance, merely stirring up a pool of spring water."

The great bell struck four times!

A surge of light erupted throughout Qiankun Academy!

This light isolated the surroundings, preventing anyone from transmitting any information. In today's world, strange techniques and abilities were endless, and transmitting messages over a thousand miles was commonplace. If the examination rooms were not sealed, the examination papers would quickly be leaked. If those candidates' families hired a few experts to quickly send back the answers, there would be no need to even hold the examination.

Lin Su raised his gaze, staring at the oil lamp in front of him.

The oil lamp served as a light at night, but had another purpose during the day.

A line of golden text appeared on the oil lamp: Compose a poem, a seven-character regulated verse, embodying love between two places and hearts reflecting each other.

A very common topic.

Everyone was familiar with it.

Scholars, after all, had one thing in common: they were rather flamboyant, weren't they? Even without a lover, they could weave a tale of romance. Not to mention the talented scholars, who didn't have a lover or two?

Therefore, this question was basically a freebie. Almost everyone had already prepared a draft, and it could be considered universally applicable.

Dozens of poems flashed through Lin Su's mind. He had to admit, scholars were truly flamboyant...

Today was just the Provincial Examination. Should he use his trump card? He could casually write a poem that would surely pass, but before the exam began, he had made a big bet with twenty-four people. This bet could only be won, not lost!

Even if they play a small three, I'll play an ace! What are you going to do about it...

After a moment of thought, he picked up his brush and wrote "Last Night":

"Last night's stars, last night's wind, by the Osmanthus Hall east of the painted pavilion, with no phoenix wings to fly together, yet our hearts share a spiritual connection."

If you want to talk about flamboyance, you have to look to Li Shangyin. The emotions in his poems are unparalleled!

Half a "Untitled" poem was enough to crush all opponents!

It took him about five minutes in total. He sat there, gnawing on his fingernails. What was the next question? Bring it over quickly!

He waited for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, and then the oil lamp lit up:

Second poem, using "Painting" as the subject, a five-character verse.

As soon as this topic was announced, it formed a stark contrast with the first poem. The first poem brought joy to the entire courtyard, while the second caused wails throughout the courtyard.

How can a painting be incorporated into a poem?

If there was a painting, one could write a poem by referencing it. But with no painting in sight, how could one compose a poem?

Painting Poems were already rare, and it was even more difficult to make them outstanding.

Today's exam questions were too unconventional. Who set them?

Not to mention the cries of dismay from the scholars, even Lin Su's heart skipped a beat...

The number of poems that combine painting and writing has truly been scarce throughout history. He could recall fewer than thirty, and even fewer were exceptionally brilliant…

After a moment of contemplation, he began to write.

"Painting":

"Distant mountains possess color, nearby water makes no sound. Spring departs, yet flowers remain; birds are unafraid when people approach."

Not a single character for "painting" appeared in the entire poem, yet upon reading it, one could clearly tell it described a painting. It was like a riddle, yet also a poem – fresh, refined, and truly talented…

Heh, bragging again.

After these two poems came the main course: the policy essay!

Lin Su didn't dare to take the policy essay lightly. He had read countless such essays and remembered all their types in his mind. However, this society was different from a typical feudal one. A policy essay was essentially about scholars offering strategies and advice. If it deviated from the social reality, it would be nothing but waste paper.

Above the oil lamp, the essay topic appeared:

"The hundred-year national fortunes of the four states—Han, Chu, Lu, and Jin—destroyed in an instant. Use this as your topic to compose a policy essay."

Lin Su slowly raised his head and gazed at the sky. Han, Chu, Lu, and Jin were four states located in the northwest of Great Cang, sandwiched between Great Cang and Great Yu. For years, these states had paid tribute to Great Yu, bowed in submission, ceded territory, and offered gifts, money, and women. Yet, even with such a subservient stance, they couldn't achieve peace and prosperity. Thirteen years ago, upon the ascension of the new emperor of Great Yu, a million-strong army swept through the four states, annexing them all.

With the fall of the four states, Great Cang lost its northwestern barrier, directly bordering Great Yu. This posed a significant security threat to Great Cang.

Lin Su let out a long breath and began to write: "On the Four States… The destruction of the four states was not due to weak armies or poor strategy, but the flaw lay in appeasing the enemy…"

His pen flew across the page, words pouring out like a torrent. The legendary masterpiece On the Six States, once written by Su Xun, was reinterpreted by him, unfolding in a different splendor…

No one was unaware of Great Yu's wolf-like ambition.

The four states had not lacked individuals who resisted at the time. However, the mainstream society was filled with cowards who feared provoking the powerful enemy, lest their positions, beautiful wives and mistresses, gold and silver, and vast fertile lands be taken away if an army marched upon them. Thus, they would rather trade their land, wealth, and common women for a brief period of peace.

What would be the outcome if you exchanged these things for peace?

Great Yu, having obtained your resources, would only become stronger.

The populace would lose their psychological support, and their hearts would scatter.

If you didn't perish, heaven itself would be unreasonable!

Therefore, the demise of the four states was deserved!

The four states were already gone, and no one wished to summon their spirits. The main theme of this policy essay was not to mourn the fallen states, but to use the past to illuminate the present. How similar were today's circumstances to those of the four states? Great Yu occupied the northwest, looking down upon Great Cang. Yet, high-ranking court officials repeatedly yielded to Great Yu's unreasonable demands, causing Great Yu to advance eastward, conquering cities and territories, leaving the people of the northwest in dire straits.

Zhang Wenyuan, the Minister of War, was a representative of the appeasement faction.

It was precisely because Lin Dingnan disagreed with his political views that he had plotted to kill Lin Dingnan.

Lin Su's writing gained momentum, infused with emotion. The more he wrote, the more engrossed he became, as if he had truly become a member of the Lin family, standing in the golden hall, delivering a passionate spee