Many gazed spellbound at the Sacred Apricots. They represented hope of attaining the Sacred Way, a higher Literary Rank, glory for one's ancestors-almost everything.
Many forgot to listen to what Li Wenying was saying. Only at the end did they come back to their senses and hear him announce that they would pay homage to the Temple of Sages.
Then, led by Li Wenying, everyone present rose to pay homage to the Temple of Sages first.
Afterward, music and accompanying dances began in accordance with ritual.
In a land of ritual and music, there could be no negligence.
Once the music and dancing ended, Li Wenying announced the program for this Literary Assembly.
The theme of this assembly was "Praising Fang Yun." Any verse that praised Fang Yun in a positive light was eligible. Regardless of whether their authors were present, as long as they belonged to the Human Race and their poems ranked among the top two hundred, they could receive a Sacred Apricot.
There were three thousand Sacred Apricots, but Fang Yun had already determined who would receive most of them.
More than five hundred would be distributed at this Saint Apricot Literary Assembly. Two hundred would be awarded according to the quality of the poems, fifty to the winners of various activities at the assembly, and the remaining two hundred and fifty would be publicly presented to those who had rendered meritorious service to the Human Race, encouraging its scholars.
Since the assembly's theme had spread throughout the Human Race long before, many scholars picked up their brushes and began writing as soon as Li Wenying announced its opening.
Not only were scholars writing at the venue, but countless poems also appeared on the Human Race's Discourse Ranking. Many scholars could not come to Yueyang and could