Advancing to the Third Round

"Wine entered sorrow's bowels, yet no tears fell."

"Blood blazed across endless battlefields."

"Iron steeds thundered and roared."

"..."

"On an autumn night, troops were mustered before the tent." When Tang Yan answered with another line that matched the imagery perfectly, everyone's expressions shifted slightly, and the way they looked at him began to change. Had this fellow been possessed? Were these really lines that should have come from his mouth?

"Lament the bright moon's fickle waxing and waning." When this nine-character line sprang from Liu Hailian's lips, those around him found themselves stumped. Only seven contestants had remained, and three immediately withdrew.

"Watch the vast sea's tides rise and fall in melancholy." Tang Yan supplied another matching line.

The spectators below turned toward Tang Yan's table as well. After all this time, how was that brat still up there? Was he cheating?

"An evening boat sailed the river; homebound travelers watched twin moons in the starry stream." When Liu Hailian recited this fourteen-character line, only three people remained at Tang Yan's table. The man in the middle hemmed and hawed for a long while without finding an answer before Tang Yan said with a smile, "The red sun climbed green mountains; a fine steed bore a youth through a journey of splendor."

"I, Guo, failed to recognize your talent. I never imagined you possessed such literary gifts, Tang Yan. My admiration!" The young man who had failed to answer gave Tang Yan a cupped-fist salute with a bitter smile, then left regretfully.

"Excellent!" Seeing that Tang Yan had actually remained onstage, the Tang Family members all cheered.

The first round did not last long. The results were decided in a little under an hour.

When the people of Cloud City, young and old alike, saw that the notorious wastrel Tang Yan was among the twenty contestants still onstage, their jaws dropped.

The few who had been intensely curious about Tang Yan grew even more eager to see how he would perform next.

"Congratulations on advancing to the next round. This time, the City Lord will set the theme. You must complete your work within half an hour. Either a poem or a lyric verse will do. The five highest-scoring contestants will advance, and everyone else will be eliminated!" Zhou Ying finished with a smile, then saluted the City Lord with cupped fists. "My lord, please give us the theme!"

"Your quick wit in the first round was admirable. This round will once again test your ability to compose on the spot and your literary talent. In previous years, we used the Mid-Autumn Festival as our theme. This year, let us choose something different: 'love.' You may begin planning your compositions." Lin Xiao stood and announced the theme in a clear voice.

Quite a few faces darkened slightly. They had prepared some verses about the Mid-Autumn Festival beforehand, only to find them useless now. In an instant, everyone lowered their heads in thought.

Tang Yan stood out most among the contestants. He picked up the wine jug, filled his cup with fine wine, then tilted his head back and drained it.

Seeing how relaxed and casual he was, everyone's mouths twitched slightly. This ignorant, good-for-nothing scoundrel had scraped through on luck until now. His luck had run out, yet he still insisted on saving face. Knowing full well that he could not advance, he was putting on airs and pretending to be a romantic gentleman. His shamelessness was utterly revolting!

"I have it!" one contestant suddenly cried in delight.

Those around him jumped at the sound and shot him displeased looks.

Ignoring their stares, the man cleared his throat and recited, "The autumn breeze intoxicates; a beauty walks beneath the moon. Though I gaze from afar without a word, the bright moon carries my love."

Once the four five-character lines were recited, those around him could not help admiring them inwardly. Those related to or acquainted with the young man even cheered aloud.

Even the four judges could not help nodding. Although these four lines were simple, their imagery was quite good. Composing them in so little time was no easy feat.

Several more contestants then presented their works. Their imagery varied in quality, but they won cheers from quite a few spectators.

By then, the only contestants onstage who had yet to compose a poem were several of Cloud City's better-known literary talents-Wu Jin of the Wu Family, Qin An of the Qin Family, and Liu Zhi and Liu Hailian of the Liu Family.

As for Cloud City's foremost wastrel, everyone simply overlooked him.

They truly deserved their reputations as Cloud City's literary talents. Each time one of the four composed a poem, a stir swept through the crowd below, with people marveling at lines of exceptional depth.

"My lord, may I ask whether the second round is now over?" Seeing Tang Yan sitting there without making a move, Liu Zhi's lips curled with contempt.

At Liu Zhi's words, another burst of mocking laughter rose from below the stage. No one knew how Young Master Tang had passed the first round, but this second round had finally exposed his true colors. Unable to compose a single poem or lyric verse in front of everyone, he had thoroughly disgraced himself. He would have been better off being eliminated in the first round.

The City Lord did not answer. His lightning-sharp gaze turned toward Tang Yan. Although he had only interacted with Tang Yan a few times, the fellow had stunned him profoundly on every occasion. Would Tang Yan really give up just like this?

"Truly fine wine." Standing at the corner of the stage, Tang Yan gazed down at Bright Moon Lake and poured himself a cup. Then he leisurely recited, "I linger against the lofty tower's rail in the gentlest breeze. Gazing to the farthest reaches, spring sorrow rises dimly at the horizon. Grass and mist shimmer in the fading light. In silence, who could understand why I lean against this rail?"

As Tang Yan recited the lyric verse, he secretly infused his voice with a little true qi. Although he did not speak loudly, his voice carried far, reaching everyone's ears with perfect clarity.

Once the first stanza was finished, the faces of those who had been waiting to ridicule Tang Yan filled with boundless astonishment.

"Is this really Young Master Tang? Is he actually composing poetry?" Exclamations of amazement rose from the crowd.

Although the first stanza described scenery, its words were finely wrought, painting an exceptionally vivid atmosphere of devoted love for everyone.

This was Zi Yun's first time hearing Tang Yan compose poetry. Her beautiful eyes remained fixed on him, and she grew ever more curious about this young man. He possessed both martial talent and a gift for romance and verse. Just how had this fellow been brought up?

Qin Changdao, who had been anxious earlier, also relaxed. Just as I thought. If he could compose a masterpiece of the caliber of "Joy at Reunion" that day, how could he fail to write something this time?

"I would cast restraint aside and seek oblivion in wine. With wine before me, I sing, yet forced merriment has no savor. Though my sash grows ever looser, I shall never regret it. For her, I willingly waste away."

When Tang Yan finished reciting the second stanza, the somewhat noisy gathering immediately fell utterly silent.

"Though my sash grows ever looser, I shall never regret it. For her, I willingly waste away." This final line brought the atmosphere of the entire poem to its peak.

Tang Yan drank alone beneath the moon, looking somewhat aloof and somewhat despondent. Paired with this poem, he seemed the very image of a lovesick scholar, drawing repeated glances from many young women. At least the bearing this wastrel young master displayed was not nearly as disgraceful as they had imagined.

Only after a long while did the City Lord clap his hands and exclaim, "Excellent!"

"Tang Yan is going to win again." Wu Xuan also recovered from her astonishment and spoke with a smile.

Old Master Tang's face bloomed with delight. He had spent many years cultivating his character and had read plenty of poetry and books. Naturally, he could appreciate the merits of his grandson's lyric verse.

"I hereby announce the results of this round: Tang Yan of the Tang Family takes first place, Liu Hailian of the Liu Family takes second, Wu Jin of the Wu Family takes third, Liu Zhi of the Liu Family takes fourth, and Qin An of the Qin Family takes fifth. These five contestants have successfully advanced to the third round of the literary competition." Zhou Ying stood and announced the results loudly.

No one had any objections to this ranking.

"The third round will be more difficult, so prepare yourselves." Zhou Ying announced the rules for the third round. "Once the first contestant completes his work, everyone else must finish theirs within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

"There is a length requirement: no fewer than one hundred characters.

"The theme is the young men of Cloud City. You may approach it however you wish. Begin!"