Chapter 8, Literary Competition (Part 2)
Friends of Jiang Village, listen carefully. The first line is: The larch leaves fall before the larch.
The Jiang brothers were filled with indignation. This fellow, usually so foolish and simple-minded, unexpectedly stole the spotlight today
Brother Zhao Nian," Jiang Wu cupped his hands and said, "The corresponding couplet from my brother is: 'In the Golden Valley, the valley is golden.'
I would like to thank the county magistrate on behalf of the more than one thousand villagers in Jiangcun. Jiang Jinchuan appeared deeply grateful.
Liu Zhixian speaks beautifully, yet Jiang Jinchuan does not dare to take it entirely at face value. There are too many people in this world who say one thing and do another, especially those in power who are particularly untrustworthy. It is akin to the plaque hanging high in the main hall of the yamen, proclaiming justice, while beneath it lie countless wrongfully executed souls.
As soon as Jiang Zhuliu's voice fell, the incense head in the censer suddenly flickered and then extinguished
The Jiang brothers turned to look at Jiang Zhuliu, their eyes filled with disdain. What nonsense was this lively Jiang Zhou up to again? If he truly had substance, how could he even fail the provincial examination?
Before Zhao Hang could speak, Liu Feipeng was already over there clapping and expressing admiration
"Hehe, Chief Jiang need not be anxious," Liu Feipeng said with a smile. "Rest assured, although Uncle Zhao is a senior to me, I can assure Chief Jiang that I will judge fairly and will not favor either side. If Jiang Village can achieve victory in this literary competition, I guarantee that Lianghe Village will release the water as promised"
Dear fellow villagers, I, Liu, am today serving as the notary for the poetry competition in Yanhe Village and Jiang Village. I would now like to announce the rules of this poetry competition.
What should we do? Jiang Wen asked Jiang Wu. Although Jiang Wen is the elder brother, it is often the younger brother Jiang Wu who makes the decisions.
"There is no need for you to be polite, Chief Jiang; it is only right for me to do so," said Liu Feipeng. "It will soon be the hour of Wei; Chief Jiang, please go and have the clan members prepare accordingly."
Jiang Jinchuan anxiously followed the young servant into the cool pavilion
Wonderful!
Jiang Zhuliu and the others were still standing at the back, and when he heard the topic of the first round of the literary competition, his heart couldn't help but stir slightly. I dare not say much, but when it comes to couplets, Jiang Zhuliu has quite a bit of insight. He has practiced calligraphy since childhood, often using ancient poets' verses and couplets for practice. Over the years, Jiang Zhuliu not only memorized thousands of exquisite couplets from ancient masters but also became skilled at composing couplets himself. Now, the first competition in Yanhe Village is about couplets, and perhaps Jiang Zhuliu has the opportunity to showcase his specialty. If he could indeed help the village come up with one or two couplets, then the large amount of grain collected by the village should be shared with him. With this grain, Jiang Zhou would no longer worry about Jiang Mu and Dong'er suffering from hunger.
Old Master Zhao caught a glimpse of the expression on Jiang Jinchuan's face and secretly laughed. Such a competition could never be fair. Yanhe Village had the backing of the authorities, its population was several times that of Jiang Village, and it was situated upstream of the Lower Qin River, possessing all the advantageous conditions. In this context, holding a literary competition with Jiang Village and establishing such unfair rules would ensure that Jiang Village had no choice but to agree. After all, agreeing might lead to winning the competition and prompting Yanhe Village to release water; refusing would mean not receiving a single drop. In this situation, holding a literary competition with Jiang Village and setting such unfair rules would guarantee that Jiang Village would comply. Ultimately, whether openly or covertly, in terms of literature or martial prowess, Jiang Village could never be a match for Yanhe Village.
Couplets have long been a popular pastime among ancient literati, and Jiang Wen and Jiang Wu are certainly no strangers to them. However, there is a distinction in the difficulty of couplets, and Jiang Wen and Jiang Wu have no confidence at all in their ability to match Zhao Hang's couplets.
The larch sheds its needles before the larch, while the clouds fly beside the cave of flying clouds. The couplet is perfectly balanced, with an exquisite artistic conception; the entire upper and lower lines are seamlessly integrated, resembling a single entity, truly remarkable
The Jiang family members were also very surprised; who does not know that Jiang Zhou is merely a decorative facade, with a valiant exterior concealing an empty mind. Only Jiang's mother, eager for her son to succeed, spared no effort in supporting Jiang Zhou's education. If it were another family, with someone as foolish as Jiang Zhou, he would have long been sent to the fields to haul manure.
The water level in the漏壶 gradually lowered, and when it reached the mark for the未时, a loud cannon shot echoed outside the cool pavilion, signaling the start of the literary competition between the沿河村 and江村.
Liu Feipeng continued to announce according to the pre-established competition rules: "Now, the first match begins. The questions will be posed by the representatives from Yanhe Village."
A scholar in white robes emerged from the pavilion, his appearance refined and his demeanor exceptional. He stepped outside the pavilion and clasped his hands in greeting
Zhao Hang let out a soft shout, and immediately someone ran over to light a stick of incense and insert it into the incense burner
Ladies and gentlemen, I am Zhao Hang, representing Yanhe Village in the Douwen Competition. The topic of the first round is couplets. I have prepared three upper lines, and I would like to seek advice from the friends of Jiang Village. I will first present the upper line of the first couplet. The friends of Jiang Village can only respond with the lower line of the first couplet and gain the approval of County Magistrate Liu to qualify for me to present the upper line of the second couplet. Only after responding to the second couplet can they qualify for the third couplet. I will first present the upper line of the first couplet. The friends of Jiang Village can only respond with the lower line of the first couplet and gain the approval of County Magistrate Liu to qualify for me to present the upper line of the second couplet. Only after responding to the second couplet can they qualify for the third couplet. If the third couplet is also answered correctly, then the first round of the competition will be considered a victory for Jiang Village. Each couplet has a time limit of one incense stick; if the response is not provided within this time limit, then the first round of the competition will be considered a failure for Jiang Village
The Jiang brothers whispered among themselves, considering several options that were all unsuitable, either lacking parallelism or failing to meet the tonal requirements. As they watched, only a short stub of incense remained, about to burn out.
The villagers from both villages crowded in front of the pavilion. Liu Feipeng slowly walked out of the pavilion and approached the villagers from both sides.
County Magistrate Liu has spoken, what more can Zhao Hang say? To be fair, this couplet is truly exquisite.
The Jiang brothers, Jiang Wen and Jiang Wu, displayed expressions of joy, as they did not expect to pass so easily
Jiang Jinchuan was pondering when a young servant ran over from the riverside village
Liu Feipeng said with a smile: "Chief Jiang, you need not be overly formal. Today, I came to Yanghe Village in a private capacity to visit Uncle Zhao. Unfortunately, I happened to arrive just in time for the literary competition between your two villages. I was a bit curious, so I accompanied Uncle Zhao to observe. I consider it a privilege to witness this rare literary event in our Henan County."
Jiang Wen and Jiang Wu turned their heads to look, their faces changing dramatically. The incense stick had already burned down to the end, with only a red dot flickering, about to extinguish. In this moment of urgency, how could the brothers consider the second line? Could it be that they would concede defeat in the first match like this?
Jiang Jinchuan nodded repeatedly, yet his heart was in turmoil. Since County Magistrate Liu and Old Master Zhao's son were both successful candidates in the same year, would the notary be biased towards Yanhe Village? However, even if County Magistrate Liu were to show favoritism, what could Jiang Jinchuan say? After all, Old Master Zhao was fortunate; his son was a governor in Jiangnan, and his nephew was a county magistrate in Fujian. Jiang Jinchuan initially thought that Old Master Zhao's son and nephew were both serving in distant places, beyond reach, and would not concern themselves with family matters. Who would have thought that the newly appointed county magistrate of Henan County was actually a contemporary of Old Master Zhao's son? Alas, had he known this earlier, he would not have agreed to any contests over literature or water rights. Even if he had three more lives, Jiang Jinchuan would not dare to do so.
Hehe, Brother Jiang, it has been a day since we last met, and I must say I see you in a new light. I did not expect that after your two-month absence, your knowledge has remarkably increased. I, your humble brother, am truly impressed. The first couplet is approved.
Jiang Jinchuan sighed inwardly, realizing that it was indeed unfair. In such a literary competition, the question setters undoubtedly held the advantage, especially with the time constraints for answering. It seemed that today, Jiang Village faced a grim outcome in the literary contest. He quietly said to Jiang Wen and Jiang Wu: "Just do your best later, and do not worry too much."
Although this foolish boy from Jiang Village accidentally created the first couplet, Zhao Hang was not worried. There are still two more couplets to go, and these three couplets are increasingly difficult.
I have a couplet. "The river flows brightly as I call out, m.hetushu.com separates the crowd and stands out.
The larch sheds its needles before the pine, and the valley in the golden valley is golden. Indeed, it reads the same forwards and backwards; truly, a sharp wit. Zhao Hang sighed, saying, "If I were given such a short time, I would likely not be able to come up with a line like that of the virtuous brothers."
The clouds fly beside the Flying Cloud Cave
"Not bad, Jiang brothers, you should reconsider it again." Liu Feipeng, as the notary, spoke up. He pointed to the incense in the burner and said, "But you need to hurry, the incense is about to go out."
"Liu Xianjun and my son are both scholars of the same year. I am being presumptuous by calling you my esteemed nephew," said Old Master Zhao, stroking his snow-white beard. "This time, our two villages are holding a literary competition, and we are in need of a reputable adjudicator. It just so happens that Liu Xianjun is here; I would like to invite him to serve as the adjudicator for this literary competition. What do you think, Chief Jiang?"
After Zhao Hang finished reciting the first line of the couplet, he quietly stood to the side, gazing with a smile at the Jiang brothers across from him. In Zhao Hang's mind, if anyone in Jiang Village could respond to this couplet, it would undoubtedly be the brothers Jiang Wen and Jiang Wu. Those who ranked among the top fifty in the provincial examination in Henan must be truly deserving of their reputation.
Jiang Zhuliu, however, shook his head in silence from behind, clearly disagreeing with Jiang Wen's brother's response to the couplet
Haha, Chief Jiang's insight is indeed sharp, as he recognized the county magistrate at a glance. Old Master Zhao also stood up, saying, "This is good, as it saves me the trouble of mutual introductions and formalities"
Isn't there a slight issue with the parallelism in Xian Kunzhong's work? Falling leaves correspond to golden hues? Leaves falling correspond to golden yellow? It seems rather uneven, doesn't it
"Elder Jiang, my master invites you to come over"
"Refer to the county magistrate." Jiang Jinchuan lifted his long robe and was about to kneel down
"Ah, Clan Leader Jiang, what are you doing?" Liu Feipeng quickly stood up to support Jiang Jinchuan, "I, Liu, have come today in a personal capacity, so there is no need for such formalities, Clan Leader Jiang."
Zhao Hang spoke this way, but did not think so in his heart. The distance between Hehe Village and Jiang Village is not far, and everyone in the village is aware of each other's educational levels. Jiang Zhou is usually the subject of jokes among everyone, but unexpectedly, today he came up with a couplet, which is truly surprising. It seems that foolish people have their own blessings, and those without fortune are not cared for by heaven. It appears that Jiang Zhou has struck it rich today; he could catch a dead rat even with his eyes closed. Jiang Zhou is usually the subject of jokes among everyone, but unexpectedly, today he came up with a couplet, which is truly surprising. It seems that foolish people have their own blessings, and those without fortune are not cared for by heaven. It appears that Jiang Zhou has struck it rich today; he could catch a dead rat even with his eyes closed.
Palindrome couplet? Jiang Wen and Jiang Wu exchanged a glance, their hearts startled. This couplet reads the same forwards and backwards, and its artistic conception is perfectly natural, leaving no room for criticism.
This literary competition consists of a total of three rounds. The rules are very simple: the Yanhe Village side presents the topics, and any participant from Jiang Village, regardless of who they are, will be considered victorious as long as they can answer the topics within the stipulated time limit.
Jiang Jinchuan's expression darkened slightly, and he was about to reprimand Jiang Zhuliu. What kind of occasion is this? It is one thing for you to embarrass yourself, but do not make me, as the patriarch of the Jiang clan, look foolish as well
Jiang Jinchuan had not yet had the chance to speak, when Jiang Zhuliu on the other side had already uttered the second line
"Come here, light the incense!"
Very good! So very good!
Among the more than 200 young and middle-aged men from Jiang Village present, the majority are illiterate. Even those few who have a basic understanding of writing can only barely recognize their own names, and naturally do not comprehend the intricacies of "the larch sheds its needles before the larch leaves fall." They initially thought that the Jiang brothers could easily respond to this couplet, but upon seeing the serious expressions on the brothers' faces, they realized that this "larch" was indeed quite troublesome.
As expected, Zhao Hang continued to speak.
"Treat a dead horse as if it were alive." Jiang Wu said softly, "I hope they won't be too picky"
Jiang Jinchuan stood there, feeling anxious and uncertain about what to say
"Come here, light the second incense stick!" Zhao Hang shouted
The river flows, and a smile appears in my heart; it has indeed arrived. In modern terminology, couplets emphasize the correspondence of parts of speech: nouns correspond to nouns, verbs to verbs, and adjectives to adjectives. The character "落" (to fall) is a verb, yet Jiang Wu uses the adjective "黄" (yellow) for contrast, which naturally leads to a problem.