Chapter 7, Literary Competition (I)

The momentum of Jiang Village suddenly weakened

Led by Jiang Jinchuan, Jiang Jinhai and Jiang Jinshan followed closely behind, with the brothers Jiang Wen and Jiang Wu trailing these three. Further back were all the able-bodied young men of Jiang Village, numbering around two hundred. Jiang Zhuliu and Jiang Tiancheng leisurely brought up the rear of the procession

The two individuals arrived at the center of the pavilion, where Old Master Zhao and the middle-aged scholar exchanged polite gestures for a while. In the end, it was the middle-aged scholar who took a seat on the left, with Old Master Zhao subsequently sitting on the right. In the Song Dynasty, the left side was considered the place of honor. Although the middle-aged scholar appeared to be relatively young, he sat in the esteemed position next to Old Master Zhao. Who exactly is he?

At the edge of the alluvial fan, a massive pavilion has been constructed in accordance with the mountain's contours. In the center of the pavilion stands a large huanghuali wood Eight Immortals table, its reddish-brown surface gleaming brightly. On either side of the table are two tall scholar's chairs. Further out, more than thirty square elm stools are scattered around.

Gazing at the tall awning in Yanhe Village, Jiang Jinchuan's expression was far from pleasant. Despite all his calculations, he had still overlooked one crucial detail. Jiang Jinchuan never expected that Yanhe Village would set up such an awning right in front of the dam of the Lower Qin River. This rendered all his meticulously prepared attire and appearance utterly meaningless.

At the exit of the valley, a dam stretches across, firmly gripping the seven inches of the little snake like a giant hand, completely blocking the path of the Qin River out of the mountains.

At this time, the participants from Jiang Village for the literary competition came marching in grandly from the east

In the valley, there is a nearly dried-up stream flowing silently at the bottom, resembling a dying little snake. Only from the expansive riverbed can one faintly discern how mighty this stream once was.

He was originally filled with confidence in winning this literary competition. Although Jiang Village could not compare to Yanhe Village in terms of momentum and financial resources, the outstanding results of the Jiang brothers, Jiang Wen and Jiang Wu, in the provincial examination gave Jiang Jinchuan immense confidence. This is a literary competition, not a competition of wealth! What if there are more people? What if there is more money? Without talent and learning, it is all in vain!

Jiang Jinhai awkwardly fell silent

However, given the current situation, even the county magistrate Liu Feipeng from Hanoi has come to support Yanhe Village. If Yanhe Village did not have absolute confidence in victory, how could they be willing to risk embarrassing themselves in front of the county magistrate?

Jiang Jinhai's flushed face suddenly turned pale, and he whispered, "Elder brother, with so many young and strong men in Yanhe Village, if they lose in the upcoming literary competition, will they turn against us?"

This is the pavilion specially set up by Yanhe Village for the Douwen Competition. Only the prominent figures of Yanhe Village are allowed to enter and take a seat in the pavilion, while the two central positions are reserved for the most distinguished and high-status individuals of Yanhe Village.

Jiang Jinchuan was contemplating whether he should sit down in the pavilion when he suddenly heard three deafening cannon shots. The villagers of Alonghe quickly cleared a path. There appeared Old Master Zhao, accompanied by a middle-aged scholar in his forties.

That being said, even if Jiang Jinchuan could consider the sunshade pavilion, given the financial and manpower resources of Jiang Village, it would be difficult for him to set up a large pavilion in a spacious area five miles outside the village within just two hours. While it is feasible to construct a small pavilion that can accommodate three to five people for shade, if a mini pavilion were to be erected next to the enormous pavilion of Lianghe Village, it is likely that Jiang Jinchuan would blush even before the people of Lianghe Village could say anything.

In Jiang Jinchuan's view, although this participation is in the Douwen Conference, it subtly contains a competition between the prominent figures of the two villages. Although Jiang Village is a small village and cannot be compared to Yanhe Village, Jiang Jinchuan is unwilling to diminish his own reputation. After all, he is still the patriarch of Jiang Village and the largest landowner in the village. In modern terms, Jiang Jinchuan represents the image of the entire Jiang Village.

How could such a thing happen? Jiang Jinchuan and Tu Shu stood there in astonishment

In the height of summer, during the afternoon, the sun can roast a person to the point of sweating profusely. A large shade pavilion is set up in the riverside village, where the prominent figures of the village can enjoy the coolness while watching the literary competition. However, the prominent figures of Jiang Village, such as Jiang Jinchuan and Jiang Jinhai, are left to endure the scorching sun.

After trying on for more than an hour, Jiang Jinchuan finally decided to wear the purple floral official robe. This robe is renowned for its Shu embroidery and was purchased from Boss Luo, who runs a fabric shop in Qinghua Town. According to Boss Luo, this robe was specially brought over from Sichuan, and due to its high cost, he only dared to bring in one piece for fear of it being unsold. Given the fabric, craftsmanship, and materials of this official robe, it is unlikely that one could find many comparable garments in Qinghua Town.

Nonsense! Jiang Jinchuan's expression darkened, What are you talking about! Yanhe Village is a well-known large village within a radius of fifty miles. If they do this, how will they have the face to go out and meet others in the future

Suddenly, Jiang Jinchuan noticed that there were two empty seats in the center of the pavilion in Yanhe Village. He felt a surge of joy and thought to himself, Yanhe Village truly is a village rich in cultural traditions and etiquette. Among the two most prominent positions at the round table, one is undoubtedly reserved for the elder Zhao of Yanhe Village; as for the other, could it be specially reserved for me, the head of the Jiang clan? In any case, I, Jiang Jinchuan, am also a representative of this literary competition!

Boss Luo's words made Jiang Jinchuan feel quite pleased, completely offsetting the pain he felt from previously paying five copper coins. Five copper coins, according to the current market rate, could at least buy eight stones of rice. This eight stones of rice could feed a family of five for at least two years

To the west of Mingyue Peak, there lies a valley. The valley is not large, yet it is deep and steep, as if it were cleaved from the Taihang Mountain range by a giant axe wielded by a celestial being, forcibly creating a gap in the continuous stretch of the Taihang Mountains.

Wearing a Shu embroidery official robe valued at 8 stones of rice, with a Buddha bead the size of a pigeon egg made of pure gold hanging around his neck, and a palm-sized Dushan jade pendant tied around his waist, Jiang Jinchuan immediately felt the weight of 8 stones of rice. Although the Shu embroidery is light and airy, the Buddha beads are indeed heavy. If it were not for Jiang Jinchuan's attention to health preservation and his relatively strong physique, he might have already been unable to walk at this moment

Seeing thousands of people waiting ahead in Yanhe Village, Jiang Jinchuan and the able-bodied men of Jiang Village behind him could no longer muster their spirits. How could they compare! Jiang Village would probably need to gather all the elderly, weak, women, and children just to reach a thousand people.

On the southern foothills of the Taihang Mountains, approximately four to five li from Jiang Village, there is a peak that resembles a crescent moon, which the locals refer to as Mingyue Peak

Jiang Jinchuan, in preparation for the literary competition this afternoon, did not even have a proper lunch, spending over an hour getting ready. He changed outfits more times than one can count from the more than ten sets of clothes at home. Such professionalism would likely make even a fashion model from over a thousand years later feel a sense of inferiority.

Beyond the valley lies a vast alluvial fan, covering an area of nearly 20 miles. It is hard to imagine that such a grand creation could emerge from the seemingly feeble hands of the Lower Qin River

Compared to the prominent figures of Yanhe Village, Jiang Jinchuan realized that he was merely a local tycoon who had never seen the world. While others could think of sunshades and cool shelters, he could only think of clothing and adornment

This is the Lower Qin River

Jiang Jinchuan harbored suspicions in his heart when he suddenly heard Jiang Jinshan's voice: "Elder brother, that middle-aged scholar is the newly appointed magistrate of Henan County, Lord Liu Feipeng. A month ago, when I went to the county town to purchase official salt, I happened to see him take office."

Outside the pavilion, a large crowd of over one thousand people stood densely packed. Most of these individuals were young and middle-aged residents of the riverside village, having come to witness the literary competition between their village and Jiang Village. In addition, there were a few mischievous children from the riverside village who had come to see the spectacle, as well as young girls who took the opportunity to secretly meet their suitors.

As the day approached dusk, the cool pavilion was already filled with people, leaving only two most esteemed positions vacant beside the octagonal table. This inevitably led to speculation about who the two most prominent figures from the riverside village might be and when they would arrive