Chapter 003: The flowers fade, leaving behind the remnants of red, while the green apricots remain.

"It's simple. If Brother Qin fails to pass the examination for the xiucai degree, then just jump into the center of West Lake and swim back to shore, how about that?" Qian Mao said teasingly as he looked at Qin Guan

At this moment, Qian Maopi said with a smile that did not reach his eyes: "It seems that Young Master Qin is determined to succeed in the examination for the xiucai degree."

Qin Guan felt a deep sense of bitterness in his heart and said to the system: "I really do not know many poems, and those I do know are all from the textbooks. Moreover, I am not even sure if someone has already written them. If I end up plagiarizing what others have said, it would be a great embarrassment."

If I were to take the exam, it would be a trivial matter

The poem "Qing Yu An" by Brother Chun Yuan is indeed remarkable in both its meaning and its profound intent. The line "The azure clouds rise gently over the fragrant banks at dusk, a new verse painted with heart-wrenching words" leaves a lingering taste on the reader's palate.

"It is a bet on whether Brother Qin can pass the examination to become a scholar, how about that"

Before people could recover from their shock, they heard Qin Guan continue: "The swing is inside the wall, the path is outside the wall. The passerby outside, the beauty inside laughs. The laughter gradually fades, the sound grows quiet. The affectionate are vexed by the heartless."

Qin Guan continued, "You think I cannot write, then I cannot write; you say I cannot pass the examination for a scholar, then I cannot pass. Who do you think you are? Do not use your narrow-minded perspective to envision the greatness of the ocean."

Qin Guan said: "Since we are going to gamble, let it be fair. If I do not pass the exam, I will go boating. If I pass the exam, then both of you will go boating together. Only then is it acceptable. What do you think?"

A faint smile appeared on Qin Guan's face

Upon hearing this, Qin Guan's eyes lit up

Qin Guan stared blankly at these individuals who were lost in their own excitement

Qian Sheng continued, saying: "It must be that you spent money to hire someone to write these poems, haha, Qin Guan, how can you engage in such disgraceful acts and not fear being ridiculed by all literati"

"Then Qian Sheng jumped into the lake and swam ashore by himself," Qian Mao said

As soon as this half-verse was uttered, the mocking expressions that had just been on everyone's faces vanished, replaced by confusion and astonishment

Qian Sheng's face turned red and white, looking quite unpleasant

Qian Mao squinted his eyes as he looked at Qin Guan, and finally relaxed, smiling as he said: "Alright, but we should set a deadline. If you keep saying you will pass the exam, it could drag on indefinitely for you."

Everyone thinks that such good words, if created by oneself, would surely be published to gain fame, which is worth much more than a few taels of silver; only a fool would sell them

Ding dong

Everyone stared blankly at Qin Guan, unable to believe that this poem was composed by the well-known dandy from Hangzhou.

Qin Guan is really disgusting; this guy is definitely much more insidious than his brother. This statement clearly implies whether what you want to promote is good or not

Oh, by the way, you cannot be considered a scholar; everyone present here is a talented individual. Only you, Qin Guan, the second young master Qin, can at best be regarded as a student from an academy, unable to even pass the examination for a talented individual. Given your character, you truly have no fear of being ridiculed by others.

Ding Dong

Qin Guan was taken aback, could it be that this era also has Su Shi, and he has even written this poem

Qin Guan glanced around at the crowd and noticed that most of the people here wore expressions of playful mockery. Even the courtesan named Meng Xiangjun looked at Qin Guan with disdain in her eyes. Beside Meng Xiangjun sat a young man, seemingly in his twenties, with a warm smile and a somewhat handsome demeanor. However, what Qin Guan sensed was hostility.

The host's poetry astonished this group of antiquarians, earning a temporary task reward of 'Explosive Talisman'. The reward has been distributed, and the host can claim it at any time

To be honest, he does not understand

This second half of the couplet, using sound to evoke imagery, is even more captivating, with an ambiguous artistic conception that leaves one with endless aftertastes

Those present observed Qin Guan's expression, and many felt that he must have been foolishly mocked.

Upon the release of this poem by Qin Guan, everyone, including Liu Chunyu, Meng Xiangjun, and the Qian brothers, was taken aback. The depth of the poem's artistic conception and the brilliance of its imagery far surpassed their previous works by a hundredfold, undoubtedly making it a masterpiece that can be celebrated for generations to come

Qin Guan suddenly felt that he was truly out of place among these people, as if they belonged to two completely different worlds

System issues a temporary task: As a time traveler, how can I be looked down upon by a group of antiquarians? Use a poem to shock them. Success will yield rewards from the system, while failure incurs no punishment

The mountains are shrouded in mist as the rosy clouds drift by, yet all that can be seen is the departure of spring. Fragments of withered flowers scent the path, along the willow-lined creek and embankment, where the morning oriole sings, making it difficult to retain the beauty of the scene

Qin Guan asked with an unfriendly expression: "What if I pass the exam?"

The flowers fade, leaving behind remnants of red and the young green apricots. When the swallows fly, the green waters encircle the homes. The willow catkins on the branches are blown away, becoming fewer. Where in the world is there no fragrant grass?

After all, it is just a two-day trial period, and Qin Guan naturally does not care about making empty boasts; he finds it easy to put on this act.

Of course, in this case, the people present will absolutely not be gullible, nor will they spread such words

At that moment, Qian Sheng suddenly exclaimed: "Impossible, how could this poem possibly be written by you"

After he finished reciting, a scholar at the table remarked, "This poem truly captures the essence of intricate twists and turns." Upon finishing his statement, he began to applaud, and the others followed suit, all expressing their admiration for this poem by Meng.

If the dandy can compose such exquisite poetry, then what are they? A group of fools?

The system rewarded him, and Qin Guan felt a surge of joy. With so many people around, it was not the right time to observe the rewards. At this moment, Qin Guan also lost interest in the poetry meeting and turned to leave.

Qin Guan spoke aloud: "I usually conceal my talents and do not wish to reveal them. Do you really think I cannot compose poetry? Is it not just poetry about 'mourning spring'? I can easily produce it. Listen carefully:

One does not lose the battle even if one loses the game; anyway, once the trial period is over, I will walk away without a second thought. What do I have to fear from you? A bunch of old fossils

After Qian Mao finished speaking, he turned to Qin Guan and, with a smile on his face, said: "Brother Qin, your esteemed name is known to all in Hangzhou. Since you have come to participate in the poetry gathering today, it is only fitting that you leave behind a poem. Otherwise, if word gets out, people will say that Qin Langzhong's second son, Qin Guan, also known as Qin Shaoyou, is merely a good-for-nothing dandy, which would tarnish the reputation of the Qin family."

Qin Guan was taken aback and quickly checked.

The poem "Butterfly Loves Flower" by Meng Dajia is melodious and graceful, vividly depicting both scenery and emotions, with a profound depth of expression, undoubtedly a rare masterpiece

At dusk, standing alone, I mourn the end of spring, gazing into the distance, unable to look back. Do not ask how much idle sorrow there is? Half a curtain of quiet dreams, a heart full of emotions, I raise my cup to listen to the whispers of the wind

Prompt to the host, this space-time is a parallel space-time, and since the Tang Dynasty, history has changed

Seeing Qian Sheng suffer a setback, a man with a similarly square face stood up beside him. This man is Qian Mao, Qian Sheng's older brother, who possesses a bit more maturity than Qian Sheng

Qin Guan suddenly realized that this fellow was quite insidious, actually setting a trap for him

At this moment, the handsome young gentleman who had been sitting beside Meng Xiangjun spoke up and said: "I propose we set a limit of three years, what do you think"

At that moment, a system notification sound echoed in Qin Guan's mind

"What bet are you placing?" Qin Guan inquired

"Since Brother Qin is so confident, why don't we make a bet?" Qian Mao said

"How do you gamble?" Qin Guan asked

Qian Mao squinted his eyes and said: "Brother Qin, you have just arrived and are still unaware of the situation here. The poetry meeting has been underway for half an hour, and several excellent works have already been produced. This time, the theme of the poetry meeting, set by the Dream Champion, is about lamenting spring, and both poetry and verses are acceptable."

Qian Shengyi, upon hearing this, looked at his brother and exclaimed unhappily: "Brother, why did you use me as a bet in your wager"

Qin Guan turned around, his expression calm and unperturbed, "Which of your eyes saw that my verses were bought? Why can’t I write such verses, such poetry? Go ahead and buy a poem, see who will sell it to you. If you were to create such excellent verses, would you sell them? Fool."

At this point, this fellow unexpectedly began to chant with a nodding head.

After Qin Mao finished speaking, his face still bore a warm smile

The preceding passage describes a scene: "The flowers have faded, leaving behind the remnants of red, while the young green apricots emerge." With the flowers withering, the apricot tree has already borne unripe fruit. This line directly addresses the theme, indicating that spring has departed and summer has arrived, poignantly capturing the essence of lamenting the passing of spring.