Chapter 27: Mother was a Courtesan

In the stone pavilion, the three people including Prince Prince Jia Shun read the last part of the poetry works passed up. Liu Liu Yanxiu smiled: "The Great Zhou's literary spirit does not decline. Some good poems and lyrics have been produced today."

The three of them were just about to choose the good ones to appreciate with everyone, when they suddenly heard someone say loudly by the clear canal outside the pavilion:

"Today, the Nanxi Literary Gathering gathers the essence of the scholarly forest in our Love Shenjing. Responding to the Prince's elegant topic, all the gentlemen have shown their ingenuity, and everyone has produced poetry and wine masterpieces, which will surely become a good story in the Love Shenjing in the future."

Among those seated, there were those who knew Qiu Qiu Xuanfu. Hearing this, there were those who echoed, and those who were humble.

It was just to set off the atmosphere and respond to the scene. Naturally, everyone had to lift the sedan chair for others.

No one expected that Qiu Qiu Xuanfu suddenly changed the topic: "But I see that this little brother who is the recording official has not produced any poetry. Since this little brother can serve as the recording official of the literary gathering, his talent must not be low."

"Today, the Nanxi Literary Gathering gathers high scholars of the scholarly forest. Everyone has poetry and lyrics. If the little brother doesn't make one, it will be a bit of a scenery-spoiling thing, haha."

Jia Cong stood up and bowed, saying in a condensed voice: "I am young and have only been reading for a few years. My learning is shallow, and I dare not speak nonsense about poetry in front of the seniors of the scholarly forest."

"Little brother is too polite. If I didn't recognize you wrong, you are the son of the first-class general of the Lady Rongguo Mansion, Jia Cong, right!"

Jia Cong was stunned. He had been confined in the East Courtyard since he was a child, and very few people outside the mansion knew him. Even some side branches living on Ningrong Street didn't necessarily know him.

"Does this virtuous brother recognize me?"

Qiu Qiu Xuanfu could no longer control the sneer on his face and said: "Jia Young Master's mother was famous in the Love Shenjing back then, known as a courtesan and talented woman, good at qin and poetry, and her talent was not low."

Prince Prince Jia Shun followed his gaze and felt a slight movement in his heart. He saw Jia Cong standing there with a calm face, not having the rage he had imagined.

Those who could participate in the Nanxi Literary Gathering were all old hands in the scholarly forest. Even if there was a dispute of spirit, they would stop at the point. They were all people with status, so it was not good to lose their dignity.

"Jia Young Master has been taught by his family since he was young, so his poetry must be good. Why be humble."

In this first-class literary gathering in the Love Shenjing, someone actually pointed to his biological mother and called her a courtesan to his face. This was simply a great shame that he would fight to the death!

Liu Bi, who was standing behind Liu Liu Yanxiu, was already blushing with anger and wanted to rush up to help Jia Cong beat that person up. Being insulted by his biological mother as a son was an endless hatred.

As soon as these words came out, it was like a thunderclap on the ground, and many people at the banquet changed their faces.

Prince Prince Jia Shun, Liu Liu Yanxiu, and Zhang Zhang Yuzhen in the pavilion were all worldly-wise and had heard the ulterior motives of the person asking the question.

It was just that he looked at Qiu Qiu Xuanfu with a somewhat strange calmness and said: "My mother passed away after giving birth to me. Jia Cong is thin in fortune and failed to receive my mother's teachings."

Prince Prince Jia Shun looked at Liu Liu Yanxiu with some confusion, but saw that the other party was looking at Jia Cong below with burning eyes.

Although he was usually elegant, he was truly angry this time and was about to stand up to speak, but was stopped by Liu Liu Yanxiu beside him.

Being exposed to the embarrassment of his mother's lowliness to his face, after Jia Cong said these few words, no one went to laugh at him. They only felt that this teenager was open-minded and pure in filial piety, which was so rare.

Qiu Qiu Xuanfu's eyes carried teasing: "I have relatives in the fifth branch of the Jia family, so I recognize you."

But the person who asked the question just now already had a somewhat aggressive tone.

Prince Prince Jia Shun in the pavilion was already gloomy. Jia Cong was invited by his own handwritten letter to be the recording official of the literary gathering. Having someone humiliate him like this was equivalent to someone tearing his own face.

Saying this, he bowed to the south, his expression somewhat nostalgic: "If my mother were still here, as long as I could serve her, even if I were illiterate, I would be happy."

The girl in men's clothes who had been standing beside Zhang Tianshi Zhang also had a cold face, and her hand holding the long sword tightened.

What she was thinking about was the parents and relatives in another world. She had disappeared without reason; they must be heartbroken. Thinking of this, the expression on her face was already desolate.

Throughout history, there is no first in literature, and scholars have always looked down on each other. The Nanxi Literary Gathering of previous years would also have some literary name disputes, but they were all harmless episodes.

Zhou Zhou Changyan, Wang Dong, and others who knew Jia Cong among the people present all showed anger when they heard such provocative and insulting words.

Jia Cong's face sank slightly. He had already seen that Qiu Qiu Xuanfu was not well-intentioned.

The calm voice fell, and the whole hall was silent. The eyes that collided with each other were full of admiration, shock, sympathy, scrutiny, etc., all of which were different.

Seeing the pain on his face just now made everyone present moved.

Qiu Qiu Xuanfu had originally felt some pleasure, but now it was swallowed up little by little, and his face became somewhat pale.

Prince Prince Jia Shun looked gently at the teenager in the moon-white long robe below, his eyes full of admiration.

Liu Liu Yanxiu looked at the teenager standing tall like jade before his eyes, and the shock in his heart was beyond words.

He was just a teenager, but when facing the insults of others and pointing to the lowliness of his biological mother, he could respond so calmly, neither humble nor arrogant. This wisdom and steadiness were hard for adults to achieve.

And he didn't make any defense for his mother of lowly status. A son doesn't dislike his mother's ugliness. He was calm and nostalgic, only regretting that he couldn't receive his mother's teachings, and instead complained about the pain of losing his mother since childhood.

Without a trace, lifting weight as if it were light, he turned the other party's vicious attack into nothingness.

If this child wasn't born with pure filial piety and natural inaction, then this city and the response to the scheme would be too terrible.

Qiu Qiu Xuanfu had originally used his mother's lowliness to humiliate him, but now it was like a heavy punch hitting a pile of cotton, and he himself looked like he was not a thing inside or outside.

Wu Wu Jinrong, who was sitting on the side, was also shocked. Qiu Qiu Xuanfu's tricky and embarrassing attack actually had this result. This teenager was actually so powerful.

He suddenly called out bad. Qiu Qiu Xuanfu was in a difficult situation in front of Jia Cong. He didn't care.

But Xuanfu was recommended by him to the Nanxi Literary Gathering, and he was his cousin. This kind of thing couldn't be hidden at all.

By then, Prince Prince Jia Shun, Liu Liu Yanxiu, and others would definitely think that he knew about this in advance and let Qiu Qiu Xuanfu stir up trouble.

He relied on Zhou Zhou Junxing, his reputation was already stained, and he was hated by the scholarly forest. Even so, he didn't want to make the whole world his enemy, and it would be difficult to move an inch in the future.

For the current plan, he could only help Qiu Qiu Xuanfu, this idiot, clean up the mess, so that he could get rid of the relationship.

"Qiu Xuanfu, you are too reckless. It's fine for you to ask Jia Young Master to write a poem, why bother with other people's family affairs."

Wu Wu Jinrong pretended to lecture Qiu Qiu Xuanfu, and then turned to Prince Prince Jia Shun and the others in the stone pavilion:

"My cousin's words were a bit reckless, but I apologize to the Prince, Mr. Jing'an, and Zhang Tianshi Zhang on his behalf. I hope you will forgive me."

The three people in the pavilion were all worldly-wise, and Liu Liu Yanxiu was even more old and shrewd. How could they not see Wu Wu Jinrong's foundation?

He just said indifferently: "We readers, although articles and learning are the foundation, vision and mind are even more important. We should know that heroes don't ask about their origins, and gentlemen don't count their backgrounds."

These words sounded gentle, but they were actually very severe, saying that Qiu Qiu Xuanfu had no reason to expose other people's family privacy, and his behavior was bad, without the basic vision and mind of a reader.

Qiu Qiu Xuanfu, who was standing on the side, turned pale, sweating profusely.

Liu Liu Yanxiu was a literary saint of a generation, and his status in the eyes of the Great Zhou scholars was extremely respected. In the scholarly forest, he almost reached the point of saying what he said.

With this comment from him, Qiu Qiu Xuanfu would leave a stain for the rest of his life, which was also his own fault for having evil intentions.

Wu Wu Jinrong's face stiffened when he heard this, but he was unwilling to give up in his heart.

Qiu Qiu Xuanfu had lost face just now, but he was recommended by himself, and he was his cousin. Such things would spread throughout the Love Shenjing tomorrow.

Qiu Qiu Xuanfu was notorious, and he would also become a laughing stock. He had to save some face, otherwise, it would definitely make Zhou Zhou Junxing look down on him, and it would be difficult to stand in the Investigation Court in the future.

He smiled at Jia Cong: "I am Wu Wu Jinrong. Although my cousin's words were a bit reckless, his request for Jia Young Master to write a poem was not with bad intentions."

"Today at the Nanxi Literary Gathering, everyone is harmonizing with poetry and lyrics. Jia Young Master comes from a wealthy family, so his talent must be good."

"Since you have the fate to participate in the Nanxi Literary Gathering, it would be a pity not to leave a masterpiece. Why not write one to end this section and respond to the victory of today's literary gathering?"

Jia Cong heard that he was very polite, but every sentence was pushing him to write a poem, and he felt it was a bit funny. There were actually people in this world who used writing poems to squeeze him.

"Since this is the case, I will make one boldly. Jia Cong is young and shallow in learning, so I will show off my skills in front of the seniors of the scholarly forest. Please don't laugh at me."

After speaking, he bowed respectfully to the surroundings. He was the youngest among the people present. This cuteness was shown generously, which attracted a lot of goodwill from everyone.

Wu Wu Jinrong glanced at the thick poetry manuscripts on the desk and said: "Jia Young Master has just transcribed dozens of poems and lyrics about rain, and his train of thought must have been disturbed. Now it is difficult to produce masterpieces."

"Why don't we make a new topic? I don't know if Jia Young Master thinks it is appropriate."

As soon as this remark came out, everyone in the seat looked at each other. They all made poems and lyrics about rain, why was it only impossible for Jia Cong here?

And Liu Liu Yanxiu and others had experienced all kinds of scenes. As soon as they heard Wu Wu Jinrong's words, they knew that Wu Wu Jinrong was guarding against Jia Cong making a poem to pass the test.

Jia Cong had just transcribed a hall of poems and lyrics about rain, and he had some inspiration. It was not difficult to copy one out.

Wu Wu Jinrong had blocked this shortcut in advance. Although this person was polite on the surface, unlike Qiu Qiu Xuanfu who was arrogant and rude, he still wanted to make things difficult for Jia Cong in his heart and get back face for himself.

The Nanxi Literary Gathering was originally a discussion of poetry and literature, and there was also some literary fighting.

Although Wu Wu Jinrong was a bit tricky, he was not as evil as Qiu Qiu Xuanfu, and he did not go beyond the scope of poetry and literature discussion. Liu Liu Yanxiu and others couldn't pick out any faults.

It was just that Jia Cong was young after all. Could he handle it?

Although his calligraphy was outstanding, he had never heard of him writing poetry and lyrics.

After all, he was just this age, his learning and vision were limited, so what kind of masterpieces could he learn?

It would be good if he could make one. These people would speak for him and cover up this matter.

This was the idea of Liu Liu Yanxiu, Prince Prince Jia Shun, Zhang Tianshi Zhang, and others.

Wu Wu Jinrong was hoping that Jia Cong would be timid and reject his proposal, so that he would win without a fight, not only getting face in front of everyone but also covering up Qiu Qiu Xuanfu's ugliness.

Unfortunately, Jia Cong said calmly: "Then please set the topic, Brother Wu."

In Wu Wu Jinrong's view, how old was Jia Cong? Although his calligraphy was outstanding, that might be because he had talent beyond ordinary people in calligraphy. Such people were rare, but not non-existent.

And poetry and lyrics were several times harder than calligraphy. Poetry and lyrics required not only talent but also hard study and accumulation, and only when the two were combined could there be achievements.

How many years of books could Jia Cong read at this age? Even if he was a genius in calligraphy, could he also be a genius in poetry and lyrics?

Wu Wu Jinrong said confidently: "This morning, the wind and snow were heavy, and there was rain falling when we sat down. There are plum forests of various colors by the side of this winding water."

"Why not take wind, snow, rain, and plum as the topic? Regardless of poetry or lyrics, it is fine. After Jia Young Master makes one, I will also make one to harmonize. I don't know what Jia Young Master thinks?"

Jia Cong suddenly remembered the magnificent scenery of the vast snowy fields and the thawing of the frozen river he saw when he came, and that magnificent poem by the great man in his previous life.

At this moment, his gaze swept over the plum forest, and his vision extended to the cliff at the end of the plum forest, where icicles were hanging, and a wild plum was growing tenaciously in the rock crevices of the cliff.

A flash of inspiration appeared in his heart, and he said: "Then I will follow Brother Wu's topic. It's a coincidence, I have one right now, let me write it down."

Wu Wu Jinrong's eyes widened immediately. What do you mean by "I have one right now"?

He had just finished setting the topic, and he hadn't even breathed twice, and he already had one?

This is writing poetry, not digging Chinese cabbage in the field.

Wu Wu Jinrong suddenly had a panic that something big was going to happen, as if he was not much higher than that Qiu Qiu Xuanfu.

(End of Chapter) ===== CHAPTER 28 =====