The person running at the front turned and urged: "Can you guys hurry up? If you are late, you won't be able to get a good seat!"
"If you can't squeeze in, you can't squeeze in, but what if you do?" A little fat man following behind complained breathlessly.
"Senior Brother Guangqi is a big fan of Zhen. How can he let the talented daughter Zhen see him if he can't get a good seat?" A young man next to the little fat man said with a smile.
"Senior Brother Guangqi wants to see the talented girl Zhen, but I don't want to! Forget it, just run, I'll walk over slowly! I'm exhausted..." The little fat man gave up running, holding his knees with both hands and gasping for breath
Sighing.
"Can't you usually eat less and exercise more?" The young man next to him criticized, but he also stopped and waved to the other scholars very loyally, indicating that everyone should continue, and then they arrived
.
Qu Wuming rode on the back of a donkey, looked down at the two scholars with interest, and asked, "May I ask this little brother, where are you guys going in such a hurry?"
The young man raised his head and looked at Qu Wuming, cupped his hands slightly and said, "Today is the final day of Fuyun County's annual 'Qing Tan Poetry Conference', and we are going to the back garden of the City Lord's Mansion to watch the finals."
"Qingtan Poetry Conference?" Qu Wuming seemed to have heard of this name.
"Well, the Qingtan Poetry Conference is a grand gathering for the literati and students of Qingtan Country. If you can get a ranking in the conference, you will not only be famous in Qingtan Country, but also have the opportunity to rise to the top, be recommended to work in the government, and directly enter the capital.
It is also possible to serve in various ministries." The young man explained.
"Then, who is that talented woman you just talked about?" Qu Wuming asked.
"Oh, her name is Zhen Shenshen. She is the beloved daughter of Zhen Buping, the lord of Chang'an City. She has a reputation for talent and is the favorite to win this poetry competition."
"Really deep?" Qu Wuming secretly laughed in his heart, "It's still fake! Haha..."
At this time, the little fat man finally took a breath, looked up at Qu Wuming and said: "Zhen Shen is a famous talented woman in Chang'an City. If this dear friend has nothing to do, why don't you go and have a look? I heard that the city lord's palace is specially visiting today.
A grandstand has been set up, and after each poetry fight, the top ladies from the top ten art galleries in Chang'an City will take turns performing on the stage, which is not to be missed."
"Since it is a conference organized by the City Lord's Mansion, can anyone go?" Qu Wuming asked doubtfully.
"Of course not. The core disciples of the academy like me and others have already received the invitation letter. If outsiders want to go, they can enter by paying a hundred taels of silver."
"A hundred taels of silver? What good poem is worth a hundred taels of silver?" Qu Wuming was a little surprised.
"This dear friend doesn't know something. Let alone others, Shan Na Zhen Shen is a representative of the new style of poetry in Fuyun County! Her poems shocked everyone at the last poetry conference!" the little fat man replied.
"Oh? New style poetry? What poem did she write last time? Can you tell me and listen to it?" Qu Wuming asked curiously.
The little fat man raised his eyebrows, and the smile on his face seemed to have a profound meaning, and he said: "That poem was praised by Mr. Rong Lao of Wenyuan Pavilion of Qingtan Kingdom as an excellent work of modern poetry. It is a superior work that ordinary people have no idea of appreciation!
"
The young man next to him gave the little fat man a look, as if he knew what the little fat man meant, but he didn't say anything. He just pursed his lips and waited for the little fat man to read the poem.
"I would also like to ask this little brother to read a poem and listen to it." Qu Wuming cupped his hands and said.
"That's easy to say, so let me recite a poem about cucumbers. Please listen carefully, brother!"
I saw the little fat man put his hands behind his back, straightened his chest, cleared his throat, shook his head and said:
"When I'm lonely
cucumber
Undoubtedly
The best in the world.”
…
Qu Wuming looked at the little fat man and saw that the little fat man just said a few words and then stood still with his chest raised and his head raised. After waiting for a long time, he asked: "Where's down there?"
The little fat man blinked his eyes and said, "No more."
"What poems have you recited?" Qu Wuming asked in surprise.
"'When you are lonely, cucumbers are undoubtedly the best in the world.' (***Note 1***)" the little fat man replied with a smile.
"Is this the end?" Qu Wuming's mouth was so big that it seemed like he could fit a whole egg into it.
"Well, how's it going?" the little fat man asked.
"..."
Qu Wuming thought about it for a moment, and finally gave a thumbs up and said, "It is indeed novel and excellent! It seems that I am an ordinary person, and I do have some insecurities..."
"Hey, I wonder if my dear friend is interested in going to the poetry meeting?" The little fat man asked with a smile, "Zhen Shen's father, the Lord of the City, will also come to the scene in person. I heard that he is a monk in the individualized god stage and is the leader of the whole world.
The strongest man in Chang’an City.”
Qu Wuming cupped his hands towards the fat man and the young man, and said with a smile: "I have little talent and knowledge, so I'd better not join in the fun. Thank you two little brothers just now for clarifying my doubts. I've learned a lot! See you soon, see you soon!"
————
After bidding farewell to the two of them, Qu Wuming recalled the profound new-school poem and continued to turn forward at an intersection, where he saw the signboard of Fuwei Escort Agency in the distance.
When he arrived at the door, Qu Wuming got off his donkey and walked towards the door of the Escort Agency. A middle-aged man dressed as a handyman came to greet him inside. He clasped his fists and asked, "Sir, I don't know why you came to the Fuwei Escort Agency."
Are you going to be a escort or looking for someone?"
"Oh, hehe, I'm here to find someone." Qu Wuming replied, "I wonder if your chief bodyguard is at home?"
"Who are you?" The middle-aged man saw that Qu Wuming was dressed like a lone swordsman in the world, so he couldn't help but be a little more careful.
"I wonder who the current chief escort's name is?" Qu Wuming did not answer, but asked.
When the middle-aged man heard this, he secretly became on guard. He thought that this man didn't even know the name of our chief bodyguard, so he said he was here to see our chief bodyguard. Is there something weird in this? But when he saw Qu Wuming, he didn't know.
There was no abnormal expression or behavior, and the middle-aged man did not dare to be too negligent. He clasped his fists and said, "Our chief escort's surname is Lin, and his name is Zhennan. Who are you?"
"Lin Zhennan?" Qu Wuming frowned and thought for a while, then said to himself as if he suddenly realized, "It's that child!"
Middle-aged man: "???"
"Is Lin Zhennan at home? Please let me know...just say that someone from the Lin family's old friend, Qu, is visiting." Qu Wuming said to the confused middle-aged man.
"Please sit down for a moment, I will report it right away!"
Not long after, the middle-aged man returned to the front hall along with a man in his fifties.
The man walking in front was of medium build, with a square face, a single beard, bulging temples, and a pair of piercing tiger eyes. At first glance, he was a warrior with profound internal skills, but there were many wrinkles on his face.
, the white hair on the temples has also accounted for less than half.
This person is none other than the current head escort of Fuwei Escort Agency, Lin Zhennan.
I saw Lin Zhennan taking two steps to come to Qu Wuming, respectfully clasping his fists and saluting: "May I ask, sir, who is Qu Wuming, senior Qu?"
Qu Wuming looked Lin Zhennan up and down, nodded and said, "It's Qu."
With a smile on his face, Lin Zhennan hurriedly turned around and told the middle-aged man: "Boss Shi, hurry up and get the best tea in the world! In addition, the door of the escort bureau is closed, there will be no customers today!"
"Yes!" The middle-aged man didn't know who this unknown person was, but why the head escort paid so much attention to him, so he hurriedly turned around and left.
"No need to go to too much trouble." Qu Wuming said, "When did the headquarters of Fuwei Escort Agency move to Fuyun County?"
"Senior, it was five years ago." Lin Zhennan replied respectfully, "With your blessing, Fuwei Escort Agency's business has now spread across the twelve major counties of Qingtan Kingdom, and its business has reached as far as the Buddha Kingdom and the Pure Land.
country. In order to facilitate contact with branches in various places, I moved the headquarters here five years ago."
"Then...the Lin family's ancestral hall?"
"I also moved here."
"Take me to see it."
"Yes!" Lin Zhennan bowed and made a gesture of invitation, and then led Qu Wuming towards the backyard.
The Lin family's ancestral hall is located in the last courtyard, quiet and solemn.
The ancestral hall is not big, but there is a huge altar table in the middle. Behind the table are several rows of shelves made of high-quality rosewood, which are filled with tablets of the ancestors of the Lin family.
In the top row, there is only one tablet in the middle, with a few words simply written on it: The tablet of ancestor Lin Wanqing.
A light flashed between Qu Wuming's eyebrows, and the next moment, there were two wine glasses filled with fine wine in his hands.
Clink the two wine glasses lightly, one of them slowly spills on the ground, and the other one is drank in one gulp.
Lin Zhennan bowed to the memorial tablets of the ancestors at the side, then bowed and quietly walked out, gently closed the door of the ancestral hall, retreated to the entrance of the small courtyard and waited quietly.
Inside the ancestral hall.
"Wanqing, I'm here to see you again."
Qu Wuming stood in front of the altar table, with a smile on his face, and his eyes full of tenderness fell on Lin Wanqing's tablet. Dust-laden memories surged up, filling Qu Wuming's heart through countless years, and that distant gaze slowly began to become a little...
Bewildered...
————
Qu Wuming was awakened by the pain in his back and waves of bumps, and slowly opened his eyes.
His head was still a little dazed and in a daze. After a while, Qu Wuming recalled what had happened before.
She originally got the news and was waiting for someone in Lingxiu Valley of Qianyang Mountain - the saint of Tiandu Sect, Shangguan Lingxi. But she didn't expect that it was her senior brother, Lu Linyuan, who was waiting for her.
After Lu Linyuan saw Qu Wuming, he scolded Qu Wuming for being greedy and trying to seduce the Holy Girl of the Sky Poison Sect. He even poured out all the resentment he had accumulated because he was not favored by the Holy Girl of the Sky Poison Sect on Qu Wuming.
Qu Wuming didn't want to get entangled with him, but he didn't expect that Lu Linyuan kept talking as if he was crazy.
Moreover, the other party was a senior who was accompanying Shangguan Lingxi on business. In order not to cause trouble to Lingxi, Qu Wuming could not kill him at will, so he had to listen with a grim face.
However, what Qu Wuming didn't know was that in this Lingxiu Valley, colorless and odorless poisonous powder had long been sprinkled by Lu Linyuan. He was being unreasonable at this moment, just waiting for the poisonous gas in the air to interact with his body.
It was just a reaction with the last medicinal ingredient.
When Lu Linyuan finally closed his mouth, Qu Wuming was surprised to find that his Nascent Soul and various key points were all covered with a faint layer of black mist at that moment...
——————
Note:
1. The original author of this poem is Ms. Jia Qianqian;
2. The original text of the poem and related comments in this article are quoted and do not represent my own views. This is hereby stated.