Because the Literary Examination coincided with the Moon Worship Festival, there were many articles and poems about the moon.
For this reason, the talented scholars who came to participate had already prepared in advance, just waiting for the competition to begin.
As soon as the contest started, there were stunning poems that caught everyone’s attention.
After that, several participants in a row displayed remarkable literary talent, making the judges very pleased.
It seemed that many talents had emerged in this round.
On Qin Mu’s side, Lu Qian showed no interest in any of this and simply closed her eyes to rest.
Wang Yan’er was also bored, playing with her hair listlessly.
As for what Qin Mu was doing?
The answer: sleeping.
There was no helping it.
Qin Mu wasn’t skilled at any of this to begin with—forget writing poetry or articles, he couldn’t even do couplets.
As for the Three Hundred Tang Poems, he could only recite a few classics.
The problem was, even if you could recite them, there were also interactive games where scholars composed poems on the spot.
On this matter, Young Master Qin could only say, “I simply can’t do it, Your Majesty!”
By the end of the Literary Examination, half the day had passed.
When Qin Mu finally woke up from his nap, he realized it was already evening.
Gurgle—
At that moment, his stomach growled.
He touched his belly.
It was time to eat.
But the Literary Examination wasn’t over yet, and Qin Mu didn’t dare leave his seat without permission.
So he had no choice but to nibble on some tea snacks to make do.
There was nothing to be done.
Whether they were participants or honored guests, everyone invited to the Literary Examination had strong cultivation, most of them having passed the stage of needing food and entered fasting.
So the Court only prepared tea, not a full meal.
At last, after what felt like an eternity to the starving Qin Mu, the Literary Examination finally ended.
He thought he could finally eat his fill, but it turned out there was still time before the banquet.
Next, there would be a feast with all the talented scholars who participated that day.
The Emperor himself would attend the evening banquet.
Sometimes he came in person, sometimes as an avatar, but either way, it showed how seriously the Great Yu Dynasty treated the Literary Examination.
Mainly, it was to prevent anyone from bribing the examiners to pass, causing truly talented people to be overlooked.
During the banquet, the Emperor would have each person compose a poem on the spot.
As for the topic, that depended entirely on the Emperor’s mood.
So, this evening banquet was actually the most important part.
At this time, while the talented scholars were anxiously preparing their poems, one young man seemed completely out of place.
He showed no sign of panic and was focused solely on eating.
“Slow down, Mu’er. No one’s going to steal your food.”
Beside the young man sat a beautiful woman with a commanding presence, her face veiled.
She occasionally poured water and wiped his mouth, her eyes gentle.
Qin Mu swallowed his food, picked up another dish, and said, “Aunt Yan’er, the Emperor will arrive soon. If I’m still eating when he shows up, wouldn’t that be disrespectful? It’s better to eat my fill now.”
Compared to Qin Mu’s nervousness, Wang Yan’er seemed much calmer.
“It’s fine. With your Aunt Lu here, the Emperor won’t do anything to you.”
The relationship between the Seven Star Sect and the imperial family of Great Yu was anything but ordinary.
As the Sect Master, Lu Qian naturally appeared alongside the Emperor, demonstrating to the world the close ties between the Great Yu Dynasty and the Seven Star Sect.
Soon after, a crowd of attendants entered.
A cold, feminine voice rang out: “His Majesty has arrived!”
Everyone instantly fell silent.
After a moment, a blurry figure appeared in their field of vision.
It was as if a living mass of mosaic had walked into the hall.
Qin Mu’s eyes widened.
He had wanted to see what the Emperor looked like—was this it?
“Oh my, it seems the Emperor came in person this time.”
Wang Yan’er narrowed her eyes.
She had thought it would be an avatar this time, but it turned out to be the real body.
“Aunt Yan’er, how strong is the Emperor’s cultivation?”
Qin Mu asked quietly, curiosity in his eyes.
He wondered just how formidable the Emperor of the Great Yu Dynasty really was.
Wang Yan’er glanced over, then shook her head.
“It seems the Emperor is carrying a treasure that conceals destiny, so it’s impossible to tell his exact cultivation. But even if he isn’t at the Tribulation Stage, he’s certainly close.”
Qin Mu nodded.
So, yet another powerhouse had arrived.
After a while, a man with a cold, feminine face raised his voice with true energy.
“All talented scholars, by Imperial Edict, His Majesty will wait for you in the Inner Garden. Please enter the Inner Garden in an orderly fashion.”
Actually, as a member of the Lu Sect Leader’s family, Qin Mu wasn’t a contestant in the Literary Examination and could have entered the Inner Garden directly.
But there was nothing to eat in the Inner Garden except tea snacks, so Qin Mu had decided to eat his fill in the Outer Garden first.
As for Wang Yan’er, she naturally accompanied her dear Mu’er.
After all, entering would only be boring.
Watching Mu’er was far more entertaining.
Soon, the talented scholars lined up in an orderly fashion and entered one by one.
Qin Mu obediently queued up as well.
Wang Yan’er used a secret technique to conceal her presence, so apart from Qin Mu, no one else noticed her.
Just as it was almost Qin Mu’s turn, a small incident occurred.
A handsome young man ignored the line and walked straight in.
“Who’s that, cutting in?”
Qin Mu couldn’t help but complain.
Damn it, he could accept a slow line, but not line-cutting.
A talented scholar behind him heard Qin Mu’s complaint and explained:
“Oh, him? He’s this year’s top scholar of Jiangnan, personally approved by Grand Scholar Lin. So he has the privilege to enter directly.”
“I see.”
Qin Mu nodded.
Nothing to be done—talent had its privileges.
Normally, the matter would have ended there.
But then, a beautiful youth, so dazzling even Young Master Qin felt inferior, tried to cut the line as well.
“Stop!”
The two guards on duty blocked the young man.
“What? Are you not going to let me in?”
The youth protested loudly.
The guards pointed at the queue.
“You may enter, but please line up in order.”
The youth didn’t move.
“But someone just walked straight in. Why does he get to skip the line?”
At these words, someone in the crowd laughed.
“Lu the Talented Scholar is the number one in Jiangnan, praised personally by Grand Scholar Lin. Of course he has the right to enter first. What right do you have?”
“Oh! So you guys are just playing double standards, huh!”
The youth retorted in dissatisfaction.
Hearing this, the guards grew impatient.
“If you can produce poetry equal to Lu the Talented Scholar, you may also enter directly.”
At this, some in the crowd couldn’t help but laugh.
Qin Mu, bored from waiting in line, perked up at the commotion.
His back stopped aching, his legs no longer felt sore, and he eagerly watched the drama unfold.
After all, the bigger the spectacle, the more fun it was.
If things escalated, it would be even better.
The youth heard the laughter and sneered.
“Fine, fine. In that case, I, Jing Kun, am leaving!”
“Jing Kun! Is this not the prodigy who shocked the Court with ‘Wang Pavilion Prologue’ not long ago, gaining special entry into the Literary Examination?”
“Gasp! It’s really him! That line—‘The setting sun and the solitary wild goose fly together; autumn waters share the same color as the endless sky’—is truly a masterpiece for the ages!”
“Yes, yes!”
Wait! What the heck!
Qin Mu’s eyes widened.
Wang Pavilion Prologue?
‘The setting sun and the solitary wild goose fly together; autumn waters share the same color as the endless sky’?
Could it be that this Jing Kun was like him?
Then, someone else in the crowd spoke.
“That’s right. During the Literary Examination, Jing Kun composed three poems in one breath. Among them, ‘Moonlight Thoughts’ was especially clear and moving. Even Lord Lin wanted to invite him as an advisor, and the poem ‘Peach Blossom Hermitage’ drew further praise.”
Now it was Qin Mu’s turn to be dumbfounded.
Good heavens, the odds were now eight or nine out of ten.
This Jing Kun was likely a transmigrator too.
The guards, realizing it was Jing Kun, immediately put on smiles.
“Young Master Jing Kun, please wait!”
The youth turned around, half-smiling.
“What? Weren’t you not going to let me in?”
The guards smiled apologetically.
“We failed to recognize Mount Tai before us and did not know you were Young Master Jing Kun. If we had known, how could we dare to stop you?”
The youth gave the guards a cold look, snorted, and walked into the Inner Garden.