Jing Xuan had the demeanor of a true Young Master; at this moment, he looked up at the sky at a 45-degree angle, but after waiting for a long time, to his surprise, he did not receive any praise from the crowd.
Then he lowered his head and looked towards the hall, only to find that everyone's gaze was directed at a young man in the corner of the hall.
As soon as Jing Xuan's gaze fell on this young man, his pupils constricted violently. He was standing at the entrance, quite far away, and could only see half of Xia Chen's profile, but it was this half profile that sent a shock through his heart.
This profile… seemed a bit handsome!
Jing Xuan felt immense pressure!
Just a single profile was terrifyingly handsome; he wondered how incredibly divine his full face must be!
Although Jing Xuan was a bit narcissistic, he was very intelligent. Even though he hadn't asked anything and no one had said anything, he had more or less guessed the general reason for the change in atmosphere.
It must be related to that Young Master with half of his handsome face visible; everyone was comparing who was more handsome, him or that person!
“Although I haven’t seen his full face, judging by everyone’s reaction… it seems I’ve lost!”
Jing Xuan murmured to himself. No one said anything, but their eyes told him everything.
He silently put away the folding fan in his hand, then pretended nothing had happened, smiling naturally and walking calmly into the hall.
“Jing Xuan greets everyone!”
Jing Xuan bowed to everyone, his demeanor flawless.
Everyone finally recovered their senses. At this moment, they were absolutely certain that Young Master Jing Xuan had lost; that Xia Chen was indeed incredibly handsome, almost unrivaled.
For some reason, the pressure in everyone's hearts suddenly decreased.
Even Young Master Jing Xuan, one of the four renowned handsome men, couldn't compete with Xia Chen. It seemed it wasn't so unacceptable for them to be inferior to Xia Chen!
“Who is that person? When did such a figure appear in the capital!”
Jing Xuan found Lin Zihan in the crowd. Everyone made way for him, and he approached Lin Zihan, asking in a low voice.
Lin Zihan was expressionless and slowly said, “That person is named Xia Chen, and he is the Princess Manor’s consort!”
“He is Xia Chen?”
Jing Xuan's expression changed slightly. This time, he had come to the literary gathering for two reasons: one for the gathering itself, and the other for Princess Yaoguang.
He knew that Princess Yaoguang was already betrothed, but three years ago, he had the good fortune to meet Yaoguang at a banquet and was astonished by her beauty, never forgetting her.
Although Xia Chen had risen to prominence in the capital during this period, Jing Xuan did not believe that Yaoguang would like a marquisate descendant from a military family.
Did Xia Chen understand court politics? Did he understand Confucianism? Did he know Buddhist scriptures? Did he read Daoist texts?
He was merely a crude martial artist!
Yaoguang was an elegant person with extraordinary talent, how could she possibly fancy Xia Chen?
And he himself had both talent and good looks, so he came confidently today.
But now, Jing Xuan felt considerable pressure!
His most confident aspect, his looks, had been utterly crushed by Xia Chen!
“Have you tested his literary talent? Is he really the good-for-nothing as rumored?”
Jing Xuan was a very cautious person. Having already lost in looks, he absolutely could not lose in inner talent and other aspects.
“He has been drinking with Xuanzhenzi Daoist Priest and is not participating in these games!”
Lin Zihan remained composed, not in a hurry at all.
Jing Xuan glanced at him. Jing Xuan knew that Lin Zihan's purpose for coming to the literary gathering today was aimed at Xia Chen.
Lin Zihan had passed the imperial examination six years ago and was now already a fifth-rank official. He had both talent and background, and absolutely no need to rely on a literary gathering to gain fame.
“He’s been holed up there drinking; it seems he knows he has no real substance. That saying about ‘ruler, minister, father, son’ was probably just copied, and it just happened to win Your Majesty’s favor!”
Jing Xuan's heart grew more certain, his confidence greatly boosted.
“No rush, the literary gathering has just begun!”
Lin Zihan was as steady as an old dog. Who was he? The Young Grand Secretary!
Everyone called him the Young Grand Secretary, and while there was an element of flattery, no one denied that Lin Zihan possessed true ability.
Many said he had the bearing of his father, and perhaps in the future, he would have the chance to serve alongside his father, Lin Hanpu, in the cabinet, creating a rare tale of two Grand Secretaries from one family!
Therefore, he would not be so rash or reckless as to offend or target a Director of the Lantern Bearers who had gained Your Majesty’s favor.
Moreover, this was the Princess Manor, and Xia Chen was the Princess’s future consort.
Regardless of whether Princess Yaoguang liked Xia Chen or not, humiliating Xia Chen in the Princess Manor, what difference was that from humiliating the Princess?
Lin Zihan was already naturally gifted, and having entered the imperial court and the cabinet, he had been meticulously taught by his father for six years. Therefore, although he was young, his thinking and perspective were already different.
The jealousy, rivalry, and other emotions of people like Jing Xuan seemed like child's play in his eyes…
Seeing that Lin Zihan was not in a hurry, Jing Xuan also calmed down a bit, sat down to slowly savor his wine, and then, watching everyone play games, he became restless and joined in as well…
Suddenly, the atmosphere became lively again.
Time slowly passed. Today’s literary gathering was on a grand scale; almost all the famous scholars in the capital had come, especially those from the Imperial College, who occupied more than half of the gathering venue. Some were without official titles, but most already held the Juren degree.
In a while, the triennial imperial examination would arrive, and this was the time to build one's reputation.
Therefore, the quality of the entire literary gathering was very high!
Many people eagerly came forward, presenting couplets and poems they had refined for many days. Their high quality made people nod in silent approval.
Some even composed poems on the spot, drawing exclamations of admiration from the crowd!
The atmosphere of the entire poetry gathering was completely pushed to a climax!
In the literary gathering, the first part was free activity, where everyone formed groups to play games, drinking and reciting poems if they lost. In the middle, it was a free expression stage, where one could present a good poem or recent essay, or even perform songs and dances, all available to be showcased before everyone on stage.
This was a great opportunity to gain fame, so everyone lined up to perform. Some went on stage to recite poetry, some played musical instruments, and others played the flute.
Throughout the entire process, Xia Chen continued to drink. He truly had no interest and did not want to gain fame this way.
To be honest, Xia Chen felt that he had been a bit too high-profile in the capital recently, which did not align with his strategy of developing discreetly, nor his strategy of “building high walls, accumulating vast provisions, and delaying proclaiming oneself king.”
Xia Chen had always been very clear-headed and did not think he could get carried away just because he had logged in early.
The waters of this world ran deep; this was a conclusion many players in his previous life had drawn with their own lives.
The era of “Spiritual Qi Resurgence” had not yet arrived, so even if an individual's combat power was high, they could not contend with the terrifying machine that was a nation.
Therefore, Xia Chen planned to first become a power-holder in the Great Wu Dynasty, and then quietly await the opportune moment.
So, he would act high-profile but live low-key!
He truly did not intend to get involved in literary gatherings, which only brought fame but no substantial benefits.
Moreover, he had a world library; if he casually threw out a few earth-shattering poems, or even the “Four Sayings of Hengqu” that were essential for players, beating these people would be like beating children.
Xia Chen felt that one should not use a sledgehammer to crack a nut. Even if he were to plagiarize, he would save it for when it truly mattered; using it at a literary gathering was too low-level!
But he did not know that, looking at the lively literary gathering, undercurrents were already surging, and many people's gazes had once again fallen on Xia Chen.
“It seems he plans to just watch the show and leave when the literary gathering ends. We can’t let him leave just like that. You guys go test him out!”
Someone turned and instructed the people around him.
…
“The Grand Ancestor was exceptionally handsome, with a temperament like an immortal banished from heaven, unmatched in the world.
One day, the Grand Ancestor attended a literary gathering. As soon as he entered the venue, everyone was astonished, all captivated by the Grand Ancestor’s appearance, feeling ashamed of their own inferiority.
At that time, there were four universally acknowledged handsome men in the capital, one of whom was Young Master Jing Xuan, who also attended this gathering.
Upon seeing the Grand Ancestor, he froze in place and exclaimed in admiration: “Today, my eyes have truly been opened! There is actually such a handsome person in the world; I am far from his equal.” And so, Young Master Jing Xuan was overcome with shame and never again claimed to be a handsome man.”
— “Xia Book” · Biography of the Grand Ancestor · Volume Three】
PS: Brothers, there's about a week left until 2024 ends. This is a new book for me, so I plan to use this time to push for the rankings. Therefore, starting tomorrow, Christmas Day, I'm going to run an event: the more you tip, the more updates there will be, with no upper limit. I will not break my promise!
Also, brothers, please try not to hoard chapters. I once had a book with over 500,000 readers that got banned (the more I talk about it, the more it hurts). Many brothers who hoarded chapters ended up not seeing the later content. To this day, some brothers are still asking me how they can read that book. If you've been following my books before, you should know this is true, I'm not lying to anyone. So everyone, please try to read as it updates, even if it's a bit uncomfortable. Don't let another unexpected situation happen, it would be even more painful if you don't get to see the later content then!