After being read, she became an empress by eating melons

The annual poetry competition of the Great Zhou Dynasty has begun again, and the news spread quickly like a spring breeze.

Talented men and beautiful women from all over the country are eager to try, looking forward to displaying their talents on this stage and bringing glory to their families and their country.

The Dazhou Academy was decorated like a poem and a picture, with various flowers blooming and the fragrance filling the air. Contestants from all over the country wore gorgeous costumes and walked into this feast of poetry with confident smiles. They held folding fans or wore jade hairpins, and every step they took seemed so elegant and calm.

Emperor Rentong and all the officials had already taken their seats, quietly waiting for the start of this cultural feast.

The competition began, and the host, dressed in a brocade robe, announced the rules of the competition in a loud voice. He asked the contestants to write three poems or lyrics with the theme of "sorrow".

This theme seemed to bring a special emotional touch to every contestant present. They all took a deep breath, adjusted their state, and prepared to meet the challenge.

As the drums sounded, the talented scholars and beautiful ladies began to write with their brushes. Their thoughts flowed like spring water, and their pens jumped on the paper, leaving behind lines of beautiful poems.

Some contestants frowned, as if they were trying to find the source of their sorrow; others smiled, as if they had found the best way to express their sorrow.

Emperor Rentong and the officials were also touched by the poetic atmosphere. Sometimes they nodded in praise, sometimes they talked in a low voice. The whole imperial garden seemed to have turned into a poetic world, and everyone was surrounded by this wonderful atmosphere.

Lu Wenyuan, a student from Northern Qi, was dressed in a blue shirt and holding a folding fan, exuding an arrogant air.

Lu Wenyuan looked around and saw Tang Chen and Xu Dong, the two champions, were also present. Tang Chen was tall and handsome, with profound attainments in poetry; Xu Dong was gentle and elegant, with extraordinary temperament, and was also a master of poetry.

Finally, it was Lu Wenyuan's turn to go on stage. He walked to the front of the stage with a leisurely pace, swept his eyes over the crowd, and a smug smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. He cleared his throat and read aloud: "The clouds of sorrow are densely covering the autumn, and I am alone leaning on the dangerous building to look at the boats in the distance. The fallen leaves are flying with the water, and the lonely wild geese are wailing around the sky. Endless longing is hard to realize, and boundless loneliness is easy to cause worries. I want to send a letter but there is no wild goose to reply, and I am left with melancholy in my heart."

His voice was passionate, full of confidence and arrogance. Every line of poetry was like a sharp sword, pointing directly at people's hearts. The audience was shocked by his momentum and held their breath to listen to his recitation.

Seeing this, Tang Chen and Xu Dong, the two champions, could not help but admire him secretly. Although they thought highly of themselves, they had to admit that Lu Wenyuan's talent was indeed outstanding. However, they were not willing to admit defeat and decided to compete with Lu Wenyuan with their own poems.

Tang Chen was the first to stand up. He walked to the front of the stage, took a deep breath, and read aloud: "Homesickness lingers in my dreams, and I look at the horizon for several autumns. The bright moon and the fresh breeze always appear in my dreams, and the green mountains and clear waters always make me sad. My heart is like an arrow piercing the clouds, and my sorrow is like a tide following the waves. I look at my hometown from afar, and my tears wet my sleeves and clothes."

After hearing this, Lu Wenyuan sneered and said, "The artistic conception of your poetry is not profound enough and lacks real charm." His words were sharp and harsh, making Tang Chen feel a little embarrassed.

Seeing this, Xu Dong stepped forward and said, "Lu Caizi is indeed talented, but I would also like to ask you a poem." He walked to the front of the stage and recited, "Love sorrow is hard to resolve. The night is still long, I sit alone with the shadow of the solitary lamp growing longer. Tears are left in front of the flowers under the moon, and the wind and rain add to the pain. Longing enters my dreams and I become haggard, loneliness fills my heart and I am lost. I want to tell my heart but have nowhere to send it, and only the sorrow lingers in my heart."

After listening to this, Lu Wenyuan nodded slightly and said, "Your poems do have some charm, but they are still a little lacking compared to my works." His words were full of arrogance, which made Xu Dong feel a little unhappy.

As the competition continued, Lu Wenyuan conquered the audience with one wonderful poem after another. His poems were profound in conception and beautiful in language, which made people intoxicated.

Seeing this, Emperor Rentong and all the officials became nervous. The Northern Qi Dynasty valued military more than literature. Over the years, no one had ever made it into the top three in the poetry competition. This time, it seemed that Lu Wenyuan was well prepared and had a good chance of winning.

If a poet from Northern Qi could so arrogantly defeat all the talented people in a poetry conference, then the Great Zhou could be said to have lost all face.

Tang Chen and Xu Dong were slightly inferior. Lu Wenyuan stood on the stage, his eyes swept across the audience, and a proud smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. He said loudly: "Today's victory is not the work of me alone, but the victory of Northern Qi culture. Although I, Lu Wenyuan, have some talent, without the support of Northern Qi's profound cultural heritage, how can I achieve today's achievements?"

"Today, I am going to challenge all the scholars in the Great Zhou. Anyone who thinks they can beat me, please find me out as soon as possible. I will see who else is there!"

Lu Wenyuan's arrogance was indeed unbearable. His arrogance not only challenged the dignity of the literati of the Great Zhou, but also made everyone present feel very uncomfortable.

"How could this be? Our Great Zhou's top scholar is actually no match for this Northern Qi student."

Emperor Rentong was so angry that he almost stood up.

Emperor Rentong's reaction was enough to show how much he valued this competition. As the ruler of a country, he naturally hoped that his country would produce many talents, especially in terms of culture, to be ahead of other countries.

However, the current situation made him feel very disappointed and shocked.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the venue was extremely tense, and everyone was waiting for the next development. Perhaps, someone could stand up to challenge Lu Wenyuan and save the face of the Great Zhou; perhaps, this competition would become an indelible shame, forever engraved in the history of the Great Zhou.

Nan Rongxi rubbed his eyes: [Tongzi, why is this bitch so arrogant? Is there any melon? ]

Emperor Rentong and all the officials quickly looked at Nan Rongxi. Oh my god, maybe he can be saved this time!

System: [Of course there is. This person actually has no knowledge, but he can memorize. Someone in your Ministry of Rites leaked the topic to Northern Qi. Northern Qi hired a lot of poets, who studied for a month or two and wrote these poems. Then he memorized them! ]

When Emperor Rentong and all the officials heard this, they were instantly furious, but there was nothing they could do. Without evidence, if they were to say that Lu Wenyuan had cheated, in the eyes of others, this was something the Great Zhou could not afford to play.

Nan Rongxi: [This is so shameless, it makes me feel very uncomfortable, Tongzi, should I meet him? ]

Emperor Rentong: Yes, with this system, we can save face this time.

All officials: Awesome!

Nan Rongjie: This time, Ah Xi can finally bring honor to Nan Rongjie!

System: [Xizi, sure, do you need my help? ]

Nan Rongxi: [No need, I can recite poems too. Give him a taste of his own medicine.]

Emperor Rentong: ...

Baiguan: Can we ask the system for help?

Nan Rongjie: How could I give birth to such a thing?

"Boy, I'm here to meet you!"

Nan Rongxi shouted loudly.

The whole audience was shocked and immediately looked at Nan Rongxi.

Emperor Rentong and all the officials felt it was too much to watch. After all, everyone knew Nan Rongxi's literary level. If he could win without relying on the system, Nan Rongxi would have already become the top scorer.

Lu Wenyuan taunted, "Who are you? The top scholar in your Great Zhou Dynasty lost. Why do you think you can win?"

"I, the little book boy of the Great Zhou Dynasty, am more than capable of challenging you!"

Nan Rongxi walked slowly to the stage, holding a brush in his hand, and the tip of the brush slowly fell.

Lu Wenyuan continued to taunt: "Sister, your posture of holding the brush is not right, stop pretending!"

"Stop nagging me and stay away! I'll write one song. If one of your songs is better than this one, you win."

Emperor Rentong and all the officials covered their eyes with their hands.

As he watched Nan Rongxi write each word, Lu Wenyuan's face gradually turned pale, and the people in the audience actually started to go on stage to watch.

(The following poem is quoted from Du Fu's Climbing the Heights)

"The wind is strong and the sky is high, the monkeys are howling sadly, the water is clear and the sand is white, the birds are flying back. This describes the bleakness and sadness of autumn!"

The onlookers on the side exclaimed in admiration.

The expressions of Emperor Rentong and all the officials gradually turned into shock!

"The endless fallen leaves rustle down, and the endless Yangtze River rolls in. The picture of this sentence is broad and magnificent!"

Nan Rongjie was shocked. Is this still his daughter? !

Eunuch Zhao hurried to the seat and said, "Your Majesty, the third line is: I am often a guest in the sad autumn thousands of miles away, and I am alone on the stage for a hundred years with many illnesses!"

Emperor Rentong was incredulous: "This is absolutely incredible! This sentence expresses the sorrow of eternity! Nan Rongxi, is it really that bitter?"

All the officials suddenly looked at Nan Rongjie in confusion: Could it be that Nan Rongxi has been abused in Nan Rong Mansion?

"Hardship, bitterness, and gray hair, she has just put down her muddy wine cup. Is this little girl so sad?"

After Lu Wenyuan finished speaking, he collapsed to the ground.