Rebirth of the Merchant Woman's Revenge

So, he also explained to everyone what Gu Qiongsi had explained to him at the beginning, and then continued, "Brother Wu also mentioned just now that three years ago, Xie's talent was mediocre. It was because Xie was still confined to those rules of level and oblique tones at that time, so the poems he wrote were indeed mediocre in terms of language and had nothing outstanding. Later, after breaking those rules, he found that there was really a lot of room for creativity."

His current explanation undoubtedly seemed a little pale and powerless, because all those present were literati, even some were gentlemen from Nanshan Academy, many of whom were great scholars who had devoted their entire lives to studying. Naturally, they did not believe that Xie Cheng'an had such ability.

Not only is it pale and weak, it is also very far-fetched and hard to believe.

Mr. Nanshan also sensed the people's disapproval and quickly stepped out to smooth things over, saying, "Everyone, everyone, listen to what I have to say. Since ancient times, there has been a saying that there is no first in literature and no second in martial arts. There are no fixed rules for writing in the world. Even the best articles may not be liked by some people, so it all depends on how you view it."

"Today, everyone questioned Mr. Xie's previous poems. After all, no one saw the creation process, so it is even more impossible to guess his state of mind. However, at the poetry gathering today, Mr. Xie improvised several poems. I feel that they have fully demonstrated his superb attainments in poetry."

His words immediately drew everyone's attention to the poems Xie Cheng'an had written today. It must be said that those poems did have their highlights, especially since they were improvised in a short period of time. Not many people present here could do that.

"What's the big deal? It's possible that it was prepared in advance, and it just happened to be the corresponding theme, just like the last poem. I think," the older man spoke again, and spoke very obscurely, almost saying that it was already communicated with Mr. Nanshan in advance.

"I feel that Mr. Xie's talent may not be as outstanding as we think. At most, he is just above average. Especially the fifth and sixth poems he just wrote, not only are they not outstanding, but they are also not neat and coherent. Perhaps that is Mr. Xie's true level?"

The man's words did not give Xie Cheng'an any face at all. He was a minor official currently working in the Censorate. If he had not offended many people with his daily words, he would have had a better development with his abilities.

The fifth and sixth songs he mentioned were created by Xie Cheng'an on the spot without any prior preparation. Xie Cheng'an couldn't help but be shocked by this man's sensitivity.

However, he himself understood that the poems he composed on the spot were indeed not as good as the ones he had composed before, especially when compared with those of Gu Qiongsi, there was indeed a huge gap.

"It's no wonder that you all think too much. As the saying goes, the ancients spared no effort in learning, and the hard work of youth is perfected in old age. The poems that Xie had written before were the result of repeated thinking, revision, and careful consideration of words and sentences, so that they could be perfectly presented to you. Even I am not satisfied with the poems that I wrote on the spot."

Xie Cheng'an was still trying to justify himself, but many people present had already expressed doubts.

Gu Qiongsi felt relieved after watching their performance. She originally thought it necessary to give a few detailed explanations, but now she found that most of them were just guessing and had no real evidence, so there was nothing to be afraid of.

However, just when she was relieved and was ready to appreciate Xie Cheng'an's ability to respond on the spot, Wu Yi took out a tattered booklet from his arms, raised it and said, "You may not have seen this collection of poems. I spent a lot of effort to find it. Why don't I read a few sentences and see if they sound familiar to you."

Then, Wu Yi turned a page and read aloud, "The orioles are singing on the island in the river. The beautiful lady is the ideal match for the gentleman..."

Gu Qiongsi was stunned for a moment. A collection of poems? A collection of poems? Could this booklet be the earliest collection of poems, the Book of Songs?

Her heart gradually sank to the bottom...

They went to the poetry gathering in high spirits in the morning, but returned to Xie's house before 3 p.m. Xie Cheng'an and Gu Qiongsi were as dejected as defeated roosters.

The two of them didn't say a word along the way, especially Gu Qiongsi, who bit her lower lip nervously, not knowing what would be waiting for her after returning home.

Sure enough, when the two arrived at the gate of the mansion and got off the carriage, Xie Cheng'an ordered the servants, "Mrs. Gu is also tired today, take her back to Xiangsi Courtyard, and don't come out for the next few days if you have nothing to do."

Gu Qiongsi opened her eyes wide in horror. She had already believed what those people said at the poetry meeting. They didn't even give her a chance to explain.

"Sanlang, please listen to my explanation..." Gu Qiongsi immediately wanted to go up and pull Xie Chengan's sleeve, but he didn't expect that the other party dodged without hesitation.

"Shut up, you don't have to explain anything, go back." Xie Cheng'an shouted sternly, and then he took Shuangrui to the study without looking back.

Today's poetry meeting really made him lose face. The key point is that these are all trivial matters. If they really think that his poems are plagiarized, then will the articles he wrote during the imperial examinations also be studied?

If that were the case, it would be terrible. In that article, not only did he use the poems that Gu Qiongsi gave him, but the entire idea of ​​the article also came from those poems.

How could he feel at ease? When he found out that those poems might have been plagiarized, he saw disappointment and resentment of being cheated on Mr. Nanshan's face. From now on, he thought that Mr. Nanshan would not be able to continue on this path.

Why? Why did I encounter such things, one after another, even though I had already passed the imperial examination and won the first place? None of them went as I wished.

Although he had tried his best to refute the booklet at the poetry meeting, there was no way because it was solid evidence and two of his own poems were exactly the same as the ones in the book. It was just that the book was a collection of poems circulated among the people and included various folk songs from different regions, so not many people in the capital knew about it.

When he was unable to explain, he glanced at Gu Qiongsi, hoping to get her help, but the panic on her face instantly made Xie Cheng'an realize that those popular and well-received poems of his were actually plagiarized by Gu Qiongsi from other places.

I trusted her so much, but I didn't expect that she would do such a thing. Isn't this putting me in an irretrievable situation?