Chapter Sixty-eight Poetry Gathering (2)
Yang Shun harbored a very complicated mood towards Gu Yu.
Originally, Gu Yu was the least noticeable person in the Yang family. Despite his good looks, his quiet and introverted personality made him unremarkable.
Furthermore, because Third Master Yang’s branch of the family was not favored by Old Man Yang and Madam Li, Gu Yu, even with his naturally frail health, had to work from a young age.
Sometimes, he couldn’t even get enough to eat, and if he hadn’t finished his work, he would be scolded and beaten by Madam Li.
However, since Gu Yu married into the Gu family, it was as if his luck had suddenly turned. Not only did he have a beautiful wife like Mengyao Gu, but his family also saw a large influx of silver, allowing them to build a grand blue brick and tile house.
Afterwards, not only did he gain the admiration of a prominent figure in town, but he even received an imperial decree personally bestowed by the Emperor.
What virtue did Gu Yu possess to be so favored by heaven!
Thinking this, Yang Shun failed to recall… that during the measles outbreak in the village, it was Gu Yu who saved his life.
Now, Yang Shun felt that he was more outstanding than Gu Yu. Why hadn’t good things like this happened to him, but rather to Gu Yu, a person abandoned by the old Yang family, who received even more!
Therefore, filled with this complex mood of resentment mixed with jealousy and contempt tinged with envy, when Yang Shun saw Gu Yu at the poetry gathering, he did not consider the occasion. His mind was solely focused on getting Gu Yu kicked out of the poetry gathering.
Simply put, Yang Shun was controlled by the envy, jealousy, and hatred in his heart. This made him resent Gu Yu, who seemed like a chosen one, and he wanted to make Gu Yu look foolish at the poetry gathering.
Especially when he thought… that everyone would cast mocking glances at Gu Yu, Yang Shun felt a surge of satisfaction in his heart.
However, things did not develop as Yang Shun had imagined.
Because, at this moment, Gu Yu produced an invitation.
The invitation clearly stated the names of Gu Yu and Gu Qingheng, leaving Yang Shun speechless.
He wanted to slap Gu Yu in the face, but contrary to his expectations… he ended up slapping himself!
“Hahaha, what’s going on here? I suddenly can’t understand it!”
“I’ve been paying attention to this side just now, it seems these two are from the same village and had a dispute.”
“Alas, why be so confrontational when you’re from the same village!”
“Exactly, it’s better to have one less trouble than one more. After reading the words of the sages for so many years, they don’t even know this.”
“Young people are impatient, it’s a common thing, no need to blame them so much!”
“Hehehe, it’s enough to watch the show.”
“Hmph! To cause trouble in such an occasion, truly ignorant!”
After being flipped and slapped in the face, as Yang Shun’s expression turned ugly, the onlookers also chimed in, each adding their two cents.
However, compared to the villagers, the scholars at the poetry gathering did not speak too harshly.
But this made Yang Shun feel increasingly uncomfortable, thinking that this fellow Gu Yu had caused him such humiliation!
In the future, he would definitely repay it a hundred or a thousand times over!
“Hey, hey, hey, speak up! Weren’t you quite good at talking just now? With just a touch of your lips, you wanted to throw me out!”
While Yang Shun was speechless, Gu Yu was not prepared to let it go.
If someone had come to his doorstep and cursed him to his face, and he just let it go, then Gu Yu might as well be a coward from now on!
Moreover, given Gu Yu’s personality, it was impossible for him to let it go.
If people respect me one foot, I will respect them one yard. If people destroy my one grain, I will take their three pecks!
“Gu Yu, don’t be too arrogant. Someone will definitely make you pay the price in the future!”
“You don’t need to mind my business, don’t sidetrack the topic. I’m just asking about that matter just now. Forget it, I’m magnanimous. Since you said you wanted to throw me out just now, then I don’t ask for anything else. You can leave here now!”
Upon hearing Yang Shun’s harsh words, Gu Yu became even less afraid. Instead, he grinned at him, and what he said afterwards put Yang Shun in a difficult spot.
If he continued to stand there and stalemate with Gu Yu, once the matter escalated, his reputation would be ruined.
Gu Yu had not even studied, but if he, as a Tong Sheng, gained a bad reputation for being jealous and slandering others, he would not be welcomed in any circle.
If this were to happen, even his future prospects would be affected.
Yang Shun was now trying every means to enter Qingshan Academy to study, preparing to get a golden sheen there. After the imperial examinations, even if he entered officialdom, he would have support.
Because Qingshan Academy produced many exceptionally talented individuals, and they had smooth sailing in officialdom, they also did not forget to help those from the same sect, supporting each other in their promotions.
It could be said that Qingshan Academy had formed a faction of influence.
With the dean continuing to recruit talented prodigies as students, it was conceivable that it would develop more and more powerfully in the future.
Even because of Qingshan Academy, Yang Shun could not tarnish his reputation today!
But if he left directly, the poetry gathering hosted by the magistrate was not something that could be encountered casually!
What’s more, it was rumored that the Dean of Qingshan would also appear here!
“You, you, you…”
“Stop with the ‘you’. Apologize to me now, and then leave here immediately. Otherwise, don’t blame me for dealing with you in a more ruthless manner.”
Just as Yang Shun was in a dilemma, upon hearing Gu Yu’s subsequent words, his eyes dimmed. He thought that he could not stubbornly resist now and it was better to go along with Gu Yu.
Even if he lost this important poetry gathering, as long as his reputation was preserved, he would still have hope.
As for the future, there would be plenty of opportunities to compete with Gu Yu, so there was no need to risk his future for a moment’s satisfaction.
And Gu Yu only asked Yang Shun to apologize and leave, which was also due to his own considerations.
Although he himself didn’t care, since he didn’t plan to take the imperial examination path in the future.
But Gu Qingheng was different. Gu Yu was counting on following his younger brother-in-law to eat spicy and hot spicy food. If he made trouble with Yang Shun later, not only would Yang Shun be unlucky, but he would also be affected.
If Gu Qingheng were also subjected to gossip and rumors, it would be unfavorable!
It was better to just let Yang Shun leave the poetry gathering. Given Yang Shun’s anticipation for the poetry gathering, making him leave now would surely feel like a piece of his flesh had been gouged out.
This was also a small form of revenge. There would be more opportunities in the future, and he would continue to seek revenge.
Gu Yu’s small-mindedness did not allow Yang Shun to be smug in front of him and still have a smooth sailing life.
“What is going on?”
However, just as Yang Shun was about to apologize humiliatingly, a voice with authority suddenly sounded.
Then, the crowd consciously parted, and Magistrate Bai, dressed in a majestic official uniform, walked over. Beside him stood a middle-aged man with a stern expression, dressed in a green long gown, looking coldly at everything in front of him.
Behind Magistrate Bai and the man in the green gown were more than a dozen youths. They wore uniform white long gowns, tied their hair with neat white jade buns, and had confident smiles on their faces, exuding the air of elegant scholars.
Among them were several younger boys. Although they tried to maintain a serious expression, their eyes curiously scanned their surroundings, looking back and forth.
Upon seeing these people appear, the surrounding crowd’s eyes immediately filled with envy, and they stopped their discussions, turning their gaze to the group in white clothes.
They thought… as expected of students taught by Qingshan Academy, each of them had outstanding气质, and they looked different from ordinary people at first glance.
Especially when looking at the middle-aged man in the green gown, the crowd’s gaze was even more fervent, wishing that the Dean of Qingshan would look upon them favorably, and directly enter Qingshan Academy to become one of its students.
The admission standards of Qingshan Academy were so strict that they were practically perverted!
“Magistrate Bai, we just had a small disagreement!”
Upon seeing both Magistrate Bai and the Dean of Qingshan appear before him, Yang Shun’s eyes immediately became fervent.
He had originally wanted to curry favor, but upon remembering that Gu Yu was still watching him covetously, he immediately extinguished the little spark in his heart and broke out in a cold sweat.
If he were to make a fool of himself in front of these two, then his future would be ruined!
And Gu Yu, upon seeing Magistrate Bai appear, did not show any extraneous changes on his face. He merely nodded at the magistrate, then crossed his arms, ready to see what Yang Shun would do next.
Yang Shun still owed him an apology!
“Since there is a disagreement, it will be resolved by talking it out. Everyone is a fellow student, so don’t make the relationship too strained.”
“Yes, yes, yes, our disagreement has been resolved.”
Upon hearing Yang Shun say it was a disagreement, Magistrate Bai started to play the peacemaker, wanting to prevent the atmosphere from becoming too tense and to resolve the dispute between Gu Yu and Yang Shun.
Those invited to the poetry gathering were no ordinary people.
Magistrate Bai thought highly of Yang Shun, and as for Gu Yu… since he was explicitly invited by the Dean of Qingshan, he was an even more extraordinary existence!
Even Magistrate Bai was curious about who Gu Yu was. With an Imperial Envoy in front of him and a Dean behind him, they both seemed to have a not-so-shallow relationship with him. It was truly amazing!
“Magistrate Bai, the matter is more than just a disagreement. I was sitting here properly, and this person suddenly came over and pointed at my nose, saying he wanted to throw me out of the poetry gathering… I have an invitation, yet I was treated like this. It’s already considered good temper that I didn’t directly beat him up.”
Seeing that Yang Shun was acting as if nothing had happened, Gu Yu was not a kind-hearted person who would let things go. Since Yang Shun had come looking for trouble, he shouldn’t expect to be let off the hook!
For Gu Yu, the saintly act of not retaliating when harmed first simply did not exist.
Returning tenfold or a hundredfold was what Gu Yu was best at in terms of retaliation.
As for originally not intending to escalate the matter, Gu Yu only did so out of concern for his younger brother-in-law. But now that the magistrate was here, it was better to clarify everything and bring it upon himself.
Anyway, Gu Yu did not intend to take the imperial examinations.
If Yang Shun wanted to hide this matter, Gu Yu would have to bring it up again, to see if Yang Shun would dare to provoke him again next time!
“Only with magnanimity can one tolerate others, and only with depth can one carry responsibilities.”
Just as Yang Shun’s face turned pale due to Gu Yu’s words, the green-gowned man standing beside Magistrate Bai suddenly spoke, addressing Gu Yu.
Only with a magnanimous heart can one tolerate others, and only with deep virtue can one undertake great responsibilities.
The meaning of his words clearly indicated that Gu Yu should be generous.
The Dean of Qingshan’s face remained cold, but when he looked at Gu Yu, a hint of interest arose in his eyes.
Is this the young man who correctly guessed the couplets twice in a row?
His eloquence is quite good, but I don’t know about his actual talent. Now is a good opportunity to test him.
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