On the day of the poetry presentation, Albert and I woke up early. As we had our breakfast, we reviewed the poems we would use in the presentation. Albert casually asked me for some advice, and I shared it without hesitation.
Initially, I thought about sharing my entire poem with Albert. However, he expressed concern that this could influence his composition more than he desired. In case he won, Albert wanted to do it based on his own skills. Therefore, we decided to limit ourselves to the advice. After breakfast, we quickly headed to the downtown area, where the residence of the leading patriarch was located.
Both of us had registered as participants a day earlier, which made us a bit worried since we were practically the last to register. However, to our surprise, this was not a problem. It seems they accept as many people as possible, as the leading patriarch values the diversity of talents.
Furthermore, conversations involving the leading patriarch are usually filled with praise and admiration. The people of the imperial city seem to genuinely adore him, and I sincerely hope everything I've heard about him is true.
As soon as we stepped on the streets of the imperial city, we headed determinedly to the venue where the poetry tournament would take place. To be honest, it wasn't hard to find, as several people were heading in the same direction. The event promised to be interesting and seemed to attract an eager crowd to watch.
Additionally, it was evident that the inhabitants of the imperial city had a deep love for poetry. We soon arrived at the tournament venue, where a stage was set up for participants to present their poems. The palace was also nearby, and it was expected that the leading patriarch would appear on the balcony or from some elevated place to watch the presentations.
After registering as participants, we were led to our designated spot. There was a considerable crowd, perhaps more than two hundred people, all looking eager and excited as they reviewed their poems one last time. The atmosphere was electrically charged with anticipation. Interestingly, the apparent calmness of the people, despite the imminent presence of the leading patriarch, made me think that he was probably an approachable person for the people.
After a somewhat long wait, the tournament finally began. As the names of the participants were called, they would step forward to the audience and the leading patriarch. From where we were, our view of the patriarch was not clear, but I imagined he would be listening to the poems from somewhere in the palace.
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One by one, the names of the participants were called, and as the tournament progressed, our numbers dwindled. Finally, only Albert and I were left.
"Li Wei"
When these words were uttered, Albert glanced at me and nodded. Although obvious, we had used false names to register. Albert adopted the name Li Wei, while I chose Zhang Jie. I wasn't a Chinese expert from my past life, but I picked these names because I thought they sounded good.
After Albert went out, I examined my poem again, trying to find something that could be improved. However, I couldn't identify any possible enhancements. In the end, I realized that poem appreciation was a very personal thing, depending on the taste of the leading patriarch. At least I knew I had given my best.
"Zhang Jie"
As I pondered this, my name was called, and I slowly walked toward the podium. As I walked out, I lifted my gaze to the figure sitting high up, assuming that man was the leading patriarch, as his posture emanated an aura of royalty.
"Please, begin your poem"
I stopped staring at the potential patriarch leader when the voice that had called me earlier echoed beside me. I looked at the man and nodded, turning my attention back to the paper where my poem was written. After closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and, calmly and firmly, began to recite the words I had written.
“In lands where the sun rises slowly, In ancient China, where time is a thread to weave, Brave warriors under the starry sky, And wise lords, by fates marked. In shadows of pagodas and blooming gardens, The echo of battles resounds with vigor, Swords gleam in the moonlight, While heroes rise to fight”
I started the poem slowly, my focus entirely on the piece of paper in front of me. I wasn't paying attention to what was happening around me, completely immersed in the words flowing from my mouth.
“In courts, lords with profound gaze, With wisdom transcending the world, Guide the people with firm and serene hands, In ancient lands, full of rich legends. On scrolls of silk, history intertwines, Of battles won with grace and finesse, The wind carries tales of bravery, Of warriors facing any shipwreck”
The place remained in complete silence. I wasn't sure if this was a good or bad sign, but I didn't let it shake me. I continued reciting the poem, striving to convey my feelings through the chosen words.
“In the land of the Great Wall that stretches far, Where the dragon dances and the falcon soars, Brave warriors and lords of vastness, Tell the saga of the ancient nation. In the warriors' eyes, a fire that burns, In the lords' hearts, the wisdom that teaches, In ancient China, where destinies intertwine, The story of the brave is eternal, like the stars that embrace”
After finishing my presentation, I let out a small sigh and lifted my gaze. The people around me were surprised, with wide eyes, and the place still remained silent. Honestly, I questioned if my poem had been so bad as to leave everyone so surprised.
Before I could take any action, a sound of applause erupted. I looked in the direction of the noise and saw Albert staring at me with a smile on his face. Soon after, the applause spread throughout the crowd, everyone clapping for my poem. Well, at least with that, I knew it hadn't been as bad as I thought.