Main text Chapter 95: The Spirit of Writing
"Good...good words! Good words!"
When Kong Tixue saw Qiu Yan writing, his eyes fell on the words, and he seemed to have lost his soul for a moment. He stared at the brush and the words under the pen, row by row, mesmerized.
"Master Tixue, look..." The scribe next to him wanted to remind Kong Tixue, but he called Kong Tixue out of his trance.
But when Tixue turned around and glared at the scribe, he reprimanded in a low voice: "Don't make any noise, don't scare Qiu Sheng!"
"This... is, I will obey the order." The clerk was stunned, feeling bad in his heart, but he did not dare to refute, so he had to agree.
When Kong Tixue came back from his shock and looked at the words written by Qiu Yan, he no longer felt as lost, but he still felt amazed.
"His handwriting is really extraordinary, huh? What kind of font is this?"
This Kong Tixue has some attainments in calligraphy, and he often appreciates it on weekdays. He has many famous calligraphy collections at home, and he knows the calligraphy and calligraphy of Dali in ancient and modern times. But now when he sees the calligraphy written by Qiu Yan, his mind is filled with emotion. was snatched away, but suddenly found that the font written by the other party was very unfamiliar.
"The calligraphy of his hand is upright and graceful, and the bends seem to have bones, and they are unyielding! Each word is like a carving! This is a calligraphy that is deeply practiced and has a charm! But how does it match the current Qin Dynasty? The fonts are totally different!”
The Qin style calligraphy that is now popular in Darui was created by the late Prime Minister Qin Ling. It combines the lingering charm of the previous dynasty and emphasizes elegance and sway. When writing, you should have no intention and thoughts, and write it with one stroke, so that people can express their natural feelings. The feeling seems to contain the great avenue of heaven and earth, so it is widely spread and people flock to it.
But the characters Qiu Yan writes now are horizontally, vertically, and square, with extremely precise gaps between characters, giving people a sense of order.
"Could it be that this is his original font? Or did he learn it from some hermit?"
Kong Tixue was still thinking about it, but suddenly his heart moved, and he realized that Qiu Yan had not stopped for a moment since he started writing. He wrote all ten meanings in the blink of an eye, and then he started to explain the meaning of the scripture without stopping.
"It's so fast, there is no pause at all, but every word is perfect! He has already typed up the manuscript in his mind. No wonder I wrongly blamed him when the paper was blank before. It's also like the ancients said, the article is the number. The words make the meaning come true, and the writing reveals the heart. Anyone who can write these words must have a heart as good as the words. He cannot be a cunning person. I was the one who prejudged it before."
Here, the idea of Kong Tixue had just come to an end. Over there, Qiu Yan had already completed the questions on the meaning of the classics in one go and put down his pen.
Seeing this, Kong Tixue nodded and whispered: "Let's check it out, don't be in a hurry." He said to Qiu Yan in a pleasant manner, then turned and left.
Not long after that, Qiu Yan stood up and handed in his paper.
Most of the candidates were still immersed in doing the questions at this time. Qiu Yan wrote it down in one breath, much faster than most people. When he saw him getting up, a guard led him to the lobby.
Looking at Qiu Yan's leaving figure, the middle-aged and young people in the examination room next to him all had complicated expressions. They had seen that the academic officer was targeting Qiu Yan everywhere, so they thought he was going to suffer. Unexpectedly, In a sudden turn of events, Tixue suddenly changed his attitude.
"I heard the clerk talking just now. He seems to be called Qiu Yan. I don't know his origin. I'll go find out after this exam is over."
On the other side, Qiu Yan arrived at the lobby and saw Kong Tixue sitting upright.
When he saw Qiu Yan, Kong Tixue forced a smile on his face, greeted him, and asked about his studies. His attitude was completely different from his previous attitude, but Qiu Yan was neither humble nor arrogant, nor did he appear to be flattered.
Kong Tixue nodded secretly when he saw it, and his evaluation of Qiu Yan rose a lot.
This is the case for this person. If you don't like someone, no matter what the other person does, you will feel that it is not to your liking. But if you like someone, even if the other person contradicts you face to face, he will feel that he is selfish.
After saying a few words, Kong Tixue glanced at the paper Qiu Yan handed over, nodded, and said: "It's well organized, especially the handwriting. It's beautiful. I wonder who he studied under?"
Qiu Yan replied: "This is something students figured out on their own based on ancient and modern calligraphy, understanding the articles of saints and sages." He said this calmly, but it surprised Kong Tixue, who praised him repeatedly, and his attitude towards Qiu Yan changed again. .
After a while, another candidate came over to hand in his paper. Kong Tixue gave Qiu Yan a few gentle words of encouragement and then let him leave.
"Put this paper away." Kong Tixue handed Qiu Yan's test paper to the clerk beside him and warned him. The meaning was very clear, he wanted to take it.
The scribe said in a low voice: "My lord, this Qiu Yan is involved with the prefect. If the name is too high in this Taoist test, there may be rumors, which will be detrimental to my lord."
"Why should you be afraid of rumors when you are recruiting talents for the country?" Kong Tixue glanced at the clerk, "I heard that you have a good relationship with Zhang Yu of Qingchang. He visited you recently, but publicity is public and private is private. Don't Confused!"
When the clerk heard this, he was shocked. He knew that he had not concealed anything from his boss, so he repeatedly accused him and went away with the papers.
Looking at the scribe's back, Kong Tixue shook his head: "You can't see through it. Qiu Yan's handwriting alone is enough to get him arrested. If I insist on suppressing it, it's not to avoid suspicion. But being jealous of talents will lead to trouble in the future.”
………………
After leaving school, Qiu Yan walked all the way without stopping.
There were still people standing in front of the school gate, most of them were maids and servants, it was obvious that the young master had not yet passed the exam.
After returning to the inn where they stayed, Zhang Zhen came to visit them not long after. The two talked for a while, and more students came out of the examination room. Some were nervous, some were casual, some were confident, and some were uneasy.
Many people gathered together to discuss the test questions and their responses.
Qiu Yan knew almost no one among the students, so he just sat and talked about some articles with Zhang Zhen.
"This... is Brother Qiu?"
Suddenly, a voice came from behind, and someone greeted Qiu Yan. Qiu Yan looked in the direction of the voice and saw a half-grown boy. He immediately recognized that this person was the boy who sat in the examination room next to him during the Dao test.
"My name is Zhou Guan, courtesy." The boy was very familiar with people. After introducing himself, he chatted with Qiu Yan and Zhang Zhen. After a few words, he asked about what happened in the examination room. Qiu Yan naturally found an excuse to pass by.
Amid the noise, night fell, and the students dispersed when they saw that it was getting late.
The results of the Dao test will not be announced until more than ten days later, and that is when success or failure is crucial.
At night, after dinner, Zhang Zhen and Zhou Guan said goodbye to Qiu Yan. Zhang Zhen returned home, while Zhou Guan stayed in the inn opposite. He came in to make friends with Qiu Yan after seeing him.
After seeing the two off, Qiu Yan went straight back to his room, washed up, and then blew out the lights, but did not lie down, but sat cross-legged on the bed.
"Finally, it's night, it's time to check it out."
As soon as the thought came, the soul jumped out from the top of his head. Suddenly, a gust of cold wind blew through the whole room, and volumes of books appeared in the air, floating in the room layer by layer, slowly rotating, like a whirlpool.
In the center of the whirlpool, Qiu Yan's soul was.