At this moment, inside the examination hall.

Who else but Luo Wenhuan is particularly concerned about Chen Xu?

Like Mo Huaizhang, Ning Siyu, Zhou Qian, Song Chengye, who hasn't paid attention to Chen Xu?

Cui Yunqi was also in the examination hall, and at this moment, he thought of Chen Xu too.

When it comes to poetry, how many of the candidates present, including those high-ranking examiners at the Observatory, can compare with Chen Xu?

I'm afraid there isn't a single one.

Thinking of this, Cui Yunqi's confidence suddenly surged, and an indescribable excitement filled his chest.

At this moment, although he was separated from Chen Xu by who knows how many examination booths, they were in the same examination hall after all.

In the same examination hall, how many once-renowned talents are there?

Yet, no matter how astonishing your talent is, today, you will also pale in comparison under the brilliance of Chen Xu.

Just like Cui Yunqi back then, so conceited and dismissive of all others.

But in the end, wasn't it because of one competition with Chen Xu that his Dao Heart collapsed?

Today, someone will finally experience his past feelings.

However, the current Cui Yunqi is no longer the Cui Yunqi of the past.

He has gone through several endeavors, and his state of mind is stable.

Understanding depth and mastery of progress and retreat, isn't it also a kind of progress?

In the world, besides Chen Xu, how many true talents can compare with Cui Yunqi?

Cui Yunqi, in his small examination booth, now exudes a heroic aura, seemingly above the mundane, with a unique presence.

He looked at the poetry topic and then picked up the pen to write poetry at will.

The topic reads: compose on "Fields and Gardens," which may suggest "Bean Shelves and Melon Frames," or depict "A Plow in the Spring Rain," or be "Plucking Chrysanthemums by the Eastern Fence," with unlimited imagery.

Limit of seven words per line, rhyming with "wei."

It turns out this time the poetry topic is, pastoral poetry!

Pastoral poetry is not difficult; how many of today's scholars have not written pastoral poetry?

Moreover, today's poetry topic does not limit imagery.

But the problem is, it limits seven words per line and rhyme.

The scholars of the Great Li Dynasty, anyone aspiring for the imperial examination, usually accumulates extensive poetry writing.

Pastoral poems, seasonal poems, object chanting poems, landscape poems, etc., are all popular themes for scholars nowadays.

They carefully deliberate over words and phrases daily, memorizing a hundred or so like back of their hand, so that they won't panic during the examination.

There are always some poetry topics that they can lean towards or apply to.

However, unfortunately, this time the poetry topic limits rhyme.

Once rhyme is limited, the difficulty greatly increases.

Cui Yunqi sighed lightly, but there was a smile at the corner of his mouth.

He doesn't possess the ability to create Cyan Smoke Poems but has never feared writing poetry.

He titled it: Spring Plowing.

"New seedlings emerge from water green and plump,

The farmer in straw hat treads the moonlit path home.

The oriole knows best the season's change,

Beyond the woods urges early weeding gently."

Cui Yunqi completed the entire poem in one go.

In the end, as he looked at the ink-laden verses on his white paper, he was momentarily dazed.

This casually composed seven-character quatrain, unexpectedly elegant and vivid, topical and scenic, was considered one of the best pastoral poems he's written in recent years.

It shows how crucial one's state of mind is.

He now experienced several retreats, genuinely admitted his skills were inferior; in some manner, he saw through fleeting fame and emptiness.

In participating in the local examination this time, his aim was not the top scholar but the second position below it.

Thus, he was relaxed, and even writing poetry felt easy and at ease.

And precisely because of this, the poem turned out quite well.

It could even be termed the best of Cui Yunqi's life so far.

After finishing the poem, he recited it several times, smiling with a mix of joy and regret.

Although this poem was "decent," it still lacked something in the end.

What exactly was missing?

At this moment, Cui Yunqi found it hard to fathom.

He sighed softly, but his gaze wandered over the narrow confines of the examination booth, involuntarily looking into the distance.

If he could understand what exactly he was lacking, perhaps the current Cui Yunqi wouldn't have lagged behind in poetry.

He looked into the distance, wondering if Chen Xu had composed a poem by now?

If so, why hasn't the Cyan Smoke appeared in the Imperial Examination Hall yet?

Cui Yunqi was lost in thought when the sound of footsteps approached from the side, a team of patrolling soldiers walked along the passageway in front of the booth.

One of the squad leaders with a sword suddenly placed his hand on the hilt and turned his head angrily: "Hey, you there, candidate, do not stray your gaze!"

Ha, they're warning Cui Yunqi not to be distracted.

But heaven knows, earth knows, everyone in the examination hall knows, that even if a candidate in the booth looks up at the sky, they wouldn't see anything special.

After all, the booth is as small as a pigeon coop, tightly enclosed on both sides, above and below.

Besides that small patch of sky ahead and the row of candidates across, head down and answering, there is really nothing else to see.

As for cheating through such glancing, it's simply impossible.

But even knowing cheating was impossible, Cui Yunqi was still warned.

Cui Yunqi quickly lowered his head.

What could he do?

No matter his family background, once inside this Imperial Examination Hall, he must behave.

Cui Yunqi started feeling anxious again, wondering whether Chen Xu had composed a poem yet.

Cui Yunqi couldn't help using the corner of his eye to secretly watch the patrolling soldiers walking through the passage, hoping they'd leave soon.

Time seemed to pass by the dozens of breaths as Cui Yunqi began chanting the Qi Cultivation Mantra in his mind when suddenly he heard an astonished cry:

"Look, sir!"

It was a soldier in black clothing who couldn't hold back and blurted out in astonishment.

This shout seemed like the trigger of some critical mechanism.

As the sound rang out, countless exclamations followed in succession, echoing throughout the Imperial Examination Hall.

"It's Cyan Smoke!"

"It's actually Cyan Smoke! What's happening? Where is it coming from?"

"Is it... Could it be someone has composed a Cyan Smoke Poem?"

"No, how is that possible? I don't believe it!"

The ones exclaiming were undoubtedly the candidates in the hall.

Their voices carried doubt and disbelief, yet overwhelmingly a strange fear and panic.

In the Imperial Examination Hall, a poem turns into Cyan Smoke.

No matter who the creator is, does it not prove the rest are mere mediocrities?

The panic continued to spread.

The cacophony of exclamations converged into a wave, further contrasting with the straight, swift column of Cyan Smoke piercing the sky, like a mystical dragon soaring boldly!

It can be imagined that the poem that caused the Cyan Smoke to rise must be no ordinary work.

It must be exceptionally exquisite.

Otherwise, how could that Cyan Smoke soar into the heavens so triumphantly?

Inside his booth, Cui Yunqi couldn't resist; amidst the many exclamations, he let out a hearty laugh.

The soldiers who had been watching him like a hawk didn't notice his laughter.

Each of them gazed up, somewhat dumbfounded.

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