The disgraced official I took care of was actually Zhu Houcong's childhood friend.

Chapter 309

Zhou Chu didn't mince words.

"You are all distinguished guests who have come to this poetry gathering today. Let me begin with a poem written by my teacher, Tang Bohu."

"Ninety days of spring light are spent in a single stroke, pouring wine and singing loudly before the flowers."

"How many days can the flowers on the branches bloom? How long can human life last?"

"Good flowers are hard to grow and don't last long; youth passes quickly and never returns."

"If one doesn't get drunk among the flowers in life, then the flowers will laugh at one's own foolishness."

Zhou Chu sang the poem line by line with great rhythm. This song, "Drinking Under the Flowers," was composed by Tang Bohu and Zhou Chu after they had drunk too much at the Tang residence before Zhou Chu returned to the capital.

The poem's original intention was to advise Zhou Chu to cherish his youth and to drink and sing when the time was right.

It would be perfect as the opening poem for a poetry recital.

The poem immediately won thunderous applause.

Both Tang Bohu, the author of the poem, and the poem itself deserve their applause.

This poem, in particular, was read many times by talented men and women, who found it increasingly captivating and profound. They even foresaw that it might be passed down through the ages.

This poetry gathering was the first time the poem had appeared before the public. Just thinking about it made them excited. The thought that they might be remembered for this made them tremble.

After the opening poem was read, the poetry gathering officially began, and young men and women began to showcase their talents by reciting and composing poems.

Sun Jiaojiao and Han Yuan'er, who were already married, naturally couldn't participate in this kind of poetry gathering. To put it bluntly, this kind of Lantern Festival poetry gathering was more like an invisible matchmaking event. The purpose of holding such a poetry gathering was generally to allow unmarried young men and women to find their ideal partners.

Of course, this is only a potential effect. People send their children to the poetry gathering with this purpose in mind. On the surface, it is still a poetry gathering.

Therefore, everyone tries their best to showcase their talents, like a peacock spreading its tail feathers, to attract the attention of the opposite sex.

One of the young talents, who looked to be about fifteen or sixteen years old, finished reciting a poem with a smug look on his face.

"Ruzhong, what do you think of my poem?"

He looked at a slightly thin companion beside him and said.

"It lacks a certain charm."

The boy next to him didn't give him much face, as he objectively stated.

Upon hearing this, the once smug young man's face fell, and he became somewhat dejected. If someone else had commented on him in this way, he might have been unconvinced, but he was completely convinced by Wu Ruzhong's words.

It was simply because the thin boy in front of him was far more talented than him.

Upon hearing the name Ru Zhong, Zhou Chu, who was standing to the side, immediately became interested and came over to the two of them.

"Greetings, Lord Zhou."

The two hurriedly stood up and bowed, their voices filled with trepidation.

Even though Wu Ruzhong was exceptionally talented, he was still just a young prodigy. The gap between him and a top-level figure like Zhou Chu, who held the power of life and death, was like heaven and earth.

"What's your name?"

Zhou Chu looked at Wu Ruzhong and said.

"In reply to your question, sir, my name is Wu Chengen, courtesy name Ruzhong."

Wu Cheng'en grew increasingly uneasy. He didn't know why the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard had asked him for his name alone. Being targeted by the Embroidered Uniform Guard was not a good thing.

Upon hearing this name, Zhou Chu thought to himself, "Just as I suspected."

Wu Cheng'en became famous at a young age. He was the great-grandson of Ye Qi, the Minister of Revenue. He had been studying at Ye Qi's home for many years, and in a few more years he would marry Ye Qi's great-granddaughter, making their family ties even stronger.

However, Wu Cheng'en's official career was unsuccessful, and his life was full of hardships. He witnessed the dark political situation and spent his later years indulging in poetry and wine, dying in poverty.

Wu Cheng'en possessed exceptional talent and mental fortitude; otherwise, he wouldn't have lived to nearly eighty. The entire Journey to the West spanned his entire life, and it was completed when he was under forty. Presumably, he didn't have so many complaints back then.

When he began to focus on writing Journey to the West in his later years, he added many things, including exposing the darkness of officialdom.

"Who is Minister Ye of the Ministry of Revenue to you?"

Zhou Chu looked at Wu Cheng'en and said.

"In reply to you, sir, he is my great-grandfather."

Wu Cheng'en answered truthfully.

"I have heard of your talent."

Zhou Chu smiled.

Wu Cheng'en breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

After saying this, Zhou Chu patted Wu Cheng'en on the shoulder, turned around and left.

Given his status, he didn't need to say much; a single sentence could often determine a young man's future. However, Zhou Chu had other plans for Wu Cheng'en.

For example, he could be encouraged to study at the academy being established in Wang Yangming's hometown.