Chapter 137: Unrivaled!

On Douyin, the number of netizens watching the "Shanyin Cup" tonight had long exceeded one million. Even if it hadn't reached ten million, there were surely several million. At this moment, these netizens were all listening to Wang Mo's recitation, each with a different expression.

"Hmm? Is this Xilou's poem?"
"It sounds quite imposing."
"Well, it's not bad. Especially the two lines, 'Of all pursuits, only study is noble; all others are base,' they sound strangely stirring."
"But compared to the two poems from yesterday, I think it's far behind."
"Yes, both the word choice and the artistic conception are inferior to yesterday's works."

Even many netizens could tell that the poem Wang Mo was reciting was not as good as yesterday's. The members of the Shanshui Society could feel the gap even more acutely. Some faces showed signs of delight; others shook their heads, feigning sighs while secretly rejoicing; some eyes began to glow.

Feng Qi looked at Zhu Han and said with a smile, "The quality is top-tier, and the content of the poem fits the theme 'Advice on Learning' perfectly."

Zhu Han nodded, also smiling, "Yes, but it's a bit thin."

Between the two of them, every word revealed a sense of certainty: it was in the bag!

However, just at that moment, both of them suddenly froze. Because, after finishing the recitation, Xilou in the livestream showed no sign of stopping and continued:

"In youth, one must study diligently; through literature, one can establish oneself. The royal court is filled with noble figures, all of whom are scholars."

The voice was resonant and powerful, creating ripples in the depths of everyone's soul. Many netizens were shaken. How could there be more? Was this a five-character regulated verse?

If the first four lines had sounded a bit thin to many, adding these four changed the meaning significantly. By now, Xilou's "Advice on Learning" had attained a certain depth.

Someone commented, "Interesting. Using the ancient dynasties as a backdrop to tell everyone that study is paramount. Encouraging everyone to study hard from a young age to get ahead. If this poem were in ancient times, it would likely be loved by many scholars."

Another thought to themselves, "Simple and easy to understand, the verses are plain, yet it truly has a certain flavor. It's just a pity that all the Shanshui Society members performed so well today; it won't be easy for Xilou's poem to win."

However, there were few comments. Because the crowd was stunned to realize that Xilou still hadn't stopped; he was still continuing!

"Knowledge is gained through diligence, by the glow of fireflies and over thousands of books. Three winters of study are sufficient for today; who would dare mock a lack of substance?"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of many finally changed. Especially the Shanshui Society members, who had been full of smiles and confidence just moments ago, now showed astonishment on their faces. What kind of poem was this? With every added stanza, the ripples in their hearts grew larger.

Yet, it still wasn't over. Wang Mo’s voice grew even louder. Under the influence of his scholarly temperament, the audience felt as if a dashing, upright, and brilliant talent was standing before each of them, eyes blazing, voice like a great bell, reciting line after line.

At first, people didn't think much of these poems. But as time passed, the talent's voice became increasingly sonorous and penetrating. It pierced through the screens, through the eardrums, and straight into the heart. The ripples in many hearts were shaken into wave after wave.

"Gifted from childhood, life's ambitions are high. While others carry swords, I carry a brush like a blade."
"Morning a farmer's boy, evening at the Emperor's hall. Generals and ministers are not born to greatness; a man must strive for self-improvement."
"Learning is the treasure of the body, and Confucianism is the jewel on the mat. Look at the prime ministers; they are all scholars."
"..."

Every word was a pearl; every line was a classic.

When Xilou reached the sixth poem of "Advice on Learning," the netizens in the livestream were already dumbstruck. Everyone seemed to stop thinking, listening only to Xilou's recitation, as if this were the only sound in the universe. The voice grew louder, thundering in the void, exploding deep in the mind, and vibrating in the depths of the soul.

In the official Douyin livestream, the dozen or so guests from the Shanshui Society had all stood up at some point, their faces filled with shock, confusion, and disbelief. Feng Qi had lost his confident air; he watched the reciting Xilou on the screen, his entire being numbed. Zhu Han was no better; at this moment, he felt his scalp tingling.

At Tsinghua and Peking University, in a lecture hall filled with top students from the School of Literature, many had been dismissive when Xilou started. "Is this it?" "It's okay, but not as amazing as the internet hyped it to be."

But twenty seconds later, these voices vanished. Half a minute later, low gasps began to emerge. A minute later, everyone fell into silence, just staring blankly at the screen, completely stunned.

In the lecture hall, He Zhihang, Tang Xuanyuan, and others were also present. They looked at each other, equally stunned. After an unknown amount of time, He Zhihang suddenly took a deep breath and whispered, "Advice on Learning... Advice on Learning... We were wrong, we all misunderstood!"

"What is it?" asked Tang Xuanyuan and the other elders.

He Zhihang swallowed, his voice trembling slightly from excitement, "We originally thought Xiao Wang's 'Advice on Learning' was only surface-level, just for the second round of today's 'Shanyin Cup.' But now I think this poem wasn't written for the competition at all; it was for the entire livestream! No, it was for all the netizens watching, even for all the young people on the internet!"

"Hahaha, I understand, I finally understand. Good! What a great 'Advice on Learning'! What a great line, 'Of all pursuits, only study is noble; all others are base'!" He Zhihang laughed, acting almost crazed, but soon continued:

"In today's internet society, I don't know how many young people have ruined their studies by being addicted to short videos and games. I don't know how many boys and girls have been misled by fake news and gone astray. This is a major social problem. But we have no way to change it, because this is the wheel of history; we cannot stop it. We can only watch as many of the younger generation fall into internet addiction, wasting their education and ruining their lives. We are powerless against this trend."

He Zhihang waved his hand, shouting excitedly, "I once asked Xiao Wang why he did livestreams. He said he wanted to use his talent to tell the netizens that talented people can succeed anywhere. I thought his ambition was noble, but I assumed he was just talking. But I didn't expect that he would not only say it but also do it. Today's 'Advice on Learning' is a warning to all of us young people that study is paramount! It tells our younger generation that only by studying can one have a future!"

"Others use poetry to show off their talent, but only Xiao Wang is using this rare opportunity to borrow from the past to influence the present, to shake the younger generation currently addicted to the internet, hoping they realize the importance of learning! This mindset! This vision! I did not misjudge him!"

The words were like thunder, buzzing in the minds of Tang Xuanyuan and the other elders. Even though they were titans of the contemporary literary world, they could not believe it for a moment. Wang Mo's recitation continued to vibrate in the air:

"Do not say the scholar's cap is a hindrance; books will never betray a person. Succeed and bring order to the world; fail, and cultivate your own character."
"To leave your children chests of gold, why not teach them just one classic? With names written on silk scrolls, scholars assist the imperial court."
"Ancient texts contain thousands of meanings; one must know them for future generations to understand. Sages emerge one after another; use these to educate the young."

Listening to the soul-shaking verses and reflecting on He Zhihang's words, Tang Xuanyuan and the others finally nodded slowly, acknowledging his speculation.

But the more they realized this, the less they could remain calm. At this moment, as time passed and Xilou's recitation became clearer and more sonorous, many sharp-minded people in the livestream realized it too.

Someone typed in the chat: "He's not just reciting poetry! He's advocating for learning! My God, he's using this 'Advice on Learning' to tell us all to cherish the opportunity to study, that only by studying well can one get ahead!"

A word awakens the dreamer. Seeing this comment, more and more people realized the truth.

"My God! This poem!"
"Ahhh, so that's what it meant."
"Using a poem to warn the younger generation to cherish their study time? Heavens, what a vision!"
"I'm such a fool; I was actually mocking this poem for being simple and easy to understand just a moment ago!"
"It has to be simple and easy to understand so that those who don't like to study will listen! So that it can have a deafening effect!"
"Is this Xilou's second work?"
"We all thought he was competing, but he had already transcended the level of the competition."
"I was mocking him in front of the screen, yet he was painstakingly writing 'Advice on Learning' to persuade me to study."
"I want to cry."

They understood. More and more people understood. Why Xilou wrote "Of all pursuits, only study is noble; all others are base." Why he wrote "The royal court is filled with noble figures, all of whom are scholars." Why he wrote "While others carry swords, I carry a brush like a blade." And why he wrote "Look at the prime ministers; they are all scholars."

It was all to tell them how important studying is! To make them value education and stop wasting their studies due to the temptations of the internet.

The guests of the Shanshui Society also understood. Their confidence had been swept away, leaving only a deep bitterness in their hearts. Originally, they thought they had the victory in the bag tonight. They had barely slept the night before, discussing strategies for the second round. Feng Qi and Zhu Han, in particular, had joined forces in an unprecedented way to oppose Xilou.

However! While their eyes were still fixed on winning or losing the competition, Xilou's "Advice on Learning" had elevated the scope to the level of the entire young generation of China, using the poem to warn them of the importance of learning.

What is there to compare? What else could there be to compare? The vision and height of their thoughts were not even on the same level. In the face of Xilou's "Advice on Learning," any other poem had lost its meaning! The Shanshui Society was competing for victory, while Xilou was doing it for the younger generation! There was no comparison.

"In youth, one first passes the exams, returning to the capital with joy. Leaping the dragon gate in three waves, a thunderclap on flat ground."
"The day of passing the examination, parents not yet old. Returning home in embroidered robes—truly a man."

Finally, Xilou stopped his recitation.

In the livestream, on the scene, there was almost dead silence. Everyone looked at the astonishingly charismatic Xilou on the screen, almost all of them speechless.