Impossible as it may seem, the youth was speaking the truth, for our hero had met that remarkable genus Chou Tsang-chu, who, at the Age of sixteen, came out frst competition with the greatest scholars of the lend, while the other was his cousin, who was almost os remarkable a genus as he was in the course of time the old jecholar and the two youths met frequently and Chou lost no opportunity of poking fun et him and reminding him of their first meeting. Kanghsl was a. great lover of literature and the three of them together with other famous scholars, were frequently invited by him tothe palace and asked to waite an impromptu essay on a si {Jeet which he gave them.
In these competitions Chou showed remarkable skill and was invariably the first to hand In the completed essay. Even in the august presence of the Emperor he was not able to [disguise his alr of superiority over the other competitors and the great man, who was in reality as human as the humblest of his subjects, decided to teach him a lesson and so bring "down his pride. He secretly informed the old scholar the sub: Jeet of the next competition "and being fully prepared he was the frst to hand in his essay, though even then he was only Just ahead of the brilliant Chou. The Emperor. then solemnly announced the. name of the victor and congratulated him heartily on: his success, The old scholar could not conceal his satis faction in taking a rise out of his young rival and wrote two poems on the subject in which he said:
2, Neplune In conjunction with Moon, rildnight, 1.0" 21"
Mercury at greatest elongation, 21° 3 ame 10, Jupiter im conjunction with Moon, midnight, 3, 1° a".
Venus anid Uranus 18 ban.
Satin a In. conjunction with Moon, pan, 3. 1 39'S.
Granus in confunetion with Moon, 8pm. U. 5° O° Mercury "at a in tionary point, 3 nus in confunetion with Moon, v.44 2, Sun enters sign Gemint, 2 pan, 21, Mere'
in cong tion with Moon, 3
2, Mercury in conjunction with Moon, 4pm. M.
25. Neptune at a stationary point, 9 pam, Neptune conjunction with Moon, tu conjunction, 8 bs reury Ju Inferior conjunction with Conerepiamions Ax 9 rt, Ursa Major is between midway, Virgo on the meridian, Leo past, Cancer mide Gemini. nex Southwest: ie Hydra, and Canis Minor nearing the horizon. never had cause in my life for great. rejotein Moon in Apoges Rusixe ano Serra or mH Moow He was still considered the best exponent of the "T Ching" and was Appointed teacher io the young since, who after became the Em= peror Chien Lung. He rose quickly fo high oficial rank and eventually became the President of the Board of Ceremonies. He did not forget the innkeeper who had Jent "him the donkey and the twenty taels for his expenses to the ° provincial capital, for he pensioned him and this family, and this payment is continued even to the present day by his defendants,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.