"You are not to leave the Diligent Study Hall until the results are announced."
The poems are collected, and the ministers critique them.
"Luu Xi truly lives up to being favored by the Left Minister, his wording is concise, the meaning profound, truly a pillar of talent."
"Though Liao Huai, Shangguan Jinxiao, Lu Zhen, and Huangfu Cheng may not have the depth of Luu Xi, their poetic flavor is lingering, making them rare good poems."
"The poems of common scholars Xuu Mu and Zhuge Chen are relatively simple but evoke the imagery of a great snow covering the capital."
"It's difficult to judge," the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Qi Nankai, sighed, "All seven possess the qualities of a top contender."
"Left Minister, Lord Lu, what do you think?"
"Minister Qi is right; it is indeed difficult to determine the best among the seven's poems."
Zuo Yuan said this while holding poems outside the seven's.
