The grand hall of the Zhuangyuan Tower was uniquely designed, with an open atrium at its center.

The surrounding pavilions formed a circle, with the second-floor private rooms offering a commanding view of the entire atrium below.

At this moment, the atrium was crowded with people, all marveling at the newly crowned “Poet Immortal of the Great Xia.”

Yue Chuan finally managed to squeeze through the crowd, listening to the endless discussions around him.

“Indeed, what beautiful poetry! The sense of tragic loyalty leaps off the page!”

“Did you hear? This morning, during the court session, His Majesty couldn’t stop praising the poem. It’s likely that this ‘Poet Immortal’ will become famous throughout the capital in no time!”

“But who is this poet? I heard that aside from General Xuanwu, no one has seen him!”

“Look, everyone’s here, hoping to catch a glimpse of him at Zhuangyuan Tower!”

“See over there? A few young men are from prominent families in the court!”

It was clear to everyone that with such a talent, this poet must have participated in the imperial exam.

Since no one had heard of him before, he was most likely a student from outside the capital who had come to take the exam.

Many exam candidates from out of town chose to stay at Zhuangyuan Tower for good luck.

Hearing this, Yue Chuan felt a headache coming on.

He wasn’t sure whether it was that old man, Lord Xia, or that white-bearded old fellow…

Both of them were insufferable!

One poem wasn’t enough for them to show off, so they had to flaunt it in the Golden Luan Hall!

Yue Chuan had never intended for things to escalate this far.

Staying low was the way to success—after all, the early bird doesn’t always get the worm.

“Everyone, hurry and look! Who is the Poet Immortal?”

In an instant, the atrium was filled with excitement, the crowd bustling with energy.

Only a few young men, rumored to be from the prominent families in the court, stood aside, looking unimpressed.

Meanwhile, in a private room on the second floor, Emperor Xiao Wu and General Li Xuanwu sat by the window, happily watching the excitement below.

Lin Zhao, the fourth-rank sword-bearing bodyguard, stood stiffly to the side.

“Heh, do you think this kid is cursing us in his heart right now?” The emperor suddenly asked with a grin.

“Why would he?” General Li Xuanwu snorted, taking a sip of tea and grinding his teeth. “Two thousand taels of gold!”

After setting down his cup, General Li raised an eyebrow. “Shouldn’t His Majesty invite this young poet up for a chat?”

“Let’s wait a little longer.” Emperor Xiao Wu said leisurely, “There’s no such lively scene in the palace.”

Li Xuanwu sneered, muttering inwardly, “How childish.”

At the same time, his eyes darted to a corner of the atrium, his face curling into a smirk. “It seems the officials who passed the exams just can’t sit still. Look, after court today, their young heirs have already rushed over.”

The emperor smiled faintly, not responding.

This was expected.

Today, he had clearly shown his stance on war, and with this poem as a pretext, the cunning old foxes in the court must have been plotting something. They would undoubtedly come to check on this rising star, the “Poet Immortal.”

Downstairs, Yue Chuan was feeling more and more annoyed as he tried to find a way not to reveal his identity.

Suddenly, he heard a loud shout from the crowd.

“Everyone, quiet down!”

“I must confess, I had the fortune of meeting the little poet a few days ago. From our first encounter, I felt a deep bond, as if we had known each other for a long time!”

With those words, all eyes turned toward the speaker.

Yue Chuan looked up, bewildered. Who was this person?

“Do you have any proof?” someone in the crowd asked skeptically.

The man gave a mysterious smile, then pulled out a hastily produced book from his robes.

“I’ve recorded my conversation with the poet and compiled it into a book!”

“The regular version is three taels of silver per copy!”

“The deluxe version is five taels, but you’ll have to wait a couple of days for delivery!”

“Want to know more about the Poet Immortal’s legendary life? All is revealed in Heaven’s Gifted Genius: The Little Poet Immortal!”

“First come, first served. While stocks last!”

Yue Chuan immediately felt his face darken.

Damn it!

Was this guy really trying to ride on his coattails for fame?

Surprisingly, a number of people rushed up to inquire…

“Everyone, listen to me!”

“Since that’s the case, I won’t pretend any longer!”

“I’m from the same hometown as the little poet!”

“This The Genius Poet Immortal’s Childhood contains delightful stories and anecdotes from his early years!”

“Three taels of silver per copy, no bargaining!”

This prompted another rush of people to surround him.

“The two of you, shut up!”

Yue Chuan hadn’t even rolled his eyes yet when another person appeared.

This newcomer was quite different from the previous two. His clothes were refined and elegant, and he looked quite handsome—definitely someone from a wealthy family.

This young master stepped forward confidently, drawing the crowd’s attention. He slowly pulled out a book from his robe and raised it high.

“Your petty affairs are nothing!”

“Take a look at this!”

Everyone crowded around, squinting in the sunlight to make out the glaring characters on the cover.

The Little Poet Immortal and My Wife: A Few Matters!

The entire atrium fell silent.

After a long pause, the crowd erupted in a frenzy, and most of them gathered around this noble young man.

“I want one!”

“So do I!”

“Damn it, stop crowding me!”

“Is there an illustrated version?!”

…

Yue Chuan stood there with his mouth agape, watching this “hero” in the crowd, completely speechless.

This guy was definitely cut out for big things.

He wasn’t afraid to go all out, huh?

There had to be something unusual about him…

Everyone knew in their hearts that they weren’t sure about the other two sellers, but this one was certainly interesting, even if the content was fake!

In the blink of an eye, this young man had sold off all the books he was carrying and had collected many deposits.

On the second floor, Emperor Xiao Wu leaned forward, clearly in high spirits.

“Ha… Lin Zhao, come here and take a look. My eyesight isn’t great today. Help me see if that book seller is General Xuanwu’s eldest grandson?”

The emperor was in an unusually good mood and seemed to be enjoying himself more than he had in years.

Lin Zhao couldn’t help but feel black lines forming on his face. He knew exactly what the emperor was up to, but he had to cooperate, so he walked over to take a look. After a moment, he nodded.

“Your Majesty, it’s indeed Old General’s grandson, Li Wuling.”

“Well, well!” The emperor leaned back in his chair, sipping tea. He glanced at General Li Xuanwu. “The old general’s family certainly has talent!”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk, Wuling, this boy, though he’s neither a scholar nor a soldier, he’s got quite the business sense!”

At this moment, General Li Xuanwu’s face had turned as dark as the bottom of a pot, his wrinkled but still powerful hand gripping the teacup tightly.

That little brat!

Always finding ways to embarrass me in public!

Once he’s home, I’ll beat him half to death if I don’t want to be called Li anymore!

…

Meanwhile, Li Wuling, who had made a fortune in such a short time, had no idea of the fate awaiting him when he returned home.

With a wide grin, he collected silver after silver, his smile almost reaching his cheekbones.

Yue Chuan looked at him from a distance, gritting his teeth in frustration.

Wasn’t that money supposed to be mine?

His eyes narrowed, and he squeezed through the crowd to get closer.

Finally, he reached Li Wuling and put his arm around his shoulder.

Li Wuling wasn’t too concerned, assuming he was another book buyer. Without turning around, he said, “Three taels as a deposit!”

“Do you offer a discount for buying ten copies?” Yue Chuan said, his teeth clenching.

Li Wuling finally turned to look, thinking this guy was crazy.

Why would anyone buy ten identical books? Were they going to use them as toilet paper?

But when he finally saw Yue Chuan’s face, his expression froze. His eyes widened.

Damn it!

Not again!

This was the so-called “Little Poet Immortal”!

Yesterday, at the General’s mansion, both his grandfather and the emperor had toasted this guy, and he had seen him sneaking glances in the corner.

Great…

I’ve met him face to face!

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