As the young poet stared coldly at him, Li Wuling nervously swallowed and quickly thought of a plan. He grabbed Ye Chuan and said, “Brother, shh! After the deal, you get sixty, I get forty.”

Ye Chuan was momentarily stunned but quickly realized the situation. This man must know him, or else he wouldn’t be so nervous upon seeing his face.

With a quick mental calculation, Ye Chuan smiled slightly and shook his head. “You get thirty, I get seventy.”

Li Wuling hesitated for a moment, but finally gritted his teeth and agreed, “Deal!”

“Li Wuling! How can you be so shameless!”

At that moment, a loud voice shouted across the room, making everyone turn their heads.

A handsome young man, with fair skin and sharp features, led a young servant as he walked in. His imposing presence made the crowd instinctively part to make way for him.

Ye Chuan immediately recognized him. This was the same young man who had defended Ying’er yesterday.

Li Wuling, upon seeing him, immediately turned pale, trembling all over.

“Pu… Puh…” Li Wuling stammered.

The young man glared sharply, “What ‘pu’! Do you think I don’t have a surname?! Call me Young Master Xia!”

“Yes, yes, Young Master Xia, how may I…” Li Wuling quickly wiped the sweat off his forehead.

Xia Gongzi let out a cold laugh. “If I hadn’t come, how would I know you were openly selling these morally corrupt and forbidden books?”

Xia Gongzi, of course, was none other than Princess Yunxi in disguise.

She had secretly left the palace earlier that day, curious about the recent rumors of a masterpiece presented during the morning court session. When her father, the emperor, also went out in disguise, she couldn’t resist her curiosity and decided to sneak out to observe.

She had arrived at Zhuangyuan Lou early, where she had witnessed Li Wuling selling “evil books.” She was immediately enraged.

Princess Yunxi and Li Wuling were childhood playmates, and despite their different social standings, they had always gotten along. But seeing Li Wuling in such a shameful act, she couldn’t hold back her anger.

As soon as she spotted Ye Chuan, with whom she already had a bad impression, talking with Li Wuling, she was even more furious.

Flies and cockroaches, born to be together!

Meanwhile, in the private room on the second floor, the emperor’s expression turned grim.

“This girl really is insufferable! She dares to sneak out of the palace again!”

Behind him, Lin Zhao cautiously asked, “Your Majesty, should I immediately send the Imperial Guards to escort the princess back to the palace?”

The emperor sighed in resignation. “Forget it. It’s fortunate we are here. Just keep a close eye on her.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

…

Down in the hall, Li Wuling was completely intimidated, forcing a smile. “Young Master Xia, how can you say such a thing? It’s just a book of strange stories; there’s nothing immoral about it. Hehe…”

“Still trying to argue?!”

Princess Yunxi’s face flushed red with anger. Despite being dressed as a man, her beauty was still undeniable, and her fury only added to her allure.

She glared at Li Wuling and shook her head in disdain. “How could you be so disgraceful even after growing up? Now, you’re willingly sinking so low, associating with such inferior people. It’s truly a disgrace to your family!”

Ye Chuan couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

What did I do to provoke her?

I’m just here to collect what’s rightfully mine. How did I get dragged into this?

Li Wuling, feeling deeply embarrassed, lowered his head in shame. He dared not speak, but as he looked down, Ye Chuan noticed the deep sorrow and defeat in his eyes.

“Princess Yunxi is right!”

A clear, confident voice suddenly cut through the tension.

A young man, who had been standing aside with an air of arrogance and superiority, now stepped forward. He was dressed in a white robe, holding a folding fan, and his appearance was refined and noble.

On the second floor, Li Xuanwu narrowed his eyes. “Ah, Liu Qingcheng, the eldest son of the Minister of Rites.”

Liu Qingcheng walked toward the center, slightly bowing to Princess Yunxi with a smile. “Young Master Xia, it’s been a while!”

His eyes, full of undisguised passion, never left her.

As a top noble’s son of the highest caliber, it was every man’s dream to become the prince consort and hold such a beauty in his arms.

Princess Yunxi was momentarily stunned but quickly composed herself, returning the greeting. “Brother Liu, it’s good to see you.”

Seeing Liu Qingcheng, Li Wuling’s face darkened. He clenched his jaw.

“Brother Wuling, it’s been a long time!” Liu Qingcheng mocked as he turned to Li Wuling with a condescending tone. “But what’s this? Why are you doing such disgraceful things?”

“You come from a well-known family, but here you are, acting in such a disgraceful manner. If your elders knew, they would be heartbroken.”

“No wonder Young Master Xia couldn’t help but reprimand you in public. Wuling, this… sigh…”

As Liu Qingcheng sighed, his words were laced with mock sympathy.

Ye Chuan rolled his eyes again.

Great, another pretentious “green tea” character.

It seems the “tea culture” in the Great Xia is thriving.

“Liu Qingcheng, I don’t need you to teach me what to do!” Li Wuling snapped, his fist clenched tight.

Liu Qingcheng simply smiled, shook his head slightly, and refused to engage further.

“Li Wuling, Brother Liu is only trying to offer good advice. You should be more considerate!” Princess Yunxi scolded again.

Li Wuling, trembling, lowered his head and muttered, “Princess Yunxi, are you siding with him?”

Princess Yunxi paused for a moment, then her expression softened slightly. After all, she and Li Wuling had been childhood friends, but her ties with Liu Qingcheng were merely superficial.

The atmosphere grew awkward.

Unable to stand it any longer, Ye Chuan gently nudged Li Wuling with his elbow. “Hey, what’s going on?”

Li Wuling shot him a resentful glare and whispered, “Isn’t it obvious? We’re rivals!”

Ye Chuan blinked. “Rivals for what?”

“For her, of course!” Li Wuling snapped.

Ye Chuan stared, bewildered. “Him?”

“Yes,” Li Wuling said bitterly.

“Ugh…” Ye Chuan took a deep breath. “Is this the wild culture of the Great Xia? Playing so dangerously?”

“She’s a woman,” Li Wuling added, realizing Ye Chuan had misunderstood.

“Oh…” Ye Chuan was enlightened, then suddenly smacked his forehead. “No wonder… She’s so pretty; it makes sense now.”

At that moment, Liu Qingcheng spoke again in a loud, commanding voice.

“Princess Yunxi, it’s not necessary to say more. Brother Wuling probably won’t listen to you anyway.”

He looked around with an air of superiority, as though ready to deliver his judgment.

“And you all, this group of misfits!”

“You’re here for the imperial exams! After all these years of studying the classics, how can you so easily be swayed by such filthy books? How can you still call yourselves scholars?”

The crowd fell silent, some lowering their heads in shame.

Even Princess Yunxi couldn’t help but nod in agreement. His argument seemed logical.

Meanwhile, on the second floor, Emperor Xiaowu and Li Xuanwu’s faces grew darker.

This poem was meant to set the tone for a pro-war stance, and the words themselves were not important. What mattered was the position they represented.

By publicly disparaging the poem and its author, Liu Qingcheng’s intention was clear.

He had crafted his argument well and had no flaws. His true motives were evident.

This was certainly not just his personal view.

“Just as I thought…” Li Xuanwu’s eyes turned cold. “Those spineless dogs are still scheming.”

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