The Emperor of Xianwu’s gaze grew sharper, his entire demeanor turning cold and commanding.

“Your Majesty, would you like me to step in and disperse the crowd?” Lin Zhao suggested seriously.

“No need, for now.” The Emperor waved his hand and gestured toward the crowd below. “Isn’t that young poet Ye Chuan here? Let’s see how he reacts.”

Ye Chuan’s reaction was simply no reaction at all.

All he thought was a straightforward: Not my business.

Whether it was Li Wuling and Liu Qingcheng squabbling over jealousy, or whether his poem was good or not, none of it mattered to him. He was only here for the spectacle, as long as it didn’t affect him.

But within the group of candidates, there was always someone who couldn’t keep quiet. One of them, feeling disgruntled, spoke up. “This gentleman, your words are a bit much!”

“Poetry is an important subject in this examination, there’s no need to treat it with such favoritism.”

“If you really have the ability, why don’t you write a piece that can compete with this young poet’s work? Better than just boasting here!”

The other candidates immediately joined in, chanting in agreement. “Yes, if you’re so good, write one then!”

Seeing himself becoming the target of the crowd, Liu Qingcheng wasn’t flustered at all. Instead, he proudly laughed out loud. “Ha ha ha… calling you all a ragtag bunch is an understatement!”

“Alright, since I’m here today, I’m not afraid of wasting a little time. Let me show you just what kind of people you all are. It’s better to go home early and save your travel expenses, so you won’t embarrass yourselves in the exam and disgrace your ancestors!”

Such arrogance!

And it was a bit cruel too.

The students in the crowd were immediately stirred up.

Princess Yunxi furrowed her brows slightly, clearly displeased.

Ye Chuan couldn’t help but laugh out loud. The situation became even more amusing, so he nudged Li Wuling beside him.

“With this much arrogance, can you stand it?”

Li Wuling rolled his eyes and grumbled. “This dog really has some skill. He wrote poetry at seven and mastered prose at nine. Even the teachers at the Imperial Academy called him a ‘genius.'”

Then, with a displeased glance at Ye Chuan, he muttered, “You think I can stand it? If I had half your guts, I’d go up and give him a slap right now!”

Ye Chuan narrowed his eyes.

It was confirmed—this guy definitely knew his identity.

Liu Qingcheng didn’t care about the anger of the other candidates, and calmly spoke again. “How about this, I’ll challenge you all to a poetry duel. But you are not worthy to compete with me yet.”

“I’ll improvise a line. Anyone here can come up with a response. There’s no time limit. How about that?”

The crowd became even more riled up.

“Bring it on!”

“We are all well-read scholars, we’ll match you line for line. Who’s afraid of you?”

Everyone began to roll up their sleeves.

Liu Qingcheng cleared his throat and spoke slowly, each word deliberate. “Listen well, the first line is: The old tree withers, this tree becomes firewood. Now, go ahead!”

He stood proudly with an air of confidence, lightly waving his folding fan.

The crowd paused for a moment, and then began discussing among themselves. The noise grew louder.

In just a short time, many began to show signs of anxiety, sweat beading on their foreheads.

This first line wasn’t simple.

Princess Yunxi looked thoughtful.

The word “old” and the word “tree” fit perfectly with the word “wither.”

“Tree” and “wood” combined form “firewood.”

This was a typical example of a wordplay couplet. On the surface, it seemed very simple, but it was actually extremely difficult to match.

As time passed, more and more candidates wore distressed expressions, their mouths sealed in silence.

On the second floor, Emperor Xianwu and General Li Xuanwu also wore unhappy expressions.

For the crowd below, this seemed like a temporary clash of pride, but the two old men saw the situation more clearly.

The Emperor had used a nameless poet as a gimmick to bolster the pro-war faction’s resolve, effectively rallying public opinion. The peace faction, unable to openly oppose him, could only attempt to sway the masses with public sentiment.

If this poet’s talent and aura were suppressed, if he were to dominate in front of everyone, it would have a far greater impact if it were spread.

Liu Qingcheng appeared arrogant, but he was actually following orders, and behind him was a whole strategy.

“Damn it!”

“Ye Chuan, that bastard, is just standing there watching and not speaking up!”

Li Xuanwu slammed the table in frustration.

Though he was a rough general, he wasn’t illiterate. He had a general idea of what was going on.

This couplet Liu Qingcheng had presented—those mediocre scholars down there would be lucky if they could come up with a response. But Ye Chuan? There was no doubt he could come up with something!

But unfortunately, this little brat stood there with his arms crossed, just enjoying the show, and even smiling!

Emperor Xianwu remained silent, far calmer than Li Xuanwu.

“It’s been more than a cup of tea.”

Liu Qingcheng swept his gaze over the crowd, scanning each of them, including Li Wuling and Ye Chuan.

“Well?”

“All of you are nothing but wine bags and rice sacks. Just a moment ago, you were all barking loudly, boasting shamelessly.”

“Now, what? Are you all going to shrink back like turtles? Ha ha ha ha…”

His laugh was mocking, like a slap to all the candidates’ faces.

Everyone’s face turned red with embarrassment, but they were at a loss for words.

Li Wuling clenched his fists, gnashing his teeth, unable to take it any longer. He leaned toward Ye Chuan and whispered in his ear.

“Brother, please help me. Name your price!”

Ye Chuan was slightly surprised.

It wasn’t strange that Li Wuling knew his identity and wanted his help.

What was strange was the reason behind it.

“Are you trying to win over a woman or show off?” Ye Chuan asked in return.

Li Wuling shook his head, his expression unusually serious. “That poem was written for my grandfather!”

“It speaks of the backbone of our great Xia!”

“I can accept being inferior in talent, but to crush our country’s fighting spirit—this, I cannot tolerate!”

Ye Chuan squinted his eyes, slightly taken aback.

So this kid was General Li Xuanwu’s grandson!

It was rare to see such ambition in a young man.

After a moment of silence, Ye Chuan sighed inwardly. He was just too soft-hearted.

Then, without bothering to explain further, he suddenly shouted loudly, “Young Master, did you say something?! I see now… it’s so simple!”

Li Wuling froze, his expression blank. “When did I become your Young Master? What did I say?”

Ye Chuan paid him no mind and continued loudly, his voice full of enthusiasm. “Everyone, listen up! My Young Master has just figured it out!”

All eyes turned to him.

Princess Yunxi was momentarily stunned.

When did this unscrupulous person become Li Wuling’s servant?

And… could Li Wuling really come up with a matching line?!

It was as unbelievable as pigs flying!

Liu Qingcheng, too, was stunned for a moment. He then sneered in disdain. “Blabbering nonsense, you little clown!”

Ye Chuan wasn’t bothered by his sneer. He provoked him with a smile, “Don’t believe me? What’s the bet?”

Liu Qingcheng snorted coldly, but didn’t take the bait. “If Li Wuling really comes up with the line, then stop acting all mysterious and just say it!”

Ye Chuan chuckled and cleared his throat. “Listen carefully!”

“The old tree withers, this tree becomes firewood. My Young Master’s line is…”

“Women are great, but young women are even better!”

In that instant, the entire room fell silent.

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