Everyone was momentarily stunned.

 

It was neat.

 

Damn, it was neatly done!

 

And it was even better than the couplet Liu Qingcheng had come up with.

 

Because the first part and the second part of Liu Qingcheng’s couplet didn’t really have a necessary connection.

 

But this second couplet clearly had a progressive relationship—it was one complete, coherent sentence.

 

It was indeed a good match!

 

But… somehow, there was something a little odd about it!

 

“Women are good, but young girls are even better…”

 

Seriously, when composing a couplet, can we not mix in personal preferences?

 

And come on, we’re all literate individuals here. Can’t we be a little more tactful?

 

The group of candidates were all at a loss for words.

 

They wanted to praise it.

 

After all, Li Wuling had really given a breath of fresh air to the crowd— it felt so satisfying!

 

But if they praised it… would it make them seem a little sleazy?

 

Princess Yunxi, standing nearby, was slightly stunned at first. Then, her face twisted with disdain, and she spat, “Vulgar!”

 

And her disgusted gaze was directed straight at Ye Chuan.

 

Li Wuling, her childhood friend, understood exactly who was behind this.

 

It was clearly Ye Chuan’s work!

 

Li Wuling was momentarily stunned, but when he realized the truth, he was about to burst out in excitement.

 

Damn, he’s awesome!

 

He’s the one who tricked our old man and the emperor into thinking he’s the “Little Poet Immortal.”

 

And what made him even happier was that Ye Chuan had used his own talent to make Li Wuling look good!

 

After Ye Chuan finished speaking, he looked at Liu Qingcheng with a broad smile.

 

“Well? What do you think?”

 

Liu Qingcheng was frozen for a while, then suddenly snapped back to reality, his face turning a little pale.

 

He hadn’t realized Ye Chuan was behind all this—he was simply shocked by the fact that Li Wuling had such talent.

 

“Hmph, crude and unrefined, dishonoring culture!”

 

Ye Chuan curled his lips in disdain. “Just say whether the couplet matched or not!”

 

Liu Qingcheng was momentarily speechless.

 

In the second-floor room, Emperor Xiao couldn’t help but chuckle, glancing at the old general Li Xuanwu sitting across from him.

 

“Old Li, your grandson is about to become famous in the entire capital!”

 

Li Xuanwu’s face darkened, and he gritted his teeth in frustration.

 

This damned Ye Chuan!

 

First, he had tricked me, and now he’s tricking my grandson!

 

Damn it, soon the entire capital will know that the Grandson of General Li from Pingbei has a famous quote: “Women are good, but young girls are even better!”

 

I can’t live this down!

 

Back in the grand hall, Liu Qingcheng forced himself to calm down, took a deep breath, and stopped looking at Ye Chuan. He immediately focused his attention on Li Wuling.

 

“Wuling, since that’s the case, how about you step up and match my couplet?”

 

Before Li Wuling could even respond, Liu Qingcheng raised his voice, “Lotus stems, lotus roots, lotus leaves, lotus moss!”

 

A sharp intake of breath filled the room.

 

So bold!

 

Each of the seven characters in that line was written with the grass radical!

 

Though Liu Qingcheng’s arrogance knew no bounds, it must be acknowledged—he had true skill.

 

Even Princess Yunxi couldn’t help but look a little surprised.

 

She didn’t believe for a second that Liu Qingcheng had made this up on the spot.

 

This kind of masterpiece had to have been carefully thought out in advance.

 

But there was no denying it, it was indeed impressive.

 

“Wuling, please, go ahead!”

 

Liu Qingcheng said arrogantly, bowing slightly as he mocked the situation.

 

Li Wuling, caught off guard, was stunned.

 

“Please?” he thought. “What the hell is this about?”

 

He froze in confusion, glancing desperately at Ye Chuan.

 

Ye Chuan remained calm, walking back to Li Wuling’s side and giving a sly smile.

 

“Master, I know you’re not fond of this arrogant person. You don’t have to deal with him. No need to speak directly to him. Just give me the answer, and I’ll say it for you.”

 

Li Wuling, though not well-educated, was quick-witted. As soon as he heard Ye Chuan, he immediately understood and puffed his chest out, adopting a confident posture. He waved his hand, signaling Ye Chuan to lean in.

 

Ye Chuan leaned over, and the two whispered to each other.

 

“Ah, I see now! Master is truly talented!”

 

Ye Chuan exaggerated his excitement, turning and loudly declaring, “My master says: Hibiscus, peony, their fragrance blooming!”

 

“Good!”

 

The group of candidates immediately burst into applause, shouting in admiration.

 

“Brilliant!”

 

“Absolutely perfect!”

 

“Hibiscus, peony, their fragrance blooming… It’s all written with the grass radical! Incredible, truly incredible!”

 

This time, there was no hesitation—everyone cheered loudly, showering praise upon the couplet, thrilled to see Liu Qingcheng’s previously arrogant expression freeze on his face.

 

Princess Yunxi, too, was shocked, her eyes wide open.

 

What a brilliant match!

 

His knowledge is truly impressive!

 

She stared at Ye Chuan, her eyes now filled with new appreciation.

 

Of course, she knew this wasn’t Li Wuling’s doing.

 

Upon hearing the applause, Li Wuling felt a sense of joy flooding his body. He basked in the glory, smiling and cupping his hands to the crowd.

 

“Thank you, thank you! My deep relationship with the Little Poet Immortal—it’s thanks to his guidance that I was able to come up with this!”

 

Ye Chuan rolled his eyes in silence.

 

He was still playing the part…

 

The crowd was now convinced, believing the story.

 

They believed Li Wuling was a disciple of the famous Little Poet Immortal.

 

Only Princess Yunxi scoffed inwardly, her gaze fixed on Ye Chuan.

 

What “Little Poet Immortal”? It’s clearly the big-headed fool beside me!

 

The princess was in a particularly bad mood.

 

She felt that Ye Chuan was an ungrateful person, and seeing him with such skill only made her more upset.

 

Meanwhile, Liu Qingcheng was utterly stunned by the brilliance of the couplets. Hearing Ye Chuan’s mocking words, his anger flared up, and he could no longer contain his rage.

 

Ye Chuan was right…

 

Though Liu Qingcheng had dabbled in couplets, his favorite style was拆字 (breaking characters apart) and 同首聯 (matching with the same phrase).

 

But these couplets had already been carefully considered long before this moment, and now they had been so thoroughly defeated by Li Wuling.

 

Angered, he gritted his teeth, glancing at Princess Yunxi.

 

“If that’s the case, then the match is a tie!”

 

“Let’s do this: Why don’t we have Young Master Xia come up with a couplet, and I will match it. Then, let him judge the winner!”

 

“Wuling, do you dare to compete?”

 

Liu Qingcheng’s sharp eyes locked onto Li Wuling.

 

This was it—he was going all in.

 

Li Wuling suppressed his smile, his expression turning serious.

 

Both he and Liu Qingcheng had a crush on Princess Yunxi, and this had become a competition between them.

 

On the surface, they were matching couplets, but the real contest was for her love.

 

The loser of this contest would lose any chance to woo the princess.

 

It was getting serious. Li Wuling felt a little uneasy as he glanced at Ye Chuan.

 

Ye Chuan maintained his usual calm.

 

It wasn’t because he was confident.

 

It was simply because…

 

“I don’t care!”

 

Even if Li Wuling lost, it was his problem—not mine.

 

But Li Wuling, thinking Ye Chuan was just bold because of his great skill, raised his head proudly.

 

“No problem! Please, Young Master Xia, give us a topic!”

 

Princess Yunxi furrowed her brows.

 

She was quick-witted and instantly realized the underlying meaning.

 

She was mildly annoyed.

 

She wasn’t interested in either of these men, and now, they were forcing her into this competition for her favor. It was ridiculous!

 

Irritated, she blurted out:

 

“The clear waters have no worries, only ripples from the wind!”