Xie Wenyun walked away with ease, but the servant who was instructed to relay the message was scared out of his wits!

After hearing that conversation just now, who couldn’t tell that the other party had probably figured out the scheme and seemed to want to settle the score with his young master?

Wasn’t the Chu Young Master just a frivolous fool? How did he suddenly become so clever?

He didn’t reveal too many flaws, did he? How did he get exposed?

“I’m sorry, Young Master. It’s all my fault!”

The servant knew he had messed up and returned to report with his tail between his legs.

“What? The Chu Young Master figured out our scheme?”

Qiao Yujing was also flustered and shocked upon hearing the servant’s report.

This shouldn’t be happening.

With the kind of foolish brain that could be manipulated by a courtesan, how could the Chu Young Master see through the scheme at a glance?

Besides, he had just arranged a chance encounter; he hadn’t done anything else.

“Wait, this note has a strong and powerful handwriting, grand and imposing, it could be considered a masterpiece of calligraphy. The Chu Young Master couldn’t possibly write such good characters…”

“What a pity, a misunderstanding, a waste of effort… A misunderstanding? A misunderstanding!”

Qiao Yujing muttered to himself while looking at the note, suddenly realizing something, his face flushed with shock.

They had mistaken the person!

The person in that room might not be the Chu Young Master after all.

Zhiqin and Zhishu, who were usually by his side and had read books with their master, also realized that the chance encounter they had planned today had likely targeted the wrong person.

Zhiqin scolded the servant angrily, “You idiot, you got the wrong person!”

“Got the wrong person? How could that be? I checked very clearly; that was indeed the Chu Young Master’s room! Besides, the Chu Young Master was wearing a blue robe today, and he has a face like a jade crown, standing eight feet tall. Everything matched perfectly…”

The servant was on the verge of tears.

He couldn’t see the noble’s face and didn’t know what the Chu Young Master looked like, so he could only confirm the target based on clothing and description.

Who would have thought that by coincidence, someone with a similar appearance would mistakenly enter the wrong room?

The servant complained, “Young Master, that gentleman was really wicked! I clearly called him the Chu Young Master, and he didn’t say otherwise, deliberately pretending to be someone else!”

So, he couldn’t be entirely blamed for mistaking the person.

Zhishu worriedly said, “Young Master, judging by the other party’s tone when they invited you to meet, they might know you.”

“Otherwise, Little Shitou didn’t mention your name at that time; how would the other party know who was behind this chance encounter?”

Zhiqin also looked worried, “If we don’t go, the consequences will be ours to bear. It seems we have no choice but to accept this invitation.”

“How strange, Young Master, you are usually kind to others. Besides the people from the Bo family, you haven’t offended anyone outside, and you don’t know any outside men. How come the other party seems so familiar with you, and they don’t look friendly…”

Zhishu sighed in confusion.

Upon hearing this, Qiao Yujing’s expression suddenly stiffened.

Because he actually knew an outside man, and his personal jade pendant was still in that person’s hands!

Thinking of this, Qiao Yujing immediately inked his brush and began to draw a portrait of Xie Wenyun, asking the servant, “Little Shitou, does the person you encountered look like this?”

His drawing skills were superb; even with just a few simple strokes, he captured the likeness very realistically.

The servant quickly recognized it and nodded, “That’s him!”

“How did it end up in his hands…”

After confirming his guess, Qiao Yujing suddenly felt like crying without tears.

Although he had only met Xie Wenyun once and didn’t know him well, from their initial encounter, it was clear that the other party was a very rational person who didn’t show mercy.

If he got caught by the other party, he would definitely be bled dry.

Why was he so unlucky!

Qiao Yujing hung his head, feeling completely deflated.

…

On the other side.

After sending the servant away, Xie Wenyun didn’t go to meet his scheduled private school classmates.

Instead, he ran to the deck where a crowd had gathered, chatting amiably with other unfamiliar students, eagerly sharing poems from “Three Hundred Tang Poems” and enjoying the appreciation together.

The poems in this collection were all timeless masterpieces, and once shared, they received enthusiastic admiration and praise from the surrounding students.

As a generous person sharing rare books, Xie Wenyun naturally stood out and gained the favor of many students, who expressed their desire to meet up for discussions another day.

After spreading the news about the poetry collection, he finally returned to his room.

At this time, the other classmates had also arrived, and they were somewhat displeased with Xie Wenyun’s late arrival.

One straightforward character couldn’t hold back and complained, “Xie Brother, today’s poetry meeting is so important; why did you come so late?”

Clearly, Qian Botu had probably been talking bad about him behind his back again.

Xie Wenyun noted this grudge and smiled as he clasped his hands.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, brothers. When I boarded the boat, I happened to overhear someone discussing the princess choosing a husband. Out of curiosity, I went over to listen for a bit, which made me a little late. Please don’t blame me; I’ll drink three cups as punishment.”

Saying this, he cheerfully picked up the wine jug on the table and downed three cups in one go.

The others were successfully drawn in by his words, and upon hearing about the princess choosing a husband, their eyes lit up, forgetting all about his tardiness and eagerly asking,

“It’s fine, it’s fine! We just arrived too! What’s this about the princess choosing a husband? Xie Brother, please tell us!”

In Chu Country, there was no rule that the prince consort couldn’t participate in politics, and the princess was simply the ultimate dream for many men who didn’t want to work hard!

Even Qian Botu, who disliked him, perked up his ears.

Xie Wenyun smiled in cooperation, “Actually, it’s nothing much. I just heard that the emperor’s most beloved Princess Mingzhu is of marriageable age and is dissatisfied with the young masters from noble families chosen by the emperor. She wants to personally select a handsome and talented man.”

“Coincidentally, our poetry meeting today is grand, with countless outstanding students gathered. Princess Mingzhu has booked a room to join in the fun, and everyone is planning to perform well…”

After hearing this, everyone was both excited and disheartened.

They wanted to perform well too, but their abilities simply didn’t allow it.

Someone even pounded their chest and stomped their feet, “Ah, it’s a pity that although I’m handsome, my talent is lacking!”

Everyone turned to look at the speaker: …

With that face of yours, you’d be lost in a crowd! And you’re still so confident!

Qian Botu touched the poetry manuscript in his arms, his heart racing and his eyes flickering.

Originally, he didn’t want to steal Xie Wenyun’s poems; he just wanted to slander him later. After all, the consequences of using someone else’s poetry were severe, and once exposed, his future would be ruined.

But if he could win over the princess, taking a risk wouldn’t be out of the question.

After all, the poetry manuscript was in his hands, and Xie Wenyun had no evidence. He knew that the poems prepared this time were simply timeless masterpieces, sure to attract the attention of the talented Princess Mingzhu!

In the face of such great benefits, Qian Botu couldn’t resist the temptation…

Xie Wenyun noticed the corners of his mouth curve slightly.

Except for a few, most people find it hard to resist temptation when faced with hundreds of times the benefit, including himself.

Knowing there are tigers in the mountains, yet still heading toward the tiger mountain is human nature.

After several provocations, Qian Botu was already dizzy.

So, when the poetry meeting officially began and the manager of Juyuan Restaurant announced the poetry topic, he unhesitatingly submitted the few poems he had obtained from Xie Wenyun.

The “Jiang Jin Jiu” by the poetry immortal Li Bai,
The “Poem of Breaking the Formation” by the poetry demon Xin Qiji,
The “Wang Yue” by the poetry sage Du Fu.

Each poem recited brought excitement and applause from the students and dignitaries present.

Such timeless works appearing all at once, and all attributed to the same person!

What a great talent!

“Good, born with talent must be useful, even if a fortune is spent, it will return!”

“Good, to settle the affairs of the world for the king, winning fame in life and after death!”

“Good, to stand atop the peak and overlook the mountains!” Hurry, hurry, invite this young friend who wrote these three poems up…”

Even a few literary scholars in the private room stood up joyfully.

The talented Princess Mingzhu was indeed attracted by the poetry and leaned her head out of the window to look.

Seeing this scene, Qian Botu was so excited that his face turned red, and his mind quickly filled with the happy picture of being appreciated by great scholars, winning the princess’s heart, and reaching the peak of life.

He completely ignored the strange expressions of a few classmates in the private room!

They couldn’t be blamed for their reactions; it was truly puzzling that Qian Botu, who usually performed mediocrely in his studies, could suddenly produce such stunning poetry. Anyone familiar with him would be suspicious.

And soon, their doubts were answered.

Just as Qian Botu was excitedly about to follow the servant to meet the great scholars,

In the crowd, a scholar stood up angrily and shouted, “Shameless scoundrel, you actually stole someone else’s poetry!”

Swish.

As soon as these words were spoken, the hall fell silent.

In this era that highly revered literature, stealing someone else’s work was not just about a bad reputation; it was a rhythm that could ruin one’s entire future. How could the crowd not be shocked and speechless?

Qian Botu didn’t expect someone to stand up and expose him so quickly, and it wasn’t even Xie Wenyun as he had anticipated.

Suddenly, he felt flustered and angry, forcing himself to act calm as he questioned angrily.

“This brother, I don’t know what deep grudge you have against me, that you would publicly slander me like this? These are my own poems; how could there be any talk of stealing?”

“Am I slandering you? The three poems you submitted for the competition just now, not just me, but these brothers beside me have all heard them before. They are clearly included in a rare collection; don’t think you can deceive the world just because the authors of those poems are unknown…”

The scholar was someone who despised cheating and trickery, and he was deeply offended by such behavior.

The people around him nodded in agreement.

“Li Brother is right; we have indeed heard those three poems before. We even agreed with Xie Brother to appreciate that unnamed poetry collection together another day.”

“Who is this Xie Brother you speak of?”

Qian Botu suddenly had a bad premonition, his breathing quickening.

Just then, a scholar pointed to Xie Wenyun in the back room, happily saying, “It’s that Xie Brother in the room behind you. Xie Brother, please take out the poetry collection and expose this shameless thief! How dare he steal such timeless works; he really doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look.

Qian Botu’s mind went blank, and his eyes nearly bulged out.

He finally realized he had been tricked.

On the boat with the noble ladies,

Qiao Yujing saw Xie Wenyun and heard the surname Xie, and his heart began to race.

Heaven help me.

This guy with the surname Xie, could he be the person he was thinking of?!