Records of Mysterious Things in the Southern Dynasties

Chapter 43: Six Steps to a Poem
Qianlong Wenqushu is said to be a magical persuasion technique passed down by Guiguzi. Even if a person without magical powers uses it, he can still trick out the secrets he wants.

If it is supplemented with matching spiritual magic, it is enough to break the defense of anyone who keeps his mouth shut. It is with this skill that County Lieutenant Xie succeeds in interrogating prisoners.

Seeing Ren Yuan's eyes become dull, he asked again: "Now tell me who you are."

"My name is Xie Cheng, originally Xie Zhi, the eldest son of Xie Deng. Because my family robbed graves and damaged the heavens, I got a cadaveric disease, which caused my bones to wither and my flesh to sink. My chest is full of air and I have trouble breathing..." But he just let Yuan continue to ramble on:
"I saw many doctors but none of them could cure me. Even my grandmother's magic could only keep me alive, so my family found a child with the same horoscope as me. Two months ago, my grandmother used the shape-shifting parasitic technique to transfer my soul into the body of that child..."

"Is your last name really Xie?!" County Lieutenant Xie looked at Ren Yuan intently and was stunned for a moment. Normally, it was impossible for him to lie after being hit by his Qianlong Wenqu technique. Could it be that there was something wrong with his judgment?
"Yes." Ren Yuan answered without hesitation.

"Then tell me, how many times have we met?" County Lieutenant Xie asked.

"Twice, this is the second time." Ren Yuan replied, "The last time was last year, when Uncle Sixteen took office, he came to the village to pay a visit to Grandma. After that, my father and grandfather went to the county town to pay a visit to Uncle Sixteen, and they never took me with them."

"Oh..." County Magistrate Xie did not comment and asked some questions about the family history of Chenjun Xie. Ren Yuan was still able to answer fluently.

At this time, County Lieutenant Xie was already confused. If this was a fake, how could he know so much about it?
"It seems that I misunderstood you." He sighed and asked, "Then how did your family members die?!"

"After changing my form, grandma went crazy and turned into a giant locust. She pinned my father to the ground and sucked his blood. Grandpa wanted to save him, but the monster chopped off his head with one claw."

Ren Yuan said with tears streaming down his face, "Originally the monster wanted to kill me too, but I cried and kowtowed and called it grandma, so it let me go. It then killed a few people in the village before it flew away."

"Why didn't you inform me when such a big thing happened?" asked County Lieutenant Xie with a frown.

"My nephew has been sickly since he was young. My family never told me anything and didn't let me get involved." Ren Yuan cried and replied, "Now my whole family has died. I am devastated. I was so sad that I even had to rely on others to help me with the funeral. I forgot to inform my uncle of the death. I really deserve to die."

As he said this, he covered his face and burst into tears. He looked so grief-stricken that it didn't seem like he was acting at all.

"I don't think you're indifferent." County Lieutenant Xie sneered, "It's only been a few months since I last came, but the Fairyland has changed so much. Isn't it all thanks to you, Second Young Master Xie?"

"This is all done with the joint efforts of everyone. How can it all be attributed to me?" Ren Yuan quickly said modestly: "I am just the leader."

"You're still taking the lead? They're making fun of you!" County Lieutenant Xie suddenly shouted sarcastically, "Just because others praise you, do you really think you're that capable? I'm telling you, they're after my Xie family's money! It's my Xie family's money that's really at work, not you, a stupid loser!"

"Uncle Sixteen is teaching me that my nephew is really incompetent except for spending money." Ren Yuan sighed and said helplessly, "But what can I do? The whole village knows that grandma is a monster, and they also know that the locust plague was caused by her. How can they not hate my Xie family to the core?"

"If my nephew doesn't pay out the money and shut up the whole village, not only will Xiejiazhuang be drowned in spit, but even the reputation of our family in the capital will be damaged." He patted his chest heavily and said, "And my nephew used the money from his private treasury, not a penny from the public treasury!"

What you mean is that I'm spending my own family's money and it's none of your business?

Xie County Lieutenant's pupils shrank, obviously his thoughts were exposed. In fact, the moment he heard that the Xie family had died out and only the second young master was left, he had the idea of robbing the entire family.

When he was in Beijing, he didn't know that this kind of farm in the countryside was extremely wealthy, and the owner was like a local tyrant. Although the Xie family seemed to be evergreen, it was actually no longer as powerful as it used to be. Moreover, after generations of reproduction, the population was too large. Although a Xie family member like him, who was born out of a branch of the family, was still quite glorious when he was an official, he would inevitably live a hard life when he retired and returned to Beijing. How could it be more realistic to be the owner of the farm for generations?

However, each of these estates has its own job, and the owners have powerful backers, so it is useless for him to be envious.

Now that the opportunity has suddenly appeared, it would be strange if he wasn't jealous.

~~
Fortunately, Lieutenant Xie was well versed in the art of playing thick and black, and immediately calmed down and said with a dry cough, "It's not a big deal that you didn't touch the public treasury's money, but you can't squander the wealth accumulated by your grandfather's generation like this."

"Nephew, I will learn from you." Ren Yuan bowed and said, "My father always taught me that the family motto of our Xie family is 'to protect the people as if they were babies'. Since I took over the family, I have always taken this as my purpose. Is this wrong?"

"That's true..." County Magistrate Xie was stunned for a while, and finally said, "But words are for speaking, not for doing."

Then he sighed and said, "Alas, you nerd, I will have to teach you more in the future."

"Yes, my nephew knows nothing and relies entirely on Uncle Sixteen's teaching." Seeing that the atmosphere had eased, Ren Yuan hurriedly said to please him.

"Ah, my dear nephew, you are too modest. I have heard in the county that the eldest son of Xiejiazhuang is a man of extraordinary literary talent." But then County Lieutenant Xie suddenly laughed and said, "Why don't you take advantage of this situation and write a poem?"

"This..." Ren Yuan realized that this old fox did not trust him at all. He was just paralyzing him. The real killer move was waiting here.

The reason is simple. In this era, knowledge is highly monopolized by the gentry, and reciting poems and composing couplets are the exclusive privileges of the children of the aristocratic families. At least a poor boy would never be able to do that.

"My nephew doesn't have the talent of Cao Zhijian to compose a poem in seven steps." Ren Yuan said with a wry smile.

"It doesn't matter. If you can't do it well, you can still do it badly. If you can write one, you will pass." However, County Lieutenant Xie looked at him steadily and insisted, "If you can't do it, you are not my nephew, and I will be furious!"

"Well, all right. Then I will have to show off my ugliness." Ren Yuan looked like he was forcing someone to do something he was not prepared for. He paced back and forth in the hall with his hands behind his back, one step, two steps, three steps, four steps...

Upon seeing this, County Magistrate Xie and his son looked at each other. Master Xie secretly gave his father a thumbs up, thinking that age always brings wisdom.

At this time, Ren Yuan walked to the fifth step, listened to the cicadas outside the window for a while, then turned around and recited with emotion:

"The cicadas in the west are singing, and the southern guest is thinking of invading. How can I bear the shadow of the black hair, and the white hair is angry at me.

It is difficult to fly when the dew is heavy, and it is easy to sink when the wind is strong. No one believes in nobleness, so who can express my heart?

A poem can be written in six steps.

ps. This chapter is also updated by the leader, thanks to Sisi~~ Please be sure to read it every day~~~~
(End of this chapter)