This son-in-law is wicked in a good way!

Yang Tai immediately turned his face away.

I won't look. Do you want me to fawn over His Majesty like you?

I am a man of integrity and cannot comply!

Zhang Xiaoru was more easygoing than the other two. He smiled, took the paper, and glanced at it casually.

Then, Zhang Xiaoru's eyes widened and his whole body trembled like a leaf.

"This...this...this poem...what a genius!"

Then, Zhang Xiaoru, who always valued his reputation the most, bowed deeply to the Empress.

"Your Majesty, I taught you your early education when you were four years old. May I have this poem as a gift?"

Fang Jixian flew into a rage: "You old scoundrel, what did you say? I kindly offered you a piece of poetry, and you tried to steal it from me! You're utterly shameless!"

Zhang Xiaoru immediately retorted: "Fang Jixian, you have already entered officialdom and are no longer worthy of this poem. You should give it to me so that I can bring fame to the academy."

"Nonsense! I'd rather not take an official position than give you this poem!"

"How dare you, Fang Jixian! How dare you utter such foul language before His Majesty! Your Majesty, please punish him for this grave offense of disrespect!"

Yang Tai was somewhat bewildered by what he saw.

What's going on?

Why are these two acting?

Judging from their expressions, they don't seem to be acting! Could it be that there really is something wrong with this poem...?

Yang Tai quietly stepped forward, snatched the paper from Zhang Xiaoru's hand, and quickly scanned it.

Instantly, Yang Tai's expression changed drastically. He finally understood why these two were willing to lose their composure in front of His Majesty just to snatch a poem.

"Hey, you two shameless scoundrels! You are utterly unworthy of this poem! Your Majesty, please give it to me!"

"Bah, you old dog Yang Tai, if you dare to steal it! I'll let you see how strong my fists are!"

"Hmph, my fists are just as hard!"

The Empress was speechless at the sight of the three about to fight.

It's said that scholars love fame, and today she's seen it for herself.

Even the three most esteemed scholars in the academy, who cherished their reputation the most, almost came to blows over a single poem.

The dozens of students nearby were so anxious that they were scratching their heads and itching to get started.

"What kind of poem could have caused these three teachers to lose their composure like this?"

"Teacher, please read the poem aloud so we can all see it!"

Some of the bolder students shouted loudly.

"That's right, please read the poem aloud, teacher, so that we may have a chance to appreciate it!"

Only then did the three great Confucian scholars calm down.

They glared at each other, snorted, and turned away.

Fang Jixian faced the students and smiled slightly: "Then listen carefully."

When Fang Jixian finished reading the last two sentences, the dozens of students reacted in a similar way to the three of them.

"Do not worry about having no friends on the road ahead, for who in the world does not know you?"

"What a wonderful poem! Truly a wonderful poem!"

"To receive these two words of praise will surely make one famous throughout the world!"

"No wonder the three teachers were fighting over it; if I were in their shoes, I'd want to grab it too!"

Suddenly, Yang Tai asked, "Your Majesty, is this poem famous?"

The Empress shook her head: "Not yet."

Yang Tai was immediately overjoyed: "How about we call it 'Yang Tai Sends Off His Old Friend Fang Jixian'?"

The Empress was stunned. Could someone really take advantage of her like that?

"It seems that it's not impossible," the Empress nodded.

Zhang Xiaoru was immediately filled with regret, pounding his chest and stamping his feet: "How could I not have thought of that! You old dog Yang Tai, you beat me to it again."

"Your Majesty, how about having Zhang Xiaoru and Yang Tai escort our old friend Fang Jixian?"

The Empress was utterly speechless. These scholars, when they got shameless, were simply invincible!

Finally, at the strong insistence of the two great Confucian scholars, the Empress had no choice but to give the poem a title.

Yang Tai and Zhang Xiaoru send off their old friend Fang Jixian.

Only then were the three great Confucian scholars truly satisfied.

Fang Jixian's previously somewhat melancholic mood vanished, replaced by a sense of relief and complete comfort.

Old Fang mounted his horse and turned to greet the Empress with a fist and palm salute.

"Your Majesty, I'm leaving!"

"Please convey my gratitude to the author of this poem, and tell him that Fang Jixian owes him a favor!"

"Rest assured, sir, I will certainly convey your message." The Empress nodded.

"Mo Yu, return to the palace!"

"Yes."

At this moment, Yang Tai and Zhang Xiaoru suddenly stepped in front of the Empress.

"Hehe, Your Majesty, please wait!" The two men chuckled awkwardly.

"Do you two gentlemen have something to say?" The Empress asked, puzzled.

Yang Tai said, "Your Majesty, Zhang Xiaoru would like to ask you from which great scholar you purchased this poem?"

Zhang Xiaoru laughed and scolded, "Yang Tai, you clearly want to know why you're using me as a shield!"

The Empress shook her head: "He is not a great Confucian scholar, but a young gentleman named Li Du, who looks to be about eighteen years old."

"What?!"

The two were both dumbfounded.

"To produce poetry of this caliber at the age of eighteen..."

"Heh, at my age, I've wasted my life."

The two of them wore self-deprecating expressions.

"Thank you for informing me, Your Majesty!"

"Gentlemen, there's no need for such formalities," the Empress said, before leading her entourage away from the academy.

During the journey, the Empress instructed Mo Yu: "How is the investigation going, having you send someone to investigate Young Master Li Du's identity?"

Mo Yu said, "Just as Your Majesty predicted, according to the information sent back by the Night Watch, Li Du is indeed an alias."

"His true identity is something His Majesty would never guess," Mo Yu said, keeping him in suspense.

The Empress glared at her slightly: "Xiaoyu, you've gone astray."

"Your Majesty, please forgive me! Li Du is actually Zhang Ping'an, the fourth son of Minister Zhang, and also the emperor's son-in-law whom you rejected."

"It was him!" The Empress was indeed surprised.

"He insulted a respectable woman and was sentenced to three years in prison. How could someone of his character write such amazing poetry?"

Mo Yu said, "Your Majesty, you have misunderstood him. I have already investigated and found out that Zhang Ping'an was imprisoned for taking the blame for his elder brother Zhang Qi."

"He is not the one who abused innocent women."

The Empress's face darkened: "So this is Zhang Xuanling! How dare he deceive the Emperor!"

Although the Empress was very angry, so much time had passed that she couldn't bring up the past again.

"How is Zhang Ping'an doing in the Zhang family? How could the son of a high-ranking official be reduced to making a living by selling poetry?"

Mo Yu was somewhat indignant: "Speaking of which, that Zhang Xuanling was simply inhuman!"

"For some reason, Zhang Xuanling and his wife never really liked this fourth young master. Zhang Ping'an had lived a life of hunger and cold since childhood."

"His three elder brothers also beat and scolded him constantly, and he lived a life worse than a servant in the Zhang family."

Even so, Zhang Ping'an still cared a lot about his family's feelings and longed for their approval.

"What's most hateful is that Zhang Ping'an had just been released from prison when Zhang Xuanling arranged for him to marry into the Left Prime Minister's household to bring good fortune."

"Your Majesty should know that the Left Chancellor's daughter is terminally ill and could pass away at any moment."

Upon hearing this, the Empress's face turned frosty.

"Issue my imperial decree: order Zhang Xuanling to kneel outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation and await my summons!"

"Yes."

Suzaku Avenue.

Having made a fortune, Zhang Ping'an went straight to Zuixianju, the most luxurious restaurant in the capital.

"Waiter, bring me all of your restaurant's signature dishes!"

Zhang Ping'an found a window seat on the second floor and sat down, ready to act arrogantly.

No matter where or what era, money is always a man's source of confidence.

"Oh, who do we have here? Isn't this my dear younger brother?"

At the table next to him, a young man dressed in brocade robes with a face as large as a plate sneered mockingly.

"Since when has Zuixianju dared to let trash like this into the house?"