You were asked to impersonate the King of Qin, not to become emperor!

Inside the lobby.

The gentry and literati were racking their brains to come up with poems on the theme of the moon.

Using the moon as a theme is a tired and common subject for writers.

Perhaps for this reason, this kind of subject matter is the most difficult to write about.

To stand out among countless poems about the moon, the verses must be unique, and the requirements are extremely stringent.

"Deng Mei, grind the ink."

Chen Xuan spoke up.

Just as Deng Mei was about to grind the ink, Wang Long quickly said, "Your Highness, I will grind the ink for you myself."

Wang Long comes from a top-tier aristocratic family and has an extreme passion for poetry.

At this moment, everyone is eagerly anticipating Chen Xuan's next poem.

Unexpectedly, Chen Xuan picked up the pen and, without hesitation, began to write on the paper in a flowing, elegant style.

Before anyone else had even started writing, Chen Xuan was the first to do so, immediately drawing everyone's attention.

"Who is this person who started writing so hastily?"

"Wearing a red robe with a four-clawed golden dragon, he's probably a direct descendant of the princes..."

"However, among the princes of the Great Jin Dynasty, only the Seventh Prince stands out. Although the Prince of Qin is also proficient in poetry, he does not possess the same level of talent as the Seventh Prince!"

"Good heavens, the Seventh Prince hasn't even started writing yet, and this person has already begun? But I doubt he'll be able to produce anything of note."

As the crowd discussed, Zhen Mi also looked at Chen Xuan, frowning as she said:

"If I'm not mistaken, this person should be the King of Qin, right?"

The old servant beside him scrutinized Chen Xuan's attire and said, "Since the Crown Prince was deposed, among all the princes, only the Prince of Qin dares to dress like this. Previously, the Prince of Qin had been overseeing the country and managing state affairs, and his poetry and prose were quite remarkable. Now, he has been ordered by Emperor Jin to expand the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry to ten thousand men. With such power, he certainly has the right to dress like this."

"Oh?" Zhen Mi's eyes flickered slightly as she looked at Chen Xuan, who was calmly writing, and said, "The Prince of Qin is quite capable, but if he composes a poem without thinking, it will be as difficult as climbing to the sky if he wants to enter the top three. Besides, there are also me and the Seventh Prince here."

"Just as Miss said, I have never heard of the King of Qin's poetry reaching the level of the Seventh Prince." The old servant shook his head helplessly.

Chen Zhi noticed Chen Xuan writing poetry and frowned, sneering, "Looks like he's all talk and no action. His moon-themed poems rely on novelty, but he writes without thinking. What good poems can he possibly produce? Heh..."

"Finished writing."

Suddenly, Chen Xuan handed the completed poem to Zhao Yinyin.

Zhao Yinyin bowed to Chen Xuan, but she did not have high expectations for Chen Xuan's poems.

She glanced at the poem and was instantly astonished. The verses were exquisite, every line a classic, causing her to frown and read it carefully.

After a long while, Zhao Yinyin looked at Chen Xuan and said, "Your Majesty's poems have truly broadened my horizons. I admire them greatly. Please, Your Majesty, compose one more poem. I will then select the best ones after everyone has submitted their poems."

"Um."

Chen Xuan nodded and sat back down in his original seat.

Although she said that, the poem actually gave Zhao Yinyin a fright.

This work can be called a masterpiece of all time, and that would not be an exaggeration at all.

Although she didn't say it aloud, Zhao Yinyin was already convinced that no one could surpass Chen Xuan's poem.

"I'm really looking forward to seeing what kind of expressions everyone will have after I finish reciting King Qin's poem. This poem is bound to cause a stir in the literary world. I never imagined that King Qin's poetry and prose would be so amazing."

Zhao Yinyin was deeply shocked.

Upon seeing the person's identity, he was immediately terrified when he learned that the other party was none other than the famous King of Qin.

However, they did not have much confidence in the poem that Zhao Yinyin had just praised the King of Qin for.

After all, the King of Qin was of noble status, while Zhao Yinyin's status was vastly different from his. It was more likely just flattery than any real masterpiece that the King of Qin could write.

"Hmph, that's just flattery you get because of your status. Compared to my true talent and learning, it's far inferior. In a moment, I'll use my unparalleled poem about the moon to expose your falsehood. Putting aside your background, you, Chen Xuan, are nothing but a lump of mud in front of me," Chen Zhi thought coldly.

After a long while, everyone handed in their poems.

Zhao Yinyin sat at her desk, carefully reading through the documents. She kept shaking her head, quickly placing one poem after another on the unacceptable side.

Upon seeing this, the gentry and literati below were greatly disappointed.

Their carefully crafted poems weren't even qualified to be read aloud by the goddess in public.

Soon, Zhao Yinyin read Chen Zhi's work and nodded in satisfaction.

Upon seeing this, Chen Zhi's lips instantly curved into a smile: "It's no surprise that my poetry moved Zhao Yinyin. Half a month later, I will use my poetry to move Zhen Mi and make her shed tears for me."

"The top three have been selected: the Seventh Prince, the scholar Lu Shuang, and the Prince of Qin..." Zhao Yinyin announced.

Lu Shuang is Zhen Mi's alias.

It's not surprising that Zhen Mi's talent moved Zhao Yinyin.

Given Chen Zhi's pride, he naturally wouldn't take an unknown scholar seriously.

However, upon hearing that Chen Xuan had also made it into the top three, he was immediately enraged, but he pretended to be gentle and refined, saying, "Miss Zhao, I am very curious about the other two poems. I would like to ask Miss Zhao to read them aloud as soon as possible so that I can appreciate them."

Zhao Yinyin quickly bowed: "Seventh Prince, please wait a moment. I will read it aloud."

"The first poem is by the Seventh Prince: A clear moon hangs in the azure sky, light frost falls gently before the steps. How many longings in the human world are entrusted to the full moon tonight."

As soon as he finished speaking, it was like heavenly music, immersing everyone in the audience in the beauty of the poem.

"As expected of the Seventh Prince, this poem, with its novel style, depicts the full moon in the azure sky. Such skill truly commands our respect!"

"This is the finest poem about the moon that I have ever seen in my life. Within the Great Jin Dynasty, I am afraid that only the Seventh Prince has such talent."

Even Zhen Mi at this moment greatly admired Chen Zhi's poems. Such poetry was comparable to her own.

She already held Chen Zhi in high regard, and the poems written by the man she admired did not disappoint her.

This convinced her that in the family's selection of a son-in-law in half a month, Chen Zhi would likely be the only one capable of passing.

"Hmph, if I weren't in such a bad state today, I could definitely have written a better poem. This poem is just an ordinary work by this prince, yet it has attracted so many people. Just this kind of poem is enough to make Chen Xuan look on in the dust," Chen Zhi muttered to himself.

At this moment, Wang Long, sitting next to Chen Xuan, looked somewhat uneasy. The Seventh Prince's poems had far exceeded his expectations; they were truly the best of the best.

However, he dared not ask any more questions at that moment.

Looking at Chen Xuan's expression, and seeing that he remained calm after hearing the poem, she couldn't help but wonder, "Why is Your Highness so calm? Could it be that Your Highness is truly confident in overshadowing the Seventh Prince?"

Then, Zhao Yinyin said, "Next up is the poem by the scholar Lu Shuang..."