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

The Zhen family of Jizhou.

They had businesses and ancestral homes in various parts of the Great Jin Dynasty.

At this moment, the sedan chair stopped outside the Zhen family's gate.

Chen Xuan and Zhen Mi slowly stepped into the mansion.

The steward of the manor immediately came to greet them.

"Your Highness, Madam, the Master and Mistress have been waiting in the hall for some time. Please..."

Chen Xuan then stepped into the abdomen.

Li Tong followed Chen Xuan and told him about the rules of the Zhen family.

"Your Highness, actually, the mistress favors the young master of the Zhang family in Nanjun. He is exceptionally talented and writes excellent articles, which greatly pleases the mistress. You should be prepared to be made difficult by her."

"Is that so?"

Chen Xuan's lips curled into a bitter smile.

These prestigious families valued knowledge and refinement most. They stood strong in the Central Plains for centuries, always through intermarriage among powerful clans.

Even though they were royalty with immense power, these aristocratic families still retained a subtle arrogance in their bones.

"Yes, but I believe that with the prince's literary talent, he will surely convince the mistress," Li Tong whispered from the side.

Soon, we arrived at the lobby.

Chen Xuan and Zhen Mi first served tea to Zhen Lie and the mistress.

But when Chen Xuan looked at the mistress Lu Yan, he was amazed by her youthful appearance.

You would never guess that she was Zhen Mi's biological mother.

Her fair skin was like white jade, so smooth it seemed you could squeeze water out of it.

She has a full figure with curves in all the right places and not an ounce of excess fat.

Her long, slender legs were crossed, giving her an air of a high and mighty queen.

However, when looking at Lu Yan's neckline, it was discovered that she had a black mole on her collarbone.

Chen Xuan frowned, as if he had thought of something.

Zhen Mi had already given herself to her while they were in the cave.

There was absolutely no way she was the one I shared a room with last night; in fact, her physical characteristics and the sensations were completely different.

Most importantly, last night he inadvertently caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a black mole on the collarbone of the woman he shared a room with, through the moonlight.

The position and size were just right for the one on Lu Yan's collarbone.

"Holy crap, was it her last night?"

Chen Xuan was deeply shocked by this thought.

However, it soon became clear that it was impossible.

The Zhen family is a prestigious family that has been prominent for over a century.

Zhen Mi was taught etiquette from a young age.

How could I possibly let Lu Yan replace me?

Wouldn't that be a disregard for human ethics?

Chen Xuan was never Lu Yan's preferred son-in-law.

At this moment, seeing Chen Xuan staring at her, Lu Yan's eyes clearly revealed a strong sense of disgust.

After finishing Chen Xuanjing's tea, she raised an eyebrow and looked at Chen Xuan: "I've long heard that the Prince of Qin's poetic talent was astounding at the selection of a son-in-law. Today, I'd like to test Your Highness; I wonder if Your Highness would be interested?"

"What exam does my mother-in-law want to take? I have no objection."

Chen Xuan readily agreed.

It seems that if I can't pass my mother-in-law's test today, it will be difficult for her to approve of me.

At this moment, a group of elders of the Zhen family of Jizhou stood in the hall.

These people are all very knowledgeable.

Clearly, they were on Lu Yan's side and did not support Zhen Mi marrying Chen Xuan.

"couplet."

Lu Yan looked at Chen Xuan and said:

"Several elders in the clan have recently come across a few pairs of perplexing couplets, which no one in the world can solve. I wonder if Your Highness would be interested?"

"I am willing to give it a try."

Chen Xuan knew that this assessment was very important.

The Zhen family of Jizhou was divided into two factions.

One faction, considering practicalities, supported Zhen Mi marrying into the Prince of Qin's household.

The other faction, however, considers cultural traditions, and is arrogant and condescending towards others.

Since Lu Yan said that no one in the world could solve these couplets.

If he can match it.

From then on, the Zhen family of Jizhou would support him unconditionally.

"Haha, Your Highness is indeed confident. Then I will test Your Highness. Please listen carefully to the first line of the couplet."

The speaker was Zhen Zihua, the head of the Zhen family elders.

Facing Zhen Zihua, Chen Xuan remained neither humble nor arrogant, and calmly nodded.

Zhen Zihua began to speak:

"First line: Climbing the perilous peak, one can gaze upon the vast wilderness, where clouds swallow distant mountains, waves crash against the boundless sea, wild geese fly across the autumn sky, and fishing lights illuminate the night. A thousand years of rise and fall are all captured in a single glance."

As soon as the first line of the couplet was uttered, all the elders present wore expressions of disdain.

These couplets are so difficult that even they, after years of research, simply cannot come up with a matching one.

They wanted to see what Chen Xuan would say when he couldn't answer their question, since he had been so confident just now.

"this one?"

Chen Xuan couldn't help but chuckle: "Such a simple couplet, yet no one can come up with a matching one. It seems that all the scholars in the world have truly run out of ideas."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Yan and the three elders all revealed a mocking look in their eyes.

Does he brag without even thinking?

They despise arrogant people the most.

Zhen Zihua sneered repeatedly:

"Since Your Highness says this couplet is simple, please provide the matching line so we can see its true meaning. Your Highness only has the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."

"Without even burning an incense stick, I've already come up with the second line."

Chen Xuan said calmly.

"Tch." Lu Yan thought to herself with disdain. Before Zhen Zihua could speak, Lu Yan said, "In that case, Your Highness, please recite it. Don't just write a few clichéd lines and disappoint us."

Chen Xuanlang recited: "The second line: Leaning on the high tower, I think of a hundred generations; ink writes of vicissitudes; the zither plays of the past and present; the sound of pine waves awakens dreams; the dew on bamboo gathers on my clothes; all kinds of honor and disgrace are entrusted to my heart."

As soon as he finished speaking...

Everyone gasped.

The three elders continued to review the second line of the couplet that Chen Xuan had given.

Both the artistic conception and the structure are perfectly matched, without a single flaw.

Seeing everyone's expressions freeze, Chen Xuan smiled and said, "I wonder if my answer satisfies Mother-in-law?"

Lu Yan comes from the Lu family of Jiangdong, which is definitely a prominent family.

Her literary lineage was once renowned throughout Jiangdong.

At this moment, she could definitely feel the weight and significance of Chen Xuan's second line.

Although she was surprised, her expression remained calm. She cleared her throat and said:

"Not bad. However, the next couplet is significantly more difficult. Your Highness, would you like to try again?"

"Of course."

Lu Yan appeared calm on the surface.

But inside, he was overjoyed, thinking to himself:

"I never expected the King of Qin to be so talented, able to easily match that couplet. His talent has already surpassed that of the young master Zhang from Nanjun."

Then, Lu Yan looked at Zhen Zihua and said, "Go out again."

Zhen Zihua hadn't yet recovered from his earlier astonishment. After a long while, he turned around and said:

"First line: Visiting the old ruins, the walls are covered with weeds, the broken steles are buried in the sand, and the kings and nobles of a hundred generations have all vanished with the flowing water in an instant."

"Just like last time, Your Highness will have the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."

As soon as she finished speaking, Lu Yan's heart was filled with anticipation.

"If he can match this couplet, I'll take him to have some fun with those noblewomen."

The Zhen family lacks outstanding young scholars and is often bullied by them. This time, they'll taste that bitterness too.

At this moment, it was clear that Lu Yan's gaze was fixed on Chen Xuan.

Seeing Chen Xuan hesitate, Lu Yan frowned, wondering if he couldn't keep up the story.

"Forget it, getting it right once is already pretty impressive. Was my expectation of him too high? He definitely won't be able to get it right this time!"