The Demon Prince

Xiao Xingyue picked up his wine glass, swirled it gently, and looked confident.

Gu Linyuan saw that he was still sitting, and his sneer in his heart deepened:

"Young Master Xiao, if you don't understand painting, just say so. No one will laugh at you at the poetry and painting festival."

Several other privileged young men nearby also laughed, all waiting to see Xiao Xingyue make a fool of himself.

Xiao Xingyue finished his drink in one gulp, stood up, walked to the painting, and paused for a few moments.

Autumn river, lone boat, reeds, lamplight, no one in the painting.

Shen Zhiming stood to the side of the painting, merely looking at it politely, her cool and aloof expression revealing little interest.

She wasn't that interested in whether the Prince of Zhenguo's son, who had recently caused chaos in Kyoto, was a talent in disguise or had been hiding his abilities for many years.

Xiao Xingyue raised his hand and pointed at the lone boat in the painting:

"As Scholar Xie just said, the beauty of this painting lies in its stillness, and that's true..."

Xie Yuheng sat at the table, raised his eyelids, and sneered, "What do you mean by 'not wrong'?"

He did nothing wrong, so why did he need Xiao Xingyue to comment?

Xiao Xingyue changed the subject: "But looking only at stillness is too superficial."

Xie Yuheng's expression darkened.

Gu Linyuan paused with his folding fan, then looked at Xiao Xingyue, a sudden unease creeping into his heart.

Xiao Xingyue didn't look at them; he stared at the light and softened his voice:

"The river is wide, the distant mountains are faint, and the lone boat is moored among the reeds, yet there is not a trace of drifting in the air."

The ship isn't unable to move, it just doesn't want to.

Shen Zhiming's gaze, which had initially shown no interest whatsoever, changed in an instant.

Xiao Xingyue then said:

"A single lamp on the bow of a boat cannot illuminate the entire river, but it can illuminate the three feet beneath one's feet. Miss Shen's painting is not about an autumn night mooring on a river, but about a person who refuses to be pushed along by others."

The garden was silent; the wind blew through the waterside pavilion, lifting the edges of the scroll.

The maidservant quickly stepped forward to restrain him. Shen Zhiming looked at Xiao Xingyue, the slight indifference in his eyes disappearing.

She didn't bring out this painting today simply to show off her skills.

The Shen family has been pressuring her to get married lately. Her father wants her to marry into a family of scholars, and her uncles want to use her reputation as a painter to gain some assistance.

Everyone says that the eldest daughter of the Shen family should be obedient, sensible, and pave the way for the family, but she doesn't want to be.

So she painted this lone boat, not drifting, not following the waves, but guarding its own lamp.

Only Xiao Xingyue understood his feelings.

Shen Zhiming stepped forward and bowed solemnly:

"Your Highness's comments are enlightening."

This caused an uproar in the park.

"Did you really guess right?"

"Miss Shen admitted it herself."

"Xiao Xingyue actually knows painting?"

"Wasn't that poem recited in court also just a fluke?"

Gu Linyuan's face was grim. He had thought he could embarrass Xiao Xingyue on the spot, but who knew that Shen Zhiming would personally accept Xiao Xingyue's comments.

This is more effective than a hundred words of praise from others!

Li Wangshu stared blankly at Xiao Xingyue, full of surprise. When Xiao Xingyue returned to the table, she couldn't help but say:

"You really know how?"

Xiao Xingyue picked up his wine glass, his face neither flushed nor his heart skipped a beat:

"I know a little."

Li Wangshu stared at him, not believing him at all, but her heart was inexplicably burning.

Consort Shu smiled even more deeply: "Your Highness, appearances can be deceiving. I've certainly seen something new today."

Xiao Xingyue cupped his hands in greeting:

"Your Majesty flatters me. I was just saying a few words."

Xie Yuheng's eyelids twitched as he listened. Xiao Xingyue had overshadowed him with just a few words. What was the point of his painstaking comments earlier?

Are they rushing to lay the groundwork?

Xiao Xingyue sat back down next to Shen Yan, picked up the wine pot and poured him a cup:

"You poured this wine well."

Shen Yan lowered his head: "Your Highness speaks even better."

Xiao Xingyue looked at him and had already made a judgment in his mind.

This second-place finisher is more impressive than the first-place finisher. His few words just now were concise, accurate, and to the point; they weren't something a bookworm could say.

On the contrary, Xie Yuheng was able to get close to the Hanlin Academy as soon as he entered the court, and was also taken to poetry gatherings by Cui Daoyuan.

How could a top scholar from a poor family have such a smooth path to success? Something's not right!

Could it be that he really got in through connections?

Xiao Xingyue took a sip of wine, not in a hurry to expose it. In this kind of situation, you have to wait for the other party to reveal their true colors.

Seeing that the first round was over, Consort Shu raised her hand to signal her maid to collect the paintings:

"Appreciating paintings is just the beginning. Your talents are at their peak, so let's add another element."

She looked at Xie Yuheng:

"You are the top scholar of this year's examination, so for the second round, you will be the one to set the question."

Xie Yuheng stood up, suppressing his anger, and bowed to Consort Shu:

"Your subject obeys."

Gu Linyuan leaned closer to him and whispered a few words; both of them spoke in very low voices.

After hearing this, Xie Yuheng's eyes gleamed, and he turned to look at the crowd:

"Since there was a lone boat in Miss Shen's painting just now, I will use the lone boat as the theme and present a couplet. Let's see if you can come up with a matching line."

He lightly touched his sleeve and spoke in a clear voice:

"A lone boat, carrying two or three poets, using four oars and five sails, passing through six rapids and seven bends, enduring eight bumps and nine jolts, alas, it arrived very late."

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd, who had been eager to try, fell silent.

This pair is not short, and what's even more difficult is that it incorporates all the numbers from one to ten.

One leaf, two or three, four or five, six or seven, eight or nine, ten, and they must be strung together to form a complete meaning.

A lone boat, a poet, oars and sails, a sandbar, a bumpy ride, arriving late—the sentences flow smoothly, the meaning is also smooth, but it's difficult to match them, extremely difficult.

"Scholar Xie is indeed a great talent."

"This is a difficult problem right from the start."

"The biggest problem with integrating digital data into the network is its abruptness."

"This couplet, however, flows very smoothly."

"It also subtly reflects the difficulty of sailing."

"Wonderful!"

A young official from the Hanlin Academy praised:

"What's even more wonderful is that the phrase 'arriving ten minutes late' not only describes the lone boat, but also the arduous journey of a scholar who has studied hard for years to pass the imperial examination. The fact that Scholar Xie can stand here today is a testament to his hard work and perseverance, which has finally made him the top scholar."

As soon as these words were spoken, many people immediately echoed them.

Xie Yuheng's confidence returned. He looked at Shen Yan, then at Xiao Xingyue:

"I wonder if Young Master Xiao and the second-place scholar Shen have any suitable couplets?"

Shen Yan frowned slightly. This couplet was indeed difficult. Xie Yuheng had clearly come prepared and did not just speak off the cuff.

Gu Linyuan sneered inwardly. Xiao Xingyue had gotten away with it earlier while he was admiring the painting, but this time, he wanted to see how Xiao Xingyue would respond.

Li Wangshu also understood the situation. Her palms were slightly sweaty, and she couldn't help but look at Xiao Xingyue.

Consort Shu sat in the main seat, her eyes calm. She did not stop them. That's how literary gatherings are. If you want to become a fourth-rank official, you have to be able to withstand these sharp edges first.

Xiao Xingyue held his wine glass, appearing calm and collected on the surface, but his mind was already racing.

Digital connection? A lone boat? A difficult path to success? This plot seems familiar.

His eyes lit up. He had an idea. The plagiarist was late, but he arrived.

Xiao Xingyue put down his wine glass and stood up gracefully:

"Scholar Xie's first line is quite good; I'll respond with my own."

Everyone looked at him at the same time, and Xie Yuheng's brow twitched.

So fast? That can't be right.

Xiao Xingyue spoke:

"After ten years of hard study, I entered ninety-eight academies, cast aside all worldly desires, and devoted myself to studying the Five Classics and Four Books. I have taken the exams three or four times, and today I am determined to pass."