My family has been wielding knives for generations, but now it's my turn to wield a pen!

puff……

Li Bingzhang had just picked up his teacup, preparing to take a sip.

But the moment I heard those words, I felt as if I had been struck by lightning.

He spat out a mouthful of tea on the spot.

"Cough! Cough cough cough..."

Li Bingzhang coughed violently, his entire face turning red.

The servants serving in the hall were terrified and rushed forward.

"Sir, are you alright?"

"Quick, quick, get a handkerchief!"

For a moment, the entire hall was in chaos.

Li Bingzhang himself, coughing, suddenly stood up from his chair.

Those eyes, which usually carried a sense of composure and depth, were wide open for the first time, their faces filled with disbelief.

"What...what did you say?"

"I……"

Li Zhiwei stood still, without flinching, her clear eyes still calmly looking at her father.

Then, he repeated, word by word, with utmost seriousness, "I wish to form a marriage alliance with Prince Jiang!"

"A marriage alliance?"

Li Bingzhang stood there, staring at Li Zhiwei in front of him, his face filled with disbelief, as if he had heard the most absurd joke.

He even wondered if he had been choked by the tea and misheard.

Jiang Xiaobai?

That纨绔世子 (a spoiled, dissolute young master) that everyone in the capital knows is good for nothing but eating, drinking, and having fun?

Moreover, this matter of buying an official position has not yet been exposed. If it were to become public, one can imagine what the consequences would be!

Now, my own daughter is saying she wants to marry that boy?

This is nothing short of jumping into a fire pit!

However, just as Li Bingzhang was about to lash out, his brows furrowed tightly again.

wrong!

As Li Zhiwei's father, he knew her personality all too well.

His daughter was well-educated and reasonable from a young age, and had a calm temperament. If there hadn't been a reason, she would never have been so abrupt, much less say such things without cause.

Thinking of this, Li Bingzhang swallowed back the reprimand that was already on the tip of his tongue, stared at Li Zhiwei, and asked in a deep voice, "What's the reason?"

"Did that kid threaten you?"

"no."

Li Zhiwei gently shook her head, looked at the maid waiting to the side, and said, "Bring the things here."

"Yes, Miss."

The maid responded and quickly handed over the prepared papers with both hands.

After taking it, Li Zhiwei didn't say much, but simply handed it to Li Bingzhang: "Father, take a look at this first."

Li Bingzhang frowned and took the paper.

He was initially dismissive, thinking it was just some trick Jiang Xiaobai had come up with.

But his expression changed slightly after just one glance.

Looking further down, those eyes, which had initially held anger, gradually brightened.

After watching the first song, he paused subconsciously, and then immediately looked at the next song.

By the time he finished reading it all, the anger on his face had completely disappeared, replaced by undisguised admiration and excitement.

"What a beautiful poem!"

"What a beautiful poem!"

Li Bingzhang exclaimed in admiration, and even the fingers gripping the paper unconsciously tightened their grip.

He had read countless poems and essays in his daily life, but few could make him lose his composure like this.

But these four songs in front of us have actually done it!

These four poems, in particular, are all titled "moral integrity" and were composed consecutively.

Every single line is a masterpiece.

Each song is unique and original.

Most importantly, the grandeur and breadth of vision revealed between the lines are not something that ordinary talented people can simply pile up by showing off their eloquence.

As Li Bingzhang looked up again, his gaze towards Li Zhiwei, filled with a hint of surprise, was now filled with admiration.

"These four poems...were all written by you?"

"no."

Li Zhiwei shook his head and said, "At tonight's poetry gathering, I used 'moral integrity' as the theme, and this person composed four poems on the spot."

"What did my father think of the person who could compose these four poems—their talent and character?"

"this……"

Upon hearing this, Li Bingzhang, holding the paper in his hand, gradually became serious.

After a moment of contemplation, he slowly spoke: "Judging from the poems alone, this person... is far beyond the reach of ordinary scholars."

"The first poem describes the bone structure, and the first stroke of the pen has a majestic spirit, without being sycophantic or opportunistic."

"The second poem expresses his aspirations, and his sharpness is restrained, but this is not weakness. On the contrary, it is as if he has hidden all his sharpness in his bones and muscles, waiting for the right time to unleash it."

"The third poem describes a person who stands tall in the wind, refusing to conform to popular trends, possessing both great talent and pride."

"As for the fourth poem..."

At this point, a glint flashed in Li Bingzhang's eyes, revealing a rare hint of admiration: "The fourth poem is the most remarkable."

"What I write is not just about integrity, but also about the vastness of my mind."

"The ability to blend ambition, morality, pride, and worldly affairs into a coherent whole without appearing chaotic, but rather flowing smoothly, is a skill that is beyond the reach of ordinary talented writers."

"If I had to give an evaluation, this person would fit in four words: highly talented yet concealing his brilliance, and... possessing an extraordinary presence!"

After speaking, Li Bingzhang couldn't help but nod slightly, clearly very satisfied with the four poems: "Who exactly wrote them?"

"Could it be that brat from the Zeng family?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Bingzhang shook his head: "No, Zeng Qingchi is indeed good, and his poetic talent is quite good, but if we're talking about four poems in a row, each with this kind of grandeur, he's still a bit lacking."

"Could it be that Zhou family brat?"

Li Bingzhang frowned and denied it again: "That's not right either. His writing is acceptable, and he is quick-witted, but in the end, he focuses too much on rhetoric and lacks substance."

"My dear daughter, who exactly is she?"

As they spoke, Li Bingzhang looked at Li Zhiwei's expression, which seemed somewhat eager.

"It's Prince Jiang," Li Zhiwei said softly.

Ok?

Li Bingzhang was taken aback at first, then burst out laughing: "Haha, that's impossible!"

"What kind of person is Jiang Jingcheng's son? Others may not know, but surely I do. What merit does a good-for-nothing playboy have to produce such poetry?"

"Absurd! Utterly absurd!"

At this point, Li Bingzhang seemed to have found the most reasonable explanation and immediately said, "Did that kid copy it from somewhere?"

But he stopped himself as soon as he said that.

The smile on his face gradually faded, because even he himself felt that this argument was untenable.

The topics for the poetry gatherings are determined on the spot; it's impossible to predict them so accurately beforehand.

Not to mention, it wasn't just one poem, but four in a row!

Most importantly, these four poems are all of superior quality in terms of meter, imagery, and atmosphere; they are by no means something that can be copied and pasted together.

Thinking of this, Li Bingzhang fell silent.

Then, his brows furrowed deeper and deeper.

If this poem was indeed written by Jiang Xiaobai... then things would be completely different from what he originally thought.

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Li Bingzhang looked down at the paper in his hand, his expression shifting. After a long while, he finally raised his head and looked at Li Zhiwei.

"Even if... even if this poem was truly written by that Jiang family brat, it shouldn't be enough to make you consider a marriage alliance, right?"

"Is there something else going on here?"

He understood his daughter's personality; she would never gamble her life's happiness so easily because of a few poems.

Just as he expected, Li Zhiwei nodded.

Before Li Bingcheng could ask any further questions, Li Zhiwei recounted in detail everything Jiang Xiaobai had said to her in the study.

Given the Jiang family's current situation, and what it would mean if the Li family formed a marriage alliance with the Jiang family at this time.

She spoke slowly and clearly.

Li Bingzhang, on the other hand, sat there listening without saying a word.

At first, Lee Byung-seong remained relatively calm. After all, in his view, he was just a young man trying to save himself by saying some survival-related things.

But gradually, his expression began to become serious.

Because he discovered that what Jiang Xiaobai said was not just nonsense.

In many places, it's beyond what an ordinary young master from a prominent family could even imagine.

What's involved isn't just the life and death of the Jiang family, but also the checks and balances in the imperial court and the choices people make.

As he listened further, Li Bingzhang's expression became completely serious, even somewhat incredulous!

When Li Zhiwei finished speaking his last sentence, the entire hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Li Bingzhang sat there, still clutching the piece of paper with four poems written on it, remaining silent for a long time.

After an unknown amount of time, Li Bingzhang slowly raised his head and looked at Li Zhiwei: "Did that boy say this? He... he's really willing to marry into our Prime Minister's family?"

"Yes."

Li Zhiwei said, "Moreover, I think what Prince Jiang said makes sense."

She paused slightly, then looked at Li Bingzhang and asked softly, "Father... what is your opinion?"