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

Ok?

Jiang Xiaobai noticed Du Chong's actions, and a look of doubt flashed across his face.

But soon, he noticed something.

A young man was seen walking slowly toward them.

The other person was dressed in a scholar's robe, with a jade crown on his head, a handsome face, and a calm expression.

"Greetings, Your Highness the Third Prince!"

Du Chong's voice rang out at that moment, and he was the first to bow.

The remaining people in Section A exchanged glances, then rose and bowed, saying, "We greet the Third Prince!"

Is he a prince?

Jiang Xiaobai looked surprised.

"hehe!"

The Third Prince smiled faintly and waved his hand, "No need for formalities."

"Third Prince, what brings you here? Could it be...?"

Du Chong spoke in surprise.

The Third Prince smiled and nodded, raising his left hand, where the character "甲" (jia) was clearly visible.

"The Third Prince truly lives up to his reputation as Chief Minister Meng's top student; I never expected him to also achieve an A-rank!"

Du Chong's face was full of praise, and after he finished speaking, the corners of his mouth suddenly turned up, and he glanced at Jiang Xiaobai.

"Ahem, Young Master Jiang, upon seeing His Highness the Third Prince, why don't you quickly come over and pay your respects?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the eyes of the people in Zone A also fell on Jiang Xiaobai.

salute?

Jiang Xiaobai put down his teacup in response to Du Chong's words and said with a smile, "This isn't the imperial palace."

"Moreover, the Third Prince is also wearing a Confucian robe, which means he is here as a student, and everyone is of equal status."

Jiang Xiaobai paused, then said with a smile, "In that case, why should I bother to go out of my way to pay my respects?"

Upon hearing this, Du Chong's smile froze slightly.

Clearly, Jiang Xiaobai hadn't expected such a response.

Moreover... it's really hard to refute what they said.

If the Third Prince were wearing his princely robes today, or entering the building in his royal capacity, then Jiang Xiaobai's failure to stand up would indeed be against the rules.

But the Third Prince was dressed in a scholar's robe, and the Orchid Pavilion was a place for literary gatherings.

In that case, Jiang Xiaobai's words actually make sense.

The Third Prince, who had been smiling, frowned slightly upon hearing Jiang Xiaobai's words. Looking at Jiang Xiaobai, he said in a less assertive tone, "Young Master Jiang, you certainly have quite the air of authority."

"Why!"

Jiang Xiaobai shook his head upon hearing this.

It seems... the Third Prince's character isn't all that great either.

Indeed, Du Chong's casual remark caused the Third Prince to turn his anger towards him.

People who are so easily manipulated by others are unlikely to achieve great things!

Last time at Qinglou, His Highness the Crown Prince came, and he still confronted him as he should.

Moreover, the person in front of him is only the third prince.

So Jiang Xiaobai didn't bother to reply, picked up his teacup again, and continued drinking his tea.

This scene immediately made the Third Prince's expression even more unpleasant.

But with so many people in the Lanting Tower at this moment, if he were to lose his temper over a single sentence, it would make him seem petty.

Finally, the Third Prince could only let out a heavy snort and sit down in the middle of the Jia section.

Upon seeing this, a hint of regret flashed in Du Chong's eyes.

He actually hoped that the Third Prince and Jiang Xiaobai would have a falling out.

But what a pity!

"Your Highness, you are indeed as steady as a rock!"

Standing behind Jiang Xiaobai, Zhang Xinnian couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

Given the situation just now, if Jiang Xiaobai had stood up to bow, he would have undoubtedly been at a disadvantage.

Unexpectedly, his young master resolved the situation easily with just words.

puff……

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xiaobai choked on his tea and glared at the guy.

This guy, does he even know how to compliment people?!

Tang Ningshuang watched from the side, smiled slightly, but quickly suppressed her smile again.

……

Meanwhile, on the other side...

Lin Qinrou and Li Zhiwei arrived on the fourth floor.

At this moment, there weren't many people on the fourth floor, but those sitting there were all quite important.

As soon as the two came up, they noticed a spot not far away.

There, Li Bingzhang, Lin Fengshuo, Fan Xinghe, and even Gu Zhiyan, whom Jiang Xiaobai was familiar with, were all present.

In addition, several elderly people were also seated.

The group was chatting and seemed to be in a relaxed atmosphere.

"Wei'er, Qinrou, come and sit down."

Li Bingzhang was the first to see the two, and a smile immediately appeared on his face.

The two nodded and led Qingyi over.

Upon entering, they began to pay their respects one by one.

Indeed, all of these people present hold high positions in the academic community, and as juniors, they naturally cannot be lacking in etiquette.

After exchanging greetings, the two took their seats.

"Has Little White arrived?"

Li Bingzhang looked at Li Zhiwei, who was sitting down, and asked.

"They're here."

Li Zhiwei nodded gently: "I'm already sitting down there."

"Yeah?"

Li Bingzhang was surprised; he had been so engrossed in chatting that he hadn't noticed anything amiss.

Upon hearing Li Zhiwei's words, he glanced down and saw Jiang Xiaobai leisurely sipping tea.

Beside him, Lin Fengshuo's gaze also fell on Jiang Xiaobai, a faint smile flashing in his eyes.

He did hope that Jiang Xiaobai could temporarily avoid the limelight today, since too many people were waiting to see Jiang Xiaobai make a fool of himself.

However, the fact that Jiang Xiaobai actually dared to come only made him admire that courage even more.

Yes, to gain a foothold in the academic world, talent alone is not enough; you also need courage!

Jiang Xiaobai has both!

"hehe."

At this moment, an old man opposite him stroked his beard, looked at Li Bingzhang, and smiled, "Prime Minister Li, as far as I know, the reopening of Lanting Tower this time is all for your future son-in-law!"

"So? Do you have confidence in your future son-in-law?"

The Qingshan Society's writer arrived in the capital, reopening the Orchid Pavilion, aiming for those two world-shaking articles.

Now, everyone is saying that those two articles were written by Jiang Xiaobai.

Therefore, the person being assessed today is naturally Jiang Xiaobai.

But after he finished speaking, the old man glanced at Lin Fengshuo and Lin Qinrou without making a sound.

Yes, there are rumors circulating that these two articles were actually written by Lin Qinrou, but Jiang Xiaobai forcibly claimed the credit.

So today's event involves more than just Jiang Xiaobai.

Fan Xinghe snorted coldly upon hearing this, hesitated for a moment, and ultimately remained silent.

At this moment, he wanted to ask Lin Fengshuo in person what exactly happened with those two articles.

However, out of consideration for Li Bingzhang, he ultimately did not speak.

"Confidence is certainly there..."

Li Bingzhang smiled and said, "In fact, I think my son-in-law should be able to give everyone a surprise!"

"A surprise? Hopefully, it won't turn into a shock in the end!"

Fan Xinghe still said something, which could be considered as expressing his dissatisfaction.

Li Bingzhang's smile remained unchanged upon hearing this.

Yes, he believes that Jiang Xiaobai will give everyone an answer today!

But this answer will be unexpected and surprising.

Of course... it will disappoint some people!

After all, there are quite a few important people here today.

Chief Minister Meng has arrived, Chen Zhanqiu has arrived, and even many members of the royal family have come, including princes and nobles...

You can imagine how lively it was today!