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

"Um?"

Upon hearing the report from his servant, Li Bingzhang frowned immediately.

The "Brother Mou" he mentioned was named Mou Yuanshan, the son of his former teacher, who was about the same age as him.

The two had been in contact since they were young.

However, in recent years, Mu Yuanshan has disliked officialdom and has spent most of his time traveling and studying abroad.

And now that you've finally returned, why didn't you go to the Prime Minister's residence first? Why... did you go to the brothel instead?!

"Let's go take a look."

Li Bingzhang, filled with doubt, slowly stood up and walked outside.

Upon hearing this, Li Zhiwei naturally followed.

Soon, the father and daughter entered the Qinglou building through the back gate of the Prime Minister's residence.

The Qinglou building was much quieter than before.

The vegetable leaves and eggshells on the ground had already been cleaned up.

However, a large number of students were still gathered outside the main gate.

When the two came outside, Li Zhiwei immediately saw a middle-aged man in a gray-white long robe standing in front of the door.

The man had a long beard, gentle features, and was holding a folding fan in his hand, which he was gently waving.

He had a rather refined and elegant demeanor.

At that moment, the man was stroking his beard, looking towards the door and wall.

Li Zhiwei looked towards the gate and saw two students pasting a newly written piece of paper onto it.

The paper contained a simple note: "Today, I composed two couplets at Qinglou. I have managed to come up with a matching line. Tomorrow, I would like to invite scholars from the capital to gather at Qinglou to appreciate them together."

It has few words, but the meaning is very clear.

Upon hearing this, Li Zhiwei's expression froze slightly.

Something is wrong!

Yes, Jiang Xiaobai had just released the answer as bait.

His father’s friend then posted a notice inviting scholars from the capital to come and appreciate it together the next day.

Li Bingzhang watched from the side, his gaze darkening, but he didn't show it on his face. Instead, he walked towards the middle-aged man.

"Hehe, Brother Mou, it's been a long time. How have you been?"

As Li Bingzhang finished speaking, the middle-aged man turned around.

Upon seeing Li Bingzhang, Mu Yuanshan showed a visibly surprised expression before breaking into a smile.

"Hey, Brother Li!"

As he spoke, Mu Yuanshan seemed to remember something and quickly bowed, saying, "Oh, no, now I should address you as Minister Li!"

"Brother Mou, there's no need to be so polite with me."

Li Bingzhang smiled, took a few steps forward, but his gaze swept over the notice on the wall: "Brother Mou, what is this...?"

"Oh, I came here to see you."

Mu Yuanshan smiled and said, "I just arrived near the Prime Minister's residence when I heard that Qinglou had produced two rather unique couplets today."

"Out of curiosity, I came to take a look, and coincidentally... hehe, I came up with the next line."

At this point, Mu Yuanshan looked at the sticker on the door and said, "So, I thought I'd come back tomorrow to discuss this with the students of Beijing Middle School."

"I see."

Li Bingzhang nodded, his smile unwavering: "But, Brother Mou, did you really come to see me?"

As he spoke, his heart sank.

exactly?

There are hardly any perfect matches in the world.

But deep down, he still harbored a sliver of hope.

What if it really is just a coincidence?

"Why do you ask that, Brother Li?"

Mu Yuanshan was somewhat puzzled.

"It's nothing."

Li Bingzhang smiled and said, "I just want to see whether Brother Mou values ​​me more or this pair of tattered pieces."

"Haha, it's you, of course!"

Mu Yuanshan laughed and said, "No matter how wonderful a couplet is, it's just the pleasure of words. How can it compare to meeting an old friend?"

"That's good."

Li Bingzhang breathed a slight sigh of relief. Perhaps Mu Yuanshan really had found the right second line?

Immediately, Li Bingzhang casually inquired, "By the way, since Brother Mou has already provided the matching couplets, I wonder... could you elaborate a bit?"

"It's not too late to talk about it tomorrow."

Mu Yuanshan stroked his beard and shook his head slightly: "If we tell you now, wouldn't we lose some of the enthusiasm tomorrow?"

Oh?

Li Bingzhang's gaze shifted almost imperceptibly.

Li Zhiwei's heart sank slightly as well.

Did not say?

If Mu Yuanshan had only mentioned it by chance and told his father beforehand, it wouldn't have mattered.

But he insisted on waiting until tomorrow.

This...is not right.

But Li Bingzhang ultimately didn't show anything, simply smiling and saying, "Very well!"

"Brother Mou, please come with me into the mansion first."

"It's been many years since we last met; we must have a good chat today."

"Hehe, that's exactly what I was thinking."

Mu Yuanshan nodded with a smile.

……

the other side.

Jiang Xiaobai walked along the streets of Beijing, looking around.

The Prime Minister's residence is not close to the Marquis of Zhenbei's residence.

But it was still early, so he wasn't in a hurry to take the carriage back.

People streamed back and forth on both sides of the street, and the cries of vendors rose and fell.

There are vendors selling sugar figurines.

There are vendors selling steamed buns.

There were also vendors carrying loads on their shoulders, hawking their wares along the streets.

Jiang Xiaobai looked at the bustling street and couldn't help but show a hint of admiration on his face.

This world, though lacking some of the fun things from my previous life.

But it also has its own unique flavor.

At least this lively atmosphere is incomparable to anything I've experienced in my previous life.

Jiang Xiaobai walked along, occasionally stopping to take a look.

After walking for a while, Jiang Xiaobai suddenly paused slightly, and his brows gradually furrowed.

Yes, for some reason, he felt... someone was following him.

At first, Jiang Xiaobai thought he was just overthinking things.

Even after walking around two streets, the feeling of being watched still hadn't disappeared.

In an instant, the smile on Jiang Xiaobai's face vanished.

No way, someone's already watching him, right?

Jiang Xiaobai didn't turn around, but quickened his pace slightly.

At the same time, they deliberately chose to go to places with lots of people.

He refused to believe that the other party would dare to make a direct attack in this bustling market.

But soon, Jiang Xiaobai realized he had been overthinking things.

Just as he turned into a street corner, two figures suddenly rushed out from the crowd.

They moved extremely fast, one on the left and one on the right, directly blocking Jiang Xiaobai's path.

Jiang Xiaobai's expression immediately changed.

Before he could even speak, the two men didn't waste a single word and immediately drew their swords.

Clang!

A cold light suddenly shone.

The next moment, a terrifying blade of energy came rushing towards him.

Jiang Xiaobai felt the hairs on his body stand on end.

broken!

In that instant, countless thoughts flashed through Jiang Xiaobai's mind.

I should have taken the bus.

I should have known better than to indulge in such leisurely pursuits.

I knew earlier...

Before he could think any further, the blade's energy was already upon him.

Jiang Xiaobai's face turned pale, and he subconsciously closed his eyes.

clang!

clang!

Two crisp collision sounds suddenly rang out.

Immediately afterwards, there were two clicking sounds.

It looked like something had been violently shattered.

Jiang Xiaobai waited for a moment and, finding that he did not feel any pain, slowly opened his eyes.

Suddenly, two figures appeared in front of him.

The person on the left is an elderly man in gray.

He was thin and bony, yet he stood firmly in place.

Jiang Xiaobai recognized the old man; it was the same old man he had met when he first attended the poetry gathering.

Clearly, this person was sent by Li Zhiwei to secretly protect him.

The person on the right is a young man.

This person was dressed in unusual clothes and had an extraordinary air about him.

In addition, despite his young age, he is composed and has a sharp edge in his eyes.

Jiang Xiaobai was slightly taken aback when he saw the young man.

No, who is this young man?

Where did it come from?