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

"Huh!"

When Jiang Xiaobai led Zhang Xinnian into the courtyard, they indeed saw Li Zhiwei sitting with Lin Qinrou.

"It really is that fierce woman!"

Jiang Xiaobai's voice wasn't loud, but the courtyard was quiet.

So, as soon as these words were spoken, Li Zhiwei and Lin Qinrou turned around at the same time.

Their gazes both fell on Jiang Xiaobai.

"Who are you calling mean to women?"

Lin Qinrou clenched her jade-like hand slightly, and a hint of annoyance immediately appeared on her bright and beautiful face.

They had obviously heard what Jiang Xiaobai said.

Jiang Xiaobai reacted quickly, slowly turning his head to look at Zhang Xinnian beside him.

Zhang Xinnian was taken aback.

No, why is Your Highness looking at him?

"Oh, Miss Lin, please don't mind."

Jiang Xiaobai then turned to Lin Qinrou with a face full of apology: "My servant is really ignorant. I will definitely teach him a lesson when we get back!!"

Zhang Xinnian opened his mouth.

In the end, he silently lowered his head and chose to take the blame.

There was nothing they could do; after all, he was their own heir!

Lin Qinrou looked at Jiang Xiaobai's serious expression, snorted, and, too lazy to continue arguing with him, sat down again.

Li Zhiwei watched from the side, a faint smile in her eyes: "Young Master Jiang, you've arrived quite early today."

"Um."

Jiang Xiaobai nodded, stepped forward and sat down: "It's bound to be lively today, it would be no fun if we came late."

"It's really lively."

Lin Qinrou's voice rang out from the side: "I'm afraid two-thirds of the students from the Imperial Academy have come here."

"Right now, the building is packed with people, inside and out."

As she spoke, Lin Qinrou said with a strange expression, "Especially... those two couplets you came up with, almost everyone is talking about them now."

"Oh?"

Jiang Xiaobai raised an eyebrow: "That's an exaggeration?"

"It will only be more exaggerated than I say."

Lin Qinrou glanced at Jiang Xiaobai: "Yesterday at Qinglou, you said that whoever could match your couplet would voluntarily ask His Majesty to remove him from the title of top scholar."

"These words have now spread throughout most of the capital."

"Not to mention the students of the Imperial Academy, even some old scholars in the capital were alarmed."

"Oh!"

Jiang Xiaobai shrugged helplessly after hearing this: "Looks like everyone wants me to lose my title of top scholar!"

"No!"

Lin Qinrou shook her head, her face serious, and said, "Although your reputation isn't exactly stellar, I think... most people are here for your two couplets!"

Yes, the difficulty of composing a couplet that could make Jiang Xiaobai voluntarily relinquish his title of top scholar is imaginable.

Every student would probably want to take on this challenge, and it is simply a challenge in itself.

After saying that, Lin Qinrou added, "Your two couplets are truly admirable!"

Yes, she also looked at the couplets.

It is truly astonishing, especially after delving into its meaning; even she felt utterly overwhelmed.

The word splitting, word combining, and even the interpretation of meaning are all brilliant!

"I wouldn't say I admire him enough."

Jiang Xiaobai smiled.

His reputation speaks for itself.

He was a corrupt official who bought his way into office, and was utterly ignorant and incompetent.

Even if he produced those two pairs, some people would still suspect that someone else had prepared them for him.

For example, Li Zhiwei, and Li Bingzhang.

However, Jiang Xiaobai wasn't in a hurry.

Once everything is cleared up, he will naturally let these people know what the power of five thousand years is!

"Any concrete developments regarding the Qinglou area right now?"

With a smile, Jiang Xiaobai looked at Li Zhiwei and asked.

Li Zhiwei naturally understood Jiang Xiaobai's meaning, hesitated slightly, and said softly.

"An old friend of my father's came to visit yesterday."

"This man is named Mou Yuanshan. He is the son of my father's teacher and has a very good relationship with my father."

At this point, Li Zhiwei paused, "Yesterday he arrived near the Prime Minister's residence, but instead of entering the residence first, he went to Qinglou."

"Later, they even had a notice posted outside the Qinglou gate, saying... that they had provided the matching couplets for you, and then invited all the scholars in the capital to come and see them!"

"Oh?"

Jiang Xiaobai raised an eyebrow and asked, "Mu Yuanshan?"

"Yes."

Li Zhiwei nodded: "This person is learned and talented. In recent years, he has often traveled and studied abroad and has not come to the capital much."

"so……"

At this point, Li Zhiwei paused slightly before saying softly, "Perhaps it's just a coincidence."

"coincide?"

Jiang Xiaobai smiled.

There are no coincidences in this world.

What a perfect couplet! In my past life, it was an absolute masterpiece!

The answer can be found in just one day?

It doesn't matter if others believe it, but... he doesn't!

Moreover, this person was an old friend of his father-in-law, which undoubtedly made things even more interesting!

However, Jiang Xiaobai didn't say anything, but just nodded: "Hehe, then perhaps it really is just a coincidence."

Li Zhiwei could tell that Jiang Xiaobai didn't believe her.

Actually, she didn't believe it was such a coincidence either, but...

Li Zhiwei sighed softly, then stopped dwelling on the topic and started chatting elsewhere.

After a while, Li Zhiwei looked at Jiang Xiaobai again: "Young Master Jiang, when do we plan to go to Qinglou?"

"Oh, that should be about right."

Jiang Xiaobai quickly calculated the time and smiled, "Let's go now!"

After saying that, Jiang Xiaobai stretched and stood up.

Lin Qinrou and Li Zhiwei exchanged a glance, then naturally got up and walked towards Qinglou.

……

At this moment, a large number of students have gathered inside the Qinglou Building.

The first, second, and even the third and fourth floors were all packed with people.

Strangely, despite the large number of people, the entire Qinglou building was unusually quiet.

Yes, most people's attention was focused on the two couplets hanging in the center of the hall.

Some people frowned in deep thought, while others lowered their heads and picked up their pens.

Two people were sitting at a table near the railing on the second floor.

If Jiang Xiaobai were here, he would definitely recognize one of them.

It was Xiao Qingxiu.

Sitting opposite Xiao Qingxiu was a young man in his early twenties.

The man was dressed in a plain brocade robe, with a jade pendant with a dragon pattern hanging at his waist.

And this person was none other than His Highness the Crown Prince, Xiao Qingheng.

At this moment, Xiao Qingheng held a teacup in his hand, his gaze falling on the two couplets below. After a moment, he suddenly spoke calmly, "These couplets, were they really composed by Jiang Xiaobai?"

"Your Highness!"

As soon as the man finished speaking, Xiao Qingxiu immediately spoke respectfully: "That纨绔 (wan ku, a spoiled brat) Jiang Xiaobai is utterly useless and incompetent; who in the capital doesn't know this?"

"In my opinion, there's probably more to this couplet than meets the eye!"

After he finished speaking, a hint of gloom flashed across Xiao Qingxiu's face.

Yes, Xiao Qingxiu still felt a tightness in his chest when he thought about what happened at the Lin residence that day.

However... he has now come to understand.

Perhaps Jiang Xiaobai's becoming Lin Lao's disciple was arranged by Li Xiang's side.

Those people at the time were merely forced to become witnesses.

This explains how Jiang Xiaobai, who is ignorant and incompetent, could produce such poetic lines!