Poet Immortal, Poet Sage, Duke of the State!

The kitchen of the top scholar's residence was not spacious to begin with, and with more than a dozen slender young women crowding in, it became extremely crowded.

These courtesans, though they secured their positions among the top ten courtesans thanks to Chen Chang'an's poetry, were themselves exceptionally beautiful and had exceptional figures.

As soon as Chen Chang'an turned around, a wave of turmoil surged forth.

Looking at the eager women, Chen Chang'an could only say, "I appreciate your kindness, ladies, but the kitchen is too small. Too many people would only restrict our movement..."

He glanced at everyone and said, "Miss Qingcheng and Miss Caiwei can stay and help. The rest of you ladies, please go back to your courtyards and rest..."

Upon hearing this, the other courtesans, though unwilling, dared not disobey him and could only reluctantly leave the kitchen and return to the courtyard.

Gu Qingcheng felt a slight surge of joy, puffed out her chest, and walked triumphantly into the kitchen, skillfully helping him set the plates.

Seeing Chen Chang'an's strange behavior, she curiously glanced at him. When she saw him bending over to chop vegetables, she instantly realized something, and a blush rose to her pretty face...

With the help of the two, in less than half an hour, more than a dozen delicious dishes were served.

The table was laden with delicious food, and the aroma of wine filled the air.

Before taking their seats, Miss Nuanyu suddenly suggested, "Young Master's hospitality is beyond our means. Before we begin, why don't we sisters perform a dance for you? Sister Qingcheng's zither skills are unparalleled in the capital; she could accompany you on the zither and add to the festivities before the banquet. What do you say?"

"Okay, okay!"

"That's exactly what I was thinking!"

Her suggestion was immediately met with everyone's approval.

There was a guqin in the Zhuangyuan’s mansion, but Chen Chang’an didn’t know how to play it, so it had been sitting unused. When Miss Gong Yue came, she would occasionally play it, which was perfect for Gu Qingcheng to use.

Chen Chang'an brought the zither over, and Gu Qingcheng sat down in front of it. Her jade-like fingers lightly plucked the strings, and melodious and ethereal music quickly flowed from her fingertips.

The other courtesans stood in a row of three in the courtyard, their figures light and graceful, their clothes fluttering, dancing to the rhythm of the zither.

As the top ten courtesans in the capital, dancing is their basic skill. When the nine of them dance together, their movements are perfectly synchronized, which is a delight to watch...

Chen Chang'an leaned against the door, watching their graceful dance, and couldn't help but think that he must be the first person to gather the ten most beautiful courtesans together to dance...

Just as the singing and dancing in the courtyard were in full swing and the atmosphere was perfect, Chen Chang'an was engrossed in watching when two figures slowly stepped into the gate of the Zhuangyuan Mansion.

As soon as Qing Shuang and Princess Zhao Yue entered, they saw a garden full of flowers dancing gracefully. Qing Shuang thought they had come to the wrong place and subconsciously turned around, until she caught a glimpse of Chen Chang'an leaning against the door, admiring the scene...

She stopped and looked at Chen Chang'an, asking, "Did we come at the wrong time?"

Chen Chang'an straightened up and said, "No, you've come at the perfect time. Why don't you enjoy it together?"

Qing Shuang and Gong Yue arrived at an inopportune time, because they had already finished their dance, and if they continued, the hot dishes would get cold.

When the Zhuangyuan Mansion was being decorated, there was a large table in the dining hall that could accommodate ten people.

There were originally eleven people who could squeeze in, but with the addition of Qing Shuang and Gong Yue, there was no room left.

Fortunately, the two of them had already eaten, so they did not take a seat but waited by the stone table in the courtyard.

Qing Shuang sat on the stone bench, listening to the cheerful laughter of the courtesans coming from inside, and looked at Princess Zhao Yue with a helpless expression.

Then, he lowered his voice and whispered, "Your Highness, if you don't do something soon, your husband will really be snatched away by someone else..."

Chen Chang'an turned the tide three times, bringing glory to the country. He was also the top scholar in the imperial examination and had just been granted a title by the emperor. His poetry was unparalleled, and he was the dream lover of countless women in the capital. These courtesans were especially attentive to him, playing the zither and dancing for him...

She was genuinely worried that one day he would be taken away by another woman.

Princess Zhaoyue remained calm, picked up her teacup, and took a small sip.

These past few days, she has figured it out.

What is destined to be yours cannot be taken away by anyone; what is not yours cannot be forced. If Chen Chang'an chooses one of these courtesans, or any other woman, she will take the initiative to ask her father, the Emperor, to dissolve their engagement...

The meal was very lively. After the meal, Chen Chang'an refused Gu Qingcheng's offer to stay and help him clean up, and sent the courtesans away one by one.

As he watched them leave and was about to return to his residence, a voice suddenly came from behind him: "Young Master Chen, please wait."

Chen Chang'an turned around and saw a woman standing in front of the door.

Her attire differed from the ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) commonly worn by women in Da Ning. Instead, she chose a tight-fitting outfit with narrow sleeves, a hem that was short to the knees, and tight cuffs. A thick cowhide belt was tied around her waist, adorned with some small animal tooth ornaments.

She wore matching leggings and black leather boots, giving her a rather heroic look. Her temperament was somewhat similar to Qing Shuang's, but she was more wild.

Chen Chang'an scratched his head. The woman looked somewhat unfamiliar, yet there was an inexplicable sense of familiarity about her.

He looked at the woman and asked directly, "Miss, have we met before?"

The woman cleared her throat and asked in a different voice, "In that case, does Young Master Chen remember?"

Chen Chang'an was slightly taken aback, then his face showed surprise: "It's you!"

Previously, Yun Zhan had mentioned that the young man named Yan Ke, with whom he had a pleasant conversation in Qing Shuang Fang, was an envoy from the Yan Kingdom, which surprised Chen Chang'an.

However, what surprised him even more was that the young man he admired so much was actually a woman...

Yan Ke... She used Yan as her surname. Yan State had many compound surnames, so this was probably an alias.

Tuoba Ke smiled slightly at Chen Chang'an and said, "Young Master Chen, let's get to know each other again. I am Tuoba Ke, the sixth princess of Yan."

Upon hearing this, Chen Chang'an's gaze sharpened slightly.

Tuoba, the head of the eight tribes of Yan, and also the royal family of Yan, never expected that this person was actually a princess of the royal family of Yan.

Chen Chang'an quickly suppressed his shock and, without inviting her in, asked, "Your Highness, what brings you here?"

Tuoba Ke looked at him with complicated emotions and said, "Young Master Chen is truly outstanding in literature and unparalleled in wisdom. The grand plan for revitalizing the cultural heritage that our Yan Kingdom has been planning for twenty years has all come to naught because of Young Master Chen..."

Chen Chang'an shook his head slightly and said, "No."

He looked at Tuoba Ke and said frankly, "The revitalization of our cultural heritage is not determined by a couplet contest, nor by a few poems or essays, nor by the outcome of a few chess games..."

"The academic atmosphere in Yan is frivolous and impatient for quick results. They will stop at nothing to cheat and scheme. Even if they win the title of literary champion, it is ultimately an empty title that cannot be held firmly. Your Yan's plan to revitalize its literary tradition over the past twenty years is, in essence, nothing more than a castle in the air without a foundation..."

These words were not meant to be sarcastic, but rather to express Chen Chang'an's true feelings.

Upon hearing this, Tuoba Ke paused slightly and remained silent.

She knew all of what Chen Chang'an was saying. She understood the current problems of the Yan Kingdom better than anyone else. The whole country was eager to catch up with Da Ning, thinking only of turning the tide through competitions and proving their worth through winning or losing. They were willing to gamble away cities for this, only to suffer a crushing defeat in the end...

After a long while, she looked up at Chen Chang'an and sighed softly, "I've learned a lot..."

However, she quickly took a deep breath and said, "The literary style of the Great Yan is superficial, and isn't the Ning Kingdom also outwardly strong but inwardly weak, relying entirely on you, young master, to hold it up..."

She looked at Chen Chang'an with burning eyes: "In this literary contest between our two countries, my Yan Kingdom has never lost to Ning Kingdom. From beginning to end, we have only lost to you alone, my lord..."