Poet Immortal, Poet Sage, Duke of the State!

Chen Chang'an bought groceries and carried the basket home. As soon as he unlocked the door, he saw Qing Shuang sitting in the yard.

Chen Chang'an paused for a moment, then gently shook his head.

Although the main gate was locked, Qing Shuang never used it when she came to his place.

Inside the courtyard, Qing Shuang sat on a stone bench, resting her chin on her hands, idly kicking small pebbles on the ground with her toes.

Hearing the noise at the door, she immediately looked up, then stood up and complained, "Why are you so late? I'm starving!"

Chen Chang'an looked at her taking it all for granted, as if she was used to getting free meals, and smiled helplessly, casually saying, "Why are you here again?"

"What do you mean, 'again'?" Qing Shuang followed him to the kitchen door, hands on her hips, and said, "I'm just worried about you. What if your worthless father sends people to arrest you again? When Sister Yue left, she told me to take good care of you. If anything happens to you, how am I supposed to explain it to her?"

Her reason for freeloading was both reasonable and justifiable, leaving Chen Chang'an speechless.

He went into the kitchen, took out radishes and greens from the basket, and while washing them, asked, "By the way, I went to the market today and heard people on the street talking about you."

Qing Shuang leaned against the doorframe, blinked upon hearing this, and asked in confusion, "What are they talking about me about?"

Chen Chang'an sliced ​​the cured meat into thin slices, his expression and tone as usual, and asked calmly, "Should I address you as Miss Qing Shuang, or Xiao Qing Shuang, daughter of General Zhenyuan, a heroine personally appointed by His Majesty?"

Qing Shuang was taken aback for a moment, then lowered her head somewhat nervously and whispered, "You knew everything?"

Chen Chang'an heated oil in a wok, added the cured pork, and said without turning his head, "Everyone outside is saying it, but I'm not deaf..."

Qing Shuang glanced at him guiltily, carefully observing his expression, and asked, "Aren't you... angry?"

"What are you angry about?"

"I've been hiding my identity from you..."

Chen Chang'an shook his head. Qing Shuang was hiding her identity, but so was he. At most, they were even.

As he stirred the cured meat in the pot, he said, "I don't care whose you are, whether you're the daughter of General Zhenyuan or the daughter of the vegetable vendor on the street, if you want to eat later, come and start the fire yourself..."

Qing Shuang stared at his busy figure for a moment, then a smile quickly appeared on her lips.

He was just like before.

She didn't misjudge him, and neither did the princess.

Chen Chang'an's attitude towards her remained unchanged, and Qing Shuang's slight unease completely dissipated. She walked briskly into the kitchen, squatted down in front of the stove, picked up a bundle of firewood, and took on the important task of starting the fire.

While cooking, Chen Chang'an thought of something and looked at her, asking, "But speaking of which, you're the daughter of General Zhenyuan, so what about Miss Gong Yue? Could she be some kind of royal relative?"

Qing Shuang, who was adding firewood, immediately shook her head upon hearing this, saying, "No, no, she's just a distant cousin of mine. Her family is in business and has some money, but she's not royalty..."

The princess said that Young Master Shen must not know her identity.

Even if the truth were to be revealed, it would be the princess who would return and reveal it herself.

Chen Chang'an didn't think much of it. If Miss Gong Yue was her cousin, then her attitude towards Miss Gong Yue would make sense.

He plated the stir-fried cured pork and radish, and then stir-fried some greens.

He had started steaming the rice before he left, and it was just cooked now.

Qing Shuang had already washed her hands and sat down at the stone table. She took the rice bowl and started eating.

Chen Chang'an slowly picked up a piece of cured meat and asked, "What were you thinking back then? Why did you agree to compete in poetry with such a talented woman?"

Based on his understanding of Qing Shuang, although she seemed reckless, she was definitely not an impulsive or brainless person.

After losing the first bet to him, Qing Shuang never bet with him again.

Qing Shuang put down her bowl and remained silent for a while.

Chen Chang'an thought she had regretted it and was about to say a few words of comfort when he saw Qing Shuang raise her head with her eyes a little moist.

"I didn't want to cause trouble, but it's one thing for them to insult me, but they also insulted my grandfather, insulted our military family, and said we were just uncouth men who only knew how to brandish knives and guns. I can't swallow this..."

Her eyes reddened, and she said stubbornly, "My grandfather fought on the border his whole life, and he has dozens of scars on his body. My father and brother are still on the front lines. So many sons of our family have sacrificed their lives on the battlefield to protect Da Ning. So many mothers of our family have lost their sons, and so many wives have lost their husbands... How dare they say such things about us?"

After hearing what she said, Chen Chang'an's lips moved, but he also fell silent.

He put down his chopsticks, looked at the heartbroken and angry Qing Shuang, and sighed softly.

In his previous life, when he worked in sales, he met all sorts of people.

Some people live in high-rise buildings but look down on migrant workers who tie steel bars on construction sites; some people drive luxury cars worth hundreds of thousands of yuan but think that workers who tighten screws on assembly lines are unambitious.

Some people order takeout every day but feel that delivery drivers are inferior; some people walk on clean streets but look down on sanitation workers who sweep the streets in the dark at dawn.

He had seen far too many people like this: those who eat with their bowls in hand and then curse with their mouths in return.

Although they are two different worlds, some things have not changed.

Those talented women sat in the warm pavilion, reciting poems about the wind and moon, lamenting the passing of spring and the coming of autumn, holding poetry collections in their hands and speaking of elegance.

They live in luxury, with carriages for going out and maids for coming home. They are protected from the wind and rain, but they seem unaware of who gave them this peaceful life.

They were soldiers on the frontier, Qing Shuang's grandfather, the sons of military families who could never return home, and also those crude people they described as only knowing how to wield spears and sticks.

Da Ning is surrounded by enemies on all sides: the Eastern Yi, the Southern Man, the Western Rong, and the Northern Mang. None of them are easy to deal with, and they all have their eyes on Da Ning.

The reason why Da Ning prioritized military strength over literature, leading to the decline of the literary world and the inability to even compose a few couplets, was because the surrounding barbarian tribes were pressing too hard. If Da Ning had not vigorously developed its military power, it would have been swallowed up and destroyed long ago.

While these talented women sat at home sipping tea and composing poems, lamenting the passing of spring and the coming of autumn under the moon, soldiers on the frontier were bravely fighting the enemy, their blood staining the battlefield.

If the border falls, all the peaceful days they enjoy now will turn to ashes.

It was the soldiers of Da Ning who shielded them from all of this.

But they didn't understand.

Or perhaps they understand, but pretend not to.

What's even more ridiculous is that Qing Shuang defeated the Yan Kingdom's envoy in the Golden Palace, not only saving the court's face but also winning a city for Da Ning, making her a hero of the entire Da Ning.

Instead of being grateful, they came to provoke and insult the military family because of her title as a talented woman, only interested in gaining fame.

Chen Chang'an despised this kind of person the most. Even though this matter had nothing to do with him, he still felt a surge of anger.

Chen Chang'an didn't say much, silently placing a piece of cured meat on Qing Shuang's plate, and said softly, "Don't worry, I'll take care of everything..."