Poet Immortal, Poet Sage, Duke of the State!

The Chen residence.

Side hall.

The lunch on the table had been laid out for half an hour, consisting of eight dishes and a soup, but the chopsticks of Zhao and her son were neatly placed on the chopstick rest, and no one had touched them.

Chen Wenyuan did not go home at noon today; only Zhao and her son dined together.

Chen Changxuan sat at the lower end of the table, cautiously glancing at his mother at the upper end. Even though his stomach was growling with hunger, he didn't dare to pick up his chopsticks.

Zhao leaned back in her chair, her face stiff, her eyes staring blankly ahead, as if her soul had been ripped out.

The expensive silk handkerchief in her hand had already been crumpled beyond recognition.

Her lips parted slightly, but she couldn't utter a single word.

Chen Fu stood at the door with his back bent, and reported every word of the news about Chen Chang'an that he had heard from outside.

After a long silence, Zhao spoke again, her voice still filled with disbelief: "You're saying that the mastermind behind Xiao Qingshuang's downfall against the Yan envoy last time was Chen Chang'an?"

Chen Fu lowered his head and carefully replied, "Reporting to Madam, it is absolutely true. News came from the palace this morning that Miss Qing Shuang publicly admitted at the morning court that all those couplets were composed by Chen Chang'an, and he also wrote 'Though the Tortoise Lives Long.' His Majesty originally wanted to directly promote Chen Chang'an to the Hanlin Academy, but you objected in court. In the end, His Majesty changed his mind and allowed him to directly participate in the provincial examination. If he passes the examination, he will be immediately promoted to the Hanlin Academy..."

Zhao could no longer contain herself. She slammed her handkerchief on the table with a "bang," stood up abruptly, and gritted her teeth, saying, "That bastard... it was him! How could it be him!"

That time in the Golden Palace, all the civil and military officials were forced to the point of humiliation by the Yan Kingdom's envoy. Her son, Chen Changxuan, lost all face in front of the Emperor and all the officials.

The woman's son became the one who turned the tide, something she couldn't accept and didn't want to accept.

Chen Changxuan sat there blankly, his mind completely blank.

He was present when Xiao Qingshuang confronted the Yan envoy.

He recalled that day in the Golden Hall when he excitedly stepped forward, eager to show off, only to find that he hadn't even understood the rules of the couplets and was publicly reprimanded by several high-ranking officials, losing all face.

To his utter surprise, the one who turned the tide behind the scenes that day was none other than his older brother, whom he had never given a second glance since childhood.

They have the same father, so is he really that much worse than Chen Chang'an?

It took Zhao a while to recover her senses, and her gaze fell on Chen Changxuan.

She calmed down and said solemnly, "The provincial examination is in two months. From today onwards, you are not allowed to step out of this house. Study hard. You have studied for more than ten years longer than that bastard. If you can't even compare to him, what face do you have to come back to see me?"

Chen Changxuan opened his mouth, wanting to say something in rebuttal, but seeing his mother's bloodshot eyes, he swallowed back the words that were about to come out.

He lowered his head, clutching the hem of his clothes, and whispered, "Yes..."

He quickly looked up again and asked, "Mother, I'm hungry. Can I eat now?"

Unable to vent her anger, Zhao slammed her hand on the table and roared, "Eat, eat, all you know is eating! Go back to your room and study. Don't even think about eating today!"

Chen Changxuan stood up and left, feeling utterly aggrieved...

Meanwhile, in another residence on South Street, Chen Chang'an had already eaten and drunk his fill.

With a maidservant by his side, he no longer needed to wash the pots and dishes himself. As he walked with his hands behind his back to the courtyard gate, Qing Shuang asked in confusion, "Where are you going?"

Chen Chang'an said, "Let's go for a walk to digest our food."

Qing Shuang stood up, rubbed her tummy, and said, "Then I'll go with you."

Princess Zhaoyue stepped forward and said, "Then I'll go too."

The three of them walked out of the mansion gate together and wandered aimlessly through the streets.

There were many pedestrians on the street. Chen Chang'an walked in front, with Qing Shuang and Princess Zhao Yue following behind him side by side.

As we turned a corner, a lively sound of gongs and drums, along with cheers from the crowd, came from ahead.

Qing Shuang looked up, her eyes lighting up with interest. "There's a theater up ahead," she said, "and people are performing. Let's go check it out!"

Chen Chang'an looked up and saw a wooden platform set up in the distance. Several rows of benches were placed in front of the platform, and the benches were already full. There were also many people standing behind the platform, surrounding the small area in layers.

Chen Chang'an had seen many similar theaters; there were several around Qingshuangfang.

In the capital, the upper class had their own forms of entertainment, spending lavishly in brothels, entertainment venues, and casinos, while the common people also had their own ways of having fun.

Performing operas and acrobatics were among the few forms of entertainment available to ordinary people.

For just a few copper coins, one could watch a few plays and listen to a few stories, which was a small consolation for a hard life.

Qing Shuang pulled Princess Zhao Yue over and stood at the end of the crowd.

Chen Chang'an also walked over and stood behind them.

On the right side of the stage stands a huge wooden plaque with four large characters written on it: "Golden Hall Duel".

A richly dressed man, chin held high, loudly recited: "Lonely and cold, I guard my widowed life by the window... This is the first couplet in our Yan Kingdom!"

Immediately afterwards, several elderly men dressed in civil official robes stepped forward, frowning, shaking their heads, and looking as if they were deep in thought.

Several "Grand Scholars" circled around the "Yan State Envoy" several times, sighing repeatedly.

At the crucial moment, a young girl dressed as a martial arts actress tumbled onto the side stage, loudly proclaiming, "A beautiful woman accompanies a lonely soul!"

Chen Chang'an was stunned to see that someone had actually adapted the scene of the literary examination between Yan and Da Ning into a play.

Qing Shuang stood below the stage, watching with great interest, her lips curled up in a wide smile, and she would occasionally clap along with the audience.

As the plot unfolds, "Qing Shuang" on stage sometimes tumbles off the stage and sometimes tumbles back up, reciting the second line of a couplet at crucial moments, each time drawing cheers from the crowd.

Finally, when the "Yan envoy" who lost the contest smashed his head against a pillar and died, the cheers from the crowd reached their peak!

"good!"

"These barbarians dare to compare themselves to my Great Ning? Go back to their grasslands and graze!"

"Miss Qing Shuang said that since Chen Chang'an composed the couplet, your play should add a scene to make it more complete!"

"Thank you all for your support, folks! We'll go back and offer another 10% off!"

……

Countless copper coins were thrown onto the stage, and the actors on stage picked them up while expressing their gratitude.

This play, "The Battle of the Golden Palace," has become incredibly popular in Beijing these days; the people love watching this kind of exhilarating spectacle.

Da Ning won the competition and the city, which greatly inspired people's sense of national pride.

Even ordinary people who don't have much money in their pockets are willing to take out a copper coin or two to tip them.

Standing in the crowd, listening to their discussions, Chen Chang'an suddenly had an idea.

Teahouses and theaters are natural hubs for information dissemination.

People gather here, and once any news or opinion spreads, it will quickly spread from one person to ten, and from ten to a hundred, once people return home...

With just a few theaters, any news could spread throughout the capital within days.

By controlling these theaters, one could, to a certain extent, control public opinion in the capital...

Chen Wenyuan and Zhao Shi sent people to spread rumors that he had molested Zhao Wan'er, which was probably also a way of using these groups...

Chen Chang'an had originally intended to have nothing to do with the Chen family, but they were relentless in their pursuit of him. Even when the Emperor bestowed an official title upon him, Chen Wenyuan tried every means to obstruct it...

It would be impolite not to reciprocate, so Chen Chang'an also prepared a "grand gift" to give to them...