The charming widow of the Marquis's mansion: The stable boy carries the flag and raises the dra

As he spoke, Zhao's father took out a storage bag from his pocket and dumped its contents onto the ground.

Spirit stones, elixirs, magical artifacts, cultivation techniques, literary classics... a dazzling array, piled up in a small heap.

Zhao's mother also emptied out all the jewelry she was wearing and the contents of her storage bag.

The same goes for Zhao Tiezhu.

The three of them emptied their pockets and piled everything on the ground, like a small mountain.

Wang Long looked down at the three people kneeling on the ground, his expression calm and revealing nothing of joy or anger.

He turned his head and looked at Qin Jiaojiao.

"Jiaojiao, what do you think we should do?"

Wang Long was simply giving Qin Jiaojiao confidence; he wouldn't interfere with her choices.

Qin Jiaojiao looked at the three disheveled people kneeling on the ground and remained silent for a moment.

Her voice was soft, tinged with weariness.

"Father, I don't want to see them anymore."

Wang Long nodded and looked at Zhao's father.

"Did you hear that?"

Zhao's father felt as if he had been granted a pardon and kowtowed repeatedly.

"Thank you so much, sir! Thank you so much, Miss Jiaojiao!"

He scrambled to his feet, grabbed Zhao's mother and Zhao Tiezhu, and tumbled and crawled towards the outside of the square.

He stopped halfway through the run, turned around, and heard the sound coming from afar.

"Sir, tomorrow, I will definitely have someone deliver the apology to the academy!"

After saying that, the three of them disappeared at the edge of the square.

The atmosphere in the square gradually returned to normal, but the way people looked at Wang Long was completely different now.

The parents were whispering and talking amongst themselves.

Several parents' eyes fell on Wang Long, a thoughtful look flashing in their eyes.

"Two national treasures... This old gentleman is about to become famous throughout the land."

"That's right, if we could become in-laws with him... Don't you have a granddaughter?"

"What a coincidence, I also have a daughter, just sixteen years old, well-educated and sensible, proficient in all the arts..."

"Come on, do you think I don't know what kind of girl you have? All she does is eat, drink, and have fun. She can't even recite the Analects of Confucius properly. How dare she call herself knowledgeable and reasonable?"

"you!"

The heads of several families almost got into a fight on the spot.

They were plotting how to win over Wang Long.

Such a great Confucian scholar is a once-in-a-millennium find.

If we could marry him, our family's Confucian and Taoist heritage would be elevated to a new level.

As for Wang Long's age?

Age is not a problem.

Confucian scholars are naturally long-lived, and it is not impossible for a great Confucian scholar like Wang Long, who can write poems that can govern the country, to break through to the level of Grandmaster or even Saint.

When the time comes, with a lifespan of several hundred years, wouldn't it be perfectly natural to marry several teenage concubines?

The parents thought about it and found it made more and more sense. They looked at each other and saw wariness and hostility in each other's eyes.

The competition begins now.

On the high platform.

Shen Qianqiu could no longer hold back.

He braced himself against the railing and jumped directly off the platform.

It landed silently, with a steady, resounding thud.

He strode up to Qin Jiaojiao, a smile plastered on his face, but his eyes kept glancing at the sheet of Xuan paper in Qin Jiaojiao's hand.

"Jiaojiao."

His voice was gentle, almost strained, a stark contrast to his usual dignified and solemn dean.

Qin Jiaojiao felt uncomfortable with his tone and subconsciously moved closer to Wang Long.

"Dean, is there...is there something you need?"

Shen Qianqiu rubbed his hands together and smiled sheepishly.

"Um... Jiaojiao, I know you've already undergone the Qi Infusion."

"These two poems, which are considered national treasures, I...I want to..."

As he spoke, he rubbed his hands together, his old face slightly flushed.

"Could I... leave them at the academy?"

"Don't worry, the academy will definitely not let you suffer any losses."

"From this day forward, all the academy's resources, whether cultivation or literary, will be tilted towards you."

"Whatever you want, as long as the academy has it, I will give it to you without hesitation."

Shen Qianqiu's attitude was becoming somewhat obsequious.

Qin Jiaojiao was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at Wang Long.

Wang Long smiled and patted her head.

"This is from your father; you decide for yourself."

Qin Jiaojiao lowered her head and thought for a moment.

Shen Qianqiu felt extremely tormented and anxious.

He looked at Qin Jiaojiao, waiting for her reply.

She was silent for a moment, then looked up at Shen Qianqiu.

"Dean, I'm willing."

Her voice was clear and resonant, carrying a firmness beyond her years.

"The academy has been very good to me, my master has been very good to me, and you have been very good to me too."

"I am happy to present these two poems to the academy."

Upon hearing this, Shen Qianqiu's eyes instantly reddened.

He took a deep breath, suppressing his surging emotions, his voice hoarse.

"Jiaojiao, you...you're a good child."

Shen Qianqiu was overjoyed to see the usually troublesome little tyrant being so sensible.

I was extremely gratified, feeling that my previous indulgence and affection for Qin Jiaojiao had been worthwhile!

Qin Jiaojiao smiled and handed over the Xuan paper.

Shen Qianqiu stretched out his hands and carefully accepted it, as if he were receiving a priceless treasure.

His fingers trembled slightly as his fingertips gently caressed the words on the paper, feeling the rich literary atmosphere that seemed to solidify into a tangible substance.

"Protecting the Nation... Two Poems Protecting the Nation..."

He murmured to himself, his eyes welling up with tears.

"The sages of Wenxin Academy, can you see this...?"

The burly old man and the kind old man couldn't hold back any longer. They jumped down from the high platform and rushed to Shen Qianqiu's side in three steps.

"Dean, let me see! Let me see!"

"Me too! Me too!"

The two people, one on each side, craned their necks to look into Shen Qianqiu's hands.

Shen Qianqiu glared at them and said irritably.

"What's the rush? It's not like we're not going to show you!"

As he spoke, he carefully unfolded the Xuan paper so that the two elderly men could see it clearly.

Three gray-haired heads huddled together, looking at the two national treasure poems again and again, reading them with great affection.

"Wonderful...wonderful..."

The three old men discussed their conversation as if no one else was watching them, completely oblivious to the hundreds of eyes around them.

On the high platform.

The other children, waiting for the spiritual enlightenment, were left bewildered.

"Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?"

A child muttered to himself, his eyes vacant.

Another child tugged at his classmate's sleeve and asked in a low voice.

"Shall we continue our 'spiritual initiation' session today?"

His classmate glanced at him, then at the three elderly men huddled together reading poetry below the platform, and his lips twitched.

"Who knows?"

Another child sighed, rested his chin on his hands, and looked at Qin Jiaojiao with envy in his eyes.

"Sister Jiaojiao is amazing, having such a father."

"Absolutely! Two national treasures, a sage's blessing—if I could have that, I'd be laughing in my sleep."

"Stop dreaming. They're just lucky. We're lucky to even have a song like Mingzhou."

"Mingzhou? My family can't even afford a top-tier degree; we can only rely on the academy."

The children grew more and more dejected as they talked, hanging their heads like wilted eggplants.

But some children had bright, sparkling eyes as they looked at Qin Jiaojiao and then at Wang Long.

Why isn't Wang Long their biological father?