The male supporting character was actually myself.

After exchanging a few polite greetings, he announced the theme: "Last night's spring rain was delightful, so our poetry gathering today will be themed 'Spring Rain'."

As long as the theme is mentioned, there are no restrictions on rhyme; everyone is free to express their ideas.

Whoever finishes a poem, write it down and hang it in front of the hall so we can all enjoy it together!

Lin Mubai was immediately excited upon hearing this request!

"A Joyful Rain on a Spring Night", "Spring Rain Clears Up in Lin'an", "Presented to Zhang Shiban, Assistant Minister of Water Resources, in Early Spring", "Spring Dawn", "Qingming Festival", "Weicheng Song", "Spring in Jiangnan: A Thousand Miles of Orioles Singing Amidst Green and Red"...

This topic is too broad!

He rubbed his hands together, looking eager and impatient, which attracted the attention of many people.

Enraged, Han Hong punched him from behind, causing Lin Mubai to gasp in pain. Sensing the other's fury, which seemed to want to throw him off the building, he could only cower like a quail.

Jiang Chen slowly dipped his brush in the ink that his page had just ground, and his brushstrokes flowed smoothly and effortlessly.

After one poem was written, a special person would come forward and hang it in the main hall; then another poem would be written, and that too would be hung up; and another...

Before all the talented men and women in the room had even come up with any ideas, Jiang Chen rubbed his wrists and had already written more than a dozen poems, finishing all the poems that he could think of that the protagonist could copy.

"I've finally met a fellow countryman from another time, and I don't want to ruin you, but can you really turn over a new leaf?" He put down his pen and sighed inwardly.

The little white cat patted its fluffy paws and exclaimed, "Host's calligraphy is so beautiful!"

"Oh? You can understand it?" Taking advantage of the whispers among the other talented men and women, Jiang Chen asked in a low voice.

It blushed immediately, scratching its feet and stammering, "Look... of course I can't understand it."

After all, the writing in this world is like some kind of garbled scribbles, but the host's writing is so smooth and elegant, it's a pleasure to look at at a glance!

"Yeah, I think I wrote pretty well too." Jiang Chen sighed softly, "If it weren't for the protagonist, I could have written some poems and essays myself since I inherited the original owner's talent. It's a pity I can only be a plagiarist."

At this moment, the Third Prince, behind the black curtain, held a wine cup and looked at the poems copied by the palace servants. He couldn't help but nod in admiration, "As expected of the famous Young Master Xue, I told you he would be excellent!"

The governor's son, Zhai Jing, asked in surprise, "Has the Third Prince heard of Xue Jiangchen?"

"That's natural." The dashing Third Prince smiled lightly, "Speaking of which, I first heard about this person because of his illness."

His grandfather had pleaded with His Majesty for a special favor, requesting that the imperial physicians diagnose Xue Gongzi's illness.

While ill, Xue Jiangchen, deeply grateful for the Emperor's great kindness, composed a remarkable quatrain at the tender age of four.

Many years have passed since he left the capital, yet many people still remember the exceptionally talented but sickly young master of the Xue family.

If this incognito tour were not for selecting and recommending talented individuals for His Majesty, we could not easily reveal our presence.

I'd really like to get to know him and have a good chat!

Zhai Jing savored the copied poems, nodding frequently. "'Listening to the spring rain all night in a small building, selling apricot blossoms in the deep alley tomorrow morning,' what a fine poem!"

"Every single one of them is a masterpiece!" The Third Prince couldn't get enough of them. He simply got up, lifted the curtain, and peeked out. He immediately whispered his praise: "Beautiful poetry! Beautiful calligraphy!"

The other talented men and women also whispered among themselves, praising the brilliant talent of the poems that Young Master Xue had written.

Standing among the servants with impeccable posture and unwavering gaze, Lin Mubai thought to himself, "So those period dramas are all just a bunch of idiots! In a scene like this, the servants don't even have the right to watch or discuss; they can only stand there like wooden stakes!"

The distance was quite far, and the talented men and beautiful women, being refined and elegant, naturally did not speak loudly.

No idiots jumped out to make a big fuss, show off, or embarrass themselves.

He could hear whispers, but he couldn't make out what the other people were saying.

Stealing a glance at the words hanging in the lobby, Lin Mubai couldn't help but twitch his lips. They looked like scribbles, and he couldn't guess what they meant at all!

However, he could understand, after all, he had once been a favored son of heaven but had never specifically practiced calligraphy.

If there hadn't been a translation, he might have mistaken "a bright future and carrying on the past" for "catching a toad and squeezing out its urine".

Writing is a system of symbols used to record language, and naturally, different eras, regions, and environments use different symbols.

It's normal not to understand if you haven't studied it yourself.

"Young Master Xue is indeed a great talent!" Fang Anyi carefully savored each poem, finding them all to be excellent and sure to become timeless masterpieces!

After he couldn't help but praise him, he discovered that although Young Master Xue's actions were exhilarating, they completely suppressed the other talented men and women. Apart from these dozen or so poems, there were no other poems hanging in the main hall.

Fang Anyi, wanting to liven up the atmosphere, quickly suggested, "Since today is a poetry gathering, we shouldn't be bound by formalities."

I see that the young servants waiting on the side are all eager to try. If you also have a poem, don't be shy. Share one or two poems so we can all appreciate them together!

Is there anyone willing to volunteer?

"As expected, as expected, in order to highlight the main character, even the extras are clearing the way for Lin Mubai!" The little white cat was munching on a pastry, its cheeks stuffed full.

Jiang Chen smiled faintly, picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and waited for Lin Mubai to put on an act.

When Young Master Fang spoke, the many pageboys and attendants who had come with their master relaxed a little and began to whisper among themselves.

Lin Mubai, fearing he would miss the opportunity, quickly stepped forward and said loudly, "I am not very talented, but I hope to add some fun for you gentlemen and ladies. I am afraid I will make a fool of myself."

The more humble you are now, the more awesome you'll feel after you've shown off!

He felt he was already in the position of the novel's protagonist copying poems, just waiting to recite a timeless masterpiece and shock everyone!

With permission granted, Lin Mubai cleared his throat and recited with great emotion: "Spring Night Rain"!

Good rain knows its season; it falls when spring arrives.

Sneaked into the night wind, moisten things silently.

The wild paths and clouds are all dark, only the lights of the riverboats shine brightly.

At dawn, the flowers are heavy with dew, a vibrant red in Chengdu!

After he finished reading, a little voice in his head laughed wildly, hands on his hips. "How about that? You're stunned, aren't you?"

They were all speechless!

Before anyone could react, Lin Mubai took another deep breath and recited in a low, emotional voice, "Qingming".

It rains incessantly during the Qingming Festival.

The pedestrians on the road were heartbroken.

Where can I find an inn?

The shepherd boy points to Xinghua Village in the distance.

Presented to Zhang Shiban, Assistant Minister of Water Resources, in Early Spring

A light drizzle on the street was as soft as butter.

The grass appears green from afar, but is barely visible up close.

Springtime is the best time of the year.

The capital city is far more beautiful than a place filled with misty willows.

Spring Dawn

Spring sleep is so sweet that one doesn't notice the dawn...

Lin Mubai recited six or seven poems about spring rain that he had memorized in one go before stopping, still feeling unsatisfied.

He glanced around the gradually quieting lobby, feeling a surge of exhilaration.

From this day forward, Lin Mubai of Jinzhou City will be famous throughout the world!

Chapter Twenty-Seven: A Comeback Meets Another Waterloo

The talented men and women were silent for a moment, then someone whispered to a close friend, "Why is he reciting Master Xue's poems?"

"They probably didn't understand the rules."

"This attendant beside Young Master Xue doesn't seem very bright."

"Shh! That's impolite, even though it does sound silly."

"Why don't you continue reading? Aren't there still several more?"

"He probably doesn't recognize some of the characters, but I must say, Young Master Xue's calligraphy is elegant and unrestrained, truly exceptional!"

……

Fang Anyi couldn't help but rub his forehead. That was the only bad thing about Young Master Xue—he was too kind!

How can you keep such a stupid follower who can't even understand the rules by your side?

Thankfully, it was just a poem written by the master. If this had happened in any other situation, wouldn't people have laughed their heads off?

After finishing his recitation, Lin Mubai respectfully retreated to the back. He knew that the more low-key and nonchalant he was at this moment, the more he could highlight his hidden strength.

As is customary, the crowd began to whisper among themselves.

Next comes the exhilarating moment when numerous beauties are eager to offer themselves to him, and talented men praise and befriend him.

All you need to do is remain humble and accept praise calmly.

What if many beautiful women are vying to marry you, bringing generous dowries and crying out that they will only marry you?

Which one should I choose and which one should I skip?

It's a pity there weren't any mysterious guests like those in novels at the banquet. Otherwise, I could have considered marrying a princess as my first wife, and other beauties would have to compete for the position of concubine. That would have been wonderful!

Lin Mubai was lost in thought and didn't notice his master, Xue Jiangchen, giving his pageboy, Han Hong, a meaningful look.

Han Hong immediately understood, secretly kicked him and whispered, "You shameful piece of trash! Get out of here, stop embarrassing me!"

"I..." He was about to retort when he turned his head and saw Han Hong's fist, which was as big as a bowl, and immediately cowered, dawdling as he walked downstairs.

As he walked, Lin Mubai was still shouting in his heart: Stop being so shocked! Which talented man or beautiful woman is going to stop me? If this guy drags me down there, I'm sure I'll suffer some physical pain!

However, even after they left the gate of Jiu Xian Ju, not a single person said anything to stop them!

He mustered his courage and asked, "Weren't the poems I just recited good enough? Why did you kick me out?"

"It's a good poem, but you didn't write it!" Han Hong thought to himself, annoyed that Han Hong couldn't even understand the rules and had embarrassed his master. He said coldly, "If you can't speak properly, then speak less. Don't embarrass your master!"

Didn't you do it yourself?

The pageboy's words were like a bolt from the blue. No wonder those people in the hall were staring at him with strange looks when he left. So that means...

What dynasty have I traveled to?

Why is it that we didn't learn about these things in history books, but they have poems that have been passed down to us?!