Chapter 318: Reunion

No matter how unwilling Pei Chuyun was, the ranking on the fixed list was not within her control; that was the Demon-Suppressing Bureau's own affair. She had merely been invited to write poetry.

Her poem could endorse the list, offsetting the sense of foul play from the Demon-Suppressing Bureau rigging the ranking to place their own official's son at number one. After all, her reputation as the number one talented lady of the Capital was well-known, and her background was that of the Pei family... Of course, she could refuse, leaving the Demon-Suppressing Bureau's scheme in vain.

But Pei Chuyun gritted her teeth and ultimately did not refuse.

"Just a new talent, a junior, hmph." Pei Chuyun rolled her eyes: "Putting her on the list is a trivial matter, but are you sure you want me to write it?"

The Editor said: "That goes without saying... uh, but you know, a forcibly twisted melon is best left alone; this would damage Young Lady Pei's reputation."

Pei Chuyun stroked her chin, picked up her brush, and changed a line: "Then let's go with this one."

The Editor leaned in to look: "Watermelons are enough to quench thirst, slicing open the skin of Green Jade." (Note: This line of poetry truly exists, from Fang Hui's "Autumn Harvest".)

The Editor's expression twitched: "Young Lady Pei, this..."

Pei Chuyun smiled mischievously: "How wonderful, I've even written her beloved Green Jade Garden into it."

"But you are slicing her Green Jade apart!"

"Do you still want me to write it or not?" Pei Chuyun threatened: "Do you want Young Lady Sheng to be mocked by a few critical remarks, or do you want the public to question the Demon-Suppressing Bureau rigging the system to force their own daughter to be number one? You choose."

The Editor wiped cold sweat from his brow: "But this won't pass the review on Head Sheng's side either; it's not something I can just decide..."

Pei Chuyun pouted: "You insist on praising her, do you?"

"Not exactly... just be objective, just be objective is fine."

"Praise her then." Pei Chuyun thought for a moment and changed another line: "Sighing that the Gourd Star has no equal, chanting of the Cowherd Star's solitude."

"Is this acceptable now?" Pei Chuyun glanced at him sideways: "Both the Gourd Star and the Cowherd Star are celestial bodies; this not only highlights Young Lady Sheng's unique beauty shining like a lone star, but also expresses the unrivaled status of the number one new talent. If you say this isn't acceptable again, this Young Lady is quitting."

The Editor was overjoyed: "This is good, this is good, let's use it!"

"Hmph, hmph." Pei Chuyun guessed he couldn't see the malice in her cursing that Young Lady Sheng Sheng Yuanyao would have no one to marry her, and her gaze fell directly on the name Lu Xingzhou.

According to the rules, once one stood out from the New Talent List and ascended to the Heroes List, a critical remark should be given.

But looking at the line "On the path, the gentleman is like jade; in the world, the young master is unmatched," Pei Chuyun could not bring herself to delete it and change it to something else.

"The path has been walked to a dead end." Pei Chuyun bit her lower lip: "It's so annoying, how did she write this line first?"

"Never mind, keep that line, I'll add another one." Pei Chuyun thought for a moment, dipped her brush in ink, and added a line: "When the revelry ends, return by moonlight; at dawn, untie the travel satchel."

After finishing the stroke, she herself felt it was ominous; how could the travel satchel be untied?

Besides, this is a critical remark for the Heroes List, not a love poem; it would be better to be serious.

So she crossed it out and changed it to another line: "The place where rivers and seas soar, the boat moves while the shore shifts."

After writing this line, she was quite satisfied—he should not have been competing on the New Talent List at all, but should be soaring in the vast rivers and seas; this boat moving while the shore shifts is precisely the expectation for his departure from the New Talent List and ascent to the Heroes List.

It was truly exhausting a mother's heart, it was just a pity she couldn't sneak in any personal agenda.

Never mind, the line for Sheng Sheng Yuanyao was already full of personal agenda; for the rest, she would just give the Demon-Suppressing Bureau some face.

The Editor watching from the side was also quite pleased; this line truly fit the critical remark that should be written for the Heroes List, they had hired the right person! To be honest, the line "On the path, the gentleman is like jade" didn't fit at all; just that line alone had been criticized by the public behind their backs for who knows how long... but since their own Young Lady Sheng wrote it, no one dared to refute it.

As for A Nuo's... Pei Chuyun hesitated for a moment and asked the Editor: "Does everyone have to be written about?"

The Editor said: "There is no such rule; for some people we are not even familiar with, how could we possibly write comments for all of them?"

Pei Chuyun nodded: "Then it is best not to write about Lu Lu Nuonuo at all. No matter what is written, it is easy to draw more attention to her, and Lu Xingzhou may not wish for that. After all, she is a child; too much attention is not good, and a child's appearance itself possesses great deceptive power; do not destroy that."

The Editor agreed, but felt strange in his heart nonetheless.

What is this? You are an external hire brought in to write poetry, yet you are considering these matters... Are you our Head? Or are you Lu Lu Nuonuo's mother?

Pei Chuyun would never tell him her true intention was simply that she didn't want to waste brainpower on that brat at all; the incident at Danxia Mountain where the brat tricked her into consuming a massive amount of essence was something she could never forget.

Using public power for private gain is indeed comfortable; no wonder so many people sharpen their heads trying to become officials.

In a good mood, Pei Chuyun browsed the materials again, casually scribbled a perfunctory line for a few other changed figures, and indeed did not ask for a writing fee, before gracefully slipping away.

The Editor looked at the manuscript, was quite satisfied, and took it to Sheng Qingfeng for review.

Sheng Qingfeng browsed it once, then looked up at the Editor with deep meaning: "Do you agree with the line Pei Chuyun wrote for Yao'er?"

"Yes."

"You are also chanting of her solitude?"

The Editor puffed out his chest: "Young Lady Sheng should be aloof and admire herself; who can match her?"

Sheng Qingfeng said: "Are you cursing that my daughter will have no one to marry her?"

The Editor: "?"

"Very well, let it be this line. If she has no one to marry her, then so be it; it is better than being someone's concubine." Sheng Qingfeng waved his brush: "Approved."

The Editor immediately took the manuscript to be printed, specifically instructing: "Must be added: Chief Writer of the Critical Remark: Young Lady Pei Chuyun."

The Clerk asked: "Then what about you?"

"I will hang the name of Editor; why compete with others for Chief Writer? Just print 'Editor Beihe'."

When Lu Xingzhou arrived in the Capital with A Nuo, the new phase of the Heroes List had already spread by wind and rumor.

As soon as Lu Xingzhou entered the Capital, he heard someone asking "What melon, what melon," and hearing this, the master and disciple immediately squeezed over to eat the melon.