Chapter 35: First Volume, Chapter 35: One Poem Sets the Stage

First Volume, Chapter 35: One Poem Sets the Stage

Shen Qingci had great confidence in the poem "Zui Hua Yin · Bo Wu Nong Yun Chou Yong Zhou," but the stakes of her wager with the Qiyang Princess were too high; her heart trembled with unease. If anything went wrong, losing Qingya Pavilion was nothing—but if Qin Feng's legs were truly broken, how could she explain it to her father?

Seeing Shen Qingci hesitate, Li Ninghui's eyes lit up and she sneered at once: "Shen Qingci, you're not afraid, are you? You talk louder than you sing—I actually thought you had some real talent! Princess, this fellow is clearly in cahoots with Qin Feng, publicly mocking you!"

At these words, the onlookers who had been waiting for this moment erupted in clamor.

"Miss Shen, whether it's a donkey or a horse, take it out and let it run."

"Exactly! As Pavilion Master of Qingya Pavilion, a celebrated talent of Jingdu, don't you even have this much courage?"

"Qing Ci, have you merely understood the Princess's intentions but not yet had time to write the poem? Why not just tell the Princess outright and ask for more time?"

Hearing the rising tide of murmurs around her, the Qiyang Princess's face darkened further. Her words had already been spoken—if Shen Qingci failed to deliver a satisfactory response, she would show no mercy. As a princess of the imperial clan, how could she tolerate such mockery?

"Hmph! In the end, you're just a cowardly fraud—strong on the outside, weak within! Someone, get me—"

Just as the Qiyang Princess lost all patience and prepared to order the destruction of Qingya Pavilion, Shen Qingci raised the poem scroll above her head with her right hand, gripped only one end, and slightly loosened her fingers—the scroll naturally unfurled and hung down.

Shen Qingci's elegant, beautiful calligraphy, paired with the inkwork copied by Qin Feng, leapt into view before the crowd.

At the same time, Shen Qingci's clear, refined voice echoed throughout Qingya Pavilion: "Drunk Flower Shadow · Plucking the Silkworm, Sorrowing Over the Brocade… The sharp blade at the waist, the festival is Chongyang, the hairpin pierces the window, half the night two places worry. East Li eight wine dusk after, again dark sound shadow sleeve, do not say not laugh soul, roll curtain west wind, people than yellow flower thin."

The previously noisy scene fell instantly silent.

As if only her clear voice lingered, echoing for days without fading.

Everyone present, except servants and attendants, were literati and scholars; they needed no deep analysis to sense the poem's quality—just one hearing was enough. Precisely because they were all experts, the silence that followed was almost uncanny—no one praised it.

Only when a chorus of delighted cries came from outside the gate did the stillness of Qingya Pavilion break—the female students of Shenglin Academy had arrived upon hearing the news, just in time to hear Shen Qingci recite the poem, and erupted in excitement.

"Wow! Such a poem! The words radiate loneliness and sorrow, resonating deep within the heart! This poem must have been written by a married woman—we haven't experienced it ourselves, yet we feel it as if it were our own…"

"Dragon-brain incense curls in the golden beast brazier, drunk upon jade pillow and gauze curtains, drinking at the eastern fence until dusk, chrysanthemum fragrance filling both sleeves, the west wind lifts the curtain—but only the increasingly emaciated beauty remains… What kind of experience, what kind of delicate emotion, could produce such a heart-wrenching poem? No wonder she's Qin Feng's sister—Miss Shen truly deserves the title of Jingdu's foremost talent!"

"Qin Feng's 'Chu Sai' uplifts the spirit of our Shedynasty's men! Miss Shen's 'Zui Hua Yin · Bo Wu Nong Yun Chou Yong Zhou' expresses the delicate emotions of our Shedynasty's women! Wow—are the Qin family members all demons? How can their literary talent be so astonishing?"

The female students gathered outside the gate blushed deeply, their eyes filled with admiration, showering praise without restraint, as if they wished to lift the Qin siblings to the heavens.

At this moment, Qin Xiaofu finally understood what a "support group" meant.

The Qiyang Princess's eyes sparkled brightly—everyone in Jingdu knew that the Marquis of An and the Chang Princess were a Tianzao Terrain match! Yet heaven envied their talent and left behind only an orphaned mother and child. This "Zui Hua Yin · Bo Wu Nong Yun Chou Yong Zhou" was clearly written for the Chang Princess—every phrase, every image, was seamless!

Mother would surely love this inkwork!

Though the Qiyang Princess was famously domineering, she was also remarkably open-minded. Now satisfied, her resentment and anger vanished instantly; her face flushed with excitement, she rushed forward, snatched the scroll, treated it like a priceless treasure, carefully rolled it up, and turned sharply to her Servant.

"What are you standing there for? Bring the money!"

The Servant did not dare delay and immediately handed over a roll of Silver Notes; the Qiyang Princess shoved them straight into Shen Qingci's hands, beaming.

"No wonder you're Jingdu's foremost talent—your reputation is well-deserved! Not even a thousand taels per character is too much—ten thousand taels would still be worth it! Sister Shen, we must keep in close contact from now on."

Though Shen Qingci loved literary arts, she was no fool; she understood the importance of cultivating connections in Jingdu's world of fame and fortune. Yet as Qin Family's Yi Nu, spending her days with ink and brush, she had never had the chance to befriend Jingdu's elite. Now that the Qiyang Princess had extended this goodwill, Shen Qingci was utterly astonished and nodded vigorously in agreement.

Yet her heart was filled with complex emotions—only Shen Qingci knew that this poem came from Qin Feng's hand; this stroke of fortune, this glory that now echoed through Jingdu, was entirely due to Qin Feng.

Simply from this literary brilliance, Shen Qingci's resentment toward Qin Feng had vanished; she turned to him with a look of gratitude.

At this moment, Qin Feng sat with one leg crossed over the other, spitting on his fingers, clacking away at his abacus, his eyes nearly turned into coin holes, grinning and smacking his lips: "Seventy-two characters—the Qiyang Princess and Li Ninghui each bought half the scroll—that's over one hundred and eight thousand taels of Silver! Wow, making money is this 'so easy'? If this keeps up, I can just sell poems and forget all other business!"

Shu Feng and Xiao Xiangxiang, standing nearby, exchanged smirks—Qin Feng's money-grubbing image clashed absurdly with this refined setting, yet somehow seemed oddly endearing.

Qin Xiaofu stood faithfully beside Qin Feng, playing the loyal lackey, constantly offering his "pearl-and-jade chained farts": "In all my years, I've never seen anyone earn so much money with just a flick of the finger—not just in Jingdu, but across the entire Shedynasty, my Young Master is unmatched."

"Young Master, my admiration for you flows like the mighty Yellow River, boundless and unstoppable," Qin Xiaofu clung tightly to Qin Feng's thigh, perfectly embodying the role of a sycophantic villain.

Qin Feng knew it was flattery, but he loved every word—he patted Qin Xiaofu's head and pulled out a Silver Note, shoving it into his hand with a serious face: "Keep going! I love hearing this flattery."

One was a decadent wastrel of a Young Master; the other, a groveling sycophant.

Seeing this master and servant, one understood exactly what "wolf and dog in collusion" meant.

Shen Qingci's face turned as dark as ink.