Chapter 1 Not Worth Elaborating

It was simply because Liu Yimin knew too little about *juren* (a successful candidate in the imperial examination at the provincial level) and *jinshi* (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations); to him, a *xiucai* (one who passed the county-level imperial exam) was already a huge figure.

Liu Li Village wasn't close to the county government. The old *xiucai* decisively invited Jiang Chen to accompany him to the county government.

Jiang Chen didn't refuse. He returned to Liu Yimin's house to retrieve the carriage and went to the county government with the old *xiucai*.

Seeing Jiang Chen and the others following closely, the old *xiucai*'s heart completely settled.

Leaving immediately was a trick he played.

He was afraid that Jiang Chen would agree readily but then find an opportunity to slip away, so he suggested leaving together.

Now it seemed that he had worried too much.

That kind of aura couldn't be faked by a swindler.

Thinking of this, the old *xiucai* had the same thought as before.

He whispered to the woman in the carriage, "I remember you have a good sister, Bai Mudan (White Peony). When we get to the county, you go find her and remember to have her call me adoptive father."

The woman gave a coquettish sound and said, "Master, isn't it enough to have me, Hong Mudan (Red Peony)? I can also call you adoptive father."

"What do you know!"

The old *xiucai* scolded in a low voice, "It's for that *jinshi* (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) behind us."

"For the *jinshi* master?"

Hong Mudan exclaimed in surprise, her face filled with envy.

"Keep your voice down!"

The old *xiucai* was startled. "Remember what I said? When the time comes, you can be the mother-in-law of a *jinshi* master."

Hong Mudan became excited upon hearing this.

Although the two tried to keep their voices down, to Jiang Chen and the others, it was no different from a loud conspiracy.

Jing Yue's eyebrows shot up in anger.

What Bai Mudan and Hong Mudan? They didn't sound like proper women at all. They actually wanted to send them to His Majesty?

Jiang Chen also felt disgusted.

He didn't accept just anyone.

The old *xiucai* was fantasizing about the good things to come, completely unaware that his plan would cost him his life.

They entered the county in the late afternoon. There were constantly more people on the streets, but definitely not too few.

Seeing this scene, Jiang Chen nodded in satisfaction.

Putting everything else aside, at least it didn't have the problems of the previous few counties they had passed through.

Zhao Ting drove the carriage, following the old *xiucai*'s carriage and stopped in front of a restaurant.

The old *xiucai* got out of the carriage, came to Jiang Chen's carriage, and said, "Sir, this is the best restaurant in the county."

Jiang Chen nodded expressionlessly.

He came here with the old *xiucai* to see the old *xiucai*'s brother and nephew-in-law, not to eat and drink.

Seeing that Jiang Chen had no objections, the old *xiucai* was overjoyed.

"Sir, please! I've already sent someone to invite my brother and the county magistrate. Let's go upstairs first."

Jiang Chen followed the old *xiucai* into the restaurant and found that Hong Mudan had disappeared.

The old *xiucai* asked for an elegant room with a railing, invited Jiang Chen to sit in the seat of honor, and then personally poured tea for the three of them before sitting down.

After sitting down, the old *xiucai* looked out at the street through the window and said with a smile, "Sir, in this situation, my poetic inspiration is overflowing. Please correct me."

He stood up and swayed his head, "The cold sun urges travelers, the clouds turn high above the city. No sound accompanies the jade dust, I imagine waving a writing brush at the end of the sky."

After speaking, the old *xiucai* smiled triumphantly and said, "I wonder what sir thinks?"

Of the three people present, Jing Yue was born in the Dark Guard. No one could match her in intelligence gathering, assassination, and protection, but she knew nothing about poetry and prose.

Zhao Ting was a martial artist. Besides understanding some military tactics, he also knew nothing about poetry.

Although Jiang Chen had studied it in his previous life, he couldn't really explain it in detail.

However, Jiang Chen could still judge whether this poem was good or bad.

After all, what he had learned in his previous life were all masterpieces.

Seeing the old *xiucai*'s proud face, Jiang Chen snorted indifferently, "Utter nonsense."

The smugness on the old *xiucai*'s face instantly froze, and then his old face turned from green to red, red to white, and finally, all sorts of colors constantly changed.

Obviously, Jiang Chen's "utter nonsense" comment made him very angry.

But precisely because Jiang Chen was a *jinshi* in his eyes, his status was much higher than his, and he couldn't vent his anger.

With great difficulty, he calmed down and put on a look of listening to instructions. "Please tell me in detail."

"Utter nonsense is utter nonsense, what's there to explain in detail?"

Jiang Chen glanced at the old *xiucai* with contempt. "Does a pile of dog shit need to be evaluated? Just throw it away!"

"Pfft--"

Jing Yue, who was beside him, couldn't help but laugh.

Zhao Ting laughed even louder, slapping the table.

The old *xiucai*'s breathing instantly became heavy.

Jiang Chen's merciless evaluation was unacceptable to him.

If it weren't for Jiang Chen's status as a *jinshi* in his eyes, he would have argued with Jiang Chen.

With great difficulty, he suppressed the anger in his heart and said, "Then please write a poem, sir, so that this student can learn from it."

He adopted a very humble posture. He was very satisfied with this poem, but it was evaluated by Jiang Chen in such a way that he couldn't accept it.

He wanted to see what kind of good poem Jiang Chen could write.

Jiang Chen had no interest in writing poetry for someone like the old *xiucai*. Without even looking at the old *xiucai*, he said, "There's no need."

This was definitely a great humiliation, and the old *xiucai*'s old face instantly turned red.

At this moment, footsteps came from outside the door. The old *xiucai* recognized them as his brother's footsteps.

He calmed himself down and went out to greet him.

"I heard from the servant that you met a *jinshi* master?" The old *xiucai*'s brother asked quickly.

The old *xiucai* nodded, but then shook his head.

Jiang Chen's refusal just now made him feel a trace of doubt.

He lowered his voice and said, "Test him."

The old *xiucai*'s brother understood and followed the old *xiucai* into the room.

Jiang Chen was drinking tea when he saw an old man who looked very similar to the old *xiucai* walk in.

"This must be the *jinshi* master that my younger brother mentioned, right? This official is He Runli." The old *xiucai*'s brother said.

Jiang Chen nodded and didn't speak.

He had already heard what the old *xiucai* had said outside.

Seeing that Jiang Chen neither said his name nor answered, He Runli couldn't help but become suspicious.

"I just heard my younger brother say that he was discussing poetry with you, sir?"

He Runli smiled and said, "I also happen to be very interested in this. Runyi, what was the theme of the poem you just wrote?"

He Runyi said, "The theme was the street scene."

He Runli pondered slightly and then said, "The street drums boom to announce the clear dawn, the neighbor's firecrackers resound through the night. Old age makes one lazy in all things, illness makes only medicine famous."

After speaking, He Runli cupped his hands towards Jiang Chen. "Please give us some pointers, sir."

Jiang Chen nodded. "Sounds a little better than the utter nonsense from before."

He Runyi, who was beside him, was savoring He Runli's poem when he heard Jiang Chen's evaluation of his poem again and was so angry that he almost vomited blood.

He Runli glanced at his younger brother, unable to imagine how bad his poem was.