611: Admission to the poetry reading

However, it was not difficult to guess.

They had seen the situation of the Ning family with their own eyes these past few days.

Now that the Ning family was on the verge of collapse, it was not surprising that Ning Buxiu would turn around and 'grovel' to him like this.

"Oh, our Young Master of the Zhou family has arrived?" Suddenly, Wang Shang's sarcastic voice emerged.

The words of the person beside him, a standard villain's remark towards the protagonist, caused Ning Buxiu to look over.

Reflected in the lanterns outside the Wanhua Brothel, it was the first time Ning Buxiu had seen this familiar yet unfamiliar protagonist.

Wearing a simple cotton coat and a mink scarf around his neck, beneath his normal attire was a slightly stern face.

If he were in the book, Ning Buxiu would feel that this character he created was very familiar and kind, but seeing the other person here with his own eyes, after their gazes met those cold eyes, Ning Buxiu could only feel icy coldness!

He seemed to see the scene where this guy grew to a terrifying strength in the future, then hammered him into the mud, leaving only a puddle of Rotten meat!

Given his current position, once this protagonist became powerful, his ending was destined!

"There are quite a few dogs in Five Directions City; I've run into three as soon as I arrived." Facing Wang Shang's sarcasm, Zhou Wuji responded without the slightest fear.

"You!" Wang Shang's eyes widened, and he was about to step forward.

However, Qiong Juanshu, who was beside him, pulled him back: "Brother Wang, there's no need to be impulsive. I heard that this eldest son of the Zhou family has been obsessed with martial arts recently. Why bother stooping to the level of such a brainless brute?"

"I just don't understand why this martial artist, Zhou Wuji, dares to come to the poetry gathering at the Wanhua Brothel. Can he even produce a single poem?!"

While Qiong Juanshu was advising Wang Shang, the ridicule in his words towards Zhou Wuji was completely undisguised.

He even raised his voice, drawing the attention of the people around them.

Ning Buxiu's expression was strange as he listened. If he remembered correctly, what Qiong Juanshu said should have been his line.

Many people's gazes shifted between the three of them and Zhou Wuji, vaguely guessing the identities of these four.

But at this moment, a woman's gentle voice broke the brief, confrontational silence.

"This Princess has already seen the poems written by Duke Zhou."

"In this Princess's opinion, Duke Zhou's poems can be called immortal and will be sung for ages! He is also the most talented poet this Princess has seen from childhood to adulthood!"

The woman's voice, clearly siding with Zhou Wuji, caused the expressions of the surrounding people to change.

"This humble official greets Seventh Princess!" Among the crowd, the County Magistrate, who had been watching the show with cold eyes, hurriedly bowed when he saw the woman who appeared.

"Princess?" Looking at the respect shown by the County Magistrate and other local officials not far away, Qiong Juanshu looked at the woman in front of him again, realizing she was a significant figure, and couldn't help but swallow.

But the woman didn't spare the three on Ning Buxiu's side another glance: "No literary master should be subjected to slanderous words."

Saying this, the woman turned and looked at Zhou Wuji beside her: "Duke Zhou, how do you think this person should be dealt with?"

The woman's demeanor and questioning words sent shivers down the spines of the people around her.

They didn't expect Seventh Princess to so openly protect a Man.

Looking again at Zhou Wuji, who stood still without speaking, everyone developed a new thought: he was not to be provoked.

"I don't like it when people mock or curse me; I hold grudges easily that way," Zhou Wuji flexed his wrist and slowly walked towards Qiong Juanshu: "But I don't like holding grudges, because I usually settle scores on the spot!"

After he finished speaking...

"Slap! Slap! Slap!"

Several crisp slaps exploded in the ears of everyone outside the Wanhua Brothel.

And Qiong Juanshu, who was slapped, felt waves of burning pain!

The gazes of the surrounding people trampled his highly valued dignity fiercely onto the ground!

"Zhou Wuji!" Qiong Juanshu was almost out of control, his eyes red, and he was about to rush forward and fight with the person who had publicly slapped his face.

Wang Shang quickly pulled him back.

"Brother Qiong! The current situation clearly shows that Seventh Princess is vouching for Zhou Wuji. If you go up and hit Zhou Wuji, let alone yourself, even your Qiong family, and Ning brother and I, will suffer the consequences!"

Wang Shang lowered his voice, his tone urgent, and roared into Qiong Juanshu's ear.

His words helped Qiong Juanshu regain some of his lost reason.

"Oh dear, why is it already so lively before the poetry gathering has even begun?" A soft, unrestrained voice emerged from within the Wanhua Brothel.

The County Magistrate and others outside the building, seeing this person, again bowed subserviently: "Greetings, Yuwen Gongzi!"

There were two important figures at tonight's poetry gathering.

One was Seventh Princess, and the other was this Yuwen Gongzi!

"Oh, no more arguing? It seems I arrived late and missed the show." The Man called Yuwen Gongzi scratched his ear, then his gaze fell on Seventh Princess: "But although I didn't make it in time to watch the show, I clearly heard Princess praising someone as a literary master?"

Saying this, the Man's gaze swept over the people in front of him.

A pair of eyes that had looked down on others since childhood gave off a strong pressure like a wild beast: "That person who received the Princess's high praise, is it you?"

Suddenly, Yuwen Mingxuan's gaze, full of inexplicable meaning, landed on Zhou Wuji.

Facing this gaze, Zhou Wuji met it neither obsequiously nor arrogantly, his expression unchanged: "Yes, it is I."

"Hahaha, good, truly genuine!" Yuwen Mingxuan laughed heartily, but then, his tone suddenly took a sharp turn downwards, carrying a hint of coldness: "But the title of literary master has never been something a young person could bear. Friend, by what right do you claim it?!"

"Yuwen Mingxuan! Zhou Wuji is the only poet I have recruited, watch what you say!" The gentle woman couldn't stand this situation and warned the young Man at the door with a look.

"Oh?" Hearing this, the Man at the door's expression slightly froze.

He looked at Zhou Wuji, then at Seventh Princess: "Just him alone? To compete in poetry with the dozens under my banner?"

"Why not?" Seventh Princess said coldly.

Since hearing that poem in the evening and contemplating it repeatedly upon returning, Seventh Princess increasingly felt that this Zhou Wuji, the eldest son of the Zhou family, was a literary giant of the current age!

For a poetry competition, having him alone was enough!

"Good, good, good, hahaha... I'm really looking forward to this Duke Zhou's literary talent now!" Yuwen Mingxuan laughed several times, then looked at the crowd outside the Wanhua Brothel: "Everyone, please come in. It's cold now, and the dishes will get cold."

"This should be the Son of the Governor, right? Why does it feel like his status and authority are even higher than Seventh Princess? The County Magistrate was almost kneeling just now." Wang Shang looked at the crowd that was gradually streaming in and swallowed.

"Yuwen Mingxuan, the Son of the Governor, his uncle is Prince Bingjian in the North, and since Prince Bingjian has no children, this Yuwen Gongzi can be said to be Prince Bingjian's own son."

"His biological Father is the Governor, his biological uncle is Prince Bingjian, and he's even playmates with the current Crown Prince. This Yuwen Gongzi's status is not inferior to that of an ordinary Prince!"

Qiong Juanshu, whose face was still burning with pain, explained to Wang Shang at this moment.

In his words, there was also a hint of schadenfreude and hatred.

Clearly, Zhou Wuji being targeted by this Yuwen Gongzi was something he was happy to see.

"Duke Zhou... don't put too much pressure on yourself." Seventh Princess looked at the Man beside her, then said somewhat apologetically: "I should have recruited more poets. Having you alone compete in poetry with a group of them was really a lack of consideration."

"It's fine." Zhou Wuji waved his hand dismissively: "They're just a bunch of useless trash."

Hearing the Man's words, the woman looked over and saw the poets with bulging bellies in the distance, couldn't help but be amused, covered her mouth and chuckled softly, her eyes looking at the Man before her subtly filled with admiration.

Ancient Tomb site.

In the tent.

The White-Haired Old Man, who was in charge of the overall archaeological project, finished the last stroke of his brush and slowly let out a breath of relief.

"I heard there's a poetry gathering at the Wanhua Brothel tonight. Quickly send these poems over!"

"The golden lines of poetry left by the ancients should be thoroughly promoted and displayed at the Wanhua Brothel's poetry gathering, so that the world understands that our World still has Li Bai and Du Fu, these two great sages!"

The White-Haired Old Man said grandly, and also handed the papers with dried ink on the table to his assistant beside him.

For publicity, only copied papers were needed.

As for the original manuscripts on the bamboo slips next to him, they must be carefully stored at the Jiangnan Academy without any carelessness.