Shui Yun was a woman in her twenties, with a soft and melodious voice. She recited word by word the lines that still lingered in her mind: “A golden cup of the purest wine costs a thousand coins. A jade plate of delicacies costs a million…..”

Just a few words depicted a grand and luxurious banquet scene. These sentences alone revealed the poet’s talent. 

“Wonderful!” An Wuji’s eyes suddenly lit up, and his back straightened slightly.

Qin Chaoyang nodded in agreement. 

Shui Yun continued: “I put down my cup and chopsticks, unable to eat. I draw my sword and look around, my heart bewildered……”

Qin Xiao’s eyes gradually darkened, and he tapped the table lightly with his index finger.

“I fish in a jade green stream at my leisure, and suddenly dream of a boat at the sun’s edge…..”

An Wuji let out a light breath, as if the depression brought on by the previous lines had eased at this moment.

Finally, Shui Yun recited her favorite line, which was also the last one: “There will be a time to ride the wind and waves, and set sail to cross the vast ocean!”

Her soft, pleasant voice became strident and powerful when she recited this final line.

“Good!” An Wuji stood and turned around in place. “What a great poem! This poet Li Bai is truly a genius, no wonder he became an immortal!”

He himself believed in the supernatural, and after Chu Jiubian predicted the weather correctly two times, he no longer harbored any doubts as to his identity as a god, and sincerely regarded him as an immortal descended to earth.

And after hearing this poem, he believed even more in the existence of the immortal realm and this heroic “Immortal Poet.”

Qin Chaoyang had a steady personality and was able to keep his composure better than An Wuji, but after listening to this poem, he was not composed at all.

Could an ordinary person really write something with such bold poetic talent?

Could it be that this Immortal Poet really existed?

He raised his eyes toward Qin Xiao sitting in the main seat. The other party wore a slight frown, his thoughts on the matter obscure.

An Wuji paid no attention to the reactions of the other two. Still abuzz with excitement, he said to Shui Yun: “What about the other poem? Let’s hear the poem by Li Qingzhao, the Scholar of Serenity.”

Shui Yun did so. 

In fact, compared to the poem just now, she secretly liked the words of this Scholar of Serenity more.

She closed her eyes partway as a slender, graceful figure seemed to gradually emerge in her mind, blurred by the misty clouds.

“The fragrance of the red lotus fades, and my jade mat holds the chill of autumn. I take off my silk dress and board the orchid boat alone.” The girl’s melodious voice was truly suitable for reciting such words. An Wuji, still immersed in excitement, couldn’t help but calm down and sit back in his chair.

“…..Flowers fall and water flows, one kind of longing, and two kinds of idle worries.”

Qin Xiao’s eyes narrowed slightly.

An Wuji couldn’t help but look at Qin Chaoyang, and they both glanced at Qin Xiao.

“There is no way to dispel this feeling. It has only just left my brow, yet still it lingers in my heart.” As Shui Yun recited the last sentence, she had to admire it again. This poem was written so beautifully.

An Wuji was a rough man, but he could still hear the beauty in these lines and feel the moving emotions contained within them.

It was only that……this was a love poem, ah.

He couldn’t help but think of the “love tribulation” Chu Jiubian had mentioned at the coronation ceremony yesterday.

Even though he didn’t know the specific meaning of a love tribulation, these two words were easy to understand. It obviously referred to Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao being in love, but that there were some hardships and tribulations in the relationship.

When he heard it yesterday, he hadn’t taken it to heart.

But today, when he heard the recitation of these yearning words, the term “love tribulation” lingered in his mind.

Could…..could it be that Chu Jiubian deliberately passed this on to Lord Ning-wang?

The more he thought about it, the more the images in his mind began to spin out of control. He seemed to see Chu Jiubian, with that pale, beautiful face, standing thin and frail above the clouds. And due to his yearning for their Lord Ning-wang, he leaped directly from the sky and threw himself into their lord’s arms…..

Qin Chaoyang didn’t possess such a rich, vivid imagination. His concerns lay elsewhere.

He asked Shui Yun: “Is this Scholar of Serenity Li Qingzhao a woman?”

Just going by these lines, such delicate, beautiful thoughts could only have come from a woman.

As expected, Shui Yun replied with a nod: “The Young Master said that this Scholar of Serenity is a woman, and one of the most famous poets in their world of immortals.”

One of.

Meaning that there were more poets like her.

Qin Chaoyang: “Understood. You may leave first.”

Once Shui Yun left, Qin Chaoyang said to Qin Xiao: “My Lord, these two poems could not have been written by the same person, so they were probably not written by the Young Master himself.”

“And the people I sent checked everywhere they could, but they didn’t find any hints about the Young Master’s identity. Instead, they found that various forces are doing the same.”

He saw Qin Xiao’s indifferent expression and stopped himself from speaking further.

Qin Xiao chuckled: “You really think he’s a god?”

“This subordinate just can’t figure it out,” Qin Chaoyang said with a frown. “Anyone capable of writing such poetry couldn’t possibly be unknown, but after much thought, I can’t guess which of those many well-known men and women possess such poetic talent.”

An Wuji finally extracted himself from his musings and said: “What if they’re hermits living in the mountains?”

In fact, he was already completely certain that Chu Jiubian was a god. But since Qin Xiao didn’t believe it, he wouldn’t dare offend him openly.

Qin Chaoyang’s expression grew more serious: “If there really are such masters, the force behind them might be something we have never discovered.”

And it was clear that the other forces knew nothing about Chu Jiubian’s identity. So how powerful must the force behind these people be to hide them so well?

How many great people were there like this Immortal Poet and Scholar of Serenity?

Qin Xiao’s thoughts ran along a similar vein.

If such a force really existed, what was their goal?

Was the power that was able to control his body yesterday also related to this mysterious force?

An Wuji looked at Qin Chaoyang, then at Qin Xiao: “Why are you so concerned?”

“Of course we’re concerned.” Qin Chaoyang explained: “If such a force really exists, there’s no telling if it will hinder our important undertaking.”

Their ultimate goal was to completely suppress the princes and noble families until they were no longer able to cause trouble, and to create a prosperous and peaceful era for the young emperor.

Therefore, they had to be cautious in every move they made.

But after listening to his explanation, An Wuji was still not as anxious as him. Instead, he kept giving Qin Xiao strange looks.

Qin Xiao sent him a cool glance.

An Wuji frowned, lost in thought.

Qin Xiao: “Speak.”

An Wuji’s expression momentarily froze. He glanced up at him and gave a dry laugh, saying: “Actually, I don’t think there is anything to worry about.”

“Why is that?” Qin Chaoyang asked quickly. He had a feeling he knew what it was.

An Wuji said as a matter of course: “That young man obviously has feelings for our Lord. Besides, he’s in our hands now. As long as we treat him well, the force behind him will definitely stand with us, ah.”

Wasn’t this the case with marriage between powerful people?

Qin Chaoyang was stunned from the moment he heard the first sentence exit his mouth.

The room fell into a long silence.

An Wuji felt that his words were correct, and couldn’t help but say: “My Lord, is this subordinate right?”

Qin Xiao’s smile didn’t waver. He repeated An Wuji’s words with great interest: “That person has feelings for me.”

“That’s right.” An Wuji nodded. “He clearly wrote this love poem for you to see. He wants you to go keep him company.”

Qin Chaoyang quietly reduced his sense of presence.

He was originally a secret guard, and his sense of presence was already ridiculously low. Now, he practically disappeared from the room.

Qin Xiao said with a chuckle: “An Ping, I see you have great talent for this, so I’ll give you a mission.”

An Wuji didn’t see what talents he had aside from fighting and learning martial arts, but when he heard there was a mission, he immediately stood and bowed, saying: “Please give me your orders, My Lord.”

“Spread these two poems as widely as possible.”

An Wuji had a wild imagination, but he was never careless about serious matters and didn’t ask too many questions.

So after accepting this mission, he immediately turned and left.

Once he was gone, Qin Chaoyang said: “Once these two poems get out, those people probably won’t be able to sit still.”

If they could guess that there was a huge and mysterious force behind Chu Jiubian, others naturally would as well.

If it was Chu Jiubian alone, perhaps these people would not easily move those hidden stakes,^[1] but with the addition of another powerful force, they would have to take action.

Qin Xiao stood up with a laugh and walked out: “Since he misses me, it’s time I go pay him a visit.”

See, even His Lordship couldn’t sit still.

Qin Chaoyang wrapped the chunk of saltpeter on the table back up in the handkerchief and put it in his sleeve pocket, then followed his master.

Chu Jiubian, who had a “huge force” behind him, was currently wandering around the courtyard doing nothing.

He had originally planned to write only [The Hard Road], but feared that others would misunderstand that he was the author, so he also wrote [A Spray of Plum Blossoms]. 

The two poems had such different styles that one could tell at a glance that they could not have been written by the same person.

With such good poems and the ethereal titles of “The Immortal Poet” and “The Scholar of Serenity,” there would definitely be people who believed he was a god.

For example, the five eunuchs and palace maids in the courtyard now looked at him with sparkling eyes.

Also for example, his Faith Value had soared by five points!

Chu Jiubian was in a particularly good mood.

Even if Qin Xiao kept his poems from spreading, he had no fear, because he was confident that those two poems would lure Qin Xiao over.

And as long as he came, Chu Jiubian could negotiate.

At this time in the original novel, the treasury was empty and funds were needed everywhere. It had rained heavily these past two days, and the dam needed urgent repairs, so Qin Xiao must be worried about money.

For negotiations, it was imperative to understand the other party’s psychology and find out what he needed most.

Qin Xiao currently needed money, and Chu Jiubian happened to have a way to make money in a short period of time; Chu Jiubian needed the opportunity to freely interact with more people in the palace, and Qin Xiao could fulfill that need.

Qin Xiao would not refuse a win-win situation.

Chu Jiubian looked at his Faith Value and couldn’t help but wonder who his first Believer would be when he reached the first 100 points.

Suddenly, a palace servant’s greeting rang out from the courtyard gate: “Greetings, My Lord.”

“Young Master.” Xiao Xiangzi also hurried to tell Chu Jiubian: “Lord Ning-wang is here.”

Chu Jiubian turned to look toward the courtyard gate.

The man who’d arrived was tall and slender, with an elegant temperament. There was a faint smile on his thin lips and a burning wildfire hidden in his eyes.

Everyone in the courtyard was kneeling on the ground, and Qin Xiao spotted the only upright figure at first glance.

The young man had washed and combed his hair, and had changed out of the strange clothes he wore yesterday, but his odd hair still looked strange.

Qin Xiao leisurely approached the young man and stood in front of him. He peered at the bruises on his neck and said familiarly: “Are you feeling better?”

You’re acting very familiar.

Chu Jiubian slandered him inwardly, but was calm on the surface: “Much better.”

“That’s good,” Qin Xiao said with a smile. “Shall we go inside and talk?”

Chu Jiubian took the lead and stepped into the outer room, sitting down in the main seat behind the desk.

Qin Xiao followed him inside and glanced around the room, saying: “Just tell Xiao Xiangzi if you need anything. Don’t be polite with me.”

Chu Jiubian smiled faintly: “My Lord is so considerate.”

“As I should be.” Qin Xiao sat down on a chair next to him. “You’ve come all the way down to earth to find me, so I must treat you well.”

He spoke in a mocking tone, and there was no awe in his expression. It was clear that he still didn’t believe in Chu Jiubian’s identity as a god.

Chu Jiubian didn’t respond, and simply sat there quietly.

Since he wasn’t saying anything, Qin Xiao didn’t say anything either.

In the midst of this silence, Shui Qing and Shui Yun brought them some tea and then quietly left.

Chu Jiubian picked up the tea and took a sip, then placed the cup on the desk. His every move was graceful, just like a descendant of the Imperial family who paid absolute attention to etiquette and posture. 

Qin Xiao rubbed the ring on his finger, then stood and walked to the desk, where he took the saltpeter wrapped in a handkerchief from his sleeve and placed it on the desk’s surface.

“As you requested.” He stood before the desk with his arms folded, his gaze constantly roving across Chu Jiubian’s face so as not to miss any change in expression.

Chu Jiubian took the handkerchief and opened it, revealing mottled white stone.

It was saltpeter, but in the form of natural ore.

It needed to be processed.

If he wanted pure saltpeter, after the processing and purification of this small piece, there would be even less left.

Chu Jiubian raised his eyes to look at the other man and said with a smirk: “Is Lord Ning-wang so poor?”

Qin Xiao said frankly: “There is nothing to be done. The treasury is empty.”

Having said this, he smiled again and said: “Perhaps this immortal young master will help me?”

“Okay,” Chu Jiubian agreed decisively.

Qin Xiao paused.

Chu Jiubian’s smile deepened. He looked the man up and down and said: “I’ll help you make money, and you’ll let me out of this courtyard. What do you say?”

“A few coins won’t put out this fire,” Qin Xiao said.

“Not to worry.” Chu Jiubian said word by word: “It will be enough to build the dam.”

Minister Xiao had proposed fortifying the dam as an item of business in this morning’s court session. Chu Jiubian, who had been under constant surveillance, had no way of knowing about this matter. But he said this precisely so that Qin Xiao’s imagination would run wild.

If this happened often, the other party would believe he was a god sooner or later.

Qin Xiao’s eyes darkened for a moment before returning to normal. “Deal,” he said.

As for the rest of the things he needed, Chu Jiubian only needed to tell Xiao Xiangzi to take care of it.

The two had nothing more to say, so Qin Xiao prepared to leave.

But before he left, he paused, then turned around and asked: “Name?”

Chu Jiubian stared blankly for a moment: “Chu Jiubian.”

“Bian for ‘debate?’”

“Yes.”

“Chu Jiubian,” Qin Xiao said in a low voice, then inexplicably laughed.

Chu Jiubian looked at his back as he walked away and said quietly: “Nutjob.”

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[1] “Hidden stakes” refers to underwater stakes placed to hinder the progress of ships. It can also refer to spies or insiders. ⮐

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Chapter 7 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 9