Becoming a literary master starting from the story of Minglan

Chapter 389 Confrontation
Although surrounded by a crowd, Sheng Changquan remained observant and attentive to his surroundings.

Because those attending this literary gathering were all candidates who had already passed the imperial examinations this year, there weren't many people, and the venue wasn't particularly large. In addition, Sheng Changquan was exceptionally talented, so he had already noticed the commotion earlier.

Of course, the main reason is that Sheng Changquan is petty.

He had been paying close attention to the opponents whose opening odds were lower than his, as mentioned by Liu Renyuan and the others.

Although he appeared calm and indifferent on the surface, as if he didn't care at all, he was actually seething with hatred inside!

"So these guys are better than me? I'd like to see just how good they are?"

—Sheng Changquan always kept it in his heart.

He not only had Xu Changqing secretly gather information about them, but afterwards, he also frequently analyzed and pondered their personalities and intentions in his mind, as if he regarded them as his lifelong enemies.

Sheng Changquan, who was well-versed in the essence of the art of survival of the fittest, always believed that even a lion must go all out to hunt a rabbit, so he was naturally fully prepared at this time.

Therefore, he saw all of Zhuang Wen's provocation, An Yan's instigation, and Li Yancheng's attempt to smooth things over.

"Sheng Jieyuan! Sheng Jieyuan!"

Before they even got close, Zhuang Wen's voice came from afar: "I am Zhuang Wen, greetings to Scholar Sheng."

Remembering his boss's usual behavior, Zhuang Wen completely changed his previous arrogant demeanor. When he appeared in front of Sheng Changquan, his face was all smiles.

If Sheng Changquan hadn't noticed the commotion over there beforehand, he would have really thought Zhuang Wen was a good person.

To be honest, Sheng Changquan did know Zhuang Wen, and he also knew that Zhuang Wen was one of Li Yancheng's men.

However, one shouldn't hit a smiling face, and Sheng, who is well-versed in Machiavellian tactics, believes he still has some "magnanimity."

At this moment, he greeted them with a smile.

"Oh, it's Brother Zhuang! I, Sheng, have met you."

Sheng Changquan bowed to Zhuang Wen, his face showing no sign of anything amiss, as if he were no different from anyone else.

"Hahaha!"

"I've long heard that the seventh son of the Sheng family is exceptionally talented, but I never imagined that he would be so handsome as well!" Zhuang Wen replied with a smile, "No wonder he has won the favor of so many noble ladies in the capital."

"I suppose the whole family has already found a suitable match for you, sir?"

Zhuang Wen vaguely knew a little about Li Yancheng's inner conflict, and understood that the biggest conflict between him and Sheng Changquan was about the marriage of Shen Jun, the eldest daughter of the Shen family.

Therefore, he deliberately spoke in this way in order to find out about Sheng Changquan's marriage.

"Ok?"

Sheng Changquan narrowed his eyes and quickly glanced at Zhuang Wen opposite him, sensing that there was something more to his words.

To be honest, he really didn't know anything about Shen Jun, after all, he had never thought about it in that way.

Of course, this was also because he had not experienced these things. However, just because he did not know them did not mean that his old man, Sheng Hong, did not know them. Even the old lady Sheng, who had not been involved in outside affairs for a long time, had some guesses.

The two patriarchs knew that although their son was outstanding, his family background and other factors were not yet comparable to others, so they did not point it out and waited for things to develop naturally.

"Not at all! Brother Zhuang, you flatter me too much."

Although Sheng Changquan didn't know what the other party meant by those words, he figured that as long as things didn't continue, everything would be fine.

If the enemy wants something, just do the opposite.

Moreover, Sheng Changquan had heard such words countless times before, and he was completely unmoved. Sheng Changquan's mind raced, and he pulled in the opposite direction, saying, "Actually, Brother Zhuang is the one who is truly hiding his true abilities!"

Everyone perked up their ears, sensing that there might be some juicy gossip to come.

Sure enough, Sheng Changquan laughed and said, "I've heard that Brother Zhuang is the number one scholar in Jiangning City. He is not only a man of great literary talent, but also an exceptionally charming person."

"It is said that all the young women in Jiangning City regard Brother Zhuang as their dream lover and compete to pursue him. Even the courtesans in the brothels and theaters are proud of the poems that Brother Zhuang has given them!"

"What! Is that so?"

"Hahaha, I never expected Brother Zhuang to have such a 'renowned reputation,' it's truly enviable!" "Who says otherwise..."

Originally, everyone was still thinking about what Zhuang Wen had said, which was about Sheng Changquan's lifelong marriage, and wondering if their own families could be related to him. But now, after hearing his words, they all smiled knowingly and forgot about what had happened before.

Everyone who can participate in this literary gathering must have some skills.

The crowd didn't entirely believe Sheng Changquan's words, thinking that Zhuang Wen could influence the aesthetics of all the girls in Jiangning City. However, the way Sheng Changquan described the scene was rather amusing.

No one was mocking them; they only felt a sense of camaraderie among scholars.

but!

Everyone burst into laughter, but Zhuang Wen felt a chill run down his spine.

Originally, when Zhuang Wen saw that Sheng Changquan treated him no differently than others, he secretly despised him, thinking that he was just a bookworm who knew how to read books and had no cunning.

After all, how far can one go in his official career if he doesn't even investigate the strength of his opponents?

Unexpectedly, Sheng Changquan was not only able to subtly change the subject, but also revealed his own origins, showing that he came from Jiangning City.

Indeed, although Jiangning was a gathering place for cloth merchants from all over the country, it was ultimately just a small city in the eyes of the entire imperial court.

If it weren't for a deliberate investigation, how would Sheng Changquan have known?

Zhuang Wen felt a pang in his heart, vaguely wondering if he had encountered a tiger disguised as a pig.

"No, no, you're joking, Brother Jieyuan! You're joking!"

Zhuang Wen naturally dared not admit what Sheng Changquan said. He bowed to the crowd with some shame to beg for forgiveness, then quickly offered a cup of wine before slinking back to Li Yancheng's side.

Sheng Changquan watched Zhuang Wen return to his seat with a smile on his lips. He even nodded slightly when he met Li Yancheng's gaze, as if to show his closeness.

Of course, not only was Sheng Changquan elegant and charming, but Li Yancheng was equally impressive, displaying the demeanor of a true gentleman.

However, because Li Yancheng was not handsome enough, Sheng Changquan was more popular in terms of presence between the two.

"Young Master An, what do you think of this Scholar Sheng?"

After Sheng Changquan's gaze shifted away, Li Yancheng stroked the wine glass in his hand and whispered to An Yan beside him, "In Young Master An's opinion, this man is certainly worthy of being our top scholar this year."

"Humph!"

As expected, An Yan snorted coldly!
"Just him?"

The youngest son of the Duke of Jingguo first uttered those two words with disdain, and then suddenly stood up.

"bump!"

An Yan slammed his hand on the table with an air of dominance and shouted at Sheng Changquan in the distance, "Sheng Jieyuan, I, this young master, am not convinced of your top ranking!"

"boom!"

moment!

The atmosphere immediately calmed down!

The cheers and laughter of the crowd suddenly fell silent.

After the atmosphere cooled down, everyone looked at each other, their faces filled with unease and a sense of apprehension. However, their eyes gleamed with excitement!
Alright, this is going to be interesting!
Li Yancheng also covered his face with his sleeve to conceal his expression.

From an angle unseen by anyone, a slight smile curved his lips, and a hint of confidence shone in his eyes.

"Heh, the top scholar?"

"Let's see how you get past this! This tough nut to crack isn't so easy to deal with!"

Li Yancheng thought to himself.

(End of this chapter)