I'm coming clean: I'm the reincarnation of the God of Literature.

Since the literary gathering, Qinghe County has become incredibly vibrant, as if a fire has been lit around it.

On Zhuque Street, people were packed together, making it almost as lively as the temple fair in the prefectural city.

The teahouses and taverns along the street were packed with people from morning till night.

The storyteller's voice was almost hoarse from shouting, and he was telling all the newly made stories—"The Prodigy Amazes the Princess with a Poem" and "The Eight-Year-Old Scholar Battles Against a Group of Heroes".

In the story, Gu Ci is described as the reincarnation of the God of Literature, standing eight feet tall with double pupils, able to write with the speed of wind and compose poems with every stroke.

Some clever vendors even rushed to make a batch of paper fans and handkerchiefs overnight. Instead of printing landscapes, flowers, and birds on them, they printed verses from the poems "Spring Dawn" and "River Snow," along with their incongruous imitations of the "Slender Gold" calligraphy style. Surprisingly, these sold extremely well.

The entire economy of Qinghe County was boosted by an eight-year-old child.

In the East Market, there was an old man selling straw sandals.

Normally, it takes three days to sell one pair, but these days I've been selling more than ten pairs a day.

This was simply because he had erected a wooden sign in front of his stall that read: "The child prodigy once stopped to watch this place."

Whether it's real or fake is unknown, but quite a few people have bought it.

All of this stemmed from the invitation sent from Wangjiang Tower.

Princess Yong'an had not yet left. She was going to hold another elegant gathering at Wangjiang Tower, and she would book the entire three floors to invite literati and scholars from the surrounding prefectures and counties to participate in the grand event.

Everyone understands that there is only one protagonist in this gathering—Gu Ci.

Inside the Gu family courtyard, the atmosphere was just as lively as outside, tinged with a hint of tension.

Lin held up a newly made sky-blue fine cotton long gown and held it up against Gu Ci, her brows furrowing slightly.

"This material is still not good enough, we're sorry to have to make do with Ci'er."

This outfit was made from the best material she could buy, and every stitch was sewn by hand.

But the thought of her son meeting so many important people made her feel uneasy.

"Mom, it's great, it's comfortable to wear." Gu Ci twirled around, her clothes fluttering, like a little adult.

Gu Mingzhe paced back and forth in the courtyard, muttering to himself, "Ci'er, today is different from the past. These are all talented scholars from the prefectural city and even the provincial capital, each with official titles. Remember, be humble in your conduct and respectful in your studies. Never let a little bit of fame make you arrogant, understand?"

"Father, you've said that eight times already." Gu Ang was tidying up his newly made robe, which he was going to wear to the gathering.

Gu Ci walked to his side and straightened his collar: "Brother, this color suits you."

Gu Ang felt a warmth in his heart and grinned, "Ci'er is so thoughtful. Don't worry, Father, Mother. If anyone dares to make things difficult for my brother today, I'll make sure they get an explanation!"

Madam Lin laughed, "You silly child, all you know is how to protect your younger brother."

"Hehe, of course." Gu Ang patted his chest, "Wen'er is reliable, I'll handle the rest. The two of us brothers are all set!"

Gu Qingqing hugged Gu Ci's leg and looked up at him with her little face: "Second Brother, Qingqing wants to go too."

Gu Ci squatted down and rubbed her little head: "Be good, stay home with Mom. When your second brother comes back, he'll bring you something delicious."

The little girl finally let go and watched them leave with longing eyes.

……

Below the Wangjiang Tower, traffic flows busily.

A group of well-dressed young scholars escorted a young man in brocade robes as they slowly approached, amidst a chorus of gazes filled with either awe or envy.

The young man in the lead was named Zhou Wenbin. He was a well-known talent in the prefectural city. He passed the imperial examination at a young age and was famous for his poetry and prose.

He looked arrogant, his gaze sweeping over his surroundings with a sense of superiority that comes from looking down on people from a big city.

An attendant bought a paper fan printed with the poem "River Snow" from a roadside vendor and handed it to him obsequiously: "Brother Zhou, look, this is the poem by that child prodigy."

Zhou Wenbin took the fan, unfolded it, glanced at it, curled his lips, and let out a sneer.

"Birds have vanished from a thousand mountains, and human tracks have disappeared from ten thousand paths?"

He shook his head and casually tossed the fan back to his attendant.

"It has some artistic conception, but it's ultimately just a petty, idyllic scene, nothing more than affected sentimentality. What real talent can one find in the countryside? They're just the tallest among the short, people who seek fame and fortune."

Several people around him immediately echoed his sentiments.

"Brother Zhou is right! Such childish words can only fool these country bumpkins from the county town who have never seen the world."

"I heard that the child is only eight years old. I think it's probably just a publicity stunt with someone ghostwriting it."

"Today is the perfect day. Let's see what he's really made of, right in front of the princess!"

Amidst laughter and conversation, the group reached the Wangjiang Tower.

Not long after, the Gu brothers arrived.

As soon as the carriage came to a stop downstairs, a crowd immediately surrounded it.

"Look! The child prodigy has arrived!"

"Mr. Gu! It really is Mr. Gu!"

The people spontaneously parted to make way for them, their eyes burning with awe and curiosity.

Manager Chen from Hanmozhai was personally waiting at the door, jogging over and bowing as he led the way for them.

"Young master, you've finally arrived! The princess and all the officials are waiting upstairs!"

Gu Ang straightened his back, stood protectively beside his younger brother, and enjoyed the feeling of being the center of attention, feeling very pleased with himself.

The lobby on the first floor was filled with literati from all over the country.

When the local scholars of Qinghe County saw Gu Ci, they all stood up and bowed, addressing him as "Young Master" with great respect.

But the scholars from other places who came from the prefectural city and the provincial capital simply sat in their original places, casting scrutinizing glances.

Some were still whispering among themselves, their words filled with disdain.

Gu Ang's smile gradually faded as he sensed the hostility emanating from him.

The way these guys are looking at their brother clearly shows they're just watching the show!

Gu Ci seemed oblivious to those gazes. He calmly found a seat by the window and sat down, looking around the building with interest.

The gathering soon began.

Princess Yong'an did not show herself, but sent a maid to convey a message that today's gathering was a chance for all the talented men to speak freely, and that their best works could be presented to the third floor for her personal evaluation.

Everyone knew that the princess was watching from upstairs.

Zhou Wenbin and his group did not launch a direct attack.

They sat together, talking loudly, their voices just loud enough for everyone around them to hear.

"Nowadays, the court values ​​civil officials over military ones. We scholars should take the world as our responsibility. Our thoughts and concerns should all be about the affairs of the nation and the common people," a long-faced scholar said, shaking his head.

"Brother Wang is absolutely right!" Zhou Wenbin chimed in. "Those so-called pastoral poems that sing of the wind and moon and lament the flowers, birds, fish and insects are nothing but lowbrow and narrow-minded, unworthy of being considered high art."

"It's not just narrow-minded, it's downright misleading the young! Letting immature children become addicted to this, forgetting the teachings of the sages, forgetting the fundamental principles of self-cultivation, family harmony, and national governance—if this continues, the nation will cease to exist!"

They spoke one after another, never mentioning Gu Ci in any of their sentences, yet every single one of them pointed to Gu Ci.

The atmosphere in the lobby became somewhat subtle.

The local scholars looked at each other, wanting to refute, but not knowing where to begin.

The other person is spouting profound truths and citing classical texts; if you refute them, it makes you seem narrow-minded.

Gu Ang clenched his fist again.

He lowered his voice and whispered in Gu Ci's ear, "Ci'er, these bastards are making veiled accusations! Should I go up and confront them?"

Gu Ci picked up the teacup, gently blew away the foam, and took a sip.

"Brother, calm down." He put down his teacup, his voice carrying a reassuring strength. "If a dog bites you, can you bite it back? Just watch."

Seeing his younger brother's nonchalant demeanor, Gu Ang's anger inexplicably dissipated.

Indeed, arguing with these pedantic scholars would be beneath one's dignity.

Seeing that Gu Ci didn't react for a long time and was only focused on drinking tea, Zhou Wenbin assumed that Gu Ci was feeling guilty and didn't dare to respond.

A smug glint flashed in his eyes; the time had come.

"Gentlemen! Today's gathering is rather dull with just idle talk. I, in my humble opinion, came up with a couplet last night, but after much thought, I cannot come up with a matching line. I wish to display it here today, hoping to find a suitable counterpart!"

Zhou Wenbin's gaze swept across the entire room, finally settling on Gu Ci's youthful face.

"If anyone can provide a matching couplet, I will gladly offer a copy of the Song Dynasty edition of the Shuowen Jiezi (a dictionary of Chinese characters) from my collection as a token of my gratitude!"