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

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, there was already movement in the Gu family's thatched hut.

Gu Mingzhe didn't sleep a wink all night, repeatedly muttering, "Three taels and five mace... what am I going to do, what am I going to do?"

Lin held Gu Qingqing in her arms, her face also full of worry.

Only Gu Ci sat quietly on a small stool, holding a twig in his hand, scratching something on the damp mud.

He was doing the accounting.

A habit I developed in my previous life while doing academic work: I always make an outline for everything I do.

Although I was born into this eight-year-old body, there are some things I can't change.

The words written in a flamboyant, dragon-like style on the muddy ground read: Pay off debts, buy land, build a house, study...

"Brother, let's go." He put down the branch and stood up.

Gu Ang was already dressed and ready. Looking at his composed younger brother, the confusion in his heart was suppressed by a strange sense of trust.

"it is good."

Gu Mingzhe quickly grabbed them: "Ang'er, Ci'er, where are you going? That clerk said three days... we still have time to figure something out!"

"Father, solutions aren't found by thinking them up, they're found by walking them out." Gu Ci's voice wasn't loud, but it made Gu Mingzhe freeze in place.

Watching his two sons' retreating figures, Gu Mingzhe opened his mouth, but ultimately let out a long sigh.

The mornings in Qinghe County are shrouded in a thin mist.

Gu Ci was only eight years old and had a thin body. He hadn't walked a mile when he started sweating and his breathing became rapid.

He gritted his teeth and refused to stop, but his legs began to weaken.

Without saying a word, Gu Ang squatted down in front of him.

"Come up."

Looking at his brother's strong back, Gu Ci didn't refuse and obediently climbed up.

"Brother, once we make some money, let's buy a cow first," Gu Ci whispered, clinging to Gu Ang's back.

"Why buy cattle? We don't have any land." Gu Ang's steps were steady.

"For you to use when you get married."

Gu Ang stumbled and almost knocked his younger brother down.

"You little brat, what nonsense are you spouting!"

"What nonsense am I talking about?" Gu Ci leaned on his back, her voice tinged with laughter. "Brother, you're already sixteen. All the girls your age in the village are already engaged. That idiot Wang Ergou got married last year."

"You...you..." Gu Ang stammered, his ears turning red, "Who said such nonsense to you!"

The two brothers chatted and laughed all the way, and soon arrived at Zhuque Street, the most bustling street in the county.

At the end of the street, a three-story pavilion rises from the ground, with upturned eaves and carved beams and painted rafters; this is the Wangjiang Tower.

The faint sounds of string and wind instruments drifted from upstairs, while downstairs, the traffic flowed smoothly, with well-dressed literati and scholars coming and going.

Gu Ang looked at the magnificent building, then looked down at the patched coarse clothes he and his brother were wearing, and hesitated.

He quietly took half a step back.

"Ci'er, are we... really going in?"

"No."

Gu Ci slid off his back and pointed to a shop opposite Wangjiang Tower. "Let's go there."

Gu Ang looked in the direction he pointed and saw a black plaque with gold lettering that read: Hanmo Zhai (翰墨斋).

This is the largest and most impressive stationery store in the county.

Gu Ang instantly understood his brother's intention.

For someone of their status to want to enter Wangjiang Tower is nothing short of a pipe dream.

The guards at the gate would chase people away as soon as they saw their attire.

But what if they caused a commotion right under the nose of Wangjiang Tower that could alarm the entire city?

The two brothers arrived at the entrance of Hanmozhai.

A shopkeeper dressed in a silk shirt and sporting a mustache was dozing off against the counter. When he saw the two poor young men enter, he didn't even bother to lift his eyelids.

"Go away, go away, this is not a place for you. Go beg elsewhere."

Gu Ang's fist hardened again. He was about to lash out when Gu Ci gently tugged at his sleeve.

Gu Ci stepped forward and bowed to the shopkeeper.

"Shopkeeper, we're not here to beg. We'd like to borrow your space to write a piece of calligraphy."

The shopkeeper of Hanmozhai opened his eyes, looked Gu Ci up and down, and suddenly burst out laughing.

"Write? With your skills?" He pointed to Gu Ci's patched clothes.

"Little brat, do you know how much a sheet of paper costs here? Do you know what kind of ink I use? I probably couldn't afford to pay for it even if I sold you!"

Some customers who were selecting writing brushes and ink nearby also turned their heads and burst into laughter.

"Where did this wild child come from, daring to run wild in Hanmozhai?"

"Get out of here, don't tarnish the refined atmosphere of this place."

Gu Ang's face turned bright red. In his sixteen years of life, he had never suffered such humiliation.

He shielded Gu Ci behind him and glared at the crowd.

Just then, Gu Ci's calm voice rang out again.

"Shopkeeper, we won't use it for free."

"I have ten coins here; I'll rent your desk for a while. Also, after I finish this calligraphy, I'll display it by the door. If no one buys it, the ten coins are yours. If someone wants to buy it, we won't take a single coin; consider it payment for the calligraphy. How about that?"

Everyone was stunned by these words.

Ten coins, though not much, is still a considerable sum for a poor family.

More importantly, the confidence in the child's words was impossible to ignore.

The shopkeeper of Hanmozhai twitched his mustache.

He thought about it for a moment and concluded that he wouldn't lose out on this deal no matter how you looked at it.

If this kid messes up his writing, I'll get ten coins for free and also have a laugh.

If he actually writes something of note and attracts a crowd, that will bring fame to his calligraphy studio.

"Alright! You said it yourself!" The shopkeeper snatched the ten coins from Gu Ang's hand and stuffed them into his pocket. "I've prepared the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone for you. I want to see what kind of writing you, little brat, can produce!"

He may have been sharp-tongued, but he was quick to act. Soon, he set up a long table at the door, laid out the finest Xuan paper, and personally ground the ink.

This commotion immediately attracted the attention of pedestrians on the street.

More and more people gathered at the foot of Wangjiang Tower.

"What's going on? What event is Hanmozhai holding today?"

"I heard this little kid is going to make a fool of himself in public!"

"Haha, interesting, let's go take a look."

Whispers and laughter rose and fell.

Gu Ang's palms were sweating with nervousness. He whispered to Gu Ci, "Ci'er, is this alright?"

Gu Ci didn't answer, but just smiled at him.

He walked to the desk, his small stature even requiring him to stand on tiptoe to reach the tabletop.

Gu Ci picked up his brush and dipped it in thick ink.

The whole world fell silent at that moment.

All eyes were focused on the small hand holding the calligraphy brush.

He put down his pen.

Without the slightest hesitation, the brushstrokes moved across the snow-white Xuan paper.

Lean and strong, upright, with a sharp and piercing presence!

"Spring slumber is so sweet, one doesn't even notice the dawn."

The moment the first sentence was uttered, a collective gasp of astonishment rippled through the crowd.

"What...what font is this?"

"How sharp! How noble!"

An elderly scholar with white hair squeezed to the front, staring intently at the paper, his body trembling slightly.

"Lean yet not bony, upright yet not stiff... My God, in all my life I have studied calligraphy, and I have never seen such a spirited and elegant style of calligraphy!"

Gu Ci ignored him and continued writing.

"Birdsong can be heard everywhere."

The poem was simple and straightforward, cleansing the ears of everyone present.

The literary scene of the Great Feng Dynasty was dominated by ornate and flowery palace-style poetry, which was empty, pretentious, and full of pointless lamentations.

Such fresh and natural verses broke the conventional aesthetic standards of the public.

"What a beautiful poem! What a wonderful poem!"

"Returning to simplicity, that's true poetry!"

The crowd had completely erupted in excitement.

"The sound of wind and rain last night, how many flowers have fallen?"

As the last stroke was completed, Gu Ci gently put down the brush.

Everyone stared blankly at the sheet of Xuan paper.

Those characters were written by a master who founded a school of thought.

That poem is a masterpiece worthy of being sung for thousands of years.

And all of this was done by an eight-year-old child!

"God...a child prodigy!" someone shouted, instantly igniting the entire audience.

"The God of Literature has descended to earth! This is the God of Literature descending to earth!"

"A true dragon is about to emerge from Qinghe County!"

The crowd surged forward like madmen, everyone wanting to get closer to the calligraphy.

"I'll offer a hundred taels for this calligraphy!" a wealthy merchant shouted.

"One hundred taels? Are you trying to fob me off like a beggar? I'll give you five hundred taels!"

"I'll offer a thousand taels! I'll take this calligraphy!"

The owner of Hanmozhai was completely dumbfounded; he stared blankly at the calligraphy...

He just... actually tried to drive away this mountain of gold?

He realized what was happening and rushed to Gu Ci, his face full of ingratiating smiles.

"Young...Young sir! It was a misunderstanding, all just a misunderstanding! I was blind to your greatness! Please come in, the finest tea and snacks are ready!"

In the crowd, Gu Ang looked at his younger brother, who was surrounded by everyone.

Gu Ci remained calm.

He instinctively stepped forward, opened his arms, and shielded his small brother in front of him, separating him from the nearly frenzied crowd.

......

Wangjiang Tower, private room on the third floor.

A young girl dressed in a light purple silk dress sat by the window.

She was about fifteen or sixteen years old, with eyebrows like distant mountains, skin like solidified cream, and a cool and aloof temperament. She was the most beloved granddaughter of the current prime minister—Princess Yong'an.

This trip out of the capital incognito was originally intended to explore the local customs and traditions, but unexpectedly, I encountered such an interesting thing in Qinghe County.

She was fiddling with her teacup, somewhat bored, and annoyed by the sycophancy of the literati at the table.

The commotion downstairs naturally reached her ears as well.

"What's going on? Why is it so noisy downstairs?" She put down her teacup.

A maidservant hurriedly went to inquire and quickly returned, her face showing surprise.

"Princess! Downstairs...downstairs a child prodigy has appeared!"

"A child prodigy?" Princess Yong'an raised her eyes.

"Yes! An eight-year-old child, in front of everyone, wrote a wonderful five-character poem, and... and even pioneered a style of calligraphy never before seen!"

The maid presented the poem that the servants had copied down.

Princess Yong'an took the paper and softly read aloud: "Spring slumber is so sweet, I don't notice the dawn, everywhere I hear birds singing. Last night came the sound of wind and rain, I wonder how many flowers have fallen."

After reading it, she remained silent for a moment.

A real turmoil stirred in those once calm and still eyes.

What a clean and pure poem.

She put down the poem, and the maid added, "Your Highness, it's said that after the child finished writing it, someone immediately offered three thousand taels of silver to buy the calligraphy!"

Three thousand taels!

Silence fell over the private room.

Princess Yong'an stood up, walked to the window, and looked down at the center of the crowd below.

She could only see a small, thin figure, being tightly protected by his older brother.

"Go down and tell them that I have invited you."

The maid obeyed and quickly went downstairs.

She parted the crowded people, walked up to Gu Ci, and bowed.

"My princess invites you, young master, to come upstairs for a chat."