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

As soon as the maid finished speaking, the crowd fell silent.

Princess Yong'an?

That's the apple of the Prime Minister's eye!

The manager of Hanmozhai rubbed his hands excitedly, "Young master, hurry, hurry! The princess summoning us is an immense honor!"

Gu Ang swallowed nervously.

He was just a country boy; he had never seen anything like this before.

Gu Ci remained calm and nodded to the maid.

"Thank you for showing me the way, young lady."

The three of them went up to the Wangjiang Tower.

The building was beautifully decorated, filled with the melodious sounds of traditional Chinese music, and was packed with well-dressed scholars and literati.

When they saw Gu Ci, an eight-year-old child, being led upstairs, they all stared at him with wide eyes.

Inside the private room on the third floor, Princess Yong'an sat in the main seat.

Her beautiful eyes held a hint of curiosity as she looked at the small, thin child in front of her.

"Are you the child prodigy who wrote 'Spring Dawn'?"

Gu Ci bowed respectfully.

"Student Gu Ci greets the Princess."

Princess Yong'an nodded slightly.

Sitting next to her was a middle-aged man in his thirties, with a thin face and an arrogant expression; he was her chief advisor, Zhang Yan.

Zhang Yan was a scholar who passed the imperial examinations and considered himself to be exceptionally talented in literature. He was highly regarded by Princess Yong'an.

I was already displeased to see an eight-year-old child steal the spotlight today.

He said with a forced smile, "Young master's poem 'Spring Dawn' truly has the sound of heaven."

"But such idyllic pleasures are ultimately the words of children."

"I wonder if the young gentleman is capable of handling truly challenging topics?"

This statement, ostensibly a test, is actually a form of flattery intended to kill.

Everyone present understood the implied meaning.

Zhang Yan was trying to embarrass the child by posing a difficult question in front of everyone.

Princess Yong'an frowned slightly.

Although she admired Gu Ci's talent, she also wanted to see the boy's true abilities.

Gu Ang clenched his fists.

He sensed the malice in Zhang Yan's words, but dared not retaliate.

Gu Ci remained calm: "Mr. Zhang, please give me the question."

Zhang Yan sneered inwardly.

He walked to the window, pointed to the bright spring scenery and bustling crowd outside, and said loudly, "Today's gathering is unprecedented in its grandeur. Why don't we invite the young scholar to compose a poem on the theme of this 'Spring Festival Gathering'?"

He predicted that a child facing such a scene could only produce a mediocre, perfunctory work.

When compared with "Spring Dawn" in due time, the difference in quality will be immediately apparent.

This kid's prodigy aura was naturally shattered.

Everyone in the private room nodded in agreement.

This is indeed a good topic; it is both timely and a true test of poetic talent.

Gu Ci walked to the window and looked down at the bustling crowds, the busy streets, and the elegantly dressed literati.

He was silent for a moment.

Then, he surveyed the glitz and glamour of the room and gently shook his head.

"Princess, gentlemen."

"Though there is a grand gathering outside the window, in my heart there is only a desolate snow-covered river."

Everyone was stunned by these words.

What does that mean?

With such a grand event in front of you, what are you talking about, "Cold River Snow"?

Gu Ci ignored the confusion of the crowd.

He spoke slowly, his voice soft, yet clearly reaching everyone's ears:

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

The moment the first sentence was uttered, the entire private room fell silent.

The desolate and lonely atmosphere contrasted sharply with the bustling scene outside the window.

"An old man in a straw hat and raincoat, alone in a small boat, fishing in the cold river snow."

As the last two sentences were uttered, everyone in the private room was stunned.

What kind of poem is this?

Thousands of mountains and paths, birds fly away and people vanish.

Only one old man was fishing alone in the cold river.

That extreme aloofness, extreme coldness, extreme pride pierced through everyone's defenses.

This is hardly the talk of a child.

This is the work of a master!

Zhang Yan's face turned pale.

He had intended to stump Gu Ci with the topic of "Spring Festival".

But to their surprise, the other party did not play by the rules at all.

Faced with a room full of spring sunshine and a hall full of noise, Gu Ci chose the most extreme contrast—fishing alone on a cold river.

This vision and spirit far exceeded his expectations.

Princess Yong'an was so shocked that she couldn't speak.

The way she looked at Gu Ci had changed from "admiring the child prodigy" to "respecting the master".

How could an eight-year-old child possess such a vast and boundless realm in his heart?

"What a beautiful poem!"

I don't know who shouted it first.

"A masterpiece for all time! This is a masterpiece for all time!"

"In my sixty years of life, I have never seen such exquisite verses!"

"A child prodigy? No, he's the reincarnation of the Poet Immortal!"

The entire Wangjiang Tower was in an uproar.

Hearing the commotion upstairs, the people downstairs also began to discuss it.

"What's going on? Why are people upstairs so agitated?"

"I heard that child prodigy has written another poem!"

"What kind of poetry could drive these writers to such madness?"

Soon, the contents of "River Snow" spread throughout the entire Wangjiang Tower.

Then the news spread throughout the entire Suzaku Avenue.

"Birds have vanished from a thousand mountains, and human tracks have disappeared from ten thousand paths. An old man in a straw hat and raincoat sits alone in a small boat, fishing in the cold river snow."

Everyone who hears this poem is deeply moved by its extreme solitude.

Zhang Yan sat in the chair, his face a mixture of pale and ashen.

He never expected that his carefully designed trap would instead lead to even greater glory for his opponent.

Princess Yong'an stood up and walked to Gu Ci herself.

"Gu Ci, I ask you, is this poem 'River Snow' truly your work?"

Gu Ci nodded.

"It was done by a student."

Princess Yong'an gave him a deep look.

Then he turned to the maid and ordered, "Go and fetch my personal seal."

The maid quickly brought out an exquisite seal with the words "Yong An" engraved on its face.

Princess Yong'an handed the seal to Gu Ci.

"This seal is my personal token. The holder of this seal may freely attend all literary gatherings in the capital, as if I were present in person."

These words caused an uproar in the private room.

How precious is Princess Yong'an's private seal?

Many scholars yearn for it but cannot attain it.

But now it has been given to an eight-year-old child.

Gu Ci accepted the seal and bowed respectfully.

"Thank you for your kindness, Princess."

Princess Yong'an then took out a silver note from her sleeve.

"This is ten thousand taels of silver, considered as payment for the two poems you wrote that I have collected."

Ten thousand taels!

Gu Ang almost lost his balance.

Their family's debt was only a few taels of silver, so ten thousand taels was an astronomical figure for them.

Gu Ci calmly accepted the silver note: "Thank you, Princess."

Princess Yong'an paused for a moment, then said, "In addition, I have a villa in the capital. If you come to the capital to take the imperial examination in the future, you can take this seal and stay there temporarily."

"Qinghe County is too small to contain you."

"The literary scene in the capital is your true stage."

These words are very profound.

Everyone present could tell.

Princess Yong'an is trying to promote Gu Ci and pave the way for him.

Zhang Yan watched from the side, her heart filled with unbearable jealousy.

He gritted his teeth and forced a smile: "Congratulations, young man, you've truly achieved success at a young age."

Gu Ci turned her head and looked at him calmly.

"Mr. Zhang, you flatter me."

"However, I have something to say, but I'm not sure if I should."

Zhang Yan's heart tightened: "Please speak, young master."

Gu Ci's voice was very soft: "The essence of poetry lies in sincerity."

"You can't force it."

That was said with great tact.

It touched on Zhang Yan's deepest concern without causing a complete breakdown in relations.

Zhang Yan's face was grim, but he dared not lash out.

Before Princess Yong'an, he could only suppress his anger: "Young master is right."

Gu Ci ignored him and took her leave of Princess Yong'an.

"Princess, I need to go home and report the good news, so I won't bother you any longer."

Princess Yong'an nodded: "Go."

Gu Ci led Gu Ang downstairs.

The area downstairs was still packed with people, all looking at them with awe.

The owner of Hanmozhai was already waiting downstairs, greeting us with a beaming smile.

"Young sir, that painting 'Spring Dawn' has already been offered five thousand taels! What do you think…?"

Gu Ci waved his hand.

"As previously agreed, we will not charge a single penny."

The shopkeeper was moved to tears.

"I will never forget your great kindness, young sir! From now on, all your writing materials will be provided free of charge!"

The two brothers walked out of the crowd and began their journey home.

Gu Ang was in a daze the whole way.

He didn't come to his senses until he left the county town.

"Ci'er, we...we've really struck it rich?"

Gu Ci smiled and patted the silver notes in his pocket: "Yes, I've struck it rich."

"So, can we buy the cattle now?"

Wangjiang Tower.

Zhang Yan stood by the window, watching their departing figures.

"Gu Ci..."

Zhang Yan will remember this humiliation.