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

The road home was bumpy, but Gu Ang carried Gu Ci steadily.

"Ci'er, how many acres of land do you think we should buy? Old Liu's family at the east end of the village has twenty acres of land for only eighty taels of silver; let's buy it all!"

Gu Ang became more and more excited as he spoke, and his steps quickened.

"Also, the roof of our parents' house is leaking; it needs to be rebuilt!"

"Oh, right, the Sun family's daughter in the village..."

"elder brother."

Gu Ci interrupted him.

"Don't rush."

Gu Ang paused for a moment, then turned to look at his younger brother on his back.

The little guy's face was expressionless, his short legs wobbling, but what he said startled him.

"We have money now, but we're in more danger."

Gu Ang's smile froze on his face.

He's not stupid; he was just too happy for a moment and didn't think much about it.

His younger brother's reminder cooled him down considerably.

"You mean... someone's eyeing our family's money?"

"That's not the case."

Gu Ci shook his head. "Who would dare touch the silver notes given by Princess Yong'an? But the problem is, what will the villagers think if our family suddenly becomes wealthy? What will the gentry in the county think?"

Gu Ang swallowed hard.

He recalled how, when the official Qian came to collect the debt yesterday, the villagers watching the spectacle all had gloating looks on their faces.

No one asks the poor in the downtown area, and the rich has distant relatives in the mountains.

He had heard that before.

"So what do we do?"

Gu Ci didn't answer immediately, but instead looked up at the darkening sky.

"We need to keep a low profile, but we can't be too low-key."

"Spend money where it's needed, but don't spend it recklessly."

"What should be known should be known. What shouldn't be known should remain a secret."

Gu Ang was somewhat bewildered.

Gu Ci sighed.

Forget it, explaining all this to me is too complicated.

"Brother, just remember one thing."

"What did you say?"

"Our family is wealthy now, but we also need to be talented."

"The silver was a gift from Princess Yong'an; we took it openly and honestly."

"If anyone dares to cause trouble, tell them this was a gift from the princess, and if they have any objections, they should speak to the princess."

Gu Ang's eyes lit up.

Yup!

How could he not have thought of that?

The silver was given by the princess, which is equivalent to a gift from the imperial court!

Who dares to make a move?

"Ci'er, what's wrong with your brain?"

Gu Ang reached out to touch his younger brother's head, but Gu Ci slapped his hand away.

"Stop fooling around, let's go home."

Qingshan Village is still the same dilapidated village.

Thatched huts, muddy roads, chickens and ducks running around.

The Gu family's courtyard was located at the westernmost part of the village, and it was very dilapidated.

Gu Ci pushed open the door.

The courtyard was quiet.

Gu Mingzhe sat on a stone in the courtyard, head down, lost in thought.

Lin held Gu Qingqing in her arms, leaning against the door frame, her eyes red.

Upon seeing Gu Ci and Gu Ang return, Gu Mingzhe suddenly stood up.

"Ci'er! Ang'er! You...you're finally back!"

Gu Ang felt a pang of sympathy and quickly walked over.

"Dad, don't worry, it's all resolved."

"Is it resolved?"

Gu Mingzhe's eyes widened.

"How was it resolved? Money Clerk, he..."

Gu Ci took the silver note out of his pocket and handed it to Gu Mingzhe.

"Dad, take a look at this."

Gu Mingzhe took the silver note, his hands trembling violently.

He leaned closer to look, staring at it for a long time, his lips trembling.

"This...this is..."

"Ten thousand taels."

Gu Ci blinked as he spoke.

"......"

Gu Mingzhe's hand, which was holding the silver note, froze in mid-air, and he looked as if he had turned to stone.

Lin held Gu Qingqing in her arms, her mouth agape.

Gu Qingqing asked in her childish voice, "Mother, what is the ten thousand taels that brother mentioned?"

Lin did not answer.

Her tears were already falling...

"Is...is this real?"

Gu Mingzhe finally came to his senses.

"Father, take it out in the light and see. It has Princess Yong'an's private seal on it," Gu Ang added from the side.

Gu Mingzhe rushed into the house, lit the oil lamp, and examined it repeatedly under the light.

The watermark, seal, and handwriting on the banknote are all clearly visible.

He read it over and over again.

"Really...it really is ten thousand taels..."

Gu Mingzhe knelt down with a thud and kowtowed three times to the sky.

"May our ancestors protect us! May our ancestors protect us!"

Lin also knelt down, tears streaming down her face.

"Thank God..."

Gu Ci stood at the door, her heart aching.

In his past life, he spent his entire life in an office; money was just a number to him.

Only now does he truly understand what money means to ordinary families.

That was the hope of survival.

That's the confidence to hold your head high.

After Gu Mingzhe finished kowtowing, he stood up and walked to Gu Ci.

He crouched down and touched Gu Ci's face with trembling hands.

"Ci'er...you really...did it?"

Gu Ci nodded.

"Father, please don't get agitated, let me explain slowly."

He briefly recounted what happened at Wangjiang Tower that day.

From the sensation caused by "Spring Dawn" to being summoned by Princess Yong'an, to composing "River Snow" on the spot, and finally receiving a reward of 10,000 taels of silver.

After he finished speaking, Gu Mingzhe stared at him blankly.

Lin stared blankly at him.

Gu Qingqing stopped making a fuss and sat quietly in her mother's arms.

After a long while, Gu Mingzhe suddenly burst into tears.

"My family...my family has produced a true dragon..."

He cried his heart out, tears and snot streaming down his face.

"In my life... I failed the imperial examination three times... I thought... I thought my family line was broken..."

"I never expected you, Ci'er..."

Gu Mingzhe couldn't continue speaking and hugged Gu Ci tightly.

Gu Ci was a little breathless from his embrace, but she didn't struggle.

He let his father hold him and pat his back.

"Dad, please stop crying, the neighbors might hear you."

Gu Mingzhe then realized what was happening, quickly let go of his hand, and wiped his face.

"Yes, yes, no one can hear us..."

Lin wiped away her tears and came over to pat Gu Ci's head.

"Ci'er, you've suffered."

Gu Ci shook his head.

"Mother, I didn't suffer."

"Our best days are yet to come..."

Lin was about to shed tears again.

Gu Ci turned to Gu Ang: "Brother, go close the door, let's discuss serious matters."

Gu Ang immediately closed the courtyard gate and bolted it shut.

The family sat in the main room.

Gu Ci said, "Father, Mother, we need to plan this ten thousand taels of silver carefully."

Gu Mingzhe nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, we need to plan this out carefully."

"First, tomorrow morning, my brother and I will go to the county government office to settle that debt with the clerk."

"We'll give you three taels and five qian, not a penny more, not a penny less."

Gu Mingzhe was stunned for a moment.

"Why can't we have more? We have money now, wouldn't it be better to give us more?"

Gu Ci shook his head.

"Father, think about it. We were in debt yesterday, and today we're being generous. What will the money collector think? He'll think our family has made a fortune, and he might even have other ideas."

"But if we give him just three and a half taels, no more and no less, he won't dare to think too much about it."

Gu Mingzhe suddenly realized.

"Ci'er is right!"

"Also, we can't leave all of this ten thousand taels of silver at home."

Gu Ci continued.

"After paying off the debt tomorrow, my brother and I will go to Yongfeng Money Exchange in the county and deposit nine thousand taels of silver."

"Keep five hundred taels of the remaining one thousand taels at home for emergencies."

"The other five hundred taels, Father, you can take them and spend them as you see fit."

"For example, our house, if it needs repairing, we should repair it."

"For example, my brother's tuition fees should be paid."

"We can't become rich overnight and then squander money, but we also can't be too stingy and make people look down on us."

Gu Mingzhe was stunned.

He had lived most of his life and never imagined that money could be managed in this way.

"Ci'er, what you've done..."

Gu Mingzhe was about to choke up again.

Gu Ci quickly interrupted him: "Father, there's one more thing."

"What is it?"

"The villagers will soon know about our family's situation, and then some people will definitely come to inquire, and some might even come to borrow money."

Gu Ci looked at his parents.

"You and Mother must remember, don't lend money to anyone. Just say the money is all deposited in the money shop and you can't get it out."

Lin hesitated: "But... what about the neighbors and fellow villagers..."

"Mother, we help in an emergency, not in a life of poverty."

Gu Ci's voice was very soft.

"When our family was poor, how many people ever asked for our help? Now that we're rich, everyone's coming to borrow money? Why should they?"

Lin opened her mouth, but ultimately remained silent.

She's soft-hearted, but not stupid.

Ci'er is right.

When the Gu family was going through their toughest time, the villagers were just there to watch the show.

Why should we get a share of the pie now?

Gu Mingzhe sighed.

"Our family's money didn't come easily, we need to save it..."

Gu Ci nodded.

"If anyone dares to cause trouble, just go to the county government and file a complaint. See who the magistrate stands in then."

Gu Mingzhe slapped his thigh: "That's right! We're not afraid!"

Late at night.

The family finally settled down.

Gu Ci lay on his small bed, looking at the dilapidated roof.

Today was a good start.

With the money in hand, the family's crisis was temporarily resolved.

But he knew in his heart that this was just the beginning.

Ten thousand taels of silver is a lot, but in this era, it was only enough for a middle-class family.

He still needs to work hard to truly gain a foothold.

Imperial examination, academic achievement, official position.

These are his real goals.

Gu Ci closed his eyes, and the scene at Wangjiang Tower today appeared in his mind.

Princess Yong'an admired him, while Zhang Yan was jealous.

He saw it all.

Especially Zhang Yan!

That person will definitely not let this go so easily.

Gu Ci turned over.

Forget it, we'll deal with whatever comes our way.

What he should do most right now is get a good night's sleep.

There are still many things to do tomorrow.

......

A private room on the third floor of Wangjiang Tower.

Princess Yong'an sat alone by the window, holding Gu Ci's poem "River Snow" in her hand.

The candlelight reflected on her face, making her look unrealistically beautiful.

She stared at the calligraphy for a long time.

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

She read it softly, her fingertips gently tracing the paper.

That vastness, that solitude, that transcendence.

How could an eight-year-old child write such a poem?

She remembered Gu Ci standing by the window.

Thin, calm, with clear eyes.

Princess Yong'an put down her poem and turned to look out the window.

As night deepened, the lights in Qinghe County were sparse.

She suddenly laughed.

This kid is interesting.

She has to find a way to keep him by her side.

Just then, there was a gentle knock on the door.

Zhang Yan walked in with a respectful smile on his face.

"Princess, it's late, you should rest."

Princess Yong'an did not turn around.

"What does Mr. Zhang think of Gu Ci?"

Zhang Yan's smile froze for a moment.

"He is indeed a rare genius."

He paused.

"only……"

"Just what?"

"However, child prodigies often die young despite their early intelligence."

Zhang Yan's voice was very soft.

"Moreover, such geniuses are often difficult to control."

Princess Yong'an turned her head and looked at him.

"What does Mr. Zhang mean?"

Zhang Yan lowered his head.

"Your Highness, I am only worried that you value him too much. If he becomes arrogant and ungrateful in the future, wouldn't that be a waste of your good intentions?"

Princess Yong'an remained silent for a moment.

"Mr. Zhang is overthinking it."

Her tone was flat.

"Since I have taken a liking to him, I naturally have ways to make him willingly serve me."

Zhang Yan's heart sank.

He could tell.

The princess was determined to groom that brat.

"Understood."

He left the room and closed the door.

The smile on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a gloomy expression.

Since the princess values ​​you so much, I am even more determined to get rid of you.

Zhang Yan went downstairs and came to the backyard of Wangjiang Tower.

There were already three people waiting for him there.

They were all scholars from Qinghe County, and they were on good terms with Zhang Yan.

"Brother Zhang, how is it?"

One of the scholars asked.

Zhang Yan sneered.

"The princess has been bewitched by that brat."

"But it's alright, we have plenty of ways. In a few days at the Confucian Temple literary gathering, we'll have a good go at that prodigy."

"I want to see what other skills he has besides writing a couple of poems."

The three scholars exchanged glances and then laughed.

The Confucian Temple Literary Gathering is a fixed event held on the first and fifteenth of each month in Qinghe County.

All the scholars would participate, discussing poetry, composing essays, and debating the meaning of classics in the Confucian Temple.

That was a true battlefield for intellectuals.

What kind of trouble can an eight-year-old kid cause, no matter how talented he is?