I just wrote a love poem, how did that make me so powerful?

Xiao Mingyuan rubbed the back of his head, sat down in a chair, poured himself a cup of tea, took a sip, and then recounted what had happened.

From going to the gambling den, to Gu Zhiyi taking the initiative to invite him, to the shocking performance of "Pipa Xing" by Gu Zhiyi.

Of course, he omitted Xu Qing's part, only saying that he wrote it himself.

Xiao Wanjin's expression changed several times after listening, and finally he asked urgently, "Where are the lyrics? Let me see them quickly!"

Xiao Mingyuan chuckled and leaned back: "Hmph, do you even understand? I'm tired, let's talk about it another day!"

Xiao Wanjin made a move to kick him again, but ultimately didn't, only glaring at him, "Look at you, so capable! Get some rest!"

After saying that, he turned and walked out.

Xiao Mingyuan sat in the chair and waited until the footsteps faded away before standing up and tiptoeing out.

Xiao Wanjin did not return to his own courtyard.

He passed through two moon gates and entered a small side hall at the back.

Xiao Mingyuan slid along the wall to the window and peered through the crack.

A lamp was lit in the side hall, its dim light illuminating a memorial tablet on the altar.

The inscription reads: "The posthumous title of the late mother, Lin of the Xiao family."

Xiao Wanjin stood in front of the memorial tablet for a long time.

Then he slowly sat down on the prayer mat, reached out and touched the edge of the memorial tablet, his fingertips gently tracing the inscriptions.

"Cui Niang," he spoke, his voice soft and gentle, almost unbelievably tender, "do you know what your son did today?"

He paused, seemingly waiting for an answer that wouldn't come at all.

"This kid used to have a rabbit. He insisted on giving it a bath, so he boiled water in a big pot and threw it in. By the time he took it out, the rabbit was already cooked. He still wasn't satisfied, so he took a small shovel, dug a hole in the yard, buried the rabbit, and burned paper money, saying it was to send it on its way."

As Xiao Wanjin spoke, a bitter smile appeared on his lips.

"Later, when I was asked to study, the teacher asked him to grind ink. He ground it for a long time, then picked up the bowl of ink and gulped it down, saying that the soup was terribly bitter. The teacher was so angry that he complained on the spot, and I beat him three times. He was still aggrieved and said that he thought it was a tonic for scholars."

He chuckled, then fell silent again.

"Later, when he went to school, he was even more of a worry. While the teacher was lecturing on stage, he would draw the teacher's beard with charcoal. After he finished drawing, he would pass it on to others to show, but it ended up in the teacher's hands, and they were both punished."

Xiao Wanjin placed his palm on the memorial tablet, his voice growing increasingly low.

"Back then, I thought, if this kid could live a peaceful life and not cause any trouble, I'd be burning incense with gratitude. I never dared to imagine that one day he would be able to pick up a pen and write, and even write something that the courtesan would praise."

He looked up at the memorial tablet, and his eyes reddened again.

"Cui Niang, I'm so happy today... I'm so happy I don't know who to tell. You left early, you didn't see all his shameful things in the past, and you didn't see his success today."

Xiao Mingyuan squatted outside the window, leaning against the wall, listening to the sounds inside.

His eyes also welled up with tears.

He raised his hand and wiped his face hard, silently sniffed, tiptoed away, and turned to walk back to his own yard.

After walking for a while, he stopped, looked up at the moon in the sky, his throat tightened, and he muttered to himself.

"Old man... can we please not bring up those old grievances?"

But he couldn't suppress the urge to smile.

After Xiao Mingyuan left, Xiao Wanjin smiled with satisfaction.

"Look, this brat has learned to follow me. He's hiding quite well. If I hadn't seen his shadow, I wouldn't have noticed him at all."

I know for sure that he probably didn't write those things. But it doesn't matter, as long as people believe he did.

We businessmen only care about results, not the process. At least he got the job done.

Tomorrow, I'll go check on the people he's been seeing lately and find out what's going on.

……

……

The next day, early in the morning.

Xiao Wanjin changed into a slightly worn blue cloth robe and wore a bamboo hat to shield his head from the sun, looking exactly like an old country man doing business.

The butler, Xiao Liu, followed behind, having also changed into an inconspicuous set of short clothes and carrying a box of pastries as a token of his respect for visiting relatives.

"Liu Zi, is the investigation complete? It's this Xu Qing from recently?"

Xiao Liu nodded: "That's right, sir, it's him."

……

When the two reached the entrance of the alley where Xu Qing's house was, Xiao Wanjin stopped and looked around.

The alley was narrow, and most of the plaster on the walls on both sides had peeled off, revealing the yellowed adobe bricks underneath, with moss growing in the corners.

He did some mental calculations...

This location is considered low-grade in Hengyang County, indicating that the conditions are quite poor.

"Go in." Xiao Wanjin pushed up his bamboo hat and stepped into the alley.

The courtyard gate was ajar.

Xiao Liu stepped forward and knocked twice. A woman's voice came from inside: "You've arrived..."

The door opened, and there stood Song Yao.

She was wearing that plain new shirt, the sleeves rolled up to her forearms, revealing a section of her fair wrist, her hands still covered in a little flour, as if she were busy.

Seeing two strangers standing outside the door, she was slightly taken aback: "Who are you looking for?"

Xiao Wanjin's gaze fell on her face, and his heart stirred.

The girl was exceptionally beautiful, with a clean and pure appearance, completely different from the overly effeminate women he usually saw.

But what truly stunned him was that this face seemed familiar...

The contours of his eyebrows and eyes, the lines of his jaw, seemed somewhat familiar to him.

But he couldn't remember for a moment.

"Oh, we're from the Xiao family," Xiao Liu chimed in, handing over the box of pastries. "My master heard that Young Master Xu has been a great help to the young master lately, so he came to get acquainted with the family."

Song Yao took the snacks and stepped aside, saying, "Please come in and sit down, both of you. Xu Qing... he went out and hasn't come back yet."

Xiao Wanjin stepped into the courtyard and glanced around.

The yard wasn't big, but it was kept very clean.

Several bundles of firewood were piled in the corner, and the kitchen window was half-open, wafting out the aroma of cooking rice.

As he walked toward the main room, he glanced at the table and suddenly stopped.

On the square table in the center of the main room, there is a memorial tablet.

The wood was old, and most of the paint had faded, but the lettering was still fairly clear.

The memorial reads: "Therefore, I first examined the position of Xu Gong, a scholar of letters."

Xu Wenhan.

Xiao Wanjin's fingers trembled slightly.

He remembered the name...

That was twenty years ago...

Before he could think about it further, Song Yao had already walked over.

He subtly withdrew his gaze and sat down in the chair.

Song Yao brought the tea over and stood somewhat awkwardly to the side.

Xiao Wanjin took the teacup, lowered his head to take a sip, and casually asked, "What do you usually do at home, young lady?"

Song Yao rubbed her fingers together: "I do laundry, do some embroidery, and occasionally take on a few needlework jobs from the neighbors to supplement our income."

Xiao Wanjin chuckled and put down his teacup: "Washing clothes is too hard work. I guess I won't have to do it anymore. But if you have any finished embroidery pieces, you can bring them out. I'll offer a high price to buy them."

Upon hearing this, Song Yao was taken aback for a moment, then her expression changed slightly, and she asked in a tentative tone, "You... are you really from the Xiao family? Weren't you sent by Miss Su Man?"

Xiao Wanjin was taken aback, his eyes darting around...

Why would this girl think of Su Man?

Could it be that Xu Qing and Su Man have some kind of secret relationship?