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

In this era, there aren't many people who can write well. The original owner of this body practiced calligraphy from a young age in order to take the imperial examination. Putting aside everything else, he could at least earn a living by copying books for others!

Xu Qing picked up his pen and copied it down, and also wrote a poem to set the scene.

……

The next morning, Xu Qing washed his face. There was still some leftover food on the stove from yesterday. His mother was not in the house; he didn't know where she had gone.

Xu Qing finished the porridge, washed the bowl clean, and turned it upside down on the stove. Then, clutching the manuscript, she pushed open the courtyard gate, ready to go sell it.

He tucked the manuscript into his pocket and turned to walk towards the bookstores in town.

……

……

Upon arriving in the county town, before even reaching the bookstore, I was stopped by a group of people.

Xu Qing looked up and thought to himself, "This is bad."

Zhou Kang, Fatty Xu, and three or four henchmen. These guys were notorious troublemakers at Songlin Academy, known for walking their birds in cages, harassing women in the street, and bullying poor scholars.

It's like school bullying in ancient times.

The original owner of this body was also trapped in the alley and trampled by them.

Xu Qing's mind raced.

With my current physique, I can't outrun him, and I can't win a fight either.

If you show weakness and beg for mercy, these people will not only not let you go, but will become even more aggressive.

But what if he tries to resist? How can a poor scholar who can't even afford to eat resist?

Now, we can only take advantage of the situation...

Find someone they can't afford to mess with, and then use that person to intimidate them.

Yes, it's Xiao Mingyuan, the son of the richest man in the county.

I just don't get along with them!

Xu Qing knew what was going on and stood firm.

Zhou Kang's lips curled up: "Oh, isn't this the great scholar Xu? What, are you out here scavenging junk to sell again?"

Fatty Xu chimed in sarcastically, "Brother Kang, you don't know yet, do you? He just pawned the last of his rice. Even a rat would cry its eyes out if it came in."

He laughed so hard his fleshy face trembled: "You shouldn't go this way, you should go to the south of the city to beg for food, there are more rich people there."

The henchmen burst into laughter.

Xu Qing calmly dusted off the dust: "Gentlemen, it's really unfortunate today. I have important business to attend to and need to give the completed manuscript to the client."

Fatty Xu reached out and blocked the way, his bulky body blocking the middle of the road.

"Tsk tsk, you still want to write? I think you should find a wall to squat against and wait to die, instead of making a fool of yourself in public."

Zhou Kang used his fan to lift a corner of the manuscript paper in his arms. "Someone like you who can't even afford to eat can write articles?"

Another burst of laughter followed.

Fatty Xu stretched out his hand and beckoned, "Give it to me, brothers, let's have a good look at the masterpiece of the great scholar Xu! Maybe we can even use it to prop up a table!"

Xu Qing didn't dodge; instead, he took a small half-step forward, allowing Fatty Xu's hand to get even closer.

"Want to see? Sure, but I have to make this clear first. This belongs to Young Master Xiao Mingyuan. If it gets lost, I won't be able to explain it to him."

The smile on Zhou Kang's face froze as soon as the name was mentioned.

Although Xiao Mingyuan was a complete incompetent and a notorious academic failure at Songlin Academy, the Xiao family's influence was undeniable.

Xiao Wanjin controlled half of the county's cloth and carriage business, had influence with the county magistrate, and could make a fuss in the market, causing half the street to tremble.

It's one thing to bully Xu Qing, but one dares not tarnish the Xiao family's reputation.

Zhou Kang's smile faded slightly: "You? Write things for Xiao Mingyuan? He wouldn't even notice your handwriting?"

Fatty Xu, though outwardly fierce, still tried to save face: "What's wrong with Xiao Mingyuan? Who are you trying to scare! Give it to me..."

Just then...

A thunderous sound rang out.

"stop!"

Everyone was taken aback and looked in the direction of the sound.

A fair-skinned, slightly plump young man dressed in silk clothes squeezed in, followed by two servants.

It was Xiao Mingyuan!

Xu Qing was also somewhat surprised...

He was just using the tiger's power to intimidate others, and ended up attracting the real tiger.

But since things had come to this, he continued acting.

He calmly folded the manuscript and put it back in his pocket, then slipped through the gap between Zhou Kang and Fatty Xu.

"Who just called my name? I'm here, so what?"

"Cough cough, it's nothing, it's nothing, we're leaving..."

The few spoiled brats, clearly unwilling to provoke him, retreated sheepishly.

Xiao Mingyuan didn't look at them, but stared at the manuscript. His eyes lit up when he saw the neat small characters in the manuscript.

"This handwriting is really good. The opening poem is also quite elegant." He lowered his voice, took a step closer, and said, "Xu Qing, could you... help me with the homework assigned by the teacher?"

"Homework writing service?" Xu Qing frowned subconsciously. Although it was a lucky accident, it only cost a few yuan.

So he opened his mouth: "Even a dog wouldn't..."

Before he finished speaking, Xiao Mingyuan took out a small piece of silver from his sleeve, about two taels, and waved it in front of Xu Qing.

"Um?"

Xu Qing's words trailed off: "...But then again, writing isn't out of the question. Writing, well, that's homework!"

Although the original owner never passed the exam, she was quite skilled at writing in tiny regular script.

These days, when children from wealthy families go to school, what kind of homework do they not need to write for?

Those spoiled brats, they have no real knowledge, yet they're obsessed with saving face. They don't want to do their homework, and they embarrass themselves at poetry gatherings.

If someone could write it for them... that would be a ready-made way to make money, much easier than earning a meager living by copying books!

Moreover, the writing is done under someone else's name, so no one would suspect that it was done by a poor scholar. Even if he made money from this, there was no risk in hiding his identity.

The more Xu Qing thought about it, the more convinced she became that this path was viable.

I borrowed paper and pen from a roadside stall that offered letter writing services.

"Young Master Xiao, what do you need me to write?"

Xiao Mingyuan scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed: "Um... the teacher asked us to write some love poems, saying they could be used at the poetry gathering."

Xu Qing felt a surge of joy... Love poems? He was very familiar with those.

"What are your requirements?"

"I want the kind that... makes people blush and their hearts race! Ideally, it should make people remember me!" Xiao Mingyuan's eyes lit up.

After a moment's thought, Xu Qing's memories of poetry and prose burst forth.

He picked up his brush and dipped it in ink.

"In heaven, we wish to be birds flying wing to wing; on earth, we wish to be trees with intertwined branches."

Heaven and earth may pass away, but this love will last forever.

Xiao Mingyuan looked down and his mouth gaped open wider and wider. Finally, he slapped his thigh.

"Great! Excellent! This poem blows them out of the water! When you meet the girl you love, you have to make her dizzy!"

Xu Qing smiled slightly: "This is just homework. If you want to completely win a girl over, you have to proceed step by step, making her go from surprise to being moved, and then to being unable to live without you."

Xiao Mingyuan was stunned. He pulled a silver ingot from his sleeve and slammed it on the table: "Five taels! Write me two poems first!"

Xu Qing accepted the silver, his face remaining impassive, but inwardly he was overjoyed. Five taels—enough to eat for more than half a year.

He picked up his pen and wrote again...

"The Magpie Bridge Fairy":

"The delicate clouds weave patterns, the shooting stars convey sorrow, and the Milky Way stretches far and wide in secret."

A single encounter amidst the golden autumn breeze and jade dew surpasses countless joys in the mortal world.

After reading it, Xiao Mingyuan was so excited that his face turned red. He carefully folded the manuscript and put it in his pocket.

Then he suddenly looked up and grabbed Xu Qing's sleeve: "Xu Qing! Where do you live? I'll take care of all your studies from now on!"

Xu Qing calmly pulled his sleeve back and smiled slightly: "I cannot disclose my residence at the moment. If Young Master Xiao needs anything, we can meet here."

Xiao Mingyuan was taken aback for a moment, then clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Great! Mysterious! I love it!"

Xu Qing looked down at the silver in his hand.

Five taels.

That's enough for him and his mother to eat white rice for five months.

He put away the silver, got up and left.

Xiao Mingyuan gave instructions to the servant beside him.

"Go and relay my message: from now on, I'll protect Xu Qing. Tell those spoiled brats to stay away!"

Then he ran off in a flash, not even the other servant could catch up.

……

……

Songlin Academy.

The monthly poetry gathering was held as scheduled.

Headmaster Zou Linchuan sat upright on the table, while dozens of students below the stage were either nervous or excited.

Xiao Mingyuan usually ranks last, or simply avoids things altogether.

Today, however, he acted out of character, running onto the stage amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd.

"I am but a student, and I have recently come up with a short poem. I would like to ask the headmaster for his guidance."

He cleared his throat and recited aloud:

"The delicate clouds weave patterns, the shooting stars convey sorrow, and the Milky Way stretches far and wide in secret."

A single encounter amidst the golden autumn breeze and jade dew surpasses countless joys in the mortal world.

The entire room fell silent.

Headmaster Zou Linchuan's teacup froze in mid-air for a long while before he put it down, his gaze fixed intently on Xiao Mingyuan.

"Did you write this?"

Xiao Mingyuan remained calm and composed: "I have been studying diligently recently and have made some progress."

The audience erupted in uproar.

"Impossible! Could that incompetent Xiao Mingyuan write such lyrics?"

"Even if it was plagiarized, I've never seen it in any poetry collection..."

Zou Linchuan pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded, his voice filled with barely suppressed admiration:

"This poem has a lofty artistic conception and exquisite allusions. In particular, the line 'A single meeting of golden wind and jade dew surpasses countless encounters in the mortal world' is a timeless masterpiece. Mingyuan, you have made great progress."

Xiao Mingyuan was overjoyed, but he feigned humility and bowed, saying, "You flatter me, Headmaster."

He returned to his seat and felt the shocked, jealous, and doubtful gazes coming from all directions. A surge of pleasure coursed through him, running from his tailbone to his scalp, making him feel tingly.

Xiao Mingyuan muttered to himself: "Damn, this is what it feels like to be a genius! It's so awesome! From now on, I'll definitely ask Xu Qing to do my homework more often!"

A student sitting in the corner whispered to his companion, "What's wrong with Xiao Mingyuan? Has he suddenly become enlightened?"

……

The news spread like wildfire throughout the city.

The news spread from the academy to the restaurant, and from the restaurant to the teahouse; in less than half a day, the whole city was talking about it…

"That good-for-nothing from the Xiao family, suddenly he's become a poetic genius?"

"I never expected him to be able to turn things around!"

……

Upon hearing this, Su Man, the owner of Zhuangyuanlou Restaurant, relaxed her furrowed brows and spoke to her maid, Cui'er.

"Go find Xiao Mingyuan. My problem has been solved."