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

Xu Qing flipped the post over and looked at the back; there was nothing else on it.

He placed the post on the table, remained silent for a moment, and then looked up.

"The distinguished guest she mentioned is probably no ordinary person. For her to personally send an invitation... someone far more important than someone like Chen Shijin."

Xiao Mingyuan blinked twice: "So, shall we go or not?"

Xu Qing looked at the post, thought for a moment, and then folded it up: "Go. Not only do you have to go, but you also have to prepare a new song."

"Writing again?"

"Since she said she wouldn't hesitate to share her knowledge, she probably wants to see if you have anything new to offer."

Xu Qing stood up, walked to the desk, and spread out a piece of paper.

"Let's go to Zhuangyuanlou and meet our distinguished guests... who knows, they might be able to help us even more in the future."

Xiao Mingyuan rubbed his hands together: "Then what should we write?"

Xu Qing picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, hesitated for a moment, and then put the brush down.

"Wait, let me think about it."

Xu Qing thought for a moment, "Actually, since Li Yan has already been given a chance to perform, this time, perhaps you can stay out of it. But you still need to be prepared."

"How so?" Xiao Mingyuan was slightly taken aback.

Xu Qing analyzed, "Think about it, Su Man has been preparing for so long, and she even specifically requested high-level poems. The guests she's welcoming must be of a very high standard. If they're in high spirits, they might make even more requests."

My worry is that no matter what preparations we make, we might not be able to keep up with their changes.

Xiao Mingyuan: "Well, that's still possible. You're right. But what should we do?"

Xu Qing: "If you give Li Yan a poem and it still can't withstand the opponent's firepower... then let's predict the questions first, three questions!"

Xiao Mingyuan: "What if none of them are correct?"

Xu Qing: "When the time comes, use whatever works, and if you really can't, then let me step in."

Xiao Mingyuan rubbed his hands together: "Great, you're really coming out of retirement!"

Xu Qing shook his head: "No, if it really doesn't work, what I mean is: now that I'm your page, if others are aggressive, just say, 'Let your page fight.' If your page can defeat them, that will be more devastating for the opponents than if you defeat them yourself!"

Xiao Mingyuan slapped his forehead: "Great! That's brilliant! We'll do it this way from now on!"

Xu Qing shook her finger: "No, this can only be used a few times. You can't use it all the time, or people will start to suspect you."

Xiao Mingyuan: "Oh, right, right, then I need to learn from you and try my best to write similar poems myself!"

……

……

As night fell, Xu Qing rushed home under the stars and moon.

When I got home, my mother was putting dishes on the table.

Song Yao helped set the table. The steam rising from the stove carried the aroma of meat, a far cry from the cold stove and cold pots of the past.

Xu Qing sat down at the table and excitedly said, "Mom, Yao Yao, I have some great news!"

Mother Xu: "Oh? What's the good news? Tell me quickly."

Xu Qing then told him what had happened...

Xiao Wanjin invited him to Songlin Academy as a companion student, with the Xiao family covering his food, lodging, and tuition—essentially treating him as an honored guest.

After hearing this, Xu's mother was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter.

"Really? The patriarch of the Xiao family spoke up personally? That's great news! Everyone in the county knows about the Xiao family's power. Going to the academy means you can study properly, which is much better than you just staying in your room and thinking aimlessly."

Song Yao smiled and nodded in agreement: "That's good. At least Qing-ge has a proper place to study now. Before you messed around, you worked hard, but maybe you were going in the wrong direction."

Xu Qing chuckled but did not reply.

He thought to himself: Things aren't that simple. His cousin is tempting him, and someone is sabotaging him behind his back. It would be a miracle if he even passed the exam...

Xu Qing picked up her chopsticks, took a piece of meat, and put it in her mouth.

White rice, braised pork, stir-fried vegetables...

What was once an unthinkable meal when we ate elm bark porridge is now a common occurrence.

Life is really getting better.

At least Song Yao's complexion was better than before.

It's just a cough, and there are only slight signs of improvement.

While eating, Song Yao suddenly stopped eating.

Her hand froze in mid-air, then slowly withdrew, the smile on her face also freezing.

Xu's mother was still smiling as she served her food, but when she caught a glimpse of her expression, her chopsticks paused, and her smile faded.

She glanced at Song Yao, then at Xu Qing, and hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't.

After waiting a while, she couldn't help but ask cautiously, "Qing'er, will you be staying at the Xiao residence permanently from now on?"

Xu Qing looked at her mother, then at Song Yao, and immediately understood.

He put down his chopsticks and smiled, "Don't worry, the academy isn't far from home, and I'll still come back to stay here often. The Xiao family has arranged a separate courtyard for me, so I'll stay in mine; it's fine."

He paused briefly, then turned his gaze to Song Yao: "Besides, Yao Yao can come along too. The Xiao residence has a large courtyard and many empty rooms; you can have a room to yourself..."

Song Yao's face flushed red instantly, and she quickly waved her hands, "No, no, that won't do! I'm not even married into the family yet, what would it look like if I went to live with them? People would gossip... cough cough..."

As she spoke, she coughed lightly twice, then lowered her head to pick at the rice in her bowl, her ears turning bright red.

Mother Xu sighed, "Yes, there are a lot of gossipy people in the village. Although the Xiao family won't say anything, it's still easy for others to spread rumors. You should come back and stay more often to avoid attracting gossip."

Xu Qing nodded: "That's true. Then I can run between the two places all the time without any problems."

As he spoke, he tried to change the subject, "By the way, I'm going to Zhuangyuanlou tomorrow, and I'll bring you some good food back with me."

Song Yao paused again as she picked up some food.

She lowered her head and spoke softly, "Zhuangyuanlou? Is it owned by that Su Man, Miss Su?"

"Yes, she drove it."

"Is she inviting Young Master Xiao, or... inviting you to come along?"

"I asked Xiao Mingyuan to go, and now I'm his study companion, to help him out."

Song Yao did not ask any further questions.

She lowered her head, slowly ate a mouthful of rice, and chewed it for a long time before swallowing.

Her eyes were a little red, but she didn't look up or let the tears fall. She just held the bowl a little higher than before to cover her face.

The voice came from behind the bowl, sounding somewhat muffled: "Then...you...come back soon."

Xu Qing didn't notice that she was eating and assumed it was because she was chewing food.

He placed a piece of meat in Song Yao's bowl and said, "Okay, come back soon."

Song Yao gave a soft "hmm" and lowered her head to eat the piece of meat.

……

……

The next morning, Xu Qing got ready and changed into the new clothes that Xiao Liu had made for her...

The fine cotton straight-cut robe from Qingbufang is well-fitting, with neatly gathered cuffs.

Wearing a pair of layered-soled black boots, she looked much more refreshed and energetic.

When he arrived at the Xiao residence, Xiao Mingyuan was already waiting at the entrance.

Upon seeing Xiao Mingyuan's attire, Xu Qing paused in his tracks.

Fatty Xiao wore a royal blue Hangzhou silk robe with cloud patterns embroidered on the collar and cuffs, and a wide brocade belt around his waist with a fine white jade pendant hanging from it.

Her hair was meticulously combed and slicked back with hair oil, shining so brightly in the sunlight that even a fly landing on it would stumble.

At first glance, it doesn't look like they're going to a banquet at all.

Xu Qing looked him up and down twice, then couldn't help but laugh: "Are you going on a blind date?"

Xiao Mingyuan tugged at his collar, a little embarrassed: "No, it's not like that."

"Then why are you dressed like the groom?"

Xiao Mingyuan scratched his head: "I was just afraid of embarrassing Miss Su. She invited an important guest, so he had to dress presentably."

Xu Qing walked over, reached out and took off the jade pendant from his waist, then tugged at his sleeve embroidered with cloud patterns, and shook his head.

"You're making yourself look even more shameful. A gathering of literati is about integrity and refinement, not about money. Dressing like a nouveau riche only makes you look bad."

Xiao Mingyuan looked down at his outfit and muttered aggrievedly, "I'm just a nouveau riche..."

"Even a nouveau riche won't do!" Xu Qing pushed him through the door. "Change into something simple and elegant, a lighter color, no embroidery. Go now."

……

A moment later, Xiao Mingyuan came out wearing a light blue fine cloth robe.

She removed all the jingling ornaments from her body, leaving only a plain handkerchief on her sleeve.

Although it's still that chubby face, it looks much better than before.

In his hand, all that remained was a folding fan, a symbol of his status as a scholar.

"You're already thinking about such things? Let's go, young master."

"Alright, let's go!"

The two left the Xiao residence and headed towards the Zhuangyuan Tower.

When we were still half a street away from the Zhuangyuan Tower, we could hear a noisy argument...