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

Su Man smiled, her smile somewhat faint, but her sincerity was undisguised.

"What I'm trying to say is... if Young Master Xu is willing, Zhuangyuan Tower can be your support. You don't need to give anything in return; just show up occasionally when needed to let people outside know you're still here. That's enough."

Xu Qing understood what she meant.

Su Man wanted to turn Zhuangyuanlou into her "platform"... so that no matter who inquired about "Xu Qing" in the future, the first thing they would think of would be Zhuangyuanlou.

This was a matter of reputation for Su Man, and a talisman for Xu Qing.

He neither immediately agreed nor refused, but simply asked, "Miss Su, do you think the Prince of Jin's heir will leave now?"

Su Man did not avoid the question.

"No. He lost face and will definitely want to get his revenge. But Hengyang is outside his territory, so it's not easy for him to take action. Besides..."

She paused, then added, "And there's the Crown Prince of Zhao; they've been openly and secretly opposing each other all along."

Xu Qing smiled and said, "So Miss Su is a master of alliances and counter-alliances."

Su Man's gaze lingered on his face for a moment, then she smiled slightly:

"Young Master Xu, you are much calmer than I expected. Very well, I won't press you for an answer. The doors of Zhuangyuan Tower are always open for you."

Xu Qing stood up and bowed, saying, "Thank you, Miss Su."

As he came downstairs, Cui'er handed him a short note: "Young Master Xu, someone just asked me to give this to you."

The envelope was unsigned, but a tiny, intricately patterned stamp was pressed onto the seal, which Xu Qing couldn't recognize.

He opened it and glanced inside. There was a note with only one sentence written on it...

"If you need assistance, you may take this letter to the Prince Zhao's residence for a discussion."

Xu Qing folded the note and tucked it into her sleeve, feeling a warm glow in her heart.

Xu Qing walked out of the Zhuangyuan Tower, and the night breeze blew in his face, carrying the scent of the river.

He walked back along the long street, his mind racing the whole way.

Today's events have stirred up quite a storm in Hengyang.

The Prince of Jin's heir retreated in a sorry state, but he would not give up easily.

Chen Shijin lost face twice at Zhuangyuanlou, and he will definitely try to make amends when he gets back;

Li Yan has made a name for himself today. From now on, he will be one of the people in the academy who can compete with Mr. Zhang from the capital, even surpassing Chen Shijin.

As for himself... Su Man and the Crown Prince of Zhao both extended olive branches, making the situation much more favorable than it was ten days ago.

The fact that we had such a deep conversation on our first meeting shows that she really values ​​me...

……

……

Meanwhile, at the Chen residence.

The flower hall was brightly lit, but the atmosphere was oppressive.

Chen Shijin stood in the hall with his hands at his sides and his head down.

Two people were sitting opposite him: his father, Chen Chengsong, sat in a grand chair, his face ashen;

Sitting in a round-backed chair next to him was his second uncle, Chen Chengbo, an instructor at Songlin Academy. He was thin and gaunt, but his eyes were very sharp.

Chen Chengsong's teacup had been sitting there for a long time, and the tea had gone cold, but he hadn't touched it at all.

The silence was so heavy that it made it hard for Chen Shijin to breathe.

Finally, Chen Chengbo spoke first.

His tone wasn't harsh, but every word was barbed:

"Why did you suddenly start mocking Li Yan and Xiao Mingyuan at the Top Scholar's Pavilion today?"

Chen Shijin felt a tightness in his back and replied in a low voice, "Yes...yes, but that's because of them..."

"Shut up." Chen Chengsong abruptly interrupted him, his voice like a bucket of ice water poured over his head.

"Do you even realize how much trouble your mouth has caused the entire Chen family today?"

Chen Shijin's lips moved, but he didn't dare to reply.

Chen Chengbo stood up with his teacup in hand, walked to the window, and turned his back to the two people in the hall.

His voice was slightly calmer, but the chill in his tone was even more chilling:

"Your rivalry with Li Yan in the academy, your feud with Xiao Mingyuan in the city—that's your business as young people. Who wins and who loses isn't something anyone will take seriously. But today, in front of the Prince of Jin and the Prince of Zhao, you openly belittle students from your own county..."

He turned around and looked at Chen Shijin, his gaze settling on Chen Shijin's deathly pale face:

"What do you think outsiders will think of the Chen family? What do you think of Hengyang County?"

A thin layer of sweat had already seeped onto Chen Shijin's forehead. He opened his mouth:

"At the time... I just saw they were too smug and wanted to put them on their toes..."

"Take it easy?" Chen Chengbo sneered. "Did you manage to take it easy? When you were being beaten to the ground by a mere page, you disgraced the entire Hengyang County. You disgraced the Chen family as well."

Chen Shijin lowered his head even further, his teeth grinding together, and he didn't dare to refute.

Chen Chengbo walked back to his seat and sat down again.

He lowered his voice and slowed his speech: "You think I'm stopping you because I'm afraid you'll embarrass yourself in public? I'm stopping you because I'm afraid you'll mess with the wrong people."

Chen Shijin raised his head: "Second Uncle, the Prince of Jin's heir is merely passing through Hengyang..."

"You think you're just passing by?"

Chen Chengbo's tone suddenly turned stern.

"Do you know how much the late Emperor lost face with the scholars of the land over the struggle for the throne between the Prince of Jin and the current Emperor? The Prince of Jin was suppressed for so many years, and now his heir is swaggering around everywhere. Do you think he's here for sightseeing?"

Chen Shijin was stunned.

Chen Chengbo continued, "The reason the current emperor is able to sit firmly on that chair is because of the strong support of the Prince of Zhao's faction. The Prince of Zhao is the current emperor's direct subordinate, while the Prince of Jin is someone who is at odds with the Prince of Zhao."

Today, in front of the Prince of Zhao's heir at the Top Scholar's Pavilion, you helped the Prince of Jin's people trample on your own people in Hengyang... Even if you're just a page... What will the Prince of Zhao's heir think?

Chen Chengsong took over the conversation, his tone more somber than before.

"Why do you think your grandfather has been so slow in sending you to the capital? It's because he's afraid you'll take the wrong side outside. If you get involved with Prince Jin's faction, not only your grandfather, but no one can protect you."

Chen Shijin finally broke out in a cold sweat that trickled down his temples.

At the time, he was only thinking about kicking Li Yan and Xiao Mingyuan while they were down, and he didn't think about it in this direction at all.

He clenched his fists, his fingers trembling: "Father, Second Uncle, I... I just didn't like them back then, I didn't think much of it..."

"Didn't think that much about it?" Chen Chengsong snorted coldly.

"If you stand up and advocate for Prince Jin's people today, tomorrow the whole city will think the Chen family is close to Prince Jin's mansion. Your grandfather spent so many years in the capital to gain a foothold, and you, you want to cripple the Chen family's foundation with one kick?"

Chen Shijin gritted his teeth, unable to utter a single word.

The fire in his heart suddenly shifted direction...

It's all Xiao Mingyuan, it's all Li Yan, and there's also that pageboy Xu Qing who appeared out of nowhere.

If they hadn't been flaunting their presence, why would I have acted impulsively?

He clenched his fist tightly, forcing the words out through clenched teeth:

"Li Yan, Xiao Mingyuan... and that pageboy, what's his name, Xu Qing? They deserve to die."

Chen Chengbo suddenly looked up: "Xu Qing?"

Chen Shijin was taken aback: "Second Uncle knows him?"

Chen Chengbo put down his teacup, his gaze becoming more distant, and his tone carrying a sense of understanding, "I see..."