The First Marquis of Leisure

钱府

Qian Yuan looked at Bai Xinghe with admiration and respect, which made Bai Xinghe a little embarrassed.

"Young Master Qian, is there any need to look at me like that?"

Qian Yuan chuckled, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said, "Brother, I never expected that you would not only be so talented in literature, able to compose such a poem in such a short time, but also so skilled in martial arts. You are proficient in both literature and martial arts."

"I have a feeling that you will not only rank among the top in this national competition, but you will also successfully appear on the Golden Stage!"

Bai Xinghe simply smiled faintly and said, "Young Master Qian, it's quite a coincidence that I've come to see you about this very matter."

"Oh? Brother, please speak frankly, I will certainly not refuse."

So Bai Xinghe briefly explained his desire to participate in the national competition, then ascend the Golden Terrace, and become an official in the Yan Kingdom's court.

When he learned that Bai Xinghe's goal and purpose was simply to get a seal from the Ministry of Revenue, he realized that Bai Xinghe's goal was to get a seal for him.

Qian Yuan agreed without hesitation.

"Brother, I'm a little curious. With your talent, you don't need to go to so much trouble."

"You know Dr. Li, right? I can introduce you. With your talent, you're sure to become his student. Becoming a doctor is like having one foot in the imperial court. Why bother going through all that trouble to participate in the grand competition?"

Bai Xinghe shook his head. There were some things he couldn't tell Qian Yuan right now, even though Qian Yuan was a decent person.

Up to now, he remains highly vigilant towards Li Chentian.

After all, Li Chentian must have hated him to the core. Scholars are prone to jealousy, which is a tradition since ancient times.

"What Brother Qian said is not suitable for me. Since I was a child, I have aspired to become a general and a prime minister. The government of Zhao is corrupt and incompetent, so I came to Yan from afar to give it a try."

"Good, brother, you have ambition!" Qian Yuan didn't try to persuade him further after hearing this, but instead affirmed his ambition.

The two then chatted for a long time, and Qian Yuan also recounted what happened when he took the poem to the Doctor's residence.

"Hey brother, you didn't see how Dr. Li reacted when he saw that poem!"

"But such poems are masterpieces, how could I possibly have the talent to compose another one!"

Qian Yuan wasn't stupid; he knew that Li Chentian clearly suspected him.

Bai Xinghe understood the implication; if he did it on the spot, Qian Yuan would definitely be exposed.

If things get investigated later, I might end up exposing myself.

So, on a whim, he said, "Brother Qian, you've helped me, so I'll be a good brother to you."

"I do have a plan that will give you temporary peace of mind, and it will surely astound Li Chentian!"

Qian Yuan was overjoyed to hear that Bai Xinghe had a solution.

Bai Xinghe smiled mysteriously and then asked the servants of the Qian family to bring him writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.

After a moment's thought, he selected several themes that were most loved and frequently mentioned by literati of the time, and wrote a poem for each of them!

The whole process takes very little time, requires almost no thought, and is completed in one go!

Soon, eight poems on eight different themes appeared on the paper!

Qian Yuan and his men were stunned. They opened their mouths, rubbed their eyes, and couldn't believe what they were seeing!

In such a short period of time, eight poems on different themes, each one a masterpiece!

This talent and skill level are probably even inferior to Li Chentian's!

"Brother Bai, forgive my bluntness, but I believe even Dr. Li would be ashamed of his own skill level!"

"Perhaps only the Imperial Advisor Himeko can rival you!"

Qian Yuan gasped, utterly shocked.

Bai Xinghe sneered inwardly, unaware that the once-in-a-century young national teacher of Yan Kingdom was utterly powerless before him, his Dao heart already shattered!

"Brother Qian, you flatter me. You can memorize these eight poems on different themes in advance."

"If Li Chentian becomes suspicious and asks you to compose a poem on the spot, he will definitely choose one of the themes. You just need to pretend to be silent, and then recite one of the corresponding poems!"

Qian Yuan could no longer contain his elation, and he excitedly ordered his servants to prepare a feast.

"Brother Bai, today I, Qian Yuan, insist on becoming sworn brothers with you!"

Bai Xinghe was stunned for a moment. The last brother was Zhao Xing!

Although the two had gone through life and death together, Zhao Xing's mistaken killing of two innocent old people filled him with immense anger and disappointment.

"Brother, don't worry. Although I, Qian Yuan, indulge in eating, drinking, and merrymaking, and frequent brothels, I have my limits when it comes to women, and I am by no means a despicable person!"

Seeing how sincere Qian Yuan was, Bai Xinghe no longer hesitated and readily agreed.

.....

Meanwhile, Yuan Mansion

As a powerful and influential family that had produced three dukes for four generations in the Yan state, many members of the Yuan family held important positions in the court and wielded great power.

It was not a glorious thing for Yuan Yao to be beaten into a pig's head by Bai Xinghe. When Yuan Yao returned to the Yuan residence in anger...

He immediately found his cousin, who is the current true heir of the Yuan family, the eldest son Yuan Benchu!

Yuan Benchu ​​was dashing and talented, and was also half a student of Li Chentian!

"Cousin, you must stand up for me this time!"

Yuan Yao looked resentful and immediately began to embellish the story.

Yuan Benchu ​​put down the book in his hand, frowned, and said, "Yuan Yao, is this really true?"

"Cousin, it's absolutely true, I wouldn't dare lie to you. I originally just wanted to teach that kid a lesson, but who knew Qian Yuan would deliberately interfere."

"I think the Qian family has gotten too arrogant lately, they don't even respect the Yuan family anymore, humph!"

Yuan Benchu ​​stood up and said coldly, "Since that's the case, I will stand up for you! But you'd better not cause any more trouble outside. My Yuan family is so powerful that it has already displeased His Majesty."

"The national competition is approaching, and I will be participating this time!"

Yuan Yao readily agreed, then asked in confusion, "Cousin, with the power of our Yuan family, do you really need to participate in any grand competition? Why don't you just become an official in the imperial court?"

Yuan Benchu ​​shook his head and explained, "That's true, but His Majesty and Prime Minister Qiu are currently working hard to weaken the power of our aristocratic families. If I can win the top prize in the imperial examination, even His Majesty will have nothing to say!"

"I see. Cousin, you are the most talented in our Yuan family. If you participate in the competition, you will surely be the champion. Hehe."

A sinister glint flashed in Yuan Benchu's eyes, and then he said, "Alright, there's a banquet at the Seventh Prince's place tomorrow, which will be attended by scions of prominent families in the capital. You'll come with me, and I'll make sure Qian Yuan loses all face in front of everyone!"

On the other side, Bai Xinghe and Qian Yuan were having a pleasant conversation.

With Qian Yuan's help, the Ministry of Revenue's seal was completed in just one hour.

Meanwhile, in preparation for passing the imperial examination, Bai Xinghe had Qian Yuan obtain the examination questions from the national competitions of Yan State over the years.

You won't be surprised if you don't look, because once you do, you'll be shocked.

The questions for the Yan State Grand Examination were quite interesting; they were not the traditional eight-legged essays.

Instead, he prefers his undergraduate and doctoral dissertations from his previous life.

It leans towards group theory, policy theory, and essay writing.

In particular, Qian Yuan, through his father's connections, obtained and read the article written by Qiu Qingtian, the current Prime Minister of Yan, when he won the top scholar title.

Bai Xinghe finally felt relieved.

Qiu Qingtian's articles are indeed good, but in his eyes they are nothing special. After all, the knowledge structure, depth, and breadth he possesses are several eras apart.

"Brother, I believe in you. You'll definitely become the top scholar. Really, I have a strong feeling you'll become the next Qiu Qingtian of the Great Yan Dynasty!"

Qian Yuan was slightly tipsy and kept talking with a smile.

"Moreover, seeing how you taught that brat Yuan Yao a lesson today, you're quite skilled. I'll definitely introduce you to my father later. If you can gain his approval and become an official in the Ministry of War, you'll have the opportunity to meet General Ji Changzai, the God of War of Great Yan. Your future will be limitless!"

Bai Xinghe shook his head and smiled to himself.

Little did he know that Consort Ji had known him for a long time and had even saved his life!

All he could think about now was gaining power as soon as possible, because only then could he have a chance to get close to Zhao Sisi!