The Empress remarried, and I retaliated by wiping out the court.

"Your Majesty, men and women should not touch each other."

Li Yanran said calmly.

Ye Wudao sat down directly next to her. The phoenix sedan chair was already cramped, and the two of them were shoulder to shoulder. They could smell the faint scent of wood chips coming from Li Yanran.

He smiled and said, "How can there be any prohibition against men and women touching each other, as husband and wife?"

As he spoke, Ye Wudao naturally put his arm around Li Yanran's slender waist.

Li Yanran tensed up instantly, as if she had been electrocuted.

Having read extensively, she knew mostly refined scholars; she had never encountered such a reckless fellow as Ye Wudao.

Moreover, there are still eunuchs and palace maids outside. How could anyone in this world be so shameless?

Li Yanran was frantic: "What, what are you doing!"

She tried to push Ye Wudao away, but he stuck to her like a leech.

"My beloved, I only did what every man in the world should do."

Ye Wudao breathed softly in her ear.

The heat seemed to have a magical power, making Li Yanran's ears turn red.

She struggled to her feet, but lost her balance and stumbled, falling into Ye Wudao's arms.

"what!"

Li Yanran let out a sweet cry!

Ye Wudao held the delicate, boneless beauty in his arms, yet he harbored not a trace of lustful thoughts.

Some women dress provocatively and have seductive eyes, which can arouse men's primal desires at a glance.

But there exists a woman in this world who is born pure, beautiful, and unattainable. Even the slightest evil thought of hers is a desecration of this beauty!

Li Yanran's cry immediately alerted Ping'er, the palace maid who had accompanied her on her dowry.

"Your Majesty, what's wrong?"

Li Yanran stared at Ye Wudao with shame and indignation. This lecherous man was so shameless, still hugging her!

Ye Wudao whispered in her ear, "You don't want outsiders to know about us, do you?"

Li Yanran's heart was pounding, but she suppressed her inner turmoil and said to Ping'er, "It's nothing, let's go back to the palace!"

"good!"

The sedan chair was lifted up, and the swaying carriage made Li Yanran sway from side to side. The shameful position of sitting on the man's lap made her pretty face turn bright red.

Having been well-versed in "Admonitions for Women" and "Biographies of Exemplary Women" since childhood, she always believed that a woman's reputation should be of utmost importance.

Ye Wudao's actions were beyond her imagination, and tears fell silently.

Ye Wudao noticed that as he hugged her, Li Yanran started crying with tears in her eyes.

So easily teased?

Ye Wudao quickly released her: "Don't cry, I apologize to you, okay?"

Li Yanran moved to the side and silently wiped away her tears.

Ye Wudao couldn't stand seeing women cry, and for a moment he was at a loss.

A full quarter of an hour later, he finally spoke:

"My beloved consort, matters of the court are interconnected and have far-reaching consequences. I have come here today only to try to bring you into my camp. I'll make a bet with you: if you can beat me, I promise I will never bother you again."

Li Yanran paused slightly as she wiped away her tears: "What are we betting on?"

"I've long heard that my beloved concubine is the most talented woman in the land, proficient in poetry, prose, couplets, and all kinds of classical Chinese poetry. Today, let's each set a topic and have a competition, shall we?"

"Can!"

Li Yanran agreed without hesitation.

At the age of sixteen, she debated with a group of scholars in the Wenhua Hall, overwhelming them and leaving them unable to lift their heads. She was very confident in her abilities.

Ye Wudao was rumored to be unlearned and incompetent, and his knowledge of poetry, lyrics, couplets, and essays was only half-complete.

Li Yanran even felt that she was bullying Ye Wudao when they competed.

"Then I'll start with the first question."

"Looking at the river from Wangjiang Tower, the river flows eternally, the tower stands for eternity, and so does the river."

Upon hearing this, Li Yanran's expression froze.

"Looking at the river from Wangjiang Tower, looking at the flowing river..." She frowned slightly and repeated softly.

This is a long couplet that includes both place names and scenic views.

"Wangjiang Tower" and "Wangjiang Stream" intertwine, creating a continuous loop.

The second half of the line, "The river tower stands for eternity, the river flows for eternity," further integrates space and time, creating a perfectly natural artistic conception.

The most terrifying thing is.

The entire first line of the couplet is perfectly structured.

If we only need to ensure that the word count is the same, it is not difficult.

To achieve matching parts of speech, sentence structure, artistic conception, and cyclical structure, while also not falling into inferior categories... is simply as difficult as climbing to the heavens!

Li Yanran slowly closed her eyes, and countless words flashed through her mind.

As soon as a couplet came to mind, she rejected it herself.

"No...it's still not right...the artistic conception is lacking...the overall scope is also lacking."

After one incense stick has burned.

No matter how hard Li Yanran racked her brains, she couldn't come up with a matching couplet!

Ye Wudao's lips curled slightly: "So, in this round, I have won?"

Li Yanran bit her red lips and suddenly said:

"This couplet is perfectly structured, a rarity throughout history. I suspect it's a dead couplet, and Your Majesty would be unworthy of the second line!"

"In my opinion, Your Majesty only obtained this first line by chance and deliberately used it to make things difficult for me."

Upon hearing this, Ye Wudao couldn't help but laugh: "Does my beloved consort mean that as long as I can come up with the answer, I will win?"

"nature."

Li Yanran nodded without hesitation.

After all those years of schooling, how could she possibly lose to a spoiled brat?

"In that case, why not add a prize?" Ye Wudao said with a smile.

"What kind of prize?"

"If I can provide a matching couplet, you can let me kiss you, how about it?"

"you……"

Li Yanran blushed slightly and glared at him fiercely.

But then I thought about it again.

This is absolutely true; even she was at a loss, so how could Ye Wudao possibly come up with a solution?

Thinking of this, she gently raised her snow-white chin: "Alright, if Your Majesty can truly answer the question, I am willing to accept defeat."

Ye Wudao smiled and spoke slowly:

"The Moon-Reflecting Well, reflecting the moon's image, the moon's image reflected in the Moon-Reflecting Well, the Moon-Reflecting Well for ten thousand years, the moon's image for ten thousand years."

Li Yanran's delicate body trembled suddenly, and her beautiful eyes widened instantly.

The building faces the well.

The stream reflects the shadow.

The river faces the moon.

I hope you will agree with the seal.

Not only are the number of characters, parts of speech, and structure exactly the same, but even the repetitive and cyclical rhythm and the ancient and timeless artistic conception are perfectly integrated... It can be described as seamless!

Li Yanran was stunned...

No.

Is there anyone who can actually match that?

Just as she was lost in thought, Ye Wudao continued, "If my beloved concubine doesn't believe me, I have more."

"You have more?" Her beautiful eyes widened suddenly.

Such absolutes are already extremely rare. Even if Ye Wudao were lucky enough to get a second line, it would be a blessing from his ancestors. How could there possibly be any other second lines?

Under Li Yanran's shocked gaze, Ye Wudao slowly said:

"Zhenhai Pagoda, Zhenhai Tide, Zhenhai Pagoda stands beneath the Zhenhai Tide, may the pagoda stand for eternity, may the tides rise for eternity."

"The Moon Reflection Pavilion reflects the moonlight; the moonlight is reflected in the Moon Reflection Pavilion. The Moon Reflection Pavilion is eternal, and so is the moonlight."

"Viewing the mountain from Guanshan Pavilion, one can admire the mountain scenery from within Guanshan Pavilion. The pavilion will stand for a thousand autumns, and so will the mountain scenery."

"..."

Li Yanran looked at Ye Wudao as if he were a monster.

An absolute masterpiece, he only needs to come up with one.

And they even managed to get four in a row?

What brilliant writing!

Is he even human?

Just as Li Yanran was lost in thought, Ye Wudao leaned down and gently pecked her fair and tender cheek.

"Pop!"

Instantly separate.

Li Yanran was struck dumb, frozen in place.

The next moment, her fair face turned crimson at a visible speed, all the way to her ears.

"Ye Wudao!"

"You...you're shameless!"