Chapter 53

Hu Xiaotian originally had no intention of revealing the answer, but upon hearing such a good deal—free food and drink for life—he thought, "Such an opportunity can't be missed." However, he still understood the principle of ladies first, and with a smile, he said to Huo Xiaoru, "Miss Huo, you go first!" On one hand, it was a gesture of politeness, and on the other, he wanted to test Huo Xiaoru's talent. Back at the Yan Shui Pavilion, Huo Xiaoru didn't have many opportunities to showcase her abilities, and since she had a reputation as a talented woman, there must be a reason for it.

Huo Xiaoru had heard of the couplet at Tian Ran Ju before and had tried to come up with a matching lower line, so it wasn't too difficult for her. She softly said, "Actually, the answer to this couplet is not fixed. I've heard of this couplet before and once thought of a matching line, but after much deliberation, it still wasn't the most fitting. My line is: 'A boat sails a thousand miles on the river, and the river has a thousand boats.'"

Hu Xiaotian originally intended to use Ji Xiaolan's answer, but since Huo Xiaoru had already given her lower line, he didn't want to show off too much. Although Huo Xiaoru's line was ingenious, it still lacked in tone and rhythm.

Everyone praised in unison, "What a great couplet!"

Huo Xiaoru said, "My lower line still lacks in tone and rhythm, and it doesn't match the upper line perfectly. It ends with three level tones, which is improper. I've thought about it many times but couldn't come up with a better one. I apologize for my poor attempt."

Several people looked at Hu Xiaotian. Huo Xiaoru's line was already very clever, and they wondered what he could come up with. Hu Xiaotian naturally couldn't reveal the original lower line and didn't need to show off in front of the ladies. After some thought, he said, "When poor, there's no meat to eat; when eating meat, there are no poor people!" This line caused a burst of laughter. Composing poetry and couplets is usually a refined activity, but Hu Xiaotian came up with such a vulgar and worldly lower line.

Huo Xiaoru couldn't help but smile, her beauty radiating. Everyone was captivated by her charm, their gazes fixed on her face, while Hu Xiaotian, who should have been the star, was ignored.

Yang Sanqi, after laughing, frowned and seemed to be pondering their lower lines. After a while, he shook his head and said, "Mr. Hu's lower line is inappropriate. On the surface, it seems to match, but it doesn't hold up to scrutiny. Miss Huo's couplet is more fitting, but it still has some flaws in tone and rhythm."

Hu Xiaotian inwardly cursed Yang Sanqi for being petty. With Huo Xiaoru's couplet, even if it didn't guarantee free meals for life, at least one free meal should be possible. But this guy didn't even have the decency to offer that. He smiled and said, "It seems I won't have the luck to enjoy a free lunch."

He had Liang Dazhuang and the others wait downstairs while he went upstairs to a private room with Huo Xiaoru and Murong Feiyun. Murong Feiyun was familiar with the place, so she ordered the dishes. When she mentioned the Lotus Meat, everyone couldn't help but laugh, remembering Hu Xiaotian's earlier response.

"Being poor means no meat to eat; eating meat means no poor people!" Huo Xiaoru said softly, "The more I think about this lower line, the more I find it interesting. I think Mr. Yang doesn't appreciate it; such a good lower line, and he says it's not good."

Murong Feiyun said, "I don't see what's good about it; it's too vulgar."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Great vulgarity is great elegance. In the end, everything returns to simplicity."

Huo Xiaoru blinked her beautiful eyes and realized that although Hu Xiaotian's words were simple, they contained profound wisdom. Perhaps this was what he meant by returning to simplicity.

Accompanying the two beauties in composing poetry and couplets was a delightful experience. It started drizzling outside, and Murong Feiyun raised her wine glass and said, "Wishing you a smooth journey!"

Hu Xiaotian raised his glass with a smile and said, "Thank you for your good wishes!"

Huo Xiaoru then realized that Hu Xiaotian was going on a long journey and asked in surprise, "Mr. Hu, you're going on a long journey?"

Hu Xiaotian nodded and said, "Thanks to the Emperor's favor, he has given me a position."

Murong Feiyun only knew that he was leaving, assuming he was going on a leisure trip, but she didn't realize he was taking up an official post. People like Hu Xiaotian, born into privilege, had it easier than others. While others had to study for years and pass numerous exams to have a chance at an official position, Hu Xiaotian could enter the bureaucracy without much effort, and with his background, he would surely rise quickly. Thinking of her own dedication to the Jingzhao Prefecture, which ended in her suspension due to offending a powerful official, she felt a deep sense of injustice. Why were their fates so different? It was truly unfair. Her mood became even heavier.

Murong Feiyun finished her drink, and Huo Xiaoru took the initiative to refill their glasses. Returning to her seat, she raised her glass and said to Hu Xiaotian, "Xiaoru also wishes Mr. Hu a safe journey and hopes you will achieve great success and rise to prominence."

Hu Xiaotian chuckled and said, "Thank you for your good wishes; I'll drink to that!"

After finishing the drink, Huo Xiaoru softly asked, "Where are you going to serve as an official?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "Xichuan! A remote county that can't even be found on a map, where I'll serve as a county magistrate." Although his father had specifically told him to keep it confidential, Hu Xiaotian didn't think it would be a problem to tell them.

Murong Feiyun, being familiar with the political scene, knew that Hu Xiaotian was engaged to Li Tianheng's daughter, the daughter of the Xichuan military governor. His choice to serve in Xichuan was certainly related to this. With connections in the capital, Hu Xiaotian didn't need to worry about his career; his family had already arranged everything for him. Murong Feiyun said, "It seems the world will have one more corrupt official from today!"

Hu Xiaotian laughed and said, "Just a ninth-rank official; even if I wanted to be corrupt, there wouldn't be much to gain."

Murong Feiyun said, "Corruption isn't necessarily related to the rank of the official. If you really want to be corrupt, even the poorest place can be stripped bare."

Huo Xiaoru smiled gently and said, "Inspector Murong, I don't think Mr. Hu is a corrupt official."

Murong Feiyun looked at Huo Xiaoru with a hint of defiance, "How can you be so sure?"

Huo Xiaoru said, "Given Mr. Hu's broad-mindedness and vision, I believe he will rise to the highest ranks and will never settle for a small position."

Talented women are indeed talented. Whether her words were true or not, they made Hu Xiaotian feel very comfortable. A true confidante, this is what a soulmate is. How could my realm and vision be so low? A small county like Qingyun, why would I care? With my talent, I don't need to resort to corruption to become wealthy. Murong Feiyun's prejudice against me is quite strong.

Murong Feiyun, due to her suspension, was clearly in a bad mood. She rarely spoke and just drank alone. Hu Xiaotian, worried she might drink too much, reminded her, "Drinking to drown your sorrows only makes them worse. Inspector Murong, if you have any troubles, why not share them with us?"

Huo Xiaoru was touched by the phrase "drinking to drown your sorrows only makes them worse." Hu Xiaotian seemed carefree, but he was actually very talented, and his casual words were profound.

Murong Feiyun said, "What's the point of sharing? In this world, it's hard to distinguish right from wrong, good from evil. Forget it, I have something to do, I'll leave first!" She got up, took her sword, and left Tian Ran Ju.

Huo Xiaoru looked puzzled and said, "Inspector Murong seems upset?"

Hu Xiaotian watched her leave and said, "A person with sharp edges finds it hard to survive in the political arena. The political world is the most dangerous place. If you don't hide your sharpness and edges, you'll only face obstacles and end up shattered."