Chapter 17

Xu Ji's poem, though not a masterpiece, was still better than Xu Wen's. Moreover, to compose a poem within the time limit of a burning incense stick was quite remarkable. The sisters nodded in approval and looked forward to the literary talent of the third young master even more.

Xu Hao feigned a look of deep thought. He couldn't compose a poem, but he could write a few paragraphs of emotional prose. Besides, he had classic quotes like "If only life could be as beautiful as the first meeting," "Bend the bow and shoot the eagle," and Sanmao's "Turn away in one second, forget in a lifetime," which would surely leave everyone speechless.

Hongye kept hinting to her brother Xu Hao, but Xu Hao deliberately ignored her. When the incense stick burned out, he said with a sense of shame that he couldn't compose a poem.

Xiao Shi and Xu Qinglian were very disappointed and sighed helplessly. Liu Shi and others secretly laughed, while Wang Shi looked even more radiant.

The old lady, however, asked curiously, "This morning, Hao composed a poem. I thought it was quite good. Why not use a poem instead of a poem?"

"No, the time is up, I admit defeat," Xu Hao shook his head and refused straightforwardly.

"Then I won't force you," the old lady no longer paid attention to him and glanced meaningfully at the neighboring cabin, "Tonight, you two brothers should copy down the poems and write an essay on spring. Hand it to me tomorrow morning."

Xu Wen heard this and inwardly groaned, looking at his sister Cuita with a pleading gaze. He then stood up and respectfully agreed with Xu Ji. Xu Hao felt somewhat guilty towards his mother and sisters, apologized, and bowed his head in acknowledgment.

Xiao Shi was extremely disappointed and felt a great loss of face. She said with a tone of frustration, "From now on, you must study hard. I will confine you to your room for three months as punishment."

"Yes," Xu Hao was well-prepared and did not feel surprised.

The official boat slowly moved away, heading towards the capital. The old lady stood at the bow, gazing into the distance with a complex expression, a mix of joy and worry.

At night, Xu Hao sat in the study, pretending to "study hard." Xu Qinglian and Xu Hongye walked in from outside. Hongye angrily said, "I hinted to you so many times, why did you act like a wooden log? Xu Wen only got away with cheating because Cuita helped him, it's infuriating."

Hongye plopped down in a chair, glaring at Xu Hao with a fierce look. Xu Hao looked up and glared back at her.

"You think the poem you gave me could be composed by a man? 'The celestial bridge can be crossed, today we will visit the Palace of Pearls. The parrot's spring branch is fragrant, the beauty of Xiang River is revealed.' If I said it in public, wouldn't everyone laugh at me? They'd think I'm a man with spring in my heart. Oh, I get it."

Hongye stuck out her tongue, giggled, and then complained, "Now everyone is talking about how you are the dumbest among your brothers. But you only needed to read my lip movements once to recite the entire poem without a single mistake. You're so capable, why can't you compose a poem yourself?"

Xu Qinglian said apologetically, "I was nervous and followed my usual habit of composing poems. It's my fault."

"You do have a good brain," Xu Hao said smugly. He admitted that this body had a much better memory than before, probably because the brain itself had less stored information, so data transmission was faster.

Xu Hao smiled and said, "I'm not stubborn. Today's situation was too strange. The old lady suddenly asked us three brothers to compose poems for outsiders, and the theme was 'spring.' I felt there was a risk, so I decided to admit defeat to avoid trouble."

Hongye said, "Mother said that the boat might have a teacher from the Imperial Academy on it. What a waste of such a good opportunity."

Xu Hao said dismissively, "So what if it is? Getting into the Imperial Academy isn't that hard. I can always ask for help."

"Not so," Xu Qinglian shook her head and said, "Mother is concerned about your reputation. Even if you enter the Imperial Academy, you still have to compete with thousands of students in the imperial exams. Many people waste their lives on this. If you could impress a few teachers with your poetry today, your reputation would rise, making your future smoother. You might even get a recommendation to become an official directly."

"Is that so?" Xu Hao was surprised and then laughed, "Sister, you flatter me. I don't have the ability to impress anyone. I'd rather buy a block of tofu and bash my head against it."

"Ah, what if you had a stroke of genius?" Xu Qinglian felt quite regretful.

"Enough," Xu Hao stood up, hands behind his back, and said as he walked, "Composing a poem requires real talent. I know my limits. Even if I had a stroke of genius or cheated to gain a reputation, I would still be embarrassed in the Imperial Academy, which is full of talented people. That's not the right path."

Hongye said, "Can't you have a little confidence? You're so smart."

"Self-awareness is a virtue. My IQ is just over a hundred, and there are plenty of geniuses with IQs of 250." Xu Hao said irritably, then thought for a moment and chuckled, "Besides, who's in that boat? It's probably some young ladies."

"Young ladies? You mean the daughters of some family are on the boat?" Xu Qinglian thought for a moment and murmured, "No wonder they are hidden behind a pearl curtain and use the word 'spring,' which is often used by young ladies. You might be right."

"Whose daughters would be so bored? If they were the sisters from the other mansion, why didn't they come out to meet us?" Hongye immediately raised a question.

Xu Qinglian understood even more, her face slightly red, and she covered her mouth in surprise, shaking her head.

Xu Hao laughed and said, "How could they come out? Even if they are relatives, they will soon become our mothers-in-law and husbands. If you were them, would you come out?"

"Ah!" Hongye widened her eyes in disbelief, "Heaven, so that's what it is. No wonder."

Xu Hao walked to the door, glanced at the red line drawn on the ground for him, and smiled smugly, "It seems my intuition was right. I avoided a disaster today. The old lady quietly arranged a matchmaking session. Ha! Looks like the second brother will be chosen."

"What about the eldest brother? How can a younger brother get married first?" Hongye counted on her fingers, "The two eldest sisters from the other mansion are already engaged. Jinxuan from Uncle Three's family is eleven years old, and Jingzhu from Uncle Four's family is eight. Who could it be?"

"Whoever it is, as long as it's a close relative. By the way, could it be a princess from the Yan Wang family? The old lady has always wanted to marry into the royal family," Xu Hao asked.

Xu Qinglian slowly said, "The Yan Wang family has no daughters of the right age, and the status of a direct relative is questionable. It might be one of the other two aunts."

"Even a secondary relative would satisfy the old lady," Xu Hao smiled.

Hongye said regretfully, "What a pity. You could have become a prince's son-in-law. Now they get the benefit, it's infuriating."

Xu Hao looked at Hongye's beautiful face with disdain and said, "I can't handle it. If you like, you can marry a prince yourself. Don't count on me. This good fortune should be left for the eldest and second brothers."