Chapter 25

Xu Wuzhou and Yu Feng sat together, with no one coming to disturb them.

The two of them drank wine, and Yu Feng's gaze swept over the girls one by one.

Xu Wuzhou's gaze, however, was fixed on Qin Qingmou.

Qin Qingmou sat there, holding a book and reading it. She exuded a scholarly air, and even in this noisy environment, she had a serene and tranquil demeanor.

She was truly beautiful, with a perfect appearance, figure, and temperament.

Perhaps because she was too beautiful and thus envied, he could occasionally hear people making sarcastic remarks about her, but she pretended not to hear, sitting quietly and giving off a cold and distant aura.

However, hearing a group of women mock her, Xu Wuzhou frowned slightly. After some thought, he took out paper, pen, and ink.

"Xu brother, what do you think of that girl in the blue dress?"

While chatting with Xu Wuzhou, Yu Feng suddenly pointed to a girl.

Xu Wuzhou glanced over and saw a girl with a graceful figure and a delicate face, exuding a somewhat cold demeanor.

He withdrew his gaze and continued to grind the ink, casually answering Yu Feng, "If you want to win her over, I suggest you first flatter the less attractive girl in gray, and act as if you don't care about the blue-dressed girl."

"Why?"

Yu Feng asked, puzzled.

Xu Wuzhou smiled, took a pen, and wrote something on the paper, while lazily answering Yu Feng, "These two are clearly often together. The blue-dressed girl is more beautiful, so the young nobles will definitely flock around her. One more or one less won't make a difference.

But the gray-dressed girl is different. There aren't many people flattering her. If you act coldly toward the blue-dressed girl and instead show her attention, she will be overjoyed inside, and it will be much easier to win her over.

As for the blue-dressed girl, seeing that you choose the gray-dressed girl over her, her pride will be hurt, and it will spark her competitive spirit. She might even take the initiative to pay attention to you or try to win you back from the gray-dressed girl, making it easier to win her over too.

Two birds with one stone!"

"Brother, you are truly skilled!"

Yu Feng clapped his hands in admiration, thinking that this strategy was no less impressive than his own, indeed a novel approach.

Xu Wuzhou smiled, finished the last stroke, and put down the pen, blowing on the wet ink.

Yu Feng, seeing this, looked at Xu Wuzhou with confusion, wondering what he was doing.

Writing a poem?

He wanted to lean in to see, but Xu Wuzhou folded the paper.

On Qin Qingmou's side, many people were reciting poems, occasionally drawing applause, creating a lively atmosphere.

In that quiet Qin Qingmou, she seemed out of place.

"Miss Qin, everyone says you are exceptionally talented and have the potential to achieve enlightenment through literature. Why don't you recite a poem?"

A young girl pressed Qin Qingmou.

"There is no suitable poem, so I won't embarrass myself."

Qin Qingmou replied. Although she could write some poems, they did not satisfy her, so why bother showing them.

"Heh, she looks down on us. Why should we force her?"

"Perhaps she is just arrogant.

She can't even write a simple poem about wine or the moon, so she is just a fraud."

"Never seen her write a poem. Her reputation must be fabricated by the Qin family."

"If she were truly talented, she wouldn't have married Xu Wuzhou, that parasite. It's because she is not good enough that only Xu Wuzhou is willing to be her husband."

"What does she think she is? I hear the Qin family is facing internal and external troubles, and it's uncertain how long they will last."

"On her wedding day, her husband did beastly things and went to a brothel. You can imagine how much of a failure she is, even Xu Wuzhou doesn't want to touch her.

She can't even win his heart."

"What enlightenment through literature? It's laughable.

She might be just as empty-headed as her useless husband."

"..." Women's sarcasm was even more vicious and cruel than men's.

Xu Wuzhou, listening from a distance, found it unbearable.

Qin Qingmou sat quietly, seemingly indifferent to the sarcasm.

But while Qin Qingmou was indifferent, Xu Wuzhou was not.

Such a beautiful woman was his wife after all.

He couldn't bear to say a harsh word to her, let alone let these gossipy women mock her.

Moreover, as someone who had been influenced by Tang poetry and Song lyrics, he couldn't stand his wife being insulted through poetry, which would tarnish the reputation of the Chinese people. Could Xu Wuzhou tolerate this?

Xu Wuzhou folded the paper and, with a slight flick of his hand, it silently landed on the table next to Qin Qingmou.

"What are you doing?"

Yu Feng asked, puzzled.

"Some gossipy women are annoying. Someone needs to put them in their place."

Xu Wuzhou replied casually.

Yu Feng was confused. How could a piece of paper put them in their place?

His gaze followed Xu Wuzhou's, and he saw a group of women who had been indirectly mocking Qin Qingmou. Now, with someone directly confronting her, they no longer held back, becoming increasingly harsh. Qin Qingmou couldn't help but frown.

"What are you pretending? The first beauty of Lin'an and the one who can achieve enlightenment through literature? All just boasting. Don't you have any shame?"

"Hey, this folded paper on the table is something you wrote.

Heh, you must be ashamed of your own trash, so you didn't dare show it."

A sharp-eyed woman noticed the paper on Qin Qingmou's table, sneered, and picked it up, "I want to see what you wrote.

Water Tune: Ode to the Moon..." This woman was Huang Ying, from the Huang family, which was allied with the Li family. She knew that the Li family was suppressing the Qin family, so she was eager to mock Qin Qingmou.

She was about to read it out to mock Qin Qingmou, but as she read the first line and was about to read the second, her voice suddenly stopped, her face turning pale and then red.

The women who had been in cahoots with Huang Ying looked at each other, wondering what she was doing.

Suddenly, one of the women couldn't bear it and took the paper, reading it out loud.

"When did the moon appear?

I raise my cup to the blue sky.

I wonder what time it is in the celestial palace.

I wish to ride the wind and return, but I fear the cold at the height of the jade palace.

Dancing with my clear shadow, is it better than being on earth?

Turning around the vermilion pavilion, lowering the embroidered window, it shines on the sleepless.

There should be no resentment, why does it always become full when we part?

People have joys and sorrows, partings and reunions, the moon has its waxing and waning, this has been hard to perfect since ancient times.

May we all live long, sharing the beauty of the moon from afar.

Qin Qingmou wrote this at the Shi family's literary gathering."

As the poem was read, some people gasped, looking at Qin Qingmou in shock, and the room fell into a deathly silence.

The women who had been jealous and hostile toward Qin Qingmou were now stunned.

Some even felt goosebumps.

Even if they were ignorant, they could tell this was a masterpiece.

Moreover, those who dared to mock Qin Qingmou had some literary talent.

Yu Feng had been paying attention to this side. Hearing the poem, he looked at Xu Wuzhou with shock, wondering if Xu Wuzhou had written it.

Many women were now blushing, feeling as if they had been slapped.

Qin Qingmou had said she wouldn't embarrass herself, giving them face.

But what had they done? They had offered their faces to be slapped, calling her a fraud and insulting her as a useless, empty-headed person.

Who were they insulting?

Their faces burned with shame, realizing they were insulting themselves.

Qin Qingmou was also stunned, feeling the poem's incredible brilliance.

But... this wasn't her work.

Qin Qingmou held the paper, staring at it in a daze.

"When did the moon appear?

I raise my cup to the blue sky.

I wonder what time it is in the celestial palace..."

Each line carried a divine aura, with boundless meaning.

Qin Qingmou couldn't help but immerse herself in it, feeling as if she had entered the poem, her body trembling involuntarily.

As she trembled, the air around her suddenly filled with rolling spiritual energy, making a rumbling sound. The spiritual energy enveloped Qin Qingmou, like a veil, adding to her divine beauty. Her legs, straight and elegant, stood there, making the world around her dim and losing its luster.

"She has achieved enlightenment through literature."

Someone exclaimed, looking at Qin Qingmou with shock and disbelief.

Mao Yongliang and Li Qingfei, who had just come out, saw this scene and their faces changed dramatically, their eyes fixed on Qin Qingmou with horror.

Ding! "Where did you learn such skills, Xu brother?

In terms of flirting, I, Yu Feng, admit defeat."

"From a shameless group.

That organization is amazing."

"Hmm?

Can you introduce me to them?"

"Remember, I'll only say it once. The first four digits are 5964, the last five are 05967.

Learn the essence from them, and you'll have a good time every night."

"I'll add it right away."

...