Chapter 70: I Rely on Eating Cake to Comment on an Absolute Match That Will Last Forever

This self-proclaimed great sorcerer, who claimed to be able to summon heavenly lightning, was eventually bound up like a dumpling by Xiao Beichen and thrown into prison, covered in dust and dirt.

After this battle, the rumors about the "demoness" spread by Sikong Ming became a complete joke.

The people of Jiayu County now wish they could kneel down and kowtow to Mu Yu whenever they see him, calling him "Little Water God, Living Bodhisattva".

With the people's hearts now at peace, Chu Chongjin's next step is to win the support of the entire Jiangnan literati.

"Among the scholars of Jiangnan, the elder Mr. Su Wenyan is the leader."

Inside the county government office study, Yan Ziche spread out a family tree and pointed to the name at the very top.

"Master Su was the tutor of three emperors, and his students and old friends were all over the world. His word was law among the scholars in Jiangnan."

"If we can get his support, Jiangnan can be secured."

Chu Chongjin nodded; this move was crucial.

“But…” Yan Ziche looked troubled, “This Mr. Su has a rather eccentric temper.”

"The previous governors of Jiayu County all paid a visit, but they never even went inside."

Xiao Beichen snorted dismissively.

"What a terrible temper! I think he just needs a beating."

Mu Fang glared at him.

"When dealing with scholars, we should use their methods."

Chu Chongjin glanced at Mu Yu, who was struggling with an ant, and a smile appeared on his lips.

"We have our own methods."

The next day, the group traveled lightly and arrived at the Su residence, located in the south of Jiayu County.

There was no ostentatious procession, only Chu Chongjin, Mu Fang, Yan Ziche, Xiao Beichen, and Mu Yu, who was being held in Mu Fang's arms.

The gatekeeper of the Su residence was an old man. He glanced at their clothes and then at Chu Chongjin's wheelchair, his eyes indifferent.

"My master is not receiving guests today."

Yan Ziche stepped forward, presented the visiting card, and said gently, "His Highness the Ninth Prince and the Duke of Protectorate have come together to pay their respects to the old gentleman and seek his advice on disaster relief and compassion for the people."

The old doorman didn't even lift his eyelids.

"My master said that natural disasters and man-made calamities cannot be averted by one person alone. Please go back."

Xiao Beichen's fist hardened.

Just then, a clear female voice came from inside the door.

"Grandpa said that I can see him if I want."

A little girl, about seven or eight years old, with her hair in two buns, peeked out and looked at them curiously with her big eyes.

She is Su Wenyan's granddaughter, Su Wan'er.

"Grandpa said that he came up with a couplet a few days ago, and no one has been able to match it yet. He will go out to meet whoever can match the second line."

Yan Ziche's heart stirred.

"May I ask, miss, what is the first line of the couplet?"

Su Wan'er cleared her throat and, mimicking her grandfather's tone, recited with a swaying head:

"The waters of Mirror Lake are cold, flooding thousands of acres of fertile land, bringing tears to the eyes of the people."

In just ten words, a place, an object, a scene, and a feeling are all contained within.

Yan Ziche frowned upon hearing this.

This couplet appears simple, but in reality, it conveys a sorrowful mood and has a grand scope. To create a matching second line that perfectly matches the mood, scope, tone, and parts of speech would be as difficult as ascending to heaven.

He pondered for a long time, then tentatively replied: "The border winds are cold, the Great Wall stretches for thousands of miles, and the soldiers' blood is shed."

Su Wan'er shook her head.

"Grandpa said that 'tears' are sorrowful with compassion, while 'blood' is sorrowful with intensity, and the meanings don't match."

Chu Chongjin also began to ponder.

He gazed at the half-grown green bamboo peeking out from inside the courtyard wall and murmured, "The bamboo in the imperial garden is slender, locking away the spring scenery of the garden, causing the emperor sorrow."

Su Wan'er shook her head again.

"Grandpa said that the tears of the common people are the sorrow of the world, while the worries of the emperor are only his own. That's a narrow perspective."

Xiao Beichen scratched his head, holding back for a long time.

"The drums of the barracks resound, shaking the souls of the three armies and the enemy."

Su Wan'er burst out laughing.

"That's too scary! Grandpa wants couplets, not war."

For a moment, everyone was stumped.

This Mr. Su is indeed not living up to his reputation; he is determined to refuse guests.

The atmosphere was somewhat tense.

Only Mu Yu didn't care what they were saying from beginning to end.

Her little nose was sniffing very hard.

A sweet, warm fragrance of osmanthus blossoms wafted from within the walls of the Su residence.

It smells so good!

It smells even better than the osmanthus cake that Xie Zhiwei's brother makes!

Her mouth was practically watering.

She had no idea about the first and second lines of a couplet; all she heard was them chanting "the tears of the people."

She "saw" it with her Eye of Fortune; the three words were grayish-black, carrying a cold, salty taste, like the tears she had secretly licked before.

It doesn't taste good.

She doesn't like it.

She prefers the smell she has now; it's golden, warm, and sweet.

She couldn't help but smack her lips and express her feelings.

"The fragrance of flowers in the backyard attracts a pair of colorful butterflies, and a child laughs."

After she finished speaking in her childish voice, she added a sentence.

"It smells good and tastes sweet, much better than the Crying Face flavor!"

Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent.

Xiao Beichen and Mu Fang didn't think anything of it, assuming their daughter was just talking nonsense because she smelled the fragrance.

But Yan Ziche and Chu Chongjin's eyes lit up instantly.

"The waters of Mirror Lake are cold, flooding thousands of acres of fertile land, bringing tears to the eyes of the people."

"The fragrance of flowers in the backyard attracts a pair of colorful butterflies, and a child laughs."

A place name, an object, a scene, a mood.

The first line describes natural disasters and man-made calamities, widespread devastation, and universal sorrow.

The second line describes the scene after the rain, full of vitality, and the innocent joy of childhood.

The first line expresses compassion for the common people, while the second line looks to the future.

Whether it's the parts of speech, tones, imagery, or structure, everything matches perfectly, making it truly exquisite!

The contrast between "the tears of the common people" and "the laughter of the children," one of sorrow and the other of joy, one of despair and the other of hope, is simply a stroke of genius!

Su Wan'er was also stunned. She opened her mouth, looked at Mu Yu, thought about the second line of the couplet, and then turned around and ran into the courtyard.

"Grandpa! Grandpa! Someone has answered the question correctly!"

With a creak, the tightly closed vermilion gate opened from the inside.

An elderly man in a green robe, with white hair and beard and a vigorous spirit, stood behind the door, his gaze sharp as lightning, fixed on Mu Yu in Mu Fang's arms.

He was Su Wenyan, a great Confucian scholar from Jiangnan.

"Was the second line of the couplet this girl provided?" he asked in a loud voice, with a hint of disbelief.

Just as Mu Fang was about to say a few words of modesty, Mu Yu in his arms nodded first, and proudly puffed out her little chest.

"It was me who said it! Fragrance of flowers, butterflies, and laughter!"

She thought they were praising her for having a keen sense of smell.

Su Wenyan stared at her for a long time, and his cloudy eyes gradually began to light up.

He saw no demonic aura, only a pure, warm, and bright golden light.

It was a light that brought peace and hope to people's hearts.

"Hahaha...Good! What a wonderful 'childlike laugh'!"

Su Wenyan suddenly threw his head back and laughed, his laughter filled with a long-lost sense of joy.

"I lament the impending collapse of the nation, but I have forgotten that wildfires cannot destroy everything; the spring breeze will bring it back to life!"

"Hope lies not in the old and decrepit, but in the new!"

He bowed deeply to Chu Chongjin.

"Your Highness, I was blind before, like a frog in a well, and almost missed a true auspicious omen!"

"Your Highness possesses the aura of a true dragon and is blessed with the good fortune of a koi fish; you are truly a blessing to our Great Chu!"

"From this day forward, I am willing to follow Your Highness's lead without question. The scholars of Jiangnan will certainly give their full support to Your Highness in disaster relief, saving the people, and rebuilding our land!"

Chu Chongjin quickly bowed from his wheelchair in return.

"With this promise from the old gentleman, there is nothing to worry about in Jiangnan."

An impending confrontation between the Jiangnan scholars and the imperial envoy's entourage was averted by Mu Yu's comment about the food being "delicious."

In her sea of ​​consciousness, in the pond of blessings, a clear stream formed by countless white light spots slowly flowed in.

That was the recognition from a great Confucian scholar, the spirit of "literary fortune".

The water level in the pool has quietly risen a little more.

Su Wenyan invited everyone into his residence and personally brewed them fine tea.

Su Wan'er followed Mu Yu around like a little shadow, her big eyes full of admiration.

"Are you Princess Mu Yu of Anguo? They say you are the Little Water Goddess, able to change the course of a river with just a word. Is that true?"

Mu Yu was taking small bites of the osmanthus cake specially made by the Su family when she heard this, and nodded vaguely.

"Really?"

"Then what else can you do?" Su Wan'er asked, even more excited.

Mu Yu thought for a moment, swallowed the pastry in her mouth, and said seriously, "I can still eat, I can eat lots and lots of delicious food!"

Su Wan'er was amused by her and laughed heartily, finding the little princess to be incredibly interesting.

She took Mu Yu's hand and mysteriously led her to her room.

I have a gift for you!

She took out a palm-sized mechanical artifact from an exquisite wooden box.

It was a small bird made of silver wire and kingfisher feathers, with two obsidian eyes, and it was made to look very lifelike.

Su Wan'er wound up one of the springs on the bird's base.

"Chirp chirp, chirp chirp chirp—"

The mechanical bird immediately opened its beak and emitted a series of clear and melodious chirps, its wings fluttering slightly.

Although Mu Yu couldn't see, she could hear the strange sound, and she stretched out her little hand in surprise.

"It can sing!"

“Yes! This was made by a craftsman my father invited from the Western Regions. It’s called ‘Lark.’ There’s only one like it in the entire Jiayu County!” Su Wan’er generously handed the little bird to Mu Yu.

"Here you go! We're best friends now!"

Mu Yu stroked the bird's cool, smooth feathers, feeling the subtle vibrations within its body, and smiled happily.

"Great! We're good friends!"

"Sister Wan'er, you are so kind!"

The two little girls quickly became friends.

Over here, Su Wenyan and Chu Chongjin had a very pleasant conversation, discussing everything from people's livelihood to national policies. Su Wenyan praised Chu Chongjin's insight and magnanimity.

When the topic of restoring Jiayu County came up, Su Wenyan couldn't help but sigh.

"Now that the floodwaters have receded and the river channels have been cleared, it is all thanks to Your Highness and the Princess."

"However... there are many fields on high ground in the county. The terrain is too high to draw water, and it looks like we will miss the spring planting season."

"The crops in those fields are probably all going to die from drought."

He pointed to a few hillsides in the distance outside the window, his face full of worry.

"If only the river could flow up the hillside on its own, that would be wonderful."

What was said without malice may have been taken to heart by the listener.

Mu Yu, who was holding a singing bird and dozing off, suddenly heard these words.

The river...ran up the mountain on its own?