At this moment, Jing Zhe had already adjusted his state.
He turned to look at Mu Qingren, his voice gentle: "The following is a poem, which I specially prepared for Pavilion Master Mu."
"..."
With just one sentence, Pavilion Master Mu's heart melted.
He secretly drew a few circles on Jing Zhe's back, then whispered, "You'd better write better, or I won't allow it!"
Still carrying a touch of arrogance, only Jing Zhe had the privilege of seeing Mu Qingren in this state. In the eyes of others, Mu Qingren remained aloof and unapproachable.
Jing Zhe didn't say anything more, but picked up his brush and dipped it in ink.
Mu Qingren forgot to massage his back; all her attention was now focused on the paper.
This time, Jing Zhe wrote slowly, but every word he wrote on the paper held a special meaning in Mu Qingren's eyes.
Although he didn't write quickly, there weren't many words, so the poem was finished in a very short time. But in Mu Qingren's eyes, it seemed like a very, very long time had passed...
She finally understood why the poem she had just heard wasn't meant for her; it was because he had already reserved the most special words for her…
This poem is truly wonderful!
These were the best words she had ever seen in her entire life!
No, these are the best words of his life, because he wrote them especially for her!
Mu Qingren's eyes were full of tenderness as she hid behind Jing Zhe. If she didn't have so many concerns, she would have loved to hug Jing Zhe from behind, press her face against his back, and not think about anything, just be a silly woman.
Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do now but place her hand on Jing Zhe's back and pat him gently...
Wang Yingqiu had also seen the poem. Given her broad knowledge of poetry, she was certain that once this poem was written, there would be no more good poems for the Lantern Festival.
She felt no envy, because Jing Zhe had written a Mid-Autumn Festival poem of equal importance for her, so at this moment she only offered Mu Qingren her blessings as a disciple.
Zhou Ziqiong was stunned.
At the same time, she was envious.
This poem seems to have a stronger sense of expression than her other poem, "A Rendezvous After Dusk"!
After calming herself down, she said softly, "I'll read it!"
She was the one who read the first poem.
Although this poem wasn't written for her, it was so beautiful that she wanted to read it aloud.
However, Jing Zhe smiled and declined, saying, "Miss Zhou, let me read this poem!"
"It's just a poem? I'll read it! I want to see what kind of poems you can write. Can you possibly be better than the Crown Prince's poems?"
Manager Hu came out and said disdainfully.
"Let him read it!"
You think you're worthy to read the words he gave me?
Mu Qingren glanced coldly at Manager Hu and said with dissatisfaction.
Shopkeeper Hu was so frightened he wet himself and quickly retreated.
Jing Zhe had already walked out, and he was the only one standing in the center of the hall. The warm light focused on him, as if he had starlight on him, and he instantly became the focus of the entire room.
Then, Jing Zhe's gentle voice rang out.
"The east wind at night releases a thousand trees of flowers. And blows down stars like rain."
BMW's sculpted carriages fill the road with fragrance.
The sound of phoenix flutes stirs, the jade pot shines, and fish and dragons dance all night.
Moths, willow branches, and golden threads; laughter and sweet fragrance linger as they drift away.
Upon reading this, Jing Zhe paused for a moment, then looked at Mu Qingren with deep affection.
"I searched for him a thousand times in the crowd, but suddenly when I turned around, I found him where the lights were dim."
After reading it, Jing Zhe asked with a smile, "Sect Master Mu, this is a poem I wrote especially for you for the Lantern Festival. Are you satisfied?"
Mu Qingren's eyes were moist, but afraid of being seen, she could only nod repeatedly.
"What does Pavilion Master Mu think of this poem?"
Upon hearing this, the most nervous person was the Crown Prince of Yu, because he had a vague feeling that something was wrong.
Then Mu Qingren said, "This is the best and my favorite poem I have ever encountered in my life. This poem is mine!"
"..."
The hall was silent. Mu Qingren's words were sincere, and no one doubted their authenticity.
However, this evaluation is too high.
This assessment not only signifies that Jing Zhe has won, but also that Juxianlou is about to change hands!
Jing Zhe clapped his hands with a smile and said, "Thank you, Pavilion Master Mu. So, is the result out?"
"Your Highness's poem, as commented on by Pavilion Master Mu and Miss Zhou, is just okay, well, indeed just okay. As for my poem, Miss Zhou's evaluation is very good, and Pavilion Master Mu's evaluation is that it is the best poem she has ever seen in her life—so, Your Highness, you flatter me, I am not very talented, but I have won this bet!"
"..."
Manager Hu was ashen-faced, for he had suffered the greatest loss of the day! Not only had he lost all his family fortune, but now he had even lost his manhood!
Seeing that he remained silent, Jing Zhe pressed on, "What, Manager Hu, do you have any objections to this result? Or are you unwilling to accept defeat?"
"I…"
Manager Hu opened his mouth, unsure of what to say, because he didn't want to admit it, but how could he renege on the debt with so many people watching, especially with Mu Qingren present?
"You haven't won yet!"
At this moment, the crown prince of King Yu stepped forward.
This was the last thing he wanted to see. Although he was sure that even if Jing Zhe won, he had a hundred ways to prevent him from getting Juxianlou and the silver after tonight, and even risk his life in Ruzhou, he didn't want to see him win the bet by stepping on him!
This guy can't afford to lose face!
"Your Highness, the outcome is quite clear. Why do you still say I didn't win? Could it be that Your Highness intends to renege on the debt?"
Jing Zhe squinted and asked with a smile.
"Nonsense!"
The Crown Prince of Yu snorted coldly, "How could I renege on my promise? Have you forgotten how we made the bet?"
"..."
Jing Zhe didn't speak, but just looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"Our original bet was that your poetry would be better than that of all the talented scholars from Ruzhou present, and only then would you win! Right now, your poetry is only better than mine, so it doesn't count as a win!"
After speaking, the Crown Prince of Yu looked at the others and said, "You are all famous scholars and talented men in Ruzhou City. Can you tolerate being looked down upon by an outsider like this? Hurry up and come out to compose poems and lyrics!"
Before Yu the Great's heir, there weren't many people who wrote lyrics and poems, and what they did write was mostly just doggerel. Many talented people were still observing and hadn't yet presented their calligraphy.
So the crown prince of Yu still held onto a sliver of hope, thinking that among so many people who hadn't written poetry, if even one of them could write a poem better than Jing Zhe's, he could still win this gamble!
“What the Crown Prince of Yu said is right. I wonder how many people in this hall still want to beat me, so I have one more question.”
Jing Zhe nodded, then turned to look at the crowd and shouted, "Who else?"
"..."
————
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