Shen Mingzhu drank a cup of tea, looking very confident. She felt that the thick stack of silver notes she had bet on Xiao Yanzhi to win was about right!
Tianxianglou is also packed with people, both inside and out, and the scene is even more bustling than when it first opened.
Seeing this scene, Shen Mingzhu immediately sent Shaoyao to her own teahouse, Shuiyunjian, to quickly bring over tables and chairs and invite their storyteller to recount the battle situation!
"Talented Xiao, let's compose a couplet. We have lived in Shengjing for a long time, so as the host, you should come up with the first line."
As soon as Shen Mingzhu finished speaking, she immediately started chatting with the system.
[Guagua, watch how I dominate the battlefield, crushing scum and slapping faces with ease!]
[Hehe~~~ Host, you're so "naughty! I love Guagua so much, I'll always support you!]
Xiao Yanzhi scoffed inwardly, thinking to himself: "Arrogant! Watch me defeat you in one move!"
Okay.
Shen Mingzhu smiled and looked at the person opposite her.
Zhao Deren sneered, "I'll go first."
"Looking at the river from Wangjiang Tower, the river flows on and on. The tower stands eternally, and the river flows on and on!"
Wangjiang Tower is an ancient tower they saw when they travelled to Sichuan during their studies. Climbing up the tower, they could see a river flowing through it, a scene they still remember vividly.
As the saying goes, "Reading ten thousand books is not as good as travelling ten thousand miles." This young lady grew up in the countryside and probably hasn't left Shengjing since recognizing her relatives.
Upon seeing this, Shen Qinghong immediately stepped forward and said.
"Little sister, I've come up with a matching line! The matching line is..."
Shen Mingzhu waved her hand and spoke confidently.
"Ancient frontier, ancient frontier general, ancient frontier general beneath the ancient frontier, may the frontier last ten thousand years, may the frontier general last ten thousand years!"
"The Moon-Reflecting Well, reflecting the moon's image, the moon's image reflected in the Moon-Reflecting Well, the Moon-Reflecting Well for ten thousand years, the moon's image for ten thousand years!"
"Viewing the Sea Pavilion, watching the surging sea, from the Viewing the Sea Pavilion, watching the surging sea, may the pavilion live ten thousand years, may the surging sea live ten thousand years!"
[Guagua, i deserve applause here!]
[Clap clap, clap clap clap! The host is awesome!]
"Aren't I?"
Hiss~~~
"Good heavens, I still don't understand how Master Shen came up with three matching lines in one go? Wasn't she supposed to have grown up in the countryside?"
"That's amazing!"
"Let's see who says Miss Shen is a good-for-nothing now! She's clearly a talented woman! Look how amazing she is!"
Shh! Don't say that!
After saying that, she looked at Shen Jiaojiao, who was standing to the side, her face flushed with anger.
How is that possible?
How could she possibly know how to compose a couplet!
Three at once?!
No!
impossible!
Leng Lujie stepped forward.
"I'll do it!"
"Read books in spring, read books in autumn, read books in spring and autumn, and read the Spring and Autumn Annals."
Looking at Zhao Deren's confident smile, Shen Mingzhu smiled and spoke without the slightest hesitation.
"East pawnshop, west pawnshop, pawn things at both pawnshops!"
"South Tongzhou, North Tongzhou, Tongzhou connects the North and South!"
"Is the talented but cold-hearted scholar satisfied?"
Leng Lujie's face turned bright red, and he snapped his folding fan open.
"What's with the arrogance!"
Xue Pengfei, a good friend whom Xiao Yanzhi and his group visited in Yangcheng Prefecture, looked at Shen Mingzhu with admiration and stepped forward with a smile.
"Shen Mingzhu, I am but a humble scholar, please enlighten me!"
"Young Master Xue, please!"
After a moment's thought, Xue Pengfei stepped forward and spoke calmly.
"White Pagoda Street, Yellow Blacksmith, lighting a red furnace, burning black charcoal, emitting blue smoke, flashing blue light, quenching purple iron, sitting north facing south, forging things."
After saying that, he looked at Shen Mingzhu, waiting for her to finish the couplet.
"In Danshui Bay, the farmers suffer hardship, wearing straw hats, bending over with aching backs, enduring the scorching sun, sweating profusely, cutting sweet sugarcane, supporting their wives, raising their children and grandchildren!"
Wow! They all match up!
"I didn't understand why Miss Shen went to the Hanlin Academy to be a compiler before, but it turns out she has real talent and learning!"
For the first time, Xiao Yanzhi, Xue Pengfei, Zhao Deren, and Leng Lujie took Shen Mingzhu seriously.
No wonder she had banknotes, shops, estates, and houses; it turns out she was well-educated and had plenty of resources!
Unfortunately, she ran into them!
Xue Pengfei, unconvinced, continued to speak.
"Ten mouths, one thought: of the country, of the family, of the nation."
Shen Mingzhu, "Eight eyes still appreciate beauty, appreciating the wind, the moon, and the fragrance of autumn!"
"The mouth of the world, the mouth of heaven, their ambition is to conquer Wu."
"The king among men, the king beside men, intends to assume full authority."
"Hahaha~~~ They all match up!"
A loud, clear voice came from behind, beaming with joy.
Shen Mingzhu turned around and saw that it was General Tian Xuezhou, the Grand General of Chariots and Cavalry!
Tian Xuezhou felt he was about to strike it rich. Seeing Shen Mingzhu looking at him, he excitedly waved to her...
Seeing his general's pathetic state from upstairs, Emperor Jingyuan hurriedly ordered Grand Steward Wang Defu to invite him upstairs.
When Tian Xuezhou got upstairs, he saw Emperor Jingyuan, Prince An, and Shen Changyuan.
After bowing, he excitedly punched Shen Changyuan.
"Minister Shen, you're really something! With Miss Shen as your daughter, you're going to make a fortune!"
"Hehe~~~ I heard that the talented scholar Xiao has pledged 500,000 dan of grain..."
Shen Changyuan stumbled after being pushed by Tian Xuezhou, enduring the pain in his shoulder.
"Hmm, let's wait and see. There are still several warehouses full of cloth, but we don't know what kind of material it is!"
"Any material will do! Hahaha~~~~~"
Shen Changyuan: ...
What a goofball!
Seeing this, Xiao Yanzhi's expression turned somewhat grave, and he spoke.
"I'll do it!"
"The sea water ebbs and flows, the sun sinks and the book is compiled, please."
Shen Mingzhu smiled calmly.
"Floating clouds rise and fall, ever rising and ever falling!"
"Young Master Xiao, are you satisfied?"
Xiao Yanzhi pondered it carefully.
"The tones are well-matched, the sounds are harmonious, I'm satisfied!"
"Again!"
"He laughs as soon as he opens his mouth, laughing at the past and present, taking everything with a laugh."
Shen Mingzhu said, "A big belly can hold everything; it can hold heaven and earth, and what can it not hold?"
After a moment's thought, Xiao Yanzhi immediately spoke.
"Water becomes turbid when there are insects, and fish can be caught in it. Water, water, water, rivers and lakes stretch endlessly."
"The root lies beneath the tree, the branch lies above the tree; tree, tree, tree, pine, cypress, camphor trees stand tall and dense."
Shen Qinghong was filled with excitement and felt great. Hearing the exclamations of the students in the hall, he looked at the group of people.
"How about that? Isn't my sister amazing?"
Shen Qingbo: "There are always people better than you, and there's always something beyond your understanding, humph!"
He was so proud!
In the afternoon, he went to tell his classmates how prestigious they were at Tianxiang Restaurant!
Xiao Yanzhi glanced at the two of them, completely ignoring them, then looked at Shen Mingzhu and said with a smile,
"Cultivate again, Shen Mingzhu."
"Young Master Xiao, please enlighten me!"
"Tuning the zither, tuning a new tune, the tune is wonderful."
"Plant flowers well, and they will all be fragrant."
"The wind turns the green bamboo, the bamboo turns in the wind."
"White plum blossoms in the snow, white plum blossoms reflected in the snow, and plum blossoms reflected in the snow."
Emperor Jingyuan couldn't help but burst into laughter upon hearing the couplets downstairs.
"Excellent, excellent, excellent! Our Great Yan truly produces a wealth of talented individuals! A wealth of talented individuals indeed!"
Grand Eunuch Wang Defu, a master at discerning the emperor's heart, smiled with narrowed eyes.
"It's all thanks to His Majesty's effective governance."
Hahaha~~~
Flattery will never fail you...
Xiao Yanzhi clenched his fist.
"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven!" (Forgetful eight)
Upon hearing this, Shen Mingzhu's expression immediately changed, and she spoke with disdain in her eyes.
"Filial piety, brotherly love, loyalty, trustworthiness, propriety, righteousness, and integrity!" (Shameless)
Xiao Yanzhi's lips trembled with anger.
"You!"
"What do you mean, 'you'? It's not shameful to admit defeat if you're not as skilled as others!"
[Guagua, this Xiao Yanzhi is a shameless scoundrel! He actually dared to insult me. Just wait and see how I deal with him!]