Chapter 32: Words Flow Like Poetry?

“Master Ma.”
“Master Ma, you’re here?”
As the owner of this voice strode into the crowd, the restless throng immediately quieted.
It was none other than the official, Master Ma.
Upon seeing Master Ma, Xue An instantly felt more confident, hastily putting on a smile and ingratiating himself:
“Master Ma, thank goodness you’ve arrived. This morning, I came at my lord’s behest to collect a debt from this scholar Li. Who could have guessed he would gather so many people to openly surround us!”
“Master Ma, this scholar Li is up to no good, perhaps even harboring rebellious intentions!”
It must be said—
Xue An truly knew how to stir things up.
His words sent waves of panic through the villagers.
Even the old village chief seemed flustered, quickly explaining:
“Master Ma, please see the truth. How could we humble folk ever entertain such thoughts? It’s only that Xue An was too oppressive, and we came to help.”
Hearing the village chief’s explanation, Li Yuanjing felt a jolt in his heart.
The old chief was indeed cunning, adept at handling many matters on ordinary days, but his station remained clear.
When it came to political struggles that could affect everyone, he was clearly out of his depth—even quite naïve.
Li Yuanjing was about to speak, to help the old chief smooth things over, when Master Ma, displeased, shot Xue An a glare and interrupted, scolding:
“Steward Xue, mind your words!”
“Quanzi Village has always been under my jurisdiction, with all its people honest and upright! From what you say, are you implying that the honest folk under my governance are nothing but troublemakers in your eyes?”
“This…”
Xue An, startled, immediately realized his words were ill-chosen, and hurriedly nodded and bowed in apology.
“Heh.”
“What’s going on here? Quite a lively scene. Am I not welcome here?”
But before Xue An could respond, a young nobleman strode in from outside the crowd, wearing a snow-white fur coat and a fox-fur hat of obvious expense, fanning himself with a flamboyant paper fan despite the cold.
This nobleman was clearly bold.
Even with tensions high and both sides ready to clash, he was utterly unbothered, walking straight to the center.
“Oh, my honored ancestor…”
Master Ma nearly lost his composure, rushing to the young noble’s side:
“Sir, what brings you here?”
“Quick!”
“Quick!”
“Hurry, protect the young master!”
At that moment, County Magistrate Zhao Bingchun, nearly breathless from running up the slope, was just as startled. Without a second thought, he urgently summoned the soldiers nearby to rush up and secure Murong Kai’s safety.
Soon, dozens of officers charged forward, swiftly splitting the crowd into two.

The old village chief, Zhao Zengjin, and the others were stunned, momentarily unable to grasp what was happening, trembling and bewildered.
Xue An was flustered as well, anxiously scanning the surroundings, especially Murong Kai.
Unfortunately, his activities were always confined to the area near Iron Ox Town; he rarely visited the county seat and had no idea who Murong Kai was.
Still, seeing County Magistrate Zhao Bingchun himself arriving, even Xue An could deduce that Murong Kai’s identity was extraordinary.
Li Yuanjing now recognized Murong Kai as well, squinting thoughtfully.
He truly hadn’t expected that Murong Kai, the young scion, would come to this godforsaken Quanzi Village.
“Heh.”
“Why is everyone so tense? I’m just here for a casual look.”
Murong Kai theatrically snapped open his folding fan, appearing utterly in control.
Then, he spotted Li Yuanjing in the courtyard, his eyes lighting up:
“Oh!”
“It’s you!”
“Aren’t you the one who sold me that big black fish last time?”
Though he couldn’t yet grasp the situation or its peril, since Murong Kai had recognized him, Li Yuanjing could no longer feign ignorance.
He respectfully cupped his hands to Murong Kai:
“Student Li Yuanjing greets you, sir.”
“Hmm?”
“So you are Li Yuanjing?”
“You’re the one who wrote ‘Born with talent, it must find its use; riches spent will return again’?”
Murong Kai’s eyes grew even brighter, gazing at Li Yuanjing as if he were a stunning beauty, nearly drooling.
“...”
Even with Li Yuanjing’s quick wit, he was momentarily dazed, unable to keep up with Murong Kai’s eccentric train of thought.
Beside him, as Magistrate Zhao Bingchun, supported by two aides, was about to reach the top of the slope, Master Ma suddenly had an idea.
He quietly said to Li Yuanjing:
“Scholar Li, those lines you wrote struck me deeply, so I reported them to the old patriarch. He found them exquisite as well and passed them on to Young Master Murong.”
“Murong Kai admires your talent, and hurried here overnight.”
“Mu—Murong Kai?”
Li Yuanjing shivered.
Though he’d never met Murong Kai’s father, Murong Mubai, as a student of Wind City, Li Yuanjing naturally knew the city’s pride—
That man who had swept the local, provincial, and imperial exams, only losing at the palace exam for reasons best left unsaid to the favored son-in-law of the court, and ultimately winning third place—Murong Mubai.
The Murong surname was rare, even more so in Wind City.
Moreover, Li Yuanjing recalled Murong Mubai returning home for mourning years ago.

With Master Ma’s explanation, Li Yuanjing quickly pieced everything together.
But… Murong Kai and Master Ma had just said—
‘Born with talent, it must find its use; riches spent will return again’ was written by himself…
Li Yuanjing suddenly felt as if his mind had been cleared, his spirit refreshed, like enlightenment had dawned!
Of course! This world’s history was nothing like that of later generations!
There were no Li Bai, Du Fu, Du Mu, Su Shi, or Li Qingzhao—those legendary talents who dazzled the ages…
And Li Yuanjing had heard from classmates that the young master of the Murong family was obsessed with poetry, even called a “poetry fanatic.”
He hastily bowed modestly to Murong Kai:
“Sir, I am Li Yuanjing. These few humble verses are mere scribbles, unworthy of your praise.”
“Haha.”
“Hahahaha!”
Murong Kai suddenly laughed heartily, his expensive folding fan repeatedly slapping his palm:
“I knew it! I knew it. There’s always a stroke of fate in life. Brother Li, we are truly destined!”
Li Yuanjing cupped his hands and replied with a smile:
“You flatter me, sir. Indeed, life and its happenings are bound by fate. As the saying goes, ‘With fate, a thousand miles brings us together; without it, we may face each other and never meet.’”
“With fate, a thousand miles brings us together; without it, we may face each other and never meet?”
Murong Kai was nearly delirious, repeating the line, clearly awestruck by Li Yuanjing’s poetry.
“With fate, a thousand miles brings us together; without it, we may face each other and never meet?”
At that moment, Magistrate Zhao Bingchun finally climbed up, gasping like a dying dog, but when he heard the verse, he was stunned.
Earlier, he suspected Li Yuanjing’s talent might be exaggerated.
Now…
Zhao Bingchun could confidently declare Li Yuanjing to be a “rare genius!”
What does it mean to speak in verse? This was it…
“Patriarch, patriarch, please uphold justice for me! That penniless Li has not only refused to pay my master’s silver, but has gathered a crowd to assault us honest folk…”
Just as Murong Kai and Zhao Bingchun were marveling at Li Yuanjing’s poetic brilliance, Xue An, feeling neglected or perhaps desperate to regain his footing, confronted the newly arrived Zhao Bingchun and wailed.
“Hmm?”
In the next instant,
Both Zhao Bingchun and Murong Kai turned fierce, icy gazes upon Xue An, as if they could flay him alive with their eyes!