Chapter 923: Ancestor Solely Possesses Exceptional Talent

"The protagonist always appears at the last moment, after all." Zu An's single sentence immediately ignited public outrage. A group of people began to curse him, calling him arrogant, shameless, and so on.

Looking at the string of rage points appearing in the background, Zu An thought, "This is double the pleasure! I've shown off and earned a wave of rage points."

Miss Nanxun's smile also stiffened slightly. She had to prompt him, "Have you found the answer yet?"

Zu An feigned contemplation for a moment, then declared in a clear voice, "Twilight clouds gather, overflowing with crisp cold; the Milky Way silently turns like a jade disc."

The previously noisy hall instantly fell silent. Everyone mumbled to themselves, savoring the two lines, finding them more exquisite the more they pondered.

In the room upstairs, the stunning woman let out a gasp of surprise. "This fellow possesses such literary talent? I truly underestimated him before."

The maid, who always found Zu An annoying, asked in surprise, "Is this poem really good?"

Given her limited knowledge, she naturally couldn't discern its brilliance.

The beautiful woman nodded. "Very good."

She then remained silent, clearly having no intention of explaining.

The maid, beside her, could only pout and sulk. "Is my mistress looking down on my intelligence? She won't even explain."

On the other side, Bi Zi'ang also showed a hint of surprise. "This fellow is quite interesting. He's worth a second look from me."

Those around him immediately began flattering, "He's still far inferior to Young Master Bi."

Bi Zi'ang smiled faintly. "Being able to compare himself to me is already a success for him."

The people nearby burst into laughter, agreeing that his words were spot-on.

Over by the Qin brothers, Qin Yongde couldn't help but say, "I didn't expect him to have some literary talent. I was curious why sister Chuyan took a liking to him before; perhaps it was because of this."

Qin Guangyuan scoffed, "Literary talent is just a minor skill; it's not presentable. It's only good for deceiving girls."

At this moment, Nanxun also showed surprise, her beautiful eyes shining. "The entire poem contains no explicit words like 'moonlight' or 'water,' yet the words 'overflowing' and 'crisp cold' perfectly capture the ethereal beauty of moonlight like water, giving a sense of bright, clear, accumulated water. With the moon bright and stars sparse, the Milky Way also appears distant and faint. 'The Milky Way silently turns' suggests that the Milky Way should inherently have a sound, but due to its remoteness, it becomes silent, conveying a sense of the vast, empty heavens. 'Jade disc' portrays the moon's pure and pristine beauty, while the word 'turns' not only imbues it with wondrous motion but also implies its roundness. These two lines don't explicitly mention a moon-gazer, yet they are entirely pleasing to the eye, implying the presence of a person within them..."

Previously, when she praised others' poems, it was merely professional courtesy. Each time, she had to rack her brains just to find a single redeeming feature, which had truly distressed her.

Now, this genuine praise truly made her more excited the more she spoke.

Zu An was a little surprised. This courtesan queen truly had some skill. It wasn't easy to flatter scholars; you had to say something substantial and hit precisely on their 'itch.'

No wonder she could become the courtesan queen; her critical evaluation skills were almost on par with my performance in Chinese reading comprehension back in the day.

Hearing Miss Nanxun so excited, the others all felt a pang of jealousy. This broad-browed, big-eyed fellow actually possessed such talent.

Then, one by one, they gloated, looking in Yu Nan's direction. Miss Nanxun had just compared him to Zu An, intending to teach the loose-tongued fellow a lesson. But now, Yu Nan had been overshadowed, which was awkward.

Yu Nan had just hogged all the limelight and was extremely handsome, making him the most likely candidate in everyone's eyes to become Miss Nanxun's chosen guest. Naturally, they hoped he would suffer a setback.

With this thought, their gazes towards Zu An softened somewhat. "How is this fellow becoming more and more agreeable the more I look at him?"

Feeling the fiery gazes from all directions, Yu Nan coldly stated, "Who truly composed this poem of yours, and what is its title? I, Yu, pride myself on having read many years of books. While I haven't memorized all the poems from every dynasty by heart, I can at least claim to know a thing or two. Yet, I've never heard these two lines of yours before."

Hearing his words, others also reacted, whispering among themselves. Indeed, these two lines were good, but they had never heard them before.

Finally, everyone looked towards Miss Nanxun. After her series of comments, it was clear to all that her literary attainment was likely the highest present.

Nanxun's expression was hesitant, but she eventually said, "Perhaps I am ignorant, for I truly haven't heard it. However, how vast are the poems and songs in the world? It's impossible for me to know all of them."

Her words were impeccable, offending neither side.

However, with her saying that, everyone understood that such a poem did not exist, and their gazes turned to Zu An.

The admiration in their eyes at first now turned into derision. They wondered where he had gotten these two lines to impersonate famous historical poets.

Zu An had originally intended to say Su Dongpo but suddenly froze, realizing that in this world's history, there was no such person as Su Dongpo. No one would believe him if he said it.

But it was fine; this was no challenge for him at all.

"Oh, I just saw that you've already mentioned most of the suitable historical poems. The remaining ones are mostly crooked gourds and rotten dates, and it would spoil Miss Nanxun's ears to speak them. So, I took out a poem I composed coincidentally in the past to respond. I hope Miss Nanxun doesn't mind," Zu An said, his face calm and his heart steady.

What is a plagiarist? What is plagiarism?

They don't exist. This is called cultural output!

Master Dongpo would surely wish for his poems to be widely sung in another world.

Nanxun's eyes lit up. "This poem was composed by Young Master Zu?"

Her attitude changed quickly; she even used the respectful address of "Young Master."

"I've made Miss Nanxun laugh." Zu An suddenly recalled the Tang and Song dynasties, periods of flourishing poetry, where many masterpieces seemed to have originated from pleasure houses. Back then, groups of literati and refined scholars frequented these establishments, and anyone who could compose a stunning poem would surely win the favor of the courtesans.

After all, poems could be set to music and sung, and the famous courtesans also needed a widely sung poem to increase their exposure and reputation.

In return, these women would serve them even more attentively, not only refusing payment but even spending their own money on them.

The most famous example was Liu Yong, Liu Sanbian, who was envied by the emperor and thus unable to enter officialdom for life. He could only drown his sorrows in pleasure houses his entire life, never spending a single penny. Instead, the courtesans supported him.

Liu Yong lived a life of poverty and destitution. When he died in old age, he had no money for burial. In the end, the courtesans of the entire city collectively pooled their money to bury him...

"Bah, bah, bah! I would never end up so miserably."

"Young Master truly possesses great talent!" Nanxun's beautiful eyes sparkled, and her gaze upon him seemed full of affection.

At this, everyone felt a pang of envy. Even Bi Zi'ang, who had been leaning leisurely in his seat, couldn't help but sit up straight. He was about to speak, but then his heart stirred, and he glanced at Yu Nan on the other side, a smile immediately appearing on his face.

With that fellow stepping forward, there's no need for me, the young master, to play the villain.

Sure enough, Yu Nan spoke. "You claim this poem is yours? You didn't plagiarize someone else's work somewhere and then claim it as your own, did you?"

In truth, this also represented the thoughts of everyone in the hall. One must remember that Zu An's previous demeanor was truly...

How should one put it? Now, hearing that he could compose poetry was like hearing that Li Kui could embroider—everyone instinctively disbelieved it.

Zu An raised an eyebrow. "This guy's judgment of people is quite accurate!"

But of course, he wouldn't admit it. "If it wasn't made by me, then was it made by you? If someone else truly composed such a poem, how could such a pearl be left unrecognized? It would have spread throughout the land long ago."

Everyone considered this and agreed. If anyone had such a poem, they would have already become famous; it was impossible for them to wait for others to plagiarize it.

Yu Nan also became somewhat uncertain, but seeing the triumphant look on Zu An's face, he felt a surge of displeasure. He was determined to win Miss Nanxun tonight; anyone who stood in his way would perish.

So he said coldly, "That's not necessarily true. Perhaps some destitute scholar was inspired to compose it in a ruined temple just before dying, and you just happened to overhear it and claim it as your own. That's also possible."

Yi Zhibing and others immediately chimed in, each offering seemingly logical arguments, making others in the hall secretly nod. Such a situation wasn't impossible.

Zu An didn't bother to defend himself, merely smiling. "I think you're just jealous. Jealousy truly distorts one's character."

Yu Nan's handsome face flushed slightly. "Would I, Young Master, be jealous of you? Humph, since you say this poem is yours, then what's the second half? You should know that, right?"

The literary arts were not flourishing in this world. In his mind, these two lines had already exhausted the poet's talent. Even the original author probably hadn't thought of the rest, let alone Zu An, the plagiarist?

Seeing Zu An's strange expression, a hint of a smile appeared on his face. "What's wrong? You're not going to say you haven't had time to compose the next two lines, are you?"

At this, the maid in the secret room upstairs said excitedly, "Mistress, I told you! How could that fellow Zu possess such ability? Young Master Yu must be right."

"You just think he's handsome, don't you?" The stunning woman rolled her eyes, directly exposing the maid's thoughts. However, her own attention also fell on Zu An, curious to see how he would respond.

Zu An smiled. "Originally, I had indeed only thought of these two lines on the spur of the moment. But since Young Master Yu put it that way, I coincidentally thought of the next two lines as well."

Yu Nan's expression subtly changed. At this moment, Bi Zi'ang said gloatingly, "Oh, do tell."

"This life, this night, cannot last forever; where shall I view the bright moon next year?" Zu An said, looking at Miss Nanxun as he spoke.

Nanxun's face flushed slightly, thinking, "Is he perhaps lamenting that he might not be able to see me like this next year? Oh my..."

As these two lines of poetry emerged, the entire hall fell silent.

The more experienced one was, the greater their emotional resonance with these two lines.

Even Yu Nan's heart tightened. He had previously dismissed Zu An entirely, but now he realized his opponent was a formidable rival.

"'This life, this night, cannot last forever; where shall I view the bright moon next year?'" The stunning woman in the secret room upstairs murmured to herself. A profound sense of wandering and impermanence welled up within her. "Where will I be born next year? Will I even be alive to see this moon...?"

She let out a soft sigh. "Ying'er, I miss home."

The maid named Ying'er's eyes reddened. "Mistress, I miss home too."

At this moment, Miss Nanxun downstairs asked curiously, "Young Master has truly composed a magnificent poem. In just a few lines, it captures the joys and sorrows of human separation and reunion. I wonder what this poem is called?"

Zu An thought to himself, "I'm better at 'making a good wet' (a play on words). As for the name, who remembers that?"

It was already good that he remembered the entire poem. The college entrance exam didn't test poem titles back then, so he naturally hadn't bothered to memorize them.

Just as he was about to answer, his eyes met Nanxun's bright, seemingly expectant gaze. His heart stirred, and he smiled, saying, "This poem is titled 'Mid-Autumn Moon, Presented to Nanxun.'"

Nanxun's face registered disbelief, then overwhelming surprise. "Thank you, Young Master, for this generous gift!"

As a renowned courtesan, she naturally understood what a good poem meant. Not only would it make her incredibly popular in the capital's circles, but her fame would soon spread throughout the world.

More importantly, thousands of years from now, as long as this poem circulated in the world, people would remember her name.

Throughout history, so many heroes and brave figures had left no name. People like Yu Nan might be arrogant now, but their names might not even appear in historical records. As for courtesans, it was even unimaginable.

Yet today, Zu An achieved it with just one poem!

This made her not only envied by her fellow courtesans but also by everyone under heaven. How could she not be delighted? Her gaze towards Zu An was no longer indifferent but filled with tenderness.

In the secret room upstairs, the woman who had been watching Zu An chuckled. "That scoundrel certainly knows how to charm women."

Her remark was more of a playful tease, but the other men truly exploded in envy, jealousy, and hatred as they glared at Zu An.

They hadn't expected this fellow to take an unconventional path, winning the courtesan queen's heart with just one poem.

The air immediately filled with the scent of sour lemons.

Even Pei You, Zu An's companion, was filled with admiration, thinking, "Why don't I have such talent? Otherwise, I could also have won the beauty."

Of course, because Zu An had saved his life, he felt no jealousy at all; instead, he was happy. After all, he had no hope of gaining the beauty's favor, and rather than seeing people like Yu Nan win her, it was better for Zu An to have her.

In a way, it was keeping the fertile water within one's own field (benefiting one's own circle).

Afterward, he could just hang out more with Brother Zu, and smelling the goddess's body fragrance would satisfy his longing.

Upstairs, Bi Zi'ang's brows furrowed slightly. He felt as if he had overplayed his hand and inadvertently paved the way for someone else's success.

Before this, he had also been determined to win Nanxun, not even paying attention to Yu Nan. But now, someone he had subconsciously dismissed as a subordinate had unexpectedly risen, making him feel threatened.

What would it mean if a woman he fancied was snatched away by a subordinate?

"What I desire, if I don't give it, you cannot take it." His expression was utterly indifferent, but a faint smile appeared on his face as he looked at Yu Nan nearby. "Brother Yu, we've known each other for so long, and I never realized you were so good at setting others up for success."

Yu Nan's face turned ashen. How could he not discern the mockery in the other's words? Now it seemed that everything he had just done was merely paving the way for Zu An, building the atmosphere to a climax and then contributing to Zu An's great reputation.

"This fellow has ill intentions. He's clearly unhappy himself but won't act, constantly goading me to be cannon fodder." Yu Nan, after all, was no ordinary person; he immediately realized the other's intent and decided to wait and see how long Bi Zi'ang could endure.

Who knew that Yi Zhibing, seeing Yu Nan's ashen face, understood that he was upset about losing face? Yi Zhibing had just boasted and volunteered, only to return crestfallen. Although the people in the room hadn't said anything, their eyes held a hint of mockery.

He decided to seize this opportunity to vent Yu Nan's frustration and, incidentally, regain his own face.

So he loudly declared, "Young Master Yu also just said that your poem was very likely acquired inadvertently from someone else. Perhaps the person completed it before they died."

Hearing him speak, Yu Nan cursed him as a fool, used as a pawn without even realizing it.

However, now everyone's gaze was directed towards them. In their minds, Yi Zhibing's words surely represented Yu Nan's true feelings. If he denied it now, his momentum would weaken significantly. Not only would it jeopardize his pursuit of Nanxun tonight, but as the dignified Young Master of the Yu family, he couldn't afford to lose face. Thus, he could only grudgingly acquiesce.

He turned and glanced at Yi Zhibing, inwardly cursing the fool to death. He and Zu An were fighting, allowing the Bi family's young master to reap the benefits.

Yi Zhibing, however, misunderstood, thinking the look was one of encouragement and approval. He then spoke with even more vigor, describing Zu An as a despicable and shameless person who claimed others' hard work as his own.

Zu An found this amusing. Although these guys were slandering him without evidence, they were surprisingly close to the truth.

But his old friends on Earth probably wouldn't mind.

He hadn't said anything yet, but Miss Nanxun was already displeased. "Young Master Yi, accusing someone like that is a very serious charge. Do you have any evidence?"

What a joke! This was clearly her chance to be remembered in history; she couldn't let these guys ruin it.

Gao Ying and Pei You immediately spoke up to help, accusing Yi Zhibing of causing them trouble and proving that he held a grudge against Zu An, thus implying his words were clearly for revenge.

"Evidence... evidence... Of course, there is..." Yi Zhibing was momentarily speechless, unable to think of how to prove it.

Yu Nan frowned slightly, knowing he had already lost some composure today. It would be troublesome if he spoke up again only to be humiliated.

Seeing him remain silent, Bi Zi'ang inwardly cursed him as a good-for-nothing. He then signaled to his companion, who understood and loudly said, "Actually, proving it is simple. Why not invite Young Master Zu to compose a poem on the spot? If he can produce a poem of similar quality to the previous one, it will prove that he indeed possesses great talent."

Gao Ying also couldn't help but get angry. "That's unfair! Poetic creation is often a sudden inspiration, where excellent lines are only composed by chance when the right timing, favorable location, and harmonious human relations align. How can one just demand it to be produced?"

He was also somewhat familiar with poetry and understood that few poems in history could compare to the one just recited. Having such a masterpiece in one's lifetime was a sign of great fortune; how could a second one just appear on demand?

Upstairs, Qin Yongde said with some confusion, "The one who spoke up is from Bi Zi'ang's side, but isn't Zu An also from the Eastern Palace? Why..."

Qin Guangyuan sneered, "As the saying goes, 'a beautiful woman is a bane.' Bi Zi'ang has been the center of attention since he was young; how could he allow others to touch what he desires? This is for the best. Let them fight among themselves, creating rifts within their faction."

Nanxun quietly said, "Young Master Zu, you can refu..."

Before she could finish, the voice of the stunning woman echoed in her mind: "Do not stop him. Let's see if he's merely a charlatan or if he possesses genuine talent."

Nanxun was somewhat surprised. It took immense willpower for her to restrain herself from looking towards the mysterious woman's room upstairs. She wondered, "Why is my mistress so interested in this human?"

Zu An let out a hearty laugh. "If I compose another one, and you come up with more tricks, won't I be annoyed to death?"

Seeing that he seemed to have fallen for the provocation, Yi Zhibing was overjoyed and quickly said, "As long as you can compose a poem of similar quality to the one just now, we will be convinced and say no more."

Yu Nan's face changed. He couldn't sit still any longer and immediately added, "But it must be a poem composed on the spot based on a given theme."

He worried that the other party might have obtained more than one poem from that mysterious dying scholar in the ruined temple. Therefore, he first specified a theme. This way, even if the other party had one or two more good poems, it was unlikely they would coincidentally match the theme, rendering them useless.

Pei You grew anxious. "You're intentionally making things difficult!"

Zu An raised a hand to stop him. "No matter. Any topic you can think of will do."

In his previous life, he used to watch male protagonists in online novels compose poems and show off, feeling quite envious. Unfortunately, he never got the chance himself. He couldn't just grab someone off the street and start reciting poetry, could he?

Fortunately, today, someone was eagerly offering him the opportunity; he had to seize it well.

However, when these words reached the ears of those around, they caused an uproar. Many secretly chided him, "Arrogant!"

One must know that poets in the world all have their specialized domains. Perhaps a poet writes very well in one area but is much worse in another.

Yet Zu An was now saying any topic was fine. Didn't that imply he had mastered every field? Did he have the confidence to compose famous lines that would be passed down through the ages, right here on the spot?

A faint smile appeared on the mysterious woman's face upstairs. "This fellow's unrestrained spirit is quite like that of our clan."

The little maid beside her pouted. "I think he's just bragging. Let's see how he'll manage later."

Nanxun looked worried and whispered, "Young Master seems very confident?"

"Of course," Zu An said proudly, reclining leisurely in his chair and holding his wine pot. "The world's talent can be measured as one 'shi' (a unit of measure). I, Zu, possess eight 'dou' (tenths of a shi), and the rest of humanity shares the remaining two 'dou'."

One is wasted if not flamboyant in youth. Since he was going to show off, he might as well go big.