Harvest!

"It seems this person has no intention of serving my elder brother. Please visit this site." Yang Dingyuan murmured, watching Qiu Yan's retreating figure.

"Of course, unless absolutely necessary, which scholar would willingly eat soldiers' rations?" Qi Xin didn't show much dissatisfaction. "I was just saying that casually. Come on, let's go guess some riddles. I heard that Geluolan will be coming too; I bet there'll be a good show to watch."

As he was speaking, he suddenly noticed something strange in Yang Dingyuan's eyes.

"What's wrong?" Puzzled, Qi Xin followed Yang Dingyuan's gaze and saw Qiu Yan's figure.

"Sir, this is a riddle. Please think carefully..." The woman holding the lamp in front of Qiu Yan said softly, but before she finished speaking, Qiu Yan said, "The answer to the riddle is the word 'animal'."

"Oh, right," the woman paused for a moment, then quickly congratulated him, handing over the slip of paper with the answer to the riddle, "Young master, you are truly quick-witted."

Qiu Yan smiled, tore up the riddle, walked to another lantern, and before the woman holding the lantern could speak, said directly, "The answer is the phrase 'attack by surprise'."

"Congratulations, young master." The woman was also taken aback for a moment before handing over the answer slip.

Qiu Yan took the slip of paper, walked to the third lamp, glanced at it, and said, "The answer is 'sky'."

The woman was clearly prepared; she congratulated him while handing over the note.

Qiu Yan accepted the lantern without ceremony and walked quickly to the fourth lantern. The woman holding the lantern instinctively handed him the slip of paper, which Qiu Yan took, saying, "The answer is 'Golden Osmanthus' tea."

"Young master is truly talented." The woman with the lantern finally came to her senses and realized she had given it to him too early.

Four riddles in a row. In the blink of an eye, Qiu Yan had torn them apart one after another. Because of the speed, others did not notice, but it all fell into the eyes of Qi Xin and Yang Dingyuan. The two looked at each other and saw surprise in each other's eyes.

"This Qiu Yan doesn't seem as useless as those scholars said." Yang Dingyuan swallowed hard.

As they spoke, Qiu Yan had already torn off the riddle from the tenth lantern and walked on. Like a farmer harvesting crops, each riddle was like straw, unable to even make Qiu Yan stop and think. As soon as he arrived, the riddle was solved!

Riddles may seem simple, but to solve them correctly and quickly, quick thinking alone is not enough. You also need a certain level of knowledge, as they contain many principles.

However, Qiu Yan is a god, and the Incense Faith are the thoughts of believers. Any riddle that comes into his hands is equivalent to millions of people thinking at the same time. It is extremely difficult to stump him.

His actions, tearing things apart as he went, eventually attracted the attention of others.

At this moment, the other scholars were all deep in thought. Most of them hadn't even solved one problem, but occasionally someone would solve one and immediately beam with joy.

Even Fang Ziyan and Gu Yanzhi, the two main figures of the literary and poetry gatherings, had only managed to unravel two of their secrets.

So when they saw Qiu Yan walking along, tearing off one puzzle after another without stopping, the scholars were all stunned.

"What's going on? Is he causing trouble?"

Zhang Sheng and Liu Sheng exchanged a glance.

On the third floor of Literary Star Tower, in a room, several women were gathered, their faces pale and their eyes bright and clear. The woman in the lead was dressed in pink, with fair skin, phoenix eyes, and clear black and white pupils.

The group of women, dressed elegantly, surrounded the woman in pink, chatting amongst themselves, creating an atmosphere of being the center of attention.

"Sister Song, when are we going down?"

Suddenly, a young girl spoke up and asked a question, which was directed at the woman in pink.

The woman in pink was surnamed Song and named Qian; she was the beloved daughter of the military governor Song Yuan.

Hearing the question, Song Qian affectionately patted the girl's head. "No rush, let the people below guess the riddles first to create an atmosphere, then we sisters can go down."

"Why don't we go guessing riddles? It's such a fun activity!" The girl was clearly eager to go. "I heard there are two great scholars down there; it would be a perfect opportunity to watch them show off their skills."

Hearing her say that, the other girls also began to stir.

These young ladies were mostly daughters of military generals, but their mothers were all from scholarly families. They were women whom Song Yuan had requested from the emperor based on his military achievements, in order to solidify the positions of veteran generals. These women bestowed by the emperor were all from respectable families and were well-educated and reasonable. Therefore, their daughters, influenced by their upbringing, had little interest in swords and spears, but instead preferred stories of talented men and beautiful women.

Song Qian was the same; despite her complicated background, she shared the same yearning for education, which led to all the previous events.

Hearing the women's requests, she slowly changed her mind. Just as she was about to lead them down to participate, a voice came from outside the door—

"Miss, I have urgent news to report."

"What is it?" Song Qian straightened her clothes and ordered the people outside to come in.

As soon as the man entered the room, he said, "Miss, all the riddles you arranged have already been solved!"

"What?" Song Qian's eyes widened in surprise. "They've guessed them all? How long has it been? I prepared a full seventy riddles! Could it be that Young Master Fang and Young Master Gu were well-prepared to be able to guess most of them in one go?"

The messenger quickly replied, "It wasn't Young Master Fang or Young Master Gu, it was Young Master Qiu, named Qiu Yan. He solved sixty of your seventy riddles all by himself, and if you include the others, he solved them all!"

"Qiu Yan?" Upon hearing this name, Song Qian's face showed surprise. "The scholar who was frightened unconscious by Mr. Zhao?"

Song Qian still remembered Qiu Yan, not because of the rumors these past few days, but because of something that happened two years ago.

"This person is quite capable. No wonder Mr. Zhao invited him over. Now that the riddles have been solved, we should go downstairs. Let's go." Song Qian said, standing up and leading the group of women out.

The atmosphere in the flower hall felt somewhat eerie.

While on the stairs, Song Qian noticed this; the people below had split into several groups.

Many young men and girls in fine clothes were chatting enthusiastically.

"This Qiu Yan is amazing!"

"This is truly eye-opening."

"Three years ago, I went to the capital with my father. I also experienced something similar. At that time, Bai Zhaoyuan, a talented scholar in the Imperial City, showed off his skills. His performance was very similar to that of this Qiu Sheng."

"Bai Zhaoyuan? I've heard of him, a top scholar!"

"Not only that, this person is skilled in both literature and martial arts; he's a rare individual, one in decades."

As the conversation progressed, the topic shifted.

On the other side, the Confucian scholars gathered together, whispering among themselves, many of them harboring resentment.

"I never expected Qiu Yan to have this trick up his sleeve."

Fang Ziyan and Gu Yanzhi both seemed a little uncomfortable. They had thought they would be the main characters at the literary gathering, competing fiercely, but they didn't expect someone to steal their thunder so easily.

Zhang Sheng and Liu Sheng were talking in hushed tones.

"Riddles are just a minor skill, nothing special. We scholars are truly distinguished by our understanding of poetry, classics, and the meaning of the scriptures. Qiu Yan may seem quick-witted, but it's all just cleverness. Don't forget what happened when Master Zhao tested our knowledge that day..."

At this point, Zhang Sheng himself couldn't continue.

Qiu Yan's fainting spell had always been a source of amusement, but now they couldn't outwit Qiu Yan. Their defeat was swift and decisive; further belittling Qiu Yan would only make them appear even more incompetent. Moreover, after this incident, if anyone brought up Qiu Yan in the future, they could potentially be implicated.

Upon realizing this, the scholars immediately understood that something was wrong. Their faces darkened, and even the usually easygoing Gu Yanzhi changed slightly.

"If we can't save face today, then..."

Their words did not escape Qiu Yan's notice.

"Indeed, nothing beats suppressing the rumors. Today we should seize the opportunity, put an end to the gossip, and completely crush them. But we can't be reckless; we must use our strengths to attack their weaknesses and take the initiative." Thinking this, Qiu Yan chatted with Qi Xin for a few more minutes.

Qi Xin's attitude had changed significantly; his condescending tone was gone, and Yang Dingyuan didn't mention his decision to abandon his studies and join the army at all.

Just then, someone saw the group of women walking down gracefully and couldn't help but exclaim.

"Miss Song Household has come down."

The others immediately perked up upon hearing this.

Song Qian and the other women were so beautiful that just looking at them dispelled the gloom in one's heart, and the atmosphere in the hall immediately improved.

Just then, a loud laugh came from outside the door, and Song Yuan and Zhao Bingcheng entered, chatting and laughing. Upon seeing the two, both the young man in brocade robes and the scholar in blue robes greeted them.

After Zhao Bingcheng entered, he greeted Qiu Yan with a friendly smile, then glanced around and frowned. "The Marshfolk Prince didn't come?"

"They might still be on their way," Song Yuan nodded to Qiu Yan. "Mr. Zhao and I are just here to make up the numbers for today's literary gathering, so you don't need to worry about us." After giving this brief instruction, he led Zhao Bingcheng upstairs.

Song Yuan and Zhao Bingcheng greeted Qiu Yan one after the other. This scene was witnessed by onlookers, which immediately aroused various thoughts. Some seemed thoughtful, while others showed jealousy and resentment.

"What happened? Qiu Yan fainted in front of Mr. Zhao three days ago. Mr. Zhao was clearly displeased at the time. Today, he offended the Marshfolk and was summoned by the Jiedushi. Now, not only is he fine, but it seems he has even become acquainted with the two of them. This is simply too unbelievable."

Zhang Sheng and Liu Sheng looked surprised, and the other Confucian scholars were also puzzled.

"With Mr. Zhao here today, if a fine piece of writing is produced at this literary gathering, and after he comments on it, it won't be long before it spreads far and wide."

Suddenly, someone spoke up from the crowd, then changed the subject, saying, "Such a grand event is a rare treat. Brother Qiu just made a stunning remark. Why not strike while the iron is hot and compose a poem?" The speaker was none other than Fang Ziyan.

His words resonated with the other Confucian scholars, who echoed his sentiments. However, Qiu Yan could clearly detect a hint of malice in their voices.

Nearby, several men in brocade robes also found it interesting and joined in the fun. Several young ladies from official families had just arrived and were unaware of the situation, so they asked each other questions. Then, they were all amazed and looked at Qiu Yan.

Song Qian remained calm, her gaze also falling on Qiu Yan.

"This Qiu Yan, able to solve riddles in succession, demonstrates his quick wit. It's a pity he's a cultivator; his energy is likely devoted to cultivation, and his scholarship may not compare to Fang Ziyan and others. Poetry best showcases a person's literary talent, but it also requires preparation. I wonder how he will handle this hastily." (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please read on m.)