Arrogance and Poetry

He was the young master of the Jun Family, after all.

In Tianfu City, even if he could not claim to be first or second, he was still a person of extremely exalted status.

And this man...

A poor scholar reduced to selling poems for a living.

Leaving aside how capable Jun Jingyi had been before,

this fellow... surely anyone with a bit of sense should have known the consequences of provoking him, right?

Yet he still dared to do this.

And besides...

This was the Yunying Poetry Gathering!

Where had a nobody like him gotten an invitation?

As for the lantern riddles,

no one had solved them in decades. If a genius like that had appeared, it would certainly have caused a stir.

But clearly, although he had been pondering something earlier, a commotion that big would still have caught his attention.

Most simply put,

with such a spectacle, it would have been strange if his little sister, who loved joining in the excitement, had not come to get him to watch.

But she had not.

Yet the man really had appeared here. Something was strange!

"And then?" Li Ran froze. This...

That person had only told him to expose the matter to Jun Jingyi's face. He had not said anything about what came next.

"What's wrong? Nothing to say?"

Jun Jingyi curled his lip.

He was certain now. This fellow was not even a pawn, just cannon fodder.

He knew nothing at all.

"I... anyway, you bought poems! You can't write poetry at all! You deceived everyone, and you don't deserve to be called one of the Ten Young Masters of Tianfu!"

Li Ran gritted his teeth and shouted angrily once more.

"Is that so? What about you, then?"

The corners of Jun Jingyi's mouth curled slightly, a trace of scorn and disdain flashing across his face.

"As a scholar, you should understand the most basic principle of integrity, shouldn't you?"

"Let's set aside the fact that I bought poems for now and talk about you. I bought your poems and paid you money, and you received compensation. Isn't that right?"

"Ah... yes!"

Li Ran frowned.

"There you have it. Since you admit it was a transaction and we each got something out of it, may I ask what you're doing now?"

Jun Jingyi narrowed his eyes and shouted coldly, "You broke the terms of this transaction. May I ask where your integrity is?"

"Where are your propriety, righteousness, honor, and shame?"

"Did all your learning end up in a dog's belly?"

"A person like you can't even keep such a small matter confidential for a customer. If you become an official someday, would you sell out your country as soon as an enemy nation offered you a little profit?"

"This..."

In an instant, the many young men around them looked at Li Ran with disgust.

Many could not help putting some distance between themselves and him, moving several steps away.

They began discussing it among themselves.

"That's right. Young Master Jun is right. A person like this has no integrity at all. He's truly unworthy of being a scholar!"

"Exactly. Leaving aside who's right or wrong, since it was a transaction, shouldn't he keep it secret after taking the money? There's a serious problem with his character!"

"I..."

Li Ran's face turned scarlet, and he felt dizzy.

If these words got out, he would never have a chance to turn his life around in Great Yan.

The imperial court would never employ him, even if he passed the imperial examination!

No, something was wrong!

That was not what that person had said.

Li Ran wanted to say something, but before he could open his mouth, Jun Jingyi's icy voice rang out again. "And do you really think I bought your poems because I couldn't write poetry?"

"Heh, do you think you're very talented and write excellent poems?"

"What laughable confidence!"

"What do you mean?" Li Ran demanded angrily, his eyes bloodshot.

"Exactly what I said."

Jun Jingyi waved a hand dismissively, looked around, and asked casually, "Who has the four treasures of the study?"

The scene fell quiet for a moment.

Then someone hurriedly brought them over.

One by one, the onlookers crowded around the small pavilion, eager to watch the spectacle, until not even a drop of water could have passed through.

"Thank you. Brother, would you be willing to grind the ink for me?"

Jun Jingyi smiled politely.

The young man in black nodded, stepped to one side, and began grinding the ink.

"He's going to compose a poem?"

"What makes him think he can?"

"How dare he?"

Li Ran stood rooted to the spot, staring at the scene before him in disbelief.

If Jun Jingyi really had a talent for poetry, why would he buy poems from him? Wouldn't that be doing something completely unnecessary?

But if he did not, wasn't he asking for trouble?

Panic rose in his heart, and he nearly fled.

But then...

Li Ran suddenly froze as something occurred to him. He looked at Jun Jingyi with a sneer. "Then I'll have to see Young Master Jun's great work!"

With that, he folded his arms across his chest and calmed down.

There was no way Jun Jingyi could write poetry, and even if he could, he certainly could not be much good.

Otherwise, he would not have bought poems!

He had only been trying to frighten him just now, hoping to resolve today's affair by scaring him away!

He had nearly fallen for his wicked trick!

Now he would wait right here and watch this fellow make a fool of himself!

Hmph!

Jun Jingyi closed his eyes. A long while later, he opened them and began to write.

At once, everyone crowded forward, jostling to see.

Nearby, the young man in black looked at the paper, his expression growing more and more shocked. He exclaimed in admiration again and again and looked at Jun Jingyi's face in astonishment.

A moment later, Jun Jingyi set down the brush.

He shook his head, looked at Li Ran, and smiled disdainfully.

"How do you think it compares to your poems?"

A stir ran through the small pavilion.

The many scholars and literary talents crowded to see, drawing repeated exclamations of admiration from many of them.

Someone slowly recited,

"Clouds bring her robes to mind, flowers her face; spring winds brush the railing, dew gleams in abundance.

"If not seen atop the Mountain of Massed Jade, she must be met beneath the moon on the Jasper Terrace!"

As the voice fell,

an uproar broke out around the noisy little pavilion.

Everyone began talking at once.

They all looked at Jun Jingyi in shock, then turned disdainful eyes on Li Ran, as though he were a joke.

What was that about having no literary talent and passing off bought poems as his own?

What was that about not deserving the title of young master?

At this moment, everyone felt that Li Ran was nothing but a joke.

"Well?"

Jun Jingyi asked again.

One mocking gaze after another turned on Li Ran.

Li Ran was completely dumbfounded.

This poem... he knew his own limits. He could not compare, not even close.

For a moment, Jun Jingyi's earlier words echoed in his ears.

"Do you really think I bought poems because I couldn't write them?"

Li Ran was dumbstruck. Still unable to believe it, he asked quietly, "Then why did you buy my poems?"

"Why... heh!"

Jun Jingyi shook his head. Recalling some of the body's memories, he asked sharply, "Have you forgotten why you were selling poems?"

"Money... no!"

Li Ran suddenly went rigid.

A scene from before appeared in his mind.

At the time, he had wanted to pass the imperial examination and earn an official title, but he had run out of money for food.

He had written for people on the street, only to have his wages withheld. Only then had Jun Jingyi come looking for him.

What he meant was...

"He wanted me to focus on the examination without worry. He was helping me in a way that wouldn't hurt my pride?"

It was not just him. As they listened to Li Ran's account, everyone present thought of the same thing.

For a moment, everyone looked at Jun Jingyi with admiration. Acting in such a way, he was worthy of the title of one of the Ten Young Masters.

At the same time, their looks toward Li Ran grew even more contemptuous.

Jun Jingyi felt awkward. In truth, the original owner really had only wanted to buy poems.

He had chosen this fellow simply because his poems were good and he happened to need money!

But looking at Li Ran, he felt no guilt!

This fellow had nearly ruined him today.

If you show no kindness, don't blame me for showing no righteousness!

All of a sudden, Li Ran wanted to die.

Looking at Jun Jingyi's retreating figure, he felt terrible.

So he had repaid kindness with ingratitude?

He looked at the contemptuous gazes around him and listened to the discussion.

"Hahaha..."

Suddenly, Li Ran threw back his head and burst out laughing.

"I passed the imperial examination!"

"I came first in the imperial examination!"

Laughing and shouting, Li Ran ran out of the pavilion.

Everyone present was speechless.

He had gone mad...

A long while later, someone smiled bitterly. "After today, Young Master Jun's name will surely spread throughout Jiangnan!"