Charles Harper said without hesitation, “It’s drizzling outside, but inside I see this Spring Painting, and in my moment of delight, I’ve come up with something.” After pondering for a moment, he continued, “Lush creekside trees in shadow, the riverbanks damp with mist. After the rain, at dawn I open the curtains, and let the spring rush in.”

Robert Stone nearly spat out a mouthful of blood—this really was a five-character poem, and whether in conception or wording, it was a fine piece. Did he really compose this himself? Robert Stone was a man of taste; even for a scholar or a degree-holder, it would take some effort to craft such a poem, yet this fellow with no official title had come up with it on the spot.

But to accuse Charles Harper of plagiarism would clearly be unreasonable, because poetry spreads quickly, and Robert Stone himself was a scholar who often mingled with literati in Zhenjiang Prefecture. If Charles Harper had copied someone else, Robert Stone would surely have heard of it.

Robert Stone began to look at Charles Harper with a strange expression, half-believing his words. Perhaps he really was a scion of some noble family, with deep scholarly roots, and since his family was wealthy and influential, they didn’t expect him to pursue official titles, or perhaps they wanted him to bide his time and amaze everyone when the moment was right.

All sorts of possibilities flashed through Robert Stone’s mind. He was filled with grief and doubt, and his self-confidence began to waver.

Charles Harper calmly said again, “In just this short while, I’ve found new inspiration.”

Another one...

Robert Stone felt the urge to cough up blood again.

Charles Harper swayed his head as he spoke, “From Songjiang all the way to Zhenjiang, today I saw this Spring Painting, and thought of my recent experiences. My poetic inspiration surged, so I’ll compose another one for you, young master, forgive my presumption.” He sat upright, and immediately recited, “South of Dantu County, the river flows askew; in spring, there are no houses on either bank. At noon in the deep forest, the birds fall silent; red and white flowers bloom all over the hills. Mr. Stone, what do you think?”

These poems were all verses Charles Harper had memorized under his master’s supervision, and now they came in handy.

Robert Stone was dumbfounded, his confidence completely shattered. Dantu County was the seat of Zhenjiang Prefecture, the very location of the city itself. As for Charles Harper’s two poems, both were recited off the cuff, and either one would be considered top-notch. This guy had just casually produced two of them.

Just as Robert Stone’s confidence was about to collapse, Charles Harper gave a wry smile and said, “That’s how it is when I compose poetry—once I start, I can’t stop. Once, I had a poetry contest with someone and composed over a dozen poems in an hour. Look, I’m inspired again right now.”

Another one... Robert Stone’s poor confidence was utterly destroyed, and even his self-esteem took a hit. But gradually, he realized that Charles Harper was clearly a bookworm who rarely left home. He certainly had talent, but as for worldly experience...

Robert Stone interrupted Charles Harper, saying, “Young Master Feng’s poetry is... acceptable.” He forced out the word “acceptable,” but his heart was twitching. If Charles Harper was merely “acceptable,” then he himself was nothing but trash. In the end, he tactfully said, “But since you have such talent, why would you come to the Lu family to apply for a teaching position? At a glance, I can tell you’re from a noble family, so why...”

“Sigh... Actually, I didn’t want to come either.” Charles Harper sighed with a troubled look. “But my elders insisted, saying I’m not young anymore and should get married. Coincidentally, a distant relative of mine works for the Lu family. He wrote to me, saying the Lu family has a young lady of exceptional beauty, and asked me to come be her tutor. As for the rest, it’s up to fate. Besides, my distant relative has some influence in the Lu household, so with him looking after me, my family feels more at ease.”

Robert Stone’s pupils dilated, and his heart bled drop by drop. This time, he really wanted to spit blood.

It was bad enough that you had talent, and even worse that you came from a scholarly family, but now you even have someone in the Lu household...

So unfair, so unfair...

Robert Stone wished he could beat his chest and stamp his feet. He immediately realized—no wonder this fellow surnamed Feng had passed the preliminary test so easily. Normally, no matter how talented someone was, the exam was on the Four Books for Women, and unless you’d worked hard on that, even Wang Anshi or Fan Zhongyan would fail.

Thinking this way, Robert Stone understood—someone had pulled strings for him. This guy had connections, and there was foul play. The preliminary test had already been rigged, with arrangements made with the relevant people behind the scenes.

Robert Stone’s confidence was completely crushed.

He couldn’t help but ask, “That distant relative of yours, what position does he hold in the household?”

Charles Harper replied blandly, “Just the chief steward of the household, that’s all.”

Robert Stone’s somewhat handsome face twitched violently a few times. The future looked bleak.

Chapter Six: The Difference Between Fools and the Clever

From then on, Robert Stone sat there like a dumb chicken, lost in thought. Charles Harper saw that he was silent and couldn’t be bothered with him, but thought to himself, “You dare compete with me for a woman? How many lives do you have? To steal my woman is like killing my parents—if I don’t deal with you, I’d have to write ‘love expert’ backwards!”

Robert Stone’s face was deathly pale, his heart full of grief and indignation, feeling the same frustration as “Why was Zhuge Liang born after Zhou Yu?” He had thought victory was in his grasp, but now it seemed the other had both talent and connections. Clearly, the Lu family had set this up from the start, using him as a foil for Madam Lu to see.