The sun sets in the west, the evening glow is like a fire, Zhou Xuan stops on the small stone bridge, watching Lin Hanyin wearing a beautiful bamboo skirt and flying over, just like a giant butterfly fluttering its wings.

  "Zhou Xuan, where did you get that 'Bi Tian Long Lin'?" Hu Die and Lin Han Yun asked as they caught up.

  Zhou Xuan patted Abu's shoulder: "Vice President Lin, please allow me to introduce you. This is our 'Jie Qiu Zhan Tang' newly appointed Vice Chairman - Vice Chairman Abu. The treasure that shook the world was found by him."

  Abu hastily bowed and said: "I have done everything according to Master Zhou's instructions."

  "Abu Deputy?" Lin Hanyin looked at Abu with green eyes and purple beard: "Is this bearded merchant's position in 'Jie Qiu Zhan Tang' higher than mine?"

  Zhou Xuan smiled and said: "He's definitely not as tall as you, sometimes even I have to listen to you, how can he be taller than you!"

  Lin Han Yun was delighted and said: "Zhou Xuan, after the night banquet, go to the Moon Gate on the west corner and wait for me. I will get Xiao Yuhuan to bring you into the inner courtyard."

  Zhou Xuan thought to herself, "You're not a kid anymore with that hairpin on your head. I'd better be careful of my own neck if I keep messing around with you. Your old man has been leading troops for so many years, his hands must have been stained with the blood of countless people. He's definitely ruthless and not someone to be trifled with." She said, "It'll be dark soon, I won't go. Men and women should maintain their boundaries. If there's something to discuss, let's do it now."

  Lin Han Yun thought of coming over to twist Zhou Xuan's arm, seeing Abu on the side, and barely holding back, said: "I'm telling you to go take a look at that 'Yi Tian Long Lin Ji', I just saw two copper men fighting and it was fun. Just twisted the copper button at the bottom a few more times. Wanted them to fight for a while longer, only to hear a 'clang' sound, the copper men stopped moving again. You go help me fix it."

  "Ah!" Zhou Xuan and Abu stared at each other, their black eyes locked onto green eyes, silent for a moment.

  Accompanying Lord Li to the back garden gate, Lin saw that this young Lord Li had a strange expression, walking while looking back. Lin also turned his head to look, furrowed his brow, and whispered two sentences to his second son, Lin Dong. Lin Dong then quickly walked towards Zhou Xuan and the others.

  Lin Han saw her second brother Lin Dang coming, knowing that he must be here to scold her. She said a sentence to Zhou Xuan: "Don't forget, I'll wait for you at the Moon Gate." Then she ran away quickly in another direction.

  Lin Dang walked over, looking at Lin Han's back and shaking his head. "It's no use being polite to him, he's still so wild!" He said to Zhou Xuan: "Zhou Gongzi, please."

  "That's right, Master Li," Lin explained. "Young Miss Huan Yun loves to play with these younger ones. Zhou Gongzi is a sworn brother of Hei Shan, which makes him two generations lower than Huan Yun. Is that correct?"

  Lin Heishan replied, "Yes. Han Yun still insisted that my younger brother also call her 'Aunt'."

  Mr. Li burst out laughing loudly and walked shoulder to shoulder with Lin Du.

  ――――――――――――――

  The Douhu Fu night feast was indeed luxurious. Brilliant, light songs and dances, exquisite dishes were served one after another like flowing water, just a few bites and they were taken away, the beautiful wine was drunk to the end and then refilled by female attendants.

  Zhou Xuan sat alone at a banquet, indulging in a grand feast. As the wine flowed, his female attendants were busiest, pouring wine without pause.

  The proud Mr. Li seemed to think that everyone here should lower their heads and show respect to him, but seeing Zhou Xuan wearing casual clothes and drinking wine as if no one was around, he felt annoyed, let out a cold laugh, and said: "Mr. Zhou, I heard you compare Lin Du Hu to Han Yu earlier, which is quite fitting, but aren't you also comparing yourself to the great poet Li Bai? Isn't that a bit arrogant?"

  Zhou Xuan smiled, downed a cup of wine in one gulp, and the aroma of the liquor rose to his head. He felt his chest expand and his heroic spirit surge forth. It seemed that the time to display his talents had arrived again. In a loud voice, he said: "I am not familiar with Lord Li, and Lord Li does not understand me. How can you think I'm arrogant based on just one sentence?"

  Mr. Li uttered an "oh" and sneered, saying: "I know you have the talent of a worm, being proud among the common people in the market, but isn't Mr. Zhou's poetic talent also like that of a worm, famous only in the market?"

  Zhou Xuan said: "In the lower land of poetry, it's neither high nor low, but just right to suppress Lord Li by a head."

  As soon as this was said, Lin, Xu Cishi, Fan Pan and others all lost color, Xu Cishi shook his head repeatedly, muttering: "Crazy scholar, crazy scholar, if not careful, will lose their heads."

  Mr. Li's sarcastic smile froze on his face, and he slammed the wine cup onto the table, shouting: "Fine, today I'll see how you can suppress me - bring in the pen, ink, paper, and inkstone."

  Zhou Xuan said: "Why bother with pen and ink, oral composition is fine. I don't know if Lord Li wants to compete with me in reciting poetry or filling in lyrics, I have no preference. Lord Li can set the topic at his convenience."

  Magistrate Li saw Zhou Xuan's air of relying on his talent and being proud, and thought to himself: "Could it be that this person really has great talent?" He said: "Each of you write a poem, please have Lin the Governor set the topic."

  Lin murmured and broadly proposed a topic: "Let's take spring rain as the topic, with no limit on the tune."

  Zhou Xuan clasped his hands together, imitating Wen Tingyun's gesture of interlocking fingers. He did this seven times, then smiled and said: "I've already gotten one stanza; if Lord Li has also gotten it, please ask Lord Li to recite first."

  All the guests present were shocked, and historically, Cao Zijian was known for his quick wit with "Cao's seven steps, Wen's eight strokes". Cao Zijian had the talent of composing poetry in seven steps, while Wen Feiqing would compose poems with his hands clasped together in a tiger-like grip, eight strokes and an eight-rhyme poem would emerge. But this Zhou Xuan, sat there without moving a single step, his hands only clasped together seven times.

  Have you filled in a poem? Then isn't this person's talent even better than Cao Zijian and Wen Fei?

  ―

  Young and vigorous Mr. Li was also surprised, saying: "Since you have already obtained it first, naturally you should recite it first."

  "Alright, then let's start with the next one. Lord Li can use this time to think quickly, haha, my poem uses the tune of Tang Xuanzong's 'Ding Feng Bo'. Zhou Xuan took another full cup and slowly recited:"

  "Do not listen to the sound of leaves being blown through the forest, why worry about reciting poems and walking slowly. With a bamboo staff and straw sandals, I am lighter than a horse, who is afraid? A raincoat can withstand the wind and rain for my whole life. The sharp spring breeze blows away the wine's effects, slightly cold, but on the mountain top, the slanting sunlight welcomes me instead. Turning back to where the wind and rain came from, returning home, there is neither wind nor rain, nor clear skies."

  The female musicians on both sides had already stopped playing their instruments under Lin's signal, and Zhou Xuan's clear voice echoed through the high hall. The expressions of the guests were different, some admiring, some praising, some closing their eyes and humming, and some looking at Li Daren's face...

  Mr. Li silently recited the lyrics of "Ding Feng Bo" in his heart, and praised with a snap of his fingers: "Clear and vast, beyond the ordinary, indeed a good poem!"

  It seems that this young and handsome Mr. Li, although dissatisfied with Zhou Xuan's heart, is not a person who distorts right and wrong, nor is he despicable and vulgar, but knows how to appreciate good words.

  Now that Mr. Li has spoken, all the guests are also praising him.

  Mr. Li looked at Zhou Xuan, and now there was no longer any disdain or ridicule in his eyes. He said: "Zhou Gongzi's poem is indeed well-written, but I think this poem should be a work that Zhou Gongzi had carefully crafted beforehand, rather than something he came up with on the spot."

  Zhou Xuan laughed loudly: "Then please ask Mr. Li to give another question."

  Mr. Li thought for a moment and said, "Today is the sixth day of August, and in nine days it will be the Mid-Autumn Festival. Would you please, Mr. Zhou, compose a poem with the theme of 'Mid-Autumn Bright Moon'?"

  Zhou Xuan said: "No problem, just come as you are." He thought to himself: "Just recite 'When will the bright moon appear' again and that's it."

  Magistrate Li feared that he would again have a preconceived notion, having previously filled in the Mid-Autumn Festival lyrics. He decided to increase the difficulty of the test: "Please use the word 'Nian Nu Jiao' as the title." He thought: "The word 'Nian Nu Jiao' is not widely spread among the people, even if you are familiar with the rules of Ci poetry, you must be unfamiliar with 'Nian Nu Jiao', I don't believe you can fill it out in a short time!"

  Zhou Xuan's mind spun around and he replied: "Good, it is 'Nian Nu Jiao'."

  With Mr. Li as the host, all the guests focused their attention on Zhou Xuan, who started to clap his hands again, once, twice, three times... exactly seven times, and then he raised his cup and drank it in one gulp, laughing loudly: "Alright, everyone listen up, 'Recalling a Beauty'

  "Osmanthus fragrant as jade, the first month fills the streets, cool night like a wash. Wind blows whiskers and bone-chilling cold, people in crystal palace. Dragon coiled, watching the majestic tower, ethereal music and songs boiling. Frosty splendor covers the ground, wanting to ride colorful clouds flying up. Remembering last year's tonight, Wine Creek Pavilion, pale moon cloud comes and goes. A thousand miles of rivers and mountains yesterday's dream is not, turning an eye autumn light like this. Blue magpie comes from the west, tells me that the auspicious time is near. Entrust a message to my companion, don't waste the vast cold intoxication."

  The hall is quiet and silent, the night wind brings coolness, carrying the fragrance of the osmanthus tree in the backyard.

  It's Mr. Li who led the applause: "Good words, Master Zhou is indeed talented, I underestimated you. Since Master Zhou has already presented his excellent work, I won't make a fool of myself. Come on, let's drink."

  Zhou Xuan originally had a strong dislike for this mysterious and noble Mr. Li, who was arrogant and self-willed, but from tonight's praise of the excellent words without any reservations, it seems that this person is not so detestable after all, and he also understands art appreciation.

  Xu Xianling said with a smile: "Zhou Gongzi is indeed talented, but Li Daren's magnanimity is also unmatched by anyone. Indeed, it is the heart of embracing all things."

  All the guests also echoed in agreement.

  After the night banquet at the Douhu Fu, Zhou Xuan had two nicknames - "Zhou Wu Bu" and "Zhou Qi Cha". With a talent that surpassed even Bai Juyi's, his two famous poems were known to every child and sung in every brothel. Many scholars would no longer rush to take shelter when it rained; instead, they would walk slowly in the rain, reciting "Ding Feng Bo" while getting completely soaked, thinking themselves carefree and extraordinary, even if they looked like drowned chickens.

  After the banquet was over, it was already the beginning of the 10th hour. Zhou Xuan would not be foolish enough to go to the Moon Gate to see Lin Huanyu. He and Abu left the Du Hu Fu directly. Kuai Fu and Abu's two strong men had been waiting for a long time at the gate of the lane, each returning to their respective masters' mansions. Abu was very satisfied, having seen the top officials in Jiangzhou today and even drinking together. If this were to be told, it would scare those corrupt officials to death! Would they dare to intentionally make things difficult or extort again?

  Zhou Xuan returned to the Qin manor, bathed and slept without mentioning it.

  The next morning, Zhou Xuan and his two fiancées had just finished practicing Wuqinxi and were discussing their experiences when Liao Yin rushed over from the old crane pond, saying that his wife Cuihua had negotiated with the owners of the two insect shops near Jieqiutang through the afternoon and half the night, and they had agreed to sell their stores for 400 taels of silver and 380 taels of silver respectively.

  Zhou Xuan was shocked, he knew that those two insect shops would not lose to "Ji Qiudan Hall" in terms of building scale and land area. At the beginning, he could buy "Ji Qiudan Hall" at a low price of 400 taels because he saved the old boss's concubine with a big belly, while Xia Cuihua was able to lower the price so much just by talking, it was really too powerful!