Chapter 26: Oh No, They’re Lusting After My Body!
The golden rainbow dispersed, turning into countless brilliant colors.
The golden light emanating from the writing had also converged back into the characters.
It wasn’t as glaring as before.
But the rich fragrance of ink from the characters still emitted a faint glow.
This was the essence of every word.
The “essence of pearls” referred to pearls.
But no one would compare pearls to this piece of writing. That would be an insult.
Just from the two characters “town” and “country,” one could see the status of Ye Ning’s “Butterflies in Love with Flowers.”
Ordinary literati could produce a few works that were well known, earning them the title of poet.
Their fame would spread far and wide, passed down through generations.
But a work that reached the “town and country” level was extremely rare. The last time a town and country poem was seen in Great Zhou was decades ago!
With the decline of Confucianism and Daoism, and the stagnation of culture, the standards of literati had naturally declined.
From this perspective, the poem written by Ye Ning was indeed extremely precious.
“Truly fortunate to witness the birth of a town and country poem in one’s lifetime!”
“After reading this poem, I have lost interest in revelry. I just want to drink and celebrate this great event in the literary world!”
“With this poem, Lord Ye will become the most welcomed guest by the brothel women in the future.”
The crowd sighed repeatedly.
They were still immersed in great excitement and shock.
Many people looked at Ye Ning with admiration. Could he be a saint reincarnated? How could someone’s talent reach such a level?
It was truly enviable.
All the women in the Spring Wind Pavilion looked at Ye Ning with watery eyes.
Even their bodies softened…
“Lord Ye…” Countless women murmured.
Those fiery eyes were enough to melt even the hardest steel.
Unfortunately, the power of this poem on women was too great.
Coupled with Ye Ning’s great reputation and handsome appearance, how could it not make people “lustful”?
Many courtesans secretly thought that if they could spend a night with Lord Ye, it would be worth it in this lifetime.
Such blatant looks made Ye Ning shiver.
He felt uncomfortable being looked at by women as if he were not wearing any clothes.
“Oh no, they’re lusting after my body!” Ye Ning became vigilant.
How does that saying go again? When a man goes out, he must protect himself well, as there are too many women lusting after his body.
He had underestimated the power of poetry and lyrics in this era. After finishing writing, he looked up to see everyone crying and laughing again, which made him feel absurd.
“Lord Ye’s talent is admirable,” Cai Xianggao bowed.
This bow was heartfelt.
What else could he be unwilling to do?
As early as when Ye Ning wrote half a poem, he knew he had lost.
By the time the whole poem was finished, he had actually forgotten that he was competing with Ye Ning.
Because that sounded like a joke.
How ignorant he was to dare to compete with Ye Ning in poetry?
“The gap between him and me is like that between a firefly and the bright moon, or a lame horse and a Qilin!” Cai Xianggao felt bitter in his heart.
But it wasn’t that bitter.
To witness the birth of a town and country poem was also an extremely honorable thing for him.
So, with a heart full of respect, he directly admitted defeat.
There was nothing shameful about it.
Everyone would understand if he surrendered to Ye Ning.
On the contrary, if he stubbornly refused to admit defeat, he would only be seen as narrow-minded and ignorant of his own abilities.
Ye Ning also returned the bow.
“In fact, you’re not bad.”
Ye Ning had a good impression of Cai Xianggao.
Between men, as long as they were honest and upright, they were all real men. What’s the point of having so many grievances?
After losing, Cai Xianggao admitted his mistake directly, which was enough to show his character.
No one fighting for victory was a good thing. Being able to strive for victory and admit defeat was also a matter of character.
“Brother Ye, can I have this poem as a gift?” Liu Sanyuan looked at him eagerly.
His eyes were like a child looking at his mother’s candy.
It gave Ye Ning a chill.
“Take it.”
It was just a poem. Ye Ning had written it easily, so he didn’t mind giving it away.
If he wanted to, he could write a hundred more in minutes.
But Liu Sanyuan was overjoyed, laughing and dancing.
“What luck! This poem can be a family heirloom!”
“Alas, if I had known Lord Ye was so easy to talk to, I would have shamelessly asked for it.”
“This person is really shameless!”
People whispered, with a sour taste in their mouths.
What prime minister’s son? You’re just like your treacherous father, both villains!
“Liu Sanyuan did come up with a good idea,” Xiao Qianqian sneered from the attic.
“Go, get this poem for me.”
Who is Liu Sanyuan? What qualifications and abilities does he have to possess this poem?
He’s pushing his luck!
This “Butterflies in Love with Flowers” not only reached the level of “town and country,” but it was also written in a completely new script. Its value was too great. In the future, when Ye Ning became famous worldwide, everyone would go crazy for this piece of writing.
Xiao Qianqian understood this very well.
“No wonder His Majesty is so fond of him. This talent is indeed rare in the world…”
Xiao Qianqian murmured softly.
“As the belt gradually widens, there is no regret in the end, for her sake, one becomes haggard…”
She was also a woman, having spent a long time in the pleasure quarter, and was naturally moved by the meaning of the poem.
Her eyes gradually became infatuated.
“Go, invite Ye Ning up.”
Creak.
Xiao Qianqian opened the door, and for some reason, the sound of the wooden door opening and closing was unexpectedly loud.
It instantly interrupted the excitement of the scholars.
“My young lady invites Lord Ye for a chat!”
Xiao Qianqian smiled, her eyes like flowing beads, staring at Ye Ning.