"You certainly have a way with words. But you and Wan'er have only met twice, and already you call each other good friends? Could it be you practice some kind of sorcery?" Lin Sheng's expression remained cold.
As for what kind of sorcery he meant—
He was merely curious about what Ye Tian and his daughter had been discussing. With Zhao Qinghuan keeping watch, he believed Ye Tian was incapable of anything out of line. What he couldn't wrap his head around was how the rumors claimed Ye Tian had become a witless fool, only to have his engagement torn up publicly and broken off by the Sun Family.
Under those circumstances, he could have understood if the young man threw himself into a river out of despair.
Yet the reality was that Ye Tian was not only alive and well, but had completely captivated his daughter. Moreover, the maid's reports indicated that not only did Wan'er enjoy pleasant conversations with Ye Tian, but Qinghuan did as well. Naturally, this aroused his curiosity.
"There's no sorcery at all. It's simply that I am rather skilled in poetry and prose, and Miss Lin happened to enjoy them, so we became friends," Ye Tian replied calmly and without servility.
By now, he had roughly guessed Lin Sheng's thoughts and knew the man bore no ill intent, so he had nothing to worry about.
Besides, worrying was useless. If Lin Sheng truly wanted to plot against him, he wouldn't even have room to resist.
Poetry?
That actually seemed possible.
Though Lin Sheng's expression did not change, inwardly he accepted Ye Tian's explanation. He continued, "Is that so? Then tell me, what poems have you composed that could make Wan'er like you this much?"
"It's nothing much, really. Yesterday, when Miss Lin and I first met, she wanted a Mid-Autumn Festival poem, so I composed *Chang'e*: *Deep candle shadows flicker on the mica screen, / The Milky Way slowly fades as morning stars sink low. / Chang'e must surely regret stealing the elixir of immortality, / Her heart beating night after night beneath the vast blue sea and azure sky.* Today, Miss Lin wished to hear poetry about longing and love, so I composed *Inscribed at the South Village Residence*: *Today, this very day, within this very door, / Peach blossoms and a human face mirrored each other's red. / I know not where the human face has gone; / The peach blossoms still smile in the spring breeze.*"
Here Ye Tian paused. Seeing that Lin Sheng's cold expression had given way to astonishment, he pressed on, "In fact, there is a story behind the second poem. If you hear the story before the poem, my lord, perhaps you will hold it in even higher regard."
"What a magnificent line—*The peach blossoms still smile in the spring breeze*! While I do not know this story you speak of, the fact that you can write two such masterpieces proves you are truly worthy of the title 'Little Three Premiers'." Lin Sheng changed the subject then and asked, "However, not long ago everyone was saying you had lost your wits. Now you appear completely unaffected. Or were you perhaps feigning madness all along?"
"You misunderstand, my lord. The truth is this: some time ago, I encountered bandits on the road. Even though I managed to escape with my life, I was indeed frightened out of my wits. At the time, I only remembered that I was a scholar from Jiangnan, somewhat renowned for passing three examinations in succession, and that I had a fiancée in Luoyang. As for what followed, my lord must have heard the tale. When I arrived in Luoyang, forget about getting married—I couldn't even step through their front gate, and they broke off the engagement in public, tearing up the betrothal document. Later, in a daze, I accidentally fell into the water and passed out. When I came to, whether it was a blessing in disguise or not, my mental affliction had vanished entirely." Ye Tian recounted his story in an even tone.
He had already told this version to Zhao Qinghuan and Lin Wan, so repeating it now presented no problem at all.
Besides, apart from the fact that he was a transmigrator, everything else in this story matched reality down to the last detail, naturally boosting its credibility.
Because of this, not only had Lin Wan and Zhao Qinghuan harbored no doubts earlier, but even Lin Sheng now wore a smile upon hearing it. "Sit down. Hearing you put it that way, it seems the Sun Family are nothing more petty villains. Still, since you are a friend of Wan'er's, I can't guarantee much else, but as long as you behave yourself, I can ensure the Sun Family won't retaliate against you!"
Hearing Lin Sheng take the initiative to make this promise, Ye Tian, who had just sat down, immediately stood up respectfully and bowed solemnly in gratitude.
"Such a great kindness needs no grand words! If my lord ever has any need of me in the future, please do not hesitate to speak." Ye Tian said sincerely.
He had originally thought his starting hand was as disastrous as it could possibly get—transmigrating only to be dumped immediately, with the other party being a high-ranking official of the imperial court. By contrast, he was penniless, lacking property, backing, and struggling just to survive.
Yet today, upon entering the Lin Estate, Zhao Qinghuan and Lin Wan had been generous with their wealth, and now Lin Sheng was proactively offering him protection, completely lifting any worries from his mind.
Thus, whether toward Zhao Qinghuan, Lin Wan, or the man before him, his heart was filled with nothing but gratitude.
"Since you put it that way, there is indeed a matter I'd like your help with. I wonder if you would be willing?" Lin Sheng asked with a smile.
The reason he was actively helping Ye Tian now wasn't merely because of his daughter's close relationship with the young man. More importantly, as long as Ye Tian wasn't a fool, this "Little Three Premiers" from Jiangnan would almost certainly achieve success in the Imperial Examination whenever he chose to take it.
After all, though Da Qian possessed vast territories and numerous prefectures, the true cultural heartland remained Jiangnan and Luoyang. Between the two, Jiangnan still held a slightly higher reputation.
This meant that while every region produced a "Little Three Premiers," and their numbers were not small, the gap in capability between one from Jiangnan and one from a remote backwater, if not worlds apart, was certainly astonishing.
Coupled with Ye Tian's two poems from moments ago—both worthy of being called timeless masterpieces that could easily claim the top two spots on the Bright Moon Pavilion's August Poetry Rankings—Lin Sheng was naturally willing to lend a helping hand to such a promising youth, especially when the young man was on such good terms with his daughter.
Besides, he and Sun Qian had never gotten along anyway. A slightly worse relationship didn't matter; it was merely a flick of the finger to him.
"Please speak, my lord," Ye Tian replied.
"Next month, a few friends and I are hosting a poetry gathering. Seeing how deeply studied you are in the art of poetry, how about joining me then? If you manage to compose fine verses, you can make a name for yourself in front of them; and if you write nothing, it matters not—consider it a chance to see the world." Lin Sheng said.
Hearing this request, Ye Tian was stunned once more.
This wasn't asking for help at all; it was a golden opportunity to rub shoulders with big shots and build his network!
If he weren't afraid of making Lin Sheng uncomfortable, he would have shouted "Father-in-law" right then and there instead of calling him "My lord"!
"Thank you, my lord! If it's about anything else, I wouldn't dare boast, but when it comes to poetry and prose, please rest easy, my lord. First place at next month's poetry gathering is mine!" Ye Tian declared with absolute confidence.
"Confidence is for the best. However, those attending next month's gathering are no ordinary people, and the topics will be drawn at random, so you should still remain humble when the time comes," Lin Sheng reminded him.
That said, while it sounded like a warning, he was quite satisfied with Ye Tian's self-assurance.
Scholars—especially those like Ye Tian, who became a "Little Three Premiers" at such a tender age and could pen classics like *Chang'e* and *Inscribed at the South Village Residence*—had every right to be confident.
In fact, were he in Ye Tian's shoes, he might be even more "confident"!