In the Northern Song Dynasty, he started by marrying the eighth daughter of the Su family.

Han Zhi straightened the papers on the table and then listened to the first question:

"Students often hunch over their desks, which remain evergreen like jade. How about using 'Green Jade Table' as the title for this first poem?"

The person who posed the question was the Chancellor of the Yingtian Academy, and upon hearing "Green Jade Table," Han Zhi immediately thought of that extraordinary person who excelled in both literature and martial arts. If it weren't necessary to delve into wordplay, copying his poem would be enough to conclude this poetry gathering... right?

He didn't raise his hand; instead, the person opposite him raised their hand.

"Okay, please come up on stage and draw a lot."

The students from Yingtian Prefecture stepped forward and drew lots. The Prefectural Chancellor then read aloud: "The rhyme is eleven 'an'."

Then, the student drew four more slips of paper, representing the characters to be embedded: "Embed the five characters: 暖 (nuǎn), 歌 (gē), 目 (mù), 日 (rì), and 前 (qián)!"

After bowing to the two chief scholars, the students returned to their seats and began composing their poems. The rest of the students, however, continued drinking tea and reading, surprisingly appearing quite relaxed.

Before long, the student had written the poem and submitted it to the Chancellor of Yingtian Prefecture. The Chancellor received it and was quite satisfied, then read it aloud:

"The spring breeze gently caresses the peach blossoms, and amidst laughter and chatter, prosperity unfolds. The clear water reflects the sunny sky. Orioles sing and swallows chatter, green willows and red apricots abound, and life dazzles the eye."

The clouds part, the sun shines warmly, and spring's beauty is captivating; laughter and cheerful conversation warm our hearts. Let us cast aside all worries. Set sail and chase our dreams; a bright future awaits us, as we share in the splendor of spring.

Han Zhi yawned and turned to look at Su Zhen, seemingly to get her opinion. But Su Zhen simply wiped her hands, picked up the teacup, gently blew on it, and handed it to Han Zhi.

"What does Ba Niang think of this poem?" Han Zhi asked, taking the teacup.

"So-so," Su Zhen said simply. "If it were the official, he would probably be able to suppress him quite a bit."

Yo ho!

Isn't this a provocation tactic? I, Han Zhi, am sure to fall for it!

So Han Zhi raised his hand, and the Prefectural Chancellor of Kaifeng gestured for him to come forward. Without hesitation, Han Zhi drew all the slips of paper and handed them to the Chancellor.

"The rhyme scheme is five 'wu', with embedded characters 'feng', 'deng', 'hu', 'ta', and 'bai'."

Han Zhi was taken aback, but a strange sense of amusement crept into his heart. He bowed, then ran back to his seat, covering his mouth and chuckling to himself. Seeing this, Su Zhen asked:

"What's wrong, my lord? Have you thought of something happy?"

Han Zhi waved his hand and said, "It's alright, it's alright, Eighth Sister, please keep a close eye on things."

Immediately, he picked up a pen and began to write on the paper. The chief priest of Yingtian Prefecture suddenly became serious.

A moment later, Han Zhi picked up the poem, and Su Zhen sat beside him, reading it through from beginning to end. A smile suddenly appeared on his face, and he said, "With such a poem, the last line alone is unmatched."

"But I wonder, who is the person mentioned in this poem?"

Han Zhi chuckled, offering no reply, and stepped forward to hand the poem to the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy. The Chancellor glanced at it, his eyes widening slightly, and read aloud:

"The east wind at night releases a thousand trees of flowers, and blows down stars like rain. Precious horses and carved carriages fill the road with fragrance. The sound of phoenix flutes moves, the jade pot shines, and fish and dragons dance all night."

Moths and willow branches, golden threads, laughter and sweet fragrance linger. I searched for him a thousand times in the crowd, then suddenly turning around, I found him there, in the dim light.

After hearing this poem, all the students at Kaifeng Academy turned their attention to Su Zhen.

Shen Kuo, who was sitting to the side, suddenly spoke up: "In this poem, there seems to be a woman who is aloof and detached, extraordinary and different from those who are adorned with gold and jade. During the grand Lantern Festival, she alone stands aloof in a place where the lights are dim."

"Isn't this supposed to be about Lady Su?" Lü Huiqing said directly.

Su Zhen was slightly taken aback and remained silent. Then he heard the Imperial Academy Chancellor of Yingtian Prefecture say, "This poem is not bad. Although at first glance it seems to be about a woman, many people express their feelings through poetry, which makes this student seem a bit aloof."

"Thank you for your praise, sir, but you flatter me. I have not experienced much, and I would not dare to be so arrogant. What I wrote in the poem is what I thought." After saying this, Han Zhi returned to his seat.

At that moment, Su Zhen secretly pinched him under the table. Han Zhi was caught off guard and had no idea what had happened.

At this moment, the Prefectural Chancellor pondered for a moment, then drew a slip of paper and said, "This second ci poem title is 'Qinyuanchun.' Would anyone like to try it?"

Han Zhi raised his hand again at this moment—he had memorized the poem "Qinyuanchun" by the author since childhood, and had even tried to write it himself.

But no matter how much he wrote, he lacked that sense of grandeur and magnificence. He himself wondered if it was because he hadn't experienced such things, and therefore couldn't write about them.

He stepped forward and drew lots again: "Use 'two o's' as the rhyme, and embed the following characters: 洲, 舸, 侣, 土, 方."

Han Zhi returned to his desk, nodding his chin. Su Zhen also frowned slightly, wondering if Han Zhi's luck had run out this time; those five words were not easy to embed.

But she was wrong again this time—

After holding this position for a moment, Han Zhi's eyes suddenly lit up with a look of "joy." Then, under Su Zhen's worried gaze, he began to write the poem.

Han Zhi was writing on one side, while Su Zhen was reading on the other. The worry in his eyes had turned into surprise.

As he finished writing the last line, Su Zhen sighed softly, "These are truly fine words! For someone as lazy as you, my lord, you still possess such lofty ambitions and a sense of responsibility for the world."

"I didn't write this. I couldn't possibly write such exquisite lyrics. It's an old man's poem that I came across by chance. I'm just borrowing it; it's not my skill."

Han Zhi quickly shook his head and explained that he dared not display this poem on his forehead.

Su Zhen frowned slightly, about to ask further, but Han Zhi had already stepped forward to submit the poem. Upon seeing the poem, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy sat up straight and said:

"good words!"

The Kaifeng Prefectural Chancellor's words caught the attention of the Yingtian Prefectural Chancellor, who asked, "Let me see?"

The chief priest took the poem, read it through, and seemed somewhat taken aback. He then looked at Han Zhi standing to the side and asked, "Is this your poem?"

“Master Fujiu, that’s fine.”

The chief priest said, "What a fine poem! Get ready, I'm about to recite it."

"Sir please."

"Alone in the chilly autumn, the Xiang River flows northward, past Orange Isle. Behold, mountains ablaze with red, forests dyed in vibrant hues; the river, clear and blue, teems with boats racing. Eagles soar in the sky, fish dart in the shallows, all creatures vie for freedom under the frosty sky. A sense of desolation washes over me; I ask this boundless earth, who controls destiny?"

"I once traveled with a hundred companions, recalling those glorious and eventful years. We were young students then, full of youthful vigor and ambition; our scholarly spirit was high, and we spoke with unrestrained confidence. We discussed the state of the nation, wrote passionately, and regarded the powerful officials of the time as mere dust."

"Do you remember, when we swam in the middle of the stream, the waves stopped our boats in their tracks!"

Now, all the students looked at each other in bewilderment, and even those from Yingtian Prefecture were asking if anyone could write a poem that could rival it. Shen Kuo and Zhang Huaimin, at this moment, looked at Han Zhi with a different expression.

Han Zhi quietly returned to Su Zhen's side, scratched his head and grinned foolishly at her somewhat reproachful look. Su Zhen was also deflated at this point, even feeling a bit amused by her annoyance.

"You're not allowed to use other people's words later, sir, do you hear me?"

Su Zhen didn't expose him, but warned him in a low voice.

"Hehe, don't worry, don't worry, it won't happen again." Han Zhi also tried to appease her by holding Su Zhen's fair and tender little hand under the table.

“Eighth Sister’s hands are cold when she grinds ink, let me warm them up for her.”

Su Zhen lowered her head slightly, trying to hide her blush, but she didn't pull away from Han Zhi's hand, and simply said:

"My lord, please be mindful. This is a place for learning; you cannot be so shameless..."