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

Han Zhi did not participate in the third and fourth poems. After all, if he participated every time, wouldn't he infuriate the other side?

However, for the fifth poem, titled "Nian Nu Jiao," a student from Yingtian Prefecture, whose name was unknown, was the first to step forward. Han Zhi and Su Zhen assumed it was just another poetry gathering and didn't pay much attention.

Su Zhen, who had always been fond of poetry and songs, recited a poem in a low voice after hearing "Nian Nu Jiao." Han Zhi, the sycophant, naturally clapped quietly and praised, "What a fine poem!"

With enough emotional value, what can't win a smile from a beautiful woman?

As the Imperial Priest of Yingtian Prefecture began reciting the text, the two men naturally listened intently, holding their breath. However, the more they listened, the more Su Zhen frowned.

"The river wind rustles, by the ancient pavilion, I still recall the heroic spirit of yesteryear. Do not laugh at me, drunk and lying on the battlefield, for I once swore boundless heroism. In the jade tent, we discussed military strategy, with the wisdom of dragons and leopards, vowing to slay the Loulan cavalry. But where have I gone since then, entangled in the allure of love and romance?"

Who would have thought that on this long journey, his wife would join him in song, her tenderness overflowing. Unlike Li Ling, who lamented his lost homeland, leaving him with no way to return to Han; nor Zhang Qian, who traveled thousands of miles seeking fame and fortune, only to lose his way home. The fireworks of his writing have faded, the romance of his heart has vanished, all entrusted to the beauty of his beloved. When heroes' spirits falter, they leave behind only ridicule and gossip.

The entire room fell silent.

Su Zhen frowned, now understanding that this was a sarcastic remark directed at his husband. It implied that he feigned magnanimity, yet even attending a poetry gathering required him to bring his wife along.

How could I allow my husband to be criticized because of me?

She was furious, but unable to refute him on the spot, she could only stand up, intending to stand behind Han Zhi. However, someone pulled her back, and she looked up to see it was Han Zhi.

"Where is Eighth Sister going?" Han Zhi asked in a low voice.

“That word just now was meant to satirize you, sir, and it has already become a target of gossip. I will simply stand here,” Su Zhen said, her tone still somewhat displeased.

Han Zhi smiled slightly and said, "It's nothing, just sit down and relax."

Han Zhi pulled her back and made her sit down again: "They've already insulted you, why don't you just sit down? Wouldn't you have just been insulted for nothing? Watch closely, Eighth Sister, I'll go and get some face for you."

After making sure Su Zhen was seated comfortably, Han Zhi stepped forward, his face still bearing a gentle smile. Following the same method as before, he drew out rhyming slips and inlaid character slips in succession.

“The rhyme scheme is one ‘an’,” the Kaifeng Prefectural Chancellor glanced at it and read aloud, “the characters ‘qianjin’, ‘hua’, ‘lu’, ‘chi’, and ‘lei’.”

Han Zhi smiled slightly, glanced around, and went directly to the student who had just written the satirical poem. The latter, unsure of what he was going to do, nervously swallowed.

But he didn't do anything else. He just picked up the pen in his hand, took the Xuan paper from his table, and then sat down on his table. For a scholar, this was an enormous insult!

But Han Zhi always wore that extremely warm, warm smile, as if he wanted to warm him up throughout the entire winter with his smile.

Then he lowered his head and began to write again.

"Use your brother-in-law's words to protect your wife, and after it's done, your brother-in-law will give you a smooth career path—in other words, I'll definitely get you out of trouble!"

After finishing writing, he stood up, casually tossing the brush onto his desk, letting the remaining ink stain the rice paper. As he left, he didn't forget to add a comment:

"If you can't write lyrics, you don't have to; if you can't swear, you don't have to. There's no need to embarrass yourself and disgust others." He still wore that gentle, winter-sun-like smile. "I only have this one wife. If she runs away, are you going to win her back?"

"You!!!" The student was furious and wanted to stand up and argue with him.

But Han Zhi imitated Su Zhen's manner and said, "Oh, so this gentleman can get angry too? Just now, seeing how aloof you were, you seemed like a literary immortal who didn't eat the food of mortals. How come you get angry after hearing a few words from me?"

"Sir, you are certainly not fit to be a prime minister. With such a narrow mind, let alone a boat, even a mayfly might not be able to enter."

After saying that, he turned around and went directly to the Chief Justice of Kaifeng Prefecture, handing him the written document.

The chief priest took the poem and read it aloud:

"The mighty river flows eastward, its waves sweeping away countless heroes of the past. To the west of the old fortress, people say, lies the Red Cliff of Zhou Yu of the Three Kingdoms. Jagged rocks pierce the sky, and the surging waves crash against the shore, churning up thousands of piles of snow. The landscape is like a painting, and how many heroes once graced this place!"

Thinking back to Zhou Yu in his prime, when Xiao Qiao had just married him, he was a man of heroic bearing. With a feather fan and silk turban, he effortlessly vanquished enemy ships and towers amidst laughter and conversation. My thoughts wander to the past, and I, in my sentimentality, should laugh at myself. My hair is still black, but life is but a dream. Let me offer a cup to the moon reflected in the river.

Han Zhi bowed and then returned to his seat. Lu Huiqing, who was sitting behind him, said, "The people above just said that you were pretending to be bold, but unexpectedly you wrote another poem and even used the example of Zhou Gongjin to refute them."

"Brother Han is truly talented."

Han Zhi smiled slightly, offering no response.

However, Su Zhen was somewhat worried and asked in a low voice, "My lord, aren't you afraid of retaliation for insulting people like that just now?"

"Don't worry, I'll hold up the sky if it falls. As long as you're alright, Eighth Sister," Han Zhi gently squeezed her little hand to comfort her.

"Perhaps I should stand here? Otherwise, after what happened just now, I'm afraid someone might try to make things difficult for me." Su Zhen was still a little worried.

"Don't worry, I've listened to Eighth Sister so many times, so today Eighth Sister will listen to me just this once, okay?" Han Zhi shook his head and then listened to the next question.

......

After the poetry gathering concluded and the judges evaluated the performances, they unanimously agreed that the Kaifeng Academy had won decisively.

This "victory" was a genuine win, not a mere "slight victory" made to save face for the emperor. The great hero of this victory is self-evident.

The students from the Kaifeng Academy around him all raised their teacups and gave Han Zhi a slight nod.

After organizing the students' departure, Han Zhi and Su Zhen originally intended to leave with the crowd, but the Prefectural Chancellor of Kaifeng suddenly called them back:

"Han Zhi, wait a moment!"

The two turned around and saw that both priests were walking towards them.

"Master of the Imperial Academy." Han Zhi bowed slightly, but was helped up.

The Kaifeng Prefecture Chancellor pointed to the Yingtian Prefecture Chancellor and said, "Han Zhi, do you know who this person is?"

Han Zhi looked at the Imperial Priest of Yingtian Prefecture, whose face was gentle yet possessed a certain integrity. Although he looked familiar, he couldn't recognize him, so he shook his head and asked, "I don't know, please enlighten me, sir."

The Imperial Priest of Yingtian Prefecture smiled and said, "My surname is Ouyang, and my given name is Xiu."

Han Zhi was taken aback, and his bow became even more respectful. He said, "This student, Han Zhi, and my wife, Su Zhen, greet Mr. Ouyang. We have long admired Mr. Ouyang's name, but we never expected to meet you today."

Ouyang Xiu asked with a smile, "Have you heard my story?"