Chapter 28: The Thunder and Rain are All Imperial Favors (Part 1)

  I don't know how Yu Shannan knew about Chen Chuan, this commercial city is really too small, and Yu Shannan even knows about such a small matter. Although Xiao Bu Yi didn't think it was as unbearable as Yu Shannan said, he also became vigilant in his heart, and Yu Shannan seemed to be deliberately reminding him, wasn't that without reason? "I've said all I need to say, you take care of yourself." After Yu Shannan finished speaking, he followed Xiao Shou Ren slowly towards the military camp outside the city, but scared Xiao Shou Ren half to death.

  Xiao Shouren thought all the way, Xue Daohe died because of the empty beam and swallow mud, Wang Jie died because of the courtyard grass without anyone to follow, these two poems are not as good as his own Jade Xiao Blowing Through Donglong Sleep, it's hard to avoid Yang Guang asking, can he still blow through Donglong Sleep with Jade Xiao?

  Because Yu Shinan had brought over transfer orders from the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Official Personnel, everything was easy to handle. Moreover, Yu Shinan still had some face in the army, so Xiao Shouren followed him for half an hour and got things done. Not only did he get Mu Yi, Mu Yu, Yang Cheng, and others transferred to his side, but he also picked out a few skilled fighters from the army as his subordinates. After leaving the military camp, Yu Shinan and Xiao Shouren parted ways. Although Mu Yu and others were now following Xiao Shouren, his small courtyard was really too small for them, so they still stayed in the military camp. It's estimated that this battle won't be fought anymore, and once the negotiations are over, the army will probably return to the capital. By then, it would be easy to follow the army back with Xiao Shouren's fourth-rank official position.

  Xiao Shouren had just heard a remark from Yu Shinan on the way here that made him break out in cold sweat, but thinking that he had already pushed that poem onto an unknown old beggar, it should be no big deal, his life was saved. Xiao Shouren had decided at this moment that even if he died, he would not show off in front of Chen Chuan again, or else he would die without knowing how he died.

  But fate is so wonderful, saying Cao Cao arrived, at this moment Xiao Shouren was thinking that he would never see Chen Chuan again, but the next moment his eyelid twitched, and he saw Chen Chuan's flashy appearance, still wearing a men's suit, holding a fan with beautiful peony flowers painted on it, how tacky!

  Chen Chuan also saw Xiao Shouren at this moment, and hurriedly ran over with a proud look on his face, which was really indescribable, just like a child seeing his favorite toy, or a little kid seeing candy.

  "Xiao brother, it's so late, the sky is almost dark. Where are you headed? We can meet here, it's really fate! Let's have a big drink!" Chen Chuan came up and said with a smile, his hands clasped together in greeting, wanting to go drinking.

  Xiao Shouren saw Xi Bei's goods and got a bit angry. This guy almost killed himself, now he's running over here with a smile on his face like a daisy, saying something about fate, who has fate with you? Who wants to have fate with you? You're the one who's always talking about fate! And then he invites me to go drinking, if I really go drinking with him, I'll probably end up writing poetry again after getting drunk!

  Chen Chuan saw that Xiao Shouren's face wasn't very good, with a look like he wanted to beat someone up, just like the little dog at home that had been teased too much by its own master. Chen Chuan's brain quickly turned and knew that Xiao must have eaten something bad somewhere, so his mood was bad. When his mood is bad, drinking makes him drunk more easily, and when he's drunk, he can come up with even more good poetry lines! At this time, the little abacus in Chen Chuan's heart was clicking away rapidly.

  "Oh? I was thinking the same thing, since Brother Chen has already spoken up, then let's just follow his lead. And it would be a good opportunity for me to get a free meal from Brother Chen, since I haven't eaten dinner yet." Xiang Shouren also thought of a plan at this time, come what may, who's afraid of whom? Ha! Who would still be afraid of you, this western goods?"

  One had made up his mind to get Xiao Shouren drunk in order to extract some good lines from him, while the other had also made up his mind to eat and drink for free without achieving Chen Chuan's goal. Just like that, the two of them hit it off immediately and headed towards Tianranju together.

  But when they arrived at the entrance of Tianranju, Xiao Shouren refused to go in, saying that the food at Tianranju was not good and he had already eaten what he wanted, and insisted on taking Chen Chuan to eat elsewhere. Chen Chuan also agreed readily and followed Xiao Shouren to eat somewhere else.

  It's not that Xiao Shouren is tired of the food at Tianranju, but when he walked to the door, he suddenly remembered that eating at Tianranju now doesn't cost money. If he and Chen Chuan go in, wouldn't it be like treating Chen Chuan to a meal? That would defeat his goal of taking advantage of this western goods merchant. What if this guy gets used to eating and drinking for free and then pesters him every day to come to Tianranju to drink and eat? How can he live with that?

  Chen Chuan had no idea that Xiao Shouren had so many tricks up his sleeve, and thought he was really fed up.

  Xiao Shouren took Chen Chuan all the way to the largest inn in the commercial city, Yunlai Inn. He walked straight in. These days, Xiao Shouren's stroll around the street was not in vain. He had long known that this was the largest restaurant in the commercial city, with a one-stop service for eating, drinking, and lodging. He had been wanting to try the food here for a long time but had hesitated due to various reasons and hadn't found an opportunity until now. Today, he finally caught Chen Chuan, the big fool, and wouldn't let him go without taking advantage of him!

  Chen Chuan saw Xiao Shouren enter the Yunlai Inn and a smile spread across his face, he also followed him in.

  Since there were only two people this time, and no Xiao Shu Tong was following beside them, Xiang Shou Ren and Chen Chuan were very open-minded. The two found a window seat to sit down, and Xiao Er Ge called over, opening his mouth without mercy. Anyway, it's not their own money being spent, ordering dishes with someone else's money, let others cry!

  "Hey kids, bring out all the famous dishes in your store, this brother next to me has a lot of money, hurry up!" Xiao Shouren loudly ordered.

  "Alright, sir, just a moment, it'll be ready soon!" The young waiter nodded and bowed, slung the signature white towel over his shoulder and scurried back to the kitchen.

  Chen Chuan finally understood Xiao Shouren's little trick and couldn't help but feel amused. What was Xiao doing, acting like a child? Who was he trying to get back at?

  Xiao Shouren would definitely be furious if he knew what Chen Chuan was thinking at this moment. Who would he be angry with? None other than you, little kid! Have you ever seen a child as manly as him?

  "Xiao brother, the poem you wrote a few days ago was truly amazing! I recited it to some of my close friends and they were all astonished!" Chen Chuan said.

  Xiao Shouren felt his head swelling to twice its size as soon as he heard this, how did this girl manage to be so infuriating? He had barely escaped a disaster, and now she was reciting these lines everywhere, it would be hard for him not to become famous this time.

  Xiao Shouren was about to say a few more sarcastic remarks to decline, saying something like "good sentences are born in heaven and obtained by chance", but thinking better of it, he decided not to, figuring that if he said those two sentences, the next second they would be taken out and bragged about by this Western goods peddler, so he gave up.

  Xiao Shouren was too lazy to speak, he was afraid that once he spoke, he would not be able to help scolding people.

  But would Chen Chuan let him have his way?

  "Brother Xiao, I also had some gains the day before yesterday. I wrote a poem myself, but I don't know how it is. Why not recite it to Brother Xiao and let him comment on it?" Chen Chuan said with a smile to Xiao Shouren.

  Xiao Shouren didn't even bother to respond to her, staring out the window with a resolute expression, having already made up his mind not to pay attention to her.

  "Since Xiao brother doesn't speak, I'll take it as his agreement then. Listen carefully, Xiao brother." Chen Chuan said while standing up, opening the fan in his hand and fanning himself, reciting a poem: "In the past, salt was poured on the golden embankment, and the leaves of the lotus were again aligned. The water overflowed from the peony pond, and flowers flew to the peach and plum trees. A Qin dynasty girl picked mulberry leaves, while a Dou family wife wove brocade. At the mountain pass, a son bid farewell, and in the wind and moon, an empty chamber was guarded. Always hiding a thousand gold smiles, and long hanging two jade tears. The coiled dragon followed the mirror's concealment, and the colorful phoenix connected with the low-hanging curtain. The flying soul accompanied the night magpie, and the weary sleeper remembered the morning rooster. In the dark window, spider webs hung, and on the empty beam, swallows' nests fell. Last year I passed through Dai Bei, this year I went to Liao Xi. Once gone, there was no news, how could one borrow horse hooves?"

  When Xiang Shouren first started reciting, he didn't notice anything, but towards the end when Chen Chuan recited "Fei Hun Tong Ye Que, Juan Qi Yi Chen Ji", Xiang Shouren realized that these were actually lines from his predecessor Xue Daohe's poem. It was the very same poem that had led to Xue Daohe's death all those years ago, and it was the same line that Yang Guang had asked about: "Can a spider web hang in a dark window, and swallow mud fall from an empty beam?"

  Chen Chuan basically just directly copied someone else's poem word for word and used it as his own.

  "Oh? Is this poem written by Brother Chen? What a great poem!" Xiao Shouren praised with a cold smile.

  "I don't dare to accept such praise, this is all just a humble game of mine. I couldn't possibly live up to your compliments, Brother Xiao. Earlier, I was just throwing out some bricks to attract jade, but now that the bricks are out there, I wonder when you'll bring out the jade?" Chen Chuan's hand trembled slightly as he closed his fan, and then asked Xiang Shouren with a pleased smile.

  Xiao Shouren looked at Chen Chuan's coquettish appearance and really wanted to get up and knock a big package on her head, but he still endured it. After all, Chen Chuan was a girl, as the saying goes, "men and women should not be too familiar". However, he also couldn't let her off so easily.

  "Brother Chen, since you've already thrown out the brick, I'll naturally have to pile it up. Listen carefully." Xiao Shouren said with a smile.

  "The imperial majesty's heroic spirit is like a swallow's song, the king's courtyard grass is as green as it pleases. Today Chen brother borrowed Xue's sentence, not afraid of going with Xue tomorrow?"

  "Hmm? This poem is indeed well-structured, but it's not as good as those lines from the other day. It doesn't have their cleverness and I feel like this line has a deeper meaning, I don't know what you're trying to say, Xiao Shouren?" Chen Chuan furrowed his brow and asked after listening.

  There is still one more chapter at zero points, no more words, continue to code the great cause, and take the opportunity to kneel down and ask for clicks, collections, comments, and thank you to the brother who voted two red tickets today.