Chapter Thirty-Five: Copyright Hijacked

  "Sister!..." I glared at Lao San and shouted loudly.

  "What's wrong?" Mother rushed in from outside: "What's wrong with Jun'er?"

  "Look at what Lao San has done..." pointing at Lao San who was still squatting on the ground observing a lump of feces with parasites.

  "What's wrong with you, standing there like a fool? Hurry up and clean this thing up. In broad daylight...!" The old lady strode over in a few steps, grabbed the future biologist Fang Ruzhen by the arm, and slapped him on the face.

  Lao San's mouth twitched, and he was about to start wailing again. The house servants rushed in, grabbed some ash, and sprinkled it on him, calming him down after a few moments. The air finally smelled a bit better. Young Master Ben sat down calmly, picked up his tea cup, and prepared to enjoy Lao San's performance of the Wailing Cry Skill. Just then, "Master, why have you returned so early today? And Young Master has also arrived..." It was Fang Shu's voice.

  "Heh heh... Fang Shen, add some more dishes today and prepare some wine. I'll get the emperor's attention today..." The old man's voice was perhaps attracted by the noise outside, and Lao San stared at the door with wide eyes.

  "What's going on? Why did your father come back so early today?" Old Mother heard House Uncle's voice, hastily helped the third brother who had just finished wiping his butt and handed him over to the nanny standing aside, took a few steps forward, and indeed it was Old Master who came back. Today he looked quite well, with a red glow all over his face. Eldest Brother followed closely behind him, also looking very happy. It wasn't until then that I noticed Eldest Brother still holding onto a book scroll. He turned around and handed it to me: "Second Brother, stop messing around... hurry up and sit down..."

  "Oh..." Isn't it just a book scroll? Like holding a treasure box.

  "Madam... hehe... Jie'er, Jun'er, come... all of you sit down." The old man was in high spirits today, pacing around the soft couch and stroking his beard. He picked up Old Three, who had just finished pooping and was cooing in the nanny's arms, and kissed him a couple of times on the butt, leaving me, my mom, and the nanny all staring with wide eyes. What is the old man doing?

  The old man may have felt that the taste of his hometown was not quite right, and he quickly threw the laughing third back to the wet nurse, picked up a handkerchief to wipe his mouth, and then picked up the teapot on the table to rinse his mouth. Only after taking a deep breath did he recover his composure, stroking his beard for a long time before regaining his dignified expression as a prime minister, and solemnly gestured for the elder brother to unroll the scroll.

  I wanted to laugh, but after being pinched by my mother's fingers, I quickly composed myself, with a very serious expression and demeanor, except for my feet which were shaking uncontrollably.

  The old man hummed a couple of times with a black face, stared at me before speaking: "...... His Majesty summoned us father and son to see him after the retreat today, and specially gave this calligraphy to Jun'er... He said that his brother had met Jun'er a few days ago and liked our child very much. This poem 'Qingyuan Spring Snow' was written by His Majesty in the palace on that day. His Majesty even copied it by hand... It's really treating my Fang family with great kindness..."

  "Qīn Yuán Chūn. Snow..." Uncle Li wants to pin the crime of plagiarizing and imitating great poets' works on His Majesty's head? How dare you, Uncle! But... but that's clearly my copyright! I'm so angry, I'm speechless.

  "Your Majesty actually gave our family's Jun'er a poem?..." After reading the great work, my mother was shocked and covered her mouth, staring at me for a long time, seemingly unable to believe that her own son, who had spent the whole day loafing around, bragging, and eating and drinking excessively, could gain the favor of both the Li family's young master and the Emperor...

  "Haha... At first, I didn't believe it either, but His Majesty said it to my face, saying that you, my son, are well-read and intelligent in front of his brother, speaking eloquently and with great insight. Yesterday, your words were truly impressive, and they really opened the eyes and ears of my colleagues... Hmph, it's really satisfying for me to see that... The old man stood up, walked around in a circle, and patted my shoulder: "My son, don't be too proud, just help your father gain some face." His eyes were very kind, his expression very pleasant.

  "Yes, the child must not disappoint his father's expectations, working hard every day..." Very excited, the old man rarely praises people. From what I understand, he actually took my remarks from last night and showed them off to his colleagues in the imperial court today, and they were well-received. Hehe...I'm famous again, it's not easy! But there's still a bit of discomfort, Emperor Li is what does it mean, plagiarizing this young master's copyright? Rarely does the old man get happy, so let's not spoil his fun, I'll ask Uncle Li another day.

  "It's really... Your Majesty, this poem is magnificent and unparalleled, with an imperial aura that's simply overflowing..." The old man's eyes narrowed into slits. He looked at me with a benevolent gaze and recited "Spring Snow in the Qin Garden" with great emotion and eloquence.

  I carefully pondered the old man's reading of "Qingyuan Spring Snow", and after listening to his comments, I finally understood... I'm scared, cold sweat dripping... If the copyright belongs to me, then now, I am a typical counter-revolutionary element, dissatisfied with the Li family dynasty, a rebel... The possibility of being taken out and beheaded is as high as 99%, oh Buddha who sells cakes... The great man's poem "Qingyuan Spring Snow" has an air of royalty, but the consequences are really too terrifying...

  Great and lovely Prince Uncle, really want to kiss that old face, too considerate for me this good nephew, it seems that this uncle is not ordinary, can let our Emperor Majesty thicken the skin to rob my copyright halfway... Can't say whether it's moving or indignant...

  My mother was over the moon, not knowing how to express herself. She first gave me a loud slap on the forehead, then felt it wasn't right and quickly pinched my face, which had a bewildered and wronged expression: "Alas...it's all because of this kid that I don't know how to praise you...". She pointed at my older brother: "Let Housekeeper Wang find some servants to hang the imperial edict in the front hall. I want those sisters of mine to take a look, my son is not only handsome but also talented. Just one meeting and he's already received such high praise from the king, even startling the emperor himself! Hmph..." My mother's nostrils were almost pointing towards the sky. She kept hugging and kissing my third brother, who was brought over by the wet nurse. What's going on? I'm the one who was granted a character by the emperor, not that sycophant Third Brother who always calls out "Mother dear" with a flattering smile.

  Rubbing his head and grinning foolishly, he didn't know where to put his hands and feet. It's rare for both elders to praise him. Soon, the news that the second young master had received special attention from the king and was granted an imperial edict spread like wildfire among the servants in the Fang household. Green Butterfly, not wanting to be left behind, quietly placed her small head on the windowsill to sneak a peek, her big eyes blinking rapidly with excitement. She winked at him, "Heh heh... now you know your young master's abilities, don't you?"

  "Old master, which prince did His Majesty say? ...If it's the Prince of Huai'an or the Prince of Chu, then our Jun'er's future prospects are... " Old mother happily sat down with old three in front of old master, who is the Prince of Huai'an? Sounds a bit familiar, and this Prince of Chu, never heard of him.

  The old man was asked by the old mother, his face a bit embarrassed: "Your Majesty didn't mention that prince, just casually mentioned it, I was momentarily excited and forgot to ask Your Majesty which prince... Jun Er, do you know?"

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  I brushed from 10 o'clock until now and finally came in, I'm dead tired. The first chapter is done, there's still one more chapter left, everyone keep going!