Chapter 14: Indeed, It Was I!
“Madam Xu…”
As the courtesan announced the name, a hush fell over the hall of the Dragon’s Roar Pavilion. Scholars and poets frowned, none having heard of this “extraordinary woman.”
Song Baiqing blinked, looking at the courtesan in disbelief. After confirming that she hadn’t misread the name, he turned his gaze towards the assembly of talented women below, a puzzled expression on his face:
“Buling… That name… It’s the same as the Prince of Su’s. Hmm… Who is this Madam Buling?”
The crowd exchanged curious glances. While sharing names wasn’t uncommon, a man and a woman having the same name was certainly an amusing coincidence.
To everyone’s surprise, Prince Xu, who had been sipping tea quietly at the side, stood up, tightened his fox fur cloak, and said with an arrogant smirk, a glint of pride in his eyes:
“Indeed, it was I!”
“Pfft—”
Xiao Ting, sitting beside Xu Buling, spat out his tea. He clutched his chest, struggling to catch his breath:
“Xu Buling, you… you… This is hilarious… Hahaha…”
Xiao Ting was the only one laughing. The rest of the hall was silent, their faces filled with astonishment and confusion.
The wealthy young men, including Xiao Ting, might have been rich, but they weren’t fools. They knew their own limitations and wouldn’t buy a masterpiece like this to pass off as their own.
Even if they wanted to show off, they would at least choose a poem written by a man, something that could be plausibly attributed to them.
This poem, with its clear voice of a woman who had endured life’s hardships, coming from the pen of a prince, with lines like “the sun sets, I’m too weary to comb my hair” and “I plan to drift there in a light boat”?
Such effeminate sentiments, from the son of a prince?
Song Baiqing and the other scholars knew that Xu Buling excelled in martial arts but lacked literary skills. However, they hadn’t expected him to be so incompetent at even plagiarizing. It was like copying the name on the exam paper during the Imperial Academy’s final examinations.
A prolonged silence filled the hall. If not for Xu Buling’s status, the scholars and poets would have already begun mocking him.
Poetry gatherings were supposed to be elegant and refined. Plagiarism was considered disgraceful, and while minor attempts to gain recognition had been tolerated in the past, such blatant and audacious plagiarism was unprecedented.
Prince Yan, Song Yu, rubbed his forehead, struggling to find words.
Song Baiqing, as the Grand Tutor of the Imperial Academy and Xu Buling’s teacher, felt his face burn with shame, despite his usually aloof demeanor. He slammed his hand on the table:
“Xu Buling! As the Prince of Su, you should focus on matters of state and military affairs. Why are you here at a poetry gathering?”
He was essentially telling Xu Buling to leave and stop embarrassing himself, offering him a way out.
But Xu Buling had come here to be scolded.
He pretended to be unrepentant, walked to the center of the hall, spread his arms, and looked around:
“Anyone can attend a poetry gathering. I wrote a good poem. Why can’t I be here?”
You wrote a good poem?
The scholars and poets nearly choked on their own indignation, barely managing to suppress their laughter.
Hundreds of people were present, and they weren’t blind.
It was obvious that this poem was written by a “heartbroken and destitute female poet.”
As the Prince of Su, a man of privilege and talent, the only thing Xu Buling had in common with a “heartbroken and destitute female poet” was probably the word “the.”
If he wanted to plagiarize, he should at least choose something believable! It was clear that he had been tricked by the female poet and was oblivious to it.
Denying plagiarism after being exposed was understandable. But to refuse Song Baiqing’s offer of a graceful exit and insist on making himself a target was simply too audacious.
Did he really think that no one would dare to speak up just because he was the son of Prince Su?
Behind the desk, Qi Xinghan, known for his fiery temper, slammed his hand on the table and stood up, his voice booming:
“Nonsense! Do you think we’re all illiterate three-year-olds? If you wrote this poem, then you must have been disguised as a woman all these years!”
“Hahaha…”
Laughter erupted throughout the hall. A few young ladies glanced at Xu Buling, who was wrapped in his fox fur cloak, and whispered:
“He’s even prettier than a woman. Maybe he really is disguised…”
Qi Xinghan froze, realizing the implication of his words. He scrutinized Xu Buling, as if trying to determine his gender.
Prince Yan, Song Yu, had a strange expression on his face. He raised his hand:
“Buling is a man. This poem… hmm…”
He struggled to find words that wouldn’t offend.
Laughter continued to fill the hall.
Seeing that the situation was unfolding as planned, Xu Buling pretended to be flustered and said stubbornly:
“I wrote this poem! Stop laughing! Be quiet!”
Qi Xinghan had never encountered such an unrepentant student. He slammed his hand on the table again:
“You claim to have written it. Who can prove it?”
Xu Buling was momentarily speechless, feigning a look of helplessness and glancing away, refusing to admit to plagiarism.
Qi Xinghan’s anger flared. He slammed his hand on the table once more:
“Who can prove it?!”
Xu Buling remained silent.
Just as everyone was enjoying the spectacle, a righteous voice suddenly rang out from the platform:
“I can prove it!”
The hall fell silent.
Xu Buling’s defiant expression froze.
All eyes turned towards the platform where the renowned scholars sat. A graceful woman stood there, her eyes filled with indignation, as if she couldn’t bear to witness the injustice being inflicted upon Prince Xu.
Song Baiqing frowned:
“Yufu, what are you talking about?”
Song Yufu curtsied gracefully and addressed the audience:
“This poem was indeed written by Prince Xu. He simply doesn’t seek fame or recognition and doesn’t bother arguing with you. You shouldn’t judge a gentleman’s heart with your petty minds.”
The scholars and poets exchanged bewildered glances, unsure how to explain the situation to this young lady. She must be a naive miss who had been smitten by Prince Xu’s beauty and was blindly defending him without understanding the circumstances.
It was obvious that Xu Buling had plagiarized.
Meanwhile, Xu Buling, the center of attention, stared at Song Yufu in horror, wishing he could silence her.
He had finally managed to tarnish his reputation with accusations of plagiarism, and his plan was almost complete. Why was she interfering?
Qi Xinghan, seeing Song Yufu’s objection, frowned:
“By defending him, you’re risking your own reputation. How can you prove his innocence?”
Song Yufu, unafraid, was about to reveal everything she knew about Xu Buling, proving that he wasn’t a simple-minded brute but a “talented and mature young man with hidden depths and unlimited potential.”
However, Xu Buling was a keen observer. He could tell from Song Yufu’s expression that she had discovered his “secret.” He quickly intervened, stepping forward and saying:
“Enough! Miss Song, I appreciate your defense, but this poem was indeed copied by me. I cannot allow you to tarnish your reputation for my sake.”
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