Royal Palace.

Outside the Yangxin Hall.

The dejected Zhu Tong slowly walked out of the hall and walked listlessly outside the palace.

At this moment, Xiao Qi, the commander of the East Palace Guards, walked over.

"Master Zhu."

Xiao Qi walked closer, cupped his hands and said hello.

"Commander Xiao, what's the matter?"

Zhu Tong was stunned for a moment, returned the gift, and asked listlessly.

"His Royal Highness, please come to the East Palace."

Xiao Qi said slowly.

"good."

Zhu Tong nodded and answered mechanically.

Soon, Zhu Tong followed Xiao Qi to the back hall of the East Palace.

"The humble minister Zhu Tong has met His Highness the Crown Prince."

Zhu Tong bowed and said slowly.

Seeing Zhu Tong's lack of energy, Zhu Biao, who was expecting something, couldn't help but frown.

"Master Zhu, I heard that Hu Fei's original painting is now in your hands?"

Zhu Tong asked expectantly, having already thought of a way to get the authentic copy from Zhu Tong's hands.

"Replying to His Majesty the Crown Prince, you are already a step too late. The original work has been snatched away by His Majesty."

Zhu Tong said with a sad face and loss.

"Robbed?!"

Zhu Biao opened his eyes in surprise and asked loudly.

Hearing the prince suddenly raising his voice, Zhu Tong was shocked. He realized that he had just made a mistake and hurriedly bowed and saluted.

"Your Highness, please forgive me. Wei Chen made a slip of the tongue. It was not snatched by Wei Chen, but Wei Chen personally gave it to His Majesty."

Zhu Tong said with some fear.

I had been feeling sorry for that authentic painting just now, and I accidentally said something treacherous.

But at this time, Zhu Biao had already slumped down on the couch in despair, with a look of pity on his face. He couldn't care less about what Zhu Tong had just said.

"How can my father win over people's love? Alas..."

Zhu Biao sighed and said disappointedly.

"His Highness said something serious. In order to make up for it, Your Majesty has rewarded me with a thousand taels of silver and a hundred pieces of brocade."

Zhu Tong hurriedly began to defend Zhu Yuanzhang.

But Zhu Biao stopped talking, with a worried look on his face.

What he said about winning people's love was not Zhu Tong, but himself. Unexpectedly, he was still a step too late and let his father take the lead.

...

Fengtian Hall.

The morning session had just ended, and Hu Weiyong walked out with a smile on his face that he couldn't hide.

He had gained a lot of face in the morning court just now, because His Majesty actually praised his son in the court hall, saying that his son was the future hope of the Ming Dynasty's literary world.

Moreover, in order to see the elegance of his son's poems and calligraphy, the ministers rushed to see the original work with their own eyes.

He had never dared to think about such a thing before, because he would not have anything to do with his son in the literary world.

At this moment, Hu Weiyong caught a glimpse of a familiar figure out of the corner of his eye. His eyes lit up and he couldn't help but speak.

"Hey, isn't this Master Teng? Why are you leaving in such a hurry?"

Hu Weiyong shouted loudly with a smile that could not be concealed.

When the figure heard Hu Weiyong's voice, he suddenly stopped, turned around, glanced at Hu Weiyong, and bowed respectfully.

"Hu Xiang."

It was none other than Teng Demao, the Minister of Household Affairs.

The person who gained a lot of face in the court just now was Hu Weiyong, and the person who lost all face was him, because his son lost to Hu Weiyong's son, and he lost miserably.

"Master Teng doesn't look good, what's wrong?"

Hu Weiyong slowly walked to Teng Demao and asked pretending to be confused.

"Nothing, thank you Hu Xiang for taking the trouble."

Teng Demao shook his head and said stiffly.

"Isn't it because Quanzi defeated the son in the poetry and calligraphy competition? I'm sorry, but I don't know that my son actually has such ability."

Hu Weiyong looked at Teng Demao with an apologetic look and said with some emotion.

After listening to Hu Weiyong's words, Teng Demao's face became even more ugly.

"Hu Xiang's son is already extraordinary. It is because Hu Xiang taught him well. The dog's son is incompetent and makes Hu Xiang laugh."

Teng Demao said slowly with a sullen face.

"Hey, don't say that. It's all that brat who strives for his own success. He didn't pay much attention to his true nature since he was a child. Unexpectedly, he suddenly transformed into a god of poetry and descended to earth. Don't you think it's strange?"

Hu Weiyong smiled and looked at Teng Demao and asked thoughtfully.

"Prime Minister Hu, I remembered that the Ministry of Revenue still had some things to do, so I took my leave first."

But Teng Demao finally couldn't help it anymore, bowed his hands and bowed, and without waiting for Hu Weiyong's consent, he turned around and hurried out of the palace.

"Hey, Lord Teng, don't be anxious!"

Hu Weiyong looked at Teng Demao who was leaving in a hurry, waved his hands and shouted, with a smile on his face again.

He did not mean to humiliate Teng Demao, but because civil and military officials usually laughed at his son in private, and this Teng Demao was one of them. He finally got such an opportunity to be proud, how could he miss it.

"The God of Poetry descends to earth, um, okay, the God of Poetry descends to earth, haha..."

Hu Weiyong murmured to himself, clasped his hands behind his back, and walked out of the palace, smiling so hard that he couldn't even close his mouth.

...

House of Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue.

After Teng Demao left the palace, he did not return to the Ministry of Household Affairs, but went directly home because he knew that the people in the Ministry of Household Affairs must also be discussing what happened at the Poetry and Book Conference, and he did not want to hear it again.

Unfortunately, as soon as Teng Demao returned home, he happened to meet Teng Ziqian who was about to go out.

"Dad, why are you back so early?"

Teng Ziqian looked at his gloomy father and asked hesitantly.

"where did you go?!"

Teng Demao looked up and saw his brightly dressed son, and asked in a deep voice, his face even more ugly.

"Go to the Imperial College to take classes."

Teng Ziqian said somewhat inexplicably.

"You still have the nerve to go!? What are you going to do?! Is it embarrassing?!"

Teng Demao glared at his son and asked sternly.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

Teng Ziqian was stunned for a moment, looking at his father who suddenly started the evil fire in confusion and asked.

"You still have the nerve to ask what's wrong?!"

"Yesterday, what happened at the Wenxian Hall was forgotten so quickly?! You actually lost to Hu Weiyong's son!? That idiot?! Do you know that since yesterday's poetry and calligraphy conference, Hu Fei has been called a poet by everyone in the capital?

A god descended to earth! Even His Majesty said that he is the future hope of the Ming Dynasty’s literary world!”

"And in order to obtain the authentic work of Hu Fei, His Majesty spent one thousand taels of silver to obtain the poem written by Hu Fei from Zhu Tong! Today, Hu Fei's calligraphy is more expensive than the calligraphy of Mr. Tai Shigong Song Lian and Song Dynasty!

Words are hard to come by!”

"Now when people talk about drafts, they no longer think of Hu Fei, but of you! You are the one who lost to Hu Fei without even being qualified to write a pen!"

Teng Demao pointed at Teng Ziqian's nose and said angrily, his face turning red.

After listening to his father's words, Teng Ziqian's face instantly darkened. He did not expect that things would develop like this. He originally thought that he just lost a poem and would never write poetry again, but he did not expect that he would

He became a laughing stock in the streets and alleys of the capital.

Thinking of this, Teng Ziqian clenched his fists and put all his resentment on Hu Fei, secretly vowing that sooner or later he would regain his lost face.
To be continued...