I started out with seven husbands, and I worked hard to support my family while crying.

Chapter 138: The Seven-Step Poem

Fang Xiaoxiao's actions caused everyone present to secretly despise her.

"Bah! What a disgrace to us businessmen!"

"Absolutely, it's a complete disgrace to Changle County."

Many people secretly disliked and complained.

Unfortunately, none of them dared to say such things back then, because if the people on stage heard them, their whole family would probably be in danger.

There was nothing they could do; after all, he was a prince.

They were just lowly merchants!

Watching his wife's behavior from below the stage, Zhou Wenjian felt inexplicably displeased.

Perhaps, fearing that his wife would lose, he actually became Pei Zuo's concubine.

At this moment, Fang Xiaoxiao was overjoyed to hear that the rich and foolish eldest prince, Pei Yan, said he would give her five hundred taels of gold.

She stopped dawdling, put her hands behind her back, looked smug, shook her head and swayed her body, pretending to be a scholar, and walked gracefully.

"Boil beans to make soup, strain the beans to make juice."

Osmunda burned under the kettle, and the beans wept in the kettle.

We are all born of the same root, why are we so eager to harm each other?

She calmly recited this very famous poem.

Why choose this poem?

The main problem wasn't that in junior high, when teachers forced us to memorize things. If we couldn't memorize them, we had to stay in the classroom after school until we could recite them before we were allowed to go home.

At that time, she was already very playful and had no interest in studying properly.

As a result, out of 74 students in the class, she was the only one kept after school and had to recite the poem for two whole hours, until it was pitch black and she was so hungry that her stomach was practically sticking to her back.

This poem, titled "The Seven-Step Poem," was written after Cao Pi became emperor at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty. He harbored resentment towards Cao Zhi and sought an opportunity to eliminate him.

So he ordered Cao Zhi to compose a poem within seven steps, or he would be killed.

Cao Zhi then wrote this poem, using beans and bean stalks as metaphors for brothers born of the same father and mother, and using bean stalks to cook beans as a metaphor for an elder brother harming his younger brother.

This poem was like a nuclear bomb, leaving everyone present in awe.

Whether they were wealthy merchants or officials, everyone could hear the meaning behind this poem.

Some of them had heard rumors about the Crown Prince's alleged rebellion, saying that he was likely framed.

However, no one knows the specifics of the situation.

However, there was a person on the stage who knew that this poem meant a great deal to him.

But he couldn't possibly show any emotion.

A murderous glint flashed in Pei Zuo's eyes, but he quickly concealed it, then clapped his hands and burst into laughter.

"What a poem, what a poem!"

"I have never heard such awe-inspiring verses before."

"It seems I was truly blind to the extraordinary nature of my wife, who is almost on par with my teacher, the Confucian sage!"

"!!!"

The Confucian Sage?

When Fang Xiaoxiao heard the name, it sounded familiar, but she couldn't quite remember where she had heard it before.

She could only force a smile.

"Your Highness is exaggerating. I am but an unknown person. I only managed to compose this poem by chance. I dare not compare myself to your teacher."

Upon hearing this, Pei Zuo couldn't stop smiling.

However, his smile always seemed to carry a knife, making people uneasy.

"Haha, Madam Fang is too modest. I really hope that the teacher can be here to witness your talent."

Forget it, stop flattering me. I just want to make some money and take good care of my seven husbands.

Fang Xiaoxiao quickly waved her hand in response.

"The Crown Prince is being far too extravagant. I wonder when he will be able to fulfill his promise of five hundred taels of gold?"

She didn't want to get into any more trouble with the other party; all she wanted was to know when she would get her hands on the money she had won in the bet.

"Wow!"

The audience members had just come to their senses when they heard something that surprised them.

"My God, Fang Xiaoxiao is really out of her mind. Isn't she just asking the prince for a debt? What a fearless woman!"

"That's right, asking the royal family for money is simply courting death."

"She would rather be a prince's concubine than have money. If she were my daughter, I would beat her to death."

Many people whispered among themselves, wishing they could drown Fang Xiaoxiao in their spittle.

However, these words had absolutely no effect on Fang Xiaoxiao.

After all, it's much better to be an ordinary, unremarkable person; only an idiot would become a lowly concubine.

If she's to be one, she should be the Crown Princess.

It sounds wonderful, but in reality, all I want is to be a rich person.

However, at this time, some people did not realize that one of them was missing.

The missing people were naturally taken away and dealt with quietly by the guards arranged by Pei Zuo.

Those who were dealt with were naturally the ones who had spoken ill of Fang Xiaoxiao earlier.

Ever since Pei Zuo met Fang Xiaoxiao once on the carriage in the long street, he has been intensely curious about her.

I saw it again at a street vendor's stall later, and I couldn't forget it.

When they met again at the hall, he saw Fang Xiaoxiao's intelligence, wit, and proud demeanor, and he had already made up his mind to take her as a concubine, or even make her his future empress.

Pei Zuo smiled as he looked at the person in front of him.

"I will send someone to deliver the gold to my wife's residence later."

"Okay, then you can deliver it to my Lingxi Pavilion shop!"

Fang Xiaoxiao replied without any politeness.

She could easily earn five hundred taels of gold just by reciting a poem, which naturally made her extremely happy.

"Give them an extra meal tonight."

Having thought all this through and made up her mind, she prepared to bid farewell to the eldest prince before her.

Although he was a prominent figure, he wouldn't bring himself into the palace in front of everyone.

But as the saying goes, one should not have the heart to harm others, but one must have the heart to guard against others.

For safety's sake, she should leave this place first.

Fang Xiaoxiao cupped her hands in a respectful gesture and said with a smile.

"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now. Thank you for your generosity, Your Highness, for giving me five hundred taels of gold."

Pei Zuo looked at her but did not answer; he simply scanned her body.

Seeing the other party's reaction, Fang Xiaoxiao had no choice but to pretend she hadn't seen anything and immediately turned to leave.

Little did she know, just as she stepped off the stage, she was stopped by a hoarse voice.

"Please wait, my lady! I would like to discuss the Tao Te Ching with you!"

The door was pushed open from the outside.

Zhu Wen humbly hunched over, standing beside an old man dressed in a damp robe who appeared to be a sage.

The old man, with an air of otherworldly wisdom, held a jade-shaped folding fan with three large gold characters written on its surface: Tao Te Ching.

The old man's name was Zhang Xuzi, also known as the Confucian Sage, and the founder of Confucianism.

The Tao Te Ching was compiled based on what he saw and heard in his dreams.

Zhang Xuzi, with an air of otherworldly elegance, walked gracefully toward the group.

When Pei Zuo saw his teacher walking towards him, he quickly went forward to greet him.

"Teacher, what brings you here?"

He was quite surprised by his teacher's behavior, as it was impossible for him to leave the Imperial College.