Finest Servant

Chapter 307 Her Surname is Xiao

A simple question about who should be the king of flowers had, surprisingly, provoked so much philosophy, even escalating to a discussion of statecraft. While unexpected, it aligned perfectly with the old man in the pavilion's intentions. Regrettably, the scholarly discourse from the reigning top scholar had been not only overshadowed by Xu Zhiqing, but also suppressed by Lin Wanrong. It was quite disappointing.

A smile lingered on Su Mubai's face, but it was strained. His gaze flickered towards Lin Wanrong, lost in contemplation.

Seeing Lin Wanrong take a seat to the left of Xu Zhiqing, the old man glanced at him and chuckled to the blind elder, "Little Wei, would you say that this Lin Wanrong is smart, or is he muddled?"

The blind old man jolted, replying, "This humble servant doesn't understand."

The old man softly smiled, "If we say he's smart, no one would deny it. However, such a smart man seems unable to guess who I am. How would you explain that?" Little Wei's heart lurched, too frightened to speak.

"If he truly doesn't understand, there's nothing to fear. What's worrying is when some people pretend to be confused despite their intelligence - their intentions..." The old man hummed lightly, his smile seeming both genuine and false.

Little Wei hurriedly said, "Master, you see right through everything. I believe Lin Wanrong is not intentionally hiding anything. I had many interactions with him in Jinling. Sometimes, he is extremely intelligent, knowing many unheard and unseen things. However, at times, he's terribly confused, unfamiliar with the bureaucracy, societal norms, and etiquette of our Great Hua. Even I don't understand whether this man is smart or confused."

"Smart or confused?" The old man softly repeated, and then burst into laughter, "This lad is quite interesting indeed. Whether he is smart or confused, it's hard to tell. Nevermind, it's rare to meet such an interesting character. If he understood everything immediately, it would be too boring. Let him continue being confused."