The sky was cloudy, and the wind was gentle. Before noon, it was already bustling outside.
Someone came to borrow something. Because the owner of the villa next door did not stay there for long, it was not taken care of at all times. At this time, there was a party to entertain the nobles, so they came to borrow some ice cubes. Shishi borrowed it. Not long after, someone sent a visiting card, saying that he heard that Miss Shishi was here and wanted to express his gratitude. At the same time, he invited her to attend the party. Shishi tactfully declined the invitation.
Yu Ho-chung and Chen Sifeng had returned. When Ning Yi was not paying attention, they secretly told Li Shishi about Dong Xiaoyuan's words. Shishi smiled bitterly. After all, this was not the first time. Sensing the movement outside, when they were chatting, Ning Yi asked directly, "Is there any trouble?"
Yu Ho-chung laughed, "It's not trouble, just a little boring."
Shishi held her chin, shook her head and smiled, "The capital is like this. Actually, it's Shishi's identity that caused trouble. Brother Ning, don't worry about it."
Chen Sifeng said, "Our Miss Shishi is already familiar with this."
"That's right." Shishi nodded cutely.
Normally, if this kind of situation happened, Yu Ho-chung and Chen Sifeng might not be in a good mood. But now, with the addition of Ning Yi, they suddenly felt a lot closer to Shishi. They felt a sense of superiority because the three of them had experienced many things together, and Ning Yi was an outsider. During the chat, they inevitably talked about the various situations that Shishi encountered when she was the top courtesan in the capital. A group of scholars were jealous of each other, and after the fight, one of them left dejectedly. When she was in high spirits, even Li Shishi would laugh out loud happily. Of course, even if she showed an extremely intimate laughter, it would not deviate from the category of a lady. She had an elegant temperament, but it was quite infectious. Ning Yi did not put up his guard at this time, and he also felt much happier.
Chen Sifeng then asked Ning Yi if he often participated in such things in Jiangning. Ning Yi smiled and shook his head, answering honestly that he rarely participated in such things. Chen Sifeng didn't ask any more questions.
While the four of them were chatting happily, Shishi was also paying attention to the changes in the neighboring room. Occasionally, a maid would bring in fruits, and she would personally receive them. Then, the maid would inform her of the situation outside. As time passed, the situation on the other side seemed to be a little strange. It was not what he had guessed at the beginning. This was because more and more people had arrived. Even Ji Xianqing had come over. This was no longer a fight for the affections of others, but a challenge.
For a short time, she, like Dong Xiaoyuan, was also confused about the truth of the matter. Although it was a bit of a coincidence, it did seem like a simple outing. In fact, this did not rule out the possibility that Ji Xianqing would fight with him before the Dragon Boat Festival. For example, if she were to force him to perform the new words he was rehearsing today, then by tomorrow's Dragon Boat Festival, she would naturally not be in the limelight. However, to fight with him, how to fight was a problem. If the other side made a move, he could choose not to receive it, but it wouldn't be to the point where the two courtesans would meet. The other side brought a lot of people, so no one would believe it if they said that the other side had lost face.
Of course, such thoughts were running through her mind. Yu Ho-chung and Chen Sifeng might also think that she was thinking about these things while chatting with a smile. However, perhaps even Ning Yi did not know that these thoughts were just casually flashing through her mind.
She was actually thinking about the sentence of the poem, and was even feeling and singing it in her heart, so much so that when she looked at Ning Yi, she would have a rather strange feeling.
When she first noticed this, she had indeed been thinking about it. However, the change only started after she saw the poem written by Ning Yi. Suddenly, he felt that it was funny. Actually, it was nothing. To be able to suddenly see such words, today was worth it. As for what the other party really wanted to do, it was easy to deal with anyway. It wasn't the first time he encountered such a thing. Then she kept thinking about the poem that suddenly gave her a strange feeling.
At first, looking at Ning Yi's expression, he actually didn't have much expectation. He casually wrote it to his wife, concubine, or confidante, and it seemed that even he himself wasn't sure if the words were good or bad. At that time, she had read it out without thinking, only pausing in the middle. Only when she had almost reached the end did she subconsciously slow down. The poem "Huan Xi Sha" was not long in itself. It was only six sentences and forty-two words, and the words were smooth and smooth, so he finished reading it in an instant. However, after he finished reading it, his head was empty for a long time. After that, he would always unconsciously think of it in his heart, or softly read it again, or sing it again, just like now.
"Light sweat slightly penetrates Bi Wan. Ming Dynasty Dragon Boat Festival bathing in fragrant orchids. Fragrant blossoms fill the clear river … "
"Colorful thread gently wraps around the red jade arm, the small talisman hangs on the green cloud. Beauty meets … for a thousand years. "
It was hard to say what was good about it, but she couldn't help but read it. In fact, she also knew that such a phenomenon could only be covered by the word "good poem". In terms of words, the scenery was written, and colorful words were also used. At first, it looked complicated and lively, but when it came to the last sentence, everything was suppressed. It was just like a person saying a few meaningful but indifferent words to his lover. Especially when she thought of the simple expression of Ning Yi sitting there writing the poem, everything seemed to be understated and natural. This kind of mood was the most revealing.
So much so that when her eyes turned to Ning Yi's face, the fingers of the hand under the table were still trembling slightly.
What kind of person is this … At that time, he really wrote it casually …
Although she had seen Ning Yi's skills in Jiangning, she didn't expect him to be able to write something like this casually. Although there was no first place in literature, she couldn't judge whether the Duanwu poem that Zhou Meicheng wrote for her was better, or this one. In fact, both of them were excellent works, and it was indeed difficult to judge which was better. But Zhou Meicheng also spent a long time to write that proud work. In comparison, Ning Yi rubbed his chin and casually waved the brush in a bored manner, and it really scared her.
Of course, she didn't know what Ning Yi was thinking. Ning Yi now had a certain foundation in poetry, but to judge a famous poem, he was still not at that level. The "Huan Xi Sha" he wrote was a love poem that Su Shi wrote for his concubine, Chaoyun. But among the few "Huan Xi Sha" poems that could be passed down for thousands of years, there was no place for it. If it wasn't for the fact that Ning Yi liked Su Xin's poems, and this poem was short, he probably wouldn't have remembered it.
He could remember it completely because the scenery described in Zhou Bangyan's poem was somewhat similar to this one. Because he subconsciously felt that this was not a famous poem, Ning Yi hesitated for a moment. He felt that the line "Beautiful women meet for a thousand years" was a little too mushy, but then he thought about it. Anyway, there were only a few people in his family, and these girls were easy to talk to. It was fine as long as it was a gift from him, and they should be able to tolerate the shortcoming of not being a famous poem, so he wrote it.
Like two parallel lines that didn't interfere with each other, in this cool hall, the four of them chatted and laughed as they enjoyed the wind. Because of that poem, Li Shishi then subconsciously changed the topic to the situation of Ning Yi's wives and concubines. Then, Ning Yi also smiled and talked about his relationship with his wives and concubines, as well as the matter of the eldest son he had just given birth to. Things were happy and harmonious, and it also made people feel warm and interesting to talk about. On the other hand, in the garden over there, the people who came for an outing had basically all arrived.
The village built by the river was surrounded by many trees, and the scenery was not bad. The men and women who came over were either playing hand in hand or walking straight into the garden. At this time, most of them had already gathered here. In Bianliang City, some members of the literary society gathered in groups of twos and threes. Several well-known elders in the literary world gave guidance and laughed along the way. At this time, they also entered the manor and sat down. After all, they also had real knowledge. What they said about how to write an article, how to read, and so on, were helpful to many young scholars. After the elders sat down, many young people came over to ask for advice.
Among them, there were young masters and young ladies from the mansions of princes and marquises. In the capital, although the royal family was the most powerful, they usually remained respectful and humble, and had to give these elders face. Even to the young people next to them, they didn't necessarily trample on them whenever they wanted. After all, everyone wanted a good reputation. Relatively speaking, the local nobles were more free. Even if they killed someone on the street with a golden melon and a sledgehammer, in the end, most people would not dare to investigate, and the government could only suppress the matter. If this kind of thing happened in the capital, it would usually be reprimanded from the imperial palace.
Other than these people, most of the brothel girls who came to join in the fun had already arrived. This time, Ji Xianqing came with Yu Shaoyuan, but she was familiar with many people and greeted them one by one. There were also some famous brothel girls, who came with people, but they also had the responsibility of livening up the atmosphere, such as playing the zither and singing. Occasionally, they would perform some elegant talents at the request of the crowd, which was why they had the atmosphere of going on a walk.
Tomorrow would be the day of the official gathering, and today the atmosphere was much more casual. At this time, the venue of the gathering was set up on the riverside of the garden. It was a wide corridor covered by a roof, and it looked like a long pavilion on the land. The river breeze was extremely cool, and a few old men and distinguished people sat down in the innermost seats of the corridor. While enjoying the scenery, they also casually told the young people around them about some interesting anecdotes, or some knowledge about the imperial examinations and the advancement of officialdom. They treated it as a joke, and were very amiable. Ji Xianqing and the other girls around them interjected to liven up the atmosphere.
Occasionally, some people would be called out, such as Yu Shaoyuan, who was currently in the limelight, or the famous young scholars of Bianliang, Fang Wenyang, Zuo Xiliang, and the others. These kinds of people who were taken out to talk about the flaws in their articles were actually the most valued. Occasionally, they would ask someone to write a poem, or someone would be inspired to write a poem and ask someone to comment on it. This place was quite large and not crowded. If one was not interested in these things for a while, there would naturally be some people who would enjoy the scenery, walk around with their companions, or discuss rowing a boat to the river to play.
In fact, at this moment, there were not many people who truly knew why the poetry competition was here. Not long after, the gathering was carried out enthusiastically, and there were even some outstanding poems that appeared. Only then did the news that Li Shishi was next door gradually spread among the crowd …
*****
It was almost noon, and they had already started to prepare their meals. Someone else came to borrow some things. Today, when Li Shishi came over, there were naturally many people who followed her here. However, not long after, one of the chefs was also borrowed. Soon after, another person sent over a visiting card and made an invitation.
After this rejection, another invitation was sent over. This repeated for the fourth time. The maid came in and said something to her. Shi Shi frowned, "Tang Yue? Fu Qiushuang? They are here too … What do they want … "In the Fan House, Li Shishi did not get along well with these two people. However, it was not quite possible for them to plot against her in such an environment. It was most likely a coincidence. However, since things had developed to this point, she also knew that she could not continue to refuse.
She did not want to compete with others today. She reluctantly apologized to Ning Yi and the other two people and revealed the whole matter. "If you are interested, you can all go and have a look later … What does Liheng think?"
"Forget it." Regarding this, Ning Yi was the first to reject it. Most of the time, he had to write poems and lyrics for the poetry recital. It was not that he did not have any in stock, but these were to be used in the Bamboo Notebook in the future to promote the shop. He was very stingy now. Yu Ho-chung and Chen Sifeng actually did not want to go with Shi Shi immediately, but seeing that Ning Yi rejected them so straightforwardly, they could not help but feel that he was a little timid and did not have any spirit.
"Actually, I might not be able to hide, but I will go check out the situation first. We will talk about it when I come back. It should be quite interesting when I go and take a look."
After all, he was a person in this situation and could not help himself. After saying goodbye to the three and leaving the room, she took a deep breath and returned to the dignified, generous, sincere, and elegant appearance of Li Shishi. She saw Tang Yue and Fu Qiushuang and went with them.
The poetry competition was just a poetry competition, there was not much new to speak of. Whether the atmosphere was relaxed or nervous made no difference to a woman of her level. Although Ji Xianqing was present, she only casually greeted her and called her "sister" with a smile. Ji Xianqing was half a year older than her. Then, the two of them sat down at the same small table and chatted with a smile or listened to the conversation of the crowd. Not long after, she was really puzzled.
What were Ji Xianqing and the others doing? Was it really just a simple poetry competition?
*****
In the midst of Miss Shishi's light gray doubt, everyone in the meeting had different feelings.
After all, the scene was quite lively, especially after Li Shishi came over. Basically, everyone had already come over. There were many prayer mats and small tables on both sides of the corridor. Two to three people sat together, and some stood casually. However, many people were talking, trying to show off in front of the two courtesans.
As the second most beautiful courtesan in Bianliang City, Ji Xianqing had a gentle and amiable temperament. She looked like a standard good wife and mother. She was tall and slender, and her lazy manner was the most attractive. However, if one came into close contact with her, they would find that behind her gentleness, there was also the aura of a queen. Li Shishi, on the other hand, was elegant and knowledgeable, with a slender figure and a peaceful appearance, as if she could see through everything. Those who got along with her would often feel an indescribable clarity and tranquility, as if they had the wisdom to see through many things. At this moment, everyone asked her about the performance of the Dragon Boat Festival tomorrow. Shi Shi smiled and raised her finger, saying, "This …" Of course it's a secret, but there's a part in the middle like this … "Dang, dang, dang, dang …"
She pointed and sang, and the people beside her shouted, "I can hear it, I can hear it …"
"I remember Qin'e …"
"Where is it, the green jade case, the green jade case …"
"Qi Tian Le!"
"It must be Qi Tian Le …"
Everyone was noisy and the atmosphere was lively. Some people even followed the tune and hummed the words of another song, "Qi Tian Le". Shi Shi sat there and smiled brightly. Then, she changed the topic to Ji Xianqing and asked her to reveal some of the performance tomorrow. In the end, there were also people who passed on the poems that the crowd had written. Shi Shi hummed softly, and an old man from the Literary Society called "Master Mo" said, "Shaoyuan's poem just now is extremely good. Miss Shi Shi, why don't you take a look?"
As she sang, she looked at the other side with surprise and admiration. Ji Xianqing was also at the side, and after she finished singing, she subconsciously glanced at Yu Shaoyuan, then smiled and said to Ji Xianqing, "Congratulations, sister …" "You found a good husband."
Yu Shaoyuan sat opposite her and smiled without saying a word. In his heart, he felt that just now, he had felt the throbbing in Miss Shi Shi's heart because of his poem. A moment later, he wrote another poem with ink.
Not long after, the servants served cold drinks and sat down. A few old men were chatting and laughing with each other. They were all quite famous in Bianliang City and had many disciples, such as Master Mo, Xue Gongyuan, and the others of the Literary Society. At this time, they were discussing what kind of future Yu Shaoyuan would have, while the others were also talking about the future of the outstanding ones among them and what kind of official careers they might have in the future. They were also talking about who they could recommend to the Imperial College to study, discuss, evaluate, or write their own poems. They were quite satisfied with this kind of gathering.
These old men in their forties and fifties might not necessarily have a smooth career, but they had all been officials before and felt that it would be difficult for them to be promoted again. After they were dismissed from their posts, they taught people or did research to improve their status. Now, they were respected by everyone, and they also had connections and power. For example, every year, they could jointly recommend talents to the imperial court or some other official. They were quite satisfied with the current situation.
On the other side, a small group of young men and women were whispering to each other.
"Hey, isn't it about time …"
"They've been watching over there. They haven't left yet. It's about time … "
"Do they have to do this …"
"When the time comes, will Li Shishi be embarrassed as well …"
"Don't talk about this now. Aren't you here to watch the show? Go to the side and watch the show!"
"Who knows, maybe he has real talent …"
"I've checked. He hasn't written a poem for more than a year. He married into the family! Tang Qun, I know you are interested in Princess Pei. You should have asked your family to propose marriage. Why did you follow us here to watch … "
"I just want to see if her master is as good as she said …"
"Let me tell you, even if he has real talent, what can he do on the spot? If he can't compare to his Green Jade Case, I think he has run out of ideas. Even if he really wrote such a poem, how long would it take him to write it out … Besides, after the poetry test, he will take the other tests … "
"I bet he's a liar, fishing for fame …"
"Even if he wasn't, after such a large group of people tested him, he would have lost all face … Killing everyone is something that only happens in novels. Let me tell you, when a group of people looks at a person, he is naturally weak!"
"I bet he's a liar too …"
"A liar. He made a name for himself in the countryside and came to the capital to show off …"
"I'm here to watch the show … If Princess Pei finds out about this, she will cry for a long time …"
There were both men and women in the crowd. Apart from the few core members, most of them were just here to watch the show. Of course, if they could really embarrass a liar, they would be happy to see it. They were also looking forward to the opportunity to beat him up when he was down. It was great to see a country bumpkin make a fool of himself.
After a while, Princess Zhou Qing of Prince Chong's Mansion smiled and said, "Miss Shishi, you are so happy today. It would be bad if you neglected your friends. I heard that they are Miss Shishi's childhood acquaintances. In that case, they are everyone's friends. Why don't you call them over and sit with us? "
With her status, although others might not be afraid of her, they couldn't ignore her either. After saying this, Master Mo nodded his head, "That's good. In this way, Shishi wouldn't be in a hurry to leave. With Shishi and Xianqing here at today's meeting, it will be even more exciting when others talk about it in the future. "
Shishi was still thinking about what Ji Xianqing and the others wanted to do, but she didn't refuse. She smiled and nodded, "Alright, I'll go over and tell my brothers to come over. It's just that Shishi still has practice in the afternoon, so I'm afraid she'll have to leave early. Everyone, please don't blame me. "
Although she had guessed that the other party would attack the people around her, she had already determined that Yu Ho-chung, Chen Sifeng, and the others were her childhood playmates. The other party couldn't force them to recite poems or ridicule them. As for Ning Yi, she was still thinking about the "Huan Xi Sha", so there was no need for her to think about this matter. She might be worried about Yu Ho-chung and Chen Sifeng, but Big Brother Ning … It was hard for her to worry about him, so there was no need for her to think about it.
Not long after, Shishi returned to the courtyard. Ning Yi and the others probably knew that it was not a good time to push her away. There was no harm in going over to take a look, so they came over together. At this time, Yu Shaoyuan's second poem was being passed around among the people of the poetry meeting. Someone even whispered something like "Amazing talent". One could vaguely hear, "Who carries the Miluo Thousand Feet of Snow, a wash of soul separation. Once washed, some souls will part. Win the children, the red silk wraps around your arms, and the stories will be told every year … "Sentences like this caused people to gasp in admiration. It seemed that his second poem was really in the limelight.
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