klisemfg Chapter 520 What I Want Is One Life and One Couple
Chapter 520 What I Want Is One Life and One Couple
The unmarried young ladies clutched their sweat-soaked handkerchiefs, and even the most reserved girl from the Zhao family couldn't help but move half a step forward.
The third young lady of the Sun Mansion's ears turned red, and she whispered to her personal maid in a low voice: "If I can get a compliment from His Highness, I will become a concubine..."
Before he could finish his words, the sister next to him tapped the back of his hand with a round fan, but he could not hide the expectation in her eyes.
The eldest prince and the second prince walked side by side, the corners of their robes brushing against the rice paper on the table, and the manuscript of the poem with the ink still wet trembled slightly.
The Second Prince suddenly stopped, his fingertips tapping on a piece of gold-sprinkled paper. "This line, 'New swallows peck at the spring mud beneath the eaves, while wild flowers bloom freely on the roadsides,' is quite interesting."
He glanced at the signature and smiled at the girl from the Zhou family who was writing it, saying, "The words are straightforward, yet they bring the spring scenery to life. It's much more to my liking than those that are filled with allusions."
The girl from the Zhou family's face flushed red instantly. She bowed in panic, and the pearl tassels in her hair jingled.
The eldest prince also came over to look, clapping his hands and laughing, "Indeed, it is! Poetry is about expressing one's feelings, and such simple and easy-to-understand sentences are actually very eye-opening."
As soon as he finished speaking, there were gasps all around. Several jealous ladies had already secretly winked at their daughters, wishing they could stuff the manuscript of the poem in front of the prince.
Bai Wanwan rolled her eyes. These women's thoughts were obvious to her.
Bai Wanwan squatted nearby eating a melon. The branches of flowers in the courtyard trembled slightly. Suddenly, a girl about fifteen or sixteen years old staggered out from the crowd.
The pink peach silk flower on her temples swayed slightly with her movements. Blushing, she raised the manuscript of the poem into the air and said, "Your Highness, I wrote in such haste that I haven't been able to fully express myself... I would appreciate your guidance."
The eldest prince glanced down at the paper and caught sight of the lines, "The crabapple blossoms are timid in the east wind, the red door half-closed in the moonlight." His eyebrows raised slightly, "The choice of words is exquisite, quite ingenious. Where are you from?"
The girl hurriedly bowed, her skirt scraping across the blue bricks, making a rustling sound. "I am Liu Qingwan, the fourth daughter of Lord Liu, the Minister of Rites."
"It turns out to be the girl from the Liu family." The eldest prince nodded.
The eyes of the ladies around him instantly turned red. The second prince walked to the rockery and his eyes suddenly fixed on the girl leaning against the railing.
The girl from the Xu family was wearing a moon-white skirt embroidered with magnolias, and the pearl hairpins on her temples trembled slightly with her breathing. She was the second daughter of the Minister of War.
He raised his hand and stroked the manuscript of the poem on the table, his fingertips pausing on the line "Dew stains the cinnabar with fragrance, filling my sleeves; the wind shatters the jade shadow across the window", and the corners of his lips curled up meaningfully.
Seeing this, the ladies around immediately started whispering to each other. Someone whispered, "No wonder Miss Xu dressed so elegantly today. She must have had a plan..."
Bai Wanwan couldn't help but shake her head. These girls were only fifteen or sixteen years old!
Why would she rush to be someone's concubine?
Then she saw Gu Sinian walking towards her: "Wanwan, why are you here?"
Bai Wanwan looked at him and said, "I'll accompany Mom to take a look. I'm also curious about what the Hundred Flowers Banquet is like."
"So do you think it's fun?"
Bai Wanwan nodded and said, "Not bad, the snacks are quite delicious, but is this for selecting concubines?"
Gu Sinian nodded calmly, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the jade pendant at his waist: "Well, today's Hundred Flowers Banquet was originally the reason for the eldest brother and the second brother to look for concubines."
Bai Wanwan looked up at the girls in the courtyard who were dressed up carefully and looked expectant, her eyes full of pity:
"I don't know what these men are thinking. They already have wives at home, but they still insist on taking concubines.
The key is that these are still children!"
She sighed softly, with a hint of sarcasm in her tone:
"What's even more strange is that these women are all rushing to become concubines. What's so good about that?
All day long, she has to watch her husband dote on someone else, and she has to compete with other women for their affections, and live a humble life..."
Her voice gradually lowered: "I really don't understand. Anyway, I wouldn't do that."
Gu Sinian looked at her and asked, "What does Wanwan think?"
"What I want is to be with someone for the rest of my life, but it doesn't matter if there isn't one. Then you will be my support, and I can stay single for the rest of my life." Bai Wanwan said with a smile.
Gu Sinian looked at her and said, "What did you say? Never marry?"
"Yeah! If we can't be together forever, that would be so frustrating!
I have to fight this and that all day long. No, absolutely not." Bai Wanwan shook her head. She really couldn't accept that kind of life.
She now has Gu Sinian's support, her grandfather is a second-rank official, her father is General Huo, and she herself is a princess, which is enough for her to live a good life alone.
Shen Mingyue had a fake smile on her face: "Oh, it's time to reveal Mrs. Huo's masterpiece. I have to take a good look and see what it is."
Bai Qiaoniang calmly put down her brush. The handwriting on the rice paper was as sharp as iron and as silver as silver, with extraordinary momentum, and was the majestic Yan style.
A sharp-eyed lady took a closer look and couldn't help but exclaim in amazement: "This brush power and structure, even after years of hard practice, I still can't achieve it. It's so shocking!"
Someone nearby echoed, "Yes, the calligraphy is so beautiful. I wonder what the poem is like?"
The eldest prince picked up the manuscript, cleared his throat and read:
"After all the petals have fallen, the fragrance begins to bloom, and it is called the King of Flowers.
She boasts of being the most beautiful woman in the world and the most fragrant woman in the world."
After reading it, his face was full of admiration and he praised loudly:
"Excellent poem! It perfectly captures the peony's elegance and dominance."
This idea and this literary talent are truly unique and truly eye-opening!"
The Second Prince also came over and nodded as he read: "To be able to write such a masterpiece, his talent is not inferior to those well-read scholars."
Everyone was first stunned by the power of the poem, and then burst into exclamations and discussions.
Shen Mingyue's sharp voice sounded again:
"This is impossible! How could a country woman like her write such a poem?
They must have hired someone to write for them, and it's a fraud!"
Bai Qiaoniang looked at her and said:
"What is Princess Mingyue saying? Everyone is watching here!
What's more, I didn't know you would ask such a question today. I wonder if I have offended Princess Mingyue?
I have to embarrass myself in front of everyone today."
Shen Mingyue forced a smile and said, "Of course not. Okay, let's take our seats!"
The banquet at the princess's mansion was very luxurious. Even the bowls and plates used to hold the dishes were very exquisite. They were all white porcelain fired in the imperial kiln in the palace, with gold rims.
There are so many types of dishes that it’s dizzying.
The cold dishes include crystal braised pork cut into thin slices, and pickled goose wrapped in lotus leaves. You can smell a refreshing fragrance as soon as you open it.
The hot dishes are even more impressive. The whole suckling pig is roasted to a golden luster on a special copper stove, and the skin is so crispy that you can hear the crackling sound...