Chapter 32 Qingming Preview: The strength of the middle-aged pairing in the next chapter~…

A few days later, the imperial court indeed issued a notice, announcing that a poetry gathering to commemorate ancestors would be held in Lihua Garden on the day of Qingming Festival.

Lihua Garden, a place of abundant natural beauty, nestled against Mount Lihua, with a mountain stream flowing down through it, forms this garden-like hot spring palace. Since the time of the previous emperor, the imperial court had lavishly invested in its construction, but it wasn't fully completed until two years after Emperor Shengde ascended the throne. It's simply that those who planted trees will enjoy the shade, and the previous emperor was unable to enjoy the benefits.

Inside, the scenery changes with every step, the air is filled with fragrant mist, the lotus tent is warm, and the water is smooth and creamy[1]. Different hot springs are separated by bonsai and artificial rocks, which also ensures that if the royal family and nobles fall in love with someone at this time, they can visit them in time without being disturbed.

Such soul-stirring enjoyment can only be carried out quietly in the middle of the night under the guise of a poetry meeting to worship ancestors, but during the day, it still has to be pretended to show that Dasheng has gathered so many heroes.

During the day, the activities were like drinking wine while drinking wine, composing poems, and expressing feelings about ancestors. However, the guests were usually divided into four groups, one for each male and one for female. Later, based on this, the groups were roughly divided into groups for the elders and the younger generation.

Qi Xin was wearing a contrasting, smudged pomegranate skirt with willow waves and crabapple leaves, draped loosely over Xing'er's wrist as she approached. She glanced around, nodded to the women she barely knew, and then found a quiet corner behind the bamboo curtain, where she sat down, her skirt in her hand.

But not long after she sat down, the ladies came up to greet her and try to grab a seat next to her, saying that they wanted to catch a glimpse of the eldest princess's grace. But among them, the only one missing was Princess Xiangning Qi Tian.

In fact, Qi Xin had already seen her when she entered the room, but the moment their eyes met, Qi Tian turned his face away. Qi Xin smiled bitterly to himself:

Alas, I'm still angry.

But it was also a good thing. She always felt that the poetry would not be peaceful today. After all, Concubine Chu would come, and almost all the important ministers and nobles with some reputation would be gathered together, except for the self-righteous old antique like the Imperial Censor Xirang. In addition, the maze-like design of Lihua Garden was a godsend.

She really wanted to see who the "that person" that Concubine Chu was talking about was. It was a good thing that she was traveling alone now, without any worries, which made her feel a little relieved.

Qi Xin observed Concubine Chu's movements calmly. After seeing her sit at her mother's side, she took a sip of the Maojian tea in her hand.

Since the last incident, whenever Qi Xin attended a grand occasion, Xing'er would personally take care of his utensils and food, and she would never let them out of her sight.

After Concubine Chu took her place, Qi Ling followed suit and sat next to her, a departure from her usual routine. Qi Tian then took the seat in the farthest corner from her. Because Qi Tian's father, Prince Yuyang, was a leisurely prince, uninterested in government affairs and devoted solely to his wife and daughter, she wasn't particularly well-received among the noble ladies.

These women still hoped to support their families and get close to the two favored princesses in order to bring their families a smooth career. Naturally, they had no time to make friends with the daughter of a useless prince.

In fact, Qi Tian herself didn't think it was a big deal. She was close to Qi Xin because she looked down on the behavior of these noble ladies in Shengdu who were either trying to curry favor with the powerful or were intoxicated by love. They were really boring.

Most of the noble ladies in Shengdu dream of being together for the rest of their lives. Even if they have feelings for someone, they dare not express it openly. Therefore, they can only rely on gimmicks such as ancestor worship poetry gatherings to show off their talents and attract the attention of their loved ones.

Apart from Qi Tian, ​​the only ones who had no interest in this were Qi Xin and Qi Ling.

Qi Ling had always been a dandy princess, never caring about these ethical principles. Everyone knew she had a large following, but Emperor Shengde, concerned that she was the daughter of Consort Chu, had to indulge her for the sake of long-term peace between the two countries. The world, also envious of the open-minded people of Western Dan, was also filled with envy.

Qi Xin, along with those around her, had already experienced various failed marriages, leaving her with nothing but contempt for all men. On the other hand, these noble ladies actually believed in the stories and hoped to find a gentleman like her, which was simply a pipe dream.

If Qi Xin had not been forced into marriage before, she would rather be criticized than marry.

How can men like her father, He Lianzhu, and He Lianjin look down on women in the world with an attitude of superiority?

And as Sister Rushuang said, there is an organization hiding in the dark, trading in blood-pill female slaves. Do they still treat women as human beings?

Why must women be in a weak position, or become victims, or waste their lives like canaries?

Why is it that a man who is affectionate is considered romantic, and a woman who expresses her feelings is considered self-deprecating?

Since this blood pill can only be fused with the blood of women of appropriate age, how can we resonate with them and be used by them to fulfill their ambitions?

But so much time has passed, and I don’t know what level of training the Blood Surplus people in Yue Kingdom have reached. Apart from myself and Sister Shuang, will there be any Blood Surplus people who have escaped the net in Sheng territory?

Despite all the complications, at least he had to remove the thorn of the Yue Kingdom spy in Sheng territory before He Lianzhu was ready, so that the subsequent plan could be accomplished.

If her feeling was correct, when the blood pill took effect, she not only devoured blood and killing, but also desire. However, when she escaped from the Moon Country, her internal strength was destroyed and her body was badly damaged. The power of the blood pill was still dormant, so the impact was minimal.

However, in recent days, as the power of the blood pill gradually awakened and the five senses were awakened, she often felt hot and uncomfortable, and always wanted to find someone to do something for her. It was not a natural result of mutual understanding, but the release of the most primitive and barbaric impulse.

Bah, developing a blood pill to harm women is so despicable. This thing should not exist in the world!

While they were pondering, they realized the table was full, so Qi Ling called for everyone to start the feast. She ordered her attendants to open the valve, causing the water in the trough surrounding the stone table to flow, and a cup floated into it. Then she ordered a servant to beat a drum to cheer them up.

The servant had his back to the stone table, but as luck would have it, when he stopped playing the drum, the cup floated in front of Qi Xin.

Qi Xin remained motionless and chose to ignore it.

But how could Qi Ling let go of such a great opportunity? She immediately picked up the cup excitedly, blinked her peach blossom eyes, and said with a smile: "Eldest sister, please."

Qi Xin was paying attention to Concubine Chu's movements, and his mind was full of thoughts. He was too lazy to respond, so he smiled politely and said, "Fourth sister, you know that I, your elder sister, am not good at poetry. Why don't you set an example first so that I can learn a little? What do you think?"

Qi Ling knew she was going to do this. It was worth it that she had composed a commemorative poem for ancestors and recited it all night long. She spoke like a peacock spreading its feathers:

"The princess then wrote a seven-character quatrain on the theme of Qingming: The patter of rain quenches the banana leaves, while the Qingming lights up the stage, recalling the hustle and bustle. The heart that wants to cross turns into green willows, while the kite flies back to the bridge of its hometown."

After Qi Ling finished speaking, everyone around him clapped their hands in praise, and looked at Qi Xin with eager and scrutinizing eyes.

"Fourth sister, you have great literary talent." Qi Xin stroked her, just wanting to quickly skip this matter so that he could find an excuse to leave the table and watch secretly. Otherwise, if Concubine Chu left first and he followed her, it would be too deliberate.

Qi Ling obviously had no intention of letting her go, and continued to pursue her, "Sister, I've already paved the way for you. Even if you can't answer all four sentences, try answering two at least. It can be considered as a gesture of loyalty and respect for the Dasheng Imperial Family."

A few women at the table also started to chatter:

"Your Highness Jialing, please say something."

"Your Highness Jialing, there is no need to be humble. Come on."

…

"It's hard to refuse your kindness, and I don't want to spoil your fun. So, I'll imitate Fourth Sister's first two lines." Qi Xin spread her hands awkwardly and racked her brains to chant, "Scattered rain flowers, calling friends to step on the spring flowers."

After a moment's silence, the table erupted in laughter, even attracting the attention of those at the neighboring tables. A few bold young men laughed out loud across the curved screen:

"Your Highness, your imagery is also very clear, hahahaha, it's really, easy to understand."

"It's okay to go outing on Qingming Festival, but you're being too carefree. We should at least be respectful of our ancestors, and you're calling your friends all the time, hahahaha."

…

After they finished speaking, they exchanged glances with Qi Ling in the gap between the curved screen and the corridor column.

In the shadows behind a few columns, Shuangjiang glanced at Chen Yu, who was watching the show with his arms folded, and said worriedly, "This Fourth Princess Jinghe really doesn't live up to her title. She's like a peacock spreading her feathers all day long. But I remember what Xiaojiu said to me before at the Princess's Mansion. No, it's not on this level!"

"Oh, I was wondering. No wonder you called me so affectionately. It turns out someone poached you." Shen Yu smiled, a silhouette reflected in his amber eyes.

Frost's face was full of question marks, and she felt like she was disappointed in her master who was making such an inappropriate joke.

"Okay, stop worrying about it." Shen Yu's eyes flashed and he said, "She is - pretending."

"Ah?" Frost sighed, and the dark lines between her eyebrows became more obvious.

"When Xiao Ba and I rescued her from a farmer's yard in Ningbei, she had a silk handkerchief on her body with a poem written in blood on it called 'Su Zhongqing: This Expedition in Vain'. The content was roughly as follows—" Chen Yu leisurely rubbed the stubble on his chin, his tone gentle and soothing:

"The heavy frost of the Hu sky covers the lonely city, and the iron cavalry rips the cold flags. I can't bear to throw the phoenix chariot lightly, and sacrifice the camp with the flute under the waning moon. The blood is not yet burned, the dust is hard to collect, and the strings are empty. How can I sigh for this life? I want to fall into the sky and go to the eagle alone."

"You should be familiar with Lu You's poem 'Su Zhong Qing: Seeking a Title in the Past Miles'[2]." The smile at the corners of Chen Yu's eyes deepened. "Do you think a woman who could write a poem with the same spirit and ambition as 'Su Zhong Qing' could ever be inferior to others?"

Shuangjiang always felt that his words were a double entendre, as if he had revealed something that was about to surface.

After saying this, Chen Yu was secretly delighted. His little Jiu, who had stolen so many of his military manuals from the Duke of Jingguo's mansion last time, had finally learned something and had learned to be more restrained. He then said, "I'll keep an eye on Lord Wen, and you keep an eye on Princess Xiangning and Prince Yuyang. We'll act according to the situation. There's no need to reunite."

"Okay, Master Qi."

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Yu saw Murong Fei whispering something to Wen Shao's ear. Wen Shao left the table in a hurry, looking anxious.

This Murong bandit was too alert, and he kept looking back every few steps as he took Wen Shao. Chen Yu did not dare to get too close, for fear of losing him because of the strange rocks and chaos, so he quietly summoned a bald eagle, which followed him from high in the sky, covered by layers of fog.

When he got close, he jumped down and dodged to the edge of the hot spring next door. Through the hole, he saw the back of a person wearing a white hood. Judging from the figure, he didn't look like a man.

Murong Fei bowed respectfully to the man.

Wen Shao saw this and pulled him around, looking around and whispering, "Didn't you say you'd find a hidden place and return it to me? Why did you bring me here?"

The person wearing a white hood turned around. The upper half of his face was covered by a fox-shaped mask, but judging from his small jaw and lips, he could tell that he was a woman.

The fox-faced woman's silhouette was vaguely visible in the mist. She lazily looked at Wen Shao, who was clutching Murong Fei's sleeve, and extended a hand in an invitation, saying, "Master Wen, it's a pleasure to meet you."

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The author has something to say: ps——

The good show begins in the next chapter~

Note:

[1] “The hibiscus tent is warm for the spring night” and “The hot spring water washes the creamy skin” - Bai Juyi, “Song of Everlasting Regret”

[2] "Su Zhongqing: Seeking a Title Across Thousands of Miles" by Lu You, Song Dynasty

Back then, I traveled thousands of miles in search of a title. I served alone in Liangzhou. Where did my dream end at the border? My old sable coat is covered in dust.

The Hu people haven't been eliminated yet, but my hair has already turned gray. Tears flow in vain. Who could have predicted that in this life, my heart would be in Tianshan, while my body would grow old in Cangzhou?