The Imperial Garden.

His Majesty and the ladies of the palace had not yet arrived. Hua Zisheng, the chief eunuch in charge of His Majesty's affairs, came over and greeted everyone, inviting them to take a walk in the garden first.

The peony garden is a dedicated area covering tens of thousands of acres. Shady corridors, small bridges, and flowing water accentuate the peonies' elegant and luxurious appearance.

In particular, there is a winding river in the middle, with willows swaying on both banks and several painted boats slowly gliding on the river, creating a beautiful and peaceful scene.

A stage was set up in the middle of the peony garden, where the royal opera troupe performed. Opposite the stage was a two-story viewing pavilion.

However, most people didn't watch the play seriously; instead, they took the opportunity to sit together and chat.

The old lady of the Hou family and the old lady of Xie's family sat together and chatted quite amicably.

Although Madam Hou came from a humble background, she had a promising young son who became a Grand Secretary at a young age, a unique position among the families of court officials.

Madam Xie, with her powerful clan background, son who is an important official in the court, and daughter who is a favored imperial concubine, is someone who is difficult to catch the eye of ordinary people.

Madam Xu and Madam Tu, now in-laws through their children's marriage, were warmly discussing the betrothal arrangements.

“In-laws, the Marquis and I are thinking of getting the two children married as soon as possible. We will present the betrothal gifts when his third uncle returns,” said Madam Tu. “His third uncle should be back by the Dragon Boat Festival.”

Xu thought to herself, "We should wait for Grand Secretary Gu to return, and then we shouldn't go through with this marriage."

"Did the Grand Secretary bring back any news? Did he say when he would be back?" Madam Xu couldn't help but ask in a low voice.

"No, he's probably busy." Madam Tu didn't think much of it; her brother-in-law had never been close to them since childhood.

Gu Boyu was the one who inherited the title, but the old Marquis favored his youngest son. Apart from not inheriting the title, Gu Shaoyu was better than the eldest and second sons in every way.

The third son's courtyard had more than a dozen guards, and the things he used were many times more exquisite than those of Gu Chengyan.

"I heard that the refugees in the south are causing a great disturbance. With so many salt ships sinking this time, it's even harder for ordinary people to get salt. They've rioted, and I heard they're targeting officials."

Xu's words startled Tu, who widened her eyes in surprise: "In-law, what news have you received?"

"No, I just heard from the master that there was a peasant uprising in the south, with frequent robberies and murders. We are all worried about Grand Secretary Gu's safety."

Her words, coupled with her expression, were quite clever, and Tu felt that she had grasped some information.

"In-laws, let's not wait for his third uncle to come back, let's go ahead and propose marriage as soon as possible?"

"Okay, how about the Dragon Boat Festival?"

Both Madam Tu and Madam Xu had something to hide, and after a few words, they agreed to exchange betrothal gifts on the Dragon Boat Festival.

When Xie Zhaozhao arrived at the garden, she greeted her grandmother and then went to talk to Liu Yiyi and Zhang Yanyan.

Zhang Yanyan is the eldest daughter of the Zhang family, one of the four great families, and Liu Yiyi is the fourth granddaughter of the Grand Secretary. The three have been close since childhood and are the most prestigious group of young ladies in Beijing.

Liu Yiyi skipped along, holding a book of poems, and said, "Look at this book of poems, my sister-in-law got it from the Duchess of England."

Zhang Yanyan leaned closer and saw that the cover read "The Lark Collection".

She had never actually read this collection of poems.

Upon opening the first page, I saw the line, "How can youth remain forever? Even the sea waves turn into mulberry fields." I exclaimed in surprise, "Which poet wrote this? This single line is exquisitely beautiful!"

Turning the pages further, the collection contains 156 poems. The first five are poems about peonies, followed by poems about flowers, birds, fish, and insects, with many poems using these objects to express the poet's aspirations.

Every single one of them is a masterpiece.

Zhang Yanyan said, "These poems are very appropriate for the Peony Festival. I wonder if the poems written by Prince Gu can surpass these?"

Liu Yiyi said, "Recently, many talented scholars have come to the capital to participate in the spring examination. Their poetry and prose skills are no less than those of Prince Gu."

"I heard there is a guy named Ling Xun whose articles are powerful and magnificent. He has won first place in the spring poetry competition for students of the academy several times."

"Yes, even my grandfather praised his articles highly."

The two chatted back and forth, and Xie Zhaozhao smiled slightly, thinking to herself: Ling Xun, I know him well!

Liu Yiyi came today with her sister-in-law and her nephew Liu Xian.

Liu Xian had visited the Xie residence before and knew Xie Zhaozhao. Upon seeing her, he immediately bowed respectfully and said, "Greetings, Aunt Xie."

Xie Zhaozhao immediately took a handful of beautifully packaged rock candy from the bag in her hands, handed it to Liu Xian, and asked, "What has Xian-ge'er been learning lately?"

Liu Xian immediately said, "Thank you, Auntie. I can recite the poem about peonies."

"Really? Is Brother Xian going to go on stage to recite poetry?"

"Yes, Xian'er wants to carry it with Brother Li Tang."

Liu Yiyi pointed to the poetry collection and said, "Later, Xian-ge'er and the heir of the Duke of Yingguo will recite these five poems about peonies together. I'll provide background music for them!"

Xie Zhaozhao said with a smile, "If Xian-ge'er can memorize these five poems, the starting point for today's peony festival will be too high."

"Yes, Her Majesty the Empress invited Xian'er and the young prince of Li Tang to recite poems at the Peony Festival. My sister-in-law didn't know which poems to choose, so this collection of poems is a real lifesaver."

Suddenly, a series of shouts came from the entrance.

"His Majesty has arrived!"

"His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived."

"Her Majesty the Empress has arrived."

"The Imperial Concubine Xi has arrived."

"The Empress Dowager De has arrived."

...

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

Everyone hurriedly knelt down.

Emperor Hui said kindly, "Rise, all of you."

When the emperor arrived, his ministers and their families sat down according to their rank and watched the performances with His Majesty.

Xie Zhaozhao had returned to her grandmother's side and was sitting quietly, but she stole a glance at Emperor Hui.

Emperor Hui still looks quite robust, tall, with phoenix eyes and a long beard. Even on such a rare day of relaxation, his dignified presence remains undiminished.

The host was Katsuyo Hanako, who watched Emperor Kei's expression closely with every word and action.

After a lengthy opening speech, Hanako Katsumi said, "Now, let's start with a few warm-up performances before the poetry gathering."

Emperor Hui laughed and said, "Children can't sit still. Let them perform first, and after they've performed, they can eat or play."

Everyone laughed and said that His Majesty was benevolent.

Hua Zisheng announced with a smile: "The first program: a poetry recitation. Performers: Liu Xian, the eldest grandson of Chief Minister Liu, and Li Tang, the heir apparent of the Duke of Ying."

The two children, one five years old and the other six, were both precocious children rarely seen in the capital. Their families brought them to the stage, where Liu Yiyi played the zither and Li Ranran, the eldest daughter of the Duke of Yingguo's family, played the xun. The two of them provided music for the two children, one on the left and one on the right.

The peony in front of the courtyard is beautiful but lacks elegance.

The lotus on the pond is pure and innocent, yet lacks passion.

Only the peony is truly a national beauty.

When the flowers bloom, the capital city is abuzz.

After the recitation was finished, the whole audience cheered.

His Majesty nodded slightly. The beauty of the peony surpasses that of all other flowers. Its natural grace and charm make it the most beautiful of all, causing a sensation throughout the city, all for the sake of catching a glimpse of its beauty.

This poem deserves to be the best!

I wonder who made this?

Immediately, someone handed a book of poems to Hua Zisheng, who bent over and ran to His Majesty to present the book of poems.

Suddenly, a sharp female voice rang out: "Impossible, absolutely impossible..."