Chapter 367 Brother, You Work Hard

In the study of the prime minister's residence, there was only a copper lamp with a crane holding a chrysanthemum in its mouth. The dim light cast the shadows of the father and son on the bookshelf filled with ancient books.

Pei Xueyan looked at the three manuscripts of poems handed to him by his father, and a hint of confusion appeared on his handsome face.

"Father, isn't this the poem written by Miss Helian Chaolu from the northwest border?"

"Well," Pei Xuanyun picked up the teacup beside him and gently blew away the foam. "My son, what do you think of these three poems?"

Pei Xueyan said without hesitation, with a tone of sincere admiration: "He is a genius, amazing and brilliant."

Of course he knew these three poems.

When poetry was first introduced to the Imperial College, it immediately caused a sensation, and many students who were proud of their talent and learning were almost driven crazy.

If it weren't for the strict prison rules and the instructor's suppression, I'm afraid I would have rushed out of the prison that day to go and see Miss Helian.

Poetry is naturally excellent, but Pei Xueyan asked himself honestly that he was far from it, with an insurmountable chasm between them.

But he was not without doubts in his heart.

The poem "Do You Know" is about the crabapple blossoms after the rain, with graceful language and lingering emotions.

But the crabapple blossoms in late spring, and that Helian girl has been trapped in the northwest since she was a child.

Apart from this trip to Beijing, I should have never seen Haitang before.

Of course, one does not necessarily need to see something in person to write poetry.

Perhaps she saw a painting, heard a story, or read a legend.

It may be a result of a feeling in the heart or a sudden flash of inspiration.

However, the poem lamenting "poor white hair" has a desolate and tragic artistic conception, expressing the feeling of aging and unfulfilled ambitions.

This is definitely not the state of mind that a teenage girl from the borderland who has not experienced much hardship can have.

In addition, Pei Xueyan was well versed in officialdom and knew that Helian Chaolu's ability to enter Beijing to take the imperial examination this time must have deeper considerations of the court behind it, so he had already had some guesses in his mind.

At this moment, he looked at his father with a burning gaze, "Father, is there someone writing for you?"

Pei Xuanyun showed a relieved smile on his face, "That's right."

Pei Xueyan's heart trembled. It was indeed so.

"I wonder which reclusive poet and writer is willing to give away a masterpiece that will go down in history?"

In his opinion, anyone who could write such a beautiful article must be a scholar and a famous person in the literary world.

But after reading many books, he had no idea when such a great poet appeared in this dynasty.

At this moment, he heard his father utter three words in a calm tone: "Sixth Prince."

Pei Xueyan was stunned when he heard this and didn't react for a moment.

"Is this matter related to His Highness the Sixth Prince?"

Pei Xuanyun shook his head, put down the teacup, and looked at his son calmly:

"Didn't you ask who wrote the poem? It was written by His Highness the Sixth Prince."

What? !

Pei Xueyan felt as if a bolt of thunder from the sky had struck his head, shaking his mind and making his ears buzz.

His eyes were wide open, his lips were slightly parted, and his whole body was frozen in place as if under a spell, unable to utter a word.

After a long while, he finally spoke again: "Father, please don't joke. Could this be done by the Sixth Prince?"

"yes."

"Is it really the work of His Highness the Sixth Prince?"

The old prime minister's expression was indifferent. "Even if you ask eight hundred times, the answer will be the same. Your Majesty's words are golden, could he lie?"

Looking at his son's extremely shocked expression, Pei Xuanyun felt inexplicably relieved.

This was far worse than when he first heard the news in the imperial study, where he just raised his eyebrows slightly and remained calm.

Humph, the boy is still young after all, and needs to practice more.

Pei Xueyan held the armrest of the armchair and slowly sat back.

His eyes were fixed on a certain point in the void, without focus for a long time.

My father has just recounted the many things that happened during the disaster relief effort, especially the real role played by the Sixth Prince.

It's not uncommon for a royal heir to pretend to be mediocre and hide his incompetence to protect himself, but...

He looked down at the manuscript in his hand again, and no matter what he did, he could not connect this poem with the Sixth Princess.

She might be able to pretend to be good at other things, but how could she hold back on this talent that was enough to astonish the world?

How could poems and essays that are enough to be passed down through the ages be given to others so easily?

More than half an hour later, the eldest son of the prime minister's mansion returned home exhausted.

Together with his colleagues, he escorted the sealed test papers back to the ceremonial treasury, sorted out the preliminary verified shortlist, wrote the report, and only returned home after everything was handled properly.

Waiting for him at the door was still the old butler.

"Master, you're finally back. Are you starving? The food is warming on the stove. You can eat right away."

"Okay," Pei Xueqiao rubbed his somewhat sore brows and smiled gently, "I'm really hungry."

Today's affairs were complicated and the responsibilities were heavy. Like those students taking exams, he only had some water and snacks to fill his stomach at noon, and he had not eaten a single grain of rice until now.

"Has Xueyan returned home?"

"Yes, the Second Young Master returned home earlier than you."

"Okay, it's been a while since we last met. It's a good opportunity to have a good chat."

When he entered the dining room, he was surprised to find that his brother was placing a small soup pot on the table with his own hands.

Pei Xueqiao felt a warm feeling in his heart, "Second brother, it's so rare for you to come home, why are you bothering with all this?"

Pei Xueyan raised his head, a meaningful smile on his face:

"Brother, you're back. This is the soup that mother specially made. Thinking of your hard work, she left a portion for you."

Pei Xueqiao's steps suddenly paused, and the corner of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.

He just said it!

How come my second brother, who usually never does housework and only loves to bury himself in books, suddenly became so diligent and started serving soup?

It turned out that she was waiting for him here!

"Uh..." Pei Xueqiao laughed dryly, "I've used it in the government office."

As soon as the words fell——"Gululu..."

A very clear rumbling sound from the stomach suddenly rang out in the quiet dining room.

The scene was very embarrassing for a while.

Pei Xueyan's smile deepened, and he slowly poured a bowl of thick soup.

"Father has drunk, and I have drunk too. Brother, there is no need to resist any longer. Sit down and eat quickly."

Pei Xueqiao sighed resignedly and sat down as he was told.

Looking at the bowl of dark-colored, slightly peculiar-textured soup in front of me, I couldn't help but whisper, "What kind of porridge is this, mother?"

"This is yam and mutton soup."

Pei Xueqiao: ...

After finishing the meal in a hurry, the bowl of stomach-warming porridge felt a bit greasy.

After asking the servants to prepare two bowls of light calming tea, the two brothers, who had not seen each other for a long time, moved to the study.

Pei Xueqi talked about what he saw and heard during his disaster relief work, as well as his first experience in the Ceremonial Department.

Pei Xueyan talked about the current situation of the Imperial College and which students today are talented and have the hope of passing the imperial examination.

The atmosphere was harmonious and warm. Seeing that the temperature of the calming tea in the cup had dropped to a palatable level, Pei Xueqi raised his cup to drink.

At this moment, a voice suddenly came: "I heard that my brother likes the Sixth Prince."

puff!

Pei Xueqi spat out all the tea in his mouth, and then he started coughing madly and heart-wrenchingly.

He choked so much that his face turned red and tears streamed down his face.

“You…you…”

Pei Xueyan looked indifferent and took a sip of the tea in his cup.

Well, it’s certain that it’s not his father who is fooling him.

Pei Xueqi quickly stood up, almost staggering to the door of the study, suddenly opened the door and looked outside.

Fortunately, the rules in the prime minister's residence are very strict, and no one dares to approach the study to eavesdrop, so there is no one in the corridor outside.

He closed the door behind him, bolted it, and then walked back to his brother.

He leaned forward, lowered his voice, and said anxiously and angrily, "What nonsense are you talking about? Don't ruin the reputation of His Highness the Sixth Prince..."

Haha, Pei Xueyan laughed secretly in his heart.

No matter how beautiful the Sixth Prince's inner world is or how brilliant his literary talent is, does he really need to care about his "prominent" reputation outside?

"What do you think, brother?"

Pei Xueqiao sat back heavily in his chair, his face still flushed, but his expression became complicated. After a moment of silence, he whispered:

"There's something I haven't told you. Your Highness the Sixth Prince saved my life."

"So, brother, are you planning to pledge your love to me?"

Pei Xueqiao's ears turned even redder. "I just... I just wanted to do my best to help her."

Pei Xueyan looked at his brother's rare expression of embarrassment and seriousness, sighed softly in his heart, and remembered his father's previous words.

Even if you have talent, hiding in the deep palace may not be a good thing.

Although the Sixth Prince has incredible talent, when it comes to competing for the throne, his four older brothers and sisters each have their own strengths and a solid foundation.

It's indeed a little late for her to exert her strength now.

Moreover, I heard that His Highness is not interested in this and loves to enjoy himself and live a carefree life, waiting to die.

If this matter could be accomplished, my brother would most likely follow the prince out of Beijing and go to his fiefdom.

This is actually a good place to go, at least it is better than being trapped in the Hanlin Academy editing books for the rest of your life.

Besides, I heard that my brother's love life seems to be quite bumpy.

In short, it is very likely that the falling flowers have intentions, but the flowing water is ruthless.

Oh, this is such a big deal.

He patted his brother's shoulder, his tone somewhat inexplicable and encouraging: "Brother, you work hard."

Pei Xueqiao's eyes dodged, and his voice was as thin as a mosquito: "That's not true, don't talk nonsense..."