Chapter 69: She is determined to enter the Emperor's harem.

Princess Tingting of Huaiyang boarded the ship.

Lin Yuan couldn't help but step forward to greet them.

Lin Yu has returned to Huaiyang and has not yet sent a letter back. She wants to ask the Princess if he is well. Perhaps she has seen him or heard the Crown Prince mention him.

Strangely enough, in the ten days since Lin Yu left, she felt inexplicably empty.

Sometimes when having breakfast, I would take an extra bowl and an extra pair of chopsticks.

When I get up in the morning, I grab a handful of millet and try to shoo the rooster outside to Lin Yu's door to crow.

She looked at the door, the wooden door creaking in the wind as if it were about to open, and then one or two tall figures would appear in the dazzling light.

After filling a bowl to the brim with soup, I started to worry about the coriander inside.

She stared at the single green leaf on the tip of her chopsticks and complained, "Mother, how could you forget that I don't eat coriander?"

"Just pick them out, it's no big deal, is it?"

Qin sighed.

Because Ah Jin, heavily pregnant, came to visit relatives. He not only visited his mother, but also, with the help of a maid, visited every household in the entire Yonghe Lane.

"I heard that even the dogs at the alley entrance stood there for half a day! They were clearly there to show off their bellies, and their servants too!"

Madam Qin, her belly bulging and fuming, complained at the table, "If you find this troublesome, then hurry up and find a husband. Someone who treats you well, I'll help you choose!"

She thought for a moment and changed her words, "To be good to you, I'll skip the coriander when making the soup."

She thought for a moment, then corrected herself, "Yes, when instructing the servants and cooks to make soup!"

Lin Yuan suddenly thought, "Mother, why don't you urge Lin Yu to find a new wife? He's two years older than me, aren't you worried? Look at Ah Jin's mother, she already has three grandsons!"

“Your brother, he, he—” Qin Shi paused for a long time before saying, “He has all sorts of grand ideas, what good is it for Father and Mother to be anxious?”

Lin Yuan muttered, "What big idea? Does he already have someone he likes?"

Princess Consort of Huaiyang spotted Lin Yuan and was both surprised and delighted, speechless for a long time. She almost forgot to explain to Xiao Xun that she had been delayed since leaving Huaiyang and had only arrived at Shanglin Garden half an hour ago. Fortunately, her attendants had ridden quickly and she had made it in time for the spring banquet. To express her apologies, she offered this for everyone's amusement.

Princess Yuzhang's thoughts were still preoccupied with a poem by Princess Huaiyang.

Poetry and prose.

Her younger sister was quite talented, as evidenced by the poems on her silk handkerchief. A woman who could compose poetry would have her talents wasted as a textile supervisor; she would have been better off entering the emperor's harem.

Perhaps no one knows better than the Princess Consort of Yuzhang what kind of women men like.

That means liking everything.

In the backyard of the Prince of Yuzhang's palace, there were at least five or six concubines who were skilled dancers, with waists more slender and supple than a serpent.

The concubines, seven or eight in total, were skilled in performing arts. If they played together, their voices could stop the clouds in their tracks.

These are all insignificant.

There was a concubine who entered the household relatively late. Seeing that the zither, flute, and sheng had all been taken by others, and that she couldn't join in the fun with the graceful dances, she decided to find another way: writing poetry.

He spent his days writing things like "Golden hairpins fall into her bosom, silk stockings exude fragrance," and "On the silk curtains, mandarin ducks with intertwined necks."

The Prince of Yuzhang became a teacher by changing the character “上” to “内”.

The woman, however, was on the verge of tears, claiming that she was stupid and dull-witted and did not understand the meaning. She innocently asked for guidance, and the Prince of Yuzhang indeed taught her patiently all night.

When she wrote "Fragrant sweat soaks her silk robe, her cloud-like hair is loosely tied up," the Prince of Yuzhang was inspired and replied, "Her eyes are like misty rain, her eyebrows are like flowing ink." He immediately became curious and wanted to see just how many layers of silk robe could be soaked by the fragrant sweat in spring.

The poem reached the ears of the Princess of Yuzhang, a well-educated lady from a prominent family. She raised her eyebrows in disapproval: "This can be called a poem?!"

Thinking of this, she stood up and said that the song sung by the Princess of Yuzhang was wonderful. Her younger sister, Lady Luo, was moved by the scene and came up with a short poem to add to the merriment.

This piqued Xiao Xun's interest: "Really? Tell me about it."

Her younger sister was quite puzzled. How could her older sister have noticed that she was moved by the scenery? Perhaps she frowned because of the shimmering light on the lake?

Fortunately, her older sister was understanding and helped her buy time to develop feelings for him.

"I think it's better to share joy than to enjoy it alone. With such beautiful scenery, and all of you here from distinguished families, I imagine you're all inspired to write poetry. How about this," Princess Yuzhang said with a smile, "each of you compose two lines of poetry about the view right now?"

Seeing Zheng's astonished expression, Mei, Lan, Zhu, and Ju exchanged bewildered glances, and the daughters of the Marquis of Yan'en stared wide-eyed, her smile widening even further, "In this way, it won't seem like my younger sister is trying to show off."

Xiao Xun gazed at her, smiled faintly, and said, "Since we're all here to enjoy ourselves, if you don't want to compose poems and just want to listen to music and admire the scenery, then there's no need to force yourself. Since the Princess Consort of Yuzhang has come up with this idea, why don't we start? Whoever wants to compose a poem, let them do so."

Princess Yuzhang was taken aback, but she forced herself to compose a line: "Azure waves gather mist and rain, the mountain peaks are so serene and beautiful."

Her younger sister had already thought of two lines and slowly recited them: "Twilight emerges from distant peaks, and a dragon appears to swim in the vast waves."

Upon hearing this, the Princess Consort of Yuzhang breathed a long sigh of relief: "My two sentences were merely a starting point to elicit further discussion."

Xiao Xun chuckled upon hearing this and whispered to Lin Yuan, "This Princess Consort of Yuzhang and her younger sister are truly like a hidden dragon and a phoenix chick. One saw the misty rain under the sun, and the other saw the swimming dragon in the pond."

Lin Yuan chuckled, but said sourly, "Isn't the dragon they see swimming right here in this pond?"

Xiao Xun looked at her and couldn't help but chuckle softly.

Seeing that the Princess of Yuzhang's gaze had turned to her, and knowing that the two had already formed a grudge, Madam Zheng frankly said, "I am not very good at understanding what Miss Luo said, but I can barely understand the two sentences that the Princess of Yuzhang just said."

Princess Yuzhang was surprised.

"A thin mist obscures the view, and turtledoves coo."

Upon hearing the poem, everyone was taken aback, but Lin Yuan laughed first.

These two seemingly ordinary sentences subtly satirize the Princess Consort of Yuzhang, accusing her of being muddle-headed, making things up out of nothing, and being incessantly noisy.

"Can this be considered poetry?" Princess Yuzhang asked, both anxious and annoyed. She looked up and said, "Does Miss Lin also find this poem laughable?"

Lin Yuan listened to the poem, watched the play, and popped a candied plum into her mouth.

Suddenly, someone jerked me into this play, and I almost choked.

She said slowly, "The purpose of composing poems together is to bring joy to everyone. If everyone is happy, then the Princess of Yuzhang's original intention has been achieved. Isn't that good? As for whether this counts as poetry or not," she smiled, "among the three hundred poems, there are also lines like 'Even rats have skin, but people have no manners.'"

"Yes, that's right. What's the point of living if a person has no manners?" Xiao Xun said with a smile, looking at the Princess of Yuzhang.

Princess Yuzhang, feeling rebuffed, dared not say anything. After a long while, she finally blushed with anger and said, "Young lady, you have such insights into poetry. You must be quite adept at composing poems in your daily life. Why don't you join me in composing a couplet? I'm all ears."

With Zheng Shi leading the way, Lin Yuan wasn't intimidated.

She had read quite a few poems, and as far as the eye could see were the distant, rolling mountains of Shanglin Garden. At sunset, a crescent moon already shone in the sky.

Lin Yuan pursed her lips and pinched the hem of her clothes under the table.

"Stars cross the Milky Way, and green mountains are draped with evening clouds."

"These two lines of poetry are beautiful; I like them very much."

Lin Yuan met Xiao Xun's gaze with suspicion.

Then came the laughter of the Princess Consort of Yuzhang: "Stars soar above the Milky Way, green peaks are veiled in evening clouds. These two lines of poetry..."

"These two lines of poetry are grand and majestic, stirring and uplifting."

A woman's melodious voice came from outside the cabin, "It suits the current scene very well."

"Suitable? Where is it suitable?" Princess Yuzhang couldn't help but ask.

"A star raft crosses the Milky Way, a blue phoenix carries evening clouds."

Lin Yuan looked up and saw the woman dressed in a moon-white robe, like a light cloud descending from the western sky, gracefully approaching.

"The water and sky are one color, the sky is in the water, and the water is in the sky. The boat is on the water, as if it is traveling in the blue sky. And the clouds on the horizon are indeed like phoenixes and luan birds. How can this not be appropriate for the scene? I am not talented, but I think these two lines are really wonderful."

She stopped beside the Princess of Yuzhang, gracefully bowed in the direction of the head of the table, and then smiled and turned to ask the Princess of Yuzhang, "This must be your aunt from Yuzhang, right? What do you think, Aunt?"

The stars became a star raft, and the green mountains became a blue phoenix. The two lines of poetry differed by only one word in each line. The poem was transformed from decay to magic. Lin Yuan did not have the talent to compose poems, but she could clearly tell the difference between good and bad poems.

She was almost bursting with admiration.

But he couldn't move his hands.

Xiao Xun remained calm and took her hand in his palm.

Upon hearing the woman address her as "Aunt," the Princess of Yuzhang hesitated and asked, "Is this... Princess Anping?"

Su Chan smiled and nodded.

Princess Yuzhang said awkwardly, "So that's how it is. I've heard that Princess Anping is exceptionally talented, no less so than any man. With your guidance, I understand now."

She gave a dry laugh. "Everyone, I'm sure you all understand."

"Auntie, you flatter me. The poet's skill is truly remarkable, his thoughts are ingenious and extraordinary. I wonder which young lady it is..."

Su Chan's eyes darted around, sweeping across the seated people.

Princess Huaiyang smiled brightly and took over the conversation: "It was written by Miss Lin. Speaking of which, Miss Lin's brother is a rare talent."

Su Chan followed the gaze of the Princess of Huaiyang and looked up at the head of the table.

They met Lin Yuan's gaze.

Lin Yuan's heart pounded, and a buzzing sound filled her ears, as if her soul had left her body and fallen into a vast void.

Faintly, one could hear the Princess of Yuzhang asking the Grand Commandant's wife about the official position of Lin's brother, while the Princess of Huaiyang told the others that his talent was no less than that of the Imperial Academy's Doctor, and his martial prowess no less than that of the Imperial Guard Commandant, but he... was unwilling to enter officialdom and was still a commoner. Someone nodded in agreement; it seemed to be the voice of the Grand Master of Ceremonies' fiancée. Two disdainful sneers then reached their ears. At this moment, Xiao Xun seemed to speak leisurely, interrupting their conversation: "Who said he wouldn't enter officialdom?"

...

These sounds all sound very unreal.

Lin Yuan felt her hands were covered in a layer of sweat in Xiao Xun's palm.

A jade ring on his thumb was digging into her knuckle.

What she was facing seemed to be the tea in a cup in the early morning.

It was the bronze mirror that Xiao Xun held on that day.

The woman before him had slightly raised phoenix eyes and a slender waist.

Compared to the "boys" in the paintings she had seen, his eyes lacked the heroic spirit and sharpness, replaced by tranquility and gentleness like a pool of water.

The sunset glow cast a soft, warm light on her face, as if she were looking at herself through a bright bronze mirror.

It's both very close and very far.

Familiar yet unfamiliar.

Lin Yuan's fingernails dug into Xiao Xun's palm.

Xiao Xun winced in pain and loosened his grip. She then abruptly pulled her sweaty hand away from his grasp, stood up, and bowed to the princess.

"The Azure Phoenix carries the evening clouds." Su Chan glanced at Lin Yuan almost imperceptibly, pursed her lips, and raised the corners of her lips. "So, the real Azure Phoenix is ​​here."

The hair ornament Lin Yuan wore that day was the same phoenix hairpin that Xiao Xun had given her when they parted in Huaiyang.

She stood behind the table with her hands hanging down, and one could see that the jade pendant with phoenixes that Xiao Xun had given her was hanging from her waist.

Lin Yuan smiled and said, "The princess is right. Today, the Crane Cry Boat is truly a gathering of heroes, with phoenixes soaring and phoenixes flying together."

Princess Huaiyang sighed with a smile, "I think this young lady Lin bears a striking resemblance to Princess Anping."

She smiled at Lin Yuan, then turned her gaze to Su Chan.

At that moment, the sound of a pipa drifted from the lake, its notes both loud and soft, like pearls dancing in the rain, entering the ears in a chaotic and disordered manner.

"...They are all intelligent and kind-hearted, with talent in poetry and literature."

"Where?" Lin Yuan shook her head and said frankly, "Thank you for your guidance on those two lines of poetry, Princess Anping. I originally mentioned stars and green mountains, but I changed them to star rafts and blue phoenixes. The artistic conception is indeed very different."

Su Chan was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, then smiled, nodded slightly to her, and walked toward the seats indicated by the palace servants.

"I think the phrase 'stars cross the Milky Way' is better."

Xiao Xun's clear and resonant voice landed, and people began to echo his words.

Lin Yuan ignored them. Just then, the maids brought out pastries. She bent down and picked up a piece of hazelnut cake from the several plates of pastries and slowly ate it.

“I’m telling the truth. The topic is the scenery of Shanglin Garden. Your depiction of the stars and mountains is very realistic, excellent.”

"Actually, after hearing your two lines of poetry, I'm quite curious to see what the lake looks like at night."

"The sky is clear and bright today; I imagine it will be filled with stars tonight... Is it delicious?"

Seeing that she ignored him, Xiao Xun swallowed the words in his throat.

"Mmm," she responded softly.

"Let me have a taste."

Lin Yuan then looked up and saw that there was also hazelnut cake on his table.

Xiao Xun coughed lightly and curled the corners of his lips: "I think my plate isn't sweet enough."

Lin Yuan asked suspiciously, "How is it different? Did the food official know that His Majesty doesn't like sweets, so he specially..." Before she could finish speaking, her chopsticks wobbled, and the hazelnut cake she had taken a bite of ended up in Xiao Xun's mouth.

"Sure enough, yours is sweeter."

He smiled contentedly, "Hazelnut cake, sweet is always better."

The sound of cups and saucers tipping over came from somewhere.