Chapter 6 006 Personally wear it for me
Because he was delayed for some time on his way home, Yun Sheng was called by Mrs. Qian and scolded severely.
She first tried to suggest working as a helper in the shop, but Mrs. Qian's spit almost drowned her.
"You live in the Hou Mansion, eating and drinking well, but you go out and show your face to serve others. Do you want to bring shame to the Hou Mansion or to me and Yuan Lang? I think you are just too wild. You have only been in Chang'an for a few days, but you are already thinking about heaven."
Yun Sheng didn't say anything. As expected, Mrs. Qian refused to agree to the maid job. Then she proposed to embroider handkerchiefs. Mrs. Qian thought for a moment and agreed.
She said, "As a young lady, it would be best if you don't go out as much as possible in the future. Let me take care of all the shopping. When you have money, I, an old woman, won't need your filial piety. You can spend it on Yuanlang and take good care of his daily life."
As long as Yun Sheng stays at home and has more income, Mrs. Qian is not stupid. After all, the second lady has not sent any cash to Qingtong Courtyard yet.
Yun Sheng smiled and said, "Don't worry, mother. When I make some money, I'll buy some reading paper for you, brother."
Mrs. Qian finally began to like her a little, then said with a pained look, "I'll ask someone to send it to you later, just to buy the cloth."
Yun Sheng happily agreed.
Before embroidering the handkerchief, she had to sew a purse for Xie Qingyuan first.
Yun Sheng had good skills and was used to it, so she embroidered a green purse with Xie Qingyuan's favorite green bamboo on it in just one or two days.
She put it on his belt and looked up and asked, "Do you like it, my husband? Is there anything else you want to change?"
Xie Qingyuan couldn't let go and touched her repeatedly, raising his eyebrows: "Sheng Niang is very skillful, everything is to my liking."
After lunch that day, a maid from Xie Zhan's courtyard came over and brought two pieces of fine emerald green material, saying that they were for making clothes.
Mrs. Qian was overjoyed and took Xie Qingyuan's hand and said, "My son has won the favor of your uncle, so I made noodles especially for you."
She looked at the shimmering surface of the material, which was smooth, soft, and delicate, even better than the one sent by the Second Madam.
Before the maid left, she passed a message to Yun Sheng.
"Madam Yun, the Marquis has said the material has been delivered. I hope you won't make him wait too long."
Yun Sheng's face froze. She had thought that Lord Xie had just said it casually that day and that she could get away with it as long as he didn't mention it. But who would have thought that he would send someone to remind her specifically.
Yun Sheng cut and sewed the leftover scraps from making clothes, and after two days of staying in the house, she used the remaining spices to embroider a purse that had a minty scent.
When Xie Qingyuan asked her what she was busy with, she subconsciously felt guilty and shirked the responsibility.
After delivering the purse, Yun Sheng didn't want to have any more contact with her cousin. The look he gave her in the carriage that day made her feel uneasy again.
After finishing her work, she went to Linyuan Pavilion when Xie Zhan was off duty at the office.
The maid invited her to the side hall and served her tea while saying, "The Marquis has just gone to change his clothes. Please wait for a moment, Madam Yun."
A quarter of an hour later, Xie Zhan came back late, dressed in his clothes.
He seemed to particularly like wearing black, and his dark brocade robe made him look even taller and more imposing. He stepped inside, and the black shadow completely enveloped Yun Sheng, making her feel breathless.
Yun Sheng hurriedly stood up, holding the purse in both hands, and handed it to Xie Zhan, saying, "I apologize for making a fool of myself in front of my uncle. I hope you can forgive me."
Xie Zhan glanced at her sideways, it was not that he was showing off, the fine stitches were not inferior to those of the embroiderer in the mansion.
He adjusted the jade belt and ordered, "Come here and put it on for me personally."
Yun Sheng opened his mouth, but swallowed back the words he was about to say when he met Xie Hou's sharp eyes.
That's all. In the eyes of this cousin, she was probably no different from the maids who served others. Living under someone else's roof always meant suffering some grievances.
She lowered her eyelids and took two steps forward. Xie Zhan cooperated by opening his arms. He lowered his head slightly and saw the young lady's embarrassment and nervousness. Her thick eyelashes trembled constantly.
Yun Sheng held his breath, not daring to make any mistakes. His hands, which were usually very flexible, seemed a little clumsy today.
Xie Hou may have just finished bathing, and his body was stained with the refreshing scent of pine wood after the snow. It was unlike the scent of ink that Xie Qingyuan had from years of reading. It smelled very refreshing.
But the pressure he exerted was too strong, and Yun Sheng's hands had already trembled several times. Xie Zhan stared at the back of her snow-white neck with an unclear expression.
Yun Sheng finally tied the purse. She slowly breathed a sigh of relief and whispered, "Uncle, it's done."
To be honest, this purse is much more exquisite than Xie Qingyuan's. After all, one is made of coarse linen, and the other is made of fine brocade. It's like cooking. The chef's skills remain the same, but the ingredients are very different.
It was also the first time she noticed that Xie Hou had a thin, narrow and powerful waist.
"Hmm." Xie Zhan raised his eyelids and asked in a deep voice, "If I don't send someone to urge you, are you going to let this matter go?"
Yun Sheng felt a little guilty and said, "I dare not. My uncle misunderstood me. I just couldn't find the material that suits your status at the moment."
He seemed to be smiling, and a few words came out of his throat: "Fine words and flattering appearance."
Then he said, "Okay, leave now."
Yun Sheng breathed a sigh of relief and responded hesitantly.
_
The wealthy families of Chang'an held a poetry gathering every year, and this year's event fell to the Xie family of Dingbei Marquisate. Furthermore, Xie Zhan's uncle, Xie Erye, was currently a doctor at the Imperial College, with numerous students under his tutelage, making it a natural fit for the Xie family to host the poetry gathering.
Because the provincial examination would be held in February of the following year, those candidates whose families were able to do so did not wait until the first month of the year, but came to Chang'an one after another this summer, just to be able to catch up with this poetry meeting.
If someone's bank paper is fortunate enough to be praised by a great scholar, not only will he become famous overnight, but all the candidates will also tacitly agree that he will pass the imperial examination next year, and at least get a third-class Jinshi.
Xie Qingyuan was naturally also on the invitation list.
Mrs. Qian kept chanting "Amitabha" all morning, and felt that it was the right decision to take her son north to Chang'an, otherwise how could her son have such good luck?
She was happy in her heart, and was afraid that her son would be looked down upon at the banquet, so she asked him to change into a newly made robe. The material was exactly what Xie Zhan had sent that day.
Seeing her handsome son, Mrs. Qian also began to like Yun Sheng a little more. She said in a cold voice, "There are many people at the mansion today, so you should dress up a little more respectably. Take out the new silk dress you made the other day and wear it."
Yun Sheng said softly, "Yes, I'll listen to you."
The poetry reading was scheduled to be held in the small flower hall in the front yard of Xie's house. When Xie Qingyuan was leaving, he stared at Yun Sheng for several times with burning eyes, causing her to blush with shyness.
She bit her lip and asked uncomfortably, "What are you looking at? Does it look weird on me wearing this outfit?"
Xie Qingyuan took her hand and praised her openly, "How could that be? Shengniang is beautiful. This dress is worthy of your beauty. I couldn't take my eyes off it just now. Besides, look at us, whether we are dressed like a pair or not, anyone can tell."
Yun Sheng blushed, thinking that the clothes were made of the same piece of cloth, so naturally they looked like a pair. Her heart felt as sweet as if she had eaten honey.
Xie Qingyuan talked to her for a while before heading to the front yard.
Second Master Xie was very impressed by the young man's knowledge. He hurriedly called him over and took the opportunity to instruct his son, "Erlang, when Yuanlang was your age, he had already achieved good scores in the pre-examination exams. Now, at such a young age, he's taking the provincial exams. You should ask him for advice on your studies. You are fortunate to be born in a mansion and to be able to study at the Imperial College. You must work even harder on your studies so that you can bring honor to your father in the provincial exams."
Every time he praised Xie Qingyuan, Xie Minghao's face became uglier.
Xie Qingyuan hurriedly bowed and said, "You are too kind. I really cannot bear such a good reputation."
He then looked at Xie Minghao again: "My cousin is from a famous family and has studied in the Imperial Academy for many years. His knowledge is much better than mine. He will definitely get a good ranking in the future."
Seeing that he was neither arrogant nor impatient and was so humble, Mr. Xie was even more satisfied and nodded repeatedly.
When his colleagues asked him to go and appreciate poetry, he patted Xie Qingyuan on the shoulder and glanced at his son: "I will not be an eyesore here anymore. You young people should talk more."
When he turned around, Xie Minghao's face completely fell.
Xie Qingyuan stepped forward: "Uncle."
"Who allowed you to call me that? Do you know any manners?" As soon as he finished speaking, Xie Minghao interrupted him with a look of disgust and a snort.
Xie Qingyuan looked embarrassed.
A group of noble young men suddenly came over to watch the show, surrounded Xie Minghao and flattered him, pointing and mocking him one after another.
"A poor scholar from a remote village really has no manners at all. Who wouldn't call Minghao and say thank you, Erlangjun?"
"Brother Zhao, what you said makes sense, but our ancestors are from the same clan. It's probably been eight hundred years, and yet he still has the nerve to come and claim kinship? This person is really thick-skinned. What do you think?"
"That's right. He's just a poor scholar, and his family can't support him. Even if he really passes the imperial examination and becomes an official, his future is over. What kind of future can he have? Even if he climbs up the ladder, he can never compare to Lord Xie Erlang."
…
Everyone was talking and laughing at the same time. Xie Qingyuan gritted his teeth and clenched his fists under his sleeves.
They are just a bunch of good-for-nothings who depend on their family. They just have better backgrounds than him. Why do they make fun of him so shamelessly?
Without the father behind them, what are they?
But God is so unfair. He has studied hard for more than ten years in a poor family, and perhaps at best he can only reach the position of a seventh-rank official. However, these children of noble families who have no knowledge at all can become officials by relying on their family background even if they do not take the imperial examinations.
Xie Qingyuan closed his eyes and let them make fun of him.
Seeing his patience, the crowd looked at the pouch around his waist and mocked him, saying, "Just because he wears nice clothes, he thinks he's a superior person. Why doesn't he even pee to see if he's worthy?"
Another burst of laughter followed.
"Hahahahaha, he's only fit to wear clothes made of the same fabric as that purse. Now he looks so out of place that he's just being laughed at."
"That makes sense. I'm afraid even the servants in Lord Xie's household wouldn't be interested in this kind of fabric."
Xie Qingyuan's hand was pressing on the purse, with the veins on the back of his hand bulging, as if he could pull the purse off with a little more force.
"What are you all doing?" A solemn and majestic male voice came from behind the corridor column, and Xie Qingyuan saw that everyone immediately stopped talking.
He turned around and saw Xie Zhan's tall figure getting closer and closer.
"Uncle."
"Thank you, Lord."
Xie Zhan responded, his eyes falling on Xie Qingyuan's belt. Xie Qingyuan's body stiffened, and the hand holding the purse became more and more uncomfortable, because when he raised his eyes, he saw that Xie Hou also had a purse on his waist.
Coincidentally, the material was exactly the same as the one he was wearing, and the stitching technique was quite familiar. Then he remembered that the material was sent by Xie Hou's courtyard, so he didn't think it was strange.
The atmosphere of loud laughter and chattering suddenly became silent because of Xie Zhan.
He had led troops in battles for many years and had a natural aura of dominance. These young men from aristocratic families who had never suffered were instinctively afraid of him.
Second Master Xie saw this from afar and rushed over with his colleagues. He asked curiously, "Why is Xingzhi in such a refined mood today?"
Xie Zhan's face was calm: "It was my day off, so I rushed over to take a look."
"You've arrived at an opportune time. Mr. Wenju and I have been discussing having the gentlemen compose poems on objects, but we haven't come up with a good idea yet. What do you think we should write about?"
The peonies beside the waterside pavilion were in full bloom, with both Yao Huang and Wei Zi blossoming side by side. Xie Zhan thought for a moment and said, "The peonies are in full bloom, so I'll use peonies as the theme."
Mr. Xie applauded.
He wanted to invite Xie Qingyuan to show up, so he called him over and said with a smile, "I see that Yuanlang is very confident. Why don't you start by giving it a try so that everyone can appreciate it."
Xie Qingyuan glanced at the young men from the noble families who had just mocked him one by one, and wanted to vent his anger, so he immediately responded loudly.
He stood on the steps and spoke fluently in a moment.
"Fortunately, we both bloom in the shade, so why should we rely on each other to compete for lightness?"①
“…”
The seven-character regulated verse is easy to recite and has even rhymes.
After Xie Qingyuan finished his poem, he bowed and said, "I am sorry for the rudeness of this humble poem, sirs."
Mr. Xie smiled and was the first to praise: "Yuan Lang is talented, he will definitely be on the list next year."
After saying this, he looked at his useless son again and sighed softly.
Xie Minghao's face turned ashen. It was not enough that he had a bastard son born to a lowly concubine, and now here came a poor scholar. When would his father finally see him?
Xie Qingyuan said modestly, "Second Master, your praise is too great. I am ashamed to accept it."
Mr. Xie stroked his long beard and looked at Xie Zhan: "What do you think, Xingzhi?"
Xie Zhan nodded and also praised: "Using the peony to symbolize a gentleman's self-discipline without contention is indeed a good poem. There is no need to be so humble."
When the young men saw that Xie Qingyuan had won the favor of Mr. Xie Er and Xie Zhan one after another, they all looked unhappy. They felt that Xie Qingyuan's poem was a subtle satire on their ungentlemanly behavior just now.
Two hours passed in a flash, and lunch was served in the flower hall at noon.
The midday sun was suddenly obscured by dark clouds, and the sky was gloomy. A sudden thunderclap seemed to split the sky in two, and torrential rain suddenly poured down.
The steward of the mansion was busy seeing off the guests, and the servants of each household hurried to harness the carriages. Even a master like Xie Erye would have his own maidservant who would bring an umbrella on the orders of the Second Madam.
After a while, everyone in the hall dispersed one by one.
Xie Qingyuan stood under the eaves, the raindrops accumulated on the tiles making a sound. He looked at the beautiful peonies in the pavilion that had been washed by the heavy rain, their petals wilted and scattered all over the ground.
The heavy rain came and went quickly. As the rain gradually subsided, he stopped waiting for Yun Sheng, thinking that he might meet her halfway and save a little distance.
Xie Qingyuan covered his head with his hands and rushed out of the flower hall in the rain. Just as he turned a small path, a green silk umbrella hung over him, blocking the rain.
A hint of surprise flashed across his face, and he said hurriedly, "Sheng Niang, I knew you would come and bring me an umbrella."
"My dear, you've made a mistake."
The umbrella gradually lifted up, and Xie Qingyuan's eyes also lifted up. A shy and delicate face was reflected in his pupils, bright and charming.
It was the second wife Xie Tinglan who picked up the handkerchief for him that day.
According to seniority, he should call her cousin, but Xie Tinglan was one year younger than Yun Sheng, and he couldn't bring himself to call her that in front of such a delicate girl.
Xie Qingyuan's face flushed red, and he lowered his eyes and said, "I didn't see Second Madam's face clearly, so I was impolite and thought it was Sheng Niang who came to pick me up."
"It's okay. The rain is still falling. Why don't you hold my umbrella and go back?" Xie Tinglan said, letting go of the umbrella handle.
Xie Qingyuan hurriedly said, "How can this be good? Second Lady is a noble lady, she cannot afford to be exposed to the rain."
"The scenery here is beautiful. I just want to enjoy the rain in the pavilion. Besides, I live very close by. Once the rain stops, it won't take long to get back."
Xie Tinglan smiled and said, "My dear, please don't make excuses. I know that Qingtong Court is a quiet place. It's just an umbrella, nothing special. If you really feel bad about it, just return it to me someday."
Xie Qingyuan was still in a daze, but the umbrella was already in his hand.
When he walked away, he looked back and saw Madam Xie Er smiling like a flower and waving at him.
Xie Qingyuan was in a daze for a long time. Across a small path, Yun Sheng walked into the flower hall with an umbrella and an anxious look on his face.
The two of them took the wrong path and went in the wrong direction.
It's raining so hard, I wonder if my husband is getting impatient waiting for me? Qingtong Courtyard is remote, so she didn't dare delay and hurried all the way here. However, the bluestone road was filled with puddles of water, making it difficult to walk.
Her shoes and socks were soaked, and her skirt was also soaked. Every step was heavy. Yun Sheng lifted her skirt and quickened her pace. Perhaps because she was walking too fast and her feet were muddy, she suddenly slipped and stumbled forward, her oil-paper umbrella flying and falling to the side.
The moment her hands touched the ground, Yun Sheng fell to her knees on the stone pavement. The dull pain from the scratches on her palms burned her like a burning pain.
The cold rain rolled down her cheeks, and her eyes seemed to be covered by a layer of flowing gauze, and her vision gradually blurred and disappeared.
Suddenly, a pair of black boots appeared in the rain, and a long umbrella covered her head.
The author has something to say:
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The first part of the article quotes Han Yu's "A Playful Poem on Peony"
Next chapter will be updated the day after tomorrow
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