"What! Still want to write poetry?" Xiao Licheng jumped up excitedly.
"If I had known I had to write poetry, I wouldn't have come!"
Although Xiao Licheng was very good at investigating cases, he was terrible at writing poetry and painting.
The Second Prince and Xiao Licheng shared the same fate, but Xiao Licheng was only slightly better off.
Lord Zheng smiled and said, "Lord Xiao, don't be nervous. We're just having fun. It doesn't matter what the poem turns out to be."
A pockmarked scholar advised, "Master Xiao, the title of the poem is freely chosen. Besides, we don't have any literary masters here. Our level is not high, so you don't have to worry."
The prince winked at his uncle and second brother, implying, "You were the ones who dragged me here. What do you mean now? Are you regretting it?"
When the second prince saw the look in the crown prince's eyes, he felt guilty and hurriedly pulled his uncle's sleeve, signaling him to stop talking.
"Well, I'll be the first to start." The prince stood up and said.
He looked around and saw a picture of a beauty on the wall. He said, "Then I will make the subject of this painting about beauty."
"Her beautiful face is like a flower, and the light veil is soft around her fingers. Her red makeup is as bright as fire, and she is so shy that she is overwhelmed with sorrow."
When the prince finished reciting, Lord Zheng and the four scholars rushed to applaud.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince is truly gifted in writing!"
"What a wonderful poem!"
A group of people at the table were drinking and writing poems and appreciating them.
Lord Zheng and the four scholars were all of average ability, but they still flattered each other.
Xiao Licheng, his uncle and nephew only drank two or three cups, and secretly spit the rest of the wine onto their handkerchiefs.
Before they came, the three of them hid several handkerchiefs in their sleeves.
After drinking for a while, Lord Zheng looked at the Second Prince and said, "Second Prince, now only you and Lord Xiao have not yet composed a poem. Please don't refuse."
The Second Prince stood up, frowned, looked at the remaining food and wine on the table and said, "Okay, then I will use this as the topic."
After a long pause, the Second Prince finally spoke: "Everyone gathered together, drinking and making merry, composing poetry. Laughter and joy rang out incessantly, the atmosphere lively and intoxicating."
With a "puff" sound, the prince quickly covered his mouth.
He really couldn't help but compose this lame doggerel from the Second Prince.
The prince covered his mouth and looked at the second prince apologetically.
I'm so sorry, my dear brother. I really didn't mean to make fun of you. I just couldn't help it.
Lord Zheng and those scholars pursed their lips desperately to suppress their laughter.
Lord Zheng pinched his thigh hard to suppress his laughter. "What a good poem, Second Prince! This poem is easy to understand and suitable for all ages!"
The four scholars also tried hard to suppress their laughter and cheered for the second prince.
"Lord Xiao, it's your turn now. Please come in!" Lord Zheng made a gesture of invitation to Xiao Licheng.
Xiao Licheng had no other choice but to stand up. He looked at the plate of leftover fragrant bullfrog in the middle of the table and said, "I'll use frogs as the theme."
Xiao Licheng closed his eyes and thought hard before he spoke: "Frogs jump happily into the pond. Go in and catch one, and it'll croak loudly."
"puff"!
"Puchi"!
"puff"!
As soon as Xiao Licheng finished reciting the poem, a puffing sound came from the house.
Lord Zheng pinched his thigh with all his might.
Some of the four scholars bit their lips hard, some bit their tongues, and one had no choice but to throw his chopsticks under the table and pretend to pick them up.
The second prince lowered his head and bit his thumb.
The prince pinched his palms hard with his nails, thinking about all the bad luck and hardships that had happened this year, but he still couldn't suppress the upturned corners of his mouth.
Xiao Licheng's face turned from red to black, and then from black to white.
Xiao Licheng: I said I didn't want to write poetry, but you forced me to.
"What a good poem!" Lord Zheng pinched his thigh until it turned purple, and then he managed to speak.
"puff"!
But before he could finish the second sentence, he failed.
The second prince quickly leaned over to his uncle, holding his head and mumbling, "Oh, I feel so dizzy, I'm drunk."
Xiao Licheng also covered his mouth tacitly, pretending to be nauseous and wanting to vomit.
Seeing this, the prince hurriedly stood up, staggered a few times, and muttered, "Oh, I seem to be drunk too."
Zheng Daren's eyes lit up: "Hurry up, someone, help these three guests to rest."
As soon as he finished speaking, several strong servants came out and carried the three people away.
Soon, they were arranged to lie down in the guest rooms.
After lying there for about an incense stick of time, I saw three graceful figures enter the three guest rooms respectively.
Less than a cup of tea had passed since the three women entered the room when the dark room suddenly became bright.
"Someone come here!" A strong and powerful voice came from the room, and more than a dozen secret guards flew down from the roof.
They opened the door of the guest room and saw Xiao Licheng, the crown prince, and the second prince, each holding a woman and walking out.
The secret guards quickly lit torches, and in an instant, the courtyard was brightly lit.
"What's going on?!" Lord Zheng screamed in shock and stumbled over, holding up his robe.
Xiao Licheng said with a sullen face, "Master Zheng, you used your beautiful concubine to deliberately set up Shangguan, playing a despicable trap! How dare you!"
Zheng Pan was so frightened that he fell to his knees with a thud, kowtowed desperately, "Master Xiao, you have misunderstood! I am innocent!"
Xiao Licheng ignored him and waved his hand, ordering: "Take him, Madam Zheng, and all the concubines back to the Dali Temple."
The next morning, in the imperial study.
Concubine Li, Concubine Rong and Concubine Lu suddenly came to find Xia Zhengqi, contrary to their usual behavior.
The three concubines were all beauties, but today their faces were all swollen and they had dark bags under their eyes, as if they had not slept well the night before.
Xia Zhengqi was shocked when he saw this and asked, "How did you three become like this?"
"I couldn't sleep all night last night!" Lipin said with a bitter face.
The other two also said they couldn't sleep.
"What's wrong? What happened?"
"I dreamed that Qiqiu's eyes were glowing red and she was strangling my neck!" Rongpin said in a crying voice.
"Your Majesty, you have to think of a solution. There must be evil spirits in the palace now." Concubine Lu looked terrified.
"It possessed Qiqiu last time, and we don't know who it will possess next time! You have to think of a way to cure it!" Lipin grabbed Xia Zhengqi's arm.
Xia Zhengqi put on an expression of disbelief and said, "What rumors have you three heard that you actually believe in the evil spirits? That's all nonsense."
The three concubines said in unison: "How can this be nonsense?"
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