“It’s starting—”
Yin Zhu stood on the steps of Yanxiu Pavilion, announced loudly, and put the prepared tools into the water one by one.
The Empress Dowager had specially arranged for cups of various shapes, each with a different theme inside. I had just heard people around me discussing it, and it seemed they had hired a local chef to spread colored words flatly in the center of the tea.
It is safe to drink and does not consume excessive paper, killing two birds with one stone.
He Changzai stared at the cups floating in the river, silently clenching his handkerchief. Wei Shuyi didn't care about the difficulty of the questions, but instead focused his attention on her.
The unfamiliar palace maid sent a reminder. Was she an insider planted by His Royal Highness Prince Lian, or was someone deliberately trying to sow discord?
"Sister, it seems to have stopped over there!"
Wei Shuyi looked in the direction of her finger and saw Concubine Jin's position.
The stunning beauty stood there leisurely. Aunt Zijin picked up the cup and said, "Please, Your Majesty, compose a poem with the theme of wind."
Concubine Jin thought for a moment, "A cool breeze rises, adding to the tranquility of the woods. I drive away the smoke to find a house by the stream, and the mist rolls out from the mountain pillars."
"good!"
The empress dowager clapped her hands and smiled, then added a new prize and gave Concubine Jin a gold and pearl-inlaid autumn leaf hairpin.
When others saw this, they were all envious and praised his talent.
He Changzai sighed: "After all, she comes from a wealthy family, so she is more powerful than us, a small family! I can't even understand a few words that the imperial concubine said, let alone ask me to write a poem!"
"Sisters in the palace each have their own charm. Sister, there's no need to belittle yourself and dwell on your talent and reputation."
Wei Shuyi comforted her while keeping an eye on the movements of the cups.
"Please ask Her Majesty Zhaoyi to compose a poem with rain as the theme."
The shoulders are as if carved, and the waist is as if sculpted.
A pair of phoenix eyes are awe-inspiring, and their disdainful gaze is unparalleled in its elegance.
If no one introduced her, Wei Shuyi would have thought that this person was the rumored favorite concubine. After all, her majesty was worth more than words.
"Sister, may I ask where this lady comes from?"
"Rong Zhaoyi! How could my sister not know her?" He Changzai pondered for a moment before briefly introducing her. "This lady is the legitimate daughter of a second-rank auxiliary general, and her family are all important officials at court! However, she has always been aloof and unselfish, and doesn't like to socialize. To be able to catch her eye is a blessing earned through several lifetimes of hard work!"
"Both of you are of the second rank, Imperial Concubine..."
"Shh!"
He Changzai nervously gestured and lowered his voice, "Rong Zhaoyi's favor is far less than that of the Imperial Concubine, so it's normal for her rank to be lower. After all, she always has a stern face, and even when the Emperor comes, she doesn't change her expression. Therefore, she has few opportunities to enjoy favor, and she has never been promoted."
I see.
Rong Zhaoyi's family was already full of honor, and her father held an important position in the army. If she competed for favor again, she would probably arouse the emperor's suspicion.
This behavior may be due to her nature, not wanting to covet imperial power. Or it may be due to the consideration of her family, which made her do it out of necessity.
Just as Wei Shuyi was pondering the various possibilities, a cold voice reached his ears: "Travel dust and wine stains adorn my clothes; everywhere I travel, I find my soul enchanted. Could I possibly be a poet? Riding a donkey into Jianmen in the drizzling rain."
The verses, combined with her tone, added to the sadness.
The Empress Dowager continued to cheer loudly and gave another prize. Coincidentally, the jewelry was one level lower than Concubine Jin's.
Rong Zhaoyi didn't mind. After thanking him, she sat down gracefully and continued to sip her tea with a calm expression.
With these two ladies leading the way, the following ladies were obviously dwarfed and fell behind.
Seeing the cup getting closer and closer, He Changzai actually began to pray to the gods and Buddhas: "God bless me! I am not talented and well-educated, and I don't understand poetry, so please let it pass quickly! I am willing not to touch it for three months..."
Before they could finish, two cups stopped right in front of them!
The angle at the turn made them both stop.
He Changzai stretched out his hand tremblingly, and when he saw the words appearing inside, his face turned pale: "Good sister! Can you help me! The cup in front of you, I wrote down the corresponding words yesterday, but the one in front of me... I don't know how to do it at all!"
At this moment, Aunt Zijin came over and bent over to retrieve the cups as she had done before.
"What a coincidence! This is the first time I've seen the strange sight of two people stopping together. I wonder which young master will come first?"
Wei Shuyi stood up first and raised the cup next to him. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that He Changzai breathed a sigh of relief.
"Min agreed. Please write a poem with the bright moon as the theme."
Facing her aunt's admiring gaze, she pondered for a moment and then recited what she was thinking: "As bright as a flying mirror overlooking the red palace, the green smoke dissipates and the clear light shines. I only see the night coming from the sea, who knows where it will disappear into the clouds."
A young eunuch ran over quickly and replied to Yan Xiuting.
The Empress Dowager's reward was also delivered, which turned out to be a golden hairpin with lilies, gemstones and butterflies!
Aunt Zijin smiled slightly: "Min agreed, the Queen Mother really appreciates you! This prize is no less than that of the Imperial Concubine!"
"Thank you for the compliment, Auntie."
Wei Shuyi sat down again and handed another cup to He Changzai beside him.
Perhaps because she was nervous, she took a small sip as soon as she took it to moisten her dry lips.
Under normal circumstances, this behavior would definitely be ridiculed by others for being inappropriate. But now, with Changzai pregnant, it was normal for her physical condition to be a little weak, so no one dared to laugh.
"My lady, don't panic. This is just a joke among the sisters in the harem. You seem to be worrying too much." Aunt Zijin soothed her gently, while reading out the topic, "Please write a poem with Changzai, using clouds as the theme."
"Okay, okay...let me think about it."
She was still too panicked. She rubbed her handkerchief, her face full of embarrassment. She stammered for a long time but still couldn't say a complete sentence.
Wei Shuyi wanted to whisper a reminder, but thinking of the warning brought by the palace maid, he chose to sit in his original seat and wait for Aunt Zijin to come to the rescue.
"My lady, drink your tea and sit down. It's all right. The Queen Mother is very concerned about your unborn child. Don't hurt yourself for such a small activity."
"yes……"
He Changzai drank the tea in one gulp and was about to sit down, but his body swayed back and forth and he lost his balance and fell towards the river!
Wei Shuyi was quick-witted and quickly grabbed her waist at the critical moment! He had never expected that the seemingly fragile woman was actually quite heavy. He was unable to stop her and fell in together!
Both of them fell into the water, causing the concubines around them to scream in surprise.
The guards nearby jumped in to save him. Wei Shuyi was pulled ashore just after choking on the water. However, He Changzai, who had fallen in with him, was unconscious and was rushed to the nearby Fengluan Palace.
"Min promise! Are you okay?!"
Yin Zhu saw what had happened and hurried over.
Wei Shuyi shook his head: "It's okay, it's just that my clothes are soaked. I have to go back to the palace and change."
"Hurry! I've already asked the Queen Mother for a carriage and sedan chair, so don't let yourself get cold!"
"Okay, I'll be back soon."
She didn't act pretentiously and just turned around and left.
He Chang has always been in good health. Suddenly he felt dizzy and fell into the water. It is not a good sign!
Wei Shuyi sat in the sedan chair and couldn't help but think of the palace maid's reminder -
Could it be that he was targeting her? !
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