Spring has arrived and flowers are in bloom. Qiuqiu has taken off her cotton-padded coat and has grown quite a bit.
Now, she can walk unsteadily.
There is a large field of peonies in the suburbs, and the peonies are in full bloom.
In order to attract talent, the emperor decided to hold a poetry gathering at the Peony Manor in the suburbs.
The aim of this poetry gathering is to allow for a flourishing of diverse ideas and a vibrant exchange of perspectives.
Therefore, the Emperor specially arranged that participants in the poetry gathering could bring their female relatives, who could also compose and recite poems.
After the notice was posted, talented men and beautiful women from all walks of life signed up to participate.
Qi Junlin, a man of great talent, was overjoyed to hear this, as he was eager to seize the opportunity to showcase his abilities and talents.
Chiu Chiu tugged at Qi Junlin's clothes: "Big brother, are there lots of delicious foods at the poetry gathering?"
Qi Junlin smiled and stroked Qiuqiu's head, saying, "Yes, there's lots of delicious food. I heard there's also a lot of fruit, pastries, chicken legs, roast lamb..."
Chiu Chiu ran up to Xu Ruyun eagerly and said, "Mom, I want to go too!"
Xu Ruyun looked at Qiuqiu with doting eyes and said, "Can you write poetry? Are you still going?"
A moment later, a servant came running over in a hurry.
"Madam, someone from the palace has arrived!"
Xu Ruyun frowned and said, "Someone from the palace? What's the matter?"
A eunuch approached with a beaming smile: "Great news! Great news! Madam, this is an invitation from the Crown Prince to your family's poetry gathering. He also specially sent this old servant to convey that he has ordered the finest food and the best rooms to be prepared, awaiting your arrival!"
Xu Ruyun accepted the invitation with a flattered expression and said, "You've worked hard, Father-in-law! Please convey my thanks to His Highness the Crown Prince! Please accept this small token of my appreciation!"
Xu Ruyun took out a bag of silver and stuffed it into her father-in-law's hand.
The father-in-law smiled even more broadly.
"You're too kind, Madam! Please don't hesitate to ask if you ever need my help in the future!"
Xu Ruyun: "No, no."
After exchanging pleasantries, the father-in-law left.
The children excitedly looked at the invitation.
"Wow! This is an invitation from the Crown Prince!"
"You know, people who want to participate in the poetry gathering have to go through many rounds of screening, and now the Crown Prince has actually sent an invitation to our family."
"Yes! They even arranged a luxurious private room for us, a privilege reserved for nobles in the palace!"
"Mommy, I want to go, I want to go!"
Xu Ruyun flicked Qiuqiu's nose and said, "Okay, you little glutton! You can go!"
Chirp chirped excitedly, "Oh, that's great! That's great!"
Chirp pointed to the pheasant strutting around in the yard and said, "Mommy, I want to take it with me!"
The second and third brothers laughed so hard they were bent over.
"Seriously? You're bringing a pheasant to a poetry gathering? Aren't you afraid of being laughed at?"
"Yeah, Chirp, if you brought a cat or a dog, we could understand. But if you bring a pheasant, we'll be too ashamed to write any poems!"
Chiu Chiu pouted angrily.
[Hmph! What do you know! That's my divine beast; it might even save your lives in a critical moment!]
Chiu Chiu crouched down and picked up her divine beast, the phoenix.
"Little Phoenix, it's a pity you're just a pheasant now, mocked by everyone. If I regain my spiritual power, I'll transform you into countless forms. Then you can live a life of luxury with me, okay?"
Chirp chirped as she stroked the pheasant's head.
Looks like if I take you along this time, I'll have to turn you into a little kitten.
A wisp of spiritual energy was injected into the pheasant's head.
The pheasant suddenly turned into a kitten.
When Chiu Chiu saw this, she was so frightened that she quickly turned around and blocked the kitten.
[Could it be that my spiritual power has recovered? I can actually turn Xiao Feng into a cat!]
Chiu Chiu watched as the others chatted and laughed, completely ignoring the commotion on her side.
Thank goodness, we weren't discovered. I was terrified!
In the capital, talented men and women alike prepared their best works, waiting to be selected for a chance to participate in the poetry gathering.
Outside the examination hall, Qi Gaoming's forehead was covered in sweat.
He took a deep breath, thinking about his sister's words.
Brother, don't be afraid. Just memorize any one of these poems I told you, and you'll definitely get a spot in the competition.
His mind gradually calmed down.
The first few candidates were eliminated.
The examiners shook their heads repeatedly.
The candidates walked out dejectedly.
"I never expected that even getting into the poetry gathering would be so difficult."
"Of course. I heard that His Majesty intends to select talents from the poetry gathering. The poetry gathering is not one that can be entered casually."
"Those who manage to gain entry are incredibly lucky! If they can win the favor of the Emperor or the Crown Prince, their future will be incredibly bright!"
"That's right, that's right!"
Qi Gaoming entered the examination room with a feeling of trepidation.
The examiner glanced at Qi Gaoming absentmindedly.
"Young man, what good works do you have?"
Qi Gaoming: "My lords, my name is Qi Gaoming. 'Gao' means 'high aspirations,' and 'ming' means 'to make a name for oneself.' Now I present my work, and I ask for your guidance!"
After Qi Gaoming finished composing a poem, the examiner's eyes lit up with surprise.
"What a beautiful poem! What a beautiful poem!"
After a brief discussion, the examiners put a checkmark next to Qi Gaoming's name.
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