Late spring.
The "Liushang Poetry Meeting" was held in the garden in the west of the city.
The carriage rolled over the bluestone road, passed through the bustling and lively streets of the capital, and headed west to the poetry gathering venue.
Finally we stopped in front of the gate of "Shuyuxuan".
The two best friends walked into the garden together.
After passing through the nine-curve corridor built by the water, there is a water pavilion in front.
A jade table had already been set up in the waterside pavilion, and maids were walking around with wine jugs in their hands.
A breeze blew, and the copper bells on the eaves of the waterside pavilion made a crisp "ding-ling" sound, which was exquisite and vivid.
Su Muyan stood in the crowd, like the moon surrounded by stars, chatting with the young ladies with a sweet smile.
Suddenly, her eyes lit up and she slowly walked towards Li Sisi, holding up the hem of her skirt.
The golden hairpin in her hair trembled slightly as she walked, emitting a tiny glimmer of light in the sunlight.
Her tone was cheerful, as if she was very familiar with her two best friends: "The two ladies are finally here, this princess has been looking forward to it!"
Li Sisi replied: "Oh, that's really hard for you."
Su Muyan choked, a flash of displeasure passed through her eyes, but she still had a decent smile on her face.
She looked at Xiao Yunchen beside Li Sisi again.
Unlike the usual black official robes, today he was wearing a moon-white brocade robe with only a touch of light blue silk brocade on the front. His gentle, jade-like face was filled with a faint smile.
He stood with his hands hanging down like a green pine tree, exuding a scholarly air and faintly revealing the nobility of a young master from an aristocratic family.
Thinking of her father and brother's arrangements and instructions, Su Muyan's heart beat wildly.
She walked up to him gracefully, greeted him and exchanged pleasantries.
Xiao Yunchen caught a glimpse of Li Sisi with her arms folded across her chest, looking as if she was enjoying a good show.
He moved his feet closer to Li Sisi, nodded slightly at Su Muyan, and said a few polite and distant words.
At this moment, there was a burst of curious low calls from the crowd.
"Why are General Qi and Madam Qi here too?"
"Yes, ever since Madam Qi became pregnant, she has rarely been seen at banquets like this."
"That's not all! Look behind them, Miss Wen is here too!"
Li Sisi turned around and looked towards the corridor. Wen Luoxin and Qi He were walking side by side towards this side.
When Wen Luoxin saw Xiao Yunchen, she paused and quickly looked away.
She walked over with a dignified smile and greeted everyone.
Wen Luoqing smiled and said, "What fun things have you prepared for today's Liushang Poetry Gathering?"
Su Muyan replied naturally: "Since it is a poetry gathering, we should recite poems and write couplets."
Someone in the crowd suggested, "How about we start by pairing up? As for the rules..." She looked at Xiao Yunchen, then at Qi He, "There are only two men here, so you two will decide the rules. What do you think?"
"Of course."
Qi He said, "Just follow your usual rules. I'm just a warrior and rarely come to such banquets."
He looked at Xiao Yunchen: "Master Xiao, what do you mean?"
Xiao Yunchen said casually: "Anything is fine."
Wen Luoxin's gentle voice rang out: "In that case, Luoxin will perform the first couplet."
She slowly said, "Two lotus flowers have blossomed, one on each side. Second Madam, will you accept it?"
When everyone present heard this, their expressions changed, and they all looked at Li Sisi, some openly and some secretly.
Wen Luoxin's couplet was originally nothing special, but she deliberately asked Madam Xiao Er to answer it, which made it interesting.
It not only alludes to the ridiculous incident of the Second Madam faking her own death last year, but also implies that she and the Second Young Master Xiao once had feelings for each other but were unable to be together.
Xiao Yunchen also frowned and looked at Li Sisi worriedly, thinking that he must explain everything to his wife in private later.
But he heard the people around him muttering in a troubled manner: "Lotus pairs with flowers, blooming pairs with closed, double stems with... wings? That's okay, right? Then it can't be flowers, it has to be birds, hmm..."
She made an impatient "tsk" sound and looked up at Xiao Yunchen, her eyes full of hope for help.
Xiao Yunchen's eyes held a doting smile as he leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Wine can ease my sorrow and longing."
Li Sisi frowned when she heard this. Why did it feel a little bit awkward?
She lowered her voice and asked, "Is this okay?"
Xiao Yunchen nodded at her.
Wen Luoxin smiled easily: "If Madam Xiao Er can't match it, then you can drink three cups as punishment, right?"
Li Sisi stood up and said, "Wine can ease my longing for you!"
Wen Luoxin's expression changed slightly. She had seen the interaction between the two people just now, and naturally knew that this couplet came from Xiao Yunchen's mouth.
So, he meant that I should drink to relieve my longing for him and stop thinking about him?
Is he trying to draw a line between him and me?
"This couplet is well matched. It's heartbreaking to hear about lovers who are unlikely to be together." Su Muyan praised without reservation.
The girl in the pink skirt beside her said, "It was Second Young Master Xiao who helped you just now, right? This won't do!"
Li Sisi retorted, "You didn't say no at the beginning, and besides, isn't it natural for a husband to help his wife?"
"But that's the rule of the game!" the girl in the pink dress insisted. "You're breaking the rules. You should drink three cups as a punishment to serve as a warning to others. Otherwise, if everyone helps each other like you, the game will be meaningless."
Wen Luoqing also spoke at the right time: "Miss Liu is right. This is not the first time for everyone to participate in a poetry gathering. They should know the rules by now."
Qi He also said: "Second Young Master Xiao, you are a real man. It's just three glasses of wine. Besides, it's fruit wine for girls. So you should follow the rules of the game!"
Xiao Yunchen naturally knew the rules of the game, and when he told Li Sisi, he was prepared to drink a penalty drink.
"Okay, let's drink three cups as punishment." After saying that, he stood up, picked up the wine cup and started drinking.
Li Sisi looked at him worriedly.
She had seen Xiao Yunchen's drinking capacity in the northwest, and it was not just that bad.
Li Sisi also stood up, picked up the wine cup and gulped down three cups of wine.
Xiao Yunchen had only finished two cups when she finished three.
Seeing Xiao Yunchen drink three cups and sit down, Li Sisi asked worriedly in a low voice: "Are you okay?"
Xiao Yunchen smiled at her with a blush on his cheeks, his smile was indescribably cute: "No problem, just three glasses of wine."
Seeing his cute look, Li Sisi resisted the urge to pinch his face and said, "Don't help me for a while."
At this point, everyone played a few more rounds, all with normal pairs, nothing particularly difficult.
It was Wen Luoqing's turn. She stood up and looked at Li Nian, who had been quietly eating snacks and drinking tea.
As if asking, he asked, "I'll come up with the first line, and Madam will come up with the second line. How about that?"
Li Nian was stunned. Huh? Why is it her turn now?
She swallowed the food in her mouth in a few mouthfuls, and before she could answer, Wen Luoqing's couplet was thrown in her face.
"A reed on the wall is top-heavy and has shallow roots."
As soon as the words fell, many girls in the pavilion covered their mouths and laughed unconsciously.
Isn't this a subtle criticism of Yun Qiuwu for daring to climb up the social ladder, but actually having a low status and no real ability?
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