Chapter 18 Spring Banquet
As expected, the Imperial Concubine held a spring flower viewing banquet at the Hibiscus Garden by Qujiang Pool. All the eligible young men from noble families and young ladies in the capital received the gold-embroidered invitations.
On the princess's desk, there was naturally a copy placed neatly.
The palace maid who came to deliver the message lowered her head and spoke tactfully.
"The Imperial Concubine said that if Her Highness the Princess would grace us with her presence at the banquet, then this beautiful spring scenery would not be in vain."
Li Yuanzhao nodded casually, pushed the invitation aside, and continued to handle official business.
She had never liked such pretentious occasions; in her view, they were nothing more than idle people who spent their days eating and drinking, using their parents' salaries to compose poems and play with the moon, calling their wasted time a noble pursuit.
Besides, did the Imperial Concubine really mean to invite her?
She was merely using the flower-viewing banquet as an excuse to choose a good husband for her third younger sister from among the prominent families in the capital. She never expected her to steal the spotlight.
After the palace maid kowtowed and took her leave, Li Yuanzhao noticed a gaze sweeping over him repeatedly.
When she looked up, she met Chen Yanqing's gaze, which he hadn't had time to look away from.
He was looking at the invitation on her desk with a curious expression.
"What? You want to go?"
Chen Yanqing was caught red-handed and was somewhat embarrassed, but he still admitted frankly, "I have long heard that at the Spring Banquet, talented men compose poems and beautiful women sing in response, which is very elegant. All the literati in the world consider it an honor to attend this banquet, and I... naturally yearn for it as well."
When he said this, his eyes shone with an astonishing light, revealing a youthful spirit that seemed untouched by the world, which tempered his usual barely concealed ambition.
Li Yuanzhao curled his lips and scoffed, "Refined?"
The sarcasm in the question was so obvious that Chen Yanqing's Adam's apple bobbed. He wanted to say something in his defense, but in the end, he swallowed his words.
How could he possibly have the audacity to argue with this princess?
To his surprise, Li Yuanzhao looked up at him, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes, "It's fine if you want to go."
Chen Yanqing was taken aback, not expecting her to agree.
"I will take you there to have a look."
In late spring, in March, the Qujiang Pool is filled with shimmering blue waves and fluttering willow catkins.
The Hibiscus Garden is already a riot of color, with the Yao Huang and Wei Zi flowers blooming profusely, turning the bluestone paths into a beautiful corridor.
The people of Daqi were open-minded and there was no strict separation between men and women.
Young men and women sat along the winding stream, chatting and laughing.
The young masters from those aristocratic families, dressed in embroidered round-necked robes, gently waved their folding fans, but their eyes kept glancing at the young ladies opposite them.
The noble ladies wore light silk gauze and high-bun hairstyles, adorned with newly picked peonies. Their eyes sparkled with beauty, attracting the frequent glances of the men around them.
Every two steps along the winding stream, a thick brocade cushion is laid out, with a four-sided sandalwood table in front of it.
On the table were roasted whole lamb, camel hump soup, and various exquisite candied fruits, smoked meats, and dried meats.
Maids carrying silver jugs moved among the guests, pouring the wine, a tribute from the Western Regions, into everyone's glass cups.
On a high platform by the pond, several Hu women were plucking the strings of a konghou with their slender fingers. The melody was unrestrained and passionate, which was incongruous with the sea of peonies in the garden, yet strangely blended together.
Today's banquet is extremely lively.
Almost all the children of prominent families in the capital came, and even the newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) were invited to attend.
To show her importance, the Imperial Concubine specially invited Lady Wei, a female scholar in the palace, and Liu Jinzhang, the Grand Tutor who was usually reclusive, to come and evaluate the poems.
Such a grand occasion truly lives up to its reputation as the "First Spring Banquet in the Capital".
The Imperial Concubine had left her seat long ago, claiming she was unwell, but in reality, she was simply giving the young men and women some space to spend time together.
In the pavilion in the middle of the winding stream, a maidservant was holding a stack of flowered stationery and loudly reciting the poems that everyone had just composed.
"The spring breeze sways the willows, and the banquet is intoxicating with the flowing clouds."
Where horses gallop on the heavenly street, the road to the clouds rises even higher.
As soon as the poem was finished, Cui Jiulang, the nephew of the imperial concubine, was the first to clap his hands in praise.
He was wearing a royal blue brocade robe with a bright yellow belt around his waist, making him stand out among the guests.
"What a wonderful phrase, 'The road to success is even higher,' I wonder which talented person wrote it?"
Before the words were finished, a soft laugh came from the men's seat, and someone chimed in, "It must be the work of Scholar Du."
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Du Cong, the youngest Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) of this year.
He wore a blue robe, which, though not as ornate as Cui Jiulang's brocade robe, was clean and crisp, making his face appear even more handsome.
Seeing this, the women huddled together and began to whisper amongst themselves. Although they kept their voices very low, they still managed to reach the ears of those around them intermittently.
"Look, that Scholar Du is so handsome, and he writes excellent poetry too. I heard he's only eighteen and still unmarried."
A young lady in a pink ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) covered her mouth with a handkerchief, her eyes seemingly glued to Du Cong.
A woman in a dark green dress next to him scoffed, her tone clearly disdainful, "He's just a poor boy with no family background. You actually think he's good enough for you?"
The smile on the young lady in the pink dress froze for a moment, and then she lowered her head somewhat awkwardly.
Du Cong sat at the table and heard all these discussions clearly.
He showed no timidity, stood up, cupped his hands in a smile to the crowd, picked up the wine glass on the table, and drank a cup himself as a way of thanking everyone for their praise.
Madam Wei smiled and praised, "'The road to success is even higher,' which shows both youthful spirit and lofty ambition. It is indeed a good poem."
Cui Jiulang's smile faded slightly, and he didn't say anything more.
He originally thought the poem was written by Pei Huaijin, after all, Pei Huaijin had just passed the imperial examination and was known for his talent.
Moreover, the Pei family and the Cui family have always been on good terms. If it is a poem written by him, he can stand up and praise it, which will not only give Pei Huaijin face, but also show his own good taste.
Unexpectedly, it was Du Cong's doing, which instantly turned his enthusiastic praise into a joke.
He always looked down on students from poor families, always feeling that they were just trying to climb up to powerful families and take their place because of their talent.
Li Yuanshu sat on the table next to Pei Huaijin, turned to the side and whispered, "I think this poem is not even half as good as Young Master Pei's. I wonder what those people are praising."
In her opinion, Pei Huaijin was the number one young master in the capital, and Du Cong's talent was not worth mentioning at all.
Pei Huaijin smiled slightly but did not reply.
The maid picked up another piece of stationery and began to read the next poem.
"In the small pavilion, she tries on her new makeup and arranges her embroidered clothes in the breeze."
It doesn't vie for the beauty of peaches and plums; it has its own unique splendor.
Madam Wei narrowed her eyes, carefully commenting, "'A branch of splendor exists within itself,' the style is outstanding, I wonder which noble lady present wrote it?"
The maid looked down at the stationery and answered truthfully, "Madam, there is no signature on this stationery."
A murmur arose from the women's section; they looked at each other, all speculating about the author of the poem.
Just then, a woman dressed in a moon-white dress slowly stood up.
She was as slender as a willow, as gentle as spring water, and had a faint scholarly air about her.
"Madam is too kind; my daughter is unworthy of such praise."
Madam Wei smiled so much that the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes smoothed out. "This is no exaggeration. Your poem is full of emotion, much better than those sentences that just pile up words. It is indeed very well written."
After saying that, she turned to Liu Jinzhang and asked, "What does the Grand Tutor think?"
Liu Jinzhang put down his teacup, his gaze falling on the woman, and slowly said, "This poem uses peaches and plums as a foil to express the idea that one should not follow the crowd. It has its own unique charm and is indeed excellent."
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