Upon reaching the shore, Sui Shouren was the first to board the boat, responsible for inspecting all the pleasure boats to ensure their safety before Emperor An, the Crown Prince, and the Prince of Xiang boarded one after another.
Following them were three judges, including Zhu Xinning. Jing Zhe wanted to follow closely behind so he could say a few words to Zhu Xinning, but before he could step forward, a graceful figure drifted by, bringing with her a fragrant breeze. Wang Yingqiu had already blocked his way.
Although Wang Yingqiu is not as beautiful as Qingqiu, she has the advantage of charm and figure, which is still very attractive to Jing Zhe.
"Young Master Jing, don't be in a hurry. According to the rules, you and the Third Prince will be the last to board the ship!"
Whether it was to deliberately neglect Qi Junguang or not, he was arranged to be the last to board the ship, while Jing Zhe, who was also a fellow advanceee, naturally enjoyed the same treatment.
"Alright, owner!"
"..."
I'll let it slide since you're Qingqiu's younger brother!
Wang Yingqiu comforted herself, and at the same time, seeing him with his head down and his cheeks slightly red, she suddenly found it a little amusing.
"You don't dare look me in the eye when you speak?"
Wang Yingqiu was very tall, only half a head shorter than Jing Zhe, but she was standing on the ladder leading to the large ship, and was exactly a head taller than Jing Zhe.
Look into her eyes—Jing Zhe doesn't like looking up at people.
But he still raised his head, squinting at what was directly in front of him: "Why wouldn't you dare? Didn't you see it?"
But his eyes were darting around.
Wang Yingqiu saw everything he did.
Looking down, I realized what he was looking at!
lecher!
Wang Yingqiu really wanted to curse him, but considering that the people in front and behind him were important figures, and that he was her good friend's younger brother, she couldn't bear to lose face. So she glared at him, bit her lip, turned her head away, ignored him, and started boarding the ship.
You're not satisfied if I don't look at you.
You got angry after seeing your photo.
Ah, women!
You can be called a lie!
Wang Yingqiu walked in front, and Jing Zhe followed behind. Because there were two steps between them, even if he wanted to, he couldn't keep his eyes polite.
Oh, this is a crime!
Jing Zhe shook his head and simply admired it.
As Wang Yingqiu walked ahead, she could always feel a pair of anxious eyes lingering behind her. This feeling grew stronger and stronger, and she suddenly stopped and turned around to look.
Jing Zhe was engrossed in watching when Wang Yingqiu suddenly stopped.
And so, his face, without missing a beat, collided with it...
His impact was so great that Wang Yingqiu staggered and ran forward a few steps, reaching the deck and glaring angrily at Jing Zhe.
Seeing that he showed no remorse or embarrassment whatsoever, she angrily retorted, "Is it beautiful?"
"It's so beautiful!"
At the crucial moment, his mouth failed him, and he stumbled over his words three times before finally managing to get them out.
"Should we take another look?"
Wang Yingqiu gritted her teeth and said bitterly.
Jing Zhe waved his hand, politely declining, "No need, Master, I've seen enough."
Seeing it would only make him angrier, so it was better not to look. And most importantly, he noticed that Zhu Xinning, who had already boarded the ship, was looking in his direction.
It would be really bad if Zhu Xinning discovered this despicable side of him before they even had a chance to acknowledge each other.
"Hey, you two, are you ever going to stop? Why don't you take your flirting back to Wuxian Garden?"
Standing behind Jing Zhe, Qi Junguang shouted in frustration, "The dignified prince of Southern Qi has become someone else's third wheel! This is outrageous!"
Wang Yingqiu's face instantly turned red. She glared at Jing Zhe again and walked away quickly, subtly protecting her back with her hand as she went, as if Jing Zhe's gaze could materialize.
Jing Zhe shook his head and also came to the deck.
...
This large ship is made up of six painted boats connected together. The deck is extremely spacious, with curtains in the middle and bright lanterns around it. Exquisite tables and chairs are placed underneath, and various fruits and snacks are laid out on the tables.
Emperor An and the others had already sat down, leaving two empty seats on the left and right. On the table in front of the empty seats were paper, ink, brushes and inkstones, which should be his and Qi Junguang's seats.
The seats were separated by a mast, whether to prevent plagiarism or to prevent a fight between the two people, it's unclear.
Finally, there's the screen.
Su Mochen couldn't show himself, but he was unwilling to be alone. This position was perfect for him to see everything that would happen on the ship later.
Meanwhile, Sui Shouren had already ordered his men to pour the strong liquor brought back from the Zhang family into wine jugs and fill them up for Emperor An and the others.
After downing a glass of strong liquor, Emperor An repeatedly praised it, and his cheeks gradually turned rosy. Jing Zhe worried that if he drank a few more glasses, he would lose consciousness during the parade.
The large boat then gracefully left the shore amidst the lights, gliding onto the wide surface of the Yi River, making the dark river surface exceptionally clear and bright. On the distant riverbank, people gathered, holding lanterns in their hands, and the lanterns along the riverbank echoed the lanterns on the boat.
As the large ship entered the city's ring canal, the Mid-Autumn Poetry Gathering gradually reached its climax.
The city's ring canal is only forty or fifty meters wide, but because the large boat is made up of six painted boats linked together, it is extremely wide. When the boat passes by, it gets unusually close to the shore, and the noise can be heard very clearly.
Many scholars who didn't have a chance to advance but had prepared lyrics and music in advance were not willing to be left out. On the riverbank, there were many singing girls invited from brothels, whose ethereal voices were now reciting excellent lyrics. The people on the big boats were enjoying wine, admiring the moon, and listening to the music. In addition, they were in good moods, and cheers were constant.
"These lyrics and melodies are so vulgar that I could write them anytime. What's there to cheer about?"
Qi Junguang snorted coldly, then stood up, picked up his brush, and began to write.
————
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
