The distinguished guests have arrived, and the auspicious time has come; the coming-of-age ceremony is about to begin.
Because Gu Shaoheng is the eldest grandson, the Gu family is very cautious and attaches great importance to this coming-of-age ceremony.
The courtroom contained a long table laden with various tributes, wines, and delicacies, and was lit with incense and candles. The distinguished guests and several gentlemen of the Gu family sat in the hall.
Because Song Yue was the most distinguished person present and also Gu Shaoheng's teacher, he was invited to perform the capping ceremony for Gu Shaoheng and sat at the head of the table on the east side. At this moment, the originally noisy mansion quieted down.
Gu Shaoheng stood in the center of the courtroom, wearing a right-fastening straight robe, his hair tied up with a plain hairpin, with handsome eyebrows and bright eyes, looking dashing and incomparably spirited.
When a man comes of age, he should first thank Heaven for its grace. Gu Shaoheng first knelt and bowed to Heaven and Earth, and then paid his respects to the distinguished guests and elders.
Afterwards, the servants brought out the items needed for the capping ceremony in turn. At Master Gu's invitation, Song Yue got up and walked to the center of the hall. Gu Shaoheng knelt down on the straw mat, bowed his head slightly, and looked respectful and solemn, his usual playful and frivolous demeanor completely gone.
The capping ceremony consists of three steps, during which the recipient wears three hats in turn, each representing a different aspect of being able to preside over ancestral worship, participate in politics, or join the military.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Song Yue's expression was calm yet dignified as he held up his hat with his fingertips. The candlelight on the long table flickered, illuminating his face and the flowing sleeves of his robes, making him appear even more dashing and dignified.
Gu Shaoheng lowered his head slightly, allowing the teacher to place the cap on him.
The coming-of-age ceremony is both a ritual and a symbol. A young boy transforms into a resolute man, brave and fearless, standing tall and upright. His life is given a new meaning, and he possesses a vast world to roam freely. A clear-headed and hopeful journey through life truly begins.
Qingchen watched quietly, feeling very happy for him.
Whispers arose around her—the honor of having the Second Grand Secretary bestow the crown upon her was something that could be recorded in the family genealogy.
After putting on the crown, Gu Shaoheng kowtowed to Song Yue, saying, "I thank my esteemed teacher for bestowing this gift upon my student."
Song Yue helped him up and said slowly, "Congratulations. From this day forward, you are ready to take on great responsibilities."
Then he said, “Heaven and earth are bound by fate, and all things are born from it. As a man, you should shoulder your responsibilities. You should be loyal to the emperor and serve the country, be upright and love the people, be filial to the elderly and kind to the young, and be friendly and respectful to your brothers. In this vast world, which is covered with stones and grass, a man should forge ahead through thorns and brambles, carry heavy burdens, not be afraid of dangers, not be disturbed in his heart, and pursue the righteousness that runs through the ages… Heaven and earth are a journey, you should not waste this life.”
His gaze was calm yet firm, filled with affection and hope for his students.
Although Qingchen was a woman, she felt her heart surge and her blood boil upon hearing these words. A scroll of life seemed to unfold before her eyes—
The earth, thirsty for rain, received the seeds and they grew wildly. Green seedlings broke through the soil at an incredible speed, and soon thick branches squeezed out the air. When sunlight pierced through their wrinkled bark, countless flowers bloomed in competition. The autumn wind swept by, and the secretly nurtured fruits bent the branches, their roundest and fullest forms instantly capturing all the sighs of the world… Splendid, abundant, not to be wasted, not to be wasted.
At twenty, when one comes of age, one is in the prime of life, a beauty that is just beginning to unfold.
She let out a long sigh.
She knew that Song Yue said this, and he did it himself. The black and white words in the history books depict a bloody and vivid history that will never be forgotten.
...
After the coming-of-age ceremony, Gu Shaoheng went to pay respects to his ancestors, and then went to the backyard to visit his mother and aunts. At the same time, the Gu family held banquets in the main hall and garden to entertain the guests.
Gu Shaoheng kept his word and arranged for Qingchen and the Hanlin Academy officials to sit together, except for Xu Silin.
Qingchen looked left and right, but Xu Silin was nowhere to be seen at the other tables. In such a large mansion, she wondered where Gu Shaoheng had put him.
Qingchen's appointment as a new official was a joyous occasion, coinciding with Gu Shaoheng's coming-of-age ceremony, making it a double celebration. Therefore, the officials were all in high spirits. However, since Gu Shaoheng had instructed them in advance that Lord Shen was feeling slightly unwell and should not drink, no one pressured Qingchen to drink. They simply offered her a perfunctory toast and then drank themselves.
Since everyone was an acquaintance, there wasn't much formality or politeness, and Qingchen enjoyed the meal in peace.
Sun Siwu sat next to Qingchen and diligently served her food, "Lord Shen, have a piece of silver thread yam."
Upon seeing this, everyone burst out laughing. "Sun Siwu, that's a radish... Don't try to flatter the master with that look in your eyes. The master's painting of plum blossoms in the snow was thanks to you. Now that the master isn't holding a grudge against you, you should be burning incense and praying to Buddha."
Then everyone started jeering, "Lord Shen, he's always talking nonsense, punish him by making him drink! Punish him by making him drink!"
Qingchen smiled, picked up the bowl and took the radish from his bowl, looking at him, "Then you...have a couple of drinks?"
The atmosphere was so good that she joined in with them, playing and joking around. Everyone immediately clapped and cheered.
Without saying a word, Sun Siwu took a cup of wine in each hand and poured it into his mouth one after another. Then he turned the empty cup upside down and said, "Sir... I've finished drinking."
"Good capacity for alcohol!" Qingchen praised him with a smile, and put a piece of radish on his plate as well. "Then eat some more."
The atmosphere at the banquet grew increasingly warm and harmonious, and everyone seemed to have forgotten that, in some unknown corner of the mansion, they had overlooked one of their classmates.
...
After they had eaten their fill, the group began to discuss toasting the various officials. Qingchen, however, felt it inconvenient and quietly left the table, finding a quieter spot to stay.
Inside the Gu residence was a waterside pavilion with a small stilted pavilion on top, beside which was a bamboo grove. At this moment, the pond water had frozen over, but the bamboo leaves were still green, only dressed in a layer of snow-white outer layer.
Qingchen suddenly remembered Song Yue's potted purple bamboo. That little bamboo, which she had met with like "fire and water" during the summer because of her two moves, she wondered if it was still doing well now that winter had come.
Just then, from the other end of the bamboo forest, a conversation between two women could be heard.
A clear, enthusiastic voice exclaimed, "Was it really Song Yue who crowned Gu Shaoheng today? I'd long heard of his extraordinary bearing, but I thought it was just hearsay, embellished because of his high position. I never imagined he was truly so charming. Just a glimpse in the corridor, and I was..."
The other, unable to contain his excitement, lowered his voice and asked, "So, you've fallen for him?"
"To tell you the truth, I've heard many people mention him before, but I thought he was a bit too old. Even if he was handsome, I was afraid he couldn't compare to a dashing young man like Gu Shaoheng. But today, after seeing his face and hearing what he said when he came of age... sigh, it's true what they say."
"I've heard that he's always been busy with court affairs and rarely visits the homes of noble families. If it weren't for his student's coming-of-age ceremony today, we probably wouldn't have seen him yet. Gu Shaoheng is indeed a talented young man, but he's still a newcomer. In terms of talent, ability, interpersonal skills, career prospects, and all aspects of officialdom, how can he compare to the Grand Secretary who has been established in the officialdom for many years..."
"Of course he is. By the way, I heard he's not married yet?"
"No, no. Every well-known official matchmaker in the capital has approached him, but not a single one has come to fruition. The daughter of the Duke of Dingguo has been in love with him for eight years, didn't you know?"
"Oh yes, I had heard of that before, but I forgot about it after a while. Hey, do you think such a good man has any requirements?"
"I haven't heard of that. I'm afraid he's seen plenty of beauties, but none of them seem to catch his eye. What, Miss Lü, you also want to... With your family background and looks, it's not impossible. Go back and talk to your father, ask him to put in a good word for you, maybe one day I'll be calling you the Grand Secretary's wife. But you'd better hurry, after today, I'm afraid countless young ladies will be looking for your father." The man said, covering his mouth and smiling.
"I... I was just asking..."
Qingchen stared blankly at the frozen water in front of him. When he came to his senses, the two of them had already walked far away.
The snow on the bamboo leaves melted and dripped onto her shoulder, but she didn't even notice.
It was Xu Silin, who had just walked over, who noticed all of this.
"What are you doing here?" He looked at the snow water dripping onto her shoulder, hesitating whether to take off his cloak.
Qingchen suddenly turned around and saw him standing indifferently behind her. There was a row of footprints on the thin snow, coming from afar, pointing straight towards her and ending at her feet.
His cheeks were slightly flushed, his breathing was a bit heavy, and his eyes were misty with intoxication; it was clear he had been drinking.
"I came here for a walk to digest my food," she said.
"Step forward a bit, there's snow."
Qingchen followed his gaze and noticed a small wet patch on her shoulder. She quickly took a step to the side. "Thank you. What are you doing here?"
"I don't know why, but Gu Shaoheng didn't let me sit with you all today." He frowned and said, "I sat among a bunch of old men, listening to them keep talking about those old stories, and I couldn't get a word in edgewise... It was so boring, I left after a few drinks." Mainly, he was thinking about finding her.
Seeing his confused and complaining expression, Qingchen couldn't help but slightly curve the corners of her mouth.
"What are you laughing at?" he asked curiously.
She suppressed a laugh, "It's nothing." While her group was enjoying a cheerful atmosphere, he was sitting with a group of old men. This Gu Shaoheng is getting more and more "capable."
As the two were talking, Xu Silin's shoulder was suddenly "attacked." A snowball, seemingly out of nowhere, hit his shoulder and instantly turned into countless fragments.
Qingchen paused for a moment, then turned around to look. She saw two children chasing and playing, their little faces flushed from running. The two children, realizing they had hit the wrong person, scolded each other a couple of times before running off again.
Watching them walk away, she couldn't help but think of her own childhood. She hadn't had a snowball fight in a long time. Once upon a time, she too was carefree, just like those two children.
Coming to her senses, Qingchen was about to say goodbye to Xu Silin when a small snowball hit her.
The man opposite him was hunched over, his hands already swirling snowflakes, a smug smile playing on his carefree, handsome face. "When I was little, I was the best at snowball fights. I could hit my target every time. Want to have a go?"
"..."
Two grown men having a snowball fight in someone else's house? She gave him a helpless look. "Alright, you should go back now. There are plenty of people waiting to toast you. I need to go back too..."
As they were talking, another snowball came flying at him. Qingchen couldn't dodge in time and was hit on the cheek and neck, with snow fragments even getting into his mouth.
She suddenly stopped talking and just looked at him quietly.
Xu Silin's smile vanished abruptly. "I'm sorry, I didn't expect it to be so accurate..."
She remained silent.
"Are you angry again?" His eyelashes fluttered, and a look of helplessness, as if he had done something wrong, suddenly appeared on his face.
Qingchen pursed his lips, then suddenly bent down, picked up a snowflake, and threw it at him without saying a word. "Let me tell you, I was really good at snowball fights when I was a kid!"
Who doesn't know how to have a snowball fight?
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