Princess Fuyun, who hadn't said much, said, "I heard that this polo match was caused by the seventh young lady of the Dingbei Marquis's mansion arguing with Yelü, the hostage prince, over the Dingbei Marquis's cousin."
The emperor frowned.
King Qi glanced at the old king.
Old Wang laughed and said, "I heard that the poetry contest set up at the Imperial Academy was funded by Sixth Master Gu, and the poems defending the contest are those of Chief Instructor Qin, Mr. Songshan, Young Master Nantang, and Scholar Qin. Mr. Songshan and Young Master Nantang were invited by the Marquis's mansion, and Chief Instructor Qin and Scholar Qin are uncle and nephew, as well as relatives by marriage of the Marquis of Dingbei."
"Haha," the Emperor laughed, "So that's how it is. No wonder the young lady was so protective of her. I heard that the Book Sea Pavilion has something to do with this?"
Old Wang said, "That's a long story. Shuhai Pavilion has been inviting people to challenge them recently. I'm afraid they'll have to hold poetry contests in the future."
The Emperor was greatly intrigued and raised his eyebrows, saying, "Oh?"
Old Wang quickly pulled a piece of paper from his sleeve and said, "This old servant had someone copy this down; it seems quite interesting."
The Emperor said, "Read it to me."
Old Wang then read aloud the poems that were at the top of the list.
The Emperor nodded and said, "Indeed, indeed, very fair. I especially admire the poems of Young Master Nantang and Scholar Qin. Their words are elegant and lively, and it is said that poetry reflects the person. Young Master Nantang must be a refined gentleman, with elegant manners and proficiency in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Scholar Qin is upright and honest, and must be a virtuous scholar. As for Mr. Songshan, he is learned and wise, and his speech is insightful."
Princess Fuyun said, "Father, I also like Young Master Nantang's poems very much, but it's a pity there are too few of them."
The Crown Prince said, "His poems have a profound and elegant artistic conception, and are indeed unique."
The Emperor laughed heartily and asked, "Where is Chief Minister Qin?"
Qin Jijiu hurriedly poked his head out from behind the crowd and said, "Your Majesty, I am here."
The Emperor said, "You're here too, that's perfect. The Marquis of Dingbei married your daughter, and I haven't offered my congratulations yet. How about I summon the Marquis of Dingbei and his wife to come to an audience?"
Everyone made way for Qin Jijiu, who squeezed out and said with a smile, "That is truly a blessing for my son-in-law and daughter."
The Emperor had been curious about the Lady of Dingbei and had intended to meet her again at the palace banquet, so he took the opportunity to have the couple summoned.
Old Wang sent someone to invite them.
The Emperor then asked, "Does the sixth son of the Gu family have any new works?"
Old Wang laughed and said, "I didn't make a copy, but I heard that Sixth Master Gu is also watching the battle here."
The Emperor then said, "Why don't we invite him and Scholar Qin together?"
No one expected that the Emperor would be so interested in these two.
Qin Jijiu's face lit up with joy.
Prince Jin then said, "Sixth Master Gu's wife has just passed away and the funeral has not yet taken place. If Father Emperor orders someone to summon him, will it be considered inappropriate?"
Qin Jijiu was quite worried that if the Emperor didn't see Sixth Master Gu, Qin Siyuan might also be excluded.
King Qi laughed and said, "My son just went to pay his respects a while ago. It's already the 21st day since the funeral, and the funeral will be held after the 49th day. Speaking of which, Sixth Master Gu is quite an extraordinary person."
The prince asked, "What's so special about it?"
King Qi said, "When Lord Gu was away in the north, he loved to indulge in literary pursuits. His poems were just piles of fancy words, utterly tasteless, and those poor scholars loved to flatter him. But after Lord Gu returned, he married the daughter of the Grand Master of Ceremonies. Sixth Master Gu and Scholar Qin hit it off immediately and became obsessed with learning poetry. They even managed to produce poems that were readable. And the best part is yet to come."
"how?"
The emperor became interested.
The Crown Prince also said, "The poetry collection I brought to Father Emperor last time not only contained his poems but also his paintings."
The Emperor nodded and said, "The workmanship is exquisite, and there are also excellent poems inside. I remember that he drew the illustrations, but the poems are a bit too plain and simple."
King Qi clapped his hands and said, "That's right. Those were all good choices. It's clear that the previous poems... He used to have many concubines, but ever since he devoted himself to studying poetry and painting, he has stopped visiting them. He even said... He also said that his wife is gone, and he will observe three years of mourning for her. He also plans to establish himself through poetry and painting in the future, to set an example for his children, and not to disgrace the family name."
The Emperor laughed and said, "Indeed, you have some ambition."
The Crown Prince smiled and said, "Then when he arrives later, we'll ask him about his poems and see if he's made any progress."
Qin Jijiu also smiled.
King Qi said, "I really didn't expect that after Sixth Master Gu met Scholar Qin, he seemed to have become a completely different person. It is clear that the saying 'one is influenced by one's surroundings' is true."
Prince Jin frowned and said, "But I heard that this Master Gu is currently in a lawsuit with his wife's family, and they are about to sever their marriage ties over a small amount of money."
"Oh? Why is that?"
The emperor frowned.
King Qi said, "Why don't we ask him later?"
The Prince of Jin's face was gloomy, and he remained silent.
The Emperor waved his hand and said, "Quickly go and invite them to come and see me. I have the protection of the dragon aura, so I am not afraid of these minor disturbances."
Old Wang then instructed someone to invite him, and also reminded Master Gu to try to change into clothes that weren't too plain.
Before long, Gu Jinghui arrived with Qin Yuan, Sixth Master Gu, Qin Siyuan, and others.
Old Wang went up to greet him and said with a smile, "Why did you bring so many people with you, Lord Marquis?"
Lord Gu laughed and said, "I was just thinking that if my brother-in-law could come with us, it would be a great fortune for him to get close to the dragon's aura."
Old Wang laughed and said, "Ever since you got married, Lord Marquis has become more and more eloquent. Otherwise, how could you say that a man should settle down and start a family?"
Qin Yuan silently followed Gu Jinghui from the side, her head slightly lowered, a step behind. Her jade pendants swayed and her hairpins remained still, making her appear very dignified.
Old Wang sighed inwardly, "I never imagined that Chief Minister Qin could raise such a wonderful daughter. It's just a pity."
Although her full face is not visible, it is clear that she is a rare beauty.
The man and woman were both handsome and beautiful; it's truly a pity.
When the emperor saw the two of them approaching, he also sighed inwardly.
These two were truly a perfect match, but unfortunately, Lord Gu, for the sake of his newly established empire, actually...
Why……
The emperor sighed inwardly.
Gu Jinghui led Qin Yuan in bowing, and their postures were pleasing to the eye. Lord Gu was decisive and unrestrained, while Qin Yuan was graceful and gentle.
The emperor's voice softened considerably.
"Please rise quickly, my dear minister, there is no need for such formalities."
After the two got up.
The Emperor then said to Qin Yuan, "The Lady of Dingbei and the Marquis of Dingbei are a perfect match. The Marquis of Dingbei is handsome and brave, while the Lady of Dingbei is gentle and serene. Good child, raise your head and let me see you."
Because she needed to see the Emperor, Qin Yuan had already left Mi Li. Upon hearing this, she raised her head, quickly glanced at the Emperor, and then lowered her head again.
Her every glance was like the unfolding of a beautiful painting, leaving everyone astonished.
The Crown Prince and the Prince of Jin were the most extreme.
After a long pause, the Emperor said to Qin Jijiu, "You are handsome, but your daughter is even more so. If I had known earlier, I would have arranged a marriage for the Crown Prince. It's a pity that the Marquis of Dingbei got her."
Qin Jijiu hurriedly said, "My daughter is clumsy and lacks talent. How could she marry the Crown Prince? Even if she were to marry the Marquis of Dingbei, I would be filled with trepidation. Every time I see her, I would teach her to be more filial to her mother-in-law and husband."
"You old fox."
The emperor laughed and scolded, "You have another daughter, don't you?"
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