The conversation between Yan Min'er and Mrs. Yan was overheard by a woman in green. This woman was a little younger than Yan Min'er and more beautiful and slender. She asked, "I heard that Mr. Qiao's wife is a famous talented woman in Huzhou. I wonder if she is pretty?"
Yan Miner smiled and said in an ambiguous way: "Even if she is a famous talented woman, she is not as good as Ah Xiu from Jiyang."
Ling Xiu was the beloved daughter of Ling Dianyi, the bookkeeper of the royal palace. She could write poems at the age of five and was well-known in Jiyang at the age of seven. She was proficient in piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, and was also delicate and beautiful. In Jiyang City, where most women were beautiful and fierce, she was truly a standout. When she heard that another talented woman had come from Huzhou, she began to compare with her.
A young girl on the other side heard this and covered her mouth with her hands, sneering, "Why should Ah Xiu compare herself with the wife of a merchant? She shouldn't lower her status. Maybe the title of a talented woman is just a lie, and she is just trying to add a layer of gold to herself."
Ling Xiu also laughed: "If Master Qiao really stays in Jiyang, he will no longer be a merchant in the future."
"A merchant is a merchant. The stink of copper is ingrained in his bones. It cannot be covered up by changing clothes." Yan Min'er said with contempt, "After all, he is not worthy of being accepted by the upper class."
The girls burst into laughter. At this time, someone said, "Cui Zhongqi has arrived!"
Everyone looked up and saw a middle-aged man coming from the end of the pavilion by the lake. He was chubby, broad-shouldered, and had a simple and honest look. His smile was also friendly, like Maitreya Buddha. He was wearing a black martial arts uniform and was full of energy. When he reached the entrance of the pavilion, he handed the long spear in his hand to his men and said with a smile, "Everyone is here."
Everyone stood up and returned the greeting to Cui Yuezhi.
Cui Yuezhi was second only to the emperor in Jiyang, so everyone in and outside the palace had to give him face. Cui Yuezhi turned around and asked Zhong Fu, "Have Qingqing and the others arrived?"
"We have sent someone to invite him." Zhong Fu smiled and said, "He should be here soon."
Yesterday, Cui Yuezhi was discussing matters with the princess in the palace, and accidentally drank a few more cups, so he stayed in the palace. This morning, he continued to quarrel with the group of stubborn old men, and he has not seen his nephew yet. He touched his chin and said, "I don't know what my nephew looks like? Does he look like my elder brother? How much does he look like me?"
Zhong Fu was about to say something but stopped himself. To be honest, Mr. Qiao had nothing in common with the Cui family except for his gender.
"I heard that the child was raised in a merchant family," Cui Yuezhi said with some concern. "Although I don't mind this, the nobles in the city value status the most. I just hope they don't underestimate themselves."
Zhong Fu was about to speak, but at the end of the pavilion, a servant from the Cui family came over and said: "Master Qiao, Mrs. Qiao is here——"
Everyone looked up subconsciously.
At the end of the pavilion, by the lake, two people were walking side by side. One was a man and one was a woman, both were very young. The man was very tall, tall and straight like jade, wearing a dark green embroidered black gold python brocade robe, very elegant, with black hair tied up with a green jade hairpin, delicate eyebrows and bright eyes, graceful and beautiful, but a little cold. The woman standing next to him was smiling, bright and lovely, and I don't know what material her clothes were made of. At first, it looked just ordinary white, but as she walked, it shone with some blue, purple, gold and pink, like a dream, very moving.
They were both extremely good-looking and had an unusually good match. Standing together, they looked an indescribable match. For a moment, everyone in the pavilion was stunned by their appearance.
Is this a businessman who comes from a merchant family and reeks of copper?
Can a businessman have such extraordinary grace?
Cui Yuezhi was also stunned. Is this his eldest brother's son?
His elder brother looks 70% similar to him. Not to mention handsome, it's hard to describe him as slim. This... is too good-looking.
Yan Min'er was stunned, and suddenly, her face turned extremely ugly. She knew these two people. The woman was the one who embarrassed her in Xiu Luofang that day, and the man... was the one who laughed at her dark skin. After she returned home, she could not swallow this breath. She never expected that these two people were the nephew and niece-in-law that Cui Yuezhi found.
She was so angry that she almost vomited blood.
Ling Xiu's eyes fell on Xiao Jue, and she seemed a little infatuated. She could only murmur, "How could there be such a handsome man in the world..."
Jiyang is different from Shuojing. The women are beautiful and hot, and the men are strong and brave. Just as a talented woman like Ling Xiu is very popular in Jiyang, a handsome, noble and elegant man like Xiao Jue is rare. All the women at the table stared at him like wolves staring at meat.
He Yan also noticed these eager eyes and cursed secretly in his heart. Xiao Jue's face really attracted bees and butterflies wherever he went.
Lin Shuanghe followed behind them. At first, everyone thought he was Xiao Jue's relative or friend. Later, when they found out that he was the housekeeper, they were also shocked.
I probably didn't expect that the conditions for being a housekeeper in Huzhou would be so harsh.
Cui Yuezhi arranged for Xiao Jue and He Yan to sit at the table, just below and to the right of his main table.
"Qingqing," Cui Yuezhi looked at him with a smile, "I really didn't expect that you could be so beautiful."
It really brings honor to the Cui family. In Jiyang City, no one is more outstanding than the young man in front of them. Cui Yuezhi was ridiculed as a "round ball" in his early years, vulgar and fat. Before Qiao Qingqing came back, he heard rumors in Jiyang City, waiting to see another "little fat ball". Who knew... It really brings honor to the Cui family!
It’s great that the Cui family has avenged their past shame!
Xiao Jueping nodded calmly.
Cui Yuezhi's eyes fell on He Yan again and he said with a smile, "My niece-in-law looks young too. How old is she this year?"
He Yan said: "Almost seventeen."
"Seventeen is good." The more Cui Yuezhi looked at He Yan, the more satisfied he became. She was beautiful. This nephew and his niece-in-law were both pretty. The children they would have in the future would be even prettier. The bloodline of the Cui family would surely become stronger with each generation. Thinking of this, he felt very relieved and even wanted to go to the ancestral hall to burn two incense sticks for his eldest brother. It was really God's blessing.
"Today's banquet in the center of the lake is specially held to welcome you two." Cui Yuezhi smiled and said, "Do you feel okay?"
Xiao Jue said: "Very good, thank you uncle."
The word "uncle" immediately pleased Cui Yuezhi. His face was almost broken with laughter. He said to everyone, "You can see, this is the only child of my deceased elder brother, my nephew!"
The guests immediately raised their glasses, complimenting him with words like "extraordinary character and appearance" and "elegant and profound", and congratulated Cui Yuezhi on the reunion of his family, and so on.
Cui Yuezhi became more and more delighted and ordered his servants to serve the dishes and the banquet began.
Jiyang does not have the custom of having men and women sit at different tables. They sit according to their age. Cui Yuezhi asked Xiao Jue about many things related to him in recent years, and then he talked about He Yan.
"I heard that my nephew and his niece-in-law got married not long ago?"
"We got married in Huzhou last October." Xiao Jue said calmly, "Less than half a year."
Cui Yuezhi said "Oh" and said with some regret: "It's a pity that I didn't see it with my own eyes." He patted Xiao Jue on the shoulder: "If I could see you get married with my own eyes, I would die without regrets."
"What does my niece's wife do at home?" Cui Yuezhi asked, "Huzhou is too far from Jiyang, and many things are hard to find out."
He Yan answered as he had been told before: "Yuyan is just an ordinary family. I am grateful to you for your attention, Master."
"An ordinary family?" Everyone in the room had different expressions. This was a commoner's family. People always thought that although Qiao Qingqing was born in a merchant family, he was still a wealthy man. Money can make the devil work, not to mention that he was so beautiful. If he married a daughter of a minor official, it would be more than enough. But he married an ordinary family like Wen Yuyan, who had neither money nor power. Why? If he valued Wen Yuyan's beauty, he could have made her a concubine, why did he have to make her his wife?
The girls looked at He Yan with a hint of envy and jealousy.
Ling Xiu's eyes turned slightly and fell on Xiao Jue's face. The young man was already handsome and now he was sitting lazily. However, his occasional indifference made him even more attractive, making all the men in Jiyang city look inferior to him.
She looked at He Yan again. She was just the daughter of an ordinary family. In terms of appearance and status, how could she compare to herself? A trace of reluctance rose in her heart. Wen Yuyan was not worthy of Qiao Xinqing at all. Only she should stand shoulder to shoulder with Qiao Xinqing.
She stood up and said softly, "It is a good thing that Lord Cui has found his family today. I, Ah Xiu, am not talented, but I am willing to sing a song for Lord Cui to express my congratulations." After she finished speaking, her eyes passed over Xiao Jue and she revealed a shy smile.
The young men at the banquet were overjoyed upon hearing this and stared at Ling Xiu with burning eyes.
Girls from Jiyang City are always bold, confident and cheerful. If they have outstanding talents, it is not shameful to show them in front of everyone. However, Ling Xiu is different from others. She never likes to show herself actively. Even at a banquet, she would refuse and only agree when she is helpless.
This is the first time she has taken such initiative today, and her best skill is the piano, which makes people look forward to it.
Cui Yuezhi was also very happy and waved his hand: "Great! Ah Xiu has opened our eyes today. If you play well, uncle will give you a big gift!"
Lord Ling and Madam Ling were smiling, as they were no longer surprised by such glorious events. After all, the whole Jiyang City knew that Ling Xiu was extremely talented and beautiful.
The servant quickly brought a zither.
The zither was also green, like the grass and trees in spring, lush and green. She was wearing a light green gauze dress, just like a spring fairy. Her ten fingers were slender, she burned incense and bathed her hands, and gently plucked the strings of the zither.
The piece she played was "Late Spring".
Spring breeze gallops the horses of Wuling, warm sun in West Lake in March, orchestras touch water warblers and flower markets, I don't know that music doesn't come here, it's suitable for singing, drinking and poetry. The mountains pass by with frowning eyebrows, the willows drag smoke and piled hair...
琴音悅耳，拂過人的耳邊，聽得人心沉醉，禾晏亦是如此，只覺得這姑娘手真巧，對比一下自己撥琴的動作，一不小心就能把琴弦撥斷，更勿用提彈出一首完整的曲子。
實在是太厲害了。
她聽得沉醉，一瞥眼，卻見肖珏毫無所動，只低頭飲茶，不由得碰了碰他，低聲道：“你怎麽不聽？”
肖珏：“在聽。”
“那你怎麽沒有表現出很好聽的樣子？”
“什麽叫很好聽的樣子？”
禾晏朝另一頭努努嘴，“就他們那樣。”
在座的少年郎們，甚至有一部分年紀稍長些的公子，皆是看着淩繡看的發呆，仿佛要溺死在這琴音裏，眼裏閃動的都是傾慕。肖珏收回目光，冷淡道：“無聊。”
“你真是難伺候。”禾晏小聲嘟囔，“我覺得挺好聽的，她長得也好看，我若能結識這樣的姑娘，定然開心得不得了？”
“開心得不得了？”肖珏忽然笑了，看着她，饒有興致道：“希望你接下來也能一樣開心。”
禾晏不明白他的意思，只道：“我接下來自然會開心。”
他們二人說話的功夫，淩繡已經一曲彈完，目光朝肖珏看過來，卻見肖珏側頭與禾晏說話，唇角彎彎，似在打趣，淩繡見此情景，心中一沉，越發不甘心。
她起身，周圍的人俱是稱贊，崔越之也笑道：“阿繡，你這一曲琴。可是餘音繞梁，三，不，九日不絕！”
沒有人會否認她的琴聲，淩繡再次看向肖珏，但見青年低頭飲茶，目光都不曾往她這頭看一眼。倒是他身邊的“溫玉燕”，笑盈盈的看着自己，仿佛嘲諷。
淩繡嘴角的笑有些僵硬，不過須臾，便謙遜道：“阿繡豈敢班門弄斧，聽聞湖州來的喬夫人，是當地有名的才女，一手琴藝出神入化，今日既然有緣在此，能不能讓阿繡也見識一番？”說罷，目光期盼的盯着禾晏，“也讓大夥瞧瞧，夫人的琴藝如何精妙絕倫。”
禾晏正看的樂呵，聞言就愣住了，怎麽好好地，突然提到她身上了？溫玉燕琴藝出神入化？是嗎？她怎麽不知道？
禾晏求救般的看向林雙鶴，這可是她的先生，林雙鶴若無其事的別開頭，假意與身邊人說話，并未又要與她解圍的意思。
“我覺得……倒也不必……”禾晏吭哧吭哧道：“阿繡姑娘的琴藝已經很好，我也不必再多此一舉。”
“怎麽能說多此一舉呢？”淩繡十分誠懇的看向禾晏，“阿繡是真的很想洗耳恭聽夫人的琴聲。”
禾晏：“……”
她的琴聲？她的琴聲能驅邪鎮宅，可不是用來欣賞的！
淩繡見禾晏面露難色，心中不免得意，想着之前聽聞的溫玉燕才藝雙絕，只怕也是幌子，若是今日能讓她當着衆人的面出醜，那才是濟陽城的笑話。
一向與淩繡針尖對麥芒的顏敏兒，見此情景，也不由得幸災樂禍起來。之前在繡羅坊離，雖然是肖珏說的諷刺的話，顏敏兒卻将帳算在了禾晏頭上，大抵被這樣優秀的男子愛慕的女子，總是顯得格外紮眼，尤其是在她看上去沒有任何特殊之處的時候，就更讓人覺得名不副實。
禾晏看向身側的肖珏，肖珏正不緊不慢的喝茶，神情一派雲淡風輕。
難怪剛剛他說“希望你接下來也能一樣開心”，他是早就猜到了會有這一幕發生？他是如何知道的？這種奇怪的想法，神鬼莫測，偏偏肖珏能看得出？有讀心術不成？禾晏心裏嘀咕着，手伸到桌下，偷偷扯了一下他的袖子，低聲道：“幫我行不行。”
肖珏淡道：“你不是學過麽。”
“沒學會，”禾晏道：“之前林雙鶴教過我，他還說我已經很不錯了，可我剛才聽這姑娘彈得，我覺得我彈得好像不太對。”
這話說的委婉，事實上，豈止是不太對，簡直是錯的離譜。
“琴棋書畫你都不會，”他道：“你除了坑蒙拐騙，還會什麽？”
禾晏遲疑的開口：“胸口碎大石？”
但她也不能就在這裏也別人展示一下如何原地胸口碎大石吧！
肖珏：“……”
“我要是露了餡，咱們都得玩完，幫個忙，”禾晏懇求他：“都督，少爺，肖二公子，夫君？”
這一聲“夫君”顯然将肖珏惡心到了，他道：“你好好說話。”
禾晏：“那我就當你答應了。”
他們二人說話的聲音壓得極低，落在衆人眼中，便是禾晏好似對着肖珏撒嬌，肖珏十分縱容的模樣。
崔越之笑道：“怎麽？玉燕是不想彈琴嗎？”
“不瞞諸位，當初成親後，我與內子有個約定，內子琴藝高超，只能彈給我一人聽。”肖珏淡淡道，“所以今日，恐怕是不能如這位姑娘所願了。”
衆人怔住，禾晏也給唬的一愣一愣的，萬萬沒想到肖珏竟然會這拿這個理由出來。不過想想，這理由極妙，畢竟用其他的理由，搪塞過一次，總會有下一次。這個理由就連下一次也一并給擋住了，畢竟無緣無故的，幹嘛讓人背棄約定。
淩繡神情僵硬，看着坐在青年身邊的年輕女子，終是咽不下一口氣，笑道：“可今日是公子與崔大人重聚之日，這麽多人，破一次例也沒什麽大不了吧。”
“我與夫人的約定，不可撼動。”肖珏淡淡的看了她一眼：“一定要聽，我可以代勞。”話到尾音，語氣變得冷漠，已然是不耐煩了。
淩繡也被他的寒意吓了一跳，一時間竟不敢說話，還是崔越之解了圍，笑道：“渙青也會彈琴？”
“略懂而已。”
“那我今日可要聽聽渙青的琴聲，”崔越之拊掌大笑，“我崔家世代行武，還未出過這樣的風雅之人！鐘福，将琴重新擦拭一遍。”
“不必，”肖珏道：“林管家，取晚香琴來。”
肖珏平日裏用物本就講究，禾晏是指知道的，可落在不知情的眼中，尤其是淩繡眼中，就好像肖珏是因為嫌棄她所以才不與她用同一張琴，不由得咬了咬唇。不情不願的坐回了自己的位置。
林雙鶴很快将肖珏的晚香琴拿過來。
禾晏還記得這把晚香琴，在去涼州衛假扮程鯉素前，她喝醉了将這把琴壓壞了，肖珏還帶去了涼州城裏修。光是瞧着，也知道價值不菲，好在肖珏沒讓她賠錢，否則真是賣了自己都還不起。
她依稀記得是聽過肖珏彈琴的，但終究是半醉，記憶也變得模糊，如今看到這琴，喝醉酒的回憶頓時湧上心頭。
男子坐在琴前，焚香浴手，同淩繡刻意的擺弄不同，他顯得要慵懶散漫許多，帶着幾分漫不經心，做的很是自然。若非常年彈琴的人，其實不可能如此行雲流水。
禾晏在某一瞬間，似乎看到了當年在賢昌館裏，躺在枇杷樹上假寐的風流少年。
但他終究是長大了。
琴弦被撥動。
他的手修長而骨節分明，生的很是好看，落在琴弦上，流出動聽的聲音。這曲聲與淩繡方才彈得《暮春》又有不同，不同于《暮春》的歡快，寧靜中帶着一絲清淡的悵然，如被明月照亮的江水，滔滔流向遠方。
他彈的是《江月》。
這曲子很難，極考驗人的琴藝，禾晏曾聽一個人彈過，就是她的師父柳不忘。不過柳不忘彈起來時，更多的是回憶，或是失落，肖珏彈的感覺，又與柳不忘不同。
俊美的男子做風雅之事，總是格外引人注目。縱然是剛剛才被肖珏吓到的淩繡，或者是之前被肖珏諷刺過的顏敏兒，甚至是更多的其他人，此刻也忍不住沉浸到他的琴聲中去。
禾晏也不例外。
他彈琴的時候碟翅般的睫毛垂下，掩住眸中的冷漠清絕，只剩溫柔，五官英俊的過分，薄唇微抿，顯得克制而動人。
禾晏想，這世上，确實很難見到比他更出色，更好看的人了。
一曲終了，肖珏收回手。
衆人盯着他，一時默然。
倘若沒有他的這曲《江月》，淩繡的《暮春》，應當是很優秀的。可是有了比較之後，淩繡的琴藝，就顯得平平，并沒有那麽驚豔了。
無論是男眷還是女眷，盯着肖珏，此刻心中只有一個困惑，不是說湖州來的喬渙青是被商賈之家收養，不過如今看來，莫不是情報有誤，這樣的人，可不像是商賈之家能養的出來的。
崔越之更長臉了，看肖珏真是越看越滿意，大笑道：“渙青，你這曲子，可是将我們都聽呆了！原先王女殿下總說，阿繡的琴藝是濟陽城第一，下一次我帶你一同進王府，王女殿下要是聽了你的琴聲，定然會稱贊有加！”
衆人聽到此處，心思各異，崔越之既然提到王女，也就是說，有心想要将喬渙青帶進王府了。這樣的話，便不能以普通商戶看待……
Xiao Jue smiled slightly, and glanced at He Yan with his deep eyes, and said calmly: "I am sorry, in fact, my piano skills are not even one tenth of yours."
"Really?" Cui Yuezhi looked at He Yan in surprise, "How great would that be!"
He Yan's face turned red.
I feel quite embarrassed.