Chapter 684 If a daughter is not taught, then her mother should take the blame!
Zhang Yumo returned to the side hall. Jiang Ruochu was already asleep. She touched her forehead and saw that it was covered with sweat, and her neck was also sweaty. She was covered with a cotton quilt and dressed in thin clothes. Zhang Yumo did not dare to lift her quilt easily, for fear of catching a cold.
While Jiang Ruochu was fast asleep, she gently wiped away the sweat from her body.
At this moment, Jiang Jinyan also arrived. Zhang Yumo glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, signaling him to be quiet.
The two tiptoed out of the side hall. Jiang Jinyan said, "Mother has prepared two dishes. Let's go have dinner first and have the palace maids keep watch."
Knowing that Madam Jiang had specially prepared this for her, Zhang Yumo didn't refuse. "I'm already hungry. I'll go and have something to eat with Mother!"
Jiang Jinyan smiled and said, "Let's go!"
Just as he was about to take her hand, Zhang Yumo walked ahead of him. Jiang Jinyan looked at his empty hand and then at Zhang Yumo's firm and decisive back. He felt empty inside. Although she had lost her memory, her personality had completely changed.
Upon arriving at the dining room, Zhang Yumo smiled and called out "Mother." Feng Jingyuan smiled broadly and said, "Mo'er, come and sit down. You must be starving! It's too late, let's just have a bite to eat."
"Alright, I'm sorry to have troubled you, Mother, for Xiao Chu's sake today." She became obedient and sensible, and she could imagine what Zhang Yumo would be like when facing Madam Jiang in this life.
She wants to marry Jiang Jinyan, so she tries her best to please everyone in the Jiang family.
Feng Jingyuan was stunned for a moment, then quickly put on a smile, "As long as Xiao Chu is safe and sound, Mother doesn't feel tired."
Jiang Jinyan appeared to be a refined and gentle young man. He sat casually on the stool and, at Feng Jingyuan's instruction, served food and soup, saying in a gentle voice, "These are all Mo'er's favorites, please eat more."
Zhang Yumo nodded. Not wanting Madam Jiang to worry, she put more food on Jiang Jinyan's plate, saying, "Husband is hungry too, eat more."
Jiang Jinyan suddenly felt that the old Zhang Yumo had returned, but then he felt that she was not Zhang Yumo. The old Zhang Yumo was more shy and gentle.
He said, "You should eat more too."
They had their first dinner together at Kunning Palace, just the three of them, and the atmosphere was quite delicate.
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The banquet hall was brightly lit, filled with the sounds of drums and music, and was bustling with noise and excitement.
Jiang Fenghua also drank quite a bit of wine. She was dressed in a phoenix robe, radiant and with an extraordinary noble air. Her cheeks were flushed from the wine, and her charming eyes and sweet smile seemed to melt people instantly. She did not refuse any drinks at the banquet and happily toasted with everyone.
Xie Shang tried to stop her from drinking too fast, but Jiang Fenghua drank more and more with gusto, as if she were possessed by a wine immortal, able to drink a thousand cups without getting drunk. He drank for her a few times, but after a few cups, he couldn't take it anymore.
Seeing that the Empress was no longer being so reserved, the concubines in the harem also relaxed and toasted her one after another.
In previous years, people would wait until the emperor and empress left before they dared to drink to their heart's content during the Lantern Festival. This year's Lantern Festival was a little different. In addition to singing and dancing, there were also games such as guessing lantern riddles and matching couplets.
Jiang Huai and Pan Taifu, along with other scholars and literati, could compose poems and essays with ease. Someone said, "Minister Jiang is so learned, why haven't we seen him at the banquet? Let's quickly invite him to compose a poem to liven things up!"
"Where did your eldest son go, Grand Tutor Jiang?" someone else started to jeer.
Jiang Huai had also drunk quite a bit of alcohol, and his alcohol tolerance was not bad; he was still not drunk. He said, "Young people, we can't control them. We just need to take care of ourselves. I'd like to toast Brother Chai."
"Brother Jiang's drinking capacity is unmatched; I can't drink anymore."
"Her Majesty the Empress can drink more than the Emperor; she shows no signs of drunkenness whatsoever." The man added, "I've drunk with Minister Jiang before, and his capacity for alcohol is also astonishing; none of you can outdrink him."
"I would like to offer a toast to all of you gentlemen," Jiang Fenghua suddenly said.
When the Empress offered a toast, none of the ministers dared not stand up, saying, "We, your subjects, return the toast to Your Majesty."
Jiang Fenghua smiled slightly and said, "Everyone is in high spirits today. I wish you all happiness and fulfillment, joy every year, and good health for your families. Let's raise our glasses to celebrate this night of reunion."
A cheer erupted instantly, "May Her Majesty the Empress stay young forever and always be smiling!"
"Let's all have fun together," Jiang Fenghua added.
"I heard that Your Majesty composed a poem in the plum garden today. Your Majesty is very talented, and we have been treated to a feast for the ears."
Jiang Fenghua smiled, exuding elegance and grace. She said, “Speaking of poetry, today I and the other princesses did indulge in some refined pursuits in the plum garden. Just as it was the Fourth Princess’s turn, we were interrupted by some trivial matters. Why don’t we let the Fourth Princess continue reciting a poem to add to everyone’s enjoyment?”
When Zhang Yurou was called out, everyone looked at her. She smiled slightly and tried to straighten her back, wanting to appear elegant and graceful in front of everyone. Unfortunately, her eyes were not sharp enough, and she pretended to be a demure young lady.
Unfortunately, she was already twenty-five years old, which is considered old compared to sixteen or seventeen-year-old women, so she didn't attract much attention.
Jiang Fenghua was only twenty years old, but she looked like she had never given birth, even though she had three children. Her face was so tender that you could pinch water out of it. Her appearance was stunning. She didn't need to make up for it; she already far surpassed Zhang Yurou in looks. Just for this reason alone, Zhang Yurou was furious.
Seeing that she remained silent for a long time, Jiang Fenghua said again, "It seems that the Fourth Princess Consort is embarrassed. Then I will set an example for the Fourth Princess Consort first." Zhang Yurou seems to want to be the empress! She wants to seduce Xie Shang, doesn't she? The more she tries to pretend, the more she will shatter her illusions. Xiao Chu and Yan'er's suffering cannot be in vain.
If the daughter isn't taught, then the mother should take over!
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately became interested and quieted down, perking up their ears.
Judging from everyone's expressions, they all liked Jiang Fenghua. Zhang Yurou bit her lip, her mind filled with jealousy that seemed to burst from her skull, and her chest was filled with pent-up anger.
Jiang Fenghua said in a deep voice: "The jade pot pours out the water of the Milky Way, scattering it into ten thousand lanterns in the human world. The wind blows through the jade branches, shaking the roosting egrets, and smoke floats on the colorful pavilion, where the cold toad sleeps."
After she finished reading, she stared directly in Zhang Yurou's direction and smiled, "I have long heard of the Fourth Princess's talent. Today, I will make a fool of myself first. I am sure that the Fourth Princess's masterpiece is better than mine."
Gao Qingtong chimed in, "Your Majesty is right. When the Fourth Princess was still a young girl, her talent was renowned far and wide. When I was young, I often heard people talk about the two daughters of the Zhang family, especially the eldest daughter, Zhang Yurou, who was proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and prose. Back then, the Fourth Princess was very famous in Shengjing. I would like to hear about her."
Many of the women present, who were around the same age as Zhang Yurou and Zhang Yumo, were also married. At this moment, some people started to jeer, "Back then, the Fourth Princess's talent far surpassed that of many men. Everyone was saying that Yurou should have been born as a man. Maybe she could have even become the top scholar in the imperial examination. The Fourth Princess should show everyone her skills and display her former glory."
Zhang Yurou's fingers, hidden in her sleeves, clenched into tight fists. So many years had passed, how could she possibly write poetry anymore? She couldn't even recite a few lines of poetry written by poets. Besides, Zhang Yumo had helped her with writing poems and lyrics back then. Who would have known that the real talent of the Zhang family was Zhang Yumo?
"I'm thinking about what topic to use." She tried to remain calm, but inside she felt like she was being roasted over a hot coal fire. If she couldn't come up with something, she would lose face big time.
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