Chapter 827 Provoking Xuefei
Pan Xiuying naturally didn't know whether Xie Qi's calligraphy was good or not. She guessed that Xie Qi was definitely far inferior to the literary giants present. He was still young, not favored by the late emperor, and had not been properly trained, so he probably couldn't write very good calligraphy.
She wanted Xie Qi to understand that if he wanted to stand at the top of power, he had to rely on the Pan family. Even though he was a prince, he couldn't move an inch without anyone's help.
He marries her, she marries him—it's mutually beneficial, a win-win situation, so why not?
Lu Xuefei also squeezed forward. She clenched her fists and looked at Xie Qi nervously. Today, in addition to the court officials, there was also a literary giant present.
Did Pan Xiuying deliberately push Xie Qi forward to see him make a fool of himself?
Her wishful thinking might fall through. Xie Qi wasn't good at anything else, but he had put in a lot of effort in calligraphy.
Xie Qi wrote swiftly, his characters resembling iron hooks and silver strokes, possessing astonishing strength and resolute power.
On the unfolded paper, words appeared instantly. He quickly wrote a prayer for the people, relying on his memory: "In the past, when heaven and earth were created, there were many gods. At this moment, may the gods hear the wishes of humankind, bestowing blessings and prosperity, and ensuring good fortune. May the incense burners in ancestral temples always be bright, and may peace manifest in the world. May the people rejoice in the sacrifices and ancestral rites. May the common people be infinitely happy. We only pray for peace and well-being, and hope for good fortune..."
Seeing this, Xie Shang couldn't help but look at Xie Qi with higher regard. He felt honored that Xie Qi had not disgraced the royal family.
Grand Tutor Pan stroked his beard and nodded repeatedly, "Not bad."
After Xie Qi finished writing, he put down his pen and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, please take a look. I am but a humble subject with limited knowledge and skills, and this is all I can do."
Xie Shang said, "It's good that you've shown your sincerity. Today's situation is special, so let the King of Qi put his own name on the blessing he wrote. We'll have someone hang this calligraphy in the Hall of Prayer for Blessings later."
Whether the calligraphy is good or bad is for the university scholars present to discuss!
Xie Qi was stunned. For his calligraphy to be hung in the Hall of Prayer for Blessings was a great honor!
Lu Xuefei curled her lips into a smug look, glancing in Pan Xiuying's direction, wondering what Pan Xiuying meant.
Pan Xiuying's smile remained unchanged as she praised, "I never expected Your Highness to write so well. It has truly broadened my horizons."
She felt that Xie Qi was becoming more and more compatible with her, and the way she looked at him became ambiguous.
Xie Qi paused for a moment, then said, "Miss Pan, you flatter me."
Xie Shang asked in a deep voice, "Are Prince Qi and Miss Pan very familiar with each other?"
Xie Qi said, "Not familiar with it."
Pan Xiuying said, "We're very familiar with each other."
The conversation between the two immediately sparked speculation among the crowd, with some jokingly saying to Grand Tutor Pan, "Looks like we're going to be drinking at Brother Pan's wedding."
Pan Taifu had also heard from his daughter-in-law about his granddaughter's marriage and wanted to marry her to the Prince of Qi. He did not object. Now he looked at her and saw that she was a handsome and upright young man, judging from her handwriting.
Lu Xuefei was furious and wanted to stand up and say that Prince Qi did not like Pan Xiuying, but before she could speak, someone suddenly pulled her back.
Lu Tingwei stopped his daughter and said softly, "Why are you getting involved?"
Lu Xuefei was pulled out of the crowd by her father. There were too many people and no one noticed their actions.
Lu Xuefei explained, "Father, it's not what you think. It's all a misunderstanding. Prince Qi didn't get entangled with Pan Xiuying. It was Pan Xiuying who was infatuated with him. It was the Tenth Prince who deliberately framed him. He will not marry the granddaughter of Grand Tutor Pan."
“Silly girl, you pride yourself on being more clear-headed than anyone else, but now you’ve been bewitched by him. If he didn’t want to get entangled with Pan Xiuying, why would he be seen with her all the time? If he wanted to explain their relationship, he would have done so long ago. There’s no need for them to make a scene in front of everyone.” Lu Tingwei added, “You don’t understand men’s minds. It’s normal for them to have multiple wives and concubines, especially since he is a prince.”
In Lu Tingwei's heart, his daughter had fallen into a trap. It was only because Prince Qi wanted him to teach him the law that he became close to Fei'er. Now that he had established himself in the Court of Justice and in front of the Emperor, he no longer needed the Lu family.
Marrying the granddaughter of Grand Tutor Pan would indeed be more beneficial to him, as the Pan family's prestige would be enough to bring him success and fame.
Pan Xiuying smiled and gave a slight curtsy to the crowd, saying, "Then Xiuying will make a fool of herself. Please don't laugh if it's not well written."
Some people jeered, "Miss Pan is the granddaughter of Grand Tutor Pan and the most talented woman in Shengjing. If your handwriting is not good, then other people's daughters' handwriting is not good enough."
"She's not a talented woman; she just read a lot of books because she enjoys it." The Pan family is well-off, with many scholars in the family. If she wanted to study, she would have already surpassed 80% of the women in the world by birth.
At this moment, the young ladies and gentlemen of the officials who were watching also wanted to step forward and write some words of blessing. They were eager to try but dared not step forward.
Pan Xiuying took the lead, and the other women and men also stepped forward to write their prayers. Fortunately, the main hall was arranged with extra-long rectangular tables, which allowed so many people to squeeze in.
Just then, Pan Xiuying suddenly beckoned to Lu Xuefei, "Lu Xuefei, Miss Lu, come and write calligraphy together! We should also pray for the people and the Great Zhou!"
Upon hearing this, everyone looked in Lu Xuefei's direction, only to see Lu Tingwei with her. The father and daughter looked quite alike.
Jiang Fenghua curled her lips and looked at Lu Xuefei; this was a hurdle she had to overcome herself.
Lu Xuefei glanced at Xie Qi. Xie Qi had been looking for her earlier, but when he saw Lu Tingwei pull his daughter away, he didn't chase after them. Their relationship was a private matter, and he didn't want it to become gossip in Shengjing City again in front of so many people.
Lu Xuefei understood Xie Qi's meaning. It was obvious that Pan Xiuying had deliberately stirred things up at this time. She didn't want to expose her personal feelings for people to gossip about, because even if she did, people would just be watching the show.
She didn't want to become the subject of gossip.
Lu Xuefei slowly walked forward and said directly to Pan Xiuying, "Miss Pan, how do you want to compete? If I remember correctly, Miss Pan mentioned that there are many elders in the main hall who have unique insights into the law. I would also like to meet the famous people that Miss Pan knows. Miss Pan, you are not deliberately trying to cause trouble, are you?"
Pan Xiuying was stunned. When asked to write a blessing, she insisted on using the law as an excuse: "Miss Lu is joking. I really want to help His Highness Prince Qi."
Xie Qi suddenly bowed to Grand Tutor Pan, saying, "I work in the Court of Justice. I only came here in a hurry because Miss Pan mentioned that Grand Tutor Pan wanted to introduce me to some great legal scholars."
Another layer of meaning is that the absence of university graduates with extensive knowledge of laws and regulations indicates that Pan Xiuying is lying.
Grand Tutor Pan also understood. He looked at his granddaughter. When had he ever said he would introduce a legal expert to His Highness Prince Qi? The most knowledgeable person about law in the Great Zhou Dynasty was Lu Tingwei, and Prince Qi was working in the Tingwei Office. The Tingwei Office was the most suitable place for him to learn law.
Pan Xiuying's eyes darted away. She had only said that because she couldn't find an excuse. She thought that it would be over once she got the person away, but she didn't expect Lu Xuefei to follow. She knew that Lu Xuefei was not good at playing the zither, chess, calligraphy, or painting, and was even less proficient in poetry and prose.
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