Chapter 1241 Beauty as Poetry
Yu Mingyue wore a bright red brocade dress with gold-embroidered bird patterns. The skirt was layered, resembling a blooming peony. It was dusk, and the setting sun cast its light on the gold-embroidered bird patterns on her dress, making them shimmer and appear ready to take flight. Combined with her head full of jewels, she looked extremely noble.
Yuwen Ye glanced at her and gave a slight bow, saying, "Crown Princess."
Shang Ruyi smiled and said, "I didn't expect to run into His Highness the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess here. What a coincidence."
Yu Mingyue said, "I didn't expect that the King and Queen of Qin would be so attentive, arriving even earlier than us."
Hearing this, Shang Ruyi sneered inwardly. No matter how important this event was, it was just an ordinary family banquet on the surface, and there was no rule about who arrived first. But her words made it sound like they were stealing credit for arriving early.
Although she sneered inwardly, Shang Ruyi maintained a gentle and warm demeanor on her face and said with a smile, "What the Crown Princess says is quite right. I specifically urged Prince Qin to come over as soon as possible. There are benefits to it."
Yuwen Ye glanced down at her, and Yu Mingyue immediately sneered, "What benefits could make the Prince of Qin and Princess Qin so impatient?"
Shang Ruyi smiled and said, "Your Highness, you probably haven't noticed, but before sunset, the viewing pool on the Thousand-Step Corridor is bathed in myriad rays of light, with golden waves reflecting on the lake, making the water and sky blend into one, both dyed with the crimson glow of the sunset. This is a view that money can't buy. When I left the palace to move into the Prince of Qin's residence, this was the place I was most reluctant to leave behind. Today is just right, and the timing is perfect. If we had come any later, we would have missed it, which is why I urged the Prince of Qin to come early. Since we've met His Highness and His Highness the Crown Prince and His Highness the Crown Princess here, why don't we go and enjoy the view together?"
Yu Mingyue's expression darkened slightly.
Upon hearing the word "benefits," she had intended to use it to satirize the two people before her for being overly ambitious, but Shang Ruyi's gentle words countered her, making her seem like she was too calculating. However, unwilling to be outdone, she smiled and said, "Is it the scenery in the palace that Princess Qin is reluctant to part with?"
Shang Ruyi smiled and asked, "What is it in the palace that the Crown Princess is reluctant to part with?"
Although the two were smiling, the wit in their words was no less sharp than the swordplay on the battlefield.
Finally, Yuwen Ye said, "Alright, any later and we really won't make it."
After saying that, he looked up at Yuwen Qian and asked, "Brother, would you like to come along?"
Yuwen Qian glanced at them indifferently, his semi-transparent eyes filled with the golden light of the setting sun, making it impossible to discern his emotions. He calmly said, "No need. The scenery I cherish is not in this palace."
Yuwen Ye and Shang Ruyi both glanced at him, while Yuwen Qian calmly turned away: "Let's go into the palace first."
So, the group walked together into the palace gate.
Although Yuwen Qian said it wasn't necessary, the road to Baifu Hall after entering the palace still passed through the Thousand Steps Corridor. Sure enough, they saw the mountain and water pond rippling slightly in the breeze, the surface of the water shimmering like countless gold foils scattered from the sky, radiant and colorful. Xiao Yuangan, who had been clinging to Shang Ruyi's leg and refusing to go forward to see the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, became excited at this moment, shouting and trying to run over there.
Tushe'er bent down and carefully protected him as if he were protecting his own eyes: "Your Highness, be careful!"
Yuwen Ye turned to Yuwen Qian and said, "Brother, I will take Ruyi and Yuangan over to enjoy the scenery first, and then we will go to Qinqin Tower later."
Yuwen Qian nodded, said nothing more, and led Yu Mingyue away.
Watching their figures disappear into the distance, Shang Ruyi let out a soft hum. Yuwen Ye led her toward the Thousand Steps Corridor, laughing as they walked, "What are you humming about? You didn't spare the Crown Princess just now either."
Shang Ruyi said, "She came up to me herself and told me not to let her off the hook."
Yuwen Ye laughed.
He had his share of heated debates over important matters, but when it came to Yu Mingyue, firstly, he looked down on her, and secondly, as a man and the younger brother-in-law, he couldn't very well argue with his sister-in-law. But with Shang Ruyi around, it was different. She was born with a personality that didn't want to be taken advantage of, and she was eloquent. Yu Mingyue could hardly get any advantage over her, and they didn't have to suffer any humiliation.
So he reached out and gently put his arm around her: "Let's go."
Shang Ruyi followed him forward. By this time, Xiao Yuangan had already reached the Thousand Steps Corridor. He was very happy to be back in a familiar place and ran along the corridor, attracting Tu She'er and the others to chase after him with shouts. He found it amusing and ran even more energetically. The joyful laughter of children and women echoed within the silent palace walls.
When they stopped, Xiao Yuangan suddenly pointed to the shimmering pool and said, "Pee-pee."
"Yes, Fishy."
Although his speech was unclear, Tushe'er understood perfectly. He even picked up a small stone from the roadside and threw it over. With a splash, the stone hit the pond and immediately created a spray of water. Then, a golden carp suddenly leaped out of the water, bit a lotus petal, and disappeared back into the water. This immediately startled the other fish, who followed suit. Thousands of fiery red koi gathered and swam, and the surface of the water rippled like a boiling pot of soup, sparkling and dazzling.
Upon seeing this, Xiao Yuangan screamed with joy, clapping and jumping around.
Shang Ruyi also laughed and said, "That's really interesting."
Yuwen Ye looked around with his hands behind his back and said, "Aside from that one time when I accompanied your brother and Xingyuan to visit this inner court, I haven't been here much. I didn't know there was such beautiful scenery here."
Shang Ruyi smiled and said, "How can one know the beauty of spring without visiting the garden?"
After saying that, she exclaimed "Huh?" as if wondering why such a sentence had suddenly popped into her head. Even Yuwen Ye looked down at her and smiled, "What you said sounds interesting."
"..."
"However, it's already summer now, not springtime anymore."
He didn't dwell on that statement, and looking at the willows hanging like smoke under the eaves of the long corridor, he said, "I remember last time, after your visit to the garden, you even had a poetry contest with the Crown Princess. But her poem—"
Shang Ruyi snorted again. Ever since Shen Wuzheng deduced that the poems Yu Mingyue recited were probably all masterpieces by others that she had memorized, she no longer felt inferior because she was slightly inferior in literary talent. She was even more indignant that Shen Wuzheng had come in second place in the poetry competition after the battle of Fufeng.
She said, "What's so great about writing poetry? I can do it effortlessly."
"Oh? Say something, I'd like to hear it."
What should the topic be?
"Given the current scene..."
"good,"
Shang Ruyi agreed, reaching out to fiddle with the willow branches swaying in the wind before her. She then looked up at the remnants of red blossoms on the peach tree across the pond, thought for a moment, and softly recited: "...The new peach blossoms by the well steal a blush, the tender willows by the eaves learn to be light and graceful. Butterflies dance among the flowers, orioles sing their warbling songs in the trees..."
"The new peach blossoms on the inoue steal the color of their faces, the tender willows by the eaves mimic their lightness..."
Yuwen Ye repeated it in a low voice, then looked down at Shang Ruyi. His lips pursed, and his usually cold and calm eyes were suddenly filled with a smile. After Shang Ruyi recited the poem, she suddenly blushed a little.
In the past, when she wrote poems, she was always filled with lofty aspirations or had other thoughts in mind; she rarely had the leisure to simply write about beautiful scenery.
More importantly, it uses beautiful scenery to depict people.
But Yuwen Ye wasn't finished. After repeating the two lines of poetry again, he deliberately leaned close to her ear and said, "Hmm, that's right."
Shang Ruyi turned her head away, revealing only the tip of her bright red ear.
Yuwen Ye chuckled, gently pulling her closer as he laughed, and then said, "Your poem is good, but it sounds rather disjointed."
Shang Ruyi's face flushed again.
She couldn't tell him that she had a complete poem in mind, but if she recited it aloud, he would laugh at her even more. So she coughed lightly and deliberately said, "You asked me to compose a poem in such a hurry, how could it be so well-thought-out? A couple of lines are enough."
Yuwen Ye glanced at her and smiled, "Okay."
As the two were whispering, Xiao Yuangan ran out from the other end of the corridor again, with Tu She'er and the others still chasing after him. Seeing this, Shang Ruyi immediately laughed, but then she remembered something, turned around and glanced at the palace gate on the other side, and said, "Why don't we go to the Kissing Pavilion?"
When this was mentioned, Yuwen Ye slightly suppressed his smile and said calmly, "Let them meet first and discuss how to deal with me."
Shang Ruyi laughed: "Alright, so that we don't have to deal with them each saying their own thing."
The two stood in the corridor, admiring the beautiful scenery and playing with Xiao Yuangan, until the sun began to set and the golden light on the pond gradually faded. Only then did they turn and walk towards the Kissing Pavilion.
By this time, it was getting dark, but as soon as we approached the Hundred Blessings Hall, our eyes were immediately brightened.
The Qinqin Building has two floors, and lanterns hang under the eaves, illuminating the entire building. The main gate is open, and brightly dressed palace maids and eunuchs are busy going in and out. A cool night breeze blows, and you can already smell a faint, refreshing aroma of wine mixed in.
Yuwen Ye led Shang Ruyi and the others over, and as soon as they reached the gate, they heard the eunuch at the entrance announce—
"The King of Qin has arrived! The Queen Consort of Qin has arrived!"
When they went inside, they found that not only Yuwen Qian and Yu Mingyue had arrived, but also the birthday celebrant Yuwen Cheng. Even Emperor Yuwen Yuan had arrived long ago and was sitting in front of the main hall, seemingly talking to Yuwen Cheng. The father and son looked a little solemn, but as soon as they heard the greeting at the door, they immediately stopped.
All eyes turned to the main entrance.
Yuwen Ye and the others entered the building and immediately knelt and bowed to Yuwen Yuan, who was sitting in the main hall: "Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty, long live the Emperor!"
Yuwen Yuan straightened his expression, then a smile appeared on his lips: "Get up. Tonight is a family dinner, no need for formalities."
Just as Yuwen Ye and the others stood up, a scream suddenly rang out in the relatively quiet hall—
"Oh!"
Before anyone could react, Xiao Yuangan broke free from Tushe'er's grasp and dashed straight up into the hall.
"well--"
Shang Ruyi was shocked and before she could stop him, Xiao Yuangan had already bumped into Yuwen Yuan's arms. Although Yuwen Yuan was almost knocked over by the impact, he still managed to steady himself, laughed, and hugged his grandson tightly, saying, "Yuanzi, you've seen your royal grandfather again. Are you happy?"
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