"Is that man a descendant of a military family?" Zhang Xiaojing asked again, "He can carry you on his back and run up the mountain. I'm sure he must be very skilled and strong, right?"

"No, he is the grandson of the Minister, and a student of the Imperial College. He is thin and handsome, and not as strong as me." Li Mingyue buried her head in her knees and said in a mosquito-like voice, "I really don't know how he carried me up the mountain."

"Oh, so that's it..." Zhang Xiaojing breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing Li Mingyue's crazy look, she thought the county lady fell in love with that guy. But after listening to Li Mingyue's description, Zhang Xiaojing thought to herself: "No, the county lady doesn't like this kind of weak scholar."

After all, in their circle, it is a well-known secret that Xu Yuanchun likes Li Mingyue.

Master Xu is the eldest son and grandson of Xu Jie, the Prime Minister of the Cabinet. He is handsome, elegant, and academically outstanding. He always ranks first in the imperial examinations of the Imperial College. He is simply the impeccable dream lover of young ladies.

But the county lady was not interested in him at all.

The final result of everyone's discussion was that Princess Lanling did not like weak scholars. She should prefer those sons of noble families who were strong and skilled in archery and horse riding.

Although Zhang Xiaojing scoffed at their speculations, she actually felt that the man who could conquer Lanling County Lady in the future must be a man who could go crazy with her to the ends of the earth and was proficient in both civil and military affairs.

~~

"After all your talk, I'm curious about who this person is." After hearing Li Mingyue say that he could also boil willow bark in water to reduce fever, Zhang Xiaojing wanted to meet this know-it-all and see which minister's grandson he was.

"His name is Zhao Hao, and he is the grandson of Zhao Liben, the former vice minister of the Ministry of Revenue in Nanjing." Of course Li Mingyue told her best friend everything she knew.

"It's him?" Zhang Xiaojing covered her mouth, her face full of disbelief. "How could it be him? This is unbelievable, isn't it?"

"What's wrong with him? Do you know him?" Li Mingyue asked anxiously.

"Of course I know this Mr. Zhao, but he doesn't know me." Zhang Xiaojing smiled bitterly, took out a carefully covered book from the embroidered small bag she carried with her, and opened it to show Li Mingyue.

Li Mingyue then realized that it was the book "First Encounters" that she had given her. After turning over the corny words "If only life could be like first encounter" on the title page, there was the author's introduction.

'The poet's name is Xiao Zhao Gongzi Hao, a native of Xiuning, Huizhou. His grandfather, Zhao Gong, was the right assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue in Nanjing...'

"Ah!" Li Mingyue was also quite surprised. She covered her mouth with her hands and ended up dropping Zhang Xiaojing's precious book on the ground.

Zhang Xiaojing hurriedly picked it up and wiped the cover carefully, even though the ground was spotless.

~~

"I never thought that the one who saved you was Young Master Zhao." Zhang Xiaojing looked at Li Mingyue with some envy.

"Young Master Zhao, why do you have to add a little?" Li Mingyue grumbled in dissatisfaction, and then touched her chin and said, "I didn't expect that he could write poetry..."

"Maybe it's because he's young." Zhang Xiaojing replied with a smile: "Just like Xiao Li, Xiao Du, and Xiao Su."

At that time, she was still young and did not understand the word "small", which contained so many regrets and expectations of the Qinhuai ladies.

Li Mingyue's expression suddenly tensed up, and she looked at Zhang Xiaojing eagerly and asked, "You like him, right?"

"Ahem..." Zhang Xiaojing almost fainted from her words. Her pretty face turned red as she said, "What nonsense are you talking about? I don't even know him."

"I see you holding his book all day long, and talking about his poems all the time..." Li Mingyue said with a smile, sitting cross-legged.

"I still watch the Three Lis and the Three Lius all day long. How can I like them?" Zhang Xiaojing said with a smile, "I like their poems, not them as people. Do you understand?"

"Oh, I see..." Li Mingyue breathed a sigh of relief, but still asked with some concern: "Are you sure? Maybe you will fall in love with her once you meet her."

"I'm sure and certain." Zhang Xiaojing rolled her eyes and said, "Don't you want to know who my father is? I don't even dare to have such a thought."

"That's right. I heard from my mother that the civil and military officials in the court fear your father even more than Lord Xu." Li Mingyue was completely relieved and smiled, "Being your father's son-in-law is scary."

"Don't talk nonsense." Zhang Xiaojing pretended to be angry and said, "My father is not a tiger."

"Okay, let's talk seriously." Li Mingyue sat up straight, looked at Zhang Xiaojing with a look of inquiry, and said, "What kind of girl do you think he would like?"

"Who is he?" Zhang Xiaojing teased her deliberately.

"That's right, that's right..." Li Mingyue blushed and choked for a while, then said in a weak voice, "That's Young Master Zhao."

"Oh, it's him." Zhang Xiaojing showed a teasing smile, but Li Mingyue grabbed her shoulders with both hands and shook her. She then begged for mercy and said she didn't dare to do it again.

Then she thought seriously for a while, and then answered seriously: "Bai Juyi said, 'Words are the seedlings of the heart, and actions are the roots of literature. Therefore, by reading your poems, I can also know what kind of person you are.' Therefore, if you want to understand a person, just read his poems. The poems of an honest person must be solemn, the poems of a dashing person must be elegant, the poems of an upright person must be tragic and majestic, the poems of a heroic person must be unrestrained, and the poems of a cautious person must be rigorous. This is what is given by nature and what is inherited, not what can be learned..."

Li Mingyue felt dizzy and interrupted Zhang Xiaojing's long speech with a wave of her hand: "Just tell me, what kind of person can you tell from his poems?"

"A man of integrity and generosity!" Zhang Xiaojing said decisively, "A poet who can write 'The Nine Provinces rely on wind and thunder for vitality' and 'Talented men emerge in every generation' must be a man with a broad mind, just like... my father."

"Wow..." Li Mingyue was confused at first, but now she had a picture in her mind. She smiled and said, "This is not easy. Just tell me what your mother is like."

"Mother is as quiet and serene as the blue clouds emerging from the mountains, and as gentle and elegant as the spring breeze. She never speaks harshly when teaching us..." Zhang Xiaojing then answered with admiration, "She usually smiles without showing her teeth, and walks without looking back. She likes reading and embroidery, and often plays a game of chess with my father when the lights are on. Occasionally, when she is in the mood, she will also play the zither and flute with him."

Every time Li Mingyue heard a sentence, her mouth twitched. This, this, this, isn’t this just the opposite of Li Mingyue?

Seeing her stunned look, Zhang Xiaojing asked helplessly, "County Lady, you are not really in love with Young Master Zhao, are you?"

"This..." Li Mingyue thought for a moment and said in confusion, "What does it mean to like someone?"

"To like someone means 'I miss you like a bright candle, burning my heart with tears'; it means 'I miss you like crazy when I haven't seen you for a day'; it means 'I will never regret even if my clothes become looser and I become haggard for you'..." Zhang Xiaojing said softly with a fascinated look on her face.

"Oh, so that's it..." Li Mingyue nodded, not quite understanding, and then thought carefully: "So, these days, whenever I have free time, I think of him. Sometimes I think of him while eating, and sometimes I dream about him when I sleep. But I didn't shed any tears or lose any weight."

"That means I like him a little..." Zhang Xiaojing smiled and said, "Otherwise, why would you be so worried about him?"

"So this is a little bit of a crush on him." Li Mingyue patted her fair forehead and announced to her bestie, "Okay, I officially declare that I'm a little bit in love with him!"

"This is really your style..." Zhang Xiaojing felt both amused and envious.

In this world, being able to do whatever a girl wants may be the most luxurious thing.

"I have decided. From today on, I will work hard to change myself and become a person like your mother!" Li Mingyue set a great ambition.

"County Lady, what you said sounds like an insult..." Zhang Xiaojing was both amused and confused.

ps. The fourth update is here. Thanks to the new leader 'dArkne33'. Please give me the monthly ticket and recommendation ticket~~~