Chapter 233 Chrysanthemum Appreciation Banquet
Dragon Boat Festival.
The Empress held a chrysanthemum appreciation banquet in the palace.
Fifth-rank officials and their families went to the palace for a banquet.
This year's chrysanthemum appreciation banquet was exceptionally lively.
This is the first chrysanthemum appreciation banquet since the end of the war.
Civil and military officials gathered in celebration, with both veteran and newly appointed officials in one place.
However, many people noticed something unusual about it.
Unlike previous years' banquets.
This year's banquet was divided into several areas.
Unlike in previous years, each household no longer has a fixed location.
Instead, the ministers and their wives were in one area.
The young ladies and gentlemen are in one area.
The Empress smiled and said to everyone, "This banquet is for enjoying flowers and wine. Everyone is gathered together, and the younger generation is not comfortable being confined here. It would be better to let them have their own fun, and we can stargaze together tonight."
The ministers echoed, "Your Majesty is absolutely right."
There are more things to do in the area for young people.
Pitch-pot, Chuiwan (a type of Chinese ball game), riddles, Cuju (ancient Chinese football), archery, and appreciating calligraphy and paintings.
Since they were all young people and there were no elders to restrain them, they quickly became friends.
However, the most lively places were the Cuju (ancient Chinese football) field and the archery field.
Qin Jinzhi, dressed in the latest Rongxiu-style tailoring, sat leisurely on the stands watching.
Many girls secretly glanced over.
He wondered which embroiderer had made Qin Jinzhi's clothes!
At this moment, a commotion broke out on the football field.
"This isn't a place for ladies like you. Go somewhere else."
Li Leyao, along with a group of military officers' families, was unfamiliar with these things in the capital.
However, they often played Cuju (ancient Chinese football) at the border.
Just as they were about to split into teams, a group of young men came over and asked them to give up their space.
Li Leyao frowned. "Why can't Cuju be played by young ladies?"
The young master in the lead sneered, "Fine, if you can kick the ball into the goal from here, we'll give you the field."
The young men behind him also gathered around as if watching a spectacle.
Li Leyao chuckled and lightly flipped the ball with her toes.
The ball was flipped up, and Li Leyao turned and kicked the ball straight into the goal.
The young master who was leading the group immediately felt embarrassed.
She then sneered, "As expected of a descendant of a military general, so vulgar. The ladies of the capital would never be like that."
Li Leyao's face immediately turned cold, and just as she was about to speak, she heard a pleasant voice coming from behind her.
Are you still hiring?
Everyone turned around and saw Cui Ying walking towards them, dressed in very simple training clothes.
Cui Ying stood in front of Li Leyao quite naturally.
She turned to look at the man, "When did you become someone who could replace the ladies of the capital?"
The man never expected that the famous Cui Ying would be associating with these country bumpkins.
His face flushed red. "Miss Cui! You are the epitome of a refined young lady in the capital. Do you intend to stand against the ladies of the capital and be associated with them?"
Cui Ying turned around with a hint of mockery on her face, "What about them? Aren't they ladies from my Jin Kingdom?"
The man immediately replied, "They all come from the borderlands, those places where people fight tooth and nail. How can they be compared to the ladies of my capital!"
Cui Ying's face turned cold. "If it weren't for their fathers and brothers sacrificing themselves to guard the border, would you still be standing here spouting these seemingly profound but actually flawed principles? You can't even have any respect for the daughters of meritorious officials? You haven't even read many volumes of the classics!"
Her words brought tears to the eyes of many women, like Li Leyao, who were from military families.
Since they arrived in the capital, they have been completely out of place with everyone else in the city.
The man said somewhat exasperatedly, "I think Miss Cui is all talk and no action. What kind of first noble lady is she? She's actually associating with country bumpkins!"
Li Leyao immediately retorted, "Shut up! Who do you think you are to insult Miss Cui!"
The man, his neck stiff, said, "Am I wrong?"
He turned around, but there was no one behind him.
The young men who came with him immediately left the moment Cui Ying appeared.
Cui Ying came here clearly to stand up for these girls.
That's Prime Minister Cui's daughter.
Moreover, Cui Ying and Qin Jinzhi are now on good terms.
Qin Jinzhi's reputation for being fiercely protective of her own had spread far and wide.
If she finds out, who knows what that madman might do?
The man, his face flushed, said angrily, "Women and petty men are difficult to deal with. I won't stoop to your level."
He turned to leave when suddenly a peach pit hit him right in the eye.
"Ouch! Who! Who ambushed me!"
The man covered one eye and looked around.
Just as he was about to speak, seeing that Li Leyao and the others were laughing, he was hit in the other eye by a peach pit.
"ah!!!"
The man removed his hands from his eyes, revealing two black eyes.
"Who is it?!"
Suddenly, his gaze fell upon Qin Jinzhi, who was eating a peach on the stands, and looking at him with a smile.
The man was taken aback, then quickly got up, lowered his head, and left.
Li Leyao and the others burst out laughing upon seeing this.
At this moment, several well-known young women from the capital suddenly walked over.
Li Leyao watched as the smiles on their faces vanished again.
After returning to the capital, she was ridiculed by many young women and had no good feelings towards them.
The young woman spoke up, "My name is Su Yue'e, and my father is the Vice Minister of Works. May I ask your name, young lady?"
Li Leyao frowned, but still returned the greeting, "Li Leyao, my father is General Zhongwu."
Just when she thought Su Yue'e was also there to mock them.
Su Yue'e said with some delight, "So you are the daughter of General Zhongwu. No wonder you have such a heroic bearing. I wonder if Miss Li could teach us?"
Li Leyao was taken aback. "You want me to teach you Cuju?"
Su Yue'e nodded.
Li Leyao, not understanding what she meant, asked, "Don't you ladies in the capital always dislike such crude things?"
Su Yue'e smiled and said, "Miss Li, you don't need to pay attention to what that person said. Cuju is not just a game for men. My mother was very good at cuju when she was young. It's just a pity that she is too old to teach me personally now. I was amazed by Miss Li's kick just now."
Li Leyao blushed slightly at the compliment, "Miss Su, you flatter me. It's nothing. We used to play this all the time when we were at the border."
The other young ladies who came along also asked with great delight, "Could you teach us too? My mother said that when she was young, there were quite a few skilled Cuju players among the young ladies in the capital."
At this moment, Cui Ying spoke up, "Then let's play together."
Su Yue'e's eyes lit up when she heard Cui Ying speak. "Miss Cui, I have always admired you. I wonder if we could appreciate calligraphy and paintings together after the football match?"
Cui Ying replied politely, "Of course."
The group of girls immediately cheered with joy.
Qin Jinzhi leisurely watched the crowd.
The power of worship is indeed quite strong.
These daughters of military officers were slow to integrate into the capital.
But now that Cui Ying, the most noble lady in the capital, is here, breaking down the barriers is only a matter of time.
Suddenly, a voice asked from the side, "Are you really willing to let me leave the capital?"
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