Yi Gua (颐卦) - Middle and Upper Trigram
Chapter 27 Yi Hexagram (Upper Middle Hexagram) - Poisoning
A warm spring breeze swept through the garden, carrying with it the fragrance of perfume, and even the withered branches behind it sprouted buds. Because of this Flower Festival, the flowers transported from Jiangdong and Jiangxi provinces were being tended daily by charcoal fires.
The crackling sound of the charcoal fire was crisp between the two of them. Liu Yutang looked at Rong Yan with a hint of disdain. Her brother, whom no one in the world could compare to, had been abandoned by the materialistic Rong family. How could she not be angry?!
I thought she would panic and then try to coax me with sweet words to gain my forgiveness.
Unexpectedly, Rong Yan on the other side simply pursed his lips, smiled as if suddenly realizing something, and that was it.
That's it?!
Liu Yutang frowned slightly. Knowing her personality, she would never suffer in silence. If her father and brothers had half her character, they wouldn't have been humiliated like this. So she spoke frankly, "Yutang has not yet congratulated Madam Rong on her wedding, but she should also thank the Rong family for not marrying her. Today you can be so materialistic, but tomorrow you will abandon us when disaster strikes. Thanks to you, my father and brothers have all passed the imperial examinations and will soon be taking up high-ranking positions. Only then can I enjoy this Hundred Flowers Festival as an official's wife."
Rong Yan had no way to defend herself. The Rong family was indeed materialistic and snobbish. She obeyed her parents' wishes to marry in place of Liu Sanlang to bring him good luck, which was indeed a disservice to Liu Sanlang's reputation.
However, Liu Sanlang was not fond of her either.
The only thing binding the two of them was a marriage contract from their childhood. If he truly cared, when she was exiled to a Taoist temple for ten years, living a life of poverty and hardship, did he ever show any concern for her?
Let alone showing concern, if there were any intention, it wouldn't have been so many years since we last met. We only met briefly before he left to study.
At that time, the two of them were still young, and his visit to them was merely due to the constraints of worldly views.
The so-called Liu family backing down is nothing more than them looking down on her as their daughter-in-law.
Liu Sanlang was ambitious and talented, and Liu's wife would certainly not look down on a concubine's daughter who had been exiled to a Taoist temple.
If Rong Yan were to reveal the Liu family's and Liu Ziqian's true intentions here, it would only make them a laughingstock.
Rong Yan's silence did not mean that others would let her off the hook.
The young lady behind Liu Yutang, whose identity as the wife of some official was unknown, immediately joined in the mockery.
“I say, Madam Liu, why bother with her? Young Master Liu has a bright future, and Madam Liu’s status is rising accordingly. She has just offended Princess Yongqing. If I were you, I shouldn’t pay any attention to her. Now that the eldest son of the Marquis of Runan has also woken up, the princess will definitely not tolerate her. She will probably be sent back to that little Taoist temple soon. In the future, if we go to offer incense, you’ll have to do your job for us.”
Upon hearing this, Liu Yutang also felt a sense of disgust towards her; she had seen far too many sycophants like this. She immediately turned her head away, too lazy to bother with or agree with her.
She may look down on Rong Yan, but that doesn't necessarily mean she'll take sides and join in bullying her.
Rong Yan stared intently at the young lady and immediately knew she was a member of the princess's faction. She knew that the princess's absence didn't mean "her mouth" wasn't there.
The smile on his lips did not fade. "My Taoist temple may be small, but it can still get things done. If you want to ask me for a favor, that's fine. However, I don't handle matters for the living. But if it's your funeral or the funeral of your relatives, I can handle it. If it's based on my current status, it'll cost three thousand taels of silver."
Liu Yutang turned around in surprise and looked at Rong Yan, somewhat taken aback.
Young lady: !!!
Three thousand taels?!
Her father's annual salary was only a few hundred taels even if he didn't eat or drink, so three thousand taels was an outrageous demand!
Besides, this is clearly a curse to kill her!
"Hmph, I hope you'll still be so quick-witted when you meet the princess in the future!"
“I am the eldest daughter-in-law of the Marquis of Runan’s mansion, and it is not your place to ridicule me.”
Ah, so this is how effective it is to bully others by abusing one's power. The title of "Madam" is definitely not something to be wasted.
A simple sentence reveals his identity; he didn't insult anyone, yet it was more humiliating than insults.
The young lady was silenced by a casual remark, but she didn't know how to respond tactfully. She could only bite her lower lip in resentment and look at Liu Yutang.
"I didn't expect that Madam would change so much after getting married." Liu Yutang didn't continue speaking. She wasn't as gentle and taciturn as the rumors suggested.
The young lady who had suffered a loss was not foolish enough to slander Xie Chengzhi. After all, he was the eldest son of the Marquis of Runan, a good friend of the Prince of Yan, and the nephew of the former empress, holding a high position and great power.
Several young ladies in the distance were secretly pleased to see Rong Yan teach Xin Niangzi a lesson, but they dared not show it on their faces.
Lady Xin is the daughter of the county magistrate. She usually associates with Princess Yongqing. Even though she has suffered a verbal loss, she dares not forget what the princess told her.
She had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "I've heard that you are a talented poet at the Hundred Flowers Poetry Gathering later. I hope to have the opportunity to witness your literary prowess."
As everyone knows, Rong Shu is the most talented member of the Rong family. Rong Yan dares to come to such an occasion. Not only will he lose face for the Rong family, but the title of the eldest daughter-in-law will also be dishonored!
Thinking of this, she felt a little better and smiled at the other young ladies, saying, "How about we start our poetry gathering a little earlier?"
The people from Consort Rong's palace were still there to serve her. They quickly laid out brocade mats and low tables on the altar, and placed exquisite snacks and fruits on them.
The most eye-catching item was the plates of processed pufferfish slices arranged on top, along with a sauce made from ground okra roots.
Having not tasted raw fish for a long time, I was immediately delighted.
Pots of beautifully blooming flowers were placed beside him, and the palace musicians plucked the strings at just the right moment.
The sounds of string and bamboo instruments, accompanied by flowing water and wine cups, created a truly luxurious and enchanting atmosphere.
After a while, the "Flowing Water Banquet" made of low tables was ready. Plates of dishes flowed down the stream, and the palace maids kept stirring the water.
It has to be admitted that Rong Yan was quite engrossed in watching.
The people in the palace are skilled, quick, and efficient; their work is both aesthetically pleasing and efficient.
She had absolutely no interest in poetry and songs; she hadn't memorized enough Tang poems, Song lyrics, and Yuan songs in her previous life.
The raw pufferfish slices were not placed in running water, but were instead served one by one to each person's table by the palace maids.
Nameplates were placed on the desks beforehand, and everyone took their seats in turn. Unexpectedly, someone's sleeve accidentally knocked the nameplates over.
The palace maid immediately knelt down in fear, but the young lady from the Duke's family gently comforted her, "It's alright, it's just a nameplate. Everyone, please feel free to sit down."
Everyone then took their seats. After the banquet began, Rong Yan picked up a piece of raw pufferfish and put it in her mouth. She didn't know if Xie Chengzhi had eaten breakfast when she rushed to the palace today; she only knew that she was really hungry.
The pufferfish slices were cleaned very thoroughly and coated with a sauce made from okra root. The pungent, sweet, and crunchy texture made the many noble ladies at the table eat in complete silence.
Rong Yan then picked up the osmanthus cake placed next to her. The cake had a rich osmanthus fragrance, and when she took a bite, she had a soft and glutinous texture. The glutinous rice ball was filled with red bean paste.
One bite fills your mouth with fragrance, and the aftertaste has a subtle taro aroma.
Her gaze then fell on the small pastries floating by. They were shaped like small tofu pieces, sprinkled with coconut shreds, and swayed slightly with the water, indicating that they were quite elastic.
Before she could even try, she heard the noblewoman beside her softly calling her, "Madam, Madam."
Rong Yan looked up and saw that many noble ladies were looking at her. At this moment, the Duke's daughter smiled and said, "It's your turn, Madam. We started with lychees."
She kindly reminded her; as expected of the daughter of a duke, she was very thoughtful.
Rong Yan disliked these poetry gatherings in the first place, and if it were a matter of voluntary poetry writing, she would certainly not do it. However, since it was a rotating event, and she had a certain status at the moment, it wouldn't be appropriate to refuse.
Liu Yutang had previously composed a poem that was the best in the room, and all the young ladies applauded in admiration.
“If you can’t come up with a matching poem, Madam, you can skip it. There’s no need to cater to us. Back in the day, our eldest son was a master of poetry, unmatched by anyone,” Madam Xin quickly added.
This was a cleverly worded statement, intended to cut off Rong Yan's escape route. If she were wrong, she would not only be admitting her lack of talent but also disgracing Xie Chengzhi.
The topic about lychees was specially asked to her by Princess Yongqing. Back then, her eldest sister won the poetry competition with a poem on the topic of lychees. As a concubine's daughter, she was the last one to start her studies and was an uneducated concubine's daughter. If she could come up with a matching poem, it would be truly laughable.
The princess intended to expose her wounds in public, making her feel both ashamed and embarrassed by the past.
The princess invited Liu Yutang to the palace only to use her talent to embarrass Rong Yan.
The poem she just composed was among the best in the room.
Only Rong Yan's shortcomings can truly highlight her virtues.
She was finally able to vent her anger after suffering such a loss!
Her words, though seemingly considerate, were actually quite embarrassing. The young ladies from the Duke's mansion felt awkward and wanted to say something to smooth things over, but Rong Yan said, "Then I'll make a fool of myself and compare."
She genuinely dislikes the hassle and doesn't care about vying for these titles; what use are the praises from outsiders?
It's better to cherish the present moment and savor the delicacies of the palace.
However, for some reason, what came to mind was Xie Chengzhi accompanying her into the palace, his figure walking alone into the distance.
It was her mother-in-law, Madam Wang, who said, "When you go to the palace, make sure he does his best to perform well."
She lowered her eyes and smiled. What a hassle. She didn't want to compete, but if she did, what business was it of anyone else?
Rong Yan wore a relaxed and confident smile, which puzzled Liu Yutang.
She's about to embarrass herself, so why is she so relaxed and at ease?
Rong Yan calmly put down her chopsticks, looked around at the young ladies who were all waiting for her to recite her poem, and said leisurely with a smile: "Spring river willows green fairy cave, new rain on the bank red lychee. The world's fairy fruits are as clever as playing with, crimson gauze dress seen in ice palace."
Without much thought, Rong Yan blurted out a poem, not a single line of lyrics.
Everyone: !
Before the Duke's daughter Zhao Hong arrived, she had already rehearsed who would be attending. Knowing that Rong Yan was somewhat lacking in poetry and prose, everyone wanted to smooth things over by having her help. However, before she could even say anything, Rong Yan had already written a poem in no time!
The expressions on everyone's faces were nothing short of astonishment. Not only were the tones and rhymes perfectly matched, but the person had just been saying, "Let's check it out," and the next second a whole poem had appeared!
This is a complete seven-character quatrain with tonal patterns and rhyme scheme, and its metrical rules are much stricter than those of lyrics. Everyone was even more astonished because they saw Rong Yan compose the matching poem without hesitation.
Everyone present was racking their brains before it was their turn, but Rong Yan's reaction clearly showed that he wasn't thinking about getting it right. He only participated because Xin Niangzi called on him.
After the initial shock, someone burst into applause, exclaiming, "What a wonderful poem!"
Liu Yutang's expression changed immediately. She had recited two lines of poetry in front of Rong Yan, but at most she could only match the tones and rhymes, and the rhymes were not perfect.
It is extremely difficult to produce a first-rate poem in such a short time.
She had always prided herself on being a talented woman, but today she realized there were always mountains beyond mountains and people beyond people. And this person was someone she had always looked down upon.
It is said that a person's poetry reflects their character, and her poems are not at all mercenary; on the contrary, they are extremely fresh and refined!
Her face grew increasingly red, even her earlobes were so red they looked like they were about to bleed. She thought it was because she was a little emotional, so she reached out and touched her ears, then scratched her throat. Her breathing became more and more rapid, and finally she took a few deep breaths, her face turning a little purple.
The noblewoman next to her then noticed that something was wrong with Liu Yutang and exclaimed in surprise. Liu Yutang then reached out to grab the wrist of the person next to her, which frightened the noblewoman into screaming loudly.
Rong Yan then looked up and saw Liu Yutang convulsing and lying on the ground, looking pained.
When Rong Yan saw that her throat was purple, he immediately looked at the plate on her table. There were still some pufferfish innards and fish eyes left that she hadn't finished eating.
Oh no, I've been poisoned!
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