Chapter 28 The Double-Pupiled Beauty in the Backyard of the Deep Mansion (10)
For a moment, Luo Yunyao's expression twisted, and her sharp nails dug deep into her flesh before she calmed down.
Then a gentle smile appeared on her face, and she said, "Sister, I went to the imperial palace with the Emperor before. I had heard that you preferred peace and quiet, so I didn't have a chance to come and bother you. I'm only visiting you today. I hope you're not angry?"
Although Luo Yunyao wanted nothing more than to tear Luo Shu apart, she still had to smile and say these caring words. She had to maintain her perfect young lady persona and couldn't let her gentle, virtuous, and well-mannered image collapse in just one meeting.
As Luo Yunyao sized up Luo Shu, Luo Shu was also looking at Luo Yunyao. The woman in front of her had fair and delicate skin, a beautiful face, and wore luxurious clothes and accessories. Her eyes held a hint of arrogance, mixed with jealousy, and her face was quite pretty.
What do you want?
Luo Shu's words were as cold as ever, and her short sentence seemed to have angered Luo Yunyao.
"Sister, as your elder sister, shouldn't you greet me first?"
Luo Yunyao spoke sternly, her face showing anger, as if she was annoyed by her younger sister Luo Shu's unruly behavior.
Luo Shu glanced at her indifferently, then lay back down on the recliner, covering herself with the embroidered handkerchief. She acted as she pleased, completely ignoring Luo Yunyao in front of her.
Enraged, Luo Yunyao ordered her maid to remove the brocade veil from Luo Shu's face, but Wufu and Chun'er stopped her. This made Luo Yunyao even angrier. How dare two uncouth maids disobey her orders? She had only gone to the imperial palace, and the world of the Luo family had changed?
"Yun Yao, what are you doing?"
Several more people arrived at the courtyard gate, led by Madam Luo. Her expression was slightly grim, and her aura was intimidating. Even Luo Yunyao dared not continue her presumptuous behavior, turning back to bow and saying, "Mother, I came to visit my sister out of good intentions, but who knew she would be so arrogant, so incredibly..."
She didn't say what she was going to say, leaving it to everyone's imagination. Luo Yunyao's eyes were filled with tears, seemingly about to fall but not quite, like a pear blossom in spring rain, extremely pitiful.
However, Luo's mother said sternly, "Don't disturb your sister's peace. Your sister has suffered for many years, and now she is finally willing to live here. You should be more tolerant of your sister and not bother her anymore. Go back with your mother."
Luo Yunyao wanted to say something more, but seeing her mother's increasingly sharp gaze, she dared not say another word and left the courtyard with her mother's hand.
Throughout the entire process, Luo Shu did not make any move. As far as she was concerned, she would watch the people of the Luo family perform if they wanted to, but it was absolutely impossible for her to provide them with a stage.
"Mother, what kind of magic did that little hussy use to get Father to give her my courtyard?"
Luo Yunyao sat angrily opposite her mother, and when she got angry, she slammed her hand on the chair she was sitting on.
Luo's mother slowly poured her a cup of tea and said indifferently, "With her looks, your father would surely dote on her. She could be of great use in the future."
Madam Luo took a sip of tea and said, "My son, there's no need to be angry. She's just a woman who uses her looks to please men. Why are you worried? My son, you should make a decision soon. The Second Prince and the Fourth Prince came to the manor to see her before. You should make a decision as soon as possible."
Luo Yunyao thought of the Second Prince, that gentle and refined man. No matter how reluctant she was, she had to let go. Li Xuanshu had never had any feelings for her, yet he personally came to the mansion to see Luo Shu. There was no longer any possibility between them. If she could not have love, then she would become the most honored woman in the dynasty and have him bow down to her in the future.
Luo Yunyao looked somewhat frantic. She looked at her mother and nodded, saying, "Then, Mother, I will send a message to the First Prince and ask him to request the Emperor to grant us a marriage. We will finalize the marriage this morning."
Madam Luo was not surprised by Luo Yunyao's decision.
The eldest prince has long admired Yun Yao. Although he is still somewhat reckless, his mother's family is very powerful, so he is not without a chance to compete for that position. In addition, with the Luo family, he should be able to secure the position.
Luo Yunyao had a heart-to-heart talk with her mother, and after lunch, she went to her own courtyard.
Two days later, after receiving Luo Yunyao's letter, the eldest prince couldn't wait to enter the palace and request the emperor to grant them a marriage, but this was something the emperor did not want to see.
The Luo family is powerful, and the eldest prince is already ambitious. He is getting old, and the alliance between these two powerful families may force him to a dead end.
Furthermore, the increasingly severe drought in recent days has greatly affected the old emperor's mood.
In ancient times, when natural disasters occurred, the emperor would issue an edict of self-reproach. Even if it had little to do with the emperor, in the eyes of the people, a natural disaster was a sign of the emperor's dereliction of duty.
Moreover, the Yan state sent an envoy to visit, and the two countries were at odds. The envoy's visit to Yan at this time was even more ill-intentioned. There were a lot of problems, and this son was adding to the emperor's troubles, making the emperor increasingly disgusted with him.
The old emperor did not agree to the eldest prince's request for a marriage, saying that he was too busy today and if he was too free, the eldest prince would be in charge of receiving the envoy from Yan. If the task was handled well, the emperor could grant him a marriage at the end of the year.
The eldest prince encountered a setback, not expecting to succeed on the first try. He hoped his mother would put in some effort, especially since she was the Empress Dowager's niece. With the Empress Dowager and his mother involved, the matter would be much easier to achieve, as they were both happy to see him and Luo Yunyao's marriage.
The eldest prince sent a message to Luo Yunyao, saying that he might be busy with the reception of the envoy delegation recently, and that he would wait for his father, the emperor, to bestow a marriage upon him at the end of the year after completing his duties.
Not to mention that Luo Yunyao was furious and tore up the letter after receiving the news, the envoy from Yan was not so easy to deal with.
The envoy who came to the State of Yan to serve as an envoy to the State of Qi this time was the assassin who failed to capture last time, Prince Wei Chengyan of the State of Yan.
Although his assassination attempt failed last time, he obtained a lot of intelligence. Instead of returning to Yan, he remained in Qi, secretly gathering important information. He also contacted Yan and joined the envoy delegation.
Wei Chengyan was well aware of the struggle for the throne in Qi. His purpose in exploring Qi again was to stir up trouble and cause internal strife in Qi. He would then launch an attack, putting Qi in a difficult situation both internally and externally, thus securing his own imperial power.
Moreover, he learned that the girl who saved him last time was Luo Yunyao, the eldest daughter of the Grand Tutor's mansion. That pure and beautiful girl, like a white lotus, was the most dazzling ray of light in his dark life. He wanted to see her again. He was filled with love for her without knowing why.
With various purposes in mind, the group entered the capital of Qi. The eldest prince, who was receiving them, could not afford to be negligent, as failing to properly entertain the envoys could easily provoke a dispute between the two countries.
Moreover, he was entertaining a prince from an enemy country, so it wasn't an insult to his status. Furthermore, the fact that his father entrusted him with such an important matter showed his high regard and trust in him, which added another advantage to his ascension to the throne.
The eldest prince simply led the people of Yan to bustling restaurants and markets every day, and of course he would never take them to any important military locations. On this day, they were having dinner at the capital's premier restaurant, Zuixianlou, when they suddenly heard a commotion coming from next door.
The eldest prince's expression turned serious. Since all of them were of noble status, their safety was naturally the top priority. A quick-witted servant ran out to scout the situation and soon returned to whisper a few words in the eldest prince's ear. After that, the eldest prince's expression improved considerably.
"Ladies and gentlemen, there is a poetry gathering going on next door. If you are interested, please go over there and join in the fun."
The next room wasn't a private box, but an open room where people outside could see the literati reciting poems and painting. If someone acquired a fine piece of calligraphy, a waiter from the restaurant would hang it in the room for future generations to appreciate.
I must say, this is indeed a brilliant idea.
This not only increased the restaurant's reputation but also made it the top choice for gatherings of scholars. The restaurant owner is a shrewd businessman.
The person gathering with friends at Zuixianlou for poetry and literature was none other than Luo Yunyao. Today, her hair was styled in a high bun, adorned with a jade hairpin and a jade hair ornament, with white jade beads shimmering in the light. She wore a seven-layered purple brocade robe with a slightly narrow collar that revealed her slender, snow-white neck. Her delicate face was flawless, like solidified cream. The robe was embroidered with several half-lotus branches, making her elegant to the extreme, inside and out.
She was beautiful and elegantly dressed, and was admired by many literati. Even though there were some well-educated women around her, they became her foils.
"Ladies and gentlemen, today we will only discuss poetry and not politics. The Drunken Immortal Wine of this Drunken Immortal Pavilion is the most famous. Why don't we take wine as the theme and compose a masterpiece? Whoever wins first place will be given a few jars of Drunken Immortal Wine as a prize. The winner will have the honor of drinking to their heart's content."
This idea is brilliant. It takes into account the financial constraints of some scholars, and it also enhances the reputation of the restaurant and its wines. Both parties are satisfied. It must be said that Luo Yunyao has indeed considered everything thoroughly.
Wei Chengyan originally had no interest in joining in the fun; he didn't like going to crowded places because they were too noisy. But just now, he heard Luo Yunyao's voice.
How could he mistake the voice of the woman who had saved his heart? It must be the voice of the woman who had saved him.
Therefore, he was very interested in going to see what was happening next door.
Seeing that his prince was very interested in the scene next door, the Yan envoys cleverly asked the waiter to find them a good spot to watch. They also took out some money. The waiter was overjoyed to see the money and changed them to a better private room so that they could clearly see the scene next door.
Next to the private room that Wei Chengyan and his group had just moved to was the private room that Luo Shu, Li Xuanshu, and Li Xuanwei had.
Their private rooms were all covered with beaded curtains, allowing a view of the outside world, but those outside could not see the expressions of the people inside. It was beautiful and elegant.
Many scholars loved to compose poems and songs at Zuixianlou, not only because of its rich cultural atmosphere, but also because noble people often frequented the place. If one encountered someone of high status, it was even more likely that one would rise to prominence overnight.
With five thousand years of Chinese history, countless poems have been lost to the annals of time. For Luo Yunyao, choosing a suitable poem is not a problem at all.
Not long after Luo Yunyao set the topic, a young man dressed as a scholar picked up his pen and began to write, seemingly having produced a masterpiece, as he appeared very excited.
Luo Shu was still picking at the colorful things on the table to eat. The chef at this restaurant was quite skilled; the meat was handled very well, with no fishy smell at all, only a rich and fresh aroma that made it irresistible.
Li Xuanshu and Li Xuanwei also witnessed the scene over there. In fact, they were also impressed by Luo Yunyao's talent. The poems she wrote, written by a young lady from a secluded family, were magnificent and grand, no less than those of scholars who had traveled thousands of miles. However, after getting to know her better, they could see that she had a vain and narrow-minded heart, which was completely different from her poems.
Forget it, why think so much about someone who doesn't want to get involved?
Li Xuanwei watched Luo Shu chewing meat, her cheeks bulging, her fair face slightly flushed from the effort, looking incredibly cute and pitiful. He couldn't help but want to pinch her cheeks; she was just too tempting.
Although Li Xuanshu remained expressionless, he gently rubbed his fingers together, longing to touch that smooth, creamy face, which must be even more delicate than milk.
After Luo Shu finished eating, the banquet below reached its climax. As the host of the banquet, Luo Yunyao naturally reserved the most glorious moment for herself.
Almost everyone had finished their poems, among which two were particularly stunning. The authors were a man and a woman, and the woman was also quite remarkable, being the daughter of a Hanlin scholar. She had made quite a splash at the banquet and was quite pleased with herself. However, before she could enjoy her triumph for long, someone loudly invited Luo Yunyao to leave her calligraphy.
Luo Yunyao said with a slight shyness, "Since everyone has been so kind in inviting me, I, Yunyao, would be very honored to accept."
After speaking, he picked up a pen and ink and prepared to write down his own poems.
She had just written one sentence when the person next to her read it aloud.
"Fine wine in a luminous cup."
Li Xuanshu and Li Xuanwei also heard it, and the sentence was quite exquisite. Luo Shu naturally heard it as well. Luo Yunyao smiled at the person next to her before continuing to write.
Luo Shu then recited the last few lines: "I want to drink, but the pipa urges me on; I lie drunk on the battlefield, do not laugh at me; how many have returned from ancient battles?"
Li Xuanshu and Li Xuanwei were somewhat puzzled when they heard Luo Shu recite these lines, but after a moment, they heard a male voice loudly reciting them from under the canopy.
"The pipa urges me to drink on horseback, and I lie drunk on the battlefield, do not laugh at me, for how many have returned from ancient battles?"
The last few lines were written by Luo Yunyao, and were just read aloud by Luo Shu. There was absolutely no situation where Luo Shu was peeking at Luo Yunyao. So, Luo Yunyao cheated?
Luo Shu's double pupils became even more profound, like a hazy starry sky, breathtakingly beautiful: "These poems of hers were written by famous poets from our area. The names of those poets have not appeared here. Luo Yunyao has claimed them all as her own."
Li Xuanshu said knowingly, "No wonder she has so many styles. Even though she is within the bounds of the rules, she can still create such magnificent verses."
Li Xuanwei scoffed. He had always thought that Luo Yunyao was not a simple person, but he didn't expect her to be rotten to the core.
Meanwhile, the numerous scholars and poets downstairs began to lavish praise on Luo Yunyao, lauding her exceptional talent and vast knowledge. Although shy, Luo Yunyao accepted the compliments with a smile.
She thought to herself that her talent was so outstanding that Luo Shu couldn't even come close.
She had no idea that Luo Shu was watching her at the same time. The three of them were upstairs, watching what seemed like a farce.
When people lie a lot, they start to believe the lies they've made up.
Meanwhile, next to Luo Shu, Wei Chengyan looked at the woman who seemed to shine in the crowd. She was so intelligent and talented that he became increasingly infatuated with her.
The eldest prince was also very satisfied with Luo Yunyao's excellence. The thought that such an outstanding woman would soon become his imperial concubine made him even more pleased.
The two people in the private room both had equally bright smiles.
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