Chapter 47 Moonlight over the Lotus Pond
When the emperor appears, he is extraordinary.
The bright yellow ceremonial guards and the bright yellow dragon boats were so bright that it hurt Wen Yingxue's eyes.
There were several small boats behind the dragon boat, and on them were princes and young nobles.
"Everyone, get up." The emperor's voice sounded a little old.
Wen Yingxue secretly raised her eyes to glance at the emperor. He looked to be in his sixties, with some graying at the temples, but his back was straight, and one could vaguely see the heroic figure of him who was brave and good at fighting and wiped out the enemy troops on the border.
The emperor personally helped the queen up, and the two looked at each other and took their seats.
The emperor still liked the queen very much and gave her a lot of face.
"Empress, how should we arrange the Lotus Banquet today?" asked the Emperor.
The Empress smiled and said, "In previous years, we watched the musicians dance and play music. This year, I want to change it up. Let these young ladies write a poem about lotus flowers first. Everyone will judge and select the best ones, and then let them compete again.
The person who wins first place will be granted a wish by me. What do you think, Your Majesty?
The emperor nodded and said, "That's a good idea. Let's get started."
Soon, pens, ink, paper and inkstone were delivered to the women of various official families.
Wen Yingxue bit the tip of her pen and started to struggle. All she knew was 300 Tang poems. But what she knew, Lin Youwan must also know.
In this way, Lin Youwan will know that she has also traveled through time.
But if she doesn't use Tang and Song poetry, she really can't write any good poems at her level. She will definitely make a fool of herself.
Never mind. The feud had already begun, and Lin Youwan would eventually learn of her identity as a time traveler. After figuring it out, Wen Yingxue began writing.
The beauty’s makeup is like the lotus in the palace, and the green lotus leaves are like her skirt in the wind.
Last night the night was cool like water, and the Xianqu Canal seemed to be in the middle of the water.
"Good poem! It's just that the handwriting is a bit disappointing, but I tried my best to write it." Wen Yingxue looked at her cursive handwriting and said helplessly.
There was no other way. She had only just learned to write traditional Chinese characters. It was already very good that she could write the poem completely without any typos.
Under the shocked gaze of the young eunuch, Wen Yingxue handed in the paper with a thick skin.
It doesn’t matter if the handwriting is not beautiful, as long as the poem is good.
Soon, all the young ladies from official families present handed in their papers.
The young eunuchs around the Queen read out the poems one by one. Many of the young ladies' poems were indeed very talented, so the Queen kept them.
Soon he began to recite Lin Youwan's poems.
“After all, the scenery of Taiye Lake in June is different from that in other seasons.
The lotus leaves are endless and green, and the lotus flowers are red in the sunlight.
Wen Yingxue laughed when she heard it. Lin Youwan copied the poem according to what was written in the book, and replaced West Lake with Taiye Lake.
"What a good poem! Miss Lin Si is so talented!" The Queen immediately praised after hearing it.
Lin Youwan stood up and saluted the Queen. She was dignified and polite, with graceful manners. In addition, she was beautiful, which immediately attracted the attention of many princes and officials.
The heroine made a small splash, and soon after, it was Wen Yuyan's turn.
"Flowers bloom from the mud without being stained by dust, swaying in the wind in green clusters.
The buds silently hold deep affection, while the branches gracefully display their fragrance."
"Great! This is really amazing. The ladies who came today are all so talented!" exclaimed the Queen.
The emperor also nodded in agreement.
After Wen Yuyan’s, it’s Wen Yingxue’s turn.
The young eunuch took the poem written by Wen Yingxue, paused for a few seconds in a rare moment, and his eyes twitched.
"What happened?" Concubine Gao asked when she saw the eunuch pause.
Concubine Gao is the biological mother of the Seventh Princess. The Seventh Princess had already told Concubine Gao how annoying Wen Yingxue was. Concubine Gao couldn't help but pay more attention to Wen Yingxue and prepare to vent her anger for her daughter.
The young eunuch immediately bowed and said, "Yes, it is the handwriting of Sixth Miss Wen. It is too bold and unrestrained. I can't see it clearly for the moment."
The young eunuch's words caught the emperor's attention. He said, "Oh? Come, present it to me and let me see it."
Wen Yingxue was stunned, then looked at Nie Chubai for help. She was afraid that her cursive handwriting might scare His Majesty. If he really scared her, would she be charged with assassination?
Nie Chubai also knew what Wen Yingxue's handwriting looked like. Seeing Wen Yingxue's eyes looking for help, he just smiled at her in a soothing way.
For some unknown reason, Wen Yingxue's heart calmed down.
The emperor took Wen Yingxue's masterpiece and was shocked by her handwriting at first, and then began to read the poem written by Wen Yingxue.
After reading it softly, the emperor began to laugh again.
"Haha, not bad. Although the handwriting is a bit ugly and unique, the poem is not bad."
Wen Yingxue didn't know whether the emperor was praising or criticizing her, so she could only lower her head and act like an ostrich.
Nie Chubai saw Wen Yingxue from afar and smiled.
The Empress was attracted by the Emperor's appearance, leaned over to take a look, and was also a little startled.
"The calligraphy is indeed a bit wild, but the poem is indeed good." The Queen also praised it.
Wen Yingxue blushed a little, but still had to stand up and salute the emperor and empress.
The emperor looked Wen Yingxue up and down, then said to Nie Chubai, "No wonder you came here in person to propose. You are an interesting beauty."
Nie Chubai stood up and saluted the emperor, saying solemnly, "I haven't thanked Your Majesty for granting me marriage yet. Yingxue is my chosen wife and she is very much in my heart. Thank you, Your Majesty."
Wen Yingxue also followed Nie Chubai in bowing, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
"It is a great deed to be able to bring you two together," said the emperor with a smile.
The Seventh Princess sat behind Concubine Gao. When she heard Nie Chubai's words, she dug her fingertips into her palms.
The interlude is over and the poetry reading continues.
After Wen Yingxue sat down, she felt someone looking at her. In a blink of an eye, she saw Lin Youwan staring at her with burning eyes.
Wen Yingxue raised her eyebrows and smiled at Lin Youwan. Suddenly, they both knew what was going on.
There were more than eighty housekeepers present, but only about twenty entered the second round of competition.
"We've already competed in poetry, so let's compete in song and prose in the second round." The Queen Mother looked at the Emperor for his opinion.
"Can."
The Queen smiled and said, "If that's the case, then let's get started."
The first person to appear is Lin Yuran, the prime minister’s daughter and Lin Youwan’s second sister.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I would like to perform the zither and play the piece 'Qing Ping Yue'"
Upon hearing this, Concubine Gao smiled and said, "I've long heard that Miss Lin plays the guqin beautifully, with exceptional skill. This time, I'm in for a treat."
The fifth prince is twenty-four years old this year. He has two concubines and has not yet married a princess. Concubine Gao favors Lin Yuran the most.
Lin Yuran is the prime minister's legitimate daughter, and her status and family background are worthy of the fifth prince.
The guqin was quickly brought up, and Lin Yuran stretched out her hand and began to play. Although Wen Yingxue did not understand ancient music, from the atmosphere on the scene, she could tell that Lin Yuran had a high level of attainment in playing the guqin.
After the song ended, Concubine Gao was the first to applaud.
The Emperor also said: "As expected of Lord Lin's beloved daughter, a tiger father will have a dog daughter! Quite true."
Lin Yuran's cheeks flushed with joy. She turned around and stepped back, giving Lin Youwan a provocative look.
Lin Youwan looked at Lin Yuran indifferently, then stood up. It was her turn next.
Wen Yingxue immediately became alert and stared at Lin Youwan. Here it comes, here it comes, the female lead’s a cappella version of “Moonlight over the Lotus Pond” is finally coming.
"Your servant would like to sing a poem titled Moonlight over the Lotus Pond."
Then, the modern Phoenix Legend's "Moonlight over the Lotus Pond" caused quite a stir in ancient times. From then on, Lin Youwan's reputation as a talented woman would spread far and wide.
This poem "Moonlight over the Lotus Pond" was also very popular for a time.
The Emperor and the Empress all praised Lin Youwan. The princes and young gentlemen were once again greatly attracted to the heroine, and some of them had already begun to feel amorous.
Wen Yingxue glanced at Nie Chubai. Fortunately, the villain was obsessed with her and was not attracted by the heroine.
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