This topic is of concern to everyone, so everyone started to speculate.
"It should be inseparable from couplets, word puzzles and the like."
"I guess so. It was the same last year and it's about the same every year." Zhao Langjia said with a frown.
"I wonder if it's the same rules we play every day?" someone asked.
Jiang Yuyan said, "I heard that this year the judging will be done by the Empress, Princess Yuande, and Princess Rongde. As for the rules, I'm still unsure. Although there are always things like writing couplets and poems every year, the rules and procedures change every year."
He Yulian said with a haughty look, "I heard that the Queen attaches great importance to this palace banquet, and the top three contestants will receive a lot of good things."
"What good stuff? It's just the pen, ink, paper, and inkstone, as well as some flowers and plants. It's the same every year, nothing special." Zhao Langjia said with a sneer.
She didn't like such things. The pen, ink, paper and inkstone were of no use to her. As for flowers and plants, she cared even less. If her mother hadn't insisted on bringing her here, she would not have been willing to come to this flower-viewing banquet and compete with these people in poetry and songs.
After Zhao Langjia said this, no one knew what to say and the atmosphere became a little awkward.
That is not an ordinary brush, ink, paper and inkstone, but a rare item that scholars and literati desire but cannot get. Last year, Princess Rongde took out a Xuan brush made by Zhuge. You should know that the pens made by Zhuge were all treasures purchased by great calligraphers in the previous dynasty, such as Meng Xi and Liu Quan. Both of them wrote "Request for a Brush" to Zhuge to ask for a brush. People at that time praised this Zhuge brush as "the hardness and softness are suitable for people's hands, and there is no difference among hundreds of them."
Two years ago, Princess Danyang took out three She inkstones from her private collection and gave them to the top three, making many people present jealous.
The She inkstone is firm, dense, soft, and smooth like jade. It releases ink like oil, and it can withstand no damage to the brush. It absorbs almost no water, and it is clean when washed. It can store water without freezing in the cold winter and without rotting in the hot summer. It has always been a regular tribute to the court. Only 28 She inkstones are offered annually. If Princess Danyang was not favored by the emperor and the empress dowager, she would not have been able to give out three at once.
As for the flowers and plants that Zhao Langjia mentioned, they were all rare and famous flowers, such as the treasures among peonies: Yuhuchun, Oujiabi, Yuyihuang, Luoyanghong, and the treasures among camellias: Eighteen Scholars, Hibiscus, Mandarin Duck Phoenix Crown, and so on.
Everyone in the Da'an Dynasty loved flowers, especially some literati who loved flowers to the point of obsession. Many precious flowers could not be bought with money.
Zhao Langjia's words only revealed her vulgarity. Everyone was reluctant to comment on her and were unwilling to talk to her more. Telling her how good these things were was simply a waste of words and a thankless task.
Fortunately, she was in this pavilion. If she had been in that pavilion, Zhao Lanjia would have been attacked by all those talented women. Moreover, if word of this got to the ears of the Princess and the County Lord, it would have been troublesome.
"I told you not to come here, Wanyun, but you insisted on coming. Now listen to what kind of idiots there are here." He Yulian said while pulling Yan Wanyun.
Yan Wanyun just frowned slightly, "There are too many people over there, and the same is true here, Yu Lian, don't say that."
"Wanyun, you are so kind-hearted. A talented lady like you has nothing to say to them. Really... let's go." He Yulian's words made the faces of the other noble ladies present turn ugly.
"It's getting late. The Queen and the princes and princesses will be here soon. Let's just stay here." Yan Wanyun shook his head.
"But I don't want to be with them, especially..."
He Yulian probably thought her voice was very small, but the entire water pavilion was so small that Yu Rou, who was sitting on the other side, could hear it clearly.
Jiang Yuyan said sarcastically with a cold face: "If Madam He doesn't want to be here, she can leave. We just feel a bit crowded here."
"You! Jiang Yuyan, what do you mean?" He Yulian stood up and said angrily.
"It's nothing, I just can't stand some people being so arrogant." Jiang Yuyan said lightly.
Yu Rou pulled Jiang Yuyan's hand and said, "Sister Yan, some people like to show off their power with words. We should just ignore her. Wouldn't it be better if no one could expose her and let her live in her dream forever?"
Jiang Yuyan immediately smiled. "Sister Rou is right. Since there are annoying people here, I don't want to stay here either. Let's go. It's better to go to the bridge and watch the fish than to stay here."
Jiang Yuyan was the oldest and most learned of all the noble ladies who were born into military families. When she said this, everyone responded and wanted to leave. Only a few noble ladies who were afraid of He Yulian's revenge did not dare to move. But soon, there were only five or six people left in the pavilion.
He Yulian looked at the empty water pavilion and was so angry that she almost tore the handkerchief in her hand.
Yan Wanyun looked at Yu Rou's back with an unfathomable expression without saying a word, which caused He Yulian's dissatisfaction.
"Wanyun, why don't you help me? I've been saying it for a long time, but you insisted on coming over!"
…
"Ladies, the Queen invites you all over. The palace banquet is about to begin." The maid was wearing a plain bean green jacket, with a simple double bun and a scarlet silver hairpin with a butterfly flower tassel on her head. She looked very smart and lively.
Everyone followed the maid out of the pavilion and went to the flower garden across the lake.
At this time, the Empress/Princess Rongde, Princess Yuande, and all the princesses had arrived. They sat in the pavilion beside the flower garden and talked and laughed.
Everyone bowed and greeted each other.
"Get up." The Queen's voice was very gentle.
"Thank you, Queen."
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