Men are superior to women: the heartthrob in Yunqi

After Feng Xuanyan said this, everyone reacted. Indeed! The two families of Minister Xu and Minister Feng had a marriage contract. At the beginning, it was the wife of the Minister of Rites, Sun Jinxin, who came to ask for marriage several times before Minister Feng's family agreed.

The ups and downs of this matter are a long story. In short, it is still caused by the bad competition environment where there are too many people and too little resources.

For all the well-known and wealthy families, marriage alliances are very important. The number of unmarried noble ladies in Beijing is decreasing year by year, and there are very few noble ladies like Feng Xuanyan who are both talented and beautiful and have a strong background. To show her sincerity, Sun Jinxin is said to have put a lot of effort into welcoming the book.

Later, word got out that Queen Gu was interested in Feng Xuanyan as her daughter-in-law, so Minister Feng and his wife started to have other ideas. They were no longer as warm to the Xu family as before, but tried to avoid them everywhere, which made Minister Xu and Sun Jinxin extremely dissatisfied.

Later, it was heard that the emperor was interested in Helian Qing, the daughter of the Helian family, as his daughter-in-law, and the Feng family's dream of becoming the crown prince's consort was mostly shattered. It was said that Feng Xuanyan had long admired the crown prince, and seeing that the chances were slim, she gave up on herself and spent all day with He Wanyi, ruining her reputation.

The Xu family was so angry that they reduced the betrothal gift by half and called off the marriage. After all, Minister Feng and Minister Xu were officials in the same court, and he felt guilty, so he avoided Minister Xu from then on. What Xu Yan did in the Hall of Heroes today was no different from exposing his true colors.

Mu Yao watched the situations on both sides and thought that something big was going to happen, so she quickly picked up the fruit fork and stuffed a loquat into her mouth.

Xu Yan was caught off guard by Feng Xuanyan's public attack. His handsome eyebrows slightly frowned, and he said coldly: "Ms. Feng, please be careful with your words. I just met Ms. Mu today. Your groundless speculation is damaging the reputation of Ms. Mu and the Taifu Mansion. It is really absurd and groundless. What's more, our Xu family cancelled the engagement with your mansion half a year ago. Both parties don't want to get married. What is the meaning of Ms. Feng drawing ghost talismans in public in the hall today?"

"Pfft." Chen Jiashu couldn't help but burst out laughing. Chen Yanji quickly covered his mouth with his hand, fearing that he would cause trouble again.

The young men present still gave the lady face. Most of them lowered their eyes silently, sat elegantly and ate fruit, or coughed lightly to moisten their throats.

On the other hand, the noble ladies were not so "caring". Some of them quietly moved closer to their seats and whispered to each other. Some glanced at Feng Xuanyan with a half-smile on their faces, and some even laughed a series of silver bell-like laughter, which echoed in the hall. It sounded like a devil's sound to Feng Xuanyan and Minister Feng, making them feel upset.

Feng Xuanyan's face turned pale. She didn't expect Xu Yan's answer to be so sharp and he didn't care about her face at all. Her brain stopped working for a moment and she stood there in a daze.

Feng Tiao was eager to protect his daughter, and said bluntly: "It is said in the capital that Young Master Xu is as elegant as the wind and the moon, like the snow on the mountain. I didn't expect to see Young Master Xu's chicken-heartedness today, which is not elegant enough. Nice to meet you!"

Minister Feng's words made Xu Yan's eyes go blank for a few seconds, and he fell into deep self-doubt. He seemed to have only heard people praise him for being romantic, unrestrained and uninhibited. Was Minister Feng sure that he was talking about Xu Yan and not Xu Qingcheng?

Xu Shida was very protective of his son. Seeing his son standing there in silence, he was about to explode with anger, but was stopped by Sun Jinxin. It's better to leave the verbal battle to women. There are some things that a man can't say, and even if he swings a hammer, it won't make any waves.

Sun Jinxin looked at Feng Tiao and Feng Xuanyan with disdain and sneered, "Minister Feng, I think you are confused! You don't even think highly of your own daughter, and you expect others to treat her as a treasure? Besides, our Xu family had previously asked for your daughter's hand in marriage with sincerity several times, what did your Feng family do?" At this point, she paused deliberately, glanced at Ye Qinghan, and continued, "I guess there is no need for me to say more. You don't have to flatter and then throw dirty water on my son, and make up all kinds of nonsense. Our two families are now clean and have nothing to do with each other. Are you still fantasizing that my son will cancel the engagement with you but still cling to your daughter, so that you can feel comfortable? Minister Feng, please leave a way out for us so that we can meet again in the future." Sun Jinxin's pronunciation of the last sentence was loud and powerful, clear and lingering.

Seeing that the two sides were about to start a war, and that Li Taifu beside them also showed signs of joining the war, Emperor Qingyuan quickly spoke to smooth things over, "My lords, please be at ease. The two children are all outstanding and are not ordinary people. Why not let them turn hostility into friendship and show their talents on the field? The willow fluff on the branches is blown away, and there are beautiful girls everywhere. There are so many outstanding boys and girls here, why not think about what talents you can show and show the charm of our great Yun."

Emperor Qingyuan was already used to this kind of scene. The various banquets held in the palace were, in plain words, a large-scale dating banquet for the rich and powerful. Such quarrels were countless during every banquet. There were not many couples who succeeded in getting married, but there were a lot of big and small ones.

Empress Gu and Imperial Noble Consort He always took advantage of various banquets to choose suitable wives for their children. Today, they undoubtedly focused their attention on the noble lady of the Li family. However, when Empress Gu thought of Mu Yao's relationship with the Prime Minister's Mansion, she couldn't help but feel worried. She looked at Mu Yao with a complicated look.

When everyone heard the emperor speak, they all shut up. Feng Tiao tightly grasped the wine glass and glared at Feng Xuanyan with a look of disappointment. He didn't understand how the pearl that he had cherished and nurtured since childhood could become like this? It was such a good hand that was played badly, and he was extremely disappointed!

Feng Xuanyan lowered her head and said nothing, silently eating the fruit one bite after another. He Wanyi winked at her several times, but she ignored them. She tried to hide the pain in her heart and swallowed the blood and tears drop by drop. The melodious sound of the flute came to her ears, and all the resentment in her heart was concentrated on one point.

After Xu Yan finished playing the song, he bowed to everyone and turned to Mu Yao. He adjusted his breath and asked slowly, "I wonder what Miss Mu thinks of the song "I Envy the Mandarin Ducks, Not the Immortals" that I played?"

Before he finished speaking, Wang Yanzhi's deep gaze was already cast towards Xu Yan.

Mu Yao swallowed the pineapple in her mouth with difficulty and looked at Xu Yan in surprise.

What could she think?

It was all caused by her beauty. She couldn't avoid what was coming. Now she was a little glad that Xu Qingcheng was not here.

Suddenly, she seemed to feel several dazzling gazes. She raised her eyes to the right and saw Wang Yanzhi staring at her intently, with an indescribable emotion flashing in his eyes, which seemed meaningful to Mu Yao.

She straightened her beautiful back slightly, thought for a moment, and then said in an ethereal voice: "The music played by Master Xu has graceful flute sounds and lingering bamboo sounds. Sometimes it is subtle and meaningful, and sometimes it is high-pitched and passionate, like the sound of flying springs and jade, which makes people want more."

This polite compliment sounded to Xu Yan like a huge rock dropped into a calm lake, which exploded several feet high. His peach blossom eyes were filled with surprise, emitting a dazzling light like glass. He bowed again and said, "Thank you for your appreciation, Miss Mu. If you are free someday, I would like to play a few more songs for you."

There was a lot of sighing in the venue. Young Master Xu's answer was tantamount to a confession, which instantly aroused heated discussions among the crowd. Many court officials winked at their children. It was not that they didn't want to go on stage, but the goddess was too beautiful. They didn't dare to look at the goddess, and they were even more worried that if they were in an unstable mood and made a fool of themselves in front of the goddess, what would happen?

Mu Yao was dumbfounded by Xu Yan's reaction. She was just being polite. Could it be that he didn't even understand this? In public, how to answer made her feel embarrassed.

She didn't dare to look at the princess and Prime Minister Xu. She glanced at her father and saw that he was looking at her with a smile on his face. The "frost" in the corners of his eyes could kill a mosquito.

Her expression flickered slightly, her lips were pursed into a straight line, and she nodded slightly, "Mr. Xu, you are polite."

After saying this, she lightly lifted the hem of her skirt, sat down gracefully, and took a sip of the delicious wine, as if nothing had happened.

Xu Yan was somewhat disappointed by Mu Yao's reaction, and his originally excited eyes dimmed a little. He was a little unsure of Mu Yao's reaction, and looked at his father. Xu Shida stroked his non-existent beard and signaled him to leave.

Applause broke out, and colleagues around Xu Shida praised Xu Yan one after another.

Dayun is a country that attaches great importance to etiquette. No matter whether it is out of sincerity or not, the proper etiquette and face will not be lacking. This is also a disguised encouragement, encouraging young people to actively show themselves and practice courage. Opportunity is greater than effort. Which of the young men here is not full of talent and knowledge? If you don't fight when you should, you will be washed away by the waves and you can't blame others.

Ye Qinghan repeatedly rubbed the sandalwood bracelet on his left wrist with his fingers, looking at Mu Yao with an unclear expression.

Seeing that her son looked troubled, Queen Gu looked at Mu Yao again.

She gently stroked the back of Emperor Qingyuan's hand, smiled and said to everyone: "The young men present are actively showing their talents, why are the ladies so quiet today? I saw the most active Lady Su Yunxiu from Duke Cai's house, and Lady Zhu Errou from the Ministry of Personnel's family, why are they silent today? And--" Speaking of this, Queen Gu stretched out her voice, looked at Li Taifu, and continued: "Lady Feng Xuanyan from the Ministry of War's family, it is a pity that I haven't seen you recite poems and paint today. Lady Mu Yao from Li Taifu's family, this is your first time to attend a music banquet, and I don't know much about your talents. You can take this opportunity to show them off."

Suddenly, she looked towards the direction of the Loyalty and Bravery Marquis's Mansion with a complicated expression. Gu Zhaozhao had a different feeling for the Loyalty and Bravery Marquis's Mansion. She almost married the current Loyalty and Bravery Marquis, He Yufeng. He Yufeng had been bedridden for a long time, and now the Loyalty and Bravery Marquis's Mansion was entirely managed by his younger brother He Yuxian. Today, He Yuxian also took He Wanyi to the palace for the banquet on behalf of the Loyalty and Bravery Marquis.

Gu Zhaozhao thought of the heroic figure of the past, and her eyes were dazed. She looked at He Wanyi with a little regret and said, "The noble lady He Wanyi of the Loyal and Brave Marquis's mansion is well-versed in martial arts and is a good spearman. She has the style of the Loyal and Brave Marquis in the past."

Mu Yao was quite surprised when she heard this, and couldn't help but look at He Wanyi who was not far away. You can't judge a person by appearance! There are very few women in Da Yun who know Kung Fu. At least during the time she came here, she had never heard of any noble lady who knew Kung Fu. No wonder she could take so many handsome men by force, she has the strength!

Then she saw her father staring at her from the corner of her eyes. She turned to Li Taifu and asked with concern, "Dad, what's wrong with you?"

Li Taifu hesitated for a moment, thought for a moment and said softly: "Yaoyao, the Queen just mentioned you."

Mu Yao sighed inwardly, so what, just pretend to be dead.

Seeing his daughter remained silent, Li Taifu said worriedly, "Yaoyao, when you go on stage to show your talent, just use your two levels of skills to paint a picture."

If Yaoyao used the strength of "Mr. Wu Liu" to paint, she might be recognized by the old guys present. They have been immersed in painting for many years and are masters in the painting world. They can tell whose style the painting is from at a glance. It's like a person's handwriting. No matter how hard you try to cover it up, there will be clues left.

In Mu Yao's opinion, the reason why she used the name "Mr. Wu Liu" to paint and sell paintings was because she did not want to reveal her identity as a girl at that time.

Now that she no longer has any worries in this regard, why should she hide it? Isn't it good to make money openly? She couldn't help but raise her eyebrows and said to Li Taifu in a low voice: "Dad, the opportunity to make money has come, you don't have to worry, your daughter will seize it."

Hmm? Master Li was a little unsure of his daughter's intention, so he quietly withdrew his attention and took a bite of the pineapple with a fruit fork. It was sweet and sour, and full of sweet juice. However, he couldn't eat too much sweets at his age.

As soon as Queen Gu spoke, Emperor Qingyuan immediately nodded in response, calling on the noble ladies present, especially the ones the Queen had just mentioned, to show themselves actively.

Mu Yao glanced at Emperor Qingyuan unhappily. So far, she had only watched a performance of the bamboo flute by Erlang, and she hadn't had enough of it yet. How come the Emperor and Empress said that Erlang had performed a lot, and it was now the turn of the noble lady to perform? "

The noble lady Su Yunxiu from the Duke Cai's mansion was the first to go on stage. The talent she showed to everyone was reciting poems and composing couplets.

She was seen wearing a goose yellow shirt and bamboo leaf skirt, with a gilded jade hairpin on her head. She walked forward slowly, and the crisp sound of tinkling rose in the air.

She has a dignified and elegant appearance, regular facial features, and exudes a gentle and bookish air from the inside out.

When Mu Yao saw her, she immediately thought of the top female student in her previous class, a perfect student. Suddenly, she thought of Yun Su again. Yun Zhou's mother was also from the Duke of Cai's mansion, and she seemed to be the eldest daughter there. She immediately lost some of her good impression of Su Yun Xiu.

Su Yunxiu leaned forward and recited a new piece she had composed today:

Piece after piece,

Three pieces, four pieces, five pieces, six pieces.

Seven, eight, ninety,

Fly into Upper Kyoto and disappear.

Mu Yao was silent after listening to it. This poem was similar to the masterpiece of a certain emperor grandfather in her memory. She thought... well... it was good. After all, there was a certain emperor grandfather paving the way for her, which was very artistic.

Sure enough, she heard familiar applause. She looked at the enthusiastic support from the crowd and relaxed. Hey, it's just a competition, just for fun and enjoyment.

Feng Xuanyan looked at Su Yunxiu with a mocking expression, and was caught red-handed by the protagonist.

Su Yunxiu frowned and said unhappily, "Ms. Feng, I haven't heard of you writing a new poem for a long time. Why don't you come up and write one?"

She had shown her new poem to her father, who spoke highly of it. She didn't believe Feng Xuanyan could do better than her.

Summer insects cannot talk about ice, and well frogs cannot talk about the sea. In terms of talent, it must be said that if Feng Xuanyan is second in the capital, no one dares to claim first place. Only Su Yunxiu, a spoiled girl, is willing to compete with her without knowing the seriousness of the matter.

Feng Xuanyan lazily brushed her skirt, walked to the center of the stage with slender steps, bowed slightly to everyone, and raised her clear and pleasant voice like a yellow warbler: "Ms. Su has chosen flowers as the theme today. I will also write a poem about flowers, named "Cold Plum":

There are several plum branches in the corner,

Ling Han drove alone.

I know it’s not snow from afar,

Because there is a faint fragrance.

(This poem is from Wang Anshi's "Plum Blossom")

Applause broke out again, and this time the volume was obviously louder than Su Yunxiu's. Even Emperor Qingyuan and Li Taifu praised her.

Xie Ci couldn't help but look at Feng Xuanyan, with a hint of appreciation in his eyes. This poem is indeed a masterpiece.

Mu Yao looked at Feng Xuanyan in surprise. The poem she wrote was pure and elegant, and showed a kind of tenacity. It stands to reason that a person who can write such a high-level poem should not be a bad person. A hint of confusion flashed in her eyes.

It was easy to tell which of the two poems was better. Su Yunxiu's face turned pale, and the handkerchief in her hand had been twisted into a shapeless mess. She tried her best to calm down and returned to her seat steadily.

Seeing his daughter's brilliance, Feng Tiao glanced proudly at Xu Shida and Sun Jinxin, as if mocking the Xu family for being blind.

Feng Xuanyan raised her chin proudly, then turned to Mu Yao and said with a provocative smile: "Lady Mu, why don't you come up and sing a song to liven things up?"