After the family fell, I wanted to lie down

The banquet hall on the Yi Garden side is called Fuliu Pavilion. The Chen family is wealthy, and the clansmen have always been fond of luxury. This place is indeed beautiful, but it lacks the elegance of literati and poets. Originally, Prefect Liang wanted to borrow their Xiang Garden from the Su family, but was rejected by the Su family on the grounds that Old Master Su had poor legs and feet, and was recuperating in Xiang Garden.

The garden belonged to someone else, and the prefect only wanted to entertain Lord Hu who came to inspect military affairs. If he thought about it, Lord Hu would not blame him. After all, it would be unreasonable to drive the owner out just because he borrowed the garden.

The lights were shining brightly, and across the river from the pavilions and towers was a troupe of actors specially invited for Lord Hu, who were singing on the stage.

Liu Ziheng and Yu Feng asked in confusion, "I just saw Auntie wiping her tears. What happened? Did Sister Baoer make her angry again?"

"I don't know either. What happened just now?"

Liu Ziheng looked at the young master of the Chen family not far away, who raised the wine glass in his hand towards him and drank it all in one gulp, feeling a little confused.

"It's not uncommon for Sister Bao to make Auntie angry. Just give her a beating when you get home and then rest for a while."

As Yufeng spoke, he reached for the plate of snacks in front of him, but Liu Ziheng patted the back of his hand in the middle.

"Brother, why did you hit me?"

"Master Hu hasn't eaten yet!"

Sure enough, Yufeng looked forward and saw Lord Hu sitting steadily in the middle seat, with people around him smiling ingratiatingly at him.

I guess even if the wine, food and people are good in this banquet hall, it would be impossible to arouse the appetite of many people. After all, everything is still uncertain. If it is announced later which girl is finally selected into the palace, I guess everyone will either laugh or cry.

In the banquet hall, Magistrate Liang, who was serving at the side, raised his glass and spoke praises. He then chatted with the people around him for a while before drinking the wine in his hand. The banquet officially began.

In the banquet hall, beautiful maids and servants immediately brought all kinds of delicious seasonal fruits from Mo City to the table. Prefect Liang introduced them one by one diligently. Then it was the turn of the courtesan, Mo City's famous actors, and Hong Jie'er all to compete with their talents.

The boys in the distance were watching with great interest.

After the meal, Lu Gong said, "It would be a pity if I didn't write a poem about such a beautiful scene."

People have always had the impression that military generals are brave but not wise, but although Lu Gong joined the army because his family was poor, children from poor families are the best at observing people's words and expressions, otherwise he would not have reached a high position today.

The shortcomings of military generals seemed to be completely non-existent in him. When he was handling military affairs, he also put in a lot of effort and even visited the former Prince's tutor Wang Wenzhong three times to seek advice.

After living in the palace for so many years, Lu Gong is no longer the ignorant boy who tried hard to climb up the social ladder. Whether it is to curry favor with the emperor or to rely on his power, over the years he has gradually produced some famous poems in the palace. All the dignitaries and gentry present are old foxes, and none of them is stupid enough to offend them.

Since the superiors had made a request, of course I agreed and introduced all the famous people present. Although it is not a good reputation to curry favor with a eunuch, you and I are all mortals, so how can we really stay clean?

For a while, there was a lot of liveliness in the venue, with people reciting poems and composing couplets. Lu Gong also composed one himself. After being praised continuously, he just smiled indifferently.

"Let's give the opportunity to the young people too," he pointed at the group of boys and girls present. "Mo City is a place of outstanding people and beautiful scenery. It just so happens that Mr. Zichun has returned to Qinghe Academy to teach. I guess the atmosphere of scholars is even stronger here."

Prefect Liang raised his glass and smiled, "Young men are full of youthful vigor and vitality, and they are not worthy of being called young talents, but they have long heard that Lord Hu is knowledgeable and good at writing poetry, and they all want to meet him."

Lu Gong clapped his hands and laughed, "Good, good, it's true that I am a man of the Zhou Dynasty. I want to see it too!"

As soon as Prefect Liang finished speaking, Fu Zijing, who had been waiting on the side, stepped forward and saluted, saying, "I, Fu Zijing, and I, along with all the members of the Ancient Flute Society, would like to ask for your guidance, Lord Hu."

Lu Gong looked at him and smiled, "So you are a descendant of the Fu family in Mocheng. Now you are a disciple of Mr. Zichun. Then let me see if there is really anything hidden in your secrets!"

The eldest master of the Chen family, who was sitting on the side, was holding a fan and watching the performance with disdain. The Su family refused to take over Xiangyuan, and Mr. Zichun did not attend the banquet. Now that the Fu family was related to the Su family, they gave Lu Gong enough face. This was a drama that pleased both sides, but was saved by the Fu family.

"Since it's a competition, there must be a topic!"

Lu Gong thought about it and said to the prefect Liang next to him, "Why don't you come up with the topic?"

Lord Liang did not refuse. He stroked his beard, looked up and looked at the Yi Garden. The moonlight above his head shone on the water surface of the garden, and the lake was sparkling. He said, "Today the moon is bright, so let's use the moon as the theme."

After listening to this, Lu Gong smiled and said to the others present without saying anything, "Don't be too picky. Anyone who has good creative poems can also compete."

There was an immediate commotion in the hall, and the clever servants immediately brought the prepared paper, ink, brush and inkstone to the ladies and gentlemen one by one. The ladies and gentlemen were struggling over whether to accept them or not.

Of course, Lu Gong's poetry writing competition with others was not to show off his personal talent. His more secret purpose was to find out if there were any boys and girls who could write poetry or songs. But when all the men and women in the hall said they couldn't, Lu Gong was not a fool.

Next, they must have communicated with each other and colluded with each other to say that their individual poems were not well written. Secondly, the elders in the family specifically told them not to do too well.

"Wu'er, don't write too well." This was of course what the elders in the family had said, and the person who said this simply wanted to be on good terms with Chen Wu'er.

"I really envy Liu Abao. Regardless of whether she can do it or not, she will enter the palace."

After a while of waiting, the poems written by the students were presented one after another. Prefect Liang and several wealthy local gentry were the judges. After careful consideration, they finally decided that the poems written by Lord Hu were the best.

The master of the Chen family immediately said, "The artistic conception is superb, the writing style is novel, and it is even better."

"My dear gentlemen, you are joking. After all, I am a dozen years older than you. Compared with them, their future is promising!"

Suddenly, the banquet hall was filled with a scene of "hello, I'm fine, everyone is fine".

But in scenes like this, there are always some stupid people who ruin the atmosphere.

"No, no, Lord Hu's is not the best." Everyone looked at the man following the voice. He was not a stranger. It was Mr. Lin who sat with Doctor Li on the day of the Dragon Boat Race on the Dragon Boat Festival.

The noise in the hall gradually died down, but Governor Liang still had a smile on his face. The old man in the Chen residence saw that the atmosphere was a little strange, so he tried to smooth things over, "This means that Mr. Lin has a new work. If he has one, why not show it to us so that we can see it."

Liu Xiucai was certainly not stupid, but he found it unbearable to see a room full of people fawning on a eunuch, as a scholar. Was this the character of the scholars in Mo City?

Of course not. Showing weakness for a moment does not mean being afraid. Those young people are their hope.

"Lin is not talented. Compared with that person, I have already admitted that I am inferior. However, the new song he wrote for the Dragon Boat Festival race is indeed a masterpiece..."

When Prefect Liang heard this, he had roughly guessed who he was talking about. Suddenly, the hand holding the wine glass trembled. He was about to stop it, but it was too late.

"That person is... Yingge from the Gudi Poetry Society"

However, Lu Gong listened with great interest. Is that person present today?

"Not yet."

----

Yingge was holding an iron bar in her hand, practicing stretching and retracting it under the moonlight. Suddenly, she sneezed. Could it be that she was really feeling weak recently as Xue's mother said?

Xiao Taohong, who was sitting on a small bench at the side, asked with a snort, "Master, aren't you going to practice anymore?"

"No need to practice. The moonlight is just right today, perfect for writing poetry."

"So, young master, do you have a new poem?"

Yingge didn't reply to Xiao Taohong's words. She was just walking forward, one step, two steps, three steps, and then she got it.

"The moonlight in front of my bed is as white as frost, I look up at the sky and my thoughts run wild..."

"Looking down, I think I have two pairs of shoes..."

"Master, it sounds nice, a good poem, but I don't quite understand what you mean by two pairs of shoes later."

"Haha, haha, haha, little Taohong you are so cute..."

"Humph, you don't need me to tell you, I know you haven't answered my question yet!"

Xue's mother was also waiting nearby. She walked over and tapped Yingge on the head, saying angrily, "What kind of study are you doing all day? You're making me die of madness. Xiao Taohong is still a child!" As an adult, Xue's mother certainly knew the meaning of Yingge's poem.

"As the saying goes, in the dream of worldly affairs, Zen remains in the heart; wine and meat pass through the intestines, but Buddha remains in the heart."

Xiao Taohong patted her belly and said, "I'm hungry." Her action made Yingge and Xue laugh.

The three people living in the mixed courtyard had a lively dinner together accompanied by the gentle breeze and bright moon.

The atmosphere in Yi Garden where the Chen family hosted Lu Gong was indeed quite tense.

Lu Gong glanced at the others present and asked in confusion, "Yingge, who is that?"

Liu Abao was so excited that he said, "She is...Ms. Chen's...proud husband..."

Even though Mrs. Liu covered his mouth, he still let out all the information that needed to be said.

They were not the only ones in the hall who knew that something was wrong, and someone answered, "That's the young son-in-law of the Liu family master."

Liu Abao was covered by Mrs. Liu's mouth and kept whimpering. Her eyes seemed to be saying, "Look, someone got there first."

Liu Wenru was also present at today's banquet. When Governor Liang introduced the gentry families in Mo City to Lu Gong, he had also mentioned him. However, the Liu family is not considered a first-class wealthy family at present.

When Liu Wenru heard this, his face turned pale and cold sweat broke out on his forehead. When did this poem happen? How come he didn't know about it? Was this Yingge someone he knew?

"But Mr. Liu, who is under Prime Minister Ji's student Liang Ping? I remember that you didn't get along well with your superiors at the beginning, right? Liang Ping suppressed you, which eventually led to your resignation?"

Everyone present was a little embarrassed. Only Lu Gong could say this. If anyone else said it, it would be very offensive.

Liu Wenru was even more terrified. He stood up and said, "You are joking, Lord Lu. I was young and fought in the army, which caused me to suffer from illness. Now I am no longer able to do my job, so I asked for my resignation."

Prefect Liang also echoed, "Master Liu, don't be nervous. The matter of the censor is just a rumor."

Prefect Liang himself was impeached and expelled from the capital by the imperial censors on a fabricated basis because he had offended talented people, so people in the outside world, whether they knew about it or not, all had a hint of sympathy for him.

Mr. Chen tried to smooth things over again, "Isn't this a poem? Let's not talk about the injuries."

Lu Gong always claimed to be a man of elegance and refinement, and he didn't care much about being interrupted. Instead, he laughed and said, "It's all my fault, my fault. I'll drink a glass as a punishment." Then he drank it all in one gulp.

Hu Gongqing then looked at Liu Wenru and asked, "Who is this Yingge?"

"Reporting to the Lord, he is the orphan of my old friend, and he and my daughter have been engaged since childhood. A few days ago, the mother and son came to my house to seek asylum, and now they are living in my house."

Someone nearby also answered, "She is also Mr. Zichun's student."

"Good, good, another young talent!"

After hearing this, everyone looked strange. The description of young talent...

Yufeng said, "I told you, she has to come."

Liu Xiucai, who had just spoken, finally interrupted and said, "She is also from the Gudi Society. She wrote a good poem during the Dragon Boat Festival, and everyone knows it."

Lu Gong turned to Fu Zijing and said, "I wonder who is here now."

Fu Zijing replied: "She didn't come today."

Lu Gong seemed a little puzzled and looked at Prefect Liang and Liu Wenru.

Liu Wenru immediately stepped forward and said, "The child is still young and naughty, and is too shy to see people, so I didn't bring her here."

However, the prefect Liang whispered in Lu Gong's ear, "My old friend's family is poor, leaving behind a widow and her children. Mr. Liu is a righteous man, so he betrothed his daughter to her..."

The word "poor" is enough to explain everything. This occasion is definitely not included in the banquet. This marriage is probably a joke. Lu Gong smiled knowingly and said, "I wonder what poem she wrote?"

Mr. Lin finally found an opportunity to speak and recited the dragon boat racing song composed by Duanwu Yingge in one breath.

"It's true. How old is this kid now?"

Some of the people present had heard of it, while some had not, and the scene had an extra layer of implicit flattery.

Liu Wenru smiled flatteringly, "The child is young, he was just playing around, he is thirteen years old."

"He's only thirteen years old." Lu Gong clapped his hands and thought.

"Go and invite him."

Liu Wenru responded with a "yes" and did not ask the servant to go. He stood up and left, hurried back to his mansion.

In the mixed residence courtyard, a servant came hurriedly to report that Master Liu wanted Xue to come for questioning.

The banquet ended so quickly, shouldn't he still be drinking at this moment?

In the study room of the Liu Mansion, Liu Wenru poured himself a cup of tea and swallowed it in big gulps. After a while, he spoke, "What's going on with Yingge? When did she write the poem? How come I don't know? Is she still the person I know?"

"What do you mean she's still the person you know? Of course she is. What's wrong with you?"

"The person I knew was always timid, but what she's doing now is beyond my comprehension."

"He is good at playing football and writing poems. Even Mr. Lin praised him highly."

"She's in school now, so it's normal for her to know more people. As for poetry, is she doing well?"

"I don't understand either, but I heard from the people around the banquet today that everything was fine."

"Lü Gong wants to see her!"

Xue exclaimed in shock, "How could it be!"

"How come she is so powerful all of a sudden? Did you teach her?"

Mrs. Xue spread her hands and said, "Who taught her, Sir Liu? I have been raising her by myself since she was born. I can't even read a few words myself. Do you think I can teach her?"

Liu Wenru was speechless. “Then…then…”

"No one taught her, so it must be the people invited by His Majesty and the Queen. After all, they are both so handsome and outstanding, and the gentlemen they invited must be very good."

"By then, Yingge had already been able to start enlightenment for a few years."

As soon as His Majesty and His Majesty spoke, even though Mr. Liu knew that this was his own study, he still looked around cautiously.

"Didn't you say that when she woke up from the injury and shock during the assassination, she didn't remember much about anyone?"

"Then how can she still remember what she has learned?"

"How would I know? If you say that, then it can only be the blood of the royal family. Nobleness is innate, and intelligence and talent are infiltrated into the bones and blood."

This explanation is better than saying that a good father will have good sons, and each son inherits his father's character. Of course, now is not the time to study this.

"What do you do now?"

"Does that Mr. Lin have any problems?"

Liu Wenru said, "There shouldn't be any problem!"

Xue: "That was an accident!"

"Then there is no other choice but to go. Otherwise, I will be more suspicious and get into more trouble."

"That's all it can do."

Liu Wenru was about to take a step forward, but turned back and said, "Master Pei, I'm a little scared!"

"Don't be afraid. Well, if you are afraid, you are worried that she will embarrass you, right?"