After the family fell, I wanted to lie down

Ever since Yingge heard that Xue was invited by Mr. Liu, she had been calculating the time. She estimated that Xue might be back, so she took a book and sat beside the table waiting for her.

As she expected, Xue came out from Mr. Liu's study, and their conversation did not last too long. Later, Mr. Guo also followed, which showed that this matter must be urgent and important.

As soon as Xue entered the mixed living quarters, she shouted loudly, "Quick, Ge'er, change your clothes." Then she moved her body and revealed two servants who followed her behind her. They were holding a set of brand new clothes and hats in their hands.

"It's definitely too late to wash up now, so I can only change my clothes first."

Yingge asked, "Where should I go?"

"Well, there is a very important person who wants to see you. Change your clothes first. Master Liu will tell you on the way."

At present, the only eunuch in Mo City is the recently arrived eunuch named Lu Gong. What is the matter that requires her to show up? It is said that the eunuch is specially responsible for selecting palace maids for the Queen Mother and His Majesty. He is a talented man to the outside world. Tonight, each family brought boys and girls in their twenties... Such a beautiful scenery, elegant interest... Well, Dragon Boat Festival. Writing poems, right? Sure enough, it is this, some limelight cannot be revealed!

Yingge roughly guessed the purpose of her visit and didn't care much about it. She just took it easy.

Mrs. Xue happily pushed her out and said, "Don't worry, Master Liu will take care of you. He won't dare let you embarrass him."

That's true, if there's any shame, it can't be her alone, Yingge said with a smile.

The carriage was moving very fast, swaying along the way. It was dark inside, and the weak light shone on people's faces, making them a little blurry. Liu Wenru recounted the general course of events and said, "There are so many people on the scene. Can you improvise it?"

"I have hired some accountants at home, but the matter is urgent and I can't find the right person for the time being. I have to inconvenience you."

"No, no, it's easy to expose your true colors if you ask others to write poems for you. After all, good poems come from the heart!"

Liu Wenru looked at her with a slightly scrutinizing look and asked, "How are your studies going recently? Have you encountered any difficulties?"

Did this arouse his suspicion? Was Yingge's academic knowledge really not that good before? During that time, she was on leave from school for a while... Yingge said, "I learned by myself at first. In fact, I have always attended classes at Qinghe Academy. I just eavesdropped at first, and then I listened to the lectures of the teachers. They were all very good!"

The two people have different levels of good humanities, but it is really hard to explain the matter of studying and learning. Some people are gifted, while others cannot learn no matter how they are taught, such as their own few-year-old child, who does have some talent in martial arts.

"You don't have to worry or be nervous. You don't have to do very well. It doesn't matter if you don't do well. It's not shameful." said Mr. Liu.

Of course I know. The protagonist of tonight is Lu Gong. As long as everyone is happy, who can tell who is better? Except for Liu Xiucai, I guess all the officials present tonight hate her to death.

"The topic given by Magistrate Liang is about the moon. You might as well take this opportunity to think about how to write a poem."

Yingge could see that Master Liu was very nervous. She once thought that it was because he was worried about the performance of her poetry. After all, she was nominally his son-in-law now. If he made a fool of himself, then they would all prosper together and suffer together.

Yingge was verifying something in her own way at this moment. There was silence in the carriage for a long time, with only the sound of the horses' hooves hitting the floor tiles, making a clattering sound.

Yingge suddenly asked, "Master, what kind of person is my father?"

Liu Wenru seemed to be unable to react. "Your father, um, ah, is a very, very good person. Your mother should have told you about this!"

"I did, but I was sick, so I didn't remember anything afterwards. It's not convenient for me to ask her again. After all, this is also a sad thing for her. Uncle, why don't you tell me more about him? I want to know more about him."

"Well, he is a very, very good person!" In the dim carriage, Liu Wenru could not ignore the pair of bright and somewhat surprising eyes opposite him. That look made him a little flustered. He didn't know why Yingge suddenly asked this question at this moment. Was she worried that the poem would not be done well, or was she afraid of being kicked out of Liu's house by him? It was so strange, or maybe it wasn't that strange. Was he too nervous?

Asking this question to hide her nervousness?

"He's a very nice person, not talkative and honest..."

"Don't worry, we are a win-win cooperation. Although I said before that I was using you to gain a good reputation, I really didn't intend to marry my daughter to you. I am sincere in taking care of you, and I will never harm you. If I do that, I will be worse than pigs and dogs."

Yingge nodded her thanks and lowered her head to hide the expression on her face. She gave a vague description of her deceased friend and couldn't clearly describe his characteristics. Was it because she had no memories of their previous interactions or was it because the feelings were not that deep?

The carriage kept moving and stopping in this situation until it suddenly stopped and the driver said, "We have arrived at Yiyuan."

Liu Wenru took a deep breath and said, "Let's go."

Yingge stood up and followed closely.

The scenery in the garden was exquisite, but the two men had no time to take a closer look and hurried towards the banquet hall. Before they arrived, they could hear from a distance that the Fuliu Pavilion was bustling with singing and dancing, drum beats, and laughter.

The people in the banquet hall might have been waiting for Yingge's arrival. Lu Gong suggested that the boys and girls play a game of pitching pots. He would reward handsomely whoever could win the first prize tonight. As soon as these words came out, the young masters and young ladies in the banquet hall couldn't sit still.

They all went down to the field to compete unconsciously.

Of course, whoever loses will be punished by drinking.

This activity is something that not only young girls cannot avoid, but also grown men have to participate and compete. There is no restriction on the positions of those present, and the conclusion is only determined by winning or losing.

This creates a somewhat tense atmosphere, and even if all the elders in the family are present, it is inevitable that they will reveal their true abilities at critical moments.

Yingge was just following Liu Wenru in. As the drumbeats stopped, several feather arrows were already scattered on the ground. She was so anxious that she couldn't compose any poem and her face was red and she started sobbing.

A burst of laughter suddenly broke out in the venue. Yingge looked forward and saw a middle-aged man wearing a bright red robe and dark green clothes sitting in the center of the banquet hall. Under the illumination of a lantern from a coral tree behind him, he looked like a fairy from Penglai Island who had descended to earth.

Yingge had just arrived. He looked over and stretched out his hand and said, "Yingge, come and ally with this lady and help her."

Lu Gongqing's words made everyone present quiet down instantly, and everyone's eyes were focused on her.

Standing outside the door was a boy of about thirteen or fourteen, wearing brand new clothes, with a handsome face and a bit of immaturity. Being stared at by so many people, he seemed a little uneasy and unconsciously took a step back.

Liu Wenru saw her fear and whispered, "Don't be afraid."

Yingge said in a low voice: "They know me..."

Anyone who walks into a place and is suddenly called out by a stranger will be a little frightened, especially when there are many people around.

Liu Wenru said, "They probably guessed it. When they invited you here, they knew your name. Now that you came in with me, they naturally know you. Don't be nervous, or you will be looked down upon."

Only Yingge herself knew whether she was really nervous or not, but Liu Wenru was probably really nervous. From the corner of her eye, she saw Liu Wenru clench his hands tightly at his sides. A person's face may be deceiving, and it can be trained and disguised, but there are only small movements that one does not even notice that cannot be deceived.

The people in the banquet hall were a little stunned when they saw Yingge standing in the foyer. The young man was also frightened by Lu Gongqing's words and was probably almost dumbfounded.

The master of the Chen family came out and replied, "We are playing pot-tossing. Master Yingge just came, right? Are you good at pot-tossing? Lord Lu wants you to take over next!"

Yingge stood there motionless, as if she didn't understand what Master Chen said. She automatically ignored the previous sentence and only remembered to take the tossing pot and compose a poem like everyone else present.

Yingge hesitated for a moment and said, "Flowers fall and bloom all over the ground..."

Her voice was clear and trembling with a slight sound. Everyone else present heard it. Yes, there were flowers. Although they were made, they sounded just barely acceptable.

Lu Gong suddenly said, "Where did this sentence come from? Why haven't I heard it before?"

Ever since she was injured, she has been determined to learn scriptures and poems thoroughly. She wants to make up for what she lacks in another way and restore her reputation. She knew all the other poems and books that were read just now, but she had no impression of Yingge's words.

When Yingge heard him ask this, she became even more nervous. "I, I, I forgot."

There was a burst of laughter in the banquet hall. For a country kid, such a scene must be very scary. It was the first time for him to be in front of so many people. He was so scared that he was stunned. Lu Gong also whispered, "That little girl doesn't need to be punished. You should thank Yingge. She helped you."

The girl was still a little frightened, but because her family had specifically warned her not to do so, she had to pretend to be calm even though she looked scared. She wiped her tears, knelt down and saluted Yingge. Seeing her like this, Yingge hurriedly returned the salute.

Lu Gong seemed to still be unwilling to give up, and asked again, "Did General Liu tell Yingge that he would write a poem after she came?"

Liu Wenru stood up and answered yes.

Lu Gong raised his hand and said to Yingge, "Take a seat first, and we will continue the game of pitching pots."

Yingge stood up and bowed and answered yes. The sounds of vocal music resumed in the banquet hall. Lu Gong no longer looked at Yingge, but just chatted and laughed with the people around him. Liu Wenru was temporarily relieved at this time, and was about to take him to his seat, but several of Yingge's classmates came out, including people from the Gudi Poetry Society. But no one expected that a girl would get there first.

Liu Abao pulled Yingge to her seat. She wanted Yingge to write a poem for her so that the group of girls who always looked down on him would be envious of him.

"Dad, please let Yingge sit at the same table with me."

Liu Wenru was so angry that he wanted to scold loudly, but he was afraid that this was a party and would disturb other people's fun, so he could only whisper, "Don't mess around, don't make trouble, or I'll lock you up in the ancestral hall when I get home."

"Daddy, you're scaring me again. I'm not doing anything stupid. I just asked her to help me write a few poems."

As he said that, he pulled Yingge to his seat.

Those who were not as quick could only look at Yingge with regret.

"Yingge is so popular. You see, she is popular with both men and women."

The Gudi Poetry Society was also discussing the poem Yingge had just said. "Fu Zijing, have you heard of it?"

“No!”

"If you, who are well-read, haven't heard of it, then we don't need to be told."

Fu Zijing said, "Even if you are well-read, it won't work."

The students present probably understood what he meant. "No" actually means "I don't know", right? With the arrival of the game of tossing pots, everyone was no longer concerned about this point and hurriedly focused on playing the game.

After Yingge was pulled all the way to her seat by Liu Abao, Mrs. Liu also came over. Mrs. Liu was not disgusted or disdainful of Yingge as she was when Yingge first met her. Not only did she give up her seat on her own initiative, she also asked the servant to prepare paper, inkstone and pen.

Mrs. Liu saw Yingge sitting down and said considerately, "Don't worry, take your time to think about it." She also stroked Yingge's shoulder.

Yingge was confused for a moment, thinking to herself what had happened. Of course the answer would be revealed immediately.

"Good child, we didn't agree with your engagement with my child at first, but if you can make a name for yourself at the banquet today, I can consider agreeing to it. You must remember to do things well and don't embarrass our baby. Your family only needs to continue the family line, and you are still so young, so everything can be discussed."

Is this to promise benefits first, let them succeed, and then consider it later? Yingge looked at Madam Liu with a puzzled look. Madam Liu's eyes were slightly red, as if she had just cried.

Liu Abao yelled at Mrs. Liu angrily to shut up.

Mrs. Liu said sternly, "If you are taken away, you will never find a good marriage again."

Liu Abao laughed nonchalantly and said, "That's great! That's exactly what I was thinking!"

Madam Liu was so angry that she was about to raise her hand to hit her, but was quickly stopped by the maid beside her. Even though this also attracted the attention of other people around, and Prefect Liang looked at her with some displeasure, Madam Liu did not dare to move again.

Yingge also learned something from their conversation just now. It seems that Lu Gongqing has already chosen Liu Abao. The speed is so fast. But looking at Liu Abao's expression, she doesn't seem nervous at all.

"Yingge, Yingge, hurry up and write a poem. I'm going to shock everyone..."