My Lord, my wife said she doesn't have time to talk to you.

Zijin took a step forward, took Huaying's hand, and said affectionately, "You have a really sweet mouth, but I don't deserve it."

Huaying lowered her head and smiled.

At this time, Sumu's maid came over and whispered a few words in Sumu's ear. Sumu's face changed slightly, and he turned around and saluted the two of them, saying, "Sumu has something to do, so I'll leave first. You two sisters can wait a little longer before going back to the palace."

Huaying and Zijin also returned the greeting and said with a smile, "You go and do your work first, and we will be back soon."

Seeing Su Mu gradually going away, before Hua Ying could say anything, Zi Jin took her hand affectionately and said coquettishly: "I was really shocked to see you today! Little girl, why didn't you recognize me in Taohua Town?"

Upon hearing this, Huaying bowed hastily and explained with a smile: "Princess, please calm down and forgive me. I was sick a while ago and couldn't even recognize my elder brother. My mother was worried about my condition and sent me to another village to recuperate. Fortunately, I have recovered now. If there was anything I didn't do well before, please forgive me, Princess."

After hearing this, Zi Jin pretended to be angry and said, "Look at you, you keep calling me princess, and just now you called Su Mu sister."

Then he took out a letter from his sleeve, handed it to Huaying and said with a smile, "This letter was given to you by Dongxue before I came to the capital! That girl is a real person. She only knew that you came to the capital, but she thought that I would be able to find you as long as I was in the capital. Now, I have finally lived up to your trust and completed the task!"

After hearing her words, Huaying felt excited.

Thinking back to when I left, Dongxue was still in the stage of just learning to read, so I guess this letter was written by someone else.

Huaying took the envelope, put it away, and looked at Zijin gratefully, "Thank you, Princess."

"You're still polite to me. You've just recovered from a serious illness, so you must take good care of yourself. If you need any help, just let me know." Zi Jin said with concern.

"Thank you for your concern, Princess. I will take good care of myself." Huaying replied with a smile.

"Then let's go back too. We've been out for so long, our families must be worried." Zi Jin looked at her with a smile.

Afterwards, Huaying quietly walked into the hall, only to see some slightly tipsy officials leaving one after another.

She walked carefully to her parents and asked in a low voice, "Mom, when can we go home?"

The mother looked at Huaying tenderly and replied softly, "My child, now it's time for you young people to do your part! We will all go to the garden to enjoy the moon and taste mooncakes, and then we will pay our respects to the Queen Mother before we leave."

Huaying couldn't help but wonder in her heart, could it be one of those cliché plots in TV dramas, full of intrigue and traps set for the heroine?

At present, apart from my piano playing skills which are a little immature, my other talents are just so-so.

Since we are already here, let's just let it go. Huaying calmed down, nodded slightly to her mother to show that she understood, and then sat down again...

Huaying looked around the hall but did not see Sister Sumu.

When her eyes met Zi Jin opposite her, they both smiled and nodded.

However, Huaying always felt that someone was looking at her. She followed the direction of the gaze and found that it was the man who looked familiar before, raising his glass to her and then drinking it all.

Huaying suddenly remembered, the big brother in black? Wasn't that the big brother she rescued in the reed marsh in Taohua Town... Today, she had touched an acquaintance's nest!

Yan Jingtian had been looking at Huaying who was sitting opposite him. When he saw that she finally recognized him, he couldn't help but smile, then raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp.

As expected, the clever and intelligent woman in front of him was the arrogant Shen An Ning.

At this moment, a loud shout was heard: "The Emperor is coming——"

The emperor led his ministers slowly into the back garden. The huge courtyard had already been properly decorated, with fresh fruits, fragrant tea, and exquisite moon cakes placed on each table...

At this time, the Queen Mother also stood up from her seat and said softly: "The children can enjoy their performances. I am old and a little tired, so I will not join in the fun here."

After that, the empress dowager, supported by a nanny, got on the sedan chair and slowly left, amid the respectful farewell of the ministers.

At this moment, the adults are still chatting animatedly, taking advantage of this Mid-Autumn Festival banquet to deepen their friendship with their colleagues.

At this time, a head nanny came slowly with a file in her hand. At the eunuch's signal, she gently opened the paper and began to read aloud: "Open the banquet to sit under the flowers, fly the wine cup to get drunk under the moon. Without good poems, how can we express our elegant feelings? If the poem is not completed, the punishment is to drink the wine in the Golden Valley."

When Huaying heard this, she was secretly happy and thought: Reciting poems during the Mid-Autumn Festival, then those ancient poems that I learned before will come in handy.

The nanny smiled and continued, "My dear young men and young ladies, this year's Mid-Autumn Festival banquet will feature poems on the themes of Chang'e flying to the moon, reunion, and lovesickness. If anyone can't come up with a poem when it's their turn, they will be punished by drinking three cups! If the performance is outstanding, the winner will receive a reward from the Queen."

It is worth noting that the layout of the tables for this banquet was exactly opposite to that in the hall.

The young men and women were seated in the front, while their parents sat in the back.

At this moment, Yan Jingtian's position seemed a little subtle and awkward. He happened to be sitting next to King Rui, but there was no one in front of him.

King Wu smiled faintly, turned his gaze to Yan Jingtian and said, "Tian'er, why not play with them? In my eyes, you are still a child."

Yan Jingtian respectfully accepted the order and expressed his gratitude, then sat back down on one side of the front row.

Many young men and women were eager to be the first to recite a poem, because they all knew that the later they were, the more difficult it would be.

And you cannot repeat verses that have already been recited by others.

Sitting at the first seat on the left were the siblings Zimo and Zijin from the Rui Palace;

On the right side, the first person is Hua Ying and Shen Nanxing from the Left Prime Minister’s Mansion…

At this time, the nanny brought a lottery stick box, handed it to Huaying first, and asked her to draw a stick. Then she handed the lottery stick box to Zijin and asked her to draw one as well, and passed it down in this way.

Mammy looked at everyone holding bamboo sticks and said softly, "Ladies and gentlemen, please put the bamboo sticks in your hands into the water. After a while, a number will be displayed. Then, recite the poem according to the displayed number."

After hearing this, Huaying followed the instructions of the others. As expected, a few seconds later, a number clearly emerged on the water surface - thirty-six.

Shen Nanxing's bamboo stick showed the number eight.

The first person to draw the lot was a cute little girl who was only about ten years old. She turned her head and looked at her mother with timid eyes.

Her mother smiled gently and nodded at her.

The little girl turned her head again to look at the older brothers and sisters around her, her little hands nervously fiddling with the corners of her clothes, and timidly chanted: "I look up at the bright moon, and I look down and think of my hometown."

After reciting the poem, the little girl's face instantly turned red.

Amid the crowd's praises, a palace maid holding a gift box walked towards her.

The little girl picked up the gift box and bowed respectfully to the queen, who smiled and nodded.

With such a good start, everyone's interest gradually became high, laughter and praises continued, and the atmosphere was extremely warm.

Soon it was Shen Nanxing's turn. He stood up and said, "The sky is cloudless and the whole country is beautiful. The most reunion night is Mid-Autumn Festival."

Everyone applauded, and next was Yan Jingtian, "The bright moon rises over the sea, and we share this moment across the world"...

The tenth one was Zijin. She stood up, smiled and looked at Huaying, and chanted slowly, "Tonight the moon is bright and everyone is looking at it, but I wonder whose house the autumn thoughts fall on."

The next one was the son of Minister Zhou. He thought for a long time, but most of the ancient poems he had learned had been recited by others, and he could not compose an elegant poem at the moment, so he picked up the wine glass and drank it. Amid everyone's laughter, the next person came to the next position.

As time went on, more people started drinking. The young men and women who were unable to compose a poem blushed, and it was unclear whether it was because of the drinking or because of shame.

Soon they reached Huaying, and because she was the last one, everyone's eyes were on her.

She stood up and picked up the wine glass. Just when everyone thought she was going to punish herself with three cups, Huaying looked at the wine glass and said, "I only wish that when I sing and drink, the moonlight will always shine in the golden cup."

Everyone applauded after hearing this. They had never learned this poem before, and it was amazing that they could come up with it so quickly on the spot.

The nanny smiled and said, "Miss Shen is very talented in writing. Good things come in pairs. Miss, can you recite another poem about the sweet-scented osmanthus tree in the bright moon and the jade rabbit?"

The ladies and gentlemen sitting in the front row also looked at Huaying again, waiting for her poems.

The adults sitting in the back row had already realized that Miss Shen was being plotted against. They were praising her on the surface, but in reality they were making things difficult for her.

Mother Shen looked at her daughter standing in front of her with some concern. Huaying said slowly, "The jade is cold, and the ice pot is frozen. There is a jade rabbit in the clouds and a blue dragon on the water."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was shocked. When they heard Canglong, they all looked at the emperor, only to see the emperor looking at Huaying with a smile on his face.

Huaying opened her mouth again, "Wu Zhi is leaning against the osmanthus tree, unable to sleep, with his feet exposed and a wet and cold rabbit flying obliquely."

Everyone applauded and praised, "Mrs. Shen is so lucky, and Miss Shen is so talented."

The worry on the lady's face finally disappeared.

Zi Jin, who was sitting opposite, looked at Hua Ying with a smile on her face, but her hands hidden in her sleeves were clenched tightly, showing how unwilling she was, and when she let go of her hands, a row of red marks were left.