Shipin Dalizheng

Madam Wei's birthday banquet was held as scheduled. However, because the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet was postponed, she did not dare to make it too grand. She only invited some ladies and young ladies from the capital's good families. As for male guests, those who were willing to attend could have a cup of tea at Minister Wei's place.

Rong Tang knew the old lady was holding back, so he declined invitations to several other banquets and, shortly after Rong Xiu left, personally visited Minister Wei's residence. As far as he knew, Minister Wei supported Prince Rui, and perhaps Prince Rui had some ulterior motives. Rong Xiu wasn't politically savvy, so he feared she wouldn't be able to handle it.

Sure enough, he met Prince Rui in the Minister of State Wei's residence. By then, he had already let go of his crutches and was completely "cured".

Prince Rui was as enthusiastic as ever towards Rong Tang, as if the discord between the Liang and Rong families had never existed, and he never gave up on his intention to win over Rong Tang.

"Hahaha, such a young Earl Jian'an, he has a promising future!"

He laughed and patted Rong Tang's shoulder, showing others that the relationship between the two was extraordinary.

"Your Majesty, thank you."

In response to his urgent declaration that "the Earl of Jian'an is mine", Rong Tang was polite and distant, and never said a word. Even the Minister Wei who was standing next to King Rui felt embarrassed for him.

Just as Rong Tang finished speaking, a gentle voice rang out, "Did I hear it? Did someone mention the Earl of Jian'an just now?"

Turning around, he saw a servant leading two people approaching. One was Gu Zhongxun, and the other was a well-mannered man whom Rong Tang had never seen before.

Rong Zhan reminded in a low voice, "Prince Huai."

In fact, Rong Tang had guessed it without him saying it. According to his own calculations, it was time for Prince Huai to make friends with him. If it was any later, he would suspect that Prince Huai was wrong. Prince Huai was really an unambitious prince of peace. After all, he had given Prince Huai a reason to make friends with him.

Rong Tang also bowed and greeted, "Your Highness Prince Huai."

Prince Huai ignored Prince Rui's suddenly unsightly face and enthusiastically took two steps forward, snatching Rong Tang's hand from his shoulder and placing it on him. "Today, I know that Earl Jian'an, despite his young age, is still able to write poetry and prose. The poem 'Linjiangxian' you wrote at the residence of Grand Tutor Xie at the beginning of this month was truly extraordinary. Without a broad mind and courage, one cannot write with such a majestic and commanding presence that overlooks the mountains and rivers. How about joining my elite poetry gathering? With your talent, you'll definitely be among the top!"

Before Rong Zhan could even think of a response, Minister Wei snorted coldly, "Prince Huai, as you said, without a broad mind and courage, one cannot write such magnificent verses. The Earl of Jian'an is so young, how few words have he read? It's not surprising that a noble young man would spend money to buy a few poems to show off his elegance. We are accustomed to it and never take it to heart."

The "we" he mentioned were, of course, some colleagues and friends who came to celebrate his birthday. As he said, they were also used to seeing the uneducated sons of nobles buying and selling articles and poems. They all nodded in agreement, and then shook their heads in regret.

Before Nangong Huai could say anything, Gu Zhongxun's fists made a crackling sound. "Old man, are you mocking me?"

Rong Tang just smiled and didn't refute. "What Minister Wei said makes sense. Xiao Tang is indeed not a great talent. He was bought with money, so he is not worth mentioning."

Gu Zhongxun glanced sideways. He was there that day. Chu Chen tricked Rong Tang and took Zheng Changzhi's painting and asked Rong Tang to write a poem. How did Rong Tang know what was in the painting and prepare the poem in advance?

It was clearly written by him on the spot, so why did he admit that he bought it and deliberately discredit himself?

To say he wasn't disappointed would be a lie. He had always felt that he and Rong Tang belonged to the same group: both were rebellious, playful, and universally acknowledged as dandies in the upper capital. But was a dandy necessarily uneducated? Was it so hard to accept a dandy who could write poetry? Or was it true that a son of a noble who could write poetry couldn't be a dandy?

I agreed with Minister Wei's words and was very proud. I looked at His Royal Highness Prince Huai and said, "The person you are optimistic about is a fake!"

Unexpectedly, the Prince of Huai didn't mind. "Whether it was written by Earl Jian'an or not is not important. What matters is that it was written by Earl Jian'an, allowing me to see such a stunning poem. If Earl Jian'an doesn't mind, you can also find a convenient time to introduce the talented poet to me."

He performed the role of a prince who loves and seeks talents to the fullest.

Rong Tang smiled, "Okay, Your Majesty, I'll recommend it to you another day."

The two of them were chatting and laughing naturally, which reminded Prince Rui of Rong Tang's lukewarm attitude towards him. His face immediately turned unhappy.

A fourth-rank official stood up and walked over to Rong Tang. "I heard that the Earl of Jian'an is very good at accounting. He saved 120 taels of silver when buying horses in the North City yesterday."

Rong Tang's heart trembled. What happened yesterday was known to someone today. Zheng Changning shouldn't be a gossipy person. There was only one possibility: while he was monitoring others, someone was also monitoring him.

Someone has already taken him as a dish so quickly, but unfortunately the time is too short and he has not yet matured.

"Thank you for your compliments, old man. These are just some trivial things, not worth mentioning."

The fourth-rank old man smiled contemptuously. To people like them, mathematics was just a minor subject. Apart from such a lowly occupation as business, where else could it be used?

"Hey, Lord Jian'an is wrong! Anyone with knowledge is a remarkable person. I think that since Lord Jian'an is proficient in mathematics, he must be very intelligent and have his own opinions on the words of the sages."

Rong Tang's mouth twitched, damn, it's coming.

"I didn't ask for advice."

The old man stroked his beard and said, "As the saying goes, a wise bird chooses the right tree to roost in. I wonder what Earl Jian'an's understanding is..."

This guy is simply asking for his life. Asking him this question in front of Prince Rui and Prince Huai, I don’t know who he wants to embarrass.

"This sentence literally means that a smart bird knows to find a strong branch to build its nest so that it won't fall and die in the wind and rain."

The old man pressed the issue, "Excuse me, Earl Jian'an, what do you mean by a strong branch?"

"It's smooth, sturdy, and lush with leaves. Most importantly, it's free of borers. Some branches appear thick on the surface, but who knows they're teeming with insects, nearly hollowing them out. This bird landed on one, and the branch couldn't bear it. With a cackle... the nest collapsed, and the eggs were broken."

The old man couldn't help but tremble, as if he had fallen to the ground and scattered his eggs. Rong Zhan tried to comfort him, "Old man, does it hurt?"

The old man came back to his senses with a start. He was being compared to a bird, but he couldn't refute anything because he was the one who compared himself to a bird first.

Prince Rui asked sinisterly, "If the Earl of Jian'an were a bird, which branch would he choose to build his nest on?"

Rong Tang pretended to think for a moment, "If Xiaotang were an ordinary sparrow, he would choose a large tree and a triangular fork on the trunk to build his nest. This would be able to withstand even the slightest wind and rain. This is called the stability of a triangle. Of course, Xiaotang is not a sparrow. A real man would be an eagle, building his nest on a cliff, one with the world, and fearless of the wind and rain. What do you think, Your Highness?"

Prince Rui's face twitched uncontrollably a few times, "Yes, a good man should be like this."

Prince Huai laughed heartily, "Very good, very good. Young Earl Jian'an is the successor of Old Earl Jian'an. If you want to be someone, you better be the eagle in the sky."

As everyone knows, the old Earl of Jian'an did not participate in factional struggles. He was loyal to whoever became emperor. In other words, he was loyal to the country and, incidentally, to the emperor. Rong Tang's answer almost told others that he was just a loyal minister.

The old man was about to return to his seat in a huff, but Rong Tang stopped him, "Old man, if you want to be a good bird, at least let the branches see if you have the qualifications to be one. Otherwise, if you just stand on it and shit, the branches will find you smelly."