Secrets of Yuqing Palace

The warm room is decorated in a warm and elegant manner, with a blazing charcoal fire and the aroma of wine and plum blossoms intertwined, creating a unique flavor.

"Brother Shi, brother Mu Jin, sister Wan Yu, and princess Amur, please take a seat!"

Huang Cheng greeted her warmly, and when he looked at Wanyu, the tenderness in his eyes was particularly obvious.

He personally cooked two pots of different hot wines. The amber-colored wine swayed gently in the pots, as if it could melt the cold of winter.

"Sister Wanyu and Princess Amur are women, so they shouldn't drink too much alcohol, especially the strong liquor used by men."

"So today I specially prepared the osmanthus wine for you. It's mild yet flavorful."

Although it was said that it was specially prepared for the two of them, his eyes were always on Wanyu.

The smile on her lips is as gentle as jade, making people feel like they are bathed in spring breeze.

Huang Cheng handed the jade cup filled with osmanthus wine to Wanyu and completely ignored Amur who was beside Wanyu.

Looking into Wanyu's eyes, the tenderness seemed to be able to melt the winter snow.

Wanyu looked up and looked back, their eyes accidentally met, and it seemed as if an electric current passed gently between them.

In his eyes, there was the familiar tenderness and a hint of barely perceptible nervousness.

From what he said, it was the elegant osmanthus wine specially prepared for her. It was fragrant and just right for a woman to taste.

Wanyu was stunned at first, then her heart warmed.

Such delicacy and thoughtfulness made her smile slightly, and her eyes were full of gratitude.

I took the cup and sniffed the sweet scent of osmanthus, my heart filled with emotion.

She nodded slightly shyly, "Thank you, Brother Huang, for your thoughtful care."

Take a sip, the sweet osmanthus fragrance lingers on your nose and teeth, and the warmth spreads from the tip of your tongue to your heart. It is really good.

"This wine has a unique flavor. I like it very much. Thank you."

There was a hint of shyness and gratitude in Wanyu's words, and her eyes contained deep recognition of Huang Cheng's kindness.

Huang Cheng was delighted when he heard this, his face flushed slightly, and he quickly coughed to cover it up.

"As long as Sister Wanyu doesn't mind."

"Of course not. Thank you for your concern, Brother Huang."

Watching the conversation between the two, Shi Liha felt something was wrong.

[What's wrong with my sister today? Is she feeling unwell?]

[Why is my usually lively and bright sister like this? ]

After thinking about it, I didn't think about it anymore.

Instead, Amur was secretly anxious. Looking at her fiancé opposite her who seemed to be unaware of the situation, she felt like she was gritting her teeth.

But due to the other party's identity, he couldn't reveal a single word!

【Can't you see there's something wrong with this guy? 】

[Brother Shi Liha, do you realize you've let a wolf into your house?]

For a moment, everyone had different thoughts, only the simple-minded Shi Mujin looked around curiously.

Everyone sipped the warm wine in their cups and looked at the beautiful scenery outside the window, feeling cozy and comfortable. Shi Liha praised with joy.

"Brother Huang, you really have a different world here."

"Especially from this high building, standing by the window and looking down, you can appreciate the beauty of the blend of red plum blossoms and winter snow. It is truly pleasant and beautiful!"

Wanyu nodded in agreement, and said, "I know it's not snow from afar because of the subtle fragrance."

Her words were like a warm breeze, making everyone present feel warm and comfortable.

Huang Cheng's eyes lit up and he exclaimed, "Wonderful! Wonderful!"

"The line from Wang Anshi's 'Plum Blossom' that Sister Wanyu recited is perfectly suited to this scene."

"Especially when we sit in this warm room, drinking wine and reciting poetry."

“Even if you don’t look out the window, just by smelling the cool fragrance of plum blossoms, you can tell that there must be a beautiful sight outside the window, with red plum blossoms blooming proudly in the snow.”

Shi Liha also said with pride: "Yu'er has always been very talented, which is beyond the reach of her younger brother."

"Brother Huang is truly talented. When my sister told me about it, I knew it was a line from Wang Anshi's poem."

Shi Mujin also looked at his sister with starry eyes.

[Third sister is the most outstanding Manchu aunt! The most perfect little princess!]

【My third sister is my role model! 】

Then he saw a branch of blooming red plum blossoms in the vase on the shelf behind Wanyu. It seemed as if he had thought of a good idea and immediately made a suggestion.

"Brother and sister, how about we play a game and each of us recite a line of poetry about plum blossoms?"

As soon as he finished speaking, it was like a stone that caused a thousand ripples, adding a bit of elegance and fun to this winter gathering.

Huang Chengli immediately agreed, "Brother Mu Jin, this is a great idea!"

Wanyu suggested, "If it's just a game, it's a bit too monotonous. But everyone can put up an item as a prize."

"Whoever can't answer will be eliminated, and the only one left is the winner."

"Whoever wins in the end will win the other four prizes."

Shi Mujin said loudly: "Okay!"

"Third sister, this is a good idea!"

Shi Liha looked at his active younger brother and said with a smile: "Since you proposed it, you should make a good start first."

Shi Mujin's face froze, then he frowned and thought for a moment, then he imitated the ancients and began to chant with his head shaking.

"The shadows are sloping and the water is clear and shallow, and the dark fragrance floats at dusk."

"This is a line from Lin Bu's poem 'A Small Plum Blossom in a Mountain Garden.' Although there's no word for plum blossom, every line in the poem is about plum blossoms. Does my line fit the description?"

Seeing his mischievous appearance, everyone burst into laughter.

Shi Mujin scratched his head embarrassedly, "Since you didn't say no, then it's okay."

In order to avoid embarrassment, he urged, "Next! Next!"

Shi Liha looked at his fiancée and knew that her Chinese studies were average.

I only learned some from my younger sisters when I lived in Guwaljia Mansion a few years ago.

So she probably doesn't know many poems about plum blossoms.

He was worried that everyone would have finished talking, and when it was Amur's turn, he would have no verses to respond, and his young fiancée would be so ashamed and angry that she would die.

Therefore, it was suggested that Amur be the second to write the poem.

Amur also knew that he didn't have much in stock, so after receiving her fiancé's meaning, he immediately blurted out the poem he had prepared.

"The plum blossoms haven't bloomed before spring, and the moon is still bright after the snow."

Shi Liha looked at Huang Cheng and said modestly, "Second brother, please go first."

Huang Cheng smiled slightly, "Then I won't give in."

"The plum blossoms are three cents whiter than the snow, but the snow is less fragrant than the plum blossoms."

These are the last two lines of Lu Meipo's "Snow Plum", which cleverly compare plum blossoms and snow, highlighting the fragrance of plum blossoms and the whiteness of snow.

Wanyu's eyes flashed with admiration and amazement. She liked this sentence very much. Although it seemed to be belittling, it highlighted the advantages of plum and snow.

Shi Liha also nodded in appreciation, and then replied with a line from Su Shi's "Plum Blossom": "Before spring, the plum blossoms have not yet bloomed, and after the snow, the moon is still bright."

Wanyu naturally continued, "A plum tree with white jade branches stands far away on the village road, beside the creek bridge."

......

After rounds of competition, only Wanyu and Huang Cheng were still reconciling their poems.

The two of them refused to give in to each other, and the attack was getting faster and faster.

Almost as soon as one person finished speaking, another person would respond immediately.

Everyone was dazzled and stunned by what they saw.

Even Amur, who had always been pessimistic about them, saw a good match in them.

But when he thought of the other party's identity and Sister Wanyu's unrestrainedness, he shook his head and instantly came to his senses.

Huang Cheng looked at the confident and pretty girl opposite him and knew that she must have a lot of related poems in her mind.

So when it was his turn, after some painful thought, he spoke with a slightly discouraged and admiring tone.

"Sister Wanyu is truly erudite and talented. I can't think of any other poems that mention plum blossoms."

"I'm willing to show my displeasure!"

Wanyu's face was filled with joy but with a hint of suppressed shyness, while Shi Liha first looked at Huang Cheng with a frown, and then showed pride and pride together with Shi Mujin.

Only Amur appeared happy for Wanyu, but in his heart he felt anxious as if he saw through everything.

In the following time, everyone recited poems or talked and laughed, and there was constant laughter in the warm room.

Wanyu watched everyone chatting easily, and occasionally sipped the osmanthus wine, which was sweet with a touch of elegance, just like the feeling Huang Cheng gave her, delicate and sincere.

She raised her eyes and happened to meet Huang Cheng's deep eyes. Their eyes met, and the air seemed to be filled with a subtle sweetness.

Huang Cheng's gaze always stayed on Wanyu, with a hint of tenderness and admiration hidden in it.

The eye contact between the two, though silent, is worth a thousand words.

Outside the window, the snow is still falling quietly; inside the room, the aroma of wine, plum blossoms and cheerful voices intertwine, forming a moving picture.