My wife wants a divorce; if she ruins my life, I'll leave.

Before long, Princess Pingyang came over. She had just gone boating on the lake for a while and felt much better after exercising.

"You're the only one who would go boating in the dead of winter!" Meng Ruohua sighed. Any other young lady would not go out on the lake to freeze.

Wouldn't it be nice to stay in the warm pavilion?

Li Furong laughed at her, saying she should stay on Mount Wutai, where she could roam freely in the deep forests.

"Don't be so smug, Sister Li. Be careful, I might just take you with me when I go back to Wutai Mountain." She waved her little fist in a show of defiance.

Not to be outdone, Li Furong rolled up her sleeves and threw a punch, "Let's see who gets punched!"

Meng Ruohua shook her head and ignored them, only pulling Song Tian and Song Xi back, saying, "Don't worry about them, they'll catch up in a bit."

Song Tian suggested in a low voice, "Second Sister-in-law, let's go to the lakeside to watch them compose poems!"

I overheard a passing maid saying that the male guests were also composing poems, intending to compete with the women in the inner courtyard.

She wondered if Wang Yuanzhi would bring the male guests into the garden, and she didn't want to miss any opportunity to meet him.

Meng Ruohua, of course, also heard what the maid said. She already knew what Song Tian was thinking, so she didn't stop her. She just looked at Song Xi and asked for her opinion.

Song Xi squeezed the handkerchief in her hand. "Let's go take a look."

Generally speaking, men and women should avoid suspicion, but such banquets are often an opportunity for wives to choose their sons-in-law, so the rules are not so strict. They will also create opportunities for eligible men to enter the inner courtyard to make it easier for the other party to make a selection.

For example, today, it was a lady who suggested composing a poem; of course, she had an unmarried daughter.

Meng Ruohua nodded, called out to Li Furong and Princess Pingyang, and then took Song Tian and Song Xi with her.

When I arrived, the poetry gathering was nearing its end, and most of the young ladies had already finished composing their poems and were chatting in small groups.

Qin Man had prepared more than ten poems for the banquet, which she had written well in advance and was just waiting for everyone to judge them.

The daughters of the Song family in this generation only went to school for three or four years. They learned to read and read a few books on women's conduct and instruction, and that was it. This was because the second madam said that women did not need to be literate and that it was enough to know a few characters roughly.

Meng Ruohua strongly suspected that she was trying to save money, since hiring a female tutor was not cheap. In addition to tuition, it also required providing food, lodging, clothes for all seasons, writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.

Therefore, Song Tian and Song Xi were not well-educated and never participated in such occasions.

Before long, the man and woman exchanged poems, and the young ladies and several wives passed them around for review, jointly judging them into first, second, and third place.

The male guests were also looking at the young ladies' poems. Of course, these were not the young ladies' original manuscripts, but were copied by their literate maids.

After the evaluation, the male guests selected a few unmarried women and they all entered the garden together.

The leader was Wang Yuanzhi, who was the head of the household and also the most talented in literature, so he was surrounded by everyone.

Song Tian saw it from afar and was completely stunned.

He wore a white jade crown, a dark green brocade robe, and a jade belt embroidered with colorful auspicious clouds, from which hung a white jade pendant carved with two fish. His handsome, fair face was framed by willow-leaf eyebrows and eyes like autumn waves. He possessed an elegant and refined air, and his demeanor was composed and graceful; he was undoubtedly a talented scholar.

She reached up to adjust the tasseled gold hairpin in her hair, straightened the beaded tassel necklace at her chest, and tidied her skirt and sleeves, making sure everything was in perfect condition. She gently bit her lip until she felt a pain, thinking that her lips must be vibrant and luscious at that moment.

Song Tian stared greedily at Wang Yuanzhi as he slowly approached, unaware that many people had witnessed her actions.

A group of people arrived gracefully, their elegant figures and flowing robes putting the young ladies to shame. They tried to cover themselves, but their curiosity compelled them to peek and steal glances. If they found someone they liked, they could ask their mothers to inquire further.

Therefore, although everyone was shy, no one left.

The men knew the rules; they would only glance at the women casually, exchange a few pleasantries with them, and then leave. However, a few of them couldn't help but look back.

Only after the men left the garden did the young ladies resume their conversation and laughter. Since it wasn't appropriate to discuss such matters in front of the ladies, they simply chatted about everyday things.

Qin Man couldn't help but walk around to Song Tian's side and whisper, "No wonder you like to hang around your cousin so much, you had other intentions."

She looked in the direction the men had left, but naturally couldn't see anyone.

But her actions startled Song Tian, ​​whose face instantly flushed red. "What's it to you?"

"It's none of my business, but I can make it related to me." Qin Man watched with satisfaction as Song Tian's face froze. The two of them had been competing since they met, and they had never been able to determine a winner. If Song Tian were to marry into the Wang family, then she would have lost.

The Wang family is the most powerful and influential family in the capital. Even the second son of the second branch of the family is someone that ordinary people cannot aspire to. As for her, she can only surpass Song Tian if she marries into the royal family or a noble family.

Although noble families hold prestigious status, they lack real power and are ultimately inferior to the royal family.

Qin Man looked at Song Tian with great interest, her smiling expression startling anyone who saw her.

Song Tian, ​​the person involved, felt her hair stand on end. She shoved Qin Man away and said with disgust, "What are you looking at? Haven't you ever seen anything like this before?"

Qin Man raised an eyebrow and said with a smile, "I've never seen such a shameless person as you."

She abandoned her usual arrogant attitude and instead adopted a concerned expression, saying, "I advise you to give up on that idea. The Wang family is not something a lowly fifth-rank official like you can get close to."

Song Tian glared angrily, pushed Qin Man aside as she leaned closer, and forced a show of composure onto her already uncomfortable face. "I don't understand what you're saying!"

She walked a few steps to the pavilion and admired the lake view with her back to the crowd.

Actually, the lake at the Wang family's house is quite small, only about half the size of the courtyard, and it's planted with many lotus flowers. In the depths of winter, the lotus flowers and leaves have disappeared, leaving only a pool of clear water rippling in the wind.

Song Tian had no idea how many people were watching her from behind.

One of them is Song Xi!

Knowing her lowly status, Song Xi never coveted what didn't belong to her, especially those privileged individuals. Therefore, when the group entered, she merely glanced at them and then looked away.

With nothing to do, she had the time to observe others, and Song Tian happened to be standing right next to her.

She noticed that Song Tian had taken a step forward and straightened her back, unconsciously displaying an elegant posture that was quite different from her lazy demeanor in the mansion.

Song Xi glanced up discreetly and saw that Wang Yuanzhi's face was flushed and he was blushing with embarrassment. Following her gaze, they saw Wang Yuanzhi speaking eloquently. The handsome young man exuded confidence and charisma in the sunlight, instantly making the young ladies present blush.

Her eyebrows furrowed slightly. Even though Song Tian was the legitimate daughter, her status was still far inferior to Wang Yuanzhi's.

Song Xi turned her head and saw Meng Ruohua smiling calmly at her, as if she hadn't noticed Song Tian's change at all.