Nan Chaoyin stood up and coughed, drawing everyone's attention. He raised his cup and said, "How can such an elegant banquet be spent in silence? Shall we play a game?"
Everyone understood. This was the second stage of the banquet: a talent showcase!
They responded enthusiastically.
"Good!" Nan Chaoyin surveyed the room with a smile. "Everyone present is a talent from Linyuan. How about we play a game of 'Fei Hua Ling'?"
Liu Cheng's hand trembled, nearly making him cover his face and flee.
Damn it, poetry! He was not familiar with this at all, not at all!
Qin Mo also twitched the corner of his mouth and couldn't help but glance at Nan Chaoyin. Wasn't the Prime Minister afraid that Princess Huian might actually take a liking to some of these handsome men? When it came to composing poetry, who could compare to Zhang Silang!
However, speaking of which, Zhang's mother had only passed away a few months ago. By rights, he should still be in mourning. Why was he attending such a banquet?
If it weren't for the Prime Minister mentioning poetry, Qin Mo wouldn't have even noticed that Zhang Silang was present.
He sidled up to Liu Cheng and gestured with his eyes for Liu Cheng to look to the rear right. Liu Cheng was still contemplating whether to seize the opportunity to slip away to avoid embarrassment later. Seeing Qin Mo signal him, he looked in the direction indicated and was also taken aback.
He then tugged at Wang Qiancheng, urging him to look back.
Wang Qiancheng was not surprised by Zhang Silang's appearance. He said to Liu Cheng and Qin Mo, "For this marriage alliance banquet, as long as they are not dead or paralyzed, all eligible young gentlemen from the various estates must attend."
"Although Zhang Silang is supposed to observe the three-year mourning period, it doesn't mean he cannot leave the house. He's just unable to enter officialdom or get married. If Princess Huian truly fancies him, they can get engaged first. The wedding can wait until the three-year mourning period is over."
After Wang Qiancheng finished speaking, he looked at Liu Cheng and Qin Mo with a hint of disappointment, as if they were not living up to his expectations. "You two should be more aware of these things. You don't even know about matters like this. What are you making such a fuss about!"
Liu Cheng rubbed his nose and glared at him, "Who's making a fuss? I just haven't seen him in a long time, and it's a novelty to see him today. What are you showing off to me for?"
Qin Mo said nothing, rolling his eyes at Liu Cheng.
If Liu Cheng were to die, the coroner would surely be astonished upon examination, exclaiming, "Damn, this guy's mouth is really tough!"
Wang Qiancheng let out a laugh. He picked up his wine cup and toasted his young fiancée across the table. Liu Lan wrinkled her nose, snorted at him, and turned her head away, ignoring him.
Wang Qiancheng chuckled amusingly.
Seeing that the scoundrel Wang Qiancheng not only ignored him but also flirted with his sister, Liu Cheng grabbed Wang Qiancheng by the neck and pulled him outside.
Fearing that resistance would attract everyone's attention, Qiancheng resigned himself to being captured.
Qin Mo put down his wine cup and followed them out.
As for who participated in the Fei Hua Ling, that was their business. But they would absolutely, positively, never participate!!!
Nan Chaoyin noticed their actions but said nothing, letting them go.
"Good!"
The guests, hearing Nan Chaoyin's proposal, graciously agreed.
Fei Hua Ling, as the name suggests, is a game where the proposer names a flower, and participants compose poetry based on it. Apart from a few notorious dandy youths, most people could manage a line or two. After all, Fei Hua Ling didn't require a complete poem; two lines would suffice.
Seeing everyone's agreement, Nan Chaoyin said to Huian, "Princess, allow me to offer this first topic as a humble beginning!"
Huian smiled and nodded, "Please!"
Nan Chaoyin said, "It is currently the height of winter. How about we use plum blossoms as the theme?"
His topic was not difficult, indeed very simple, as plum blossoms were something everyone loved to praise.
Zhang Silang stood up and recited the poem he had composed:
"In the courtyard corner, several plum blossoms,
Alone they bloom in the bitter winter,
Known from afar not to be snow,
Their faint fragrance drifts on the wind."
"Excellent!"
"A wonderful line, 'Known from afar not to be snow, Their faint fragrance drifts on the wind'!"
"A fine poem, truly a poem that can be passed down through the ages!"
As Zhang Silang recited his poem, everyone praised him. If not for the sudden death of Zhang's mother, Zhang Silang would likely have already entered officialdom. What a pity, such a shame. If he had entered officialdom now, he would have become a pillar of the court in three years. Alas, his path was blocked.
However, everyone couldn't understand why he was making an appearance now. If Princess Huian took a liking to him, his official career would be completely ruined!
Could it be that he had given up on himself?
After Zhang Silang, several others stood up to compose poems, but none were as stunning as Zhang Silang's.
Nan Shiying stroked her chin, looking at Zhang Silang. She leaned close to Ji Jinmo's ear and whispered, "My lord, does Zhang Silang wish to marry Huian?"
Her warm breath caressed Ji Jinmo's earlobe. His eartips turned a faint red, and a tingly, itchy sensation spread from his ear to his neck, then to his chest, and finally burrowed into his body.
His throat felt dry. He raised his cup and took a sip of wine, which soothed his hoarse voice. "Although Zhang Silang hails from the Marquis of Xunyang's estate, he has been secretly supported by Nan Chaoyin for many years. If not for the death of Zhang's mother, Zhang Silang would already be in court, serving as a hidden nail for Nan Chaoyin's faction."
Nan Shiying let out an "oh," confirming her suspicion. No wonder that old scoundrel Nan Chaoyin had proposed playing Fei Hua Ling. It turned out that since Zhang Silang could not enter court, he wanted to make use of him by having him marry Huian!
A good plan.
However, no matter how outstanding Zhang Silang was, Huian would never marry him!
Huian, she was constantly thinking of returning to Dali!
How could she go back if her husband was not dead and her husband's family was not ruined!
However, if this old scoundrel truly intended to have Zhang Silang marry Huian, then today's banquet would be full of even more drama!
Nan Shiying glanced at the food on the table.
The roasted chicken had not been touched, nor had the stir-fried seasonal vegetables. However, the plate of garlic beef had been entirely consumed. In this day and age, one really couldn't eat out without some medical knowledge!
Look at that, it's all a trap!
"Linyuan is truly a land of outstanding people and abundant spirit. The young gentlemen here are all talented and eloquent. Huian is impressed!"
After a few minutes of silence, Huian, having confirmed that no one else would stand up to compose poetry, gracefully stood up, her robes trailing. With her exclamation, she tilted her head and drank the wine in her cup in one go. Then, she inverted the cup, showing everyone that she had finished it. "Huian toasts all the talented gentlemen!" m..oΓg
"To the Princess!"
Everyone stood up to return the toast. Their impression of Huian improved further. After the wine went down, their faces flushed, whether from the wine or from the compliment of the beautiful woman, the atmosphere was very harmonious.
After Huian sat down, Nan Chaoyin said, "Princess, it is your turn to propose a topic!"
Huian tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and smiled, "Since that is the case, Huian will not make excuses. How about we use winter as the theme?"