"The scenery in Liuzhou in March is truly magnificent," the Emperor remarked cheerfully as he led the royal family on a tour of the imperial palace.
Built during the previous dynasty and renovated by the late Emperor, the Liuzhou Palace was grand and imposing. One could overlook the Qinghe Pass from afar, while its inner gardens boasted the elegance of a southern water town.
"Father, although the Liuzhou Palace is not as grand as the Forbidden City in the capital, it is one of the most renowned palaces in the Daxia Dynasty," the Crown Prince, Zhongli Chengze, stepped forward and said to the Emperor.
"I hope Father will stay for a few more days."
The Emperor turned to the Empress and asked, "Empress, I've been here for a few days, but I haven't met the families of the officials yet. When will the banquet begin?"
The Empress had been prepared for days and was just waiting for the Emperor to bring it up. "Your Majesty, I've given the order already. I've been waiting for your instructions."
In the Jinxuan Courtyard of the Song Mansion, there was a bustling scene with maids coming and going.
"Ai, like this..." Jin Yu frowned as she looked at the jewelry in her sister-in-law's hand.
Mrs. Xiang had sent many spring clothes. "My dear sister, hurry up and get dressed!"
"Sister-in-law, we can't go too overboard," Jin Yu said.
Mrs. Xiang smiled and pulled her. She took off Jin Yu's plain hairpin and replaced it with a pearl hairpin. "You're at the prime of your youth. You can't waste such a beautiful appearance."
Since Mrs. Xiang was pregnant, she was unable to attend the Empress's flower banquet. So Jin Yu had to go alone in her place.
She had few friends in Liuzhou, and the only one she was close to, Mei Xiu, had returned to Yuzhou early.
Now, at the Empress's flower banquet, she walked with her maid, Niaoniao, among the crowd of officials' wives and daughters.
"Miss Song?"
Mrs. Lin and her daughter, Lin Ziyu, came over. Her husband served in the Tiger Guards Battalion.
After exchanging greetings, Mrs. Lin saw that Jin Yu was alone and kindly said, "Ziyu is about the same age as you. You two can stay together."
Jin Yu was delighted to have someone to accompany her so that she wouldn't seem so out of place.
"Sister Jin Yu, you're so beautiful!" Lin Ziyu skipped over and grabbed Jin Yu's hand.
"You're like a fairy!"
"Ziyu, you're also very cute!"
Seeing that the two girls got along well, Mrs. Lin went with the other ladies.
"Shall we go to the flower hall?" A maid came to lead them to the flower hall. There were already many ladies and daughters there.
"Has Miss Song arrived?" Shen Yingyun asked her maid.
"Over there..." Following the maid's finger, Shen Yingyun saw Jin Yu. She thought Jin Yu looked so coquettish.
Shen Yingyun was somewhat disapproving.
"Do this... and that..." She whispered instructions to her maid.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the flower hall, Zhongli Mingye received a secret report from Qingfeng.
She actually came?
His eyes passed through the screened window. He could only see the shadows of the flowers and smell the fragrance of the wind.
After the Emperor and the Empress were seated, the white silk screen was removed. Zhongli Mingye finally saw the person he had been longing for. She was indeed very beautiful today, so beautiful that he couldn't take his eyes off her.
She had always been beautiful, but she used to dress like a little girl. After a year, she had grown into a graceful young lady.
The pearl hairpin made the young girl look even more youthful and charming.
Jin Yu and Lin Ziyu were whispering to each other in the corner. After a while, they both looked at the Emperor.
"The Emperor is truly majestic!" Lin Ziyu whispered to Jin Yu.
"Shh!" Jin Yu motioned for her to be quiet.
When she looked up, she met Zhongli Mingye's gaze and quickly looked away.
The Empress was very kind. She asked a few ladies and daughters some questions, including Jin Yu. Jin Yu answered calmly and gracefully. When Shen Yingyun saw her, her pretty face darkened. "She's just an ordinary girl!"
When she saw Zhongli Mingye's look, she became even more angry.
Shen Yingyun was very upset. She decided to make things difficult for Miss Song.
Jin Yu and Lin Ziyu were quietly enjoying the tea and snacks. The snacks in the palace were very delicious.
"All the young ladies may perform a talent show," the eunuch's shrill voice made everyone sit up straight.
Jin Yu was immediately choked. No one had told her that she needed to perform a talent show!
Ziyu quickly handed her a cup of tea. "What's wrong, sister?"
"The talent show is voluntary," Lin Ziyu laughed at her for being so surprised.
"That's good..." Jin Yu patted her chest. "You scared me!"
This scene caught the attention of Prince Yu, who couldn't help but laugh. Shen Yingyun also saw this.
Are you afraid of making a fool of yourself?
Humph... Dead girl, I'll show you my power later.
Many young ladies performed their talents, and many young gentlemen showed their sword skills. It was quite interesting. Jin Yu and Lin Ziyu watched with great interest. The Empress's flower banquet wasn't so boring after all!
Since she didn't plan to perform, she decided to just eat and drink and go home later.
"Is that Miss Shen?"
"She's the most talented girl in the capital," the voices around Jin Yu brought her back to reality.
"This dance is only fit for the heavens," Shen Yingyun's dance was the famous "Rouge Dance" of a noble concubine from the previous dynasty. It was both beautiful and charming, with a touch of solemnity from the battlefield. These two seemingly contradictory feelings were subtly harmonious in Shen Yingyun's performance.
"Reward!"
This dance deserved the Emperor's reward as it was the best among all the performances.
Shen Yingyun was satisfied with the reward and stepped off the stage.
She deliberately looked at Prince Yu and found that he wasn't paying much attention to her. She became even more angry and immediately called out Jin Yu's name.
"I heard in the capital that Liuzhou is a place full of talents. Miss Song is known as the most talented girl in Liuzhou."
The Empress looked at everyone. "Miss Song hasn't performed yet, has she?"
At this moment, everyone's eyes were filled with curiosity.
"The most talented girl in Liuzhou?" Zhongli Mingye's eyes turned cold. He knew exactly what Shen Yingyun was up to.
Very well, how dare she make things difficult for his woman.
"Me?"
Jin Yu swallowed the tea and snacks in her mouth. She was a bit dazed.
When did she become the most talented girl in Liuzhou? This title was too big!
...
"Your Majesty, I haven't performed yet," Jin Yu had no choice but to stand up and bow in front of everyone.
The Empress looked at her carefully. She was a delicate beauty. "Then you may perform."
Jin Yu was very worried, and the Song father and son sitting beside her were also sweating.
They knew their daughter/sister very well.
"I'll give it a try!" Jin Yu decided that she had to get through this no matter what.
She asked the maid to prepare two brushes and a large piece of rice paper. Taking a deep breath, she held a brush in each hand. Everyone was attracted by her actions.
The girl's brushes danced on the paper, and she was writing with both hands at the same time.
In a short while, she finished writing a character. She motioned for the eunuch to hold the paper up so that the Emperor and the Empress could see clearly.
It turned out that Jin Yu had written a big character "Long" (dragon) with two brushes!
What was even more amazing was that this character was composed of twenty idioms starting with "Long"!
At first glance, it was the character "Long";
Looking closely:
Long Fei Feng Wu (dancing dragons and flying phoenixes), Long Zhang Feng Zi (dragon's chapter and phoenix's appearance), Long Teng Hu Yue (tigers and dragons springing up), Long Hu Feng Yun (a time of great upheaval), Long Yin Hu Xiao (roaring dragons and tigers), Long Ju Yun Xing (dragons rising and clouds gathering), Long Mei Feng Mu (dragon's eyebrows and phoenix's eyes), Long Xing Feng Ju (dragons rising and phoenixes flying), Long Xiang Lin Zhen (dragons striding and unicorns galloping),
Long Teng Hu Ju (tigers and dragons crouching), Long Zhang Lin Jiao (dragon's chapter and unicorn's horn), Long Zheng Hu Yan (dragon's glaring eyes and tiger's fierce look), Long Feng Cheng Xiang (dragons and phoenixes presenting good fortune), Long Pan Feng Yi (dragons coiling and phoenixes soaring), Long De Zai Tian (a dragon in the sky), Long Yue Hong Jiao (dragons leaping and red dragons wriggling), Long Ming Shi Hou (roaring dragons and roaring lions), Long Zhang Xiu Gu (dragon's chapter and elegant bones), Long Jing Hu Meng (dragon's spirit and tiger's might), Long Ma Jing Shen (full of vigor).
"I wish Your Majesty and Your Highness a long and prosperous life," Jin Yu bowed.
She modestly explained, "The previous young ladies' performances were excellent. I'm not as talented as them, so I won't make a fool of myself. This calligraphy is just a small gift for Your Majesty and Your Highness."
Writing with both hands was not surprising, and it wasn't difficult to remember twenty idioms starting with "Long". What was difficult was how to arrange these idioms into a character "Long" with a reasonable layout and an elegant shape.
"Interesting! Interesting!"
The Emperor was amused by this character. No wonder Zhongli Mingye had specifically asked for an imperial edict for this girl. His taste was really good!
The Empress and the concubines also thought this calligraphy was wonderful.
"Father, this Miss Song is really amazing!" Princess Heyi also praised.
The Song father and son sitting beside them let out a sigh of relief. Zhongli Mingye's eyes showed less caution. He knew this girl would always surprise him.