Watching Gu Ruobai effortlessly making connections, Su Mingyu narrowed her eyes. A hint of unease suddenly welled up in her heart.
King Yu observed all this with a cold stare, a flash of disdain in his eyes.
A disabled prince and a disfavored legitimate daughter. They were quite a match!
"Let's begin," King Yu said as he drew out an arrow and shot at a silk ball on the bow of the boat.
The silk ball slowly fell, unfurling a banner with a single Chinese character on it.
Love.
King Yu raised his wine cup and said loudly to the people below, "In this life, all boils down to the word 'love'. There's the love for one's country, the love between lovers, the brotherly love, and the parental love. All of them are an inalienable part of us."
"So, for this poetry gathering, let's talk about 'love'."
There was a chorus of approval from the crowd below. Su Yueyue leaned against King Yu's arms with a wine cup in her hand. "As expected of King Yu. Unlike ordinary people who are only fixated on petty love, you truly have the bearing of a great general."
"King Yu is truly far - sighted!"
"Indeed worthy of being the emperor's favorite prince."
The people below echoed, as if the presence of Prince Gu Ruobai didn't matter at all.
Su Mingyu watched this scene coldly. Only then did she understand King Yu's purpose of inviting her here.
He could not only take revenge on her but also humiliate Gu Ruobai. It was really a clever plan that killed two birds with one stone.
Su Mingyu lowered her eyes and looked at Gu Ruobai. He was chatting and laughing merrily with the girls, which annoyed Su Mingyu.
She simply raised her hand to interrupt everyone. "Why don't we start now? Since I'm the last one to arrive, how about I compose the first poem as an apology?"
Su Yueyue didn't stop her. She would never miss an opportunity to humiliate Su Mingyu. "How about we talk about the love between men and women first?"
Seeing Su Yueyue's confident look, Su Mingyu guessed that she must have come prepared.
In that case, she wouldn't be polite.
Su Mingyu gave King Yu a gentle smile. A blush crept onto her cheeks, and her shy look left everyone stunned.
Only Gu Ruobai was relaxed, ready to enjoy the show.
King Yu seemed to be caught off - guard by Su Mingyu's gaze. Before he could react, Su Mingyu had already opened her lips:
"O God above!
I long to know you,
And never cease my love.
Till mountains crumble,
Rivers run dry,
Thunder rolls in winter,
Snow falls in summer,
And heaven and earth mingle -
Not till then will I part from you."
As Su Mingyu recited the poem, the passion in her eyes made King Yu freeze.
The others present were also left speechless for a long time.
This seemingly petite Su Mingyu had such a passionate heart.
Only someone who dared to love and hate could compose such a poem.
After a moment of silence, thunderous applause erupted.
Those arrogant scholars had to admit that this young girl's talent in poetry was beyond their reach.
Especially a scholar named Zhang Chunshui, his face full of disbelief. "It's truly wonderful. I wonder which young master will be lucky enough to win this young lady's heart. It's really enviable."
If he hadn't said that, it would have been fine. But as soon as he did, everyone's eyes fell on King Yu.
Everyone had seen clearly just now. This poem was obviously recited by Su Mingyu for King Yu.
Under so many envious or jealous gazes, a hint of pride flashed in King Yu's eyes.
He subtly pushed Su Yueyue away, tidied his clothes, and then said with a smile, "Yes, with such passionate feelings, I believe that young master will surely respond to Miss Su."
Saying that, King Yu walked up to Su Mingyu and poured her a cup of wine. "In my opinion, after this poem, should we stop with the poems about love?"
Zhang Chunshui was the first to clap in approval. "I feel ashamed of my own inadequacy."
The others also said that they couldn't compose a better poem than this.
Su Yueyue gritted her teeth in anger. If she weren't on the high platform, she really would have slapped Su Mingyu's calm face!
The poem she had paid a large sum of money to have written in advance had no chance to be presented, as Su Mingyu's poem had already overwhelmed the whole audience!
Damn Su Mingyu. Could it be that she really had real talent instead of just getting lucky last time?
But it didn't make sense. Su Zhengyi had never liked Su Mingyu and her mother since she was a child and had never cultivated her.
When she entered the mansion, Su Mingyu was still a fool who even misrecognized characters. How could she suddenly become a master of poetry?
Su Yueyue unwillingly stepped forward and stood between Su Mingyu and King Yu. She gave Su Mingyu a sweet smile. "I didn't expect that my usually quiet elder sister has such feelings."
"No wonder mother introduced so many young masters to elder sister before, but you weren't interested. It turns out you already have someone you like."
Saying that, Su Yueyue leaned close to Su Mingyu and asked in a voice that King Yu could hear, "Is the person elder sister likes Prince Ruixian? After all, you've been living in his mansion for so long and still haven't come back. It seems you've fallen in love and can't bear to leave."
This woman was quite quick - witted.
It seemed she was determined to prevent any interaction between her and King Yu.
But Su Mingyu wasn't in a hurry. Once a man was intrigued and then ignored, it would only arouse his fighting spirit.
So Su Mingyu just smiled and said nothing.
King Yu heard every word clearly. The last time he saw Su Mingyu, he only thought she had grown more beautiful. Now, standing next to Su Yueyue, the most beautiful girl in the capital, she was in no way inferior.
King Yu narrowed his eyes. He had seen many gentle and docile girls, but Su Mingyu, who was uncontrollable, seemingly cold on the surface but actually passionate, was the first he had ever encountered.
Moreover, since she was the woman Gu Ruobai had taken a fancy to, King Yu's interest was even stronger.
He gave Su Mingyu a charming smile over Su Yueyue's shoulder. "In that case, how about we talk about the love for one's country in the next poem?"
Zhang Chunshui coughed lightly below the stage. "How about letting Miss Su Mingyu go first again this time?"
Having been outshone just now, Su Yueyue naturally wouldn't let Su Mingyu succeed again. She quickly interrupted, "We've already seen elder sister's talent. How about I start this time as a humble offering?"
Su Yueyue's words were very modest, and with her beautiful face, it naturally added a lot of points.
Just as King Yu was about to nod, Zhang Chunshui jumped in and turned to ask everyone, "Don't you want to hear how this woman, who can compose such wonderful poems, will interpret the love for one's country?"