The Ximen family's home base is in Yangzhou. The family has strong financial resources and built a magnificent palace for Princess Chengfeng.
In the fifth entrance to the large courtyard, there is a tall attic built with red paint and green tiles, which is shining brightly.
In the spacious courtyard in front of the building, the young Prince of Feng, Zhao Meng, and the Duke of Chu, Ximen Zaichi, were sitting at attention. Other distinguished people from the older generation, including the royal family, the Tang family, the Meng family, the gentlemen from Gongxun Street, Yanchi Pai
Kai sat on both sides.
There was a mat on the ground, and the younger Ximen family and the younger people who came to celebrate the wedding were sitting on the mat, experiencing troubles like sudden disasters.
I heard someone whisper: If I had known such a thing happened, I would rather not have come.
The poetry meeting was held in an awkward atmosphere. Some people really couldn't hold back a poem, so they went everywhere asking for help. From time to time, you would see a young boy running around, looking for poems and lyrics for his master.
Of course, the nobles at the banquet were all well-educated people, and most of them could still improvise a poem on the spot, but their levels varied. They composed poems on the spot and judged each other. If they did not do well, they would inevitably be laughed at. For example, just now
Someone composed a song, which angered a gentleman sitting on top and sent him off the stage.
There were a lot of young people at the wedding. In order to avoid anyone slipping through the net, King Feng asked the ceremony officer to collect their names and register them in the register. When one person appeared on the stage, he would check off one person's name. If no one came up, he would
Call roll according to the booklet.
The incident happened in a hurry, and no one was prepared. Those at the top of the list had already been called on the stage, and they improvised a few sour poems that did not fit the rules and rhymes, causing the entire audience to be silent, with occasional jeers.
The people whose names were registered were not in the mood to laugh at others, but were worried about themselves. Including those who had already left the game, most of them blushed with shame, recalling their poor performance just now.
There were only a few people who felt that they had done a pretty good job and could not help but smile. But overall, the mood at the venue was shrouded in embarrassment.
"What's so exciting about this King Feng? It's such a shame that he insists on holding such a poetry meeting, and the title of the poem has nothing to do with the wedding."
"I heard that a few days ago, the wife of the fourth master of the Tang family celebrated her birthday, and he also went there. It is really unheard of for a group of people to kowtow in the direction of the imperial city and say thank you."
"Hey, stop talking. This is all for the emperor."
Although the atmosphere was so awkward, Prince Zhao Meng of Feng insisted on holding a poetry party at Princess Chengfeng's wedding banquet, and also prepared three plates of ingots.
In fact, the rewards are not huge. The so-called three sets are better said to be three.
Today, Shikui can only get one "twelve taels of gold ingot", the second prize is a "fifty tael of silver ingot", and the third prize is only a "twenty tael of silver ingot". This little money is not enough for
For the nobles, it's really not that much. In contrast, they prefer to preserve their face.
After a long time, a boy finally delivered the requested poems to the young master. After reading the poem post, the young master could not help but exclaimed, "After all, he was born in the imperial examination, and his poems are indeed extraordinary." Then he took the initiative to invite him to go on stage.
Recitation. Won some sparse cheers.
The slightly outstanding poems would be included in the book by King Feng, and it is said that they would be presented to the emperor for inspection.
Tang Mei asked Su Ping not very confidently: "Are you ready?"
Su Ping said: "I can't compose poetry."
Tang Mei said anxiously: "You don't know how to do it, why didn't you hurry up? Why didn't you say it just now so that the family could send it to you. Now that it's fine, your name will be called on soon, what will you do?"
Su Ping smiled and said, "What a coincidence. A friend once wrote a poem that corresponds to today's topic."
"How to compose lyrics? It has already been included in the poetry collection. If you memorize the poetry in the poetry collection and someone exposes it, you will be in great disgrace."
"Don't worry, it will never appear in the collection of poems." As he spoke, Su Ping waved to the etiquette officer of the Ximen family. Someone brought the four treasures of the study. Su Ping picked up the pen and wrote a poem "Broken".
After a while, I will never regret my gray hair":
"When I was drunk, I read the sword with the light on, and I dreamed about the trumpet-blowing camp.
Eight hundred miles away, the people under my command are burning, and the sound of fifty strings turning outside the Great Wall,
Autumn on the battlefield.
The horse moves very fast, and the bow is as frightening as a thunderbolt.
Finish the affairs of the king and the world, and win fame during and after life.
Don’t regret what happened in vain.”
This is a poem written by Xin Gong of the Song Dynasty, but two words were changed by Su Ping.
Once these two words were changed, the artistic conception of unfulfilled ambition disappeared and replaced by the pride of never regretting. Moreover, the explanation of the second half of the word also changed. In the original work, the great cause of the king has not yet been completed. But in this
This word implies that a great cause has been accomplished.
At this time, King Feng asked everyone to write a letter wishing Emperor Wanlong to rule the world. Wouldn't it be contrary to the dragon's scale if he wrote "Unfulfilled ambitions"? And such a change is very suitable for the situation.
Su Ping was busy writing, while Tang Mei stretched her neck and sat aside to watch, unable to help but chant in a low voice.
While reciting, his eyes squinted and fell on Su Ping: "It's indeed a new word, something I've never seen before. But it's strange, why hasn't such a good word spread?"
Su Ping smiled and said: "If it is not written by a famous official, no matter how good it is, it may not be widely spread."
Tang Mei frowned: "Where did you learn the common calligraphy? King Feng said that he should select good poems and submit them to the emperor. I think your handwriting will fail. And your handwriting is so unlikeable.
What kind of calligraphy do you have?"
As she spoke, Tang Mei rolled up her sleeves: "Bring me the pen and I'll write it for you."
Su Ping raised her eyebrows and handed the pen to her. Not to mention, Tang Mei's handwriting was as neat as printed words, which was pleasing to the eye. She wrote very fast, but when she reached the final inscription, her pen paused. There was a slight pause.
, she wrote Su Ping’s name on it.
There are many aristocratic poetry clubs, but these guys are not necessarily talented in poetry. In order to save their face, many people go to the poets to buy poems and sign their names. But Tang Mei's move is not enough.
Surprising.
Tang Mei and Su Ping were whispering, while Nanyang Princess Meng Qiao sitting beside her was also talking impatiently to Commander Ma Tiangan.
The names of Tian Gan and Su Ping were recorded in the book by the etiquette officer before and after them. After the next person, it would be Tian Gan's turn, and then Su Ping.
Meng Qiao had arranged for several boys to run out to ask for poems, but no one came back at this time, so he could only improvise. Tian Gan was so anxious that his head was sweating. Meng Qiao also looked anxious and kept talking.
Spout some complaints.
Sure enough, when roll call came, no one sent the poem. Tian Gan stood up with a bitter look on his face and walked slowly to the middle of the field.
Facing a dozen "judges" sitting on the Grand Master's chair, dozens of aristocratic peers sitting on the seats, and nearly a hundred people standing outside with their hands folded to watch the excitement.
This feeling of not being able to compose a poem but having to perform one in front of everyone was simply too uncomfortable. Seeing Tian Gan's embarrassed look as if he wanted to find a way to get in, Su Ping was also full of sympathy.
It's not that Su Ping refused to save him, but that Su Ping couldn't remember a few poems that matched the title. If this poem "Broken Array" were given to him, then Su Ping would be the one standing in trouble.
Of course, it was not Tian Gan who made the biggest embarrassment today, because under heavy pressure, he finally managed to compose a six-character poem "Ode to Emperor Wanlong": The young man ascended the throne and sat in the palace, guiding the country wisely; commanding thousands of troops,
Unify both sides of the Yangtze River,
This poem is clumsy, inconsistent with rhyme, and the artistic conception is far-fetched. The gentlemen in the Grand Master's chair had expressionless faces; the peers at the table were silent; only some hippie boys from the Meng family, who might be familiar with Tian Gan in daily life, cheered him up.
There was sparse applause.
King Feng waved his hand, and Tian Gan left the stage.
In any case, Tian Gan was also a guest, so he was given some face. If it were the young master of the Ximen family who composed such a poor poem, Ximen Zaichi would probably kick him out.
Tian Gan returned to his seat with a blushing face, only to see Princess Meng Qiao of Nanyang staring at him with cold eyes. He did not dare to raise his head, and sat there with his head lowered at almost a ninety-degree angle, as if curled up.
Then Su Ping came on stage. Su Ping was still the same, steady and polite. He came to the stage and recited loudly.
During the recitation, the gentlemen sitting in the chairs listened attentively. After reciting each word, the scene became quiet and everyone enjoyed it. Some people couldn't help but nod.
Although this poem is not very amazing, nor is it Xin Gong's best work, and two words were tampered with by Su Ping. But the high level of this poem is still eye-catching, and it is the top one in today's poetry meeting
work.
King Feng was overjoyed and included the poems in the book.
Su Ping returned to his seat and saw Tang Mei, who was always not good at concealing her expressions, beaming with joy, which was in sharp contrast to Nanyang Princess Meng Qiao, who was sitting beside him in anger. At this time, Tian Gan's head hung even deeper, and it felt like he was
Put one end into the soil.
Later, Tian dared to complain to Su Ping, "Brother Baoyu is such a good poet, why don't you help me?"
Su Ping said, Brother Zijian has wronged me, and it was not written by me at all. And my poetry is far inferior to that of Brother Zijian. In fact, Brother Zijian’s song "Ode to the Wanlong Emperor" is not bad, at least.
In Su's opinion, it is an excellent work.
Hearing that it was not written by Su Ping himself, Tian Gan was relieved and stopped arguing with Su Ping. Soon after, a ridiculous scene happened. When Ma Han Dachang of Ruzhu County came here, King Feng actually held the groom down.
, requiring the groom to compose a poem, otherwise he will not be allowed to enter the auditorium.
The groom was unprepared, but he was a real human being. He composed a limerick that made the whole audience laugh.
In the final evaluation, Su Ping won the first place, and the young man from Pingkangfang, Zhan Yulin from Gongxun Street, won the second place. The third place was awarded to the groom Han Dachang. Of course, this is quite a gift.
I mean, everyone laughed and didn’t pay much attention.
Of course, Su Ping was happy to win the first place. However, the gold ingot was not in Su Ping's hand, but in Tang Mei's sleeve pocket.
Su Ping once hinted to Tang Mei to bring the ingot, but Tang Mei pretended that she couldn't see it. Su Ping planned to ask her for it when there were few people around.
Tang Mei and Meng Qiao, both princesses of a wealthy family, sat on the same table. Su Ping and Tian Gan naturally sat very close to each other. After drinking for three rounds, Tian Gan asked Su Ping in a low voice: "Baoyu, do you know what Han Dachang likes?"
?”
Su Ping shook his head.
Tian Gan probably drank too much, so he said with a smile: "This guy doesn't like young people, he only likes those who are a little older. Brother, I am different from him, I like people with bound feet. I wonder what brother Baoyu likes?"
Oh, you can't hide it, otherwise we won't be friends in the future."