Early Tang Dynasty: forge ahead

Chapter 468 Being teased
The eighth day of the first month in the second year of Qianfeng.

Duke Zhou’s mansion was decorated with lights and colors.

Wu Minzhi, who was known as the most handsome man in the capital, married his cousin Yang on this day, which was a huge event.

Both Yang Lao and Wu Shun liked grand ceremonies. Now that their grandson and son were getting married, they naturally wanted to let the whole Chang'an know about it.

Almost everyone who was well-known received an invitation...

After all, Wu Minzhi was the queen's nephew. He inherited the title of Wu family, became a member of the Wu family, and was considered a member of the queen's in-laws.

Although the Wu family is not popular, they still have to maintain basic face when they are in official circles.

Don’t look at the monk’s face, look at the Buddha’s face!

Wu Minzhi was wearing a red robe, with a little makeup on her face. She had a delicate look and there was no more depression between her brows. She moved among the guests with ease.

Wu Minzhi greeted the guests in front of him, but his eyes kept looking towards the door.

Following a low cry, a graceful young Taoist priest walked into the courtyard amid infatuated admiration.

Wu Minzhi felt a little regretful, but still strode forward.

"Brother Chong Yan!"

The person who came was Ming Chongyan, whose appearance was no less handsome than Wu Minzhi.

“Brother Minzhi!”

The two talked intimately like good friends.

Ming Chongyan leaned closer and smiled softly, "Brother Minzhi's wedding today will make thousands of beauties in the capital cry."

Wu Minzhi said softly, "Isn't there Brother Chongyan? They say Brother Chongyan is no less capable than Wu Minzhi. Remember to comfort him for me."

Ming Chongyan's expression froze slightly. What do you mean by not inferior to Wu Minzhi? Of course he is inferior to Wu Minzhi.

Ming Chongyan's appearance is indeed not inferior to Wu Minzhi.

But status and position were also a big plus. As the youngest foreign relative of the duke and a guest of the Prince's Mansion, Wu Minzhi could not be compared with the rising star Ming Chongyan.

Therefore, the evaluation of Ming Chongyan is that he is young and talented, and his demeanor and bearing are inferior to Wu Minzhi.

Ming Chongyan was in his early twenties. He possessed the three skills in one person and had the looks of Pan An and Song Yu. He was also a very arrogant person. People said that he was inferior to Wu Minzhi and the second to Wu Minzhi, which naturally made him unhappy.

The two of them do have a feeling of mutual admiration, but their relationship is not as harmonious as it appears on the surface. They are both secretly competing to outdo each other.

Ming Chongyan was dissatisfied, so who would care about those mediocre women?
Ming Chongyan looked around and saw that the hall was very lively, and everywhere he looked were officials of certain status.

The Wu family was well prepared. Wu Minzhi reminisced about the past with Ming Chongyan here, while other guests were received by stewards of certain status, and no one forced their way close to them.

Ming Chongyan saw that it was safe and whispered, "Mr. Chen Qingsi will be here soon!"

Wu Minzhi became alert and asked, "Why are you asking this?"

Wu Minzhi's admiration for Chen Qingsi began when his poems and essays reached the capital, but at that time Chen Qingsi had not yet entered the capital.

This is no secret in the Wu family.

So when it comes to things related to Chen Qingsi, they avoid Wu Minzhi.

For many things, Wu Minzhi was one of the last few to know.

Wu Minzhi knew that his mother and aunt disliked Chen Qingsi, but he was not sure to what extent.

On one side was a close relative, and on the other was a beloved teacher. Wu Minzhi did not want to get involved and did not ask about it.

In his opinion, these conflicts were just conflicts caused by Zhao Chiman and Wang Fangyi catching thieves in Furong Garden, and no matter how big the conflict was, it would not cause any serious consequences.

But Ming Chongyan's question made him a little alert.

Wu Minzhi was willing to get along with Ming Chongyan at the beginning, after all, they had common topics.

However, Ming Chongyan climbed the career ladder too quickly. Through him, he got to know the prince and treated his illness. And because of treating the prince, he got close to the emperor. In a short period of time, he became a celebrity among the emperor. It was all too coincidental.

Wu Minzhi naturally became suspicious.

In addition, Ming Chongyan’s methods were too cruel.

There are some people in this world who are mentally abnormal because they are rich and powerful. Normal games cannot satisfy their appetite, and they like something exciting.

The elegant way to put it is "Duanxiu's habit" and "Longyang's love".

Ming Chongyan was so handsome and had no power behind him, so naturally he caught the attention of many people, who wanted to get close to him.

It was Wu Minzhi who protected Ming Chongyan at that time.

Wu Minzhi didn't take it to heart, but with the rise of Ming Chongyan, those who wanted to use their power to suppress Ming Chongyan suffered misfortune one after another.

Wu Minzhi was not a virtuous woman. He did not think that Ming Chongyan's revenge was wrong. It was just that Ming Chongyan's means of revenge were too harsh, involving many unrelated people, which was beyond Wu Minzhi's acceptance.

Ming Chongyan smiled and said, "Of course I want to get to know him. Mr. Chen is a leader of the literati. Who among us scholars doesn't respect him? There is a saying that goes, 'If you don't read the Qingxi Poetry Collection, you are unworthy of being a scholar.' Who among us scholars doesn't want to get to know Mr. Chen and get his guidance and instruction?"

There is nothing wrong with that.

Wu Minzhi also knew that this was the truth, and nodded, "I will definitely come. The master promised it himself."

Ming Chongyan nodded, but changed the subject and said, "I won't bother you for now, Brother Minzhi. I'll also serve the guests for you."

Ming Chongyan left Wu Minzhi and walked in and out of the Duke's Mansion casually, as if he was looking for someone. He did not see the person he wanted to see, and felt a little regretful.

Just as I was wondering where the other person was, I heard a commotion coming from outside.

It seemed like some important person had arrived, and the atmosphere became heated.

The noise was much louder than when he first arrived.

I arrived outside the courtyard unconsciously, and saw that all the guests' eyes were focused on the gate.

Even the originally festive scene became silent for a moment after the excitement and excitement.

All eyes were attracted by the person who arrived.

He is not very old, not even thirty, but he has already become famous all over the world.

A hint of envy flashed in Ming Chongyan's eyes. This is how one should behave!

He was a man of both literary and military powers, and was also a leader in the literary community, respected by scholars.

"gentlemen!"

Wu Minzhi greeted him excitedly, his eyes full of joy.

Chen Qingsi said: "I have thought about it for a long time, but I can't think of any suitable gift, so I simply wrote a poem, not a poem, to congratulate you on your wedding."

Wu Minzhi was so excited that he bowed repeatedly and said, "I never dreamed of receiving a poem from you, sir. What better gift could there be?"

In an instant, he really felt that this marriage was worth it.

"The student couldn't help but take a look. Can we open it now?"

A poem that is not a poem!
Just this gimmick has made Wu Minzhi unable to hold back. Not only him, but everyone who attended the wedding had this idea.

What kind of poem is this that is not a poem?

Chen Qingsi smiled carefreely and said, "Your gift is up to you."

The poem that is not a poem is actually a ci.

However, there was no definition of "Ci" in this era, but there were sentences similar to Ci in form, called Yuefu, which were poems based on music.

The definition of Ci comes from the Cipai.

With the flourishing of culture, classic ci tunes came into being.

Poetry could no longer meet the needs, and beautiful words and phrases that matched the tune came into being.

Wu Minzhi took the gift box, carefully took out the scroll inside, and opened it cautiously. Just by looking at the sentence format, he knew that this was indeed not the standard of a poem: Spring Day Banquet, a cup of green wine and a song. I bowed again and made three wishes: First, I wish you a thousand years, second, I wish I am always healthy, and third, I wish to be like the swallows on the beam, and see each other every year.

This is "Spring Banquet" by Feng Yansi of the Southern Tang Dynasty in the Five Dynasties. The title of the tune is "Changmingnu" created by Tang Jiaofangqu.

This poem is undoubtedly a good one. Spring, green wine, love songs and the whispering of swallows constitute a beautiful artistic conception, which is a very powerful setting for the expression of love.

Simple words but deep feelings!

But it just doesn't conform to the rules, especially before the name of the tune "Changmingnu" came out. These messy sentences that are neither poetry nor song have absolutely no basis or logic.

If anyone else wrote this poem, it would be considered as heresy.

But when this word came from Chen Qingsi, it had a different meaning.

No explanation or reason is needed. The three words "Chen Qingsi" represent authority.

There is no such tune as "Changmingnu" now, but as "Spring Banquet" becomes widely circulated, there will be composers who will write music for this poem.

"Thank you, sir!"

Wu Minzhi was even more moved. He was able to write "When the great roc soars up with the wind, it soars straight into the sky for 90,000 miles", "Don't worry about having no friends on the road ahead, for everyone in the world knows you", and "I will climb to the top of the mountain and look down on all the other mountains". Yet he wrote this heartwarming and festive poem for himself.

"Sir, please take a seat."

Chen Qingsi nodded slightly and followed Wu Minzhi directly to the main hall.

Wu Minzhi understood what Chen Qingsi meant and said, "I understand your intention, sir. I will treat Yang well."

Chen Qingsi smiled with relief, this was also what he meant.

Even if he didn't like her, the matter was done. Even if he didn't like her, Yang was still Wu Minzhi's first wife. He didn't ask for a harmonious relationship with her, but he should treat her well.

In this kind of arranged marriage, the most innocent person is not the man, but the woman.

Wu Minzhi whispered, "After listening to your words that day, I have figured it out. I understand the future path and what I should do."

Chen Qingsi didn't know what Wu Minzhi had figured out, but when he saw him today, the gloomy look between his brows had disappeared.

It turned out that Wu Minzhi had just reached the rebellious age. He was a spoiled child, had a look that was superior to most people, and was very talented, so he was naturally arrogant.

As a result, facing the more powerful Empress Wu, not only did she plan his future path for him, she also forced him to change his surname, changing the name Helan Minzhi, whom he had been called since childhood, to Wu Minzhi. This made Wu Minzhi, who had not been beaten, very dissatisfied, but he did not dare to resist in the face of Empress Wu and could only keep it in his heart.

Chen Qingsi's words had a certain weight in his heart.

His chicken soup for the soul helped Wu Minzhi understand how to play the game.

If you can't resist, just lie back and enjoy it.

The state of mind is different, and the feeling is also different. I think calmly that I am now the guest of the crown prince. I am very young. At the age of twenty, I have inherited the title of my grandfather, the warrior Hun, Duke of Zhou. Looking around the Tang Dynasty, who else can do this?
As long as I can be patient and wait for the future crown prince to take the throne, based on my relationship with the crown prince, wouldn't it be easy to get rid of that person's control?

The only problem is that she is the prince's mother, so her words naturally carry more weight than his own...

However, most of the people around the prince were against him. Not wanting the prince to be misled by him, they often used the affairs of the Han Dynasty's foreign relatives to persuade him.

Faced with this situation, the kind-hearted Li Hong was very embarrassed. On one side was his beloved mother, and on the other side was his most trusted and capable minister. Given Li Hong's kind-hearted character, he was caught in the middle and was torn.

As Li Hong's only playmate, Wu Minzhi often listened to Li Hong's crying.

In this regard, Wu Minzhi still stood on the side of Empress Wu. Even if he disliked Empress Wu's dominance, he was still a member of the Wu family.

What's more, none of the ministers in the Prince's Palace, such as Zhang Wenguan, Dai Zhide, Xiao Dezhao and other officials in the Prince's Palace, had a good face towards him.

Is Wu Minzhi too bored to speak for them?
But now Wu Minzhi has decided that Li Hong must listen to Zhang Wenguan, Dai Zhide, Xiao Dezhao and others. Only when the mother and son are not so close, will Li Hong be on his side.

Even Chen Qingsi himself was caught off guard by this change.

They came to the main hall and took their seats. Chen Qingsi, who was Wu Minzhi's teacher, was seated in the front rows of seats in this era of respecting teachers, even having a saying that a teacher is a father for life.

On both sides were the relatives of the Wu family, such as Grandma Yang, Wu Shun, and a few unknown members of the Wu and Yang families.

In fact, women generally do not sit at the table in such occasions.

But the Wu family and the Yang family are dominated by Yin and Yang, and no one can hold their own.

Instead, it was a group of widows, this lady of the state, that lady of the state, who were in the most glorious position.

Some even climbed onto the emperor's dragon bed, although the "mistress" scandal before the Fengshan ceremony made Wu Shun lose all face.

But it also let everyone know her relationship with Li Zhi.

Even though people despised her behavior and stabbed her in the back, no one wanted to offend a woman who had slept with the emperor.

Wu Shun found that as long as he was a little thick-skinned, he seemed to be more powerful than before.

So, they came out to support Wu Minzhi.

The situation was calmed down, but the appearance of Chen Qingsi made them feel uncomfortable.

They really couldn't calm Chen Qingsi down, and with their complicated relationship, it was a little awkward...

However, Chen Qingsi had no intention of arguing with a group of women at his student's wedding. He just nodded to them and closed his eyes to rest.

Until he vaguely felt a pair of eyes falling on him, and when he followed the feeling, he saw a beautiful girl with bright eyes, white teeth and skin as white as cream.

Chen Qingsi had high standards, but he was still a little shocked by the appearance of the girl in front of him.

Oval face, willow-shaped eyebrows, big eyes, and a small cherry mouth. It is a face that completely conforms to the aesthetics of Oriental people...

Her slightly upturned peach blossom eyes were full of charm, like a seductive little fox.

In an instant, Chen Qingsi remembered her identity. Wasn't she the little girl Helan Minyue whom he rescued that year?

In just a few years, the little girl has grown into a graceful and charming young lady.

but……

Chen Qingsi's eyes inadvertently swept across Wu Shun's charming face, and the foxy face of Empress Wu appeared in his mind again.

Helan Minyue has half the blood of the Wu family. Her peach blossom eyes are clearly looking in a normal way, but they give a teasing feeling.

Chen Qingsi had an illusion in his mind. Was he being teased by a little girl? ? ?
(End of this chapter)