My wife has a secret

Chapter 9 I told you, I copied this poem

"Ji Xia!"

Lu Wanhe stopped Ji Xia in a low voice, with a hint of anger in his eyes.

The latter was frightened into silence, because she knew that her young lady was really angry.

"How can you be so outspoken... ahem."

Lu Wanhe kept coughing, and her delicate body couldn't stop shaking slightly.

Ji Xia rushed over to help and took out the tranquilizing pills he had prepared in advance.

"Miss, I was wrong. Please don't get angry, otherwise the old illness will relapse and cause great harm to your body..."

"New news! New news!"

A servant hurried to the bow at a very fast pace and distributed the papers in his arms one by one.

Ji Xia took the letter, read the message on it, and his heart skipped a beat.

"What does it say?"

"Miss...it's nothing."

Ji Xia's eyes were a little evasive and he subconsciously moved away.

Lu Wanhe saw her timidity, stretched out his jade-white palm, and asked her for the paper message.

Seeing that he couldn't handle it, Ji Xia had to hand over the things.

Lu Wanhe just took a glance and stood up from his seat.

The movement was so large that all the women on the cruise ship looked over.

“Cough…cough.”

Lu Wanhe's body was weak to begin with, and she also suffered from an old illness from her youth. Any movements that were too intense would make her chest feel stuffy and she would have difficulty breathing.

Even with Ji Xia patting her back to help her breathe, she still held on to the boat pillar beside her and coughed softly for a long time.

Although Lu Wanhe has a slim and slender figure, she is as delicate and fragile as a reed in the wind, which will break at the slightest touch.

"That's Miss Lu Wanhe from the Lu family, right?"

"It's her. Alas, the husband she married is just as bad as a scoundrel. How pitiful."

"I heard that she suffered from a serious illness when she was young and needed precious medicinal herbs to recuperate. If it weren't for this, who would be willing to marry into the deep courtyard of the Xu Mansion?"

The other young ladies from aristocratic families were whispering to each other, looking at Lu Wanhe with pity in their eyes.

They felt sorry for Lu Wanhe's experience and were also worried about their own future.

Just as everyone was talking, the servant who brought the news came quickly towards the front seat, holding a roll of paper.

"There are top-notch works at the poetry gathering! Excellent works!"

The servant's face was filled with irrepressible excitement and joy. He placed the poem in his hand on the eight-immortals table in front of him and pressed it flat with the inkstone.

The ladies behind the curtain looked at each other, surprise evident on their faces.

The Puyuan Poetry Festival is held once a year. Although some excellent works are occasionally produced, very few poems are praised as top-notch.

Whose young man is so capable that he can shine at the Puyuan Poetry Festival?

Miss He, who was sitting at the front row, stood up, opened the curtain and walked out.

Because the He family behind her is a famous scholarly family in Suzhou, the other young ladies temporarily suppressed their curiosity and waited for Miss He to read the poem.

The servant saw who was coming and bowed and left.

"Red clouds shine on the willows in the evening, and the pavilions overlooking the water are beside the bank. The green waves of the Fu River are rising, and I am thinking of the beauty as if it were yesterday."

Miss He's eyes moved slightly downwards, and she softly read out the name of the poet, "Marquis of Jingdong, Feng Tuo, recalled the dawn by the river and lake and was touched."

Ji Xia behind the curtain was stunned when he heard this. He opened his mouth wide and looked at his young lady with a strange look.

As Lu Wanhe's personal maid, she knew roughly what happened at the bank of Xiaojiang Lake that year.

In recent years, all the gifts and letters sent by Marquis Jingdong passed through her hands, so she also knew that Marquis Jingdong was still thinking about his young lady.

Now that the Marquis of Jingdong has composed poems recalling the past at the Puyuan Poetry Conference, isn't it equivalent to expressing his love to the young lady in front of the entire Jiangnan literary world and the young ladies from aristocratic families?
The servant smiled and relayed the reactions of other people at the poetry gathering to the many young ladies present.

"This poem won unanimous praise from the scholars present. Even the former Grand Tutor personally nodded and said that it could be included in the Qi Classics that are currently being compiled."

The most famous writer at the Puyuan Poetry Festival was the former Prince Grand Tutor and former Imperial Tutor Xiao Zhong.

The other party is knowledgeable, has held a high position, and has a close relationship with the contemporary great scholar Master Nie.

"It is indeed extraordinary, and the poem seems to have a deeper meaning."

Miss He's words aroused the gossip of the ladies on the cruise ship.

It was no secret that Marquis Jingdong was in love with the Lu family. In addition, what happened by the lake that year had spread throughout the entire Suzhou City, so everyone's eyes drifted to where Lu Wanhe was.

"Nonsense!"

Lu Wanhe pursed her red lips and her chest rose and fell slightly.

She drew aside the curtain and came out.

"No matter how good the poem is, it cannot be used to insult someone's innocence... I, Lu, married into the Xu family in the fourth year of Zhengde, and have never had any contact with the Marquis of Jingdong. Please don't spread gossip outside... cough cough."

Perhaps because he was too excited, Lu Wanhe's breathing became difficult after he had only said a few words.

But no matter how bad her health is now, she is not worried about herself, but Xu Qing who is involved in this matter.

Her husband did not understand poetry or literature, and Marquis Jingdong had written such a top-notch work, so she was afraid that she could not escape.

……

Feng Tuo was in a very good mood. He never expected that he could write such outstanding poems in front of so many literati and the former Grand Tutor.

More importantly, this poem not only received the approval of the former Taifu, but was also spread to the pleasure boats cruising the river, bringing him the limelight.

It is truly a blessing from heaven, killing two birds with one stone.

After today, who would dare to say that he is just an idle marquis with an empty title?
"You're welcome, sorry for making fun of me..."

Feng Tuo bowed to the scholars around him, and the smile on his face became more and more intense.

He turned around to look at Xu Qing in the distance, pretending to be concerned and said, "Brother Xu, if you really can't think of a poem, why don't we just give up and cancel the previous bet as if it never happened."

Feng Tuo's move was called retreat in order to advance. He knew that Xu Qing was an impatient person and cared a lot about his reputation.

If you use this method to motivate him, the other party will definitely fulfill the agreement and give up the lost land.

The poor scholar also showed a look of joy, as if he was sure that he would become rich soon.

"Don't worry, I haven't made a move yet."

Xu Qing walked to the table where Feng Tuo had written before, adjusted the position of the inkstone, pen and ink, took out another piece of rice paper, and dyed the tip of the pen black.

To be honest, what he is worried about now is not how to slap this kid in the face, but that there are too many masterpieces handed down from his previous life, and it is difficult to copy any of them without shocking the world.

Feng Tuo felt that Xu Qing was just forcing a smile and pretending to be unwilling to give up, but when he took a step forward, he saw that the hand holding the pen was actually moving back and forth on the rice paper.

Gradually, a poem was born under Feng Tuo's eyes.

"The ground in the courtyard is white, crows are roosting on the trees, and the cold dew is silently wetting the osmanthus flowers. Tonight the moon is bright and everyone is looking at it, but I wonder whose house the autumn thoughts fall on."

Feng Tuo finished reciting the words, and suddenly felt his heart pounding, and his whole body tensed up. His mind went blank, and he forgot to think.

The scholar also saw the poem at the same time. Unlike Feng Tuo, his expression was obviously shocked and the corners of his mouth kept twitching.

After Xu Qing finished shaking off the last two drops of ink, he asked slowly, "Brother Xiucai, compare the poem I copied with the one you wrote. Both of them mention crows. Which one is better?"

"me……"

The scholar didn't know what to say, because the poems written by Xu Qing overturned his cognition, and the other poems were like a mess.

Seeing that the situation on the scene had changed, everyone was curious about what kind of poem the young master of the Xu family had written that could make Marquis Jing'an speechless and silent.

"A crow perches on a white tree, and everyone is looking at it..."

The person beside him was reading and appreciating it. After a while, his pupils shrank slightly and his face was shocked.

"This poem is truly a masterpiece of the highest quality. No, it has reached the level of a rare masterpiece."

When everyone heard what he said, they all gathered around him with a look of disbelief.

But the result made everyone present gape in amazement, as if they had seen a monster that did not exist in this world.

The former Grand Tutor Xiao Zhong, who was sitting on the high hall, showed a slight change of expression. He turned his head and asked the servant beside him, "Aren't the best works of this year's poetry gathering out? Why is it so lively down there?"

The servant thought about it again and again, and finally changed his statement to a more euphemistic one.

"It seems like... another top-notch masterpiece has been released."

"Oh? Is it better than the one just now?"

The servant did not dare to reply. The other white-haired old man sitting next to Xiao Zhong laughed and stroked his beard and said, "Why don't you go and get the new poem so that this old man and Mr. Xiao can open our eyes?"

"Yes."

After a while, the servant came back with the rubbing and presented it to the two old men.

As soon as the two of them looked up, they were attracted by the poem.

Xiao Zhong's expression changed slightly, and he closed his eyes to savor it.

"This poem describes the brilliance of the moon very well. It touched me deeply and made me want to gaze at the moon tonight."

The white-haired old man also echoed with two lines, "Yes, the whole poem is about describing the scenery, and the feeling of loneliness and tranquility runs through the whole poem. It really makes people think a lot and leaves a lot to think about."

"What does Master Yiming mean?"

The old man waved his hands and laughed twice at himself. "What do you mean by me? I came here to accompany the guy on the boat. The talented people at the poetry gathering today are all here for you. You are the most suitable person to comment on this poem."

Xiao Zhong sighed.

I don’t know what the princess on the boat was thinking, she insisted on taking this old friend to travel far to the south of the Yangtze River.

He picked up the poem and walked towards the center of the crowd.

"Meet Mr. Xiao."

The sharp-eyed students saw Xiao Zhong appear in the audience and hurriedly bowed to him.

Everyone also discovered that Mr. Xiao Zhong had actually shown up in person, and they all bowed in unison, and prostrated themselves before him.

"Xu Xiaoyou, I know you."

Xu Qing looked at the old man who was walking towards him slowly with a smile on his face, and immediately realized that this person's identity was not simple.

He holds a very high status in the hearts of these students and should be a great scholar in the literary world.

"I do not know you."

Xiao Zhong nodded, as if he didn't take Xu Qing's disrespect to heart at all.

"It doesn't matter whether we know each other or not. This poetry gathering is a place for people to make friends through literature...Xu Xiaoyou, your poem is catchy and touching. I'm afraid it will spread beyond Suzhou soon."

Xiao Zhong observed Xu Qing's expression and asked, "What do you think?"

The old man's speculation was completely within Xu Qing's expectations.

During his communication with Lu Wanhe a few days ago, he discovered something.

That is, this world has never produced great poets like Li Bai and Du Fu, so their poetic attainments are still at the basic level of prosody and rhyme.

Any masterpiece handed down from the previous life would be the best in the world if placed here.

But he did not want to use these poems to gain fame, because people are afraid of becoming famous just as pigs are afraid of becoming fat. As the eldest son of the Xu family, his notoriety is already disgusting enough, and if he becomes a plagiarist, wouldn't that make others jealous?

"No idea."

Xiao Zhong was slightly stunned because Xu Qing's answer was beyond his expectations.

"My dear Xu, this poem is a rare masterpiece that will be passed down through the ages. Your reputation will be recorded in history and admired and sung by future generations."

Xu Qing showed a very surprised expression, "Really? Is it that powerful?"

Xiao Zhong was a little overwhelmed.

I have many old friends around me who are obsessed with poetry. Every time they write a good poem, they will be very proud of it and can't wait to send it to all their friends to show off.

But this boy is a little different. He doesn't seem interested in leaving his name in history.

"According to what you said, my wife is going to be famous."

daughter in law?

Feng Tuo, who had been stunned for a long time, was the first to react, "This poem was not written by you? Was it written by her?"

He was originally puzzled by the fact that Xu Qing could write poems of such quality. Now, hearing that Xu Qing had revealed his true colors, he rushed forward, grabbed Xu Qing's arm and shook him.

"Did she write it? Tell me! Tell me now!"

Even if Xu Qing was a fool, he could see that something was not right with Feng Tuo.

He pried off the other person's fingers, nodded and replied, "Yes, she wrote it during the Mid-Autumn Festival this year. I went to her room yesterday and saw it for fun, so I wrote it down."

Xu Qing's words stunned the onlookers.

daughter in law?

When everyone heard a person who was not very related to them being mentioned by Xu Qing and Jingdong Hou, they were all confused.

"If I remember correctly, the third wife of the Xu family's eldest son seems to be the famous talented woman in our Suzhou, Lu Wanhe."

After being reminded by a gossiper, these talented men from the south of the Yangtze River remembered that several years ago, the Lu family had been visited by many people because of their talent in painting.

Miss Lu learned from Master Nie, and her calligraphy and paintings are priceless. Unfortunately, she is frail and suffers from a serious illness, so only wealthy merchants can afford to support her.

In this way, everyone's thoughts became clear.

The eldest son of the Xu family is uneducated and unlettered, so naturally he cannot recite poems or compose couplets.

But his wife at home is very talented and had great literary talent. She wrote such a stunning masterpiece at home but had no place to display it, so this boy took it out to show off.

"Now that I think about it, this sad and melancholy poetry does seem to be written by a woman."

"Yes, to be able to describe the moonlight to such an extreme, I'm afraid only the thoughtful Miss Lu can do it."

Xu Qing admired the imagination of these people. If they knew that the original work came from a cocktail party of a group of male writers, would they be embarrassed to the point of being ashamed?

(End of this chapter)