This can be remembered

chapter 36
The carriage stopped quietly in the green area by the lake. Zhang Dehai and Xu Zhengyuan tidied up an open space under the shade of willows, and looked at the bustling crowd around them worriedly, fearing that something might go wrong.

Sitting in the carriage, Shen Xiyao looked out from the opened door curtain, and the scenery on both sides of the beautiful lake was like an extremely exquisite and large painting screen, spreading endlessly in the melting light of spring.Brocade clothes and embroidered belts, figures of golden hairpins and jade tins walk through the flowers, the joy of talking and laughing everywhere, the ringing of rings, the jingle of Luan Ling, and the unique and intoxicating fragrance of powder, the rich and moving fragrance of potpourri, refreshing and refreshing The fragrance of the waves of the water..... At the place where the flowers and trees are the most prosperous, and the spring breeze blows like snow, tourists either compete to set up brocade tents, or simply spread a long felt on the spot, and the three or five acquaintances are already sitting around Feizhan started talking and laughing.A picture of enjoying flowers in spring with singing, singing and dancing.

Shen Xiyao's eyes fell on those young and beautiful women wrapped in brocade and silk, and he scanned them one by one. He believed that she would definitely come here today, as if by telepathy, he decided to come here for a while.It's just that there are too many people who appreciate the spring, some of the women hide their pretty faces with long veiled hats, presumably they are the daughters of official families, and it is inconvenient to show their faces in front of others.So after looking for a long while, I didn't find that beautiful figure.

Zhang Dehai naturally guessed who the emperor came here for, but, according to his thinking, the Ling family has strict family education, and the young lady of the Ling family is unmatched by no one, but no one has ever known about it, not to mention that the young lady of the Ling family has hired the royal family as the queen. , the wedding day is just around the corner, Ling Yingying will not allow her daughter to go out no matter what.In a few days, Miss Ling's family will enter the palace, and the emperor can see him anytime, so it's not as troublesome as it is now.For Miss Ling's family, when the time comes, the emperor will tell the past, the man who played the flute after the bamboo grove can be called a confidant, and the righteous man who saved her from danger are all the ninety-five supreme beings in front of him.Which woman can not be tempted?Afterwards, the dragon and the phoenix will present auspiciousness, and the scene of the emperor and the empress being in harmony with all the people, isn't it beautiful and joyful?Thinking about it, Zhang Dehai began to look forward to it.

Zhang Dehai was thinking about Ling Xuewei's situation after entering the palace, when he saw a golden light flashing in Shen Xiyao's eyes. Although his complexion was normal, the slightly raised corners of his mouth could not conceal the joy in his heart.Following his gaze, under the shade of willows not far ahead, a pair of flowery and beautiful couples are chatting about something.Although the shoulder-length gauze covered her face, the slender and beautiful silhouette in agate red was the beauty that the emperor yearned for day and night.

Looking at Shen Xiyao again, there was an extremely joyful smile on the corner of his mouth, his eyes were shining with infinite joy and admiration on that figure, and he couldn't move away.

Xu Zhengyuan had packed up the resting place at this time, stepped forward and said: "Master, the arrangement has been made, master, do you want to move under the tree?"

Zhang Dehai looked up at the sky, the sun was not as bright as it was when it came, but the sun was still scorching, so he carefully suggested: "Master, the servant sees the shade under the tree, and it is also good to enjoy the scenery."

Then Shen Xiyao withdrew his gaze, glanced lightly, and nodded slightly.In order to avoid being recognized by others, Zhang Dehai took a black Confucian crown, the difference is that this crown is also covered with a layer of light gauze.Shen Xiyao hesitated for a moment, but finally put it on.

At this moment, there was a din of voices coming from Huichun Pavilion, and four young and beautiful women came out from the high platform in the open space in front of the building, and the crowd immediately burst into applause.

"What is that?" Shen Xiyao pointed his hand, and Zhang Dehai bowed and stepped back to inquire.

Came back in a moment. "Back to the master, that is the signature girl of the four major brothels in the capital, and I am here for a while today."

"Oh." Shen Xiyao nodded, but he didn't care, and his gaze also turned away from the high platform, and fell on the woman who was already sitting under the tree over there.He took a cup of "Pear Blossom White" from the Yang Suanzhi small table beside him, and slowly sipped it.

"These four girls are all top cards, and it's hard for ordinary people to see them, let alone gather together. Today, the four of them met here, and they competed for the leader of the capital, so they gathered so many people." People." Zhang Dehai explained looking at the bustling crowd.

Shen Xiyao smiled noncommittally: "I don't care." He said no more.

The noise of the crowd quieted down for a moment, and I saw the four Lishu saluting to the crowd, dressed in extraordinary clothes, with the arrogance of famous courtesans, Shen Xiyao occasionally glanced over.Zhang Dehai saw that although the emperor didn't intend to appreciate it, he came again after inquiring about it from the sidelines, and said in a low voice: "The one wearing moon-white embroidered peonies is the top brand white peony in Cangchun Tower. It is said that the clothes are only decorated with peonies. The one in cherry pink The one in the Han skirt is the purple catkins from Jinguilou, and I really like the Han family’s makeup. The one in the goose yellow Confucian skirt is the scarlet jade from Yatanfang. The one under the skirt is the Bi Xian of Lianyan Pavilion."

Shen Xiyao put away the folding fan in his hand, with a clear smile, his gaze skipped the four rumored beauties, turned to Zhang Dehai, and said softly: "There are legends in the capital, the dance of peony, the song of purple catkins, the Xiao of scarlet jade, The Violin of Green Strings is one of the 'Four Wonders in Beijing', it seems that I can appreciate it today."

Zhang Dehai was taken aback when he heard the emperor's words, and immediately said with a smile: "So the master knows, it seems that there will be no need for slaves to inquire about it in the future."

Shen Xiyao kicked him with a smile: "This job is becoming more and more good at it." Looking at the four women again, he nodded slightly: "Dao is indeed a beautiful woman who deserves her name. , totally different."

Zhang Dehai sighed in his heart, the beauties in the harem are all ladies who are selected from thousands of miles, and they all behave in accordance with etiquette, the emperor doesn't like women very much, it is easy to see the emperor in the palace, naturally they all look submissive and charming appearance.As for the women in front of them, the men have spent thousands of dollars and worked hard to win a smile, so the pride in their eyes is naturally different.What's more, the upbringing received since childhood is different, and the customs are bound to be different.

The emperor naturally understood these reasons, not to mention that he only had Ling Xuewei in his eyes, and he didn't care about what kind of Huakui's favorite concubine.

Before speaking, Shen Xiyao didn't pay attention to what the host said on the high platform ahead, but sporadic words still came into his ears.The voice over there fell, and there was a echo from the crowd.Xu Zhengyuan listened carefully, but he explained it very straightforwardly: "The four women wanted to compete with each other, but they didn't want to be suspected of being the best oiran. They competed in musical instruments, dance, and poetry, but each of them could only choose one of them. One, and the other two will be completed by a man and a woman invited on stage, the one with the highest judge will win and get this head wrap, it seems to be an obsidian inlaid screen from the East China Sea, a unique treasure in the world.”

Shen Xiyao let out an "oh", and his words were all playful.Zhang Dehai knew from the word "oh" that the emperor's playfulness was coming, so he didn't say much, just wait and see.

The arms of the men under the high platform were raised like a forest, and the women all backed away a little, but they also showed eagerness to try.The women on the stage looked arrogantly, especially Bai Mudan, she was the most beautiful and famous among the four women, and she looked arrogant at this moment.Shen Xiyao looked like he was watching a play, and smiled and handed two glasses of wine to the two people around him: "Sit down and watch together."

In an instant, the other three people had been selected, and they stood on the stage together, they were all handsome young masters and charming beauties.Only Bai Mudan glanced over the crowd, and finally turned her head and said something to the servant beside her.Then two people walked into the crowd, and one of them came straight to Shen Xiyao.

"My lord, my girl invites you to help me." A girl in an apricot-colored spring shirt with a bun and long hair stood in front of Shen Xiyao.

Zhang Dehai and Xu Zhengyuan were about to stop them, but they saw Shen Xiyao stand up slowly, straighten the Confucian crown who was facing the obstacle, and said in a playful voice: "This is my honor."

Zhang Dehai was so startled that he wanted to bite off his tongue, but when he turned his eyes, he suddenly understood.

On the other side, I saw Ling Xuewei walking towards the high platform led by a servant of the same apricot color.

As the two of them walked up to the high platform, there were murmurs from the crowd below. After all, they both covered their faces with light veils, so they couldn't see their faces, so there was naturally a lot of discussion around them.

Bai Mudan walked towards the two of them, saluted them lightly, and behaved with the usual arrogance, but her words were still very polite, she didn't ask their surnames, but said directly: "This time, I would like to invite the two of you to come from the sidelines." Help, I choose dance, please discuss what to choose."

The peony dance is a must in Beijing, and she must be full of ambition in choosing dance.

Shen Xiyao nodded, and turned to Ling Xuewei. Although she couldn't see the peerless face under the hood, they were so close at this moment, so close that she could embrace the person in front of her with just a little stretch of her hand.It is such a short distance, but it is a thousand rivers and mountains.

"I choose poems." Ling Xuewei bowed slightly to Shen Xiyao, she had accepted Bai Mudan's invitation just now on a whim, and now she regretted it a little.After all, he was about to enter the palace, and it was very difficult to beg his father and brother before he was allowed to come out.If something went wrong, it would be difficult to explain it. Now her every move is not only related to the Ling family, but also to the national system.The dance White Peony has been chosen, and her heart is half broken. She is proficient in all musical instruments, but playing in front of everyone will inevitably hinder her status and be incompatible with etiquette.But poetry is fine.

Shen Xiyao nodded, and slowly said: "Then choose an instrument."

Hearing his voice, Ling Xuewei visibly trembled, and immediately turned her head to look straight at Shen Xiyao, with disbelief and hesitation in her eyes that could be noticed even through a veil. "You are..." Her red lips parted slightly, but she didn't say another word.

The other people over there have also finished their discussions, and the competition is about to begin.

First of all, the four "protagonists", Bai Mudan's "Peacock Dance" really lived up to its reputation, and the audience applauded after the dance.Zixu also chooses to dance. She is proficient in singing, and her dancing skills are not bad.Feiyu and Bixian naturally choose musical instruments. The Xiao of Feiyu and the Qin of Bixian each have their own advantages.Everyone in the audience was feasting their eyes.

The next thing is poetry. The pen and ink are ready on the stage, and one elder comes out more and more. He is the boss of Huichun Pavilion.He looked at the lake and spring scenery around him, and said, "I don't have anything particularly new, so I'll write poems with the scenery of spring."

Shen Xiyao looked at the beautiful woman in front of him, and Ling Xuewei stood at the table, thought for a while, then swiped a pen.Shen Xiyao saw that she had only written a few words, not the length of a poem at all, so she put down the pen and walked back to her side.

The three of them over there also wrote new poems in a while.

On the side of Zixu: "In the north of Gushan Temple and west of Jiating, the water level is low at the beginning of the cloud. A few early warblers compete for warm trees, and someone's new swallows peck at the spring mud. The random flowers are gradually becoming charming, and the shallow grass can have no horseshoes. I love the lake the most. The eastward travel is insufficient, and the white sand embankment is in the shade of green poplars."

Feiyu's side: "The scenery of poets is in the New Year, and the green willows are only yellow and half-uniform. If the flowers in the forest are like brocades, they will be flower-watchers when they go out."

On the other side of Bixian: "The thin bamboo hides the red glow, and the spring clothes shed the flowers. I invite you to go to the suburbs, and go to the farmhouse for drunkenness."

Shen Xiyao listened to them one by one, and they were all good poems, but he wanted to know what Ling Xuewei wrote in those few pens. When the owner of Huichun Pavilion walked up to Ling Xuewei's poems, his heart beat wildly.

The owner of Huichun Pavilion held up the flower stick written by Ling Xuewei. He was startled for a while, then doubts flashed across his face, and then turned into surprise and admiration in a moment.

Shen Xiyao stared straight at him, eager to step forward.

"My friend Peony wrote a poem: 'The ying cries on the shore and the willow makes the spring clear, and the dawn of the moon is bright.'" The boss of Huichun Pavilion read aloud, and then showed the flower lottery to everyone, and then blurted out: "Good poem, good calligraphy , Good literary talent! In the category of poetry, this poem wins."

As soon as he said this, the audience was so close that they took a few steps forward and carefully looked at the flower stick in his hand.

Shen Xiyao knew that Ling Xuewei's poetry skills were profound, but he always thought that Ling Xuewei was born in a wealthy family, and her father and brother were both masters in poetry, calligraphy and painting.But the few crosses in front of him let him know that Ling Xuewei's talent is definitely the best in the country.

"The ying cries on the shore and the willows make the spring clear, and the bright moon shines." Shen Xiyao pondered silently in his heart, and couldn't help but feel like he was the one who wrote this poem himself, and he was very proud.

"Dare to ask Mr. Xu, where is the magic of this sentence?" Someone asked from the audience.

Mr. Xu looked at the man, shook his head, and looked at the crowd with a smile on his face: "Is there anyone who can answer this question?"

The people in the audience looked at each other in blank dismay, and the few people who praised before also looked at each other, but no one stepped forward.Mr. Xu smiled helplessly and disdainfully, then turned to Ling Xuewei, his eyes were full of admiration, and he said slowly: "Young lady, you should solve it."

Ling Xuewei pondered for a while, and was about to step forward, when Shen Xiyao straightened her sleeves and walked out first.He walked with a slight limp due to his unhealed foot disease, but his body exuded an extraordinary appearance, and his exquisite demeanor still made people ignore this point, and all eyes focused on him.

"The warbler sings on the bank of the willow and the spring is clear, and the willow makes the spring and the moon is bright; the moon is bright and the spring is bright and the willow is on the willow, and the willow is singing on the willow bank in the clear spring." He said loudly, then turned his head and cast a warm look at Ling Xuewei.

Ling Xuewei's gaze also fell on Shen Xiyao, and she immediately responded with a knowing smile.

The white-bearded elder stroked his beard with a smile, nodded in admiration, but smiled mischievously, which was slightly inconsistent with his dignified elder status. He turned his head to look at Ling Xuewei and asked, "This girl, what did you understand by this young master?" Right?"

Ling Xuewei stepped forward gracefully and saluted Shen Xiyao, the agate red skirt was spread out, and the simple five-petal flower pattern outlined in light vermilion on the hem was blooming all over the floor.

"Young Master," she said in a clear, sweet and gentle voice, as if she had already made up her mind about something, and said softly, "Thank you for your appreciation, your understanding is very correct."

Shen Xiyao felt sour for some reason, even if she knew that she would enter the palace in a few days and become his main palace, it would not be considered a grievance.However, if she is the daughter of other people, or if she is not an emperor, but just an ordinary man, then she must be ecstatic.

At noon, the sun gradually rose, and although there was a breeze by the lake, it still made people feel a little hot.It was supposed to be a slightly cold early spring in March, such weather is really rare.Ling Xuewei stood in a corner of the high platform, trying not to attract attention, but she wore a veiled hat and a light veil, so she could barely feel the wind that was originally there.Standing under the sun at noon at this time, he was already sweating lightly, and his body was greasy and uncomfortable, so he took off the feather satin cloak with silver and white background and emerald pattern brocade, revealing a red agate dress underneath. The Spring Swallow Homing Ru skirt, the double-strand mandarin duck ribbons on the skirt are beautifully embroidered, and a pair of mandarin ducks come to life. It is the proud work of a skilled Suzhou embroiderer.

Bai Mudan was standing slightly in front of Ling Xuewei, and a bewildering bright color suddenly appeared from the corner of her eye. When she turned her head to look, she saw a graceful figure of Lishu. What a peerless youth it is, just like the divine light of separation and reunion on the shore of Luoshui, looming and unreachable.

There is also a fragrance, which is faint and gentle, but gradually attracts the attention of the people around.

White peony loves to use incense, and has made great achievements in making incense.The aristocrat Gongsun, who is a good friend in Beijing, knows that she is so good, and often spends a lot of money to buy famous incense to make the beauty smile.But at this moment, the fragrance on Ling Xuewei's body was something she had never smelled before.

Shen Xiyao looked at the people around her. She exuded a faint fragrance. At first smell, it was the warmth and sweetness of frankincense, and when she smelled it again, there was the softness and tenderness of roses, and the tranquility and elegance of lotus flowers. The sweetness of Qingmu swayed away like rain, and the fragrance, freshness, elegance, and mellowness came in sequence, which made people feel refreshed and happy, feeling as sweet as yummy, and feeling various poses, like dreams and illusions, like fakes and reals, like the reality of all living beings. Phases are all bubbles in the continuation of existence and nothingness.

The white-bearded elder was also attracted by the fragrance, so he couldn't help asking: "This old man loves spices all the time. This girl has a special fragrance. I wonder what kind of spice it is made of?"

Ling Xuewei's voice came from behind the tulle of the veiled hat, as crisp and moving as an oriole: "This fragrance is not a unique product, but I made it myself. The method is also simple, that is, the clear water from South Vietnam and the fragrance from Dongjing Hua. Orchids are matched, together with heavy kudzu from the north, and Qianmei from the western regions, mixed with spring peach, summer green lotus, autumn red maple and winter jade plum water, and then use ice heart The jade pot has been sealed under pines and cypresses for several years, and after opening, you get this fragrance, named 'Yunfei'." Her tone was as usual, as if she was talking about how to embroider a simple pattern, as if the fragrance was readily available, Everyday.Others were surprised when they heard it, not to mention the water on flowers in spring, summer, autumn and winter, but any one of the four fragrances is a rare product that is hard to find.At this time, the woman said it, as if it was a spice that can be seen everywhere, she didn't care, and looking at the clothes all over her body, she was extraordinary, she must be a wealthy family member.

The white-bearded elder looked Ling Xuewei up and down with deep eyes, and finally said nothing, indicating that the competition should continue.

At this time, the last competition had already started. After the first three players had finished playing, they were all elegant pieces, echoing Chunjing, and the audience was full of admiration.When Shen Xiyao stepped forward, Ling Xuewei didn't pay attention to the gazes cast by Bai Mudan and the others, but only focused on the tall and handsome figure in front of her.

Is it him?Did he recognize her again?
Zhang Dehai in the audience also watched the emperor carefully. Shen Xiyao came to the throne at a young age. Although he didn't like musical instruments very much, he was proficient in all of them.Guqin is even more unmatched.It's just that it's rare for the emperor to play. Will he show off his unique skills in front of Miss Ling's family today?
At this moment, Shen Xiyao on the stage glanced at the neatly arranged musical instruments of various colors, but didn't take any notice, but looked around, as if looking for something.There was a lot of discussion in the audience.

Bai Mudan stepped forward and asked softly: "My lord, do you have any suitable musical instruments?" But she felt uneasy in her heart, all kinds of common musical instruments on the stage are fully prepared, unless this person does not know how to use them, there must be some The same can be called hands.

(End of this chapter)