Ever since the emperor heard about the palace banquet, Shanshan began to look forward to receiving invitations every day.
She also suppressed the matter and said nothing to anyone. She was just waiting for the day when she received the invitation with her name on it, so that she could take the invitation to the school to show off.
However, before receiving the invitation from the palace, a post was sent to the Wen family.
Many people in the capital received invitations, most of whom were from high-ranking families or were prominent people in the capital. The person hosting the banquet was also a well-known figure in the capital. He was always very elegant, so this time he invited everyone to enjoy the flowers and write poems.
Although Wen Yiqing has no background or talent, he has become famous in Beijing recently, and many people are willing to be friends with him, so he also received posts.
It was also written on the post, and Shanshan was invited to go with him.
Shanshan originally didn't go as soon as she heard about the poems and articles, but many people in the school had received invitations. When she arrived at the school, she found out that many children wanted to go, so she hurriedly went home and pestered her mother to take her to join in the fun.
Such banquets have been held in the past years, and many excellent works of poetry and prose have been produced. Most of the people attending the banquet are well-known, so Wen Yiqing is naturally happy to take her there to educate her. What's more, there were many high-ranking families that day, and she also had many connections.
It was hard to wait until the day of the banquet.
Shanshan was called up early in the morning.
She sat on the stool and fell asleep. The maids asked her to raise her hands and raised her hands, and she raised her feet when asked. She was so confused that she let the maids do nothing. In the end, she was carried into the carriage by her mother.
Shanshan sat in the carriage, bumping and swaying along with the carriage.
She rubbed her eyes sleepily: "Mom, why is it so early..."
Wen Yiqing put her twisted beaded flower back on, "This banquet is outside the city, so naturally she has to go out early."
Shanshan responded lazily.
She poked her head out of the car window. There were many carriages leaving the city with them today, and there was a long queue when they arrived at the city gate. While waiting, she stared at a small stall selling fried triangles not far away and swallowed her saliva.
The fragrant smell was blown into the carriage by the wind. Shanshan called out: "Mother."
As soon as Wen Yiqing heard it, she knew it was the glutton in her stomach, but she didn't pamper her today. The fried triangle was filled with aspic, cooked and fried in oil, and the aspic melted. When she took a bite, the juices splashed everywhere. It's not good to go to a banquet covered in meat juice. He only took out the snacks prepared in advance and asked her to deal with it first.
Well, Shan Shan doesn’t mind either.
The snack was sweet-scented osmanthus cake made by the royal chef at home. After she ate two pieces, the long queue at the city gate finally cleared up and the carriage slowly left the city.
The banquet was held in a villa outside the city, surrounded by green water and mountains, with beautiful scenery. They arrived not too early, and there were carriages parked in front of the door.
Shanshan got his head out of the carriage and was immediately discovered.
"Shan Shan!"
Wen Jiahe called her not far away. Shanshan's eyes lit up and he immediately waved to her. She asked the coachman to lift her out of the carriage and ran over happily.
"Jiahe!"
Many people looked at them in front of the door, and their appraising eyes fell on the Wen family's mother and daughter.
When Wen Jiahe called out Shanshan's name, everyone already knew their identities. The Wen family's mother and daughter are really well-known in Beijing. They are on good terms with the eldest princess and are favored by the Queen Mother. The Wen family's youngest daughter is even more famous in the school and is quite popular among the people in the palace.
It's just that he is a little different in terms of identity, but he is a merchant.
Everyone's eyes glanced at Shanshan and then looked at Wen Yiqing.
Although they had taken care of the Wen family's business, they mostly sent their servants to do the shopping. This was the first time for many of them to see them today. If we talk about business women, we first have an impression of a philistine and flattering person with jewels and jewels. There was a preconceived impression, and many people were slightly startled when they saw the person coming.
The person who came had a soft and gentle face, and her hair was tied up in a complicated and exquisite bun. However, there was no gold or silver embellishment. She only wore a set of jade ornaments with a gentle texture and a light color, just like the brightness of the moon.
Although it is not eye-catching, it makes people unable to take their eyes away.
Wen Yiqing nodded slightly at the people looking over, and then chased after his little daughter.
Over there, Shanshan had already recognized many children and said hello to all of them. Unfortunately, everyone was with their parents at home and couldn't get together for a while.
She held Wen Jiahe's hand, and her mother held the other hand, and happily walked inside.
There were many people in the villa. As the four of them walked in, many people took the initiative to greet the eldest princess and then set their eyes on Wen Yiqing.
The adults' social interactions had nothing to do with children like them. Shanshan followed them and listened with boredom. Wen Jiahe glanced at her and saw her blank face, and knew what she was thinking, so he whispered: "Shanshan, let's go play?"
Shanshan suddenly perked up and looked at his mother expectantly.
Wen Yiqing looked at the eldest princess, who nodded with a smile, and then the two little girls ran out holding hands.
There were many children here today, some even a little older. Although they came with their families to enjoy the flowers and compose poems, they didn't even know the words, so naturally they couldn't participate. There are naturally places for children to play in Zhuangzi, and many of them are acquaintances from school.
Shan Shan is like a little fish entering a pond, happily rushing into the pile of children.
"Wen Shan, come here quickly." Qiao Mingxuan, who was in the same class, waved to her with a plate of snacks: "I have tried them all, and this is the most delicious snack in the whole room!"
Shanshan couldn't bear it any longer and sat down immediately.
The theme of today's banquet was flower appreciation and poetry. Even the snacks were carefully thought out, and flowers were used in every pastry and pastry. What Shanshan picked up was a piece of flower cake. The pastry was filled with honey filling made of flowers, which was sweet and delicious.
There were six pieces of flower cakes on a plate. Three people each divided two pieces, and the plate was empty.
Shanshan had eaten one piece, but she still had some unfinished thoughts. She was just about to take the remaining piece, but someone moved faster than her. In the blink of an eye, the piece of flower cake on the plate disappeared.
Shanshan blinked and looked up to see a little girl about the same age as her. She looked familiar, but for a moment she couldn't remember her.
"Qi Qing?" Wen Jiahe shouted.
oh!
Shanshan remembered.
It turned out to be the fourth cousin of the Qi family!
Since the Qi family moved out, Qi Hui and Qi Qing were expelled from school, and Shanshan has never seen her again.
She opened her eyes wide and looked at her fourth cousin, whom she hadn't seen for a long time, and then at the piece of flower cake in her hand. She didn't know whether to greet her cousin first or ask her why she wanted to take her snack.
Before she could think about it, Wen Jiahe asked for her: "Why did you want to snatch Shanshan's snacks?"
"Why am I grabbing her snacks?" Qi Qing snorted: "The snacks in this room are for everyone to eat, and since she didn't write her name on them, she is allowed to eat them. Am I not allowed to eat them?"
"If you want to eat, there are so many around, why do you grab ours?"
"There is no more next to it."
The three of them turned to take a look.
It turned out that this flower cake was so delicious that many children liked it. After eating it, before I had time to replenish it, Qi Qing was the only one left in the room.
Wen Jiahe: "You..."
Before she could say anything, Qi Qing took a bite of the shortbread. Wen Jiahe choked and stopped saying the rest.
You can't take a bite out of her and ask her to give it back.
Qi Qing glanced at Shanshan proudly, but then left quickly as if she was afraid of Wen Jiahe. From a distance, Shanshan saw her sitting down next to Jiang Huirou.
Qiao Mingxuan handed over another plate of snacks: "Wen Shan, this one is delicious too."
Shanshan finally withdrew his gaze.
She is not picky about food and likes all kinds of snacks. Instead of flower cakes, she also wants sweet-scented osmanthus cakes and apricot blossom cakes. In addition to pastries, there were also many toys placed in the room, and everyone gathered together in twos and threes.
, Shanshan also took a chessboard and played chess with Wen Jiahe while eating snacks.
After I tasted each one, it started to get lively outside.
The sound of drums could be heard from time to time, accompanied by noisy cheers. The movement outside quickly attracted the attention of the children in the house.
The crowd swarmed out like birds out of their cages, chattering and swarming into a wide field. A musician was beating a small drum, and there were many young talents sitting in the center. A silk flower made of red silk was passed among the people with the sound of the drum. As soon as the drum stopped, the passing of the silk flower also stopped. .
The man who finally got the silk flower stood up.
Shanshan took a closer look and saw that he was an acquaintance again!
It was Qi Yun, her eldest cousin!
This is a game of beating drums to pass flowers. Whoever the flowers fall into the hand will get up and compose a poem. The theme of today's banquet is flower appreciation, and the chrysanthemums are in full bloom in the garden. The theme of this drumming and poem is chrysanthemums.
Qi Yun stood there and meditated for a moment, and then quickly composed a poem.
Shanshan didn't read the Chinese characters fully, and he didn't understand the quality of the poem. He could only hear Qi Yun finishing the poem, and many people around him were cheering. It was probably because the poem was well written.
Qi Qing immediately shouted from the side: "That's my eldest brother!"
He was immediately envied by many people.
The drum beat started again, then stopped, and another person stood up.
A child next to him immediately said: "That's my second brother..."
The man was silent for a long time, then choked out a five-character poem.
The reaction from the people around him was mediocre. The kid who just recognized his brother sighed and was too embarrassed to admit him.
There was a lot of excitement outside. Shanshan watched for a while and then didn't want to go back to the house anymore. Wen Jiahe took her around.
"Mrs. Yang holds a banquet every year. My mother and I have been here several times." Wen Jiahe said: "In addition to drumming and poetry, there is also flowing water to compose poetry. Many excellent works are born here every year. A lot of people became famous here.”
"Even if you don't know how to write poetry, the flowers here are blooming very beautifully, and the snacks are delicious. You can come and watch the fun."
After going around a few corners, Shanshan even saw a theatrical troupe. Unfortunately, they were not playing her favorite Sun Wukong, so Shanshan took one look and left.
Shanshan also saw He Lanzhou in the garden.
He Lanzhou was talking to a few familiar literati. When he saw her from a distance, he spoke to the others and walked towards her.
"Shanshan, are you here too?" He Lanzhou looked behind her subconsciously: "Where is your mother?"
"I came here with my mother." Shanshan responded obediently: "Mr. He, are you looking for my mother?"
He Lanzhou hesitated for a moment, but shook his head.
There was some hesitation on his face, as if he still had something to say but didn't know how to say it. Shanshan waited obediently. After waiting for a long time, he saw him suddenly lifting his robe and squatting down in front of her.
He Lanzhou also glanced at Wen Jiahe.
Wen Jiahe was confused and was stunned for a long time before he realized what he meant. He took two steps to the side and couldn't hear the two of them talking.
He Lanzhou then asked in a low voice: "Shanshan, what is the relationship between your mother and that Mr. Chen?"
"What's the relationship?" Shan Shan was puzzled.
He Lanzhou opened his mouth and looked into the little girl's innocent and clear eyes, not knowing how to ask.
It's not easy to involve a little girl who is less than half a person tall in the emotional grievances of the previous generation. But that day after he learned about Shanshan's life experience from Shen Yungui, he went back and thought about it for many days, but he couldn't figure it out.
He went back to search for many days and even confronted Chen Xuan in person. Chen Xuan swore to the sky that he was innocent and had no wife or children. Since it is not Chen Xuan, Master Chen's identity has become a mystery again.
He was thin-faced, not to mention questioning a little girl about his feelings. He hesitated for a long time before asking: "That Mr. Chen... is he..."
Shanshan knew it, and the topic about stepfather was again.
She said: "My mother never told me anything."
He Lanzhou felt relieved.
"But..." However, Shanshan already had her own ideas now, and she said awkwardly: "Mr. He, I already have the stepfather I want, or...or, why don't you forget it? "
He Lanzhou: "..."
He Lanzhou felt like he was struck by lightning!
Even that day when Shen Yungui said that Shan Shan's biological father was still alive, it wasn't as big of a shock as it was today!
Shanshan was extremely embarrassed, wringing her fingers and looking at him with blinking eyes: "Mr. He, you are a good person. There must be others who want you to be their stepfather."
He Lanzhou: "..."
Seeing people walking away, Wen Jiahe came over.
She looked at He Lanzhou's back in confusion, feeling a little more desolate than when she saw it before.
"What did Mr. He say to you?"
Shanshan let out a long sigh sadly, and said a little thankfully: "Mr. He should not give me any more homework in the future."
"Is this a good thing?" Wen Jiahe was puzzled: "Mr. He is a top scholar and is the teacher of the prince's brother. If he is willing to teach you, wouldn't it be a good thing?"
Shanshan doesn’t think so!
Master Liu had already assigned a lot of homework, and she didn't want to do any more.
…
Shanshan wandered around for a long time, and when it was lunch time, her stomach growled again, so she went back to find her mother.
Lunch had already been set at the banquet. She held her mother's hand and sat next to Wen Jiahe.
The dishes at today's banquet are also in full bloom. The chef of the banquet is a chef invited by Jingzhong Food House, and Shanshan likes it even more. She stayed close to her mother and ate without raising her head.
Even if you have lunch, you can't escape the poetic style and elegance.
The center of the floor of the dining hall is sunk, introducing running water, so you can still hear the gurgling sound of water while dining. Some servants folded notes with titles in advance into small boats and put them down. Each theme has a different theme, and the boats float on the water. Everyone was sitting around on both sides of the boat. If it was someone's turn, they would pick up a small boat and compose an impromptu poem.
Shanshan sat aside and listened, still unable to understand anything, so he was immersed in the delicious food in front of him.
People would pick up the boat from time to time, and the poems and articles were catchy and catchy, each with its own merits. There were many good lines, and every time he uttered them, several people would sigh.
Mrs. Yang, who was hosting the banquet today, saw this grand occasion and listened with a smile on her face and nodded repeatedly.
She has always been elegant and talented, and she would be even more happy if she could produce excellent works at the banquet she hosted. After one person finished reciting the poem and sat down, her eyes fell on Wen Yiqing next to the eldest princess's seat.
Mrs. Yang naturally also knew who Wen Yiqing was.
She had heard a lot of good reviews in the capital, and when she first met this Lady Wen, she was gentle, pleasant, and measured in her advances and retreats, and she had a lot of good impressions in her heart. Even for the sake of the eldest princess, she was willing to sell Wen Yiqing a favor. At this time, she said, "Mrs. Wen, why don't you also come and do a song."
Wen Yiqing nodded. When Shanshan heard this, he quickly raised his head from the rice bowl and looked over with bright eyes.
Her mother is going to write poetry!
Shanshan hurriedly cheered up and planned to write down the poem his mother would write later and recite it to Shitou when he went back.
Wen Yiqing picked up a small boat and was about to launch it when suddenly, someone at the table chuckled.
At this time, everyone was just waiting for her to compose a poem, and the chuckle became particularly clear. Everyone looked up and looked towards the place where it happened.
Shanshan also looked over and saw Mrs. Xuanpinghou covering her lips and looking this way. The smile on her face did not diminish, but grew stronger.
"Mrs. Qi?" Mrs. Yang wondered.
Qi Wenyue said: "Mrs. Yang, it's not that I want to dampen the elegance of everyone here. I just ask Madam Wen to compose poems, but it will never work."
"oh?"
Qi Wenyue
: "Mrs. Wen was born as a merchant. She has been very good at calculating gold and silver accounts since elementary school, but she is also very good at writing and calligraphy. Today I am asking Mrs. Wen to write poems, but I am making things difficult for Mrs. Wen."
Everyone was stunned and then remembered this matter.
It turned out that Wen Yiqing had a face similar to that of a lady, and did not have the philistine attitude common among businessmen. After spending half a day together, she could talk to everyone and get along so happily that people forgot about her origins.
Madam Xuan Pinghou said it right. She was born in a merchant family and was taught about gold, silver and copper. How could she understand elegance? Even if you ask her to compose a poem and force her to compose one, it will be difficult for her to be elegant even if she even thinks about it.
Everyone looked at each other and saw that the boat was already in Wen Yiqing's hands. She was slowly unfolding it. No one knew what to say for a moment.
Even Mrs. Yang was upset.
How could she forget Lady Wen’s origins!
This is good, not to sell it to the eldest princess, but to offend someone!
Shanshan prepared for a long time, and looked at everyone who suddenly became quiet in confusion: "Mother? You don't want to read poetry anymore?"
Qi Wenyue chuckled and said, "Sister Shan, your mother is from a merchant family, how can she write poetry?"
Wen Yiqing raised his eyes and gave her a cold look. When Qi Wenyue met her gaze, he was suddenly stunned and swallowed back his words. For no reason, she felt guilty looking at those apricot eyes carved out of the same mold as those of the Qi family.
Shanshan is puzzled.
Why can't her mother?
Her mother knew a lot. When she wasn't settling accounts, she would read in the study room. Even Uncle Shen often said that her mother had been good at reading since she was a child, and she might even be able to pass the examination as a scholar!
Shanshan clenched her fists and was about to retort for her mother, when she heard a "dong" sound. Mrs. Gao put down the tea cup.
"What Mrs. Jiang said is weird." Mrs. Gao said lightly: "Today's banquet does not look at family background, only talent and education. Mrs. Jiang is good, she speaks like a merchant. It seems that she is born in a merchant, but she can't learn books. If you can’t read the words, you can’t compose poetry.”
Qi Wenyue's expression froze.
She looked at Mrs. Gao with a slight panic, never expecting that Mrs. Gao would suddenly stand up for Wen Yiqing.
Don’t the two still have old grudges? !
Not only Qi Wenyue, but also many people present were surprised. His appraising eyes kept looking at the two of them.
Mrs. Gao's expression remained unchanged, and she didn't even look at Wen Yiqing, as if she were a passerby who simply couldn't stand her. "On the contrary, I have just heard Mrs. Jiang's poems, and they are mediocre. The dialogues are not neat, and there are some intimidation. Although Mrs. Jiang comes from a noble family, her talents and learning are far from refined."
Wow!
This is extremely disrespectful!
Qi Wenyue's smile froze on his face, almost unbearable. She seemed to be able to feel the gazes coming from all directions, as if her face had been taken off, placed on the ground, and stepped on by everyone.
When did she offend Mrs. Gao again!
Even for the sake of the Hou Mansion, Madam Gao should never treat her face like this!
Many eyes looked over calmly, and many people began to speculate on her relationship with Mrs. Gao.
"Mrs. Gao, these words are really too strong." Mrs. Qi said to smooth things over: "The poem I wrote today was improvised. It was really hasty and mistakes would inevitably occur. If it were done perfectly, I would probably have to be like Mr. Xiao He. The top talent."
Mrs. Gao held the tea cup and nodded in response.
But she didn't just let it go, she still said: "Even if it is improvised, there is no distinction between good and bad, just enjoy it. It is true that people like Mrs. Jiang, who have been practicing poetry since childhood, also make many mistakes, so they should be more tolerant." How come Mrs. Jiang says that some people are not even qualified to write poetry?"
Qi Wenyue's face was stiff: "Mrs. Gao misunderstood, I didn't mean that."
Mrs. Qi also said: "She didn't look down on anyone, she just wanted to help Mrs. Wen out of trouble. She was outspoken and said the wrong thing."
Mrs. Qi looked at Wen Yiqing with a smile on her face: "Since it is Madam Wen's turn to compose a poem, if Madam Wen has thought about it, please do it."
Mrs. Gao added: "Besides, when it comes to family background, Mrs. Wen is no worse than anyone else."
Mrs. Qi's eyelids twitched and she paused, "Mrs. Gao, what do you mean?"
Mrs. Gao has already found out clearly.
Although the Gao family was punished by the emperor, they had been in the capital for many years and naturally had their own power.
The Qi family did not cover up much, and even the servants knew it clearly. She sent people to investigate in the direction of suspicion, and found out the matter clearly without going to Yuncheng.
She was still envious of the Qi family's good luck before, but now she almost laughed out loud.
What kind of fools are the Qi family? They would push it out when a huge good thing happens to them!
Not only did he push her away, but he even bullied others one after another, especially Mrs. Xuanpinghou, who caused trouble several times.
Others don’t know Madam Wen’s identity, but she knows!
Mrs. Gao took a sip of tea, raised the corners of her lips, still not looking at Wen Yiqing, and said as if nothing had happened: "I don't mean anything, but I remembered a rumor I heard before. It is said that there is a cuckoo bird in the world that lays eggs. When the time comes, he will find the nests of other birds, push down the eggs of other birds, lay his own eggs in them, and let other birds incubate them for him.”
Everyone looked at each other, wondering why Mrs. Gao suddenly mentioned birds.
Only Qi Wenyue suddenly turned pale and suddenly turned to look at Mrs. Qi. Mrs. Qi also looked ugly.
Should it be...should it be...
Although some people were puzzled, they also agreed: "This cuckoo bird is really hateful."
"Yes." Mrs. Gao said: "If those birds find that their eggs have been dropped, they will definitely peck the cuckoo eggs into pieces. But not long ago, I heard a strange thing. It turned out to be Some people regard this cuckoo bird as a treasure, even though there is no blood relationship, they recognize it as a daughter, but instead drive their own daughter out of the house."
Everyone present was not a fool. When they heard Mrs. Gao's obvious intention, they quickly reacted.
Those who were more responsive noticed something was wrong from Mrs. Gao’s remarks, and looked at Qi Wenyue suspiciously...
All the blood drained from Qi Wenyue's face.
She was afraid that someone would see that something was wrong, so she pretended to be calm, but she didn't dare to meet anyone's gaze.
The people present were all smart people, and one could tell at a glance that this matter was probably close to the truth.
Everyone was shocked, and their eyes kept wandering over Qi Wenyue and Mrs. Qi. It has long been heard that the uncle's house treats this daughter like a treasure, and even went to the Jiang family for this purpose, but now it seems... now it seems... How can this Mrs. Xuanpinghou have nothing to do with Mrs. Qi? The slightest similarity?
If Mrs. Xuanpinghou is not a biological child of the Qi family, then who is her biological child?
Mrs. Qi also twisted the handkerchief hard.
Suddenly, someone screamed in surprise, but quickly restrained himself and spoke to the person next to him in a low voice: "Mrs. Wen, why are you talking to Mrs. Qi..."
The following words became lower and lower and could no longer be heard.
But everyone present heard it.
Everyone turned their heads again and looked at Wen Yiqing.
It used to be okay when no one mentioned it, but now that it is mentioned, everyone feels more and more wrong.
How come Mrs. Wen's eyes are exactly the same as those of the Qi family? Why is Mrs. Wen's nose exactly the same as Mrs. Qi's? Madam Wen...this is obviously her biological mother and daughter!
Shocking waves arose in everyone's hearts, but everyone kept their mouths shut and said nothing on their faces.
I have already begun to wonder in my heart, after today’s banquet is over, who should I go to to share this earth-shattering event...
Not only did Jiu occupy the magpie nest's fake daughter grow up well-dressed and well-fed, but she also married into a marquis' palace, but her real daughter was reduced to a businesswoman. She didn't even recognize her biological daughter, and treated her like a
We don’t know each other!
Mrs. Gao took another sip of tea slowly.
She thought to herself: Madam Wen is not from a merchant background, but is a decent and noble girl. If it is revealed today, if Madam Wen enters the palace in the future, no one will be able to use her status as an excuse.
The Qi family asked for fish eyes instead of pearls, and relied on their status and power to bully others, which made Mrs. Wen suffer so much injustice. She was really dozing off and someone gave her a pillow. She cleared up the grievances for Madam Wen. When Madam Wen entered the palace in the future and the mother became the queen based on her daughter's worth, she would definitely remember her kindness in the future.
Thinking of this, Mrs. Gao finally looked towards Wen Yiqing, only to see that Wen Yiqing's face was even colder than before.
Noticing her gaze from a distance, Wen Yiqing glanced at her, curled the corners of his mouth slightly, and quickly looked away.
Mrs. Gao's hand holding the cup trembled, and a smile condensed on her lips.
Um? :,,
