Lin Qingyuan pushed his head away. "Is your hair dry? You have time to gawk. If Kang Rui didn't have a few tricks up his sleeve, how could he have stood out from so many people?"
It was just that his attainments in poetry seemed to have improved considerably.
Jiang Shizi looked provocatively at Yan Shizi. "I wonder, has Young Master Yan prepared a poem or a painting?"
"That is no concern of Jiang Shizi's."
"I'm not concerned. After all, the one who should be concerned is Kang Xueshi. I wonder how he'll manage to carry the King of Flowers back later."
A wave of laughter spread through the crowd.
Kang Rui slowly set down his brush, feeling detached from his surroundings. Having sat in a high position for so long, he was no longer accustomed to such lively scenes.
He remembered being on his way to Huguo Temple. He had been so busy with state affairs during that period that he hadn't seen An An in a long time. He had hitched a carriage overnight to go see her.
When he opened his eyes, however, he was surrounded by people congratulating him for becoming the Number One Scholar.
It was simply absurd. His life had been straightforward and without regrets, nor did he long for his youth.
But speaking of regrets, Kang Rui had one: An An.
That wife of his who threw a tantrum at him in their old age.
Although he found her utterly impossible to communicate with, since she minded, there were some things she would never have to know in this lifetime.
Thinking of his headache-inducing wife, Kang Rui was torn between anger and amusement. It was just a Qin Lianxiu, yet she had made such an irreconcilable fuss. She was truly regressing with age.
What matriarch of a great house, at her advanced age, would quarrel with her husband to such an extent over a woman? Only she was spoiled so lawlessly.
Especially on the day An An left to become a nun, he had been so furious he grew dizzy and nearly vomited blood.
In what way had he ever treated her poorly? When had he ever wronged her? She threw a tantrum and had the managing mama beside Qin Lianxiu beaten to death, and what did he say!
In the end, she was completely blind to his true feelings!
Sometimes, Kang Rui was truly infuriated with her!
After realizing he had been reborn, he had spitefully thought of simply not marrying her. Let's see who else could stand her temper, which family would indulge her disposition like that.
As Kang Rui thought, he began to laugh in exasperation. Forget it. She was his wife, after all. Though she had a terrible temper and was overly delicate, she was the one who pleased his heart the most. He would just have to teach her more in the future, guide her properly, and things would eventually be fine.
Kang Rui put the kite away, thinking that she probably hadn't come. She detested attending these banquets.
A hint of tenderness appeared on Kang Rui's face. If she knew he was writing poems for other women to see, she would surely throw another fit.
…
"Aiya, the calligraphy on this kite is so ugly."
Song Chuyu was just about to take a look.
A kite slowly drifted down and landed at her feet. The poem on it was all too familiar.
Scattered and fallen, my body knows not wither or flourish…
Song Chuyu immediately averted her gaze and pulled her foot back. Even touching it felt disgusting.
Liu Yafeng walked over, bent down, and picked up the kite. "Huh?" She had clearly recognized it and glanced hurriedly at the Princess.
Song Chuyu had already walked toward Jiang Zheng. "How is it ugly?" Many of Kang Rui's poetry manuscripts circulated in Shangjing City, so it wasn't strange that Liu Yafeng could recognize it.
Jiang Zheng tossed the kite down, at a complete loss for words. "It's too ugly."
Song Chuyu saw the chicken-scratch-like characters. Even though she was mentally prepared, she couldn't help but feel the corner of her lips twitch. Were these even words?
"He would have been better off painting a picture than writing a poem."
Song Chuyu nodded. Just as she was about to add a complaint or two, a thought occurred to her. She personally bent down and picked up the kite that had fallen to the ground.
Fragrance converges into branch and bone,A soul of wind that envies not the spring.Slaying a thousand myriad colors,Revering one lone soul supreme.
"Princess, throw it away quickly! Aren't you afraid of dirtying your hands?"
Song Chuyu's gaze remained on the poem, her expression gentle. To think he had also attended the Autumn Frost Banquet. The nobles of Shangjing City should truly count themselves lucky that his wings were not yet fledged at this time, and he had not yet begun to stir up storms. "The poem is still decent."
"Huh?" Jiang Zheng risked blinding her eyes to decipher it again. "'Fragrance converges into branch and bone… Revering supreme.' Osmanthus and hibiscus are also very nice, how can it say 'revering supreme'?"
"Perhaps it's just his own thoughts."
"Well, I don't think that way, so I think it's no good."
"You can certainly think that way." Song Chuyu turned, took the Silk Flower from her maid's hand, broke off her personal mark on it, and pinned the flower to the kite.
Cao Zhao must have written this. It should be that minor county magistrate with the unrefined writing style.
Thinking about it now, it was probably not Cao Zhao who chose Lin Qingyuan, but Lin Qingyuan who, while in Shangjing City, selected Cao Zhao. He then used his father's status in the capital to quickly establish himself in the local administration.
If Lin Qingyuan had entered the officialdom himself, given his status, establishing a foothold in Shangjing City or implementing his policies in the provinces would have been a lengthy process. With his physical condition, he couldn't afford to wait that long.
Jiang Zheng simply couldn't believe her eyes. "What are you doing?"
"Shh." Song Chuyu placed the kite back properly. The person who wrote this was fortunate. His father's official rank, which had reached its peak, was promoted again and again because of a certain someone, not to mention the man himself. Those who once looked down on him, who among them later dared to speak loudly in his presence?
Jiang Zheng stomped her foot. Even if the Princess hadn't reminded her, she wouldn't have told anyone. It was too embarrassing. Calligraphy like this was utterly unworthy of the Princess's Silk Flower.
Song Chuyu didn't think so. It was just that Lin Qingyuan probably didn't want this kind of attention, which was why she had broken off her mark. Otherwise, the fact that he had been to Shangjing City could no longer be concealed. "Let's go look over there."
They had to leave quickly, lest someone see them.
When Song Chuyu circled back later, she discovered another Silk Flower pinned next to hers.