Chapter 463 The heroic scholar and his neighbor, the pretty widow (bushi)
The heroic scholar and his neighbor, the handsome widow (bushi)
Lance had just changed into the new robe brought by the Marquis of Zhennan when he was hurriedly taken to a farm in the suburbs.
This farm is just outside Beijing, but its location is very good. Not only is the terrain flat, but there is also a river next to it. The willow trees on the river bank are swaying in the spring, which is very beautiful.
Just beside the river, many servants were coming and going in the manor, setting up the venue. The place was very elegant and had the atmosphere of a poetry gathering of literati.
Just as the Marquis of Zhennan came over with Lance, Concubine Xue's nephew Xue Chen strode over in luxurious robes.
"I didn't expect that the Marquis would come today. I am very happy."
"No, no, considering the relationship between our two families, I will come if my nephew invites me."
Marquis Zhennan chuckled and casually introduced Lance who he brought with him.
"Let me introduce you to a nephew of our clan who is quite capable. You can just call him Lance."
He had been taking the "fairly capable" Lance out these few days. Lance had written a few good articles that had earned him a lot of face, so he brought him here.
The other people in the meeting were wondering about Lance's unfamiliar face. After hearing this, some people remembered the name Lance who had been in the spotlight in recent days.
"But the one who wrote the Peach Blossom Ode a few days ago?"
Zhennan Hou laughed, "That's right."
Everyone looked closely and saw that Lance, who was pushed out by Marquis Zhennan, was young, handsome and had an extraordinary temperament. Although he was wearing a white robe, he looked somewhat heroic.
At first glance, it is difficult to tell whether he is a scholar or a warrior.
"This Mr. Lance looks rather burly, but I didn't expect that he could write such a tender and tender poem about peach blossoms."
Someone muttered something and attracted many people's approving glances.
This Master Lance was indeed much stronger than they had imagined, so they would have believed him even if they had said he was a military commander.
When Marquis Zhennan heard this, his face turned a little ugly. At first glance, there was nothing wrong with this statement, but it implied that Lance was not the one who wrote the Peach Blossom Fu.
How is this any different than slapping him in the face?
What he didn't expect was that the host Xue Chen, who had originally had a good attitude, actually said something after hearing it.
"That's true. Brother Lance looks like a military commander. It's hard to imagine that such a burly man could write such a sentimental poem about peach blossoms."
"What do you mean, nephew?"
The Marquis of Zhennan was unhappy. Lance was indeed a little too big for a scholar. But judging people by appearance might be fine for others, but Xue Chen and the Marquis of Zhennan were not unfriendly. It was hard for him to accept such words coming from him.
Lance glanced at the unhappy face of Zhennan Hou, then looked at Xue Chen who was obviously dissatisfied with him, and felt a little surprised.
Logically speaking, Xue Chen and Marquis Zhennan are actually relatives, and they usually visit each other quite frequently, so he shouldn't be so disrespectful to Marquis Zhennan. Is there some reason that he doesn't know?
Xue Chen just pretended not to notice the dissatisfaction of Zhennan Marquis and acted innocent.
"My nephew just has some feelings, there is no other meaning."
He looked at Lance and deliberately added, "Besides, if Brother Lance is really talented, why don't you write another poem at my elegant gathering today so that I can see Brother Lance's talent."
In just a few words, it turned out that Lans was in a situation where he would not be able to leave the stage unless he wrote a good poem.
The other people standing nearby looked at each other in confusion, many of them puzzled as to why the smoke of gunpowder suddenly appeared.
Some people had a rough guess about what was going on and gossiped about it quietly with their friends.
"The Peach Blossom Ode was written at a banquet held in the eastern suburbs the day before yesterday. That day, I noticed that the host, Miss Chen, had put up a screen and observed the poetry gathering from afar."
"That day, a talented scholar named Xue, who was supposed to be the most popular, wrote a good fu, but soon after, it was surpassed by the fu written by Lance."
The friend understood a little, "So the Miss Chen..."
"The young lady of the Chen family was obviously very satisfied with the talented scholar named Xue, but after Lance wrote the poem, her beautiful eyes were drawn to him. The marriage that was supposed to be settled must have been ruined because of this."
The man couldn't help but shook his head as he thought about it.
"Even if that's the case, you can't blame Brother Lance. The poem he wrote that day was really beautiful, and he is tall and handsome. If I had a sister, I would choose Brother Lance instead of that talented man named Xue. It's really an unprovoked disaster."
"So Brother Lance can only consider himself unlucky today?"
Friends also sighed.
It turned out to be the case.
Lance was very sharp-eyed and sharp-eared, but he couldn't help but feel a little helpless after hearing this.
How could he know that there was such a thing? It was the Marquis of Zhennan who brought him there that day. His plan was to gradually show his talents in front of the Marquis of Zhennan. Of course, he would not let go of the opportunity to stand out.
Unexpectedly, I got into trouble because of this.
Xue Chen and Marquis Zhennan had several exchanges here, and in the end Marquis Zhennan could only shake his sleeves with a grim face.
"Since my nephew wants to taste it so much, then Lance, you should show your best and don't let me down."
Xue Chen also smiled with his lips but not his eyes.
"Yes, I really want to taste it carefully. I wonder if Brother Lance would be willing to do me the honor?"
He wanted to see what Lance, who had ruined his cousin's marriage, was capable of. Humph!
Lance: “…”
Is he some kind of cheap tool? You guys just do it?
And let’s not talk about the Marquis of Zhennan. He doesn’t want to offend Xue Chen at the moment. After all, this man is Concubine Xue’s most beloved nephew. If he really confronts him, it will only bring trouble to himself.
Lance thought about it with a slightly panicked look on his face.
"My Lord and Master Xue are really too kind to me, but today is an elegant gathering with many talented people here. How dare Lance show off his skills in front of an expert?"
Xue Chen and Zhennan Hou were about to get angry, but Lance changed the subject.
"I heard that the two families have always been on good terms. How about we all write a poem based on this?"
He caught them off guard. Before Xue Chen and Marquis Zhennan could react, the others readily agreed to the question - having a topic for composing a poem is always better than racking your brains to come up with an answer without any clue.
Besides, many of them knew that the Xue family and the Zhennan Marquis Mansion had close ties, so they were naturally willing to give the two of them some face.
Zhennan Marquis: "..."
Lance walked up to him and apologized quietly, "Why are you so impulsive today, Lord? Before coming here, didn't the prince repeatedly mention that the Xue family and the Marquis' Mansion have a close relationship, and asked me to behave myself today?"
Zhennan Marquis: "..."
I almost forgot, he actually said that.
After coaxing the Marquis of Zhennan, Lance took the opportunity when others were composing poems aloud to walk over to Xue Chen.
"Thank you for your kindness today, Master Xue. I have a better peach blossom poem in my hand and I would like to present it to you and let you do whatever you want with it."
Xue Chen's heart moved.
"…Even if I give it to someone else to use?"
This is what I want you to do. This way, the trouble will be gone and Xue Chen can still owe him a favor.
Lance smiled calmly, "Of course I can."