Improvising a poem

The guards turned to look at them, their eyes sharp, then continued on their way.

The window of the carriage with the word "Celebration" embroidered on it was opened, and a white jade hand lifted the curtain. Xu Qian saw the eldest princess's sharp white jaw, and her rosy mouth moved. "Follow me."

He was overjoyed and was about to spur his horse forward when he caught a glimpse of the fourth carriage with its window open, revealing a round, beautiful, charming, and amorous face.

She stared at Xu Qi'an, their eyes met, she raised the corner of her mouth slightly, and then closed the window.

"That's the second princess? Wow. The emperor's daughters are so beautiful." Xu Qi'an withdrew his gaze and silently compared the two princesses in his mind.

You might not be able to sleep when faced with different types of beautiful women, but trying to compare them is pointless.

Because it depends on your preferences.

Although many men claim to have a wide range of tastes and boundless interests, such as liking mature women in black stockings, lolis, and uniforms, even these perverts have their own aesthetic preferences.

Xu Qi'an did not comment on whether the eldest princess or the second princess was more beautiful. Judging from the impressions the two princesses gave off, the eldest princess was more aloof and cold, like a lotus flower on a snow-capped mountain.

Even though you know she is noble, elegant, and refined, you can't help but want to take advantage of her and then see her show embarrassment and shyness.

Xu Qi'an hadn't had much contact with the Second Princess, but from that one glance, Xu Qi'an had already imagined her with hot pants covering her round, perky buttocks, a white tank top binding her graceful breasts, and long, snow-white legs in white sneakers, swaying freely on the dance floor, her wavy hair flying in the wind.

In his time, he would have been a true nightclub queen.

As mentioned above, girls who frequent nightclubs are generally more likely to conceive, but since the Second Princess is from ancient times, Xu Qi'an couldn't be sure about that.

The princes and princesses are going out for a meal and activities today, and the location has been chosen to be a small lake with a beautiful view in the capital city.

The lakeside is planted with evergreen cedars and Chinese junipers, as well as fields of flowers that are currently withering. The scenery will surely be even more beautiful next spring.

Today is sunny and windless, a perfect day for sunbathing.

There was a square platform by the lake. The servants brought out a table, lit sandalwood incense, and took out stacks of exquisite dishes from the food box.

Xu Qi'an tied his horse to a tree and followed silently behind the princess, with two maids helping her lift her skirt.

The princess's hair was styled in a simple and neat way, adorned with a priceless gold hairpin. The gold tassels were decorated with round pearls, and they swayed as she walked, which was indeed beautiful.

The two did not communicate verbally, but naturally, Xu Qi'an followed behind her, acting as her bodyguard.

The other princes and princesses also alighted from the luxurious carriages. Xu Qi'an glanced at them and found that they were all good-looking. The crown prince, dressed in a white python robe and with his hair tied up in a golden crown, was exceptionally handsome.

Actually, the princes' appearances are not worth paying attention to, including the crown prince. No matter how handsome he is, he is not Xu Cijiu his little brother Xu Cijiu.

Of the four princesses, the eldest and second princesses were exceptionally beautiful, standing out as the most outstanding beauties.

When they took their seats, whether intentionally or unintentionally, the second princess took the seat that should have been given to the eldest princess.

No one reprimanded them; the princes and princesses seemed to have gotten used to it and turned a blind eye.

The eldest princess did not sit in the second princess's seat, but sat at a table away from her.

Did the eldest princess and the second princess have a bad relationship? Xu Qi'an noted this detail.

The prince looked around at his brothers and sisters and said, "It's been a while since we've gone out for a stroll."

The princes echoed their agreement, while the princesses smiled subtly.

Xu Qi'an's gaze fell on the lake. He saw dark shadows flashing across the small lake, wondering what they were raising.

The Crown Prince acted as the host at the banquet, responsible for leading the conversation and presiding over the event.

There are only a few drinking games at banquets, and even fewer that are elegant. Since everyone present is of high status, games like finger-guessing and dice throwing are definitely out of the question; they have to play more refined games.

There are many types of elegant games. Leaving aside high-end games like composing poems on the spot, the "Flying Flower Game" is one of the more difficult ones.

The crown prince started the discussion with the theme "water," beginning with the character for water.

In the second prince's poem, the second character must be "water," and so on.

There were more princes than princesses present. After the first round, the seventh prince racked his brains but still couldn't remember that the poem ended with the character "water," so he was punished by having to drink a cup.

The eighth prince died young.

The Ninth Prince was responsible for continuing this "Flying Flower Game" tradition, and like the Crown Prince, his first character was "water."

When it came to the second princess, her bright peach blossom eyes widened, her dark pupils darting around. She clapped her hands and said crisply, "I've got it! Sparse shadows slant across the clear, shallow water."

The bright sunlight shone on her, adorning her in a vibrant red palace gown and exquisite jewelry—a look that no ordinary woman could pull off, one that was both extravagant and even vulgar.

But for her, it became a plus.

The eldest princess's nobility is innate, while the second princess is more like a beautiful and elegant canary; no matter how luxurious her attire, it only enhances her beauty. However, if dressed in plain clothes, the second princess would probably pale in comparison to the eldest princess.

The Crown Prince laughed and said, "I've heard this poem before. It circulated from the Imperial Academy of Music and seems to have been written by a student from Changle County. It's hailed by scholars as the ultimate poem about plum blossoms, the best of all time."

The Third Prince, with his refined and scholarly demeanor, remarked, "What a pity! Such a brilliant and talented work has been given to a prostitute; what a waste!"

The love story between the talented scholar and the famous courtesan is widely circulated and extremely popular. However, it is certainly not something that can be openly discussed, especially in the eyes of royalty.

The third prince, a scholar, was deeply distressed by this.

What a waste! The Fuxiang received this poem, and her value skyrocketed, making her a top star in the Great Feng Dynasty. Meanwhile, I took the opportunity to establish a friendly relationship with her, like Guan Zhong and Bao Shuya. It was clearly a win-win situation!

Xu Qi'an was Qi Ingestion.

The drinking game continued, and when it was the eldest princess's turn, she faced the same dilemma as the seventh prince.

Poems ending with water are extremely rare. Although the princess was learned and talented, she had little knowledge of poetry. Her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly as she pondered in silence.

Upon seeing this, the Second Princess grinned and said, "Huaiqing is the most talented woman in our capital. Surely she can match a few simple poems?"

"The second princess is indeed a bit pretentious. I'll call you 'Pretender' from now on! "Xu Qi'an said with relief.

For many men, a little bit of flaunting is actually more attractive. Of course, Xu Qi'an is definitely not that kind of man.

The princes and princesses watched with smiles. The eldest princess was exceptionally talented, surpassing her brothers and sisters. Even though she was a woman, she still aroused jealousy.

Everyone would be happy to see her suppressed in her area of expertise.

Ignoring the teasing looks from her elder brother and sister, the eldest princess slightly turned her head and glanced casually at Xu Qi'an beside her.

What are you looking at?

Xu Qi'an sighed inwardly. "The princess is something else. Knowing I had business with her, she took advantage of me beforehand and collected her payment in advance."

Why is Huaiqing looking at him?

The second princess had been watching the eldest princess closely, waiting for her to shake her head and admit defeat so she could jump out, point at her, and say, "Ha, you finally admit you're all show and no substance!"

To everyone's surprise, Huaiqing remained completely unfazed and even exchanged flirtatious glances with the young gong player.

The other princes and princesses noticed this to some extent, but their inner thoughts weren't as rich as the second princess's.

"Drunk, I knew not the sky reflected in the water!" Xu Qi'an pondered for a moment, then recited a line of poetry in a voice barely audible.

He quickly racked his brains, and among the poems ending with water, this was the only one he could think of.

The eldest princess nodded slightly and said in a raised voice, "When drunk, one is unaware that the sky is reflected in the water."

The second princess was taken aback, then disappointment welled up inside her. Her older sister, Huaiqing, was indeed quite capable.

The other princes frowned in thought, then looked at the third prince, who shook his head. "Huaiqing, how come Third Brother has never heard of this poem?"

The eldest princess smiled gently and said, "This is a newly composed poem."

The second princess immediately perked up and said in a coquettish voice, "Oh, you're cheating! You're just making up a story to fool us. Three cups of wine as punishment!"

"Impromptu poetry is acceptable," His Highness the Crown Prince laughed, "But Huaiqing, you must compose a complete poem for it to count."

The Third Prince nodded. "Elder Brother is absolutely right."

The princess turned her head again and glanced at Xu Qi'an, as if to say: I'm leaving it to you.

PS: I'm updating at midnight, please vote with monthly tickets.