Chapter Seven, The Beautiful Man of the Capital
During the banquet, Luo Mingxiu did not glance at Su Zhongxing, but instead observed Lin Mei with a composed demeanor, pondering deeply: Since Lin Mei's mother was once a close friend of the Duchess of Yongping, and Madam Su is stubbornly supporting her, this marriage cannot possibly be called off... unless...
The Grand Princess also responded to the Lady of Yongping with her gaze: The eyes of the public are sharp and discerning, and one cannot deceive them. Your son must still be ranked third. As for Liu Yong and Su Zhongxing, determining who should be ranked first requires some consideration
Liu Yong's mentor, however, had some connections with the Marquis of Yongping. In this regard, Liu Yong indeed ought to pay his respects to the Marquis of Yongping's wife on her birthday as a junior. As for Su Zhongxing, he was a classmate of the Marquis of Yongping's son, and he too is considered a junior.
Mo Shuangqi's eyes glistened with tears, "Brother Liu, are you waiting for me? I have arrived in the capital, and this time, I will not make you wait again"
Perhaps due to the relationship with the guests, or perhaps because of Madam Su's clear attitude, Mo Shuangqi has indeed regarded Lin Mei as Su Zhongxing's fiancée. After spending these days together, her relationship with Lin Mei has become even more intimate than with Luo Mingxiu
Mo Shuangqi twisted the handkerchief in her hand into a braid, hoping that Liu Yong would glance her way. Liu Yong, however, merely lifted his head slightly, yet did not look in her direction, instead smiling gently at the Duchess of Yongping and saying: "Matters of fate are all predetermined by heaven; what is mine will be mine, and what is not mine cannot be forced."
"Not as handsome as my father," Lin Mei poured cold water on Mo Shuangqi, "and not as handsome as my grandfather either"
Mo Shuangqi cast a grateful glance at Lin Mei, her heart filled with a thousand words she was eager to express. Ignoring the many people at the table, she leaned over and whispered in Lin Mei's ear: "He is truly handsome, isn't he"
The three handsome men were currently surrounded by girls who, taking advantage of the crowd, were straining to get a good look, wishing they could settle on one. However, Luo Mingxiu, lost in thought, did not pay close attention. Mo Shuangqi only had eyes for Liu Yong, while she automatically filtered out the other two. Lin Mei noticed the three handsome men but did not let it affect her.
Due to the current Emperor Yuanzong and Empress having a penchant for each other, in addition to their love for tea tasting and collecting ceramic teapots, they also enjoy painting portraits of beautiful women and handsome men. As a result, not only has this sparked a trend in the capital for appreciating ceramic teapots, but it has also initiated a trend for discussing beautiful men and women in the capital.
Although the Lady of Yongping Marquis set up a screen and separated the seating for men and women, due to the open customs of the Great Zhou Dynasty, it was quite common for men and women to meet in public. Therefore, it was not long before many younger relatives came in to pay their respects to the Lady of Yongping Marquis and present her with birthday gifts
In Lin Mei's imagination, the wife of the Yongping Marquis should be a person of steady demeanor. However, she did not expect that the wife of the Yongping Marquis was cheerful and generous, fond of talking and laughing, with a pair of slender eyes that squinted into two slits when she smiled, making her very approachable
The Lady of Yongping Marquis, upon hearing the conversation, smiled and said: "Those who enjoy the play may stay, while those who do not can accompany Minmin to stroll in the garden!"
In such circumstances, Liu Yong indeed evokes more affection from young girls and presents a greater challenge. The young girls present, while stealing glances at him, have already made several secret resolutions to find an opportunity to test whether they are the destined wives in his life
Sitting next to Mo Shuangqi, Lin Mei noticed that Mo Shuangqi's expression was unusual. She had a slight understanding of the situation and gently tugged at her. Once Mo Shuangqi came to her senses, Lin Mei quietly adjusted her posture.
Since Liu Yong and Su Zhongxing have come today, how can the ladies let this opportunity pass by? They must indulge their eyes thoroughly.
After the formal banquet concluded, tea and fruits were served, and the opera troupe was set up, the Lady of Yongping Marquis finally took Lin Mei to sit beside her, inquiring about her mother's past events, and after a few sighs of sentiment, reminisced about the old days.
Among the guests was the current Long Princess, who is the elder sister of Emperor Yuanzong. At the age of thirty-eight, she is well-preserved and appears to be in her twenties. She is particularly fond of jesting, and upon hearing that Liu Yong had also arrived, she could not let the opportunity pass. She called out, "Let Liu the Scholar come in and compose a poem."
In the past two years, there have certainly been suitors visiting the mansion of the top scholar. Coincidentally, every time someone came to propose, Liu Yong would fall ill the next day, and naturally, the marriage proposals would come to nothing. Later, rumors spread that Liu Yong was destined for a fated marriage, and those without fate were unable to approach him.
The gathering was lively, with many people present, adorned in vibrant colors and exquisite makeup, while the air was filled with the fragrance of flowers, overpowering other scents. Despite the presence of young men coming and going, Lin Mei remained seated, curiously glancing at the renowned handsome scholar and top scholar of the capital. She observed that he had long eyebrows that extended beyond his eyes, with the ends slanting gracefully into his temples, and his eyes sparkled with a smile, radiating brilliance; indeed, he was quite handsome.
Liu Yong and Su Zhongxing stood side by side, whether intentionally or unintentionally, Lady Yongping called her son Zhou Si to come out and pour wine for them. At this moment, the three most handsome men in the capital were gathered together, and the ladies truly feasted their eyes.
The Lady of Yongping Marquis, upon seeing the top scholar Liu Yong come in to congratulate her on her birthday, was naturally delighted. She raised her head and noticed that the other ladies were all looking at her with eager anticipation. With no other choice, she decided to take the initiative to ask, half-jokingly and half-seriously: "I have heard that Scholar Liu vowed not to marry until he achieved success. Now that you have attained your fame, why have you still not married?"
When Liu Yong came in to congratulate the Lady of Yongping on her birthday, Mo Shuangqi couldn't help but clench her handkerchief tightly, biting her lip to refrain from crying out. After all these years, he was still as handsome and elegant as ever, just like in the past. She just didn't know if his heart had changed or not
The Lady of the Shangshu replied to the Lady of Yongping with her gaze: If he could become my son-in-law, what would it matter if he were ranked first? Unfortunately, my daughter is already spoken for, and your son cannot be my son-in-law. He still has to be ranked third.
Unable to withstand Mo Shuangqi's persistent pulling, Lin Mei had no choice but to stand up and follow her into the garden
The Lady of Yongping winked at several ladies, saying clearly, my son should not be ranked third, he should at least be ranked second, right
In those years, besides being a handsome man, Lin Li also possessed a few poetic talents. Otherwise, he would not have been able to capture Gu Ke'er's heart so completely
Liu Yong had already entered, and naturally, the ladies would not let Su Zhongxing off. Before long, Su Zhongxing also came in to offer his birthday wishes
After all, he is her future husband. Lin Mei compared Su Zhongxing with Liu Yong and concluded that Su Zhongxing, standing beside Liu Yong, was equally impressive.
Lin Mei originally did not want to go, but Mo Shuangqi came over and pulled her, whispering: "I am not familiar with these young ladies and cannot engage in conversation. Mingxiu and Miss Zhou are familiar with each other, chatting and laughing, while I cannot join in, which would be quite awkward. Sister, why not accompany me for a stroll!"
In Lin Meixin's view, handsome men are all sources of trouble, unworthy of reliance or trust, and must be approached with caution. Liu Yong, being a top scholar, is somewhat arrogant; he does not come in to pay his respects but merely offers a distant greeting from outside, which he considers sufficient courtesy. Yet, he is unafraid of being stared at intently by the ladies and young misses, entering with a smile and engaging in conversation. What could his intentions be?
Gu Ke'er is both talented and beautiful, exceptionally intelligent, and her name is widely known. Her agreement to the marriage with the Lin family is not only due to the good reputation of Lin Taijun as an official in Yizhou at that time, but also because Lin Li was a handsome young man, renowned as a beauty in Yizhou. In March, when the peach blossoms were in full bloom, Gu Ke'er had a chance encounter with Lin Li under the peach tree, where petals were fluttering around. The young man stood among the flowers, smiling. That smile changed Gu Ke'er's life forever. In March, when the peach blossoms were in full bloom, Gu Ke'er had a chance encounter with Lin Li under the peach tree, where petals were fluttering around. The young man stood among the flowers, smiling. That smile changed Gu Ke'er's life forever
Mo Shuangqi could no longer sit still. Upon hearing Zhou Minmin mention that there were several rare flowers in the back of the residence, she expressed her desire to go and take a look
At this moment, the young ladies at the table widened their eyes to observe the person who came in to pay their respects. After the visitor had left, they could not help but begin to whisper among themselves, critiquing and commenting.
On the occasion of the birthday celebration of the Lady of Yongping Marquis, in addition to the distinguished young ladies, there were also young masters from various estates in attendance. The ladies from each estate brought their daughters to the banquet, and aside from celebrating the birthday, they had their own ulterior motives. It was a rare opportunity, and they could not help but stir up excitement, saying: "Oh, I heard that today, Scholar Liu and Young Master Su have also come. In terms of lineage, they are also of the younger generation; why not come in and meet them?"
The Lady of Yongping Marquis has two sons and one daughter, whose name is Zhou Minmin. She is fourteen years old this year and has a cheerful disposition. Not long after the birthday banquet began, she became acquainted with Lin Mei and others.
The ladies privately discussed and concluded that there are many handsome men in the capital, but the most distinctive ones are three: the first is Liu Yong, the top scholar Liu; the second is Su Zhongxing, the son of Hanlin Scholar Su; the third is Zhou Si, the second son of the Marquis of Yongping
Seeing Liu Yong recite a poem to celebrate the birthday of the Lady of Yongping in the presence of numerous ladies, remaining calm and composed, Lin Mei couldn't help but let out a soft sigh
What Lin Mei did not know was that this departure would give rise to many events
Not only did Mo Shuangqi's eyes remain fixed on Liu Yong, but Zhou Minmin and the other young ladies also found their eyes lighting up in front of them
The Lady of Yongping Marquis, upon hearing the commotion from the other ladies, understood their thoughts and laughed heartily, saying: "You all, a bunch of old hags, if you want to see handsome men, just say so directly, why do you have to find excuses?"