The Legend of Rebirth of the Demon Empress

Chapter 7
This young man is Liang Mingtai, the eldest son of Changguo Duke's Mansion. Lin Zisu had a headache and was about to turn around and leave when Liang Mingtai stepped forward to stop her, pretending to sullenly say: "Your pearl flower caused me to lose 100 taels of silver, Tell me what to do!"

It's really a narrow road!I just looked around, but I didn't see the fourth prince and his gang of cronies. Where did Liang Mingtai come from?

Lin Zisu gritted her teeth in hatred, but there was nothing she could do...Looking at Liang Mingtai's body, it seemed that he could be beaten to a bruise and swollen face in just a few strokes, but he couldn't be beaten here, right?

Lin Zisu calmed down, and said calmly, "I've never met Mr. Liang, I'm afraid you've got the wrong person."

Hearing what Lin Zisu said, Liang Mingtai suddenly looked excited and said, "Haha, I concealed it so well, you can recognize my identity as Liang Mingtai, and I'm going to show off to my fourth brother in a while!"

He lowered his head and asked softly, "Miss Lin, where did you find out my identity?"

Only then did Lin Zisu realize that she knew Liang Mingtai in her previous life, and she met Liang Mingtai in a hurry outside Zhuangzi that day in this life. How could she know the eldest son of Chang Guogong's mansion?
Lin Zisu had an idea, pointed to the crowd, and replied, "Master Liang was joking, and I just heard Lingmei mention it."

Speaking of it, it seemed that his younger sister Liang Wanyi had indeed come to the Hundred Flowers Banquet. Liang Mingtai's face was full of excitement, "Are you familiar with my sister? How did she mention me?"

As Liang Mingtai said, he looked into the distance, and saw Liang Wanyi chatting and laughing with a girl in a light-colored moon skirt, and several thoughts immediately popped up in his mind.

Liang Wanyi also saw that her brother was getting close to Lin Zisu, and she smiled back at Liang Mingtai with an expression that everyone understood. Liang Mingtai did not dare to neglect his sister, so he had to smile back.

Taking advantage of Liang Mingtai's trance, Lin Zisu hurriedly quickened his pace, and when Liang Mingtai realized, Lin Zisu had already walked among a group of girls.

Seeing Lin Zisu walking away, Liang Mingtai was a little annoyed, and then laughed.

Unknowingly, the group walked through a lush green peach grove and turned around a rockery. The Queen smiled and said, "Your Majesty, I am a bit tired from walking this way. Shuhua Pavilion is in front of me. Why don't you go?" Take a nap?"

The emperor nodded and said with a smile: "Shuhua Pavilion is a place of splendid Wenhua. Since we are here, how can we pass through its door and not enter?"

A group of people sat down in the pavilion according to their status, and there were court ladies who brought tea, snacks and melons and fruits. It seemed that they had been prepared for a long time.

After resting for a while, the queen said again: "Your Majesty, today's spring is fine, and it's rare for everyone to enjoy the flowers together. The concubines look at all the girls today, all of them are beautiful and intelligent. It's easy to think about playing piano, chess, calligraphy and painting. Why don't you just use it today?" Spring is the theme, how about you girls perform a show?"

The queen's intention was very obvious, it was to let the girls present show their talents, the emperor clapped his hands and praised: "I remember that four years ago, Nankang and Prince Consort Qi met at the Mid-Autumn Poetry Fair in Shuhua Pavilion, right? The Queen's idea is very good, maybe today we will make a few more couples."

Now that the emperor opened the golden mouth, the maids took the bamboo tubes that had been prepared and asked the girls to perform in order by drawing lots.

Lin Zisu had no intention of marrying the prince, let alone being arty, so she immediately declined the lottery. Seeing that she didn't intend to draw lots, the maid jumped over to her without forcing her.

The first one to perform was Miss Luo San from the Minister's Mansion of the Ministry of Industry. She stepped forward generously and gave a salute, then sat down in front of the piano case and began to play.

Miss Luo's piano skills are not bad. Although the song "Spring Dawn on Moon Lake" is short, it also reflects the artistic conception of spring. The song is fresh and smooth, which is in line with today's atmosphere. The queen was very happy after listening to it. Then he ordered the maid to record the reward.

Afterwards, several girls gave performances, all focusing on calligraphy, painting and musical instruments, and no one was particularly outstanding.

Seeing the performances of the girls changing like a revolving lantern, the emperor felt a little worried. He asked the queen to prepare for many days, and today he came to Shuhua Pavilion in person, just to choose the main concubine and side concubine of the future prince from among these noble ladies. Let the future prince have an extra boost after he ascends the throne, but looking at it, it seems that it is not worth making an exception for him.

Could it be that they really have to be selected among the people according to the rules of their ancestors?

The emperor looked at the crowd with a worried expression, still thinking in his mind. Judging from the current court situation, no matter which of his sons ascended the throne in the future, it would be difficult to successfully take over this great land without support behind him.

The emperor was thinking about his sons, when the fourth prince, Xie Xi, ran in from outside, his face was flushed, obviously he had just finished drinking outside.

"My son was delayed for a moment due to something, please forgive me, father and emperor"

Xie Xi completely ignored everyone's reaction, while hiccupping, he used his peripheral vision to find his position.

The majestic prince drank and had fun during the day, and then appeared in public after drinking, which was tantamount to directly telling the world that the emperor was not strict with his children.

Seeing Xie Xi making a fool of himself on such occasions, the princes looked at the emperor with different eyes, trying to find some emotion from the emperor's face, but found that the emperor, who was usually extremely strict in front of the prince, had no expression on his face .

"Xie Xi, there is no place for you here, just stand outside and enjoy the flowers," the emperor said lightly.

"My son obeys the order", Xie Xi walked out of the door as if nothing had happened.

The questions and answers between the father and son were extremely brief, and it seemed that there were not too many disturbances. However, the girl Shen who was playing the flute was somewhat affected, and she played the song "Flowing Clouds in Spring" intermittently.

Then it was Fang Qingge's turn. She had prepared for this flower viewing party for more than a month, and even asked her mother to invite a master to the mansion to teach her piano skills.

A complicated song "Spring Rain in Painting Building" slid out of her hand. The dense part was like raindrops, fine and soft, and the soft part was like the dripping water of tiles, which was crisp and melodious. Everyone present was intoxicated by the song.

The queen couldn't help but praised: "I never thought that the second young lady of Weiyuan Hou's family would have such a level of piano skills, I'm so ignorant and ignorant."

The emperor's eyes lit up, but he immediately suppressed the absurd thoughts in his heart. The young lady of Weiyuan Hou's mansion had just passed away. Even if her parents and siblings were not required to observe filial piety, they couldn't take advantage of the funeral to marry her sister.

What's more, the object of the marriage is still the second prince, isn't my idea poking Weiyuanhou's sore spot!
Among these girls, apart from Fang Qingge, Liang Wanyi was the one who attracted the most attention. Coincidentally, the serial numbers of the two happened to be next to each other. Fang Qingge had a break after a song, and it was Liang Wanyi's turn to appear.

Liang Wanyi's performance was painting. After the maid spread the drawing paper on the desk and rubbed the ink, Liang Wanyi began to paint with concentration and calmness.

Concubine Zhang Xian saw Liang Wanyi's beautiful appearance and elegant temperament when she swiped the pen, she turned her thoughts in her mind, saying that she is a talented woman, and her emperor's son is quick-witted, this second girl Liang is very suitable for her emperor's son!We must find a chance to persuade the emperor!

The Shuhua Pavilion was almost silent, but Lin Zisu's thoughts went to the garden. The sun was shining right now, and the green peach trees not far away were in full bloom, and several white butterflies were flying through the green peach forest.

Lin Zisu's eyes wandered in the garden, but Xie Xi was looking inside with her head stretched out. The two eyes met. Lin Zisu suddenly felt embarrassed and looked away. Seeing that she was not pretending to him, Xie Xi "tch" With a sound, he stopped paying attention to the movement in Shuhua Pavilion.

About half an hour later, Liang Wanyi put down her pen, bowed to the emperor, and said, "Your Majesty, the painting of "Flowers and Birds Greeting the Spring" by my servants is finished, please appreciate it with your majesty and all the empresses."

Two court ladies held the painting in both hands and unfolded it in front of the emperor.

Peach blossoms are popping up on the painting paper, and two orioles are playing among the peach blossoms, as if they are about to fly out of the painting.

"Neat and beautiful, with meticulous brushwork, has the demeanor of Wang Wenyuan, the former master of flowers and birds! Empress, our niece is not simple!"

The emperor was obviously very satisfied with this painting, because she was his own niece in name, the emperor didn't have too many scruples, and said to Liang Wanyi with a smile: "You are not too young, so many young talents today Here, how about letting the queen choose a good husband for you?"

Liang Wanyi blushed, but instantly thought that if the emperor said this, it would deny her the possibility of becoming a concubine, and she felt a little disappointed.

Since I can't marry into the royal family as I wish, why don't I take this opportunity to shut down my brother, the girl is not bad, but her dress is a bit ordinary, she seems to be called Lin Zisu?

Before painting, Liang Wanyi intentionally read the list written down by the maid, but Lin Zisu's name was not found.Is it ignorant or deliberately hiding clumsiness?Liang Wanyi was thinking in her heart, with a slight smile on her lips.

"The emperor's uncle loves me so much, my niece is really worthy of it. All the young ladies present here today are full of quality and heart. For example, Miss Lin from Kangningbo's Mansion is said to be very talented. My niece has such a little skill. , compared to her, it's really not worth mentioning."

There were not many people who knew Lin Zisu at the scene. Hearing what Liang Wanyi said, they all looked at each other in blank dismay. Even the emperor was stunned for a moment, the eldest lady of Uncle Kangning's mansion?

The emperor immediately came to his senses, glanced at Liang Wanyi, and casually said, "Oh? If that's the case, then you should see it."

Lin Zisu was still in a daze, but when Liang Wanyi mentioned her, she wanted to cry.

I thought about my past and present lives. In my previous life, because I was the daughter of a military general and liked horseback riding and archery, I didn’t have much contact with noble women in Beijing. After Xie Yao ascended the throne, Duke Chang was imprisoned for corruption because of participating in the performance of Cao Shouli. Later, the male members of the Liang family were exiled to the frontier, and the female family members were all taken as official slaves, so they were very unfamiliar with Liang Wanyi.

In this life, the original body and Liang Wanyi have never had any contact, let alone any intersection, so why is she targeting herself so much?

Lin Zisu looked blankly at the crowd, and saw two familiar smiling faces.

The first thing that came into view was Lin Wenjing's concerned smile, and he nodded towards her, obviously to encourage her.

The other smiling face was a bit hideous, and Liang Mingtai was smirking at himself with a narrow face, which was clearly a joke of his own!

Lin Zisu found the answer in an instant. Although she didn't know what Liang Wanyi's intention was, it must have something to do with Liang Mingtai.

Naturally, there was no excuse for the emperor's words. Lin Zisu got up and walked to the desk, and said generously, "My daughter is showing her shame."

The maid at the side had already made preparations, and Lin Zisu concentrated for a moment before starting to paint.

Ever since Lin Zisu got up, Liang Wanyi had been keeping her eyes on her body, lest she miss any detail. Seeing Lin Zisu's expression was indifferent, and her hand was writing extremely fast without any hesitation, she felt a little curious.

Not only Liang Wanyi was curious, but everyone present was also curious, and some even craned their necks, wanting to see what Lin Zisu painted.

Lin Wenjing was also uneasy. Uncle Kangning had never invited a female teacher. Both brothers and sisters were taught by their father Lin Yuanzhi. It's just drawing some blueprints, if you make a fool of yourself in front of everyone, then your sister's future will be ruined!
But my sister's drawings are so good, so the painting shouldn't be too bad, right?

As Lin Wenjing thought, Lin Zisu naturally did not have many opportunities to learn piano, chess, calligraphy and painting in this life.

Fortunately, in the previous life, she learned some superficial skills in her boudoir school, and after marrying Xie Yao, she followed his hobbies and practiced hard, which can be regarded as a small achievement.

She didn't let the suspense stay for too long, she put away her brush before it was time for a cup of tea, stepped forward and bowed to the emperor, and said: "I just saw the green peaches in the garden in full bloom, and on a whim, I used green peaches in the painting. The brushwork is shallow and clumsy, and it may be difficult for the Fang family to catch it."

Lin Zisu's painting is extremely simple, with only three or two branches of green peach, with two clusters of green peach blossoms set off by thin leaves on the branches, and a butterfly is staying among the flowers.

The emperor glanced at it, and felt that the line drawing was plain and simple, with a lot of blanks left. It was just a beginner's letter, and he became interested immediately. He wanted the queen to send Lin Zisu away.

From the corner of the eye, I caught a glimpse of the wings of the butterfly on the painting as if they were flapping. Looking closely, the painting showed all the details of the butterfly when it was about to fall. Looking closely at Bitao, the flowers and leaves stretched naturally, with distinct layers...

The emperor secretly made several gestures against the painting with his fingers, and the lines in the painting were tortuous and thoughtful, obviously the painter had a profound skill in handling the brush.

The emperor looked at Lin Zisu, saw Lin Zisu's demeanor was indifferent, without any timidity, and asked with great interest: "The topic of spring is today, where is spring in your painting?"

"Your Majesty, among the green peach blossoms, among the wings of butterflies, and among the ink marks on paper." Lin Zisu replied calmly.

"That's interesting," the emperor laughed heartily, "I see that you got the answer right. Have you ever read a book?"

"My daughter doesn't read much, she is currently reading "The Classic of Materia Medica" and "The Classic of Zhai."

Women in the world study "Nv Jing" and "Nv Commandments" more, because some high-ranking and wealthy households set up boudoir schools in their mansions, at most they learn some of the Four Books and Five Classics. When Lin Zisu mentioned "The Classic of Materia Medica", the emperor immediately remembered The origin of Kang Ningbo.

Since the Lin family is a family of Xinglin, it is reasonable and reasonable to have the "Book of Materia Medica" in the family, but who wrote the "Zhai Jing"?Why has it never been mentioned?

Seeing the emperor's puzzled face, Lin Zisu said, "The Zhai Jing was written by Muzi. It is profound and comprehensive, and my courtiers and daughters are dull. Even after several rough readings, I still don't understand the meaning."

After being reminded by Lin Zisu, the emperor remembered that in the era of the most holy 2000 years ago, there were many famous scholars who were as famous as the most holy.

In this dynasty, the doctrine of the most sacred is the right way, so what is said in the "Zhai Jing" is of course heresy. Thinking of this, the emperor's face suddenly sank, "In your opinion, how is the "Zhai Jing" compared with the Four Books and Five Classics?"

(End of this chapter)