Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 140: Poppy

"Hmm... not bad, the handwriting is quite good..."

Queen Mother Zhou took the fine rice paper with the poem from Qin Ji, first looked at the words, nodded to show approval, and then read, "The traces of sorrow are all over the ground, but no one notices them. The dew wets the jade shadows. Standing on the idle steps, it is even more desolate. The moonlight of the old days is still in Xiaoxiang. The indifference turns into the fatigue of love, and the tender heart is broken. The words on the red paper against the wall are blurred, and I remember writing for you with my hands in front of the lamp."

When reading this, Queen Mother Zhou laughed and joked, "As a woman, who can I share the light with when I have nothing to do, and who can I write for?"

Zhu Youtang hurriedly defended Zhang Yu: "Grandmother, the meaning of 'share the lamp' probably means being under the lamp together, not necessarily living under the same roof. Writing for others... is just a metaphor."

It is obvious that Zhu Youtang understood the "deep meaning" of this poem.

When you write for me under the lamp, aren't you writing a letter for me?

This is clearly written by me, how could it be an imposter?

The artistic conception expressed in this poem alone, the longing, the sad face, the worried look in the heart, is unforgettable...

Hey, girl, not only you have this idea, I have it too.

And what you said, the words on the red paper are blurred when leaning against the wall, I had the same feeling when I was writing to you. It is winter now, don't you need to warm your hands from time to time when writing?

At this moment, it is just like that moment, as if I am writing a letter to you under the lamp, empathizing with you, and thinking of you in my heart.

If you are not the one I am obsessed with, then who are you?
"What is the name of this poem? Which tune does it use?"

Queen Mother Zhou looked at Zhang Yu and asked curiously.

"Your Majesty, this poem is called 'Yu Meiren: Strolling in the Garden'. It was something I occasionally felt at home, but I didn't actually write it down until today." Zhang Yu replied respectfully.

"It's rare!"

Queen Mother Zhou sighed, "Although I am not very proficient in poetry, I think it is passable... What do you think, Prince?"

Zhu Youtang praised it endlessly, saying repeatedly: "Grandmother, this poem is very well written. I am afraid that even in this world, there may not be anyone who can write such a good poem, especially the line 'Indifference turns into excessive love, and the heart is broken', which is comparable to the famous ancient lines. Such a talented woman should be considered... rare in this world, even comparable to..."

He was about to continue praising her lavishly, and even compare her to the famous Song Dynasty poet Yi An, but when the words were on the tip of his tongue, he noticed that there was something unfriendly in the old lady's eyes, so he immediately lowered his head and stopped talking.

"As expected, a child from a scholarly family is so talented and brilliant. It's really unexpected." Queen Mother Zhou turned her head and frowned and asked, "Qin Ji, do you have any research on poetry?"

Tan Ji quickly replied: "I have no research on this."

Queen Mother Zhou asked, "Do you think this poem fits the mood? Isn't it also necessary to pay attention to the level and rhyme of poetry? Take a look at it and see if there are any problems?"

Qin Ji took the paper, read it again, and sighed sincerely: "From what I have seen, the artistic conception of this poem "Yu Meiren" is extremely high. Whether it is the level and rhythm or the rhyme, or the charm in it, it can be said to be a masterpiece of the generation..."

Just when he was about to praise him lavishly, he found that Zhu Youtang was desperately giving him looks.

Based on Qin Ji's understanding of Zhu Youtang, this look probably meant that it was enough for you to know that the poem was good. We both knew it very well and there was no need to praise her and the poem in front of grandmother.

Good things are good. It is better to say nothing at this time, so as to avoid causing displeasure to Empress Dowager Zhou.

"hehe."

Queen Mother Zhou saw Zhu Youtang's little action, smiled and shook her head, then sighed, "Alas, they say that this child should not be kept when he grows up, and they think it refers to ordinary girls in the boudoir. In fact, what is the difference for boys? But think about it, these are all matters for you young people. "Okay, Prince, have you made a decision now?"

Zhu Youtang leaned forward and said respectfully, "My grandson dare not make his own decisions. I will leave everything to the arrangements of my grandmother."

Queen Mother Zhou frowned upon hearing this and asked, "It has come to this, and you still insist on letting me make the decision for you? If I randomly choose one for you, would you be happy? You should know that the remaining two may not stay in the East Palace. When they leave the palace and marry someone else, would you be willing to accept that?"

"what!?"

When Zhu Youtang heard this, he immediately became worried.

He is not the kind of person who has too many opinions, or rather, he is too timid.

He obviously loved her deeply, but he didn't dare to express it. Even Queen Mother Zhou felt worried for him when she saw it.

What do you think is wrong with this grandson?

Things have come to this point, and he still wants me to make the decision for him?
How outrageous!
Tan Ji said quickly: "Your Highness, if you have any intention, you should tell the Queen Mother directly. I believe the Queen Mother will respect your opinion."

"Yes, even Qin Ji can see it clearly, why are you still confused... Don't you usually listen to him the most? Tell me, who do you like?"

Queen Mother Zhou continued to speak in an encouraging tone.

Zhu Youtang then lowered his head, as if he was in a difficult situation, and said weakly: "My grandson thinks... this woman who wrote the lyrics... is very good. My grandson thinks... she can be the crown princess."

At this point, the candidate for the Crown Princess had finally been preliminarily decided.

Queen Mother Zhou then ordered the three women to go to the side hall first, and then arranged for someone to escort them out of the palace.

Zhu Youtang sat there, looking somewhat anxious. Then Chen Gui accompanied Wei Tai and appeared in the main hall of Qingning Palace.

"Prince, don't be impatient. Seeing how anxious you are, do you want to take that person back to the East Palace today?" Queen Mother Zhou found it interesting and asked with a smile.

Zhu Youtang hurriedly explained: "My grandson has no such intention. I will follow the arrangements of my grandmother."

Queen Mother Zhou smiled and shook her head: "I can't make the decision for you. You have to ask your father's opinion." Then she turned around and continued: "Wei Tai, the selection of the Crown Princess has basically been decided. After discussion between me and the Crown Prince, we unanimously designated the daughter of Zhang from Hejian Prefecture to be the choice.

"You should go and tell the emperor right now so that he can understand the situation. If he feels it is inappropriate, he can bring it up and we can discuss it again."

In fact, Queen Mother Zhou was not too obsessed with choosing a wife for her grandson.

If Zhu Jianshen did not think it was inappropriate for his son to marry Zhang's daughter, she would not mind changing it. But now that her grandson had chosen her personally and cherished her very much, she felt embarrassed to interfere and start a new marriage.

Wei Tai smiled and said, "I've made a note of this and will report it to Your Majesty right away. According to Your Majesty, the matter of the wedding should be completed as quickly and simply as possible, or... the entire process should be completed in the next few days."

Queen Mother Zhou said coldly: "For the sake of the joy of the Crown Prince, have you even disregarded the face of the royal family? Is this the palace marrying a crown prince, or is it forcing someone to do something? This is simply ridiculous!"

Wei Tai could tell that Empress Dowager Zhou was very dissatisfied with this, but he did not dare to interfere in the affairs of the emperor and his son. He could only bow respectfully and take his leave, not daring to make any comments or remarks on the matter.

(End of this chapter)