The clouds in the sky were soft and fluffy, like scattered fish scales. As the afternoon sunlight painted the sky from the clouds, flocks of birds flew across the sky above the lake. The waters of West Lake were calm, with Xiao Yingzhou nestled within, the most beautiful garden on the water. Lush and verdant trees surrounded the embankment, with pavilions and winding bridges scattered among them. Crowds gathered along the banks, while the lotus flowers in the water bloomed luxuriantly, each a touch of pink.

In the very center of Xiao Yingzhou stood Baoning Temple, and some people took advantage of the remaining time to enter and offer incense and prayers.

Such a scene was no longer visible in later generations.

A row of painted boats and pleasure barges were now arranged in a crescent shape along one side of Xiao Yingzhou, and many people had already gathered on the largest ship in the center. Following the procedure of previous years, around Shen Shi (3-5 PM), everyone would board the ship and take their seats. Then the Prefect would say a few words, followed by some of the elders. Afterward, everyone would discuss and exchange ideas. As the sun set, the chefs from Fuqing Restaurant would present exquisite dishes, and the guests would eat, drink, compose poems, and admire the night scenery, releasing lanterns and water lanterns in the evening. That was basically the process.

At this moment, there was still some free time before everyone boarded the ship. In reality, Shen Shi was from 3 PM to 5 PM, but everyone wouldn't officially be seated, and the Prefect and others wouldn't come out until around Shen Shi two quarters (around 4:30 PM). Before that, people like the current Hangzhou Prefect Lu Tuizhi, the great scholars Qian Xiwen, Mu Bochang, and Tang Xiuxuan would basically visit each other or meet with some people privately. The depth and nature of the interests exchanged during these meetings were unknown to outsiders.

This Autumn Equinox Poetry Gathering, which began during the great drought of the third year of the Jinghan era in the Wu Dynasty, had once decided many things, both overt and covert, in Hangzhou. Of course, for people like Ning Yi and his wife, who had only recently arrived in Hangzhou, even if they had great talent, it would be difficult to know the inside story. And after this, they would have no more chances to learn what it was all about.

The Poetry Gathering in the ninth year of Jinghan did not reach its conclusion.

The sudden event that occurred during the Poetry Gathering time period shook the entire southeastern region in an unforeseen way, and prevented many things from reaching their conclusion. Of course, at this moment, everyone was still doing what they usually did, expecting the events that followed to proceed as usual. In the shade of the trees on the embankment, a woman played the zither, her fingers dancing over the strings, singing softly, letting the wind carry her voice across the island.

On the Qian family's boat, Qian Xiwen had just met with the sons and nephews of the Chang family. At this moment, he said a few words to his steward, and also asked a couple of questions about Ning Yi and his wife. He had given Ning Yi an invitation, and had previously indirectly inquired about the Su family's daughter and Ning Yi from Lou Jinlin. If Ning Yi came to visit him at this time, he would see him, but Ning Yi and his wife were said to have arrived, but had not directly boarded the ship to seek an audience, which made him feel a bit amused. He just smiled and told Qian Yu to call some other people in to sit down.

In fact, he admired learning, and usually lectured everywhere. Above family interests, he sought the middle ground of the great trends. If others were eager, he could understand it, but he didn't necessarily like it in his heart.

On the other hand, after leaving the Qian family, the current head of the Chang family began to visit Mu Bochang, Tang Xiuxuan, and others. He was greeted and greeted by many people along the way, and he responded to each of them, making the surrounding area the center of attention, almost blocking the embankment.

The heads of the several real great families in Hangzhou were all people with profound learning. After all, this was the world of literati, and if they could not pass on poetry and literature, they would not be able to achieve true success. Earlier this year, Chang Yu'an of the Chang family passed away, but because the foundation had been well laid, the Chang family in Hangzhou had not declined at this time. On the contrary, because the current head of the family was Chang Yu'an's son, all the elders treated him as a son and nephew. At this Poetry Gathering, as long as they knew him, the elders couldn't help but ask him about his well-being, and if they were peers or juniors, they would have to recall Chang Gong's achievements and sigh with emotion. At the banquet later, the Prefect would inevitably mention such a theme, and as long as they grasped it well, the Chang family would become the protagonist of this banquet.

These various greetings, in the eyes of literati, were mostly sycophants. Under the shade of the trees on the other side, in the cool breeze, scholars and students in elegant attire swayed their folding fans, listening to the music of several girls, and composing poems to suit the occasion. Occasionally, there would be a good piece, which would be spread around.

On the Lou family's painted boat, moored among the many boats, Lou Jinlin saw off an old man who had come to visit him, his face full of smiles, while thinking about some of the things that had just happened. Just now on the lake, the Qian family's boat had taken the initiative to approach, and Qian Xiwen had kindly invited him to come over to talk. This made him feel puzzled.

The Qian family and the Lou family had not had much contact before. The other party was a family that passed down poetry and books, and occupied a large area of land, while the Lou family was only a large family that had risen to prominence because it had many connections in the officialdom. In the eyes of others, the status of the two families might only be one step apart, but he knew that this distance could not be caught up without the efforts and luck of one or two generations. Qian Xiwen was not much older than him, but if they met, Lou Jinlin would still have to call him Qian Gong.

Originally, there were not many interactions between the two families. The other party suddenly came over and chatted idly for a while. Although he was also a man who had experienced many storms, it was difficult for him to understand what the other party's thoughts were for a while, and whether it could be considered a hint of intimacy. Or was it because Chang Yu'an had passed away, and those old men were preparing to take action against the Chang family for some reason? If those people really lost their temper at some point, the Lou family could act accordingly. This kind of ambiguous hint was actually enough. But no matter how he thought about it, it seemed unlikely.

In Qian Xiwen's idle chat, he also mentioned the couple Ning Yi and Su Tan'er, but in Lou Jinlin's heart, he naturally wouldn't think that this was the reason. The distance between the Lou family and the Su family was similar to the situation between the Qian family and the Lou family. Back then, when he said that he would let Su Tan'er marry Lou Shuheng, it was purely because he felt that Su Tan'er could become a capable wife for his second son. Even so, he was still feeling condescending at the time, and it was common for both parties to laugh it off afterward.

This time, when Su Tan'er and Ning Yi came, although he had warmly entertained them once, he didn't actually have any special feelings, saying that the marriage contract was just a joke. Lou Jinlin didn't think that this couple was anything special. Of course, Su Tan'er had some ability, but his own daughter also had it. They were best friends, and that was their business. Ning Yi was the number one talent in Jiangning, but even his own son-in-law Song Zhiqian could call himself the number one talent in Hangzhou if he went to Jiangning. Who knew? When he reached his position, talent was not a very surprising identity.

Approaching Qian Xiwen, the great scholar, in the name of the number one talent was nothing, but even if he was the number one talent, it was impossible for Qian Xiwen to personally ask about their relationship. Therefore, Lou Jinlin didn't include these in his consideration.

In the side hall of the main ship of the venue, a group of officials and scholars were gathered here, led by the current Hangzhou Prefect Lu Tuizhi. This Prefect Lu had a gentle nature, or at least he liked people who were outwardly unrestrained. At this time, it was not a very formal occasion, and everyone was talking happily. A large group of men gathered together, talking not about soccer, but basically about politics.

"...As the beacon fires in the north rise, I want to trade my pen for a sword, join the army and go north, follow my King's army to drive out the Tartars and recover Yanyun..."

"...Brother Liang is righteous, but the Jin and Liao have been at war for a long time, and there has been no definite news of military action from the capital. Could it be that..."

"...Zi Ran is too worried. In fact, the northern region has been reorganizing the six armies recently, and there is also news that Chancellor Qin has returned to power, which shows that my Emperor had long-term plans back then and has been preparing for this matter for eight years. It will never be a half-hearted effort. In my opinion, it will be clear in a month or so..."

"...It seems that our dynasty's military action should have been deliberately chosen before the autumn harvest. After the military action, there will be new grain, so that the existing grain supply will not be insufficient..."

"...Our Suzhou and Hangzhou areas have always been the land of fish and rice. I think the responsibility of bearing the burden of warehousing and transportation is also very heavy. At that time, the Prefect will have to work hard."

"...Unfortunately, there are still bandits in the southwest, and recently it seems to be getting worse..."

"...Alas! Brother Chen is wrong. The Fang bandits are just a minor disaster. In my opinion..."

One bustling scene after another, one thought and idea after another, these were just interludes, small interludes that were not surprising one by one on the eve of the Poetry Gathering, which merged into the grand scene of everyone gathering on Xiao Yingzhou.

At the same time, Lou Shuheng was standing on the deck platform, looking down. The platform on the second floor of this flower boat was relatively high. From here, he could see that the embankment of Xiao Yingzhou was full of lush trees, and he could see the Baoning Temple located there in the distance. The sun shone down from the sky, shining on him, making him feel a little hot. Because of this, most people were more willing to walk in the shade of the road below at this time.

Lou Shuheng had just escaped from the flattery of a group of people. At this time, there was no one around him, and suddenly he had an extra feeling of lingering affection, feeling that the current things were quite boring.

In fact, he often had this kind of mood - maybe everyone would have it, but his mood just now was mainly because of one thing: he had just met Su Tan'er.

The attached process is as follows:

He came over from there with some friends, and met everyone who was writing poetry. At that time, his poetic nature burst out, and he wrote a poem on the spot. The style of the poem was relatively unrestrained, and it was completed in one go after it was written. His consistent style was praised as having the legacy of the Tang Dynasty. He had been writing for so many years, and this one was also one of his masterpieces. The main thing was not the poetry itself, but the demeanor, mood, and the literary style of writing it in one go. While he was proud, he also noticed that Su Tan'er and another woman were also watching beside him when he was writing poetry. That woman should be Wen Haiying, the wife of Luo Tian. The two of them obviously admired him very much.

Then he greeted them, and they left.

This was also the norm, and for Lou Shuheng, writing poetry and being admired was also the norm. There was nothing surprising about it. He didn't think about anything in his heart at the time, but then he ran over to drink water. When there was no one around him, thoughts surged up in his heart.

Mainly about Su Tan'er's appearance, smile, business ability, and her running around these days, like this and that. He didn't originally have much affection for Su Tan'er. After all, he had been playing in the flower bushes for so many years. Su Tan'er was a beauty, but Lou Shuheng had seen many who were more beautiful than her, but none of them were as independent as her, and didn't have her...temperament. And the most important point was that his father's mood when he joked more than a month ago, "This Miss Su almost became your wife..." fluctuated again.

There was a possibility that conquering such a woman would be completely different from conquering other girls. At this time, just thinking about it would inevitably cause a burst of throbbing in his heart. For example, his sister sometimes joked with him, and he didn't think that it was a big deal that there might have been a marriage contract back then, but these feelings were always unavoidable.

Now that she saw him writing poetry, what was she thinking in her heart? He had seen that serious look in her eyes just now. Admiration must have been there. It was a pity that she was already married to a live-in husband who was the number one talent. Even if he had some talent, everyone's temperament and momentum were completely different, how could he compare?

With these emotions floating in his heart, he suddenly became too lazy to get involved with those people. After the performance just now, he felt lonely in his heart, with a feeling of "a heart like a tiger, sniffing roses, and tears after the grand feast." Then, he walked down casually.

He walked in the crowd, and for a while, those friends didn't come over. Even if someone greeted him, he just smiled and nodded casually. He didn't want to talk at this time. When he was about to reach the fork in the road ahead, he saw a woman singing under a tree, and two women were talking and laughing with her. There were a group of people around them. He knew those women. He had supported them before. Although they were still prostitutes, he didn't have the desire to challenge or offer courtesy at this time. There was nothing to see.

He looked to the other side, and there were also people walking. It was really boring... But then, he saw two figures by the lotus pond.

The two of them were also listening to the zither. Because there were too many people here and it was too disgusting, they stood on the side of the lotus pond, leaning against the tree, looking over there. One of them was Ning Liheng, and the other was a well-behaved maid beside Su Tan'er. He didn't know what her name was.

He could say hello at this time, but he frowned slightly after watching here for a while. The master and servant were talking, and the little maid sometimes laughed, sometimes was frustrated, sometimes slightly coquettish, sometimes naive, and sometimes jumped and looked at the zither player by the pool. Ning Liheng also had a smile on his face, which was a little different from his conservative appearance when he was with Su Tan'er. Then Lou Shuheng discovered that Ning Liheng even held the little maid's hand at one moment.

How intimate...

He shook his fan and smiled here. Then he looked around, thinking in his heart: What would Su Tan'er think if she saw this scene? He disdained to report it secretly, but Su Tan'er didn't appear in his sight. With complex thoughts, he walked towards there, preparing to scare them. It would be quite interesting.

A live-in husband hooking up with a maid was no different from the groom at home who got the maid pregnant before...

That's what he thought. And as he got closer and closer, some thoughts in his heart suddenly sprouted and expanded instantly.

He had always been an unrestrained person. When he thought of it, he did it casually...

Here, the backs of Ning Yi and Xiao Chan were also a small interlude on this big stage, and were about to become a slightly larger medium interlude.

Lou Shuheng walked behind the two of them and patted Ning Yi on the shoulder.

"Ning Liheng!"

The moment Ning Yi turned his head, he punched him...

*********

I've passed the hurdle. This chapter was written and deleted, and written and deleted again. I deleted no less than 10,000 words. It was a complete tragedy, but I finally passed it... I'll post one of the longer discarded drafts in the book review section. Those who are interested can take a look... (To be continued.) Vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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