Chapter 65 – Elegant Gathering (Part 5)
Gently stroking the white horse’s neck, I imitated Jiang Pengji’s previous actions to soothe the steed.
Speaking of which, this horse was quite pitiful—clearly a war horse from the northern border, pure white with not a single blemish, a feat Liu Zhi had gone to great lengths to acquire. Yet it ended up with a mediocre owner and became a cart-pulling horse, nearly fading into the background like any average horse.
Shangguan Wan sighed, “Alas, but I think Sister Jingxian and Brother Lanting really suit each other…”
Getting involved with mushy thoughts at such a young age was certainly not right.
Jiang Pengji twitched the corner of her eye, “You’re playing dumb again; Brother Lanting has passed away, and before you is Sister Lanting.”
Shangguan Wan teased, “If I were to call you sister in front of others, would you dare to respond?”
At that moment, Jiang Pengji noticed that the comments on the screen had suddenly shifted, filled with jokes she completely didn’t understand.
【Overbearing CEO】: hhhhh, silly monkey, would you dare to answer if I called you?
【Lan Cuiyu Not Yielding】: hhhhh, silly monkey, would you dare to answer if I called you?
【Cafeteria Auntie】: hhhhh, silly monkey, would you dare to answer if I called you?
The screen was flooded with “silly monkey,” leaving Jiang Pengji completely baffled. Just how bored were those viewers?
Besides copying, what else could they do?
With her arms crossed and an eyebrow raised, she put on a defiant expression, “I really wouldn’t dare to reply…”
Using the height of the big horse, Shangguan Wan gazed over to where the Elegant Gathering seemed to have swapped activities, “Are they going to play archery and throwing pots?”
“A bunch of mediocre chicken chops, what’s so interesting about that?” Jiang Pengji rolled her eyes, not hiding her disdain.
Shangguan Wan nodded seriously, “That’s true, Brother Lanting is the most impressive of them all. I still want to take a couple of laps…”
Seeing her try to lead the horse back, Shangguan Wan lazily wrapped her arms around the horse’s neck, almost refusing to dismount.
“You’ve turned into a spirit…” Jiang Pengji muttered, she just had this thought.
Though restrictions on women were not too harsh nowadays, if accompanied, they could freely stroll about or attend poetry gatherings. However, some things couldn’t just be done as one wished; Shangguan Wan was still young and faced more constraints—if she wanted to ride, she could only ride on a little foal.
Now sitting high on such a grand steed, the surrounding air felt refreshingly clean.
Humming a childhood rhyme, the cheerful melody lifted her spirits.
Meanwhile, Jiang Pengji had no idea that her designated steward had stirred up some trouble, humiliating several young noble heirs.
“Please take a look, Young Master.”
Xu Ke wrote, the table adorned with a piece of paper, the characters strong and powerful, almost concealing their sharpness.
“You—”
Though a bit of a fool, some refinement remained, and he wouldn’t resort to the vulgarity of insults.
As Feng Jin observed the spectacle unfold, he saw Xu Ke, who was humble yet exuding strength, then glanced at the distant figure strolliag with the big horse, looking like a tiny ant in comparison. He quietly sipped his tea… He’d rather be a quiet spectator.
How did things escalate to such a tense standoff?
It all began with Jiang Pengji being dragged by Shangguan Wan to stroll with the horse.
As Xu Ke and Ta Xue found it inconvenient to follow, they simply stayed at the Elegant Gathering.
It seemed that a few attendees had already been informed of the true purpose by their elders and held a curious attitude toward Liu Lanting.
They expected to see him flustered and embarrassed, but unexpectedly, she paid no attention to others.
When prompted to play with words, she shamelessly admitted her lack of skill in poetry, and for other activities calling her name, she shot back a gaze drenched in apathy, leaving them no choice but to stop pushing her. Naturally, the grand spectacle they prepared fell flat.
With her impenetrable demeanor, they found themselves powerless against her.
Then a miscommunication happened, and she took Shangguan Wan’s legitimate daughter out for a horse ride!
The monk might run away, but the temple is still there, not to mention that the young servant and maid she brought along were still present.
The Young Master who had been unintentionally choked by Jiang Pengji earlier quietly mocked her, subtly understood by those in the know.
Xu Ke wasn’t in the know, but he was clever; those words didn’t sit right with him.
Then someone mocked Jiang Pengji for lacking literary knowledge, saying she tarnished Liu Zhi’s name, like a “literary illiterate” coming from a prominent family.
If it were just that, things would be fine, but they thought it wasn’t enough and even turned their ridicule toward Xu Ke.
To insult the master is one thing; to insult the servant is just as unacceptable.
Ta Xue was a maid, and while this group had been termed foolish by Jiang Pengji, they outwardly maintained a good image and wouldn’t involve Ta Xue.
So… she got slapped back… and the process was just like that…
Debating poetry and literature with Xu Ke resulted in a slap back each time, and each was more painful than the last.
Feng Jin couldn’t bear to look anymore and turned his face away, unable to watch that tragic scene.
Xu Ke’s origins were not great; coming from a common household meant studying was tough, and even the cheapest books took half a year for an ordinary family. Studying was costly, and without shortcuts, it would be difficult for Xu Ke to come out on top… Poetry and verse valued creativity, and Xu Ke had plenty of that.
If it were an evaluation based on policy arguments or classical teachings, he would probably have been at a loss.
Yet in reality, a batch of self-proclaimed talented slackers trying to show off collided with Xu Ke’s strength, and they ended up getting schooled.
Feng Jin chuckled, “Indeed, trying to outmatch one’s weakness with another’s strength isn’t wise.”
Xu Ke discreetly cast him a glance while maintaining his calm demeanor. Inside, however, he felt a little uneasy.
Meanwhile, Wu Ma Jun chuckled, trying to ease the tension, though the lean was evident.
“Why bother arguing with a mere lowly servant, Young Master? It’s simply a matter of luck.”
Xu Ke’s expression darkened as he quietly clenched his fist.
But in this situation, he couldn’t continue to assert himself; else he’d be the one angered into a corner, and no one would say anything.
What does it matter how talented one is, when status can crush you?
Seeing Xu Ke on the verge of losing, Feng Jin smiled and suggested, “Running a country or managing a household isn’t something resolved by one or two poems. Why take it so seriously, Young Master? Losing by a little is no harm; it’s merely a pastime. The spring is lovely today, let’s not be too tedious with just poems. How about a little horse racing or throwing pots instead? Fishing by the riverside is also a delight.”
Feng Jin kindly advised Xu Ke, “Go down and ask Lan Ting if he’s interested in playing.”
Wu Ma Jun turned to look at Feng Jin, his expression inscrutable.
“Wait—” Just as Feng Jin thought everything was settled, he heard the Young Master in a pink outfit suggest with a smile, “What this Young Master said makes sense, but… ordinary throwing and archery might be getting old for you all. How about a new twist? I’ve heard that in the northern border, it’s common to have slaves balance an object on their heads to use as targets for arrows…”
Feng Jin’s hands tightened in his sleeves, taking on a slightly warning tone, “Oh?”
“It’s just a playful way to pass the time; why not let him give it a try?”
