The impact of the solar eclipse has dissipated, and life in the capital has passed by day by day in July.
In the early morning, after the dynasty was over, Chen Shao reined in his horse when he passed the Yudai Bridge. The followers around him came to ask questions.
"Go and see if Mrs. Cheng is here?" Chen Shao hesitated and said.
A follower responded and hurriedly ran over.
Chen Shao stood here and watched as the door was soon opened. A little girl came out and said a few words to the attendant, who then came back.
"Said Mrs. Cheng is not here," the attendant said.
Not here? That means she hasn’t come yet? Could it be that she wasn’t the one who deduced the solar eclipse?
Chen Shao frowned for a moment, and his followers did not dare to urge him. More and more pedestrians on the street cast curious glances, so Chen Shao urged his horse forward.
Chen Shao's carriage entered the house and saw a carriage about to go out.
"Father." Chen Shiba Niang and other women got out of the car and saluted.
"You want to go out?" Chen Shao asked.
"Princess Boyang invites a poetry gathering." Chen Shiba Niang said.
Many girls' homes in Beijing have poetry gatherings for fun, which is also an opportunity for the girls to have fun.
Chen Shiba Niang rarely participated in poetry gatherings because she was not good at writing poems, but Chen Shao paid too much attention to these trivial matters and watched his daughters get in the car and go out.
But for others, this is no small matter. Seeing the arrival of Chen Shiba Niang, the girls of Princess Boyang's family were very surprised.
"Baba Niang, are you here because you heard that the cook at Princess Boyang's house makes good tea soup?"
A woman laughed.
These words made everyone around laugh.
"Yes, I just miss the good tea soup from the princess's house. After eating it once, I will never forget it again." Chen Shiba Niang said with a smile, while looking at Princess Boyang sitting on the seat, "I am greedy, but the princess will not forget it."
Will you laugh at me?"
Princess Boyang smiled and shook her head.
"It's rare to love food and know how to eat it," she said.
What was originally a tease turned into a compliment. She couldn't help but laugh, and everyone around her followed her in complimenting her.
Chen Shiba Niang sat and drank tea and smiled.
The women over there were angry and helpless.
"She will be good at writing poems later," a woman said in a low voice.
Soon after the greetings, the poetry meeting began.
"Eighteen Niang."
Sure enough, when everyone started to lower their heads and think, several women stood in front of the cases of the Chen family's daughters. One of them called out with a bit of pride, while looking at the empty cases in front of Chen Shiba Niang.
"After the tea soup, do you have nothing to do now?"
"Ba Niang doesn't understand poetry, so she only helps the sisters." Chen Ba Niang said.
"Help? What help? Eighteen Niang, today is a poetry meeting held by the princess for His Majesty's birthday. Can't you just write a poem with your heart?" Another woman said with a snort.
"The intention is immediate, it doesn't have to be poetry." Chen Shiba Niang said.
"Then we'll wait and see what your intentions are, Shiba Niang." The women said with mocking smiles.
Chen Shiba Niang still looked calm, nodded and smiled.
"Chen Shiba Niang has become weird and weird now."
The women who walked away were very angry. It was very depressing to punch someone like this without even hearing a muffled sound.
"Then let's wait and see how she puts her mind to it."
Several people stood aside and wrote their own poems, while looking at the daughters of the Chen family. Seeing Chen Shiba Niang sitting idle until a sister greeted her, Chen Ba Niang walked over and dipped her pen in ink.
, write it on paper.
Everyone was stunned for a moment, were they really writing? But they saw Chen Shiba Niang finished writing here, then walked to another table and started writing again.
"Oh, she is writing for her sisters." A woman finally understood and said.
As soon as this statement came out, everyone was stunned.
"Is this the intention?"
"The sisters composed poems and she copied them?"
"Will it be said that the sisters did it together?"
The discussion spread quickly, and more and more eyes were turned towards the Chen sisters. Even Princess Boyang noticed it. The maid whispered what was going on, and Princess Boyang was a little agitated after hearing this.
Frown slightly.
It's a bit petty to do this. Even if you admit that you can't compose poetry and you just do it for fun, what's the point?
Princess Boyang shook her head and said nothing, but she was obviously a little disappointed.
Soon the maids collected all the poems they had written. Princess Boyang also invited some old scholars and scholars to serve as judges. Everyone was chatting and waiting in the hall.
Looking at the poems brought in, the old Hanlin officers who were drinking and having fun all smiled a little carelessly.
There are very few women today who have achieved academic success. They were not invited here to read poems. Firstly, they could not disgrace Princess Boyang, and secondly, they were greedy for drinking.
The wine brewed by Princess Boyang's family is famous in Beijing.
"Come on, let's make a bet. How many of them can beat me today?" said a Hanlin, holding up the wine bowl in his hand. "The loser will punish himself with three bowls."
"This is called a loss? This is called a win, right? Three bowls of it, it's a shame for you." Others laughed.
Although they were joking, eating people's wine still had to do something. Several people took the poems and started to read them.
"Well, that's not bad. This Moyan is pretty good..."
"...Look, look, this is not the wrong code..."
“….I have found a neatly matched…Three bowls of wine will probably belong to me…”
There was constant joking and taunting in the hall, and suddenly someone shouted.
"Okay, okay!" he said, taking pictures of a few cases.
Everyone looked at him, waiting to hear the innuendo.
"..It's really great!" the man said excitedly. He put it down and picked up another piece of paper, praising it again.
very nice?
"Read it and listen to it," everyone said.
But the man didn't seem to hear it. He looked at the poem in his hand, said "good" repeatedly, and started tracing it on the tables with his hands.
Is he really that good? Seeing him like this, everyone couldn't help but come around.
"Ouch! This! This is not..."
More exclamations suddenly sounded in the hall.
The front hall was also very lively, more lively than ever. The women sitting around laughed from time to time, and when they laughed, they would look at the Chen sisters. If this continues, the Chen sisters would not be able to sit down anymore.
, except for Chen Shiba Niang, the others' expressions were already very ugly.
After all, she is the daughter of Mr. Chen’s family. If the trouble is too ugly, I, the organizer, will inevitably lose face.
Princess Boyang looked at the maid aside.
"Are you okay yet?" she asked in a low voice.
Why is today taking so long?
Princess Boyang does not think that these Hanlin officials will really read these poems seriously. She herself is also very clear about the level of these women's poetry writing. There are only a few good ones, and most of them are barely fluent.
.
Anyway, she didn't expect to actually select good poems to dedicate to the emperor's birthday, but she just wanted to express her filial piety through this activity.
The maid got up and went to ask questions. After a while, she came back with an old man behind her.
Princess Boyang was a little surprised.
In the past, these self-proclaimed officials would not come out in person to announce the results of poems. She also knew that if she had not invited them, they would not come at all.
"Master Yang..." she said, "how do you..."
Before she finished speaking, the old man spoke excitedly.
"Which lady wrote these four poems?" he asked, looking at the four pieces of paper in his hand.
These four pieces of paper were carefully held in his hands, instead of being held casually like before.
Those who were invited by Princess Boyang were all well-known families in the capital. In order not to take advantage of their family status and to ensure that the girls' maiden names were not known, all the poems had their names concealed, and each person's name was numbered.
, divided based on this.
Seeing the old man so excited, everyone present understood that this was the leader of today's poetry meeting.
Several women present here who have always been talented in literature sat up straight, ready to accept congratulations from everyone.
"Twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen..." Fortunately, the old man did not keep everyone waiting and read out the numbers quickly.
People in the hall were a little stunned, especially the women, who seemed to have no reaction.
The old man had no choice but to repeat himself. This time, all eyes were looking in one direction, where several sisters of the Chen family were sitting.
"She is the young lady of the Chen family." Princess Boyang asked the maid and said with some surprise.
The daughters of the Chen family have always been good at composing poems, and they can write neatly and neatly, but they have never been so popular. Is it possible that the education of famous teachers at home has suddenly improved these days?
"Read it and listen." Someone suddenly said loudly, with a hint of dissatisfaction in his voice.
The old man said oh, glanced at it and recited a poem.
After hearing him finish reading, there was an uproar in the hall.
Although most people's poetry writing skills are average, they still know the quality of poetry. This poem is neat at best, but it is absolutely impossible to be ranked first.
"Are you reading something other than poetry?"
There were many daughters from extraordinary families present. Their tutors may not allow them to bully others, but they cannot swallow their breath if they are bullied.
Then several people stood up and said rudely to the old Hanlin.
The old man looked at her and instead of being angry, he nodded happily.
"Yes, yes," he said, "you all know that too."
Right? Know? What do you know!
Everyone was even more stunned.
This old guy is fond of drinking and drinking. He won't act crazy after drinking too much, right?
Princess Boyang couldn't help but cough slightly.
"Mr. Yang, do you mean these poems are well done?" she asked.
The old man shook his head.
"No, no." He said repeatedly.
no?
Princess Boyang wanted to touch her forehead, but she was drunk and talking nonsense.
"I didn't read this poem, but this word!" the old man continued, holding the paper in both hands with an excited expression, "this word!"
Character?
The people present were stunned again.
"This character is round and straight, with vertical and horizontal strength, balanced in all four directions, complete with eight sides, short and long, balanced in thickness, sparse and dense, respectful and upright, with the meaning first and then the strokes, free and easy, elegant and graceful, and can be said to be based on pointillism.
The form and quality are transformed into temperament, and the majesty and wonderful appearance appear, and there is a diamond at the bottom of the pen!"
The old man's excited voice rang out in the hall. These words made everyone's ears buzz and their expressions were dazed.
"The Hanlin is the Hanlin, the literary talents are soaring and the tongue is like a lotus flower..." someone murmured.
However, what exactly does this say?
"Which lady wrote this word?" The old man ignored everyone's surprise and stepped forward and asked excitedly.
"My little girl is not talented, thank you for your praise."
A female voice said.
Everyone looked over in confusion and saw Chen Shiba Niang standing up slowly, saluting and smiling.
"Oh, little lady, I don't dare to take it." The old man returned the courtesy and said, "Little lady, you are not untalented. You can enter the Imperial Academy just with this good book!"
Can enter Hanlin...
Although the people present here are women, they all still know the allusion of entering the Imperial Academy through writing. After all, this is a famous story in Beijing.
At the time of Taizu, there was a letter left by Zhong Gongquan from Yangzhou in the Buddhist temple. Taizu thought about it after seeing it, and ordered someone to summon him to serve as a Hanlin official.
Jinshi scholar. [Note 1]
Of course, this also attracted a lot of criticism.
Although the emperor never did such ridiculous things again, and although there was no such thing as a book entering the Imperial Academy again, this standard for evaluating good books remained.
At this moment, at Princess Boyang's women's poetry meeting, someone actually received such a comment, and everyone in the audience was shocked.
"Is it really that good?" Princess Boyang asked the question on behalf of everyone and stretched out her hand, "Show me quickly."
The old man did not hand the paper to the princess, but held it in his hand and showed it to her.
This is enough to show his reluctance to part with these words.
Princess Boyang was a little dumbfounded, but she didn't say anything and looked at it seriously.
Others, including several sisters from the Chen family, were staring at Princess Boyang, looking a little nervous.
Princess Boyang is a person who is good at reading and has been admitted to Nengpin. This old man may have drunk too much and talked nonsense, but Princess Boyang is sober.
Is it really that good?
Of course there is, for sure.
In the quiet hall, Chen Shiba Niang looked relaxed and natural.
She practiced for more than two years, day and night, gave up countless games, lost countless pens, wasted countless papers, and dyed the pen sink at home black, just for today.
Today, at Princess Boyang's poetry meeting, held specially to celebrate His Majesty the Emperor's birthday, she became a blockbuster.
Princess Boyang seemed to have looked at it for a long time, and then seemed to have just glanced at it. She finally raised her head amid everyone's expectations.
"Miss Chen." She looked at Chen Shiba and sighed, "I really regret inviting you here."
regret?
"If I submit your name, if your Majesty sees it, he will definitely say that I am not as good as you, and you will hide my name." Princess Boyang said, smiling slightly.
My name will be concealed.
Although this sentence is not as widely circulated as Yang Hanlin's sentence that entered the Imperial Academy, more than half of the people here know it.
This was not because Princess Boyang regretted her words, but because she was praising Chen Shiba Niang just like Master Yang, and even more so than Master Yang.
Because this sentence was what Mrs. Wei said to Taichang Wang Ce in tears after seeing Wang Xizhi's handwriting.
Wang Xizhi...
"Chen Su thanks the princess for the praise." Chen Shiba Niang bowed and saluted, "Chen Su doesn't dare to accept it."
When she stood up again, the looks in the hall no longer had any trace of ridicule, but were replaced by envy.
With the words of Princess Boyang, Chen Shiba Niang will become famous all over the capital, and her book will be presented to the emperor. You can imagine what kind of glory it will be.
I really didn’t expect that Chen Shiba Niang would write such good handwriting. I had never heard of it before, and it was like a thunderbolt.
"Ms. Chen." The old man still held the pieces of paper in his hand and refused to give them to Princess Boyang. He took a few steps forward and asked, "Who did you study under, ma'am? I don't know the five characters inscribed on the wall of Qieting Temple and the plaque of the Taiping Bureau.
What’s the origin?”
Princess Boyang was also stunned when she heard this. No wonder she felt familiar when she saw it.
It has been more than two years, and although the word "Qedan Temple" is no longer mentioned as often as it was in the beginning, it has still become a scenic spot in Beijing, and students from other places and people who like calligraphy are introduced to take a look.
Although Princess Boyang no longer knows how to read it, she still has a copy of the scroll in her study. Although she tried to imitate this font, it was not easy to write the seemingly simple words, and she still couldn't get it right.
Looking at the characters in Yang Hanlin's hand at this time, it turns out that they are similar to those five characters.
"Do you think my calligraphy can be as exquisite as the five characters of Qiting Temple?" Chen Shiba Niang asked without answering.
Yang Hanlin looked at the writing in his hand again. Princess Boyang couldn't sit still anymore and stretched out her hand to urge Yang Hanlin.
"Mr. Yang, give me one to look at," she said.
Yang Hanlin seemed a little reluctant to give up.
"Master Yang, don't forget that this is my family's poetry gathering." Princess Boyang said with a smile.
Yes, when the time comes, if you want to take this word away and keep it as your own, you will have to ask the owner to put in a good word.
Yang Hanlin immediately handed over a piece of paper with a smile, and then added another piece after thinking about it.
Seeing the ridiculous behavior of these two people, no one in the hall wanted to laugh. Instead, they became more and more envious. Many people began to come to Chen Shiba Niang's side.
"Eighteen Niang, you actually write such good handwriting."
"Eighteen Mother, why didn't you show us earlier?"
Everyone talked and laughed, but Chen Shiba Niang didn't bother to joke with them, but looked at Master Yang and Princess Boyang nervously.
The two of them looked down for a moment.
"I think it's better than those five words." Mr. Yang said first.
Princess Boyang also nodded.
"More sophisticated and more mature." She said with a smile.
Better than that!
Better than hers!
Better than hers!
A smile bloomed on Chen Shiba Niang's face, and the clenched hands hanging by her sides loosened.
If you do it, you can do it if you work hard, it's not determined by talent.
"So, Mrs. Chen has something to do with those five characters?" Master Yang asked hurriedly.
Chen Shiba Niang lowered her eyes slightly.
"Yes." she said.
"Who is his master?" This time Master Yang and Princess Boyang asked in unison.
Will the owner of the five characters finally be revealed?
Chen Shiba Niang raised her head.
"It's these five words that I learned from my teacher." She said, "I copied them."
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Note 1: Based on the story of Liu Gongquan in Tang Dynasty
