Two days later.
Beijing.
Mirror Lake.
The lake was bustling with activity. Large boats were sailing on the lake, one boat after another.
On the side of the lake, in the pavilions and mansions, it was bustling with activity. There was a sea of people, and it was extremely lively.
Most of the people present were scholars and girls. The men were handsome and handsome, and the women were extraordinary.
The entire Mirror Lake was filled with a youthful and lively aura.
The Mirror Lake Gathering was held once a year. It was a gathering place for scholars, scholars, and even dignitaries to gather before the autumn examination. There were some figures who were the focus of attention in the venue, and they had their own seats. The other students, scholars, and noble ladies had their own small circles. They either competed in poetry or compared poems. It was a lively and relaxed atmosphere.
The Autumn Meet was a cultural gathering that was created for the Autumn Test. Eating, drinking, playing, having fun, gathering, and relaxing were the main goals, and the cultural events were secondary.
Therefore, there were not only scholars here, but also all kinds of hawkers and all kinds of entertainment.
Between the ships, it was extremely lively. There was the atmosphere of a market and scholars could be seen everywhere.
Due to the assessment that the empress had introduced, the Great Luo was very studious. All the officials also regarded it highly. Therefore, other than scholars, there was no lack of children from noble families who came here to flirt with their sweethearts. Therefore, even the most talented young people would come here to take a look. Since ancient times, heroes had never been able to pass the test of beauty.
Because it was a rare occasion.
Other than the scholars, many descendants of noble families and even the current archdukes would personally come to join in the fun and see the lively scene of the young people.
These were all opportunities that could allow one to reach the heavens in a single step. No scholar would let go of them.
It was also because of this that although this place was bustling, it was also very orderly because there were too many important figures.
"Zi 'er, this place is very lively." On both sides of the huge ship were corridors. On both sides of the corridors were peddlers selling things. There were also pavilions and restaurants on the huge ship. Scholars came and went. In addition to these fixed boats that looked like markets, there were also real boats that could be boarded if one wanted to.
Outside the Mirror Lake, there was an independent ship that was floating outside the market. The empress stood on it and said,"BenGong wants to go take a look."
"Your Majesty, I'm afraid not. It's too dangerous.”
The empress looked into the distance, which seemed both very close and very far away. She thought for a moment and said,"You really can't go? I want to relax."
Just by looking at it, her mood had become very good, and many of her worries had disappeared.
"Your Majesty, if you really want to go, there are ways.”
"What method?"
"You have to be gentle. Moreover, you might have to suffer some grievances.。”
The empress was speechless.
" When His Majesty is gentle, he is a different person from the people in the court. Sometimes, even Zi 'er can't tell him apart. With some makeup and clothing, I'm afraid the Duke of Wei won't be able to recognize him either. If you really want to go around, it's fine. This time, only the Imperial Advisor knows that Zi' er and His Majesty have come out secretly. It's not dangerous. The meaning of grievance is that if you don't come here as a royal, the people won't kneel down or revere you when they see you.”
"This is what I want." The empress smiled.
"Your Majesty, smile like this!" Zi-er laughed.
After a while, she had put on light makeup and had completely changed into a different person. She looked like a young lady who had yet to marry. The empress and Zi 'er, who was equally beautiful, stepped onto the official ship with Zi' er protecting her by her side.
The empress blended into the bustling city.
She looked at some small items, watched the people haggle over every penny, saw the smiles on their faces, and also saw the hope on their faces, as well as the small talk when they smiled. It was full of vitality, and she smiled too.
Then, he thought of something and frowned.
They continued to move forward in the Mirror Lake Market.
The empress took a fancy to a small object. It was a small white jade sword that looked very exquisite.
"Shopkeeper, how much is this?"
"Miss, three taels of silver."
"Three taels of silver? So expensive? Can the shop owner make it cheaper?" The empress was shocked.
Zi 'er glanced at the Emperor. It seemed that the Emperor knew the current prices. Three silver coins were equivalent to three hundred copper coins. Three copper coins could buy a meat bun and half a tael of rice. Three hundred copper coins were basically the expenses of an ordinary family for one or two months. It was indeed very expensive.
"Miss, this isn't expensive. This is a rare item. Although it's not true jade, its quality is extraordinary.”the shop owner said.
"Cheaper, I…I'll buy it.”the empress said.
"Not cheap." The shop owner was not willing. The annual cultural gathering was meant to earn some scholars 'money to support their families. There were only so many goods.
"I want it." A voice suddenly came from the side.
The empress's expression turned cold.
Zi 'er tugged at the empress's sleeve. The empress regained her senses and her expression became gentle again.
"Young Lady, you've given up." The empress looked over and her heart skipped a beat. Then, it started beating violently and she couldn't help but take a step back.
"This small sword is extremely important to me.”It was a young man with a handsome face and an extraordinary temperament. His eyes were gentle, making people feel no ill will. After he bought the small jade sword from the shop owner, he also bought a jade gourd." I'll give it to you as an apology."”
The jade gourd was handed over.
The empress glanced at him and accepted the gift."Young Master is overthinking. I don't mind.”
The latter left.
Zi-er heaved a sigh of relief.
"Even a dog wouldn't be able to recognize me." The empress heaved a sigh of relief.”
"Miss, Young Master Mu didn't recognize him.”Zi-er nodded.
The empress put away the jade gourd and smiled faintly.
……
After taking a few steps, Mu Yu felt a little strange.""Why does it feel a little familiar? And she seems to be very afraid of me? Am I notorious? Strange?"
Mu Yu couldn't come up with a conclusion. In the end, he blamed the incident on his handsome appearance and shocked the lady. Girls nowadays were timid, especially those who were unmarried. They usually didn't even go out. Only for such a big event like the cultural gathering would they come out openly. Wasn't it normal to be shocked when they saw such a rare handsome man like him?
As he thought about it, he headed to the boatman's boat.
Just now, he felt that Wen Hui was too boring, so he came out with an excuse to buy Shang 'er a gift. Now, he had to hurry back.
……
"Young Master Mu, it seems like he's going to participate in the cultural gathering. Miss, should we go and take a look?”Zi-er said.
The empress thought for a moment and said," He has real talent and knowledge. However, in this place, he can only be a nobody. What's there to see?"”
Zi 'er did not say anything. Marquis Mu was a talented person back then. His articles were valued by the Emperor. He personally commented on them during the court examinations and was promoted to the fourth rank of the current dynasty…
However, this was a cultural gathering, a gathering place for all the scholars in the Great Luo. Moreover, there was no lack of great scholars in the depths of the Mirror Lake. Marquis Mu was indeed just an ordinary scholar here.
" Speaking of which, back then, the essay, train of thought, and insights he wrote had already revealed some clues. However, I was wrong once. After the provincial examination, many of the reform methods were inspired by his dossier that was passed on during the provincial examination…I thought I had already placed a lot of importance on him, but I didn't expect that I would still underestimate him.”the empress said.
Zi 'er nodded. Back then, it was obvious how much His Majesty valued it, from the fact that he had been promoted to Rank-4 directly. In the past dynasties, it had never happened before that he had been promoted to Rank-4 without any merit. His Majesty already valued it very much, but from the looks of it now, His Majesty did not value it enough back then...
"Zi 'er, let's go over and take a look while we play. Perhaps there will be another one or two scholars this year that will satisfy this young miss and amaze her.”the empress said.
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