At dawn, in the north of Shu State, Wei Changtian met up with Zhang San and the Ning Qingyu family.
In this era, there were no livestreams or chicken farming, and people’s entertainment options were limited. Outings were one of them.
Moreover, as a “jobless, powerless, and influenceless” prince, Ning Qingyu had a lot of free time and loved to go out for walks.
Relaxing and enjoying nature’s beauty.
From noble mtl dot come
As for the purpose of outings beyond this…… an ancient poem said it well—
Spring outing, apricot blossoms fill the head. Who’s the young man on the road, so carefree? I’ll marry him for life. Even if he’s heartless and abandons me, I won’t be ashamed.
As they exited the east gate, there was a woman like a cloud; the scholar and the woman, their love was overflowing.
It was clear that this was about exchanging feelings between men and women.
If the exchange went well, it wasn’t impossible to “seal the deal” directly.
After all, even the great Confucius in his past life was the product of his uncle Shu Liang and a young lady, Yan Zheng, having a “wild encounter” during an outing.
Of course, it’s impossible for something like that to happen today.
But it shouldn’t be a problem to create some ambiguity.
Ning Qingyu intentionally played matchmaker, while Wei Changtian was more than happy to “ride on someone else’s coattails”……
Moreover, based on the current situation, all three princesses seemed to have a good impression of him.
To have won the favor of one princess and two county ladies, Wei Changtian first had to thank his previous life for leaving him with such a handsome face.
Secondly, he had to thank the great poets of the past, as well as his language teacher who had forced him to memorize poems during his school days.
Who says that education is useless? I’ll argue with anyone who says that!
……
Nanshan.
This mountain wasn’t too far from Shuzhou City, with a gentle slope and a winding river flowing down from the top.
The scenery was quite pleasant, making it an ideal spot for outings.
However, Ning Qingyu and his three daughters didn’t have time to appreciate the view, instead focusing all their attention on Wei Changtian, who was currently shaking his head and gazing at the red leaves with a look of inspiration.
“Far up the cold mountain, the stone path winds its way, with a house hidden deep in the white clouds.”
“The carriage stops, and I sit in love with the maple forest at dusk, the frosty leaves redder than the flowers of the second month.”
“……”
As soon as he finished reciting the poem, everyone around him was stunned.
The reason for this was that a royal servant who had accompanied them had just composed a poem about the autumn scenery, praising the very same red leaves.
The language was elaborate, with intricate phrasing and ornate descriptions.
Ning Qingyu had initially thought it was quite good, but then he remembered Wei Changtian’s story about how “poems should be easy to understand,” so he half-jokingly asked Wei Changtian to compose a poem as well.
If not now, then when would be the perfect opportunity to show off?
Wei Changtian thought for a moment, and in less than ten breaths, he recited Du Fu’s poem “Mountain Journey” from memory, stunning everyone present without a doubt.
“The frosty leaves are redder than the flowers of the second month…… incredible!”
“This line is incredible!”
Ning Qingyu was the most excited person among them, looking as if he had written the poem himself.
The others were relatively more subdued, but at this moment, they all admired Wei Changtian.
“Lord Wei, you’re really amazing……”
A young girl in a pink dress ran over, her eyes shining like stars, her admiration evident.
This was Ning Qingyu’s second daughter, County Lady Ning Yuzhu.
“County Lady, you’re overpraising me; it’s just a lucky phrase.”
Wei Changtian smiled calmly, seemingly pleased with the county lady who would likely become his future wife.
Although her beauty was slightly inferior to Yang Liu’s, she was still at the level of being a stunning beauty.
Especially her pair of speaking eyes, which were full of spirit and intelligence, making her look extremely clever.
“Don’t call me County Lady, please……”
Ning Yuzhu took a small step forward, her face flushing as she whispered, “Just call me Yuzhu or Zhuer, that’s what Father calls me……”
“Yes, County Lady.”
Wei Changtian nodded.
Ning Yuzhu stomped her foot in annoyance: “Oh, you’re calling me County Lady again!”
Wei Changtian paused, smiling, “Please don’t blame me, Miss Ning Yuju.”
“Hehe~”
Ning Yuju’s face lit up with joy upon hearing this, while others who saw the two being so sweet together had different expressions.
Most people thought Wei Changtian and Ning Yuju were a match made in heaven, especially Ning Qingyu, who couldn’t stop smiling and nodding in agreement, likely already consenting to this marriage in his heart…
After all, Wei Changtian’s appearance, talent, and family background were flawless, except for the “killing the prime minister” incident.
However, it’s not like anyone is perfect; who hasn’t made a few mistakes in life?
Based solely on his exceptional poetic talent, Wei Changtian was already the best son-in-law candidate in his heart.
Ning Qingyu wore a pleased expression, but his younger daughter, Ning Yuling, was sulking at the time.
This young lady had also fallen for Wei Changtian at first sight, but Wei Changtian had always been polite to her, clearly intentionally keeping a distance.
Ning Yuling couldn’t understand why she was inferior to her second sister, pouting and getting upset before running to Ning Yuke’s side, asking discontentedly:
“Big sister, where do I fall short compared to second sister? Why doesn’t Wei Gongzi want to get close to me, but is so intimate with second sister?”
“You, ah…”
Ning Yuke smiled, pinching her little sister’s nose, and said softly, “There’s no need to ask so many whys in matters of love.”
“Yuju and Wei Gongzi are a perfect match; it’s a good thing, don’t sulk.”
“But, but I also like Wei Gongzi!”
Ning Yuling’s face turned red as she argued in a low voice, “He’s the most handsome man I’ve ever seen! Besides, big sister, you used to often praise Wei Gongzi’s poem, didn’t you?”
“I just liked the poem, that’s all.”
Ning Yuke lowered her eyelids, and the thin veil covering her face fluttered in the wind.
“Liking the poem isn’t the same as liking the person who wrote it…”
Ning Yuling muttered under her breath, then immediately got hit on the head.
She protested unhappily, “Big sister, why did you hit me? I’m already not as smart as you and second sister; now I’ll be even more stupid!”
“You asked for it yourself!”
Ning Yuke said sternly, “Don’t say such things again, especially not in front of your second sister; got it?”
“Got it…”
Ning Yuling looked wronged, covering her head, but soon got distracted by the birds on the nearby tree, “Chirp, chirp, chirp,” and ran off to look at them.
Ning Yuke watched her run away, let out a soft sigh, and then unconsciously glanced towards Wei Changtian and Ning Yuju.
Ning Yuju was bending down to pick wildflowers, while Wei Changtian stood beside her, waiting.
He seemed to have sensed something and turned to look this way.
Their eyes met, and they quickly looked away, maintaining a proper distance.
Wei Changtian nodded slightly towards Ning Yuke, and she returned the gesture.
Both were polite, keeping a sufficient distance in their movements.
However, when the autumn breeze lifted their clothes and skirts, the entire scene seemed to have an inexplicable harmony.