Princess Fuyun, who hadn’t spoken much, said, "I heard that this polo match was caused by a quarrel between the Seventh Miss of the Dingbei Marquis Mansion and the Yelv Zhi for the sake of Dingbei Marquis’s wife’s cousin."
The Emperor frowned.
Prince Qi glanced at Old Wang.
Old Wang laughed, "I heard that the poetry contest set up at the Imperial College was funded by the Sixth Master Gu, and the defending poems are from Lord Sacrificial Officer Qin, Mr. Songshan, Young Master Nantang, and Mr. Qin. Mr. Songshan and Young Master Nantang were invited by the Marquis Mansion; Lord Sacrificial Officer Qin and Mr. Qin are uncle and nephew, and are also in-laws of the Dingbei Marquis."
"Haha," the Emperor laughed heartily, "So that’s how it is, no wonder the young girl is so protective. I heard there is also something related to the Book Sea Pavilion?"
Old Wang said, "It’s a long story, the Book Sea Pavilion has recently been inviting people to challenge them. It seems they might set up a poetry contest in the future as well."
The Emperor showed great interest and raised his eyebrows, "Oh?"
Old Wang quickly pulled out a piece of paper from his sleeve, saying, "I’ve had someone copy it down, and it looks quite interesting."
The Emperor said, "Read it aloud for me?"
Old Wang then recited the leading poems one by one.
The Emperor nodded, "Not bad, very fair. I especially love the poems by Young Master Nantang and Mr. Qin; their wording is elegant and lively. As it is said, a poem reflects its poet. Young Master Nantang must be a graceful young man, proficient in all arts. Mr. Qin should be an upright scholar. Mr. Songshan, on the other hand, is erudite and wise, with a substantial way of speaking."
Princess Fuyun said, "Father, I also really like Young Master Nantang’s poems, but there are too few of them."
The Crown Prince said, "His poetry has a refined and distant artistic conception, truly unique."
The Emperor laughingly asked, "What about Lord Sacrificial Officer Qin?"
Lord Sacrificial Officer Qin hurriedly emerged from the back and said, "To His Majesty, I am here."
The Emperor said, "You’re here too, that’s perfect. Dingbei Marquis has married your daughter, and I haven’t congratulated him yet. Why not summon Dingbei Marquis and his wife for an audience?"
The crowd made way for Lord Sacrificial Officer Qin, who squeezed out and laughed, "That would truly be a blessing for my daughter and son-in-law."
The Emperor had been curious about Dingbei Marquis’s wife and initially planned to meet her during the court banquet. He took this opportunity to have them summoned.
Old Wang instructed someone to invite them.
The Emperor further asked, "Does Sixth Master Gu from the Gu Family have any new works?"
Old Wang laughed, "I haven’t copied them down, but they say Sixth Master Gu is also here watching."
The Emperor then said, "Why not invite him and Mr. Qin together?"
The group was surprised by the Emperor’s interest in these two individuals.
Lord Sacrificial Officer Qin showed a joyful expression.
King Jin said, "Sixth Master Gu’s wife has just passed away and hasn’t been buried yet. If Father calls for him, wouldn’t that be inappropriate?"
Lord Sacrificial Officer Qin was somewhat worried that if the Emperor refused Sixth Master Gu, he might also reject Qin Siyuan.
Prince Qi laughed, "I just paid my respects recently; it should now be the third cycle, burial is after seven cycles. Sixth Master Gu is indeed an unusual person."
The Crown Prince asked, "In what way unusual?"
Prince Qi said, "When Marquis Gu was away at the Northern Border, Sixth Master Gu loved to feign elegance, creating poems full of ostentatious words and flavorless. Those impoverished scholars loved to fawn over him the most. Upon Marquis Gu’s return, he married the daughter of Lord Sacrificial Officer Qin and instantly bonded with Mr. Qin as if fascinated by learning poetry, producing works actually worth reading. The more interesting part is still to come."
"What more?"
The Emperor was intrigued.
The Crown Prince also said, "In the compilation I presented to Father, not only were there his poems but also his paintings."
The Emperor nodded, "The craftsmanship is exquisite, with excellent poems inside. I remember the illustrations were drawn by him, though the poems were rather plain."
Prince Qi acknowledged, "Indeed. Those were the better selections; you can imagine the previous poems... He used to have many concubines but since immersing himself in poetry and painting, he seldom visited the concubines and even said... he said after his wife passed away, he would mourn for three years, intending to establish himself through poems and paintings, setting an example for his children, and preserving ancestral dignity."
The Emperor smiled, "Truly ambitious."
The Crown Prince laughed, "Once he arrives, let’s discuss his poetry, see if there’s been any progress."
Lord Sacrificial Officer Qin also smiled.
Prince Qi said, "It’s unexpected that Sixth Master Gu seems like a changed man after befriending Mr. Qin, proving the Saint’s saying that one is influenced by those they are close to."
King Jin frowned, "But I heard that this Sixth Master Gu is currently litigating with his wife’s family over some silver, severing the kinship."
"Oh? Why would that be?"
The Emperor frowned.