Ne vous appuyez pas contre la rambarde ouest pour profiter pleinement de l'automne clair

Chapitre 75

Most of the coincidences in this world seem to be arranged just for Rongyue. Standing directly in front of Liu Zhiyi, she felt as if there were thorns behind her, making her feel completely uneasy!

In the imperial court, Prime Minister Tuoba Jie was summarizing the various events, large and small, that had occurred in the Southern Kingdom over the past month, while Rong Yue listened in the ranks, half-asleep. How boring! This tedious and dull political life is truly unbearable!

After the eunuch beside the old emperor announced the end of the court session, Rongyue, like the other ministers, respectfully bowed and shouted "Long live the Emperor!" several times. Ignoring the suggestive glances from Liu Zhiyi, she turned and ran impatiently out of the hall...

A strong, large hand suddenly pressed down on Rongyue, who was hurriedly trying to board the carriage. Turning her head, Rongyue looked at the Prime Minister in surprise, who had never spoken to her since entering the capital: "Prime Minister, is there something you need to instruct me on?"

"Can't I have a chat with you, a censor of both literary and military talent, if there's nothing else going on?" Tuoba Jie looked at Rongyue with his eyes raised and spoke slowly.

He quickly adopted a humble and respectful demeanor: "Your Excellency, what are you saying? It is my greatest honor to have the opportunity to speak with Your Excellency."

Tuoba Jie scrutinized Rong Yue from head to toe, nodding and clicking his tongue in admiration: "It seems I really didn't misjudge you, Jian Xiaosan! You truly haven't disappointed me! Your policy discussion in court that day was insightful and unique, taking a different approach and standing out from the crowd. It truly demonstrates great wisdom in governing the country! Jian Xiaosan, that's the third time you've amazed me!" Casually draping his arm around Rong Yue's shoulder, Tuoba Jie's alluring face relaxed: "It's still early, why rush back? How about we go for a drink and have a good chat?"

He was flattered and bowed slightly, saying, "It's rare for the Prime Minister to think so highly of me. How could I possibly refuse?"

After a few hearty laughs, Tuoba Jie, without saying a word, pulled Rongyue onto his horse. Amid Rongyue's exclamation, he cracked the whip, spurred the horse, and galloped towards the palace gates with the speed of an arrow...

Liu Zhiyi, watching from afar, witnessed the entire scene. Stroking the jade thumb ring on his thumb, he sighed inwardly—this daughter is truly extraordinary! It's a pity she's born a woman! If she were a man, with her strategy and cunning, dominating the world would probably be a piece of cake…

The eldest prince is still handling miscellaneous affairs at the Eastern Mausoleum and hasn't returned yet, so Father has practically dumped all the affairs of the court onto him. Sigh, he had originally planned to invite his third brother out for drinks after court to warm things up, since that incident had left him feeling cold and distant, which was making him very uncomfortable! But Father insisted on keeping him behind after court, making him finish organizing the memorials before launching into a long, rambling lecture on how to be a good minister and how to assist his elder brother in becoming a good emperor. Perhaps sensing his distraction, Father's face darkened, and he lectured him sternly for nearly an hour…

After he came out of the Zichen Palace, he rubbed his shoulders and let out a long sigh. He waved to Sha Ye, who was standing respectfully serving him, and lazily ordered, "Drive to the Jian residence."

Sha Ye quickly bowed and asked, "Is Your Highness going to see that Imperial Censor?"

"Nonsense! Should I go find his wife instead of him?"

Sha Ye blushed slightly: "It was my slip of the tongue. However, Your Highness, Xiao Shunzi just came to report that he saw Lord Jian being pulled into a carriage by the Prime Minister, seemingly going to have a drink! He probably hasn't returned yet..."

"Prime Minister?" Tuoba Chen's face darkened instantly. "Would someone with eyes in their belly button offer to drink to others? Unsolicited kindness is always suspicious! I bet he's a wolf in sheep's clothing, with no good intentions whatsoever! Let's go, first to the Jian residence, if not there, then to the Prime Minister's residence, and if still not there, we'll go to every restaurant in Ziye City and ask until we find them!"

...

"Come on, bottoms up!" Tuoba Jie clinked his glass with Rongyue's and downed the wine in one gulp.

Seeing that Rongyue held her cup without moving, Tuoba Jie gently supported his right sleeve with his left hand and turned the wine cup he was holding upside down with his right hand, instantly revealing the completely empty bottom of the cup to Rongyue.

Sighing at her bad luck, all the men she encountered were either drunkards or the worst of the drunkards. She reluctantly raised her glass to her lips, but had to maintain a facade of acceptance...

After a few drinks, Rongyue's face was flushed an unnatural red. Knowing something was wrong, Rongyue secretly pinched her thigh hard to clear her head.

"Prime Minister, drinking like this is so boring. How about we play a drinking game?" Rongyue hurriedly declined and suggested in a low voice as she watched Tuoba Jie about to raise his cup to drink with her again.

“That’s true,” Tuoba Jie put down his wine glass and smiled seductively, “After discussing national policy for so long, you must be tired of it…”

"Your humble servant is terrified!" Rongyue hurriedly cupped her hands in greeting.

"Alright, alright, I'm not blaming you! Jian Xiaosan, you don't need to be so reserved in front of me! You know I always cherish and respect talent, so for talented people, especially a once-in-a-lifetime genius like you, I'd be eager to befriend you, how could I possibly blame you?" Tuoba Jie leaned back slightly in his pearwood chair and smiled meaningfully. Such a prodigy is truly remarkable! If he could be put to his use, then…

"You flatter me, Your Excellency..."

"I'm not the kind of person who flatters people so easily! I'm always very stingy with praise." He picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of braised pork trotter, and handed it to Rongyue's bowl. "Look at your thin frame, anyone who doesn't know you would think you're a fake master! Eat more meat, so you can gain some weight and strength! Oh, right! And wine! We men can't do without wine! Jian Xiaosan, you just said you wanted to play a drinking game? Hmm, a drinking game... what kind of fun drinking game should we come up with..."

"How about we leave it at that, Your Excellency..."

"How about we compose a couplet?"

"Matching couplets?" These three words turned Rongyue's face green. It was true that she had loved classical Chinese literature since childhood and enjoyed studying history, poetry, and lyrics in her spare time, but that didn't mean she was an expert in all aspects of classical literature! Couplets? She could manage matching flowers and leaves, green and red, but if it was anything more difficult, she could only shrug and admit defeat!

Before Rongyue could refuse, Tuoba Jie pondered for a moment, then began reciting the couplet he had prepared: "Beautiful mountains, beautiful waters, beautiful breeze, beautiful moon..."

"Your Excellency, please wait!" Rongyue hurriedly raised her hand to stop him from finishing the couplet: "Your Excellency, I am really not very good at this couplet. How about we choose another one?"

"Oh?" She raised her phoenix eyes and glanced at Rongyue sideways: "Jian Xiaosan, are you trying to fool me? With your talent, you can't even come up with a matching couplet?"

"How dare I deceive Your Excellency the Prime Minister? I..."

"I don't believe it! This couplet must match! Listen carefully! Beautiful mountains and beautiful waters..."

"Your Majesty, Prime Minister..."

"Don't interrupt! Beautiful mountains, beautiful waters, beautiful breeze, beautiful moon—a timeless paradise. Pretty generous of me, huh? This couplet isn't difficult to come up with! Alright, it's your turn." With his arms crossed, Tuoba Jie leaned back lazily in his chair, leisurely observing Rong Yue's distressed face. Ha, seeing this kid's frustrated expression is truly amusing, very amusing! This kid usually seems respectful and humble, but for some reason, he always felt that this kid was arrogant and domineering. This made him extremely unhappy, and therefore, he was always looking for an opportunity to curb his arrogance.

Jiashan… what's good to match? Good water? No, no, he already has "good water" in his couplet… Frowning, Rongyue racked her brains, wishing a computer would fly into her hands so she could click away and ask netizens for a matching couplet…

"Why haven't you come up with the answer yet? If you can't, then let's drink!"

Still want to drink? Rong Yue glanced at the wine with its bluish luster out of the corner of her eye and thought to herself—if she drinks any more, she'll probably start acting crazy!

"Hey, I think this competition is unfair. Why did the Prime Minister have to ask the question first, instead of me? You know, there's a trick to this couplet contest: the person who asks the question first gains the upper hand, and the person who asks the question later is at a disadvantage..."

"Heh, this is the first time I've heard of that! Alright, then this round doesn't count. I'm always generous, you go first!"

"Then I shall gladly accept your offer!" Clearing her throat, Rongyue recited leisurely: "Since our parting, we have been separated by distance, longing for each other. We said it would be three or four months, but who knew it would be five or six years! I have no heart to play the seven-stringed zither, no way to send the eight-line letter, the nine-linked rings are broken, and I gaze longingly at the ten-mile pavilion. A hundred kinds of longing, a thousand kinds of yearning, ten thousand kinds of helplessness, I resent my beloved. Ah, this poem... oh no, this couplet is a bit long, hehe. However, with the Prime Minister's wisdom, I believe that matching it should be a piece of cake!"

Tuoba Jie glanced at Rong Yue, who was grinning smugly, and thought to himself, "What a cunning brat!" But on the surface, he remained calm and pondered, "This seems to be a number pair..."

"That's one way to put it..."

"But why does this sound like a poem?"

His lips twitched: "Prime Minister...you really know how to joke..."

"And it's a poem of lamentation from a woman's boudoir." Tuoba Jie glanced at Rong Yue, whose face was flushed, his eyes flashing, and then he brought his face close to hers: "Lamentation from a woman's boudoir? Imperial Censor Jian can actually recite poems of lamentation from a woman's boudoir? Could it be... Jian Xiaosan, you fake master?"

"Stop talking nonsense!" Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, Rongyue suddenly jumped up and pointed at Tuoba Jie's nose, shouting, "I'm warning you, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want!"

A sudden flash of inspiration struck him, and a familiar phrase instantly crossed his mind...