Chapter 371: A Detour

"A... a poem written on the fly?"

The Crown Princess's face showed shock; she went to Empress Changsun's side, read it carefully several times, and the envy in her eyes could not be hidden.

The line "Clouds imagine clothing, flowers imagine beauty," said without reservation, is enough to elevate Gao Yang's appearance to a new level.

Why is Zhen Mi (Zhen Ji)'s beauty so famous?

Isn't it simply because of her own status, her close ties with many top figures of the time, and the numerous surviving literary works that lavishly praised her, that she gained such fame?

The most famous is the "Ode to the River God"; who hasn't heard the line "Graceful as a startled swan, gentle as a wandering dragon"?

The present Gao Yang is in a similar situation: she is a princess herself and has married Chen Yan, who is destined to soar and stir the winds of the future.

With the line "Clouds imagine clothing, flowers imagine beauty" as a backdrop, it's hard for Gao Yang not to become famous.

Not only the Crown Princess, the Princess of Yue is also jealous, so jealous it hurts!

It has long been heard that Marquis of Weinan Chen Yan's talent is extraordinary, earning Li Shimin and Empress Changsun's admiration; today we finally witnessed it.

But upon seeing him today, we realized Chen Yan could actually compose such an astonishingly stunning poem.

"Zhao Tang, you are fortunate,"

Even Empress Changsun couldn't help but sigh; no matter a woman's age, no matter how many times she sees it, she must be amazed by "Clouds imagine clothing, flowers imagine beauty."

In the past, they never imagined one could describe a beauty in such a way.

To put it bluntly, aside from the obscure "Ode to the River God" which can outshine this poem by half, this poem has no rival among poems about beauties.

"Huh?"

Gao Yang raised her eyebrows slightly, "Isn't it just a poem? I can't bear such praise from Mother Empress!"

"Chen Yan often writes for me; perhaps only two have impressed me... this one, and another that perhaps isn't a poem but a lyric; the rest are just mediocre."

"If Mother Empress likes it, I have another poem here; you may take a look."

Saying that, Gao Yang pulled a sheet of paper from her sleeve, on which was boldly written the lyric Chen Yan once used to coax her.

Empress Changsun was slightly stunned, then eagerly took it, and the other three women could no longer stay calm, rushing over.

"The sash widens gradually, yet I regret not; for her I become gaunt and weary...."

Li Lizhi, upon reading to the end, felt both joy for Gao Yang and a sense of grievance.

She was happy because it was her own sister, but felt aggrieved that she, like a moth, flutters toward Chen Yan, and Chen Yan has only ever given her half a poem so far.

But seeing Gao Yang clearly proud inside, ready to soar, yet deliberately feigning indifference while teasing her sister, that lingering grievance faded.

From her understanding of Chen Yan, he doesn't favor such flashy things unless moved by a scene, with thoughts in his heart, prompting him to compose a poem.

Just like when he first saw her blushing.

Or perhaps Gao Yang clung persistently, and Chen Yan simply couldn't refuse to agree to write for Gao Yang.

Our own sister, I guess she's just here to act pretentious.

"......"

Empress Changsun, who had watched Gao Yang grow up since she was a child, hadn't thought much before because the poem was so dazzling; now, upon reflecting, she also guessed Gao Yang's little scheme.

She smiled wryly, glanced at Li Lizhi beside her, who felt only envy, no jealousy, and said softly: "Lizhi, your taste is still good; back then your sister stubbornly refused to marry Zi An, yet you disregarded a girl's modesty and boldly wanted to marry Zi An."

"From now on, you also have great fortune."

As soon as she spoke, Gao Yang's faint smile froze; before she could speak, the Princess of Yue instinctively echoed, "Indeed, Lizhi's taste is truly good."

"At first, who didn't think the Marquis of Weinan, though not exactly a frivolous noble, still spent his days in romantic wandering; initially, Prince of Yue saw Lizhi wanting to marry the Marquis of Weinan and found it puzzling, wanted me to persuade you; never did anyone expect the Marquis of Weinan to possess such great talent."

"Lizhi can truly be said to have a discerning eye for talent!"

"Who says not?" the Crown Princess smiled. "At first, apart from a few, no one favored the Marquis of Weinan, yet he was the most diligent; if it were me, I certainly couldn't achieve the level of Lizhi, I have to admit."

Li Lizhi was somewhat startled by the favor, repeatedly gesturing modestly.

Gao Yang watched them enjoy each other's company, constantly praising Li Lizhi, and felt increasingly uneasy inside.

Clearly I'm the one pretending, yet the spotlight hasn't been up long before it shifts to Li Lizhi.

The more they speak of Lizhi's good taste, the more it proves that their own initial judgment was poor, doesn't it?

After all, during the time just after the marriage was bestowed, who didn't know she and Chen Yan were at odds, even able to fight in the palace?

At this moment, the Princess of Heng Shan Commandery in her arms smiled, yet Gao Yang felt the smile wasn't sweet, but rather bitter.

A bitterness that couldn't be put into words.

"Sisters-in-law and Mother Empress, please stop praising me," Li Lizhi said somewhat shyly. "Back then my husband and I were just a coincidence; I'm not as great as you say."

"If one insists on saying who had good taste, it should be Mother Empress; she was the first to discover my husband, a hidden gold nugget in the mud; otherwise, my sister and I wouldn't have this fortune."

With that sentence spoken, Gao Yang, who had already begun to sulk, fell silent.

Indeed, if one insists on saying good taste, it must be Empress Changsun.

If it weren't for Empress Changsun, the two sisters might already have married others by now.

"Indeed so!"

The Crown Princess deeply agreed.

In the past, she, a Crown Princess with little status and no presence, couldn't have helped Li Chengqian hide and escape the palace.

It was only because Empress Changsun secretly helped.

The underlying reason, it is estimated, also involved Chen Yan's contribution.

If Li Chengqian had dealt with someone else, Empress Changsun would never have let him go out.

"Mother Empress, your past special treatment of the Marquis of Weinan—was it truly all because of General Chen?" the Princess of Yue asked curiously.

Empress Changsun mused, "Yes, and also not!"

"Initially, this palace indeed favored General Chen's special care for Zi An, but as Zi An grew, this palace gradually understood his character and came to like this child."

"Otherwise, why would this palace lead His Majesty to arrange for Gao Yang to be married off to Zi An?"

"Mother Empress, please elaborate," Li Lizhi said with great interest, pulling Empress Changsun to hear more.

Princess of Yue and Crown Princess were equally very interested, Empress Changsun helplessly and slowly explained, "This matter is hard to put into words; do you still remember the maid named Qing'er who was by Zi An's side?"

"She was adopted by Zi An's mother; the purpose, well… I believe you can roughly guess it."

"However, I must tell you that the maid called Qing'er is still a virgin."

"Zi An indeed visited Pingkang Lane, that's correct, but once you look into the details you'll find that Zi An never stayed overnight at Pingkang Lane. A young man full of vigor, if he can restrain his desires, has already surpassed ninety‑nine percent of men."

"And most importantly…"

"......"