Wei Jing was stunned for a moment when he saw Hua Zhi. He never expected her to come.
In the past, few people in the capital knew Hua Zhi, but now everyone in the city knows the eldest daughter of the Hua family. He knows her better than most people, and precisely because he knows her, he will not look down on her.
At that time, she made such a big fuss just for a younger sister, forcing the Wei family to help Hua Ling out of danger and protect her innocence. Now he wants to move the entire Hua family. He doesn't believe that she came to congratulate the successful completion of the Qingtan Meeting, and he is afraid that she has bad intentions.
But so what? The Wei family has the emperor behind them.
Wei Jing came forward with a smile on his face, and bowed demurely, "This is the first time that the Wei family has held such a forum. We are inexperienced and sorry for neglecting you all."
Everyone's eyes fell on Hua Zhi. This was the first time for the Wei family, but the Hua family had been doing it for many years. Now that there was a sudden change of ownership, they must be feeling uncomfortable. Wei Jing's words really touched people's hearts.
Zhu Ziwen was about to retort, but Hua Zhi spoke first, "Experience is accumulated. If there is a chance to host it next time, I think Lord Wei will have enough experience and won't have to keep me waiting outside."
This statement can be taken in a positive way or in a negative way. Wei Jing would not seek to cause trouble, so he bowed and said, "Thank you for your good words, Miss. I will not make this mistake again next time."
"That's great." Hua Zhi also smiled and smoothed her messy hair. "The wind is really strong today. It would be impolite for me to stay in the wind any longer."
Wei Jing was secretly annoyed that he was interrupted, but he spoke very politely, "It's my fault. I was too busy talking. Please come in."
This official? Hua Zhi gathered her cloak and smiled, really treating the talk show as a banquet.
The Wei family's mansion is a third-rank one, and its specifications are comparable to those of the Zhu family. The Wei family also has all the heritage that a noble family should have. Walking in, the servants stand in silence with their heads bowed, and the corridors extend deep inside.
When they reached a fork in the road, Wei Jing led us to the right, passed a courtyard and then a moon gate, and the view in front of us suddenly opened up.
This is a garden with a lake occupying nearly half of its area. There are several pavilions not far apart on the lake and boats in the water.
If it weren't for the strong wind today, it would indeed be a great place to go for a visit. Even if there is wind, most people would be blocked outside, so it is acceptable to choose such a place as a destination for a light meeting.
Hua Zhi subconsciously made a comparison. The Hua family's elegant meeting place was a specially built two-story wooden building. The first floor was a large room and the second floor was open. There were several long desks against the walls upstairs and downstairs, with several sets of fine pens, inkstones and brushes on them. There were futons placed randomly on the ground. There were a few servants serving tea in the corner, and nothing else.
My grandfather, my father, my second uncle and my third uncle would usually attend the meetings in the most ordinary white bachelor's gowns. My grandfather liked to stand on the second floor leaning on the railing and talk. My father would usually stand on the stairs between the first and second floors when he spoke. Other students would also often stand at high places when they spoke. When there were many people, the stairs would be full of people, leaving only a small path for people to pass through.
Daqing does not require students to take the provincial examinations in the provincial capitals. Those who are confident will usually come all the way to the capital. This may be due to the fact that the Hua family's Qingdan meeting is only held after the autumn examination. It is a Qingdan meeting among students without any interests or political purposes. All participants are of equal status and there is no distinction between high and low. For students, it is an honor to be able to enter it.
And now.
Hua Zhi stood on the pavilion, looking at the wine jars and cups on the table, and then at the beautiful maids serving beside them. She thought that the man should come and see with his own eyes how Wei Jing, whom he had taken a fancy to, had destroyed the pillar of his country.
Coincidentally, that person also felt that he should come and see it with his own eyes, and at this time he was accompanied by Gu Yanxi into the Wei family’s gate.
When Wei Jing received the report, he was delighted. He quickly told his eldest son something and left quickly.
With such a good opportunity to show off, Wei Chenze wanted to show off. He went to the highest pavilion, smiling like a spring breeze, "The Wei family dare not be compared with the Hua family, but now the Hua family... can't let the three-year Qing Tan meeting end just like that, so the Wei family shamelessly undertook this event. If there is anything wrong, please forgive me. It's still early and some people haven't arrived yet, so you might as well have fun on your own first."
Zhu Ziwen found these words harsh, and the wine even more irritating. His tone was filled with suppressed anger, "You served me wine at a discussion party, do you think we are not frivolous enough?"
Everyone sitting in the pavilion was an acquaintance, including Zhu Ziwen, his two good friends Xu Zhenghe and Tan Qingsong, the Hua Zhi sisters, and Yu Xiasheng.
At this time, Yu Xiasheng asked, "Was there no wine at the Qing Tan gatherings in the past?"
"Last year I went there with my grandfather shamelessly. The Hua family's conversations were not like that. There were only a few servants carrying tea in and out. When they were too busy, they would go and get some water if they were thirsty. But that's how a conversation should be!"
As they were talking, the sound of stringed instruments arose, and three boats came from afar, with people playing zither, flute, xun and zheng, attracting a group of students to lean on the railing to look. Those in good spirits even clapped their hands and kept the beat, creating a very good atmosphere.
Wei Chenze smiled with satisfaction, his eyes couldn't help but look towards the silent pavilion on the other side, and he chuckled twice with ambiguous meanings.
Hua Zhi was also watching, but she was not watching the performance, but the people in the pavilion. Those who were invited here today were all those who had won the second place at a young age. They were full of vigor and vitality, but it was precisely because of their youth that they could not be praised anymore and needed to be suppressed. The Hua family's Qingtanhui played this role, allowing them to express their own opinions, and their grandfather would then guide them to see their own shortcomings.
If we follow the Wei family's approach, we will simply be destroying people.
But people are naturally hedonistic, and I'm afraid many people will buy into the Wei family's account. To be honest, the direction chosen by the Wei family is not wrong. If someone accepts his approach... Hua Zhi sneered, then even if the canal is really built in his lifetime, he will still be a sinner of Daqing.
"Big girl."
Hua Zhi looked back at Chen Dayi who was walking in and stood up to greet him. Chen Dayi's face was not very good. He hurriedly bowed and strode to the side of the pavilion to look at the people on the boat. He was so angry that he slapped the railing and said, "How shameful! How shameful! This is not a gathering for leisurely discussions, it's clearly a party for fun!"
Hua Zhi was still thinking about how to reply when he turned around and asked repeatedly, "Miss, are you just going to watch? Watch them ruin the Qing Tan Hui? Destroy the pillars of Daqing?"
So... naive! Hua Zhi smiled, "Master Chen, please teach me, what can I do and what should I do?"
"I..." Chen Dayi was speechless. Yes, even if she was angry, what could she do? She could support the Hua family and not fall, so how could she be allowed to host the Qing Tan Hui? Even if she was willing, no one else would be willing.
But, “The teacher would be so sad if he knew.”
Hua Zhi stood up and stood side by side with Chen Dayi. How could she not be sad? Even though she did not have the same awareness as her grandfather, she still felt that the scene was too glaring.