As soon as Mrs. Xu's words were finished, Xu Wanli was dissatisfied and said, "How can there be any fairness in this game since then? In my opinion, Young Master Xiao is only suitable to be a spectator in this game."
People think about it and think it's right. Although there is a variable in the imperial court this year, Xiao Jingxi is always much easier to guess the ranking of the competition than others.
Xiao Jingxi couldn't help but smile: "Then I'll be a spectator. The painting boat is parked next to it, how about you move first?"
Several people did not have any opinion, and went out of the cabin with Xiao Jingxi.
As expected, the painting boat of the Yanbei Palace was parked beside the boat, and if the boat was a little closer, it would be able to go straight up. Xiao Jingxi asked a few people to get on the painting boat first, and he followed behind. After Pei Zhiyan and the Xu couple went up, Xiao Jingxi called Leshan and Leshui next to Ren Yaoqi and told them to help Ren Yao carefully. Qi, and whispered to Ren Yaoqi: "Be careful."
Ren Yaoqi smiled at him, got on the boat steadily, then stopped for a while and turned around to wait for him to come up together.
Xiao Jingxi got on the painting boat, looked at Ren Yaoqi, and the corners of his mouth curved into a happy arc.
Xu Wanli was actually Xiao Jingxi's teacher, so when he got to the student's boat, he didn't see anyone outside, and he and his wife dragged Pei Zhiyan around to look around the boat.
After a few people had looked enough, Xiao Jingxi took everyone to the flower hall with the best view among the painting boats. Xiao Jingxi seemed to have instructed early in the morning that the guests would come, and tea, snacks, melons and fruits were already prepared in the flower hall, but as he had said before, he was really going to treat the guests on the Xu family's boat.
After a few people were seated as the guest of honor, Xu Wanli glanced at the regatta track that had already been set up on the river: "Then let's start betting."
Xiao Jingxi summoned a maid and gave a low voice. The maid withdrew in response, and came in with a tea tray. There was a stack of cut rice paper on the tea tray, and a few others followed behind her. A maid with a pen, ink, paper and inkstone.
"It's better for you to write your own notes on paper first, and then take them apart after the results come out. It's also fairer," Xiao Jingxi said.
"That's not bad." Mrs. Xu nodded and smiled.
The maids put the ink, ink, ink, and cut rice paper in front of everyone. Xiao Jingxi said that if he didn't participate, he wouldn't participate. He just watched everyone bet with paper and pen.
Ren Yaoqi glanced at everyone. Xu Wanli and Mrs. Xu were talking in a low voice as they wrote, as if they were discussing what to bet on. They were betting on Fengya, and naturally they would not take money. Make a bet.
Pei Zhiyan was sipping tea with his head down, with a casual smile between his brows and eyes. He didn't seem to be in a hurry to place a bet.
Ren Yaoqi is not in a hurry to write, she glanced at the river outside the window, but several dragon boats have been spread out and parked in the river, as if the river is covered, obviously in previous years it was just for fun. This year, for some unknown reason, there is a more tense fighting spirit.
The dragon boat of the imperial court was parked at the very center, the blue dragon of the Yanbei palace was parked on his left, the red dragon of the Lei family was parked on the left of the Yanbei palace, and the white dragon of the Yun family was the other of the golden dragon parked in the court. On the side, they are like arrows that are only ready to go, just waiting for an order to fly out.
Pei Zhiyan said, "Young Master Xiao doesn't seem to care about winning or losing this game?" Pei Zhiyan was talking about winning or losing the dragon boat race, not their guess.
Xiao Jingxi smiled and said, "Winning or losing is a common thing in the military. Besides, this is just a dragon boat race. Winning is fun, and losing is also fun."
Hearing this, Pei Zhiyan raised his eyebrows and seemed to be thoughtful.
Ren Yaoqi also heard their conversation. She glanced at Xiao Jingxi, but couldn't help but move in her heart. She glanced at the lineup on the river again, pondered for a moment, then picked up a pen and wrote on the rice paper. Fold the paper when you are done writing.
Xiao Jingxi looked at her and asked softly, "What's the stake?"
Ren Yaoqi thought for a while, then picked up the pen and wrote a few words on another piece of paper.
Xiao Jingxi glanced at it and saw that it was written "Spring Tour in the Western Mountains". He couldn't help but raised his eyebrows and asked curiously, "I haven't heard of this painting. I don't know who it came from?"
Ren Yaoqi pursed his lips and smiled, and wrote the author's name on the paper again. Xiao Jingxi glanced at it and saw that "Ren Shimin" was written on it, so Second Young Master Xiao was very smart and did not speak, lest he even bother Lord Yuezhang. It spreads things that people don't even know about, and the consequences are unimaginable.
At this time, Xu Wanli and his wife and Pei Zhiyan had also written it. Xu Wanli's bet was a yellowstone seal he collected, Madam Xu's bet was a famous inkstone, and Pei Zhiyan's bet was somewhat similar to Ren Yaoqi's, it was himself Copy of "Sunny Hot Post".
Ren Shimin's paintings are already quite famous now. In addition, his paintings are not circulated in the market, and others can't ask for them. It is very good to use it as a bet. And Pei Zhiyan has been famous for a long time, and his copybook is even more difficult to find, so everyone has no opinion on the bet.
There was already a beating of drums outside, and when the gong of King Yanbei sounded, the shouts and noises from the outside swept through the sky and the earth, and the excitement was so exciting that the eardrums were shaking.
It was lively outside, but the few people on the boat became more relaxed.
Pei Zhiyan just happened to chat with Xiao Jingxi about tea before, Xu Wanli took a sip from the tea bowl, nodded and said, "It's good tea, and the water is also good water, but the skill of making tea is a little worse."
Mrs. Xu smiled and said: "You have a tricky taste! But when it comes to the craft of making tea, there are several masters present."
Xu Wanli laughed: "Madam's words are exactly what I want."
Mrs. Xu was a little puzzled: "What did I say?"
Xu Wanli glanced at Pei Zhiyan and pretended to be surprised: "Don't Madam want to drink the tea made by Jin Yan? After all, it has been many years since I had it."
Mrs. Xu spat at him immediately, and then said: "Be careful as a guest, there is no reason for a guest to make tea!"
Xu Wanli shook his head regretfully.
Ren Yaoqi smiled and said, "If you don't dislike it, sir, let the students make it."
She and Xiao Jingxi were the only ones present, so they couldn't instruct Second Young Master Xiao to make tea, right? Ren Yaoqi took the initiative to stand up.
Mrs. Xu smiled and said: "I was just about to say that the back waves of the Yangtze River push the front waves. My student's craftsmanship is no worse than Jinyan and Jingxi." Mrs. Xu said with a proud tone.
Pei Zhiyan glanced at Ren Yaoqi: "Oh? Is this true?"
Ren Yaoqi glanced at Xiao Jingxi, Xiao Jingxi nodded with a smile, Ren Yaoqi got up and went to the tea room, and said with a smile, "I am a student of Mr., and Mr. naturally thinks that I am good in everything."
Everyone laughed.
Ren Yaoqi is proficient in the tea ceremony, but cooking tea requires a quiet environment and a calm mind. Today, it is not suitable to sit down and cook tea slowly, so Ren Yaoqi chose simple tea brewing.
She spent a lot of time making tea for Ren Shimin at home, so she moved quickly, and after a while, a few maids came out with tea bowls.
At this moment, the dragon boat race outside has finished one round. The Qinglong of the Yanbei Palace and the golden dragon of the imperial court reached the finish line almost at the same time, and then the boats of other families came back one after another.
This result made it even more lively outside. Many ordinary Yanbei people stood on the river bank to watch the game, and some people opened bets in private. Compared with the fun games of the noble children of aristocratic families, the gamblers played the game. It's real money. A few people on the boat looked at the result and saw that they didn't take it too seriously. This was only the first round, and one-third of the boats were eliminated. It was still early for the result of the game.
Ren Yaoqi personally brought the tea to your desk before going back to take a seat.
Pei Zhiyan picked up the tea bowl, used the lid to put aside the floating end, and took a leisurely sip, but he couldn't help but paused, then lowered his head and took a sip.
Mrs. Xu smiled and said, "How? I didn't talk big, did I?"
Pei Zhiyan glanced at Ren Yaoqi, then nodded to Mrs. Xu and said with a smile, "Very good."
However, Ren Yaoqi noticed that Pei Zhiyan just looked at her casually, but it was a little exploratory, and she couldn't help sighing.
She is a student of Pei Zhiyan, and even the tea ceremony is taught by him. The way they make tea is exactly the same. Presumably, Pei Zhiyan can taste the tea she brewed when he just drinks tea. From the amount of tea leaves to the water temperature, he is familiar with it. of.
It's not that she didn't expect to be seen by Pei Zhiyan, she still has no other purpose in making tea like this, let alone reminiscing with her old friends. It's just that he is her most beloved husband, a relative who used to be like a father and brother, but now they meet each other but don't recognize each other. She just wants to make him a bowl of tea to express her feelings, that's all.
Fortunately, Mrs. Xu, Xu Wanli and Pei Zhiyan haven't seen each other for many years. Pei Zhiyan's habits on the tea ceremony must have changed a lot over the years, so Mrs. Xu and Xu Wanli did not find that Ren Yaoqi and the current Pei Zhiyan could actually brew it. Tea comes with almost the same taste.
Pei Zhiyan calmed down after the initial shock, still chatting with everyone in a leisurely manner.
There have been three competitions outside, and only the golden dragon of the imperial court, the blue dragon of the Yanbei palace, the white dragon of the Yun family, the red dragon of the Lei family, and the blue dragon of the Su family are left.
The fourth game was particularly intense. Jinlong and Qinglong still took the lead at the same speed for the time being, but the fight between White Dragon, Red Dragon and Blue Dragon made people's blood boil. Originally, they only focused on Yanbei Palace. Those who won or lost with the imperial court could not help but be attracted by the three dragon boats.
In the end, the red dragon of the Lei family defeated the white dragon of the Yun family and the red dragon of the Su family with a slight advantage. The last match is the victory or defeat between the golden dragon, the blue dragon and the red dragon.
******
An hour late... Sorry... 〒_〒