Pei Jian reached out and touched his forehead, sighing helplessly: “My family is unfortunate, my family is unfortunate!”
But the look in his eyes when he looked at Wei Ming was full of strangeness, with blame, scrutiny, satisfaction, bewilderment, and some anger.
Yuan Lai and Wen Chao looked at each other, feeling a thrill as if they had just eaten a juicy piece of gossip.
Wei Ming slowly got up, thinking back to a year ago when he was studying in Hedong and met a young girl.
The girl was painting in a pavilion, and out of curiosity, he went over to her. Seeing that her painting skills were exceptional, he impulsively drew a portrait of her in the style of Western sketching.
And so, fate intervened!
The girl wanted to become his disciple, but Wei Ming refused. However, he agreed to teach her the art of meticulous brushwork painting.
He didn't ask the girl her name, and the girl didn't ask him his.
They spent over half a month together before Wei Ming left, claiming he was going to the capital to take the imperial examinations.
The girl asked for his name, and he only told her his surname was Wei, and that he would be a high-ranking scholar in the coming year.
The girl was overjoyed and said she would come to Chang'an to find him in a year and they would paint together.
Unexpectedly, this girl was none other than Pei Xi Jun, the daughter of Pei Jian, the Minister of Rites, and one of the main characters in the Tang Dynasty mystery.
Sometimes, fate is truly unpredictable.
Sorry, Lu Lingfeng, Xi Jun is already mine!
“It’s you, you are Pei’s daughter?”
“Xi Jun, Wei Lang can call me Xi Jun.”
Pei Xi Jun turned her sadness into joy, wiping away her tears with a smile: “Wei Lang, come with me. I’ve drawn many meticulous brushwork paintings for you, but I always feel something’s missing.”
She was about to pull Wei Ming away.
Pei Jian saw this and immediately reprimanded her: “A young lady like you, pulling and tugging in public, what kind of decorum is that?”
After scolding her, he changed his tone:
“He is a descendant of the Wei family of Julu, a close friend of the Pei family, his name is Wei Ming. He is the new top scholar, serving in the Censorate.”
“I’ve been too lenient with you, you have no manners at all. Hmph, you better go down now.”
Pei Xi Jun was clever and quick-witted, and she immediately understood her father’s meaning.
The Pei and Wei families had been close for generations, with intermarriages between them.
Moreover, Wei Ming was a newly appointed top scholar, serving in the Censorate.
In other words, he was an excellent choice in terms of both talent and family background.
Since the two families were already close, it would be natural for them to arrange a marriage between the two young people.
In other words, her father had agreed, but he still wanted to see what kind of person his future son-in-law was.
Thinking about this, Pei Xi Jun’s cheeks immediately flushed red. She lowered her head shyly and glanced at Wei Ming before bowing and apologizing: “Xi Jun was rude. I’ve offended everyone. I lacked manners. Please forgive me.”
She then performed a deep courtesy and left.
Before leaving, she couldn't help but sneak another look at Wei Ming. Wei Ming smiled back, a gentle and courteous gentleman, warm as a spring breeze.
Pei Jian shook his head and chuckled: “Gentlemen, please excuse me. Please excuse me.”
Yuan Lai and Wen Chao could only laugh along: “Your daughter, Miss Xi Jun, is truly a person of character!”
Then, Pei Jian turned to Wei Ming with an unkind expression: “My daughter was still in the Pei family’s ancestral lands in Hedong a year ago, but since she met a scholar surnamed Wei, she’s been completely lost in thought. She even insisted on coming to the capital to wait for him, to wait for the scholar surnamed Wei to pass the imperial examinations!”
“My good friend, don’t you have anything to say to me?”
Wei Ming was intimidated by Pei Jian’s sharp gaze, and his scalp tingled.
He thought, it’s understandable. Pei Jian had painstakingly raised a talented and graceful daughter with exceptional painting skills.
But then, Wei Ming came along and stole her heart.
As an old father, how could he not be angry?
Today, after the list of successful candidates was released, he deliberately copied a list of those who had passed the examination just to discourage his daughter.
There was only one person on the list with the surname Wei, and that was Wei Ming.
In fact, Pei Jian hadn't even considered the possibility that Wei Ming was the scholar surnamed Wei.
The reason he invited Wei Ming to his manor for a meal and drinks was solely because of the long-standing friendship between the Pei and Wei families and to cultivate talent for the emperor.
But he didn’t expect that this Wei Ming was the scholar surnamed Wei who had stolen his daughter’s heart.
Was it fate?
Perhaps, Pei Jian shook his head slightly.
But speaking of which, if Wei Ming were to become his son-in-law, he would be a good choice indeed.
From a prestigious family, both families were old friends, and he knew him well. He was handsome, talented, and his poem upon being awarded the scholarship had caused a stir throughout Chang'an.
He was favored by the emperor and served in the Censorate, a steady and reliable position. In the future, he would definitely emulate his ancestor, Wei Zheng, becoming the Censor-in-chief and a prime minister of the Great Tang Dynasty!
Through their conversation, he found that this young man was quick-witted, gentle and courteous, a righteous gentleman with a good character, a worthy person to entrust his daughter to.
What else could Wei Ming say but to admit his mistake?
He was sincere and eloquent, addressing Pei Jian as “father” and “father-in-law”, and managed to appease him.
But Pei Jian still snorted coldly: “When will you come to my manor to propose marriage?”
Wei Ming stated his intentions: “I will write to my family when I go back, inform my parents and elders, and ask them to come to Chang'an to discuss this with your father.”
Pei Jian nodded in satisfaction: “Marriage should be arranged by parents and matchmakers, it’s proper etiquette.”
Yuan Lai raised his cup and offered a toast: “Congratulations to Minister Pei on gaining a worthy son-in-law. Congratulations to Censor Wei and Miss Xi Jun on their reunion and encounter.”
Wen Chao added with a sigh: “I’ve handled thousands of weddings every year, but those who are truly in love are very few. Censor Wei is lucky. I’m already looking forward to attending your wedding!”
“Hahaha……”
For a while, the hall was filled with laughter and the clinking of cups.
After the banquet, Pei Jian kept the three men.
“Today I’m feeling happy, so I want to treat you all to something good.”
Wen Chao’s eyes lit up when he heard this: “Minister Pei wants to treat us to Chang'an red tea, right?”
Pei Jian nodded: “That’s right.”
Yuan Lai said with exaggerated enthusiasm: “I heard that Chang'an red tea is very expensive. It’s definitely beyond the reach of copper coins. You need three taels of silver to buy just one tael of red tea, and sometimes you even need to use gold.”
Wei Ming almost couldn’t hold back his laughter.
No, is your acting this good, Yuan Lai?
Isn’t this so-called Chang'an red tea made by you?
But he wasn’t in the mood, and he didn’t want to drink blood-red phantom grass tea.
“Father-in-law, I won’t drink this Chang'an red tea. Xi Jun must be waiting for me now, so…”
Pei Jian waved his hand: “Go, go. You young people have so much to talk about. You wouldn’t be comfortable with us old guys.”
The night was slightly cool.
Wei Ming turned and went to the western wing and the rear garden.
The garden had pavilions, towers, and a stage for singing and dancing, all connected by winding corridors.
By the waterside, in a pavilion.
Pei Xi Jun was wearing a light yellow gauze dress, her slender waist tightly cinched, forming a deep ravine.
“Wei Lang, you’re here.”
Pei Xi Jun’s eyes were slightly red, and tears welled up in her eyes.
Wei Ming sighed and gently took Pei Xi Jun into his arms.
Immediately, a faint scent of gardenia wafted into his nose.
“Xi Jun, I’m sorry, I’m late.”
Pei Xi Jun hugged Wei Ming tightly, crying and laughing at the same time. The grievances she had suffered for a year were finally released.
“No!”
“You’re not late.”
“You’re just in time.”
“I knew you would pass the exam!”
“My soulmate, not only did you pass the exam, but you’re the top scholar, the number one scholar in this year's examination!”
“I heard about your poem upon being awarded the scholarship in the manor.”
“Wei Lang, I really regret that I couldn’t go to the street to see your triumphant spirit!”
Wei Ming smiled gently: “Xi Jun, let me draw a portrait for you.”
Pei Xi Jun nodded: “Then I’ll dance for Wei Lang.”
“Okay!”
Pei Xi Jun’s little feet lightly tapped, and she started to dance, like a fairy gliding over the water, graceful and beautiful.
Wei Ming drank and painted, and the painting depicted a fairy dancing, elegant as a dragon, fleeting as a startled bird.
When Wei Ming finished the painting, he wrote a poem on the top.
The slender gold characters, the sketching style, created an inexplicable sense of time and space.
In reality, Wei Ming didn't know how to paint at all.
After the dance, Pei Xi Jun walked over, saw the painting of herself, and her eyes lit up: “So beautiful, is that me?”
Then she looked at the poem on the top.
“She’s a beauty, with clothes like clouds and face like flowers, The spring wind blows over the railing, and the dew is thick and bright. If not on the Jade Mountain, I would meet her by the moonlit terrace.”
This poem, this poem… is she really that beautiful?
Pei Xi Jun was intoxicated, her eyes seemed to shimmer as she looked at Wei Ming: “Wei Lang～”
A true man never hesitates!
Wei Ming took Pei Xi Jun into the inner room.