NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 12 - The Emperor’s Reward
Chapter 12 The Emperor’s Reward
Looking at the courtyard adorned with neatly arranged lanterns, the party atmosphere was finally set. Gao You was very satisfied with his masterpiece. He walked into the teahouse, casually grabbed a jug of fruit wine, and lay back in a recliner, sipping his drink while gazing at the stars.
“The east wind brings a thousand trees into bloom at night…”
At this moment, Gao You unconsciously recalled this famous poem.
“Among the crowd, I search for her a thousand times!”
Sitting up, he saw Zhao Pan’er joking with Sun Sanniang in the back kitchen. A sweet smile adorned her face, as if she had already forgotten the pain Ouyang Xu had caused her.
“But when I suddenly turn my head, there she stands, where the lanterns grow dim!”
Watching his wife, Gao You raised his head and finished the last sip of fruit wine.
“Brother-in-law!”
Song Yinzhan suddenly approached from behind. Gao You was slightly startled and stood up.
“What’s the matter?”
“Were you reciting poetry?”
Song Yinzhan looked at Gao You in surprise.
She had heard him recite poetry?
Gao You instinctively wanted to deny it, but considering his persona, he decided that saying nothing was the best response.
“Ah!”
Watching Gao You leave, Song Yinzhan hurried into the back kitchen of the teahouse.
“I think brother-in-law was reciting poetry just now!”
Sun Sanniang raised her head in astonishment. “Isn’t Gao You a painter?”
“How can he also compose poetry?”
Zhao Pan’er curiously asked, “What did he say?”
Song Yinzhan racked her brain to recall and finally said, “It was something like, Among the crowd, I search for her a thousand times!
“But when I suddenly turn my head, there she stands, where the lanterns grow dim!
“But I didn’t hear the whole thing clearly.”
That doesn’t sound unclear at all! She had practically repeated it word for word! Nearby, Gao You, who was strolling around, quickly turned and walked away.
With his limited knowledge of classical literature, it would be troublesome if they started questioning him.
“Among the crowd, I search for her a thousand times!”
Zhao Pan’er softly repeated the phrase. Such a beautiful line.
Song Yinzhan, seeing the others lost in thought, continued with her revelation.
“Just now, when brother-in-law recited But when I suddenly turn my head, he was looking directly at my sister!”
Zhao Pan’er raised her head.
“Nice try!”
“But I don’t believe it!”
“Gao Lang could never say such a long sentence!”
Sun Sanniang nodded in agreement.
“Gao You is always short and to the point!”
“Yinzhan, you must have misheard.”
Song Yinzhan shook her head repeatedly. “Impossible!”
“If I misheard, then who wrote such a beautiful verse?”
“You don’t think I came up with it, do you?”
Zhao Pan’er smiled and said, “You read a lot of random books.”
“Maybe you came across it somewhere and remembered it subconsciously.”
“That makes sense!”
Sun Sanniang and the others found Zhao Pan’er’s explanation reasonable. Only Song Yinzhan remained unconvinced.
“Among the crowd, I search for her a thousand times.”
If she had encountered such a poem before, she would have remembered it! Since she couldn’t convince them, she decided to go straight to the source. Song Yinzhan didn’t believe she wouldn’t find any evidence.
“Brother-in-law!”
Song Yinzhan went to Gao You’s side, only to find him already asleep. Listening to his snores, she had no choice but to leave.
…
Inside the Imperial Palace in Bianjing, The Emperor of the Great Song had just finished reviewing his last memorial.
Consort Xian walked in with a bright smile.
“Your Majesty!”
The Emperor, seeing her, returned a warm smile.
“My dear consort, what makes you so happy?”
Consort Xian walked to the Emperor’s bookshelf, pulled out a scroll, and unrolled it.
“A waterfall painting by the artist Liuyun Jushi.”
The Emperor looked at her with confusion. “What do you mean?”
A hint of amusement flashed across Consort Xian’s lips.
“I have discovered the identity of Liuyun Jushi!”
“Who is it?”
The Emperor was intrigued. He had first come across a painting by Liuyun Jushi by chance and instantly felt drawn to it. Later, he acquired two more of the artist’s works, which suited his taste perfectly. So, he had them stored within the imperial palace.
“My foolish nephew!”
Consort Xian laughed and recounted the story of Gao You. The Emperor was stunned.
“The one your family has always considered a fool is actually Liuyun Jushi?”
“Yes!”
Consort Xian nodded.
The Emperor glanced again at Gao You’s painting.
“He is not a fool.”
“He must simply be deeply immersed in the world of painting and calligraphy!”
“Your nephew is my nephew as well!”
“He recently got married, didn’t he?”
“Then I should send him a wedding gift!”
Consort Xian had only intended to brag about her family, but she hadn’t expected the Emperor to personally send a gift to Gao You. Still, she didn’t object.
After all, if the Emperor was willing to reward someone from her family, it meant she held a special place in his heart.
“Attendants, reward Gao You with 100 taels of gold and a set of phoenix coronet and embroidered wedding robes!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
An eunuch immediately took the order and left. That very night, the imperial messenger set out from the capital, heading straight for Qiantang.
…
After a short nap, Gao You summoned his system and checked the time—it was already 8 PM. The teahouse was now filled with dishes.
“You woke up just in time!”
Song Yinzhan eyed Gao You suspiciously, suspecting that he had been pretending to sleep.
“Dinner’s ready!”
Zhao Pan’er smiled and called Gao You over. Gao You got up and took a seat at the large table made of four smaller ones combined.
“Wife, you speak!”
Everyone was momentarily stunned. According to Song Dynasty customs, at a family gathering, the person with the highest status would speak before the meal.
Undoubtedly, Gao You was the head of the household, Zhao Pan’er’s husband, and the highest-ranking person at the table. Yet he chose to let Zhao Pan’er speak. This alone showed how much she meant to him.