I am the champion of palace intrigue, and even the proud prince bows his head in submission.

Chapter 560 Xie Jue's Storyline: Poetry Gathering

Gao Yunzhi nodded. "Next month is her coming-of-age ceremony."

"She's almost grown into a young woman in the blink of an eye," Madam Meng remarked with emotion.

"Wanzhi is growing up now. As her mother, have you been keeping an eye out for suitable families for her? There are quite a few talented and handsome young men in the capital these days."

Gao Yunzhi smiled and said, "She knows what she's doing. As her mother, I can't make decisions about her marriage. It's all up to her own fate."

Madam Meng nodded slightly. "That's true. Wanzhi is a smart child; she understands things better than anyone else."

"If she has truly fallen in love, no one can stop her."

On a side path in the Princess's residence.

Gao Wanzhi was walking slowly with her head down when a gentle voice came from behind her.

"The county lord."

She turned around and saw Jiang Huaiyu walking quickly towards her.

"Young Master Jiang?" Gao Wanzhi paused. "Is there something you need?"

Jiang Huaiyu took two steps closer. "Tomorrow, I and a few friends intend to hold a poetry gathering at the foot of Qiyun Mountain in the suburbs. The place is beautiful with its mountains and waters, and its springs and rocks are serene and secluded. If the Princess has the time, would you be willing to attend?"

"Sure, I'm free tomorrow."

A hint of joy appeared in Jiang Huaiyu's eyes. "Then I'll wait for you in front of the mansion tomorrow morning."

Evening, at the Prince's Mansion.

Bamboo shadows slant outside the window, and a gentle breeze flows through the room.

After Xie Jue finished flipping through the last page of the ledger, he closed the book, turned his wrist, picked up the teapot, poured tea, and finally took a short break.

Familiar footsteps sounded outside the study door, and Changqing hurried in. "Young Master, the Princess has sent word that she will not be going to the horse farm tomorrow."

Xie Jue raised an eyebrow slightly. "Is something wrong with her?"

"They said they were going to attend a poetry gathering," Changqing said cautiously. "It was organized by Young Master Jiang at the foot of Qiyun Mountain, and he invited many people."

Xie Jue's brow twitched, but his eyes remained calm.

"understood."

The following day, in a private room on the second floor of Fuyu Tower.

On the table lay freshly fried chicken and milk tea, along with ledgers and pricing plans.

The shopkeeper and Lu Xinghe were earnestly reporting on the usage and cost budget of various ingredients.

But Xie Jue was distracted.

His gaze remained fixed on the cup of milk tea in front of him, unmoved for a long time.

The scene of the Qiyun Mountain Poetry Gathering involuntarily came to mind.

Who is she listening to compose poetry at this moment?

Will that kid pretend to be romantic and poetic again, just to make her laugh?

Xie Jue's gaze grew cold.

Jiang Huaiyu has been cunning and scheming since he was a child.

"Young Master Xie?" the shopkeeper called out tentatively.

Xie Jue then came to his senses, "I'll look into the pricing later."

"I have other things to do. We can talk about the fried chicken and milk tea another day."

He himself couldn't explain where this unease came from.

All that was known was that he didn't want Gao Wanzhi and Jiang Huaiyu to be alone together for too long.

Qiyun Mountain is bathed in the beautiful spring sunshine.

A winding mountain road led up the mountain, carrying a group of young talents in flowing robes.

Gao Wanzhi and Jiang Huaiyu walked side by side at the front, followed by more than a dozen young men and women from prominent families in the capital. They chatted and laughed, creating a lively atmosphere.

The Jin Dynasty was known for its open-mindedness. Gatherings of aristocratic youths were always unrestricted, and women were also allowed to compose poems and discuss philosophy without being bound by etiquette.

Gao Wanzhi had only casually accepted the invitation, but the atmosphere turned out to be so lively that she gradually became involved in the conversation.

On a flat, open spot atop the mountain, a blue stone table is set up, spring water is drawn to brew tea, and wildflowers bloom in profusion.

Just then, the sound of horses' hooves came from the end of the mountain road.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a fast horse slowly approaching from the bend in the mountain road.

A man on horseback, dressed in green with his hair tied up, with handsome eyes and bright eyebrows, was none other than Xie Jue.

His gaze swept over the crowd, his expression one of surprise, as if he knew nothing about it.

"Brother Jiang? What are you doing here?"

Jiang Huaiyu stood up, smiled, and bowed. "Brother Xie, what brings you to Qiyun Mountain? I happen to be having a gathering with some friends today. If you don't mind, you can come along."

Xie Jue dismounted, handed the reins to his attendant, and nodded.

"Since it's a chance encounter, then I'll trouble you for a moment."

Gao Wanzhi looked at him, and her heart skipped a beat for no reason.

Today she wore a light peach-colored silk dress and a golden crabapple hairpin in her hair. She looked radiant and stood in the spring breeze like a mountain flower just beginning to bloom.

When Xie Jue saw her, he cupped his hands and said softly, "Princess."

Gao Wanzhi really didn't expect Xie Jue to appear here.

Isn't he busy with the affairs of Fuyu Tower?

After a brief moment of surprise, a smile quickly appeared in Gao Wanzhi's eyes.

"How did you come?"

Xie Jue said calmly, "I had nothing to do, so I came out for a stroll."

He never liked to explain much, and Gao Wanzhi didn't ask any more questions, but her eyes couldn't hide her joy.

Jiang Huaiyu, who was standing to the side, saw this and her smile remained unchanged, but she felt a little uneasy.

He didn't let his emotions show at all, and still spoke in a refined manner, "Since Young Master Xie is here, why don't you join the poetry gathering?"

Xie Jue was not a scholar, had never taken the imperial examinations, and did not even have the title of Xiucai. How could he dare to discuss poetry and philosophy with the newly appointed Jinshi or the students of famous families?

To everyone's surprise, Xie Jue didn't even raise an eyebrow, and simply replied, "Okay."

His quick agreement surprised Jiang Huaiyu.

Xie Jue stepped into the crowd, his gaze landing on the seat next to Gao Wanzhi.

This is a good location, with green pines behind it and stream rocks in front. More importantly, it's closest to Gao Wanzhi.

There was already a scholar sitting there, a scion of a family of scholars, chatting and laughing with someone.

He seemed to sense that someone was watching him, and when he looked up, he met Xie Jue's gaze.

Almost immediately, the scholar understood.

He quickly stood up, smiling and cupping his hands in thanks, "Thank you, young master, for your hospitality."

Xie Jue nodded slightly. "Thank you for your trouble."

As the scholar left, he subtly wiped the cold sweat from his brow.

Who doesn't know that Xie Jue's father is Prince Jing, his eldest brother is the Duke of Zhenguo, and his second brother is the current Grand Secretary? Who in the capital has a more illustrious family background than him?

Luckily, I reacted quickly and didn't offend him.

Xie Jue sat down, and with a slight turn of his slightly upturned phoenix eyes, he bumped right into Gao Wanzhi.

The young man was dressed in simple, elegant clothes and had a handsome face. Although he was not wearing official robes, he had an imposing presence.

Especially his eyes, which carried a lazy yet subtly alluring quality.

Jiang Huaiyu, sitting opposite him, naturally saw all of this.

But he was, after all, from a prestigious family and was extremely good at concealing his true nature.

After finishing his tea, he suddenly smiled and said loudly, "Since we've gathered here to enjoy the scenery, how can we not compose a poem to suit the occasion? How about we each write one on the theme of 'Deep in the Clouds and Mountains'?"

Everyone responded enthusiastically, "Okay!"

In a moment, the grass rustled and the fragrance of books filled the air.

Gao Wanzhi did not immediately pick up her pen. Instead, she turned to Xie Jue beside her and asked in a low voice, "Why did you come here?"

Xie Jue glanced at her sideways. "Just passing by."

“Don’t lie to me,” Gao Wanzhi said, somewhat disbelieving. “Qiyun Mountain is not close to Fuyu Tower.”