It was a pity that before she could say the words of rejection, she was pulled to the other side of the lotus pond.
There was a wooden trestle built into the lake on this side. Two small boats had already been placed under the trestle.
Several girls had already got on one of the small boats, and the remaining boat was waiting for them on one side.
"Sihe, there are two young ladies from the Marquis of Ning'an's residence and the young lady from the Duke of An's residence on the boat in front... I'll introduce them to you later. Let's get on the boat quickly..."
Jiang Sihe glanced at the lotus pond. Half an acre of lotus pond was full of green lotus leaves. Among the lush greenery, delicate lotus flowers stood like young girls standing gracefully. They bloomed their enchanting appearance under the scorching sun, graceful and pleasing to the eye!
"I heard that there was wind and rain last night. I didn't expect the lotus flowers to still bloom so well..."
Qin Yue saw Jiang Sihe staring at the lotus flowers in the distance and couldn't help but sigh with admiration.
After experiencing the wind and rain, it still stood upright. It was indeed worthy of appreciation...
Such a beautiful scenery, she didn't want to miss it!
Qin Yue saw her smiling and couldn't help but be proud: "How about it? I didn't disappoint you, right?"
"Well, it's really beautiful..."
Jiang Sihe's face showed a bit of joy.
"When the small boat enters the lotus pond later, you will like the fragrance of the lotus leaves in the wind even more..."
After Qin Yue finished speaking, she pulled Jiang Sihe off the trestle and helped Jiang Sihe onto the boat.
"Sihe, come and sit here..."
Qin Yue asked Jiang Sihe to sit at the bow of the boat so that when the boat entered the lotus pond, she could see the beauty of the lotus pond from the best perspective.
Only one person could sit at the bow of the small boat. Since Jiang Sihe was sitting there, Qin Yue sat at the stern.
The small boat swayed slowly into the lotus pond. The boat in front had already disappeared into the lotus pond, out of sight. They also slowly followed in...
Qin Yue picked a lotus flower that was in full bloom from one side and threw it into Jiang Sihe's arms.
"Cousin Sihe, I'll give you a lotus flower. I wish you good luck!"
Jiang Sihe was amused by her playful appearance. She held the lotus flower and waved it gently at her, "Thank you, cousin!"
The two of them looked at each other and smiled. Their smiles were even more charming than the lotus flowers in the pond!
Year after year, the lotus pond knows summer!
There was a pavilion in the middle of the lake in the Marquis's residence. Today, the Marquis of Ning'an specifically invited a distinguished guest to discuss matters in this pavilion in the lake.
There was a purple sand teapot on the stone table. There was a faint fragrance of tea in the cup...
"Grand Tutor Pei, taste the old tea that I've hidden for a few years. How does it taste?"
The Marquis of Ning'an made a gesture of invitation. Pei Yanchao lowered his eyes and glanced at the teacup. His fingers, with distinct joints, pinched the light-colored teacup and brought it to the tip of his nose to smell it. Then he took a sip. His Adam's apple rolled. After swallowing, he took another sip...
The Marquis of Ning'an looked at the young man in front of him. He had a gentle face. The way he tasted the tea in three mouthfuls was even more pleasing to the eye. He couldn't help but sigh. Such a bright and noble person was probably the only one in the Jing country!
"It's indeed good tea, but..."
The Marquis of Ning'an was worried by the word "but" that followed. He specifically invited Pei Yanchao here today to discuss something with him. It was a matter that he wanted to ask for.
With a person of his intelligence, he probably already guessed what he wanted to say. Before he even opened his mouth, he already...
"Grand Tutor Pei, I invited you here today because I have something to ask for..."
As the Marquis of Ning'an spoke, he raised his hand to add tea to Pei Yanchao. But just as the teapot was raised, Pei Yanchao had already covered the teacup with his hand.
"The tea is good, but the tea must be the right taste, and the person must be a bosom friend. Only then does the tea taste interesting..."
When the Marquis of Ning'an heard this, he thought for a moment and understood that Pei Yanchao was reminding him to let the Marquis of Ning'an's residence show his stance.
In the palace now, His Majesty had already been in power for several years. There were still some aristocratic families in the court who still supported the Empress Dowager who had controlled the court back then. And their Marquis of Ning'an's residence was one of them...
"Grand Tutor Pei, then I might as well be straightforward. You should know that our Marquis of Ning'an's residence's title is not hereditary. My father was named a marquis back then. I made contributions later, so the previous emperor allowed me to inherit the title again. But... now the unfilial son of our Marquis's residence is probably hopeless in the imperial examinations..."
Pei Yanchao's eyes were calm. After listening to the Marquis of Ning'an's words, there was still no expression on his face.
"The rise and fall of a family lies in the choice of the person in charge. Now is the time for the Marquis to make a choice..."
Pei Yanchao also made it clear. It was up to the Marquis of Ning'an to choose...
The Marquis of Ning'an was a military general, but now the Jing country was prosperous and the people were at peace. There were also strong troops on the border to suppress the forces from all directions. It could be said that his descendants would not be able to make any military achievements.
Now they could only find another way to find an official position for that stupid son...
Their Marquis's residence was neither high nor low among the aristocratic families. The Empress Dowager didn't value them very much. After thinking about it, he used today's lotus viewing banquet to invite Pei Yanchao.
"I heard that the Jinwu Guards may select some people from the children of the noble families this year... I wonder if Grand Tutor Pei can do something for my son..."
The Marquis of Ning'an felt that he had already shown his stance. He just wanted a guarantee. The Jinwu Guards were the close guards of His Majesty. They also had the responsibility of supervising the officials. If they could find an official position in it, if they could get the credit in the future, they might be able to keep the title.
"Marquis of Ning'an, you are well-informed. But how can you be sure that I have the ability to influence the selection of the Jinwu Guards!"
Pei Yanchao's expression was calm. His voice was a bit distant!
The Marquis of Ning'an couldn't help but frown. He had already lowered his stance like this to ask a junior, but he was still pushed back by the other person's cold appearance.
But even so, he didn't dare to show any dissatisfaction on his face.
It was only because, since Pei Yanchao took office, two-thirds of the forces that were originally in the hands of the Empress Dowager were already in this person's hands.
And now, except for the Grand Secretary Yan, the other grand secretaries in the Secretariat were already useless.
"Ziqian, Uncle knows that when your father had an accident back then, we aristocratic families watched from the sidelines and did nothing. But at that time, the Empress Dowager was in control of the court. We also needed to protect ourselves..."
Pei Yanchao frowned and said in a deep voice, "Uncle Song, you should know that I'm willing to come to the banquet. I don't want to catch up with you..."
When the Marquis of Ning'an heard this, his expression changed for a long time before he lowered his head and sighed, "Okay, I know what you want. I agree. I'll be the first one to stand up in the morning court tomorrow to support the new policy proposed by the Ministry of Rites..."
When Pei Yanchao heard this, he raised his hand to get the teapot and poured a cup of tea. Then when he wanted to pour it for the Marquis of Ning'an, the Marquis of Ning'an waved his hand quickly.
"I'll do it myself!"
Pei Yanchao didn't force him. He put the teapot on the table and let him do it.
"The pond in the Marquis of Ning'an's residence has a good view..."
When the Marquis of Ning'an heard this, he quickly said, "This pavilion in the lake is the best place to watch the lotus flowers. Grand Tutor Pei can take a look at the scenery in the lake..."
Pei Yanchao stood up and looked at the lotus pond in the lake. The pavilion in the lake was built very high. He could see the lotus pond in front of him without any obstruction.
Suddenly, a small boat appeared in the lotus pond near his position...
The young girl was sitting at the bow of the boat. She stretched her arm into the lake. Her light pink sleeve was rolled up on her arm. The lake water gently passed by her fair forearm, causing a circle of ripples...
It seemed that she wasn't satisfied. She bent down and scooped up a handful of lake water with both hands and splashed it on the round lotus leaf beside her...
The water droplets on the lotus leaf fell on her face. She bent her eyes and smiled.
What Pei Yanchao saw was the young girl's charming and bright smile. His expression was slightly stunned...