The Fairy in the Clouds

  Liu Yuanyi returned to the Jin Yu family mansion, only to see a sea of people, with many armed guards standing watch. At the entrance, there was an eight-man sedan chair and a luxurious horse-drawn carriage waiting.

  It's obvious that one is Cui Shi from Yangzhou and the other is that mysterious noble guest.

  "A humble villager has the honor of meeting the honorable Governor, unaware that the Governor's esteemed presence had arrived, and failed to greet from afar. Please forgive me, noble Governor." Liu Guo quickly walked under Zhang Huazi's guidance to the largest official he had seen in the Tang Dynasty, the Yangzhou Governor, and gave a deep bow.

  Actually, there was no need for Zhang Pangzi to point it out, Liu Yuan could also tell at a glance that this Cui Shi was of medium build, with a white face and no beard, his skin was very fair, and he wore a deep crimson official uniform that made him extremely eye-catching, and on his body, there was an aura of a superior ruler.

  In the Tang Dynasty, official uniforms were carefully studied. Those above the third rank wore purple; fourth rank, deep crimson; fifth rank, light crimson; sixth rank, deep green; seventh rank, light green; eighth rank, deep blue; ninth rank, light blue. This is also the origin of what we call "wearing purple as a noble".

  The simplest thing is that he stands upright, and others in front of him slightly bow their heads to show respect. Needless to say, these people are led by him.

  "Ignorance is no excuse, are you Liu Yuan of the illustrious Jin Yu family?" Magistrate Cui's voice was actually gentle, and his face still wore a faint smile as he asked.

  "The common people are right." Liu Yuan replied respectfully, without the slightest hint of disobedience, his waist still bent in a bow.

  Chui Ci Shi said with a warm smile: "Good, indeed heroes emerge in youth, not bad, not bad, stand up and speak."

  Cui Xie Shi was delighted to see that Liu Yuan, despite being a young and minor merchant, was well-versed in books and etiquette, with a dignified demeanor. This reflected the effectiveness of his governance. Moreover, the two lines of poetry had spread to the capital, captivating not only the literary and military officials but also the imperial family. Just yesterday, his uncle, an official at court, wrote to him, lavishing praise on how he had brought prosperity and cultural flourishing to Yangzhou under his governance, even catching the attention of the emperor himself, which would greatly aid his future career prospects.

  Cui Xishi received the letter and was so delighted that he couldn't sleep that night, playing with his favorite concubine until dawn. The next day, still beaming with joy, a respected elder's daughter from their clan happened to pass through Yangzhou and heard about the three exquisite pieces of jewelry. She couldn't resist going to take a look, and Cui Xishi, seeing that there were no official duties in the yamen that day, personally accompanied her.

  Firstly, to show respect to the elder of the clan, and secondly, for those who have been matched with him, there is also a desire to see the real person.

  "Yes, thank you, sir."

  Chui Ci Shi looked up at the two hanging couplets and couldn't help but recite: "This wood becomes firewood, mountain after mountain comes out,"

  "Lighting the lamp and ascending to the loft to attack books... good sentences, good sentences."

  "Mr. Liu's."

  Liu Yuan hastily replied: "Yes, sir, I am here."

  "Are these two sentences what you were thinking of?" Cui Ci asked with interest, pointing at the two couplets.

  "This was unintentionally obtained, and it was a wonderful gain."

  "Good, a wonderful phrase that came out of nowhere! Excellent sentence, excellent sentence indeed. Seeing you come up with two such great couplets, it's certainly not a coincidence."

  Liu Yuan smiled but did not speak.

  Cui Shi was also an elite from a large family, with great talent. He was famous for his poetic skills among the scholars in his youth. Composing couplets was one of his favorite activities, and the joy he derived from solving them made him feel carefree. Although he is now a high-ranking official, he still enjoys it without getting tired.

  Everyone saw the Magistrate deep in thought, and they knew he was thinking of a way to solve this riddle. No one dared to make a sound or discuss it, fearing that they would disturb the Magistrate's thoughts. The Golden Water Street, where six horse carriages could drive side by side, was crowded with hundreds of people, but it was eerily quiet. Even if someone coughed, they would cover their mouth tightly, afraid of interrupting the Magistrate's train of thought.

  Chui Ci Shi thought for a moment, then shook his head and said with some emotion: "Good couplet! For the time being, I couldn't think of it either. I didn't expect this pair to be able to wield words so skillfully."

  After a pause, Cui Xizhi said with some emotion: "These two pairs of couplets are exquisite, using sound and words in a way that is truly divine. They can be called the most outstanding sentences in the world. I think whoever can come up with these two pairs of couplets can be considered the number one talent of Jiangnan."

  As soon as these words came out, the scholars present were stirred in their hearts. Cui Shi's talent was renowned in the capital when he was young, and even the great writer Wang Zi'an (Wang Bo) had praised him highly. Now that he held the position of Governor of Yangzhou and was a fourth-ranking official, his words carried immense weight, almost as if they were truth itself. If anyone could match this, then the reputation of being the foremost talent in Jiangnan would be well-deserved.

  Cui Xian didn't expect that his unintentional sigh would become the greatest goal and motivation for Jiangnan's talented scholars. Many talented scholars came from afar, just to decipher these two extraordinary sentences, and Jinshui Street also became a must-visit destination for many literary masters and distinguished guests in Yangzhou.

  You're not the one who claimed to be a genius, are you? Want to be known as the champion of Jiangnan's literary world? First, solve those two extraordinary couplets from the Golden Jade Family and then we'll talk. Many literati and distinguished guests like to come here for inspiration because these two masterpieces were brewed right here, proving that this place is blessed with talented people. Who knows, maybe a spark will ignite and you'll come up with the perfect match? Once you do, it's fame and fortune all at once, and you'll instantly become a star among literary circles!

  Fame is the key to wealth and nobility. With fame, it will be much easier to seek an official career or a way out.

  Liu Yuan did not expect Cui Shi to say such a thing and for a moment he didn't know what to say.

  "Little brother, Governor Cishi has come all the way here, won't you invite him to sit inside for a bit?" Jin Baozi reminded hastily from the side.

  "This is a rare opportunity, if it were to come looking for its own, it would immediately set up a banquet to entertain, at that time the Governor will be delighted, leaving behind a treasure what's more, hanging out, that's a living signboard."

  "Hey Liu!" Seeing that Liu didn't respond and was spacing out again, Zhang pushed him with a displeased expression.

  "Ah, what's wrong~~ Zhang Ge." Liu asked, taken aback for a moment.

  Just now he was distracted, when he wanted to say something to the governor, he suddenly saw that the stopped carriage lifted a corner, and vaguely saw a beautiful and elegant face facing the maid beside the carriage saying something.

  That was a face with a very beautiful outline, elegant and refined to the extreme. With every movement of her hands and feet, there was an indescribable beauty that captivated Liu Yuan's attention, even when he only caught a glimpse of her profile.

  Pushed by Zhang Pangzi, Liu Yuan finally came to his senses, but he didn't hear what he said just now, so he had to ask again.

  Zhang Pangzi repeated what he had just said in a bad temper, and Liu Yuan nodded repeatedly.

  Liu Yuan only then realized that he had neglected his guest, as the governor of a state had specially come to his place, and not even a cup of tea was offered, which indeed wasn't very proper.

  "Governor Shi has come from afar, why don't... come to my humble abode for a cup of coarse tea?" Liu Yuan went forward, bowing his waist and called out respectfully.

  There's no way, now that I'm penniless and powerless, who knows what will happen in the future. In ancient times, those were the two characters for "official", he can say whatever he wants, have to maintain a good relationship.

  Cui Ci also hesitated a bit, mainly because today he was accompanying the only daughter of his clan's elder, although he was the governor of a state and held the fourth rank, but in terms of family status, he was just a second son, born to a concubine, and in the Cui family of Qinghe, he was still a member outside the core.

  "A grown-up..." A maid walked up to Cui Ci Shi's ear and whispered a few words, while Cui Ci Shi nodded repeatedly.

  After the maid finished speaking, Cui Shi said to her "I know" and sent her away. Then he instructed his teacher a few words.

  "Boss Liu."

  "There is a dwarf."

  Chui Ci Shi smiled and said: "You sincerely invite me, then I'll humbly obey. Besides, the people in the carriage are my relatives, they also want to take a closer look at your three hair accessories, after all, it's hard to see clearly from the carriage. Is that convenient for you?"

  "It's my honor, Lord Choi, please."

  "Alright, alright." Cui Ci Shi responded while turning his head to the maid and said: "Go invite Miss to move over here."

  "Yes, I'll go now."

  The maid responded with a "yes" and turned around to withdraw.

  Soon, Liu Yuan saw the curtain of the carriage lifted, and a woman in luxurious clothes, slender figure, face covered with a veil, holding a silk handkerchief, slowly got down from the luxurious carriage with the support of two maids, walking towards him gracefully. She looked like she was not yet 28 years old, but gave people a kind of spiritual shock.

  That step, light and nimble;

  That figure, elegant and refined;

  That temperament, noble.

  Elegant demeanor.

  Liu Yuan felt as if a fairy from the clouds was slowly walking towards him.

  Estimated to be a woman raised in a wealthy family, wearing a veil, she didn't want to show her face, unexpectedly, it's quite mysterious.

  Liu Yuan knew his identity was not enough to get close to her, so he hastily paid his respects to Cui Xie and carefully led the way in front.

  A small shop, unexpectedly honored by the presence of Governor Shi, this is an unprecedented honor. If Mr. Yuan were still alive, he would probably be so nervous that he wouldn't sleep for several nights, worried that he couldn't entertain him properly.

  However, Liu Yuan's attitude was somewhat indifferent at the time. He is now just a provincial governor, equivalent to a municipal party secretary in the 21st century. Many provincial and ministerial-level officials have had private custom-made decorations made by Liu Yuan over the years.

  Liu Yuan didn't care much, but Zhang Pangzi on the side, Chen Chang who sneaked over to join in the fun from behind, and several fellow workers from Jinshui Street all envied him so much that their eyes turned red, just like rabbits.

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