Chapter 28: The Arrogant One Gets Struck by Lightning

  Before Mr. Gu could speak, Shen Guiya had already spoken out of turn. Mrs. Gu frowned slightly, and Mr. Gu also felt that she was somewhat impolite: "Yan'er, don't be presumptuous."

  Fu Xueshi was still secretly observing Shen Guiyan, this time coming to the Chancellor's mansion, one was to get close to Chancellor Guo and convey the Empress's decree, and two was to take a good look at Shen Guiyan.

  Shen Guiyan was a renowned figure, and although she had never been summoned by the masters of the palace, they still kept an eye on her movements. Now that she was married to the fourth son of the Gu family, it was unknown whether she would bring trouble in the future, so he came personally to investigate.

  Shen Guiyan stood quietly at the back, unnoticeable, but Shen Guiya caught his eye.

  "Now that Madam has spoken, it's no harm discussing it. Mr. Fu smiled warmly: 'May I ask which two lines of poetry?'"

  Shen Guiya hadn't read any books, and in modern times, she was just a small salesperson mixing days in a cosmetics store. She couldn't even recite 300 Tang poems, the only thing she could think of was that very classic sentence:

  "What is this thing called love in the world? It merely makes people promise to live and die together."

  She recited it with deep feeling to Fu Xue Shi, her chin raised high, confident and proud.

  It's always written like this: an ignorant and untalented modern white-collar worker travels back in time, recites two lines of poetry at will, and can defeat the ancient talented woman, winning thunderous applause.

  But after she finished reciting these two sentences, the hall was suddenly silent.

  "What's going on?" Shen Guiya was somewhat bewildered and turned her head to ask Mrs. Gu in a low voice, "Was my reading not good?"

  Mrs. Gu was also a talented lady from a good family background. Upon hearing this poem, her face turned dark: "Is this poetry?"

  What is poetry? Shen Guiya frowned, she remembered this sentence. The two sentences above or below it had been thought about for a long time but still couldn't be figured out. But relying on these two sentences alone should be enough to win people's praise, shouldn't it?

  "This..." Fu Xue smiled awkwardly: "Is it a work of Young Master's wife?"

  "Yes." Shen Guiya nodded.

  Shen Guiyan lowered her eyes, unable to bear the scene. Shen Guiya had never seriously read books, let alone dare to show off in front of a university scholar.

  "Can the Fourth Young Mistress guess what the Eldest Young Mistress is thinking of?" Fu Xue suddenly asked with a smile.

  "I vaguely know." Shen Guiyan sighed and said with her head down, "It's Yuan Haowen's 'Mo Yu Er', the first two sentences are what Eldest Sister just recited."

  The hall was silent, Shen Guiya took a deep breath and immediately turned to ask Yu Chai: "Is this place after the Tang and Song dynasties?"

  Jade comb is vague, can't hear what she's saying at all.

  "Fourth Young Mistress is well-read and knowledgeable." Fu Xue looked at Shen Guiyan and nodded, then looked at Shen Guiya and said: "I suppose the Eldest Young Mistress hasn't read that poetry collection, but coincidentally had the same feeling as her predecessors."

  One of the most embarrassing things in the world is to pretend to be something you're not and then get exposed. Shen Guiya's face turned bright red, she glared at Shen Guiyan with hatred, stood up and said: "I'll write something else."

  "Yah!" Chancellor Gu felt embarrassed, and the look on Gu Zhaodong's face was even more unpleasant. She treated Fu Xue as if he were someone who could tolerate her rudeness?

  "No harm, no harm." Fu Xue's face turned red with anger, but he managed to hold it in and smiled: "Music and dance are really not that interesting, it's better to recite poetry and couplets, it's more elegant and fun. In my opinion, why don't we just let the dancers go and make room for the Four Treasures of the Study? I'd love to see Gu Da Gongzi's skills."

  When it came to Gu Zhaodong, Gu Chengxiang's face looked a bit better: "Alright."

  Mrs. Gu pulled Shen Guiya, her eyes not very kind, Shen Guiya was sulking and didn't care about what was proper or not. She had crossed over from another world, so she should naturally show off a bit, otherwise she would just be living an ordinary life, how could that do justice to her identity as a crosser?

  The four treasures of the study have really arrived, Shen Guiya didn't care about her husband's face and went forward to pick up the brush.

  Then I was stunned.

  A modern, uncultured young woman, how would she know how to write with a brush? Never mind, I'll just write in simple script then, and consider it painting. Even the character Pearl (from the novel "The Legend of Qin") wasn't good at drawing, but her careless strokes were actually quite refreshing.

  Next to him, Gu Zhaodong also came forward, glanced at Shen Guiya with a frown, and then picked up his own pen to write something.

  Shen Guiyan still stood in the crowd, unmoving. Behind her, Jiang Shi gently pushed her: "Young Madam, this is a great opportunity. Since Fourth Young Master isn't here, you can take his place and shine. That Eldest Young Madam has already lost face today, so it's your turn to show off."

  "No." Shen Guiyan shook her head, looking at Zhang Yang's Shen Guiya: "Today, the Duke's banquet is just to let the young master get the scholar's recognition. No matter who else goes up, whether good or bad, they will not be seen."

  "Can... " Jiang pointed at Shen Gui Ya, wanting to say isn't she going up anyway?

  "Sharpness is too revealing, it's not necessarily a good thing." Shen Guiyan smiled slightly: "Showing off in urgent situations, hiding in ordinary times, that's the way of the wise."

  The Jiang family disagreed. After all, they were also the parents of a teenage daughter and thought that showing off was the best thing to do. But Mrs. Shao's nonchalant attitude made people anxious when they saw it.

  "Write two lines of your thoughts and feelings, and it will become a poem." said Fu Xue Shi with a smile.

  Gu Zhaodong was very calm and composed, his brush moved with a divine spirit, and in an instant, he had completed a poem. However, Shen Guiya was even faster, putting down her brush after just a few strokes: "Done."

  The Grand Preceptor's face was pale, and he was extremely displeased in his heart. Normally, Anshi would always praise this daughter-in-law for being virtuous and generous, but now she was so unreasonable, even stealing the spotlight from her own husband, it was simply unbearable.

  Moreover, looking at her appearance doesn't seem like she has much ink in her belly, yet she's showing off here. The so-called talented woman, Gui Yan, didn't say a word, but she's being rash.

  "Let's recite it first?" Fu Xue Shi tapped the table and said, "I also came up with a few lines just now. Why don't we start by throwing out some ideas to inspire others?"

  "Please, sir."

  "There are many heroes in the East Mountain, but few can shoot tigers with bows and arrows. Instead, I seek those with talent, who have the heart to conquer the tiger-like industry." Fu Xue-shi looked at Gu Zao-dong, reciting it sentence by sentence while tapping on the table.

  Shen Guiyan was taken aback.

  Fu Xueshi put the words on the table, saying that today is peaceful and there are many good officials. If you ask again, it means asking for someone with a "tiger-beating" heart.

  One mountain cannot accommodate two tigers, one country cannot accommodate two masters. Who is being referred to as the tiger that needs to be beaten?

  A chill ran down her back, and at this moment, she was somewhat relieved that it wasn't Gu Zhaobei who was going to enter the imperial court.

  Gu Zhaodong also broke out in a cold sweat on his forehead, and he bowed with his fists to Fu Xue: "Fu's poem is excellent, I understand its meaning."

  "Oh?" Fu Xuezi burst out laughing: "He's indeed the number one talent in the capital, a true wit."

  Shen Guiya stood by and listened, with a smile on her face, but in her heart she was extremely disdainful. What kind of poem is this? No atmosphere, no meaning, just asking someone to go fight tigers?

  Shen Guiya smiled and asked: "What did you write, husband?"

  Gu Zhaodong glanced at her and picked up the finished rice paper: "Two sentences of 'Banmen Nao Fu', please instruct me, Lord Fu."

  Fu Xueshi nodded.

  "With a two-foot-long kerchief, she commands the battlefield, and the barbarian troops retreat ten miles to the south. The phoenix may be inferior to the male bird, but women are not necessarily inferior to men." Gu Zhaoyi finished reciting and immediately knelt down, presenting the declaration paper with both hands in front of Fu Xue Shi.

  Fu Xue Shi was overjoyed, took the rice paper and said: "Good! A good woman is not necessarily inferior to a young man. The words of the Grand Prince, I will definitely bring them to the Empress Dowager, to show the Grand Prince's loyalty!"

  Gu Zhaodong let out a sigh of relief, while Gu Chengxiang beside him had a complex expression, also with a smile. Madam Gu heard these words and her heart finally fell back into place.

  This poem is well-written and will surely win the favor of Her Majesty the Empress. As for Gu Zhaodong's future, there's no need to worry about it anymore.

  Everyone was in high spirits, all praising Gu Zhaodong's poem. Shen Guiya also thought he wrote well, at least there was a concept of gender equality in it, what a good man.

  However, what she wrote seems to be of no concern to anyone. Fu Xue Shi has already started discussing state affairs with Gu Zhaodong, and the others have also taken their seats, ready to start dinner.

  It's just like that, it's really embarrassing to lose, and if you take it out again, no one will look at it. Shen Guiya felt that she was the protagonist of a bumpy fate, with so much talent but no one appreciated her, nor did she encounter a great opportunity for others to discover her difference.

  Zheng was about to speak, but Mrs. Gu gave her an opportunity to retreat: "Ya'er, come over and have a meal first."

  "...is." Shen Guiya pinched her own rice paper, unwillingly sat back in her seat. Shen Guiyan sat beside her, quietly using chopsticks.

  "Don't be too happy yet!" Shen Guiya said in a low, angry voice: "Today was just an accident. I know more things than you do. Next time there's an opportunity, you'll definitely find out how much difference there is between us!"

  Shen Guiyan blinked her eyes, looking very innocent. She didn't say anything, at first she wanted to make her wait and see, now the one saying these words was still her, heaven knows she wasn't happy at all, still thinking about court affairs.

  Xu Mengdie sat on the other side of Shen Guiyan, looking at Shen Guiya's appearance, and said with a sneer: "Those who can't get on stage will always be unable to get on stage, no matter where they come from, they are all the same."

  Shen Guiyan heard it and turned her head to glance at her. Xu Mengdie smiled and ate quietly with her.

  Shen Guiya was filled with discontent, clutching the rice paper in her hand and reluctant to let go. After finishing her meal, she went to the garden and said indignantly: "Yu Shu, why didn't you tell me earlier that this is a place after Tang and Song? I wouldn't have lost face like that!"

  Yu Shu was very innocent and had no idea what she meant by "Tang Song" afterwards.

  "Miss, don't be too angry, I believe Master and Mistress won't take today's matter to heart."

  Shen Guiya waved her hand impatiently, but it wasn't that they didn't trust him, she just felt embarrassed.

  People are animals that want to show themselves and prove their uniqueness, but when they fail, they become a laughing stock, and naturally, they will be disheartened for a while.

  Rubbing the Xuan paper in her hand, Shen Guiya got angrier and angrier, so she simply threw it away, throwing it into the garden.

  "I don't believe I know a few thousand years more than her and still can't beat her!"