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墨書 Inktalez
Jiang Tingyu absolutely did not come here solely for Xia Yuhan. A significant part of his visit was simply to join in the excitement. This excitement was worth his presence.
Cang Yile, who remained silent nearby, was so calm because he trusted his own woman. Such a minor issue could surely be resolved. Indeed, within half a cup of tea's time, this predicament was beautifully resolved.
With a slight strategy, not only did she extricate herself from danger, but she also made those who were trying to deal with her slap themselves in the face. Truly impressive.
The other young masters present all silently praised Xia Yuhan's outstanding resistance. If it had been them, they would likely have chosen to avoid trouble, preferring to offend themselves rather than draw attention in such a situation.
"Cough cough cough... cough cough cough..." A series of intermittent coughs broke the dead silence of the scene.
If it weren't for this coughing sound, the Queen might still be lost in her thoughts, watching Xia Yuhan easily escape her predicament. She was truly unwilling to accept that she had ultimately lost to her.
If she hadn't forced Xia Yuhan to enter the palace for the Flower Viewing Banquet, which was primarily held for her benefit, what could Xia Yuhan use to refute her now?
Forget it. Forget it. She had no choice but to spare her life for now. On the way through the palace, due to good fortune, she encountered Right Chancellor Jiang Tingyu and escaped a deadly calamity. And now...
Thinking of this, the Queen rubbed her temples in frustration: "Alright, alright. Since they are all my guests, let them sit down. The noise is bothering me. Cui, is the Flower Viewing Banquet about to begin?"
Cui was indeed Consort Cui. Having been by the Queen's side for many years, she naturally knew what troubled her. Seeing the situation, she quickly responded: "Your Majesty, the Flower Viewing Banquet is ready to start. Otherwise, it will be bad if the auspicious time passes."
"Then let it begin."
Seeing that the Queen had spoken, everyone quickly responded with cheerful agreement. The previously silent Flower Viewing Banquet venue was now filled with a harmonious atmosphere.
With the Queen's special pardon granted to Xia Yuhan, she began looking around for the source of that coughing sound. She felt that this cough sounded somewhat familiar, as if she had heard it recently somewhere.
However, after searching through the crowd of young masters, she could not find any trace of that person.
Returning to the topic at hand, this royal Flower Viewing Banquet was something Xia Yuhan had never seen before. Just for one Flower Viewing Banquet, a considerable amount of manpower and resources had been mobilized, along with various exotic flowers in the garden.
In Xia Yuhan's impression, this Flower Viewing Banquet was merely about admiring flowers, composing poetry, and showcasing talents.
However, she suddenly recalled what Second Madam had told her earlier: this Flower Viewing Banquet was generally held by the Queen to find a suitable princess for the prince. Over time, it gradually evolved into an event where outstanding women who caught the prince's or emperor's eye would have the fortune of marrying into the imperial family.
Moreover, if young masters from noble families showcased their talents at the Flower Viewing Banquet and gained recognition from the Queen, they could later use backdoor connections and have the Queen speak favorably on their behalf in front of the emperor. They might even secure a decent position within the palace or capital. Naturally, these individuals would also serve the Queen privately.
So now this Flower Viewing Banquet is not just a simple gathering. In the words of Xia Yuhan, it is an intense talent competition. However, the main focus is still on the children and daughters of high-ranking officials in the court, providing them with more opportunities to showcase their talents.
Xia Yuhan watched as palace maids and eunuchs came and went in the garden, bustling around a stone table not far from the Queen, busy setting things up. It seemed like they were going to compete in poetry and song.
Xia Yuhan thought to herself that she had come today merely to save her own life. Let those who love to show off do so; she would avoid it if she could. Besides, she did not particularly enjoy poetry, music, or painting. She was the kind of person who would fall asleep upon hearing the Three Hundred Tang Poems... So every time she had insomnia, reciting a poem would surely put her to sleep.
Everything was ready. The Queen, sitting high above, glanced over the crowd and said, "We can begin now. Cui, you may proceed."
"Yes, Empress."
This Flower Viewing Banquet has gradually evolved into an important event for selecting candidates for the Emperor's consort. Therefore, as the Queen, it was only natural for her to oversee it personally for the Emperor.
Consort Cui cleared her throat and took a breath: "This year, let's try something new. In previous years, we appreciated flowers and composed poetry. This year, how about combining poetry with painting? Whoever paints the best will receive a grand prize prepared by the Empress herself."
Upon hearing this, the other women whispered among themselves about how difficult this year's challenge seemed. Xia Wan'er felt a surge of joy in her heart. While she might not be as good at poetry as they were, painting was her forte.
She would not miss this important opportunity.
Xia Wan'er was determined to make everyone’s attention focus on her, especially that of the Right Chancellor from Azure Dragon Kingdom.
"This painting competition should rightfully belong to my Southern Kingdom, which is renowned for its artistry. Therefore, the topic set by the Empress today is merely a formality."
Just as everyone was eager to participate, a powerful male voice echoed from somewhere in the corner.
Xia Yuhan recognized that voice immediately and turned to look in its direction. She saw a man dressed in white slowly walking toward them. However, his complexion looked poor; his lips were pale as if he had been seriously ill for a long time.
Could this be the person who coughed earlier?
As Xia Yuhan furrowed her brows in thought, the man in white coughed again but still managed to walk up to the Queen.
The Queen remained unfazed: "Who could this be? Oh, it's just the prince from Southern Kingdom who has been left here in Azure Dragon Kingdom by his master. If I remember correctly, you are indeed a bargaining chip for peace between Southern Kingdom and Azure Dragon Kingdom."
Facing pressure from the Queen, the man in white remained unmoved and bowed respectfully: "Empress, I am Nangong Mo, prince of Southern Kingdom. Even if I am used as a bargaining chip for peace between our two nations, I am still a prince of Southern Kingdom. Since you have invited me here today, I shall do my utmost to attend this Flower Viewing Banquet. Cough cough... cough cough..."
Xia Yuhan looked at him, noticing his sickly appearance, and felt a sense of worry for him. He was dressed in white, just like Jiang Tingyu. Although he was a prince of a nation, he could not compare to Jiang Tingyu at all.
Nangong Mo, despite being polite in his demeanor, lacked the ethereal quality that Jiang Tingyu possessed.
The Empress raised her finely arched eyebrows, her imposing presence pressing down on Nangong Mo: "I hope you can give your all. I have heard that you were the most promising young prince of the Southern Kingdom in your youth. You have come to this banquet representing the Southern Kingdom. Now, accompanied by the Southern Kingdom Envoy, you must not disappoint the Sovereign's efforts." If it weren't for the tense situation between the Azure Dragon Kingdom and the Northern Barbarians regarding the Southern Kingdom, the Emperor would not have summoned the prince from the Southern Kingdom to use this banquet to suppress their increasingly arrogant attitude. Otherwise, if the Southern Kingdom and Northern Kingdom allied together, it would be greatly disadvantageous for them.
"Nangong Mo understands." He bowed again before stepping aside to stand next to Princess Changning, directly facing Xia Yuhan. It seemed that he was indeed here for the purpose of poetry and painting.
When Nangong Mo's gaze met Xia Yuhan's eyes, a faint smile flickered across his face before disappearing without a trace.
This was the first time Xia Yuhan had seen the coughing man up close and couldn't help but sigh inwardly. What a coincidence that they would meet even while fleeing on the road yesterday.
The Queen noticed the silence around her: "What? Is no one brave enough to challenge?"
The noble descendants of the Azure Dragon Kingdom exchanged glances, waiting for someone to step forward first.
Painting was a skill typically reserved for women; among men, few could create perfect and lifelike artworks.
Xia Wan'er felt secretly pleased. This was truly a great opportunity; her glorious days had arrived. She had long awaited the honor of having everyone bow down at her feet.
"Empress, Subject Daughter Xia Wan'er dares to be the first to accept the challenge."
"Good. Truly worthy of being a general's daughter. Though a woman, she does not lose the grace of our Azure Dragon Kingdom's military lineage."
"Subject Daughter thanks the Empress. However, I am unsure how this challenge will be set. What poem should I recite? How should I paint?"
Xia Wan'er’s pride did not escape Xia Yuhan’s notice. Xia Yuhan knew exactly what calculations Xia Wan'er was making in her heart.
She couldn't help but silently laugh at Xia Wan'er’s foolishness. All she thought about was her own glory, without considering what would happen if she lost to this prince from the Southern Kingdom.
It seemed that today, Xia Wan'er wouldn’t need her to take action; someone else would handle her for her. Deep down, Xia Yuhan felt an instinctive belief that no matter how good Xia Wan'er's painting skills were, she could not surpass the sickly Nangong Mo.
Xia Yuhan lowered her gaze and quietly stared at the pastries on her table, hiding all traces of mocking laughter deep within her eyes.
"Just simply reciting poetry and painting. The rules are up to you. This year, I will follow your lead."
When the Queen's words were spoken, the crowd below was left in a dilemma.
"What should we do? Recite poetry? Who will recite? What kind of poetry? There are no regulations?"
"What kind of poetry is best to recite?"
"Yeah. How about we recite poetry about peonies?"
"…"
Everyone exchanged words, but after much discussion, they still couldn't come to a conclusion.
Jiang Tingyu remained calm and leisurely, sipping his tea without a hint of worry that anyone would stand up to challenge him.
Nangong Mo actually wanted to challenge Jiang Tingyu. After all, he had finally met the renowned young and accomplished Right Chancellor of the Azure Dragon Kingdom today. However, he wasn't here just for himself; he carried the weight of an entire nation on his shoulders. Although his father had dismissed him for being weak and sickly, leaving him in the Azure Dragon Kingdom, he was still a Southern Kingdom person. He could not afford to bring shame to the Southern Kingdom today.
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