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At that moment, while everyone was discussing, the prince of the Southern Kingdom, Nangong Mo, stepped forward and said, "Since the eldest daughter of Xia Manor dares to be the first to stand up, then I, Nangong Mo, will be the second."
"Good. Although the Southern Kingdom is a nation, its aura is still not inferior to that of my Azure Dragon Kingdom. In that case, let us see each other's true skills," the Queen appeared to praise the Southern Kingdom but was actually mocking it. If this young and talented prince of the Southern Kingdom, Nangong Mo, were to lose to a mere woman from the Azure Dragon Kingdom, it would be a disgrace for the Sovereign of the Southern Kingdom. Having an impressive aura is not enough; true talent and skill are what truly matter.
Xia Wan'er, confident in her own talents, was not afraid. She stepped forward gracefully and said, "Subject Daughter Xia Wan'er, at your command."
With that, Xia Wan'er turned around proudly to face Nangong Mo and said, "Prince Nangong Mo, since that's the case, allow me to show my shortcomings first."
Nangong Mo replied politely, "Please go ahead, Miss."
Thus, in front of everyone, Xia Wan'er recited a poem about peonies:
"Admiring peonies... The beauty of the peony is unmatched in the courtyard. The lotus on the pond is pure but lacks emotion. Only the peony has true national color. When it blooms, it stirs the entire capital."
As she finished reciting the poem, everyone sighed in admiration.
"What a wonderful poem!"
"I didn't expect that General Xia's eldest daughter has such accomplishments in poetry."
"This poem appears to praise the beauty of the lotus but is actually extolling the exceptional color of the peony—brilliant and noble. Truly remarkable."
"Indeed. She truly lives up to being a general's legitimate daughter."
At that moment, regardless of gender, everyone greatly praised the poem recited by Xia Wan'er. Even the Queen couldn't help but be astonished.
It can be seen that Xia Wan'er’s strength is indeed astonishing.
She received endless praise from everyone. The smile in Xia Wan'er’s eyes grew even more intense. Even when she looked at Xia Yuhan, it was with a provocative gaze. No one could take away the spotlight that belonged to her, not even you, Xia Yuhan.
Xia Yuhan could only resent sitting too close to the front, making her too conspicuous. It was difficult to avoid the attention; she could only choose to selectively ignore Xia Wan'er. As she glanced around, she inadvertently caught sight of Cang Yile looking at her with a worried expression.
Xia Yuhan silently shot Cang Yile a glare, as if to say: What’s wrong? Constipated?
Cang Yile felt quite frustrated by the glare. To be honest, if Xia Yuhan were to compete in martial arts, he believed she still had a chance of winning. But if someone asked her to stand up and recite poetry or paint, how would she fare?
It wasn’t that Cang Yile looked down on Xia Yuhan; he just genuinely thought that asking her to recite poetry or paint would be easier than having her swat flies.
Uh...
How did he come up with such a strange thought?
Cang Yile's mouth began to twitch again. The good thing was that Xia Yuhan had no idea what he was thinking at that moment; otherwise, she would probably ignore him even more.
At the same time, Jiang Tingyu's beautiful brows furrowed slightly before relaxing again. Amidst the silence of the crowd, he couldn’t help but exclaim, “What a wonderful poem. The word ‘appreciate’ encompasses the entire piece, flowing through it seamlessly; its artistic conception is truly remarkable. This word ‘appreciate’ is indeed the finishing touch.”
“The three characters ‘true national beauty’ carry great weight and resonate deeply. Compared to Peony and Hibiscus, the elegance and splendor of the peony overshadow all others, creating an effect of ‘moving the capital.’ The spirit is fully manifested through the comparison of Peony’s enchanting charm and Hibiscus’s purity with the beauty of Peony. It also expresses the admiration and esteem people had for Peonies at that time.”
At this moment, Jiang Tingyu personally praising Xia Wan'er made her heart race with excitement. The feelings she had secretly harbored for Jiang Tingyu deep within her heart surged forth with his melodious voice, almost bursting out.
Her heart raced violently as a blissful smile spread across Xia Wan'er’s face, showing no restraint in expressing her emotions.
Sitting next to Jiang Tingyu, Princess Changning began to feel gloomy. "Right Chancellor, this poem is truly as good as you say."
Just moments ago, Xia Wan'er had been praised by Jiang Tingyu, and now she was completely beside herself with excitement. In a clingy and shy voice, she replied to the princess, "Your Highness may not know, but this poem mainly describes the peony in the courtyard, which is stunningly beautiful yet lacks character. The lotus in the pond is elegant and pure but lacks charm. Only the peony truly embodies the beauty of the nation. When it blooms, it attracts countless admirers and stirs the entire capital."
Xia Yuhan, who had been on the verge of dozing off, couldn't help but find Xia Wan'er's pretentiousness amusing. "Xia Wan'er, you really are clever. Can't you see that the princess is upset because your poem was praised by Jiang Tingyu? Now you're just showing off in front of her. Do you still want to continue mingling here?"
It's important to note that it wasn't just the princess who was angered; there were other young ladies as well. They would certainly not miss the opportunity to showcase their talents in front of Jiang Tingyu.
Moreover, she didn't want Xia Wan'er to exit the stage without any fight. Otherwise, if something happened, she wouldn't even have a chance to pull someone down with her.
If the entire Flower Viewing Banquet continued in such a harmonious manner, it would be like the sun rising from the west.
As expected, Princess Changning was furious with Xia Wan'er: "Stop showing off in front of me! You may recite poetry well, but your paintings are not even half as good as your words."
"Yes, yes! After all, this competition is about painting. Sister Wan'er, let us see your amazing painting skills!"
"Indeed! Sister Wan'er recites poetry so well; surely your painting must be top-notch too. Please show us!"
"…"
The group of women chimed in one after another. Because Xia Wan'er was General Xia's daughter, they outwardly praised her while secretly hoping she would embarrass herself so they could take center stage and showcase their talents in front of Jiang Tingyu and the Queen.
After witnessing this scene, Xia Yuhan couldn't help but sigh internally. This group of women was truly exhausting.
If she were to engage in such mind games with them, her heart would surely be overwhelmed.
Xia Wan'er saw that she had taken all the glory for herself today. She was so happy that she forgot everything else. She didn't care about the hostile gazes directed at her. If you have the ability, come up here too.
As for painting, it was her strong suit. What did she have to fear?
Clearing her throat, Xia Wan'er pretended to be modest: "Sisters, your praise is too much. Xia Wan'er will go paint now."
At this moment, Consort Cui, who had been standing beside Queen, timely lifted the curtain that covered Queen's face. Stepping out, she said, "Prince Nangong Mo might as well compose a poem as well. Let's create a painting together with Eldest Sister of the Xia Family."
"Sure! Ahem... I just have an unreasonable request." Nangong Mo coughed once as he spoke. His cough sounded quite uncomfortable to those around him. "Ahem... That is, the palace wishes for Azure Dragon Kingdom's Right Chancellor to compose a poem for me, and then I will paint."
Consort Cui certainly did not want the outcome to be what Nangong Mo expected: "Prince Nangong Mo. I'm afraid that wouldn't be appropriate. Eldest Sister of the Xia Family not only composes her own poems but also paints them herself. Even if Prince Nangong Mo wins against Eldest Sister of the Xia Family by relying on external help, it would still be an unworthy victory."
"It doesn't matter..."
Who would have thought that Jiang Tingyu, who had rarely spoken at the Flower Viewing Banquet, and who usually showed little respect to officials, would so easily agree?
This made everyone gasp in surprise.
Even Xia Yuhan felt that something was off about the atmosphere at the Flower Viewing Banquet.
"However, to be able to paint based on Jiang Tingyu's poem is probably not an easy task. As long as Prince Nangong Mo dares, then Jiang Tingyu has no reason not to compose a poem for him."
This was Nangong Mo's first time directly facing Azure Dragon Kingdom's Right Chancellor, Jiang Tingyu. He initially thought his request was quite rude and that the other party would disdainfully refuse. However, he did not expect such a straightforward agreement, which left him feeling somewhat unsettled.
"Right Chancellor, why is that? I have lived in Azure Dragon Kingdom for many years and have heard a bit about your deeds. You care for the common people and never give face to high-ranking officials. When they do wrong, you do not spare them; sometimes even the emperor does not receive your favor."
Jiang Tingyu gracefully stood up, standing side by side with Nangong Mo. One of them was radiant, while the other appeared haggard. Although both held noble statuses, Nangong Mo's aura was far less impressive than Jiang Tingyu's.
Seeing this, Xia Yuhan couldn't help but admire Jiang Tingyu in her heart. She even began to gossip about him: such a celestial being, what kind of woman would be worthy of spending her life with him? Has he really not liked any woman over the years?
Xia Yuhan's thoughts were interrupted by Jiang Tingyu's melodious and magnetic voice.
“Jiang Tingyu is merely pursuing his own heart. Prince Nangong Mo, will you be reciting the poem yourself or will Jiang Tingyu take on the task?”
“Please have the Right Chancellor take on the task.”
“Prince Nangong Mo, you are the first to dare challenge Jiang Tingyu. Naturally, Jiang Tingyu hopes to be the first one challenged and to be victorious.”
After speaking, Jiang Tingyu tilted his head back slightly, closed his eyes gently, and stood with his hands clasped behind him, allowing the warm sunlight of April and May to bathe his face.
Just this single action from Jiang Tingyu caused all the young women present to feel their hearts flutter. Although they knew they could never reach him, they still fantasized about him, treating Jiang Tingyu as their ideal man and forever admiring him.
After a while, Jiang Tingyu opened his eyes. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, revealing a shallow Pearl Dimple that captivated everyone's hearts. Even those wealthy young men were moved at the sight.
This Right Chancellor of the Azure Dragon Kingdom, Jiang Tingyu, truly was a celestial being as rumored. To catch a glimpse of his true self at this banquet was indeed fulfilling.
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