The venue for the Lotus Appreciation Poetry Gathering was centered around a magnificent and delicate high platform not far from the vast natural lake. On both sides of the platform stood rows of precious trees, where bolts of silk were spread through the air using the trees as nodes, effectively blocking the sun.
Dozens of tables and chairs were neatly arranged below. Between the men and the women, there was a row of beautifully trimmed potted plants acting as a partition.
Cheng Ruyi sat lazily in her chair, completely unbothered by the disdainful glances from the noble ladies around her or the “caring” looks Cheng Qingyao occasionally threw her way. Instead, her eyes were fixed with interest on the two young women sitting atop the high platform, who possessed a rare combination of temperament and beauty.
These two were the famous “Twin Beauties of the Capital”—Princess Qingling and Ye Wanlin, the daughter of the Left Prime Minister.
Princess Qingling wore a pale purple gown with silver patterns embroidered at the hem. Her fair, delicate face was lightly made up, exuding an aura of nobility and grace; every gesture she made held a unique beauty. Beside her, Ye Wanlin wore an apricot-yellow wide-sleeved blouse over a bright red bodice, paired with a matching embroidered skirt. With a face like a hibiscus and lightly traced eyebrows, she carried an indescribable air of poise and luxury.
After studying them closely, Cheng Ruyi sighed in admiration, thinking they truly lived up to their title. She felt a brief moment of silent pity for Ye Wanlin’s tragic future before shifting her gaze.
In addition to the Twin Beauties, there were five highly respected, fair, and impartial judges on the platform, as well as noble madams from high-ranking families watching from nearby.
When the auspicious hour arrived, the gathering officially began.
The event was hosted by the Twin Beauties. A “poetry gathering” was essentially a stage to display one’s talents—zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, sword dancing, and so on. As for which talent one would perform, it was decided by drawing lots.
In front of the platform stood a large box. Each lady would go up and draw a lot for the talent they had to showcase. They would then be scored by the esteemed judges, with a maximum score of ten points per judge. If one drew a talent they were already skilled in, it was considered good luck; otherwise, everything was left to fate.
Cheng Ruyi looked at the eager expressions of the noble ladies and the “worried” look from Cheng Qingyao and found it all incredibly dull. The only things that caught her eye were the delicious fruits and snacks of the Lotus Garden.
“Miss, what do we do?” Moxiang, standing beside her, was pacing in circles with anxiety.
“We go with the flow!” Cheng Ruyi didn’t care in the least. She was unlearned and unskilled; the idea of her making a stunning debut was a joke. She was here today strictly to cause trouble.
According to the plot of the book, the prince—the male protagonist—would arrive while Cheng Qingyao was drawing her lot to perform, accompanied by several other princes and famous heirs of the capital. Their arrival would be quiet, without informing the others.
She only needed to make Cheng Qingyao lose face. Just thinking about it made her feel excited.
The lots were already being drawn in order. The first to go up was the legitimate daughter of Duke Li. She drew “Sword Dance Composition”—quite lucky for her. Duke Li was a military commander, so his daughter naturally knew some martial arts. She performed a self-composed sword dance with fluid, beautiful movements and the poise of a master, drawing a round of applause. From the five judges, she received a total score of thirty-two out of fifty.
The performances that followed were each more brilliant than the last—a true kaleidoscope of talent. Some were outstanding, while others were mediocre or broke down in tears due to a poor showing. Cheng Ruyi watched while munching on melon seeds, thoroughly enjoying herself.
Moxiang, serving beside her, saw that it was almost her lady’s turn. She grew extremely nervous, her breathing becoming rapid.
“Moxiang, relax. Every lady and madam here knows your lady has no ink in her belly. Going up there is just a formality.”
Cheng Ruyi felt her corner of her mouth twitch as she heard Moxiang’s panicked breathing. I’m not even nervous, so why is Moxiang so frantic?
“Maybe I’ll have good luck and draw something in my area of expertise. When that happens, just wait for me to show off my great power.” Cheng Ruyi joked with a smile.
“Miss!” Moxiang was nearly in tears. At a time like this, the lady is still joking.
“Next, would Miss Cheng Ruyi, the eldest legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Changle, please come to the stage to draw a lot!”
The crowd below instantly fell silent. Joy and bashfulness flashed in the eyes of many noble ladies as they couldn’t help but look toward the handsome man who had just appeared, exuding a cold and sharp aura. Their beautiful eyes were full of admiration. On the side of the young lords and noble sons, expressions were varied.
As for Cheng Ruyi, she felt the familiar aura on the man and was overjoyed. It seemed the person eavesdropping in the woods earlier was indeed Prince Pingnan. Talk about good luck!
Now Cheng Ruyi felt even more cocky. Once the solar eclipse appeared, Prince Pingnan would surely believe her “dream.” With the famous God of War of the Great Zhou on her side, if Cheng Qingyao wanted to steal the limelight—hehe, keep dreaming! Cheng Ruyi was delighted to have dug another hole for her cousin.
“Greetings to Prince Pingnan!”
Everyone bowed respectfully to the Prince. Cheng Ruyi, who genuinely respected this Prince, straightened her expression and bowed formally. Then, she watched with interest the struggle and fleeting obsession in Cheng Qingyao’s eyes.
Prince Pingnan, in both her past life and this one, remained the “white moonlight” and “cinnabar mole” in the female lead’s heart. Unfortunately, this Prince was too cold and indifferent to women; he was exactly the type of person destined to be single forever.
The Twin Beauties were delighted by his arrival and had a chair added to the platform. Prince Pingnan sat down with a frigid expression and signaled for the gathering to continue.
The ladies who had already performed felt regret and resentment, while those who hadn’t were overjoyed. Cheng Qingyao was so excited her whole body trembled slightly. In particular, the lady who had performed right before Cheng Ruyi was an acquaintance of hers—Zhao Yalan. She wished more than anything that time could turn back; she glared at Cheng Ruyi with a look of hidden malice.
Under the jealous gazes of the young ladies, Cheng Ruyi walked slowly onto the stage. She casually pulled a slip of paper from the large box and handed it to the maid. The maid passed it to one of the esteemed elders, who opened it and read aloud:
“Would Miss Cheng please compose a poem using ‘Summer‘ as the theme!”
As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd below almost burst into gloating laughter. Cheng Qingyao, however, maintained a face full of “worry.”
“Oh, so it’s Summer? That’s easy!” Cheng Ruyi’s eyes lit up upon hearing this. She looked at the crowd below with a hint of pride. Hehe, back when her “Big Sister” was bitten by mosquitoes during a hot summer, she had once written a poem.
“Since Miss Cheng says it’s easy, then hurry up and recite it for us to hear!” a young nobleman from below called out with a grin.
Cheng Ruyi rolled her eyes at him, lifted her chin, and happily recited the poem:
“In summer if you do not bathe,
Mosquitoes bite you everywhere.
At night comes the sound of ‘clap-clap’,
*I wonder how many have died.
[1]
“
After reciting, Cheng Ruyi looked at everyone with a lingering sense of satisfaction, only to find them all stunned. Haha, I knew it. The poems Big Sister writes are extraordinary.
“Tell me, everyone, isn’t this poem very appropriate for the setting? Very vivid…” Cheng Ruyi gave everyone a “you all understand” smile, a hint of craftiness flashing in her eyes.
Prince Pingnan, who had only just arrived, was so shocked by this poem that his cold expression instantly shattered. The teacup in his hand nearly fell to the floor.
Cheng Qingyao looked at the smiling Cheng Ruyi on the stage and then glanced at Prince Pingnan, a slight curl appearing at the corners of her mouth. This Cousin Ruyi really knows how to court death.
“Hahahaha!” A burst of laughter erupted from below. The source of this chapter is g.com.
The noble ladies laughed with more restraint, but the young lords and noble sons on the other side laughed quite recklessly and suggestively.
“It truly is vivid! Miss Cheng has great talent, I, Li, am impressed!” a profligate noble son gave Cheng Ruyi a thumbs-up, acting like a kindred spirit.
Cheng Ruyi waved her hand and said with a giggle, “No need to be so impressed, I’ll get shy.” At this, many people burst into laughter again.
The noble madams watching from a distance looked at Cheng Ruyi with disdain. Truly a vulgar thing that cannot be presented in public.
After such a scene, the smiles on the faces of the Twin Beauties were very forced. Only the judges on the platform looked terrible. One of them barked, “Nonsense!” and they proceeded to give Cheng Ruyi zero points across the board.
Cheng Ruyi stepped down, completely unconcerned. Prince Pingnan, watching her carefree and easygoing attitude, felt a strange sensation. He had a feeling that the Eldest Miss of the Changle Hou Manor had done this on purpose.
Several more unfamiliar ladies went up to perform. Cheng Ruyi watched lazily, waiting for Cheng Qingyao’s turn. Beside her, Moxiang looked like she had lost all hope—tomorrow, her lady’s “poetry” would surely become the laughingstock of the capital once again.
“Next, would Miss Cheng Qingyao, the legitimate daughter of the Jian’an Hou, please come to the stage!”
Hearing this, Cheng Ruyi thought: Finally. She perked up and rubbed her hands together, ready to give Cheng Qingyao a “big gift.” Wanting to show off? In your dreams!
Cheng Qingyao rose elegantly, smiled at everyone, and lifted the corners of her skirt to leave her seat. Whether it was her “heroine halo” or not, Cheng Ruyi noticed that everyone’s eyes were focused on Cheng Qingyao.
Cheng Ruyi snickered. The more people watching, the better!
Among these gazes, most from the women were filled with jealousy and envy, while the men—aside from a few who remained indifferent—looked at Cheng Qingyao with admiration and obsession.
By now, the male lead and the other princes should have arrived. Cheng Ruyi used her ability to sense her surroundings; sure enough, a group of unfamiliar presences had arrived.
Hehe!
Cheng Ruyi watched Cheng Qingyao’s graceful, swaying figure. With excitement in her heart, she silently channeled her ability, causing several blades of grass hidden beneath the red carpet to push up violently against Cheng Qingyao’s left foot.
Cheng Qingyao lost her center of gravity and let out a sharp cry. With a loud thud, she fell in a very ungraceful “dog-eating-dirt” position. The golden step-shake (hairpin) on her head even fell to the ground.
The entire scene was incredibly pathetic.
The crowd was dumbfounded: “…”
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[1] Literal translation of the humorous Chinese doggerel: *Summer no bath, everywhere mosquito bite, night comes pa-pa sound, don’t know die how many.