Chapter 151: Drinking contest, no end of trouble (1/2)
Chapter 151: Drinking contest, no end of trouble
Long Tianmo’s incredulous gaze rested on Han Yunxi. This was his second time seeing her up close. The first time was when she had cured his strange illness and saved his life. His feeling this time was completely different. Even if he tried to ignore it, he couldn’t lie to himself–he liked this woman. He also knew that she was different from Duanmu Yao. While marrying Duanmu Yao could help him secure his position as crown prince and solidify his claim to the throne, Han Yunxi was someone who could lift his entire life to greater heights.
But he was quick to remind himself of the reality. Behind this woman was a man who could either support his claim to the throne, or easily lift his hand to ruin everything he had today.
He couldn’t afford to offend him!
He could only hope silently in his heart that the Duke of Qin hadn’t discovered how unique this woman was. Perhaps the proud and aloof duke would miss out on this woman. Perhaps, one day in the future, he might have hope as well.
Long Tianmo’s applause gradually revived the rest of the crowd, many of whom joined in the clapping.
“Ingenious! The concept is lofty and magnanimous, these verses are sure to become a classic!”
“Esteemed wangfei really does have hidden depths. The Duke of Qin…has a good eye! Hehe!”
“It’s no wonder she’s Qin Wangfei. This humble one concedes defeat! I’m sincerely convinced from the bottom of my heart!”
“Without the right bearing, it’s impossible to compose lines like these! Esteemed wangfei, we really don’t need to compose any more poems!”
… …
Amongst the people who were waiting to laugh at Han Yunxi, a good majority had generously praised her instead, perfectly willing to consider her their superior. After one reached a certain level of skill, many people would grow jealous. But when one truly reached a high level, their jealousy would change to admiration instead.
Han Yunxi didn’t like plagiarizing, but if this method could shut these people up and have the females recognize her as an exception, she was quite content to play the part of Lei Feng[1] once. Now was her chance to take revenge. She looked towards Duanmu Yao with a soft smile.
“Princess Rongle, it’s your turn.”
Only now did Duanmu Yao recover from her shock. Her heart pounded wildly as her body trembled. It was her turn to show off. But if she couldn’t compose something better, then it’d only serve to enhance Han Yunxi’s work while making a fool of herself! Moreover, Han Yunxi had even said that she was afraid her verses were too good for a follow-up without embarrassing her.
If she were to really compose something now, and it wasn’t as good in comparison, wouldn’t she lose even more face?
What should she do?
She originally wanted to humiliate Han Yunxi, but now she was under everyone else’s scrutiny. There was no way to advance or retreat, especially as the crowd grew quieter and quieter with the passing time. Duanmu Yao’s face gradually reddened as she dearly wished to hide in a crack in the ground! Everyone was waiting. The few who’d spoken out beforehand, or were mentioned by Princess Changping, silently rejoiced at the fact that they hadn’t gone onstage. Otherwise, they’d be the ones embarrassed today! Han Yunxi was such a terrifying woman; her depths were too deep! It looked like they shouldn’t get into conflicts with her in the future, or else they’d die without ever knowing how! Right now, even Princess Changping was relieved that Han Yunxi had only made a bet with Duanmu Yao. If it was her in her place, then she’d be today’s biggest laughingstock!
Han Yunxi’s patience had limits. She laughed a little before reminding helpfully, “Princess Rongle, you’ve been thinking for a long time. You’ve written so many books of poetry, but this is just an ode to the plum blossoms. It doesn’t need so much thought, right?”
Duanmu Yao suddenly raised her head to meet her sparkling eyes. She felt like stabbing this woman through with her sword. Taking a deep breath, she finally admitted her loss between gritted teeth. “Esteemed wangfei is formidable. This princess resigns herself to the fact that she can’t compare!”
Han Yunxi was definitely a girl with a grudge. She wasn’t modest at all, but laughingly said, “Aiya, didn’t I remind you beforehand? You still insisted that I go first and made that bet. Now you have to fulfill the terms, right?”
Duanmu Yao was angry enough to taste blood in her throat. Heaven knows how sullen she felt, but she lowered her voice and spat, “Of course. If you agree to bet, you must be prepared to lose. Starting from today, this princess will never compose another poem!”
Han Yunxi was thoroughly satisfied, her smile radiant and harmless. She turned back to look at Princess Changping. “Changping, are we going to compete in other things too? Painting? Qin playing? Or perhaps chess?”
Princess Changping dared not agree, but quickly rejected the ideas. “We do these things every year, how boring! I think there’s no need!”
Right now, nobody knew the extent of Han Yunxi’s abilities. Who would dare to compete against her? Princess Changping thoroughly regretted the idea! If she knew beforehand that this would happen, she wouldn’t have insisted on a poetry contest. It ended up with Han Yunxi trampling all over Princess Rongle in a stunning victory. Once that poem was circulated to the public, it’d probably create a sensation in the entire capital city. Just the fact that Han Yunxi defeated Princess Rongle and stopped her from composing poetry forever would be news enough to cause a stir in all of Cloud Realm Continent.
After all, Princess Rongle was Cloud Realm Continent’s famous female scholar. Anyone who bested her was bound to be famous! Part of the reason her namesake was so widespread was because she had genuine talent, but the other part came from careful thought, timing, and gold spent molding public opinion. But Han Yunxi had simply used a single poem to gain an overwhelming advantage!
After Princess Changping’s refusal, no one else dared to incite any more troubles. A new round of tea and cake were served up, and everyone fell silent as they sampled the goods. Princess Changping angrily lowered her head as she drank her tea, completely thrown off by Han Yunxi’s performance. She needed some time to recover and examine her anew. Meanwhile, Duanmu Yao had truly taken a blow. The more she thought, the more sullen and ashamed she felt. She didn’t even dare to lift her head and look at anyone else. Finally, she couldn’t sit still anymore and made up an excuse that she felt unwell to leave the gathering. Long Tianmo, who was under the emperor’s orders to get close to her, had no choice but to accompany her as she left.
Han Yunxi enjoyed her tasty pastries as she watched Duanmu Yao’s retreating back. The more she looked, the more she thought of Long Feiye. It had been days since she last saw that fellow. She was expecting him to be here to entertain the guest of honor, but Long Tianmo had come instead. Rumors said that there were three possible marriage candidates for Duanmu Yao: Long Feiye, Long Tianmo, and Mu Qingwu. Judging by Princess Changping’s attitude, Mu Qingwu was an impossible pick. That meant the choice had to be between Long Feiye or Long Tianmo.
What did that guy think of all this?
She told herself that she wouldn’t care about his affairs, but somehow she was mixed up in them again. There were only a few days left before the New Year’s festival. Duanmu Yao wanted to spend the New Year’s in Tianning, so who would she celebrate with on New Year’s Eve? And where would she stay?
Would the marriage alliance have new developments after the new year?
Was Long Feiye really planning to travel then?
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