Chapter 75

After Ling Jiaxuan finished reciting his poem, everyone had already been won over by his literary talent. None of the young masters who competed afterward could surpass him. Before long, the young masters from Dayi all took turns displaying their skills. Yet, by comparison, Ling Jiaxuan’s literary talent was still superior. Ling Jiaxuan himself, however, remained seated in his chair, leisurely drinking wine, as though he had come to the peach-blossom banquet not to seek a woman he fancied, but simply for the sake of the wine in his cup. Seeing that Ling Jiaxuan was still drinking with such ease, Ling Jiayue could not help smiling. Her Older Brother had always been free-spirited by nature and loved his freedom; he did not care about fame or gain in the slightest. For the Prime Minister’s household, however, this was not necessarily a bad thing. The Ling family’s power was already too great. If they pursued fame and fortune as well, it would be no different from pouring oil onto a raging fire. It was better to remain content and guard what they had. “Excellent. The talented men of Dayi have truly opened My eyes. They are indeed true gentlemen of refined elegance,” Chu Chaoci praised. “Not at all. The talented men of Ye Kingdom have yet to begin competing. If they truly compete, I fear Ye Kingdom’s talents will be even more impressive. Sovereign of Ye Kingdom, you must not underestimate yourselves,” Mu Yuyang teased. Clearly, Ling Jiaxuan’s poem had been so splendid that it had put Mu Yuye in an excellent mood. “The Sovereign of Dayi is too kind. Talented men of Ye Kingdom, you need not conceal your abilities any longer. Bring out your best skills,” Chu Chaoci said with a smile. “Yes.” The talented men of Ye Kingdom rose one after another in response. The talented men of Ye Kingdom took turns standing up and displaying their abilities. Chu Chaoci and Mu Yuye watched them reveal their literary talents, their expressions full of meaning. Whenever they encountered someone truly gifted, Chu Chaoci did not hesitate to bestow a reward. The gifts were scattered like flowing water. As it turned out, Chu Chaoci really did discover several learned men of considerable talent at the banquet. He signaled to the eunuch in charge beside him, instructing him to record their names. Once they returned to court, these men were to be given important positions. At last, the talented men of both Dayi and Ye Kingdom had finished displaying their abilities. Mu Yuye and Chu Chaoci then began their mutual exchange of diplomatic praise. “Ye Kingdom is truly a land of outstanding people and marvelous landscapes, with talents emerging in every generation,” Mu Yuye praised. Chu Chaoci returned the compliment. “How could we compare with Dayi? Your kingdom has truly made Us look at you in a new light.” At this point, Empress Su Wanrong interrupted them. “Your Majesty, Sovereign of Ye Kingdom, the young masters have finished competing in literary talent. Should we now have the young ladies compete in calligraphy? The hairpin-style regular script written by women is exceptionally beautiful. We must not focus only on the young masters’ literary talents and overlook the young ladies’ calligraphy.” “The Empress speaks wisely. Sovereign of Ye Kingdom, let us also take a look at the calligraphy of the young ladies from each household,” Mu Yuye said. “That sounds good. Since the young masters’ literary competition began with Dayi, let the young ladies’ calligraphy competition begin with Ye Kingdom,” Chu Chaoci proposed. He had made this suggestion because a young lady from Ye Kingdom had come today whose calligraphy was exceptionally fine. She was the daughter of the Censor, known as Miss Zhang, and her hairpin-style regular script was exceptionally beautiful. Although men’s calligraphy was generally broad and powerful, at times it could not match the delicate boudoir charm of women’s hairpin-style regular script. “Very well. Then let the young ladies of Ye Kingdom begin,” Mu Yuye agreed. Chu Chaoci cast a glance at Miss Zhang, and she immediately understood. There were two reasons Miss Zhang was so obedient. First, Chu Chaoci had only recently lost the Empress. If she won his favor this time, it was not impossible that she might advance further after returning home. Even if she could not take the position of Empress, she might still persuade Chu Chaoci to arrange a good marriage for her. Second, before Miss Zhang had set out, the Censor had repeatedly warned her not to disappoint Chu Chaoci’s instructions. For this reason, Miss Zhang had practiced calligraphy diligently every day from the moment she set out, swearing that she would shine brilliantly at the peach-blossom banquet. However, she had constantly feared that excessive effort would have the opposite effect. She had practiced until her hands were trembling slightly, and she was worried that she would be unable to perform at her best today. Bearing such an important responsibility, Miss Zhang stood up somewhat nervously and said, “This humble daughter is Miss Zhang of Ye Kingdom. I am willing to cast out a brick to attract jade and make a fool of myself.” “Miss Zhang, there is no need to be nervous. This is only a small competition. Relax and simply do your best,” Mu Yuye comforted her patiently when he saw how uneasy she was, displaying the bearing of a sovereign. Chu Chaoci merely watched her, encouraging her with his eyes. With both sovereigns offering her comfort, Miss Zhang felt somewhat calmer. She walked to the center of the grounds, where a writing desk and the four treasures of the study had already been prepared. Since this was Miss Zhang’s first competition, she took a deep breath to ease the tension in her heart before instructing the maid beside her, “Grind the ink.” The maid began grinding the ink as instructed. Miss Zhang smiled faintly, as though victory were already within her grasp. Once the maid had finished preparing the ink, Miss Zhang rolled up the sleeves on both arms. Everyone, including Chu Chaoci, looked at her in confusion. Why would she need to roll up the sleeves of both arms just to write? Miss Zhang only smiled faintly. She picked up a brush in each hand and began writing on the paper with both hands at the same time. It turned out that Miss Zhang could write with both hands. The people at the banquet were all amazed. She applied ink with both hands simultaneously, and before long, she had finished writing. The hairpin-style regular script produced by each hand was equally beautiful, making it impossible to tell which hand had written better. “Miss Zhang, you have truly given everyone a pleasant surprise. To write so well with both hands at the same time—apart from you, I fear there is no second person capable of it,” Mu Yuye exclaimed. Miss Zhang smiled faintly. Her ability to write with both hands was a secret she had practiced painstakingly. Otherwise, how could her calligraphy alone have made her stand out? Chu Chaoci also praised her. “Miss Zhang truly deserves to be called Ye Kingdom’s talented young lady. You may serve as a model for all the women of Ye Kingdom. Guards, bring her a generous reward!” Only then did Miss Zhang truly break into delighted laughter at Chu Chaoci’s praise. She was especially happy to hear that she could serve as a model. A model for all the women of a kingdom—that meant becoming its Empress. Miss Zhang smiled even more brightly. After accepting her reward, she returned to her seat. Seeing how brilliantly Miss Zhang had performed, Madam Liu could not help worrying. “Yue'er, Miss Zhang’s calligraphy is so outstanding. Will she overshadow you?” Ling Jiayue reassured Madam Liu, “Mother, beyond every person there is another person, and beyond the heavens there are yet higher heavens. Besides, there is no end to the study of literature and calligraphy. In the end, the competition is merely about who has put more effort into it. And Older Brother has already presented such a fine performance. Even if your daughter is a little lazy, it will not matter.” “You are right. I never intended to marry you off at this peach-blossom banquet anyway. Let us simply watch the competition in peace,” Madam Liu said. Ling Yuwan, seated behind Ling Jiayue, secretly sneered inwardly: If you cannot beat her, then you cannot beat her. Why make up all these excuses? Yet she had forgotten that even if Ling Jiayue could not surpass Miss Zhang, Ling Yuwan herself was even less capable of doing so.