Reborn Young Lady's Peerless Grace

The theme of this poetry writing was "Peach Blossom Dream". The scene was elegantly and exquisitely decorated, with carved sandalwood tables neatly arranged, and pens, ink, paper and inkstones all available, exuding a faint scent of ink.

Her expression was calm, her gaze fixed on the pristine white rice paper, ready to begin writing. She pursed her lips, pondered for a moment, then picked up her pen and wrote, "In my dream of peach blossoms, I seek their fragrant shadows, a gentle breeze gently sweeps the petals away." While this poem captures some of the scenes from the peach blossom dream, the overall feeling is rather bland, lacking in charm.

Seeing this, Shen Wanru's lips curled up in a confident smile, and she tilted her head slightly, as if enjoying the attention. With a flick of her wrist, she wrote, "In a dream of peach blossoms, we are entwined, our longing for each other is endless." As soon as this line came out, the surroundings immediately erupted in admiration.

"Miss Shen's poem is truly wonderful! The word 'tenderness' is used very well, and the tenderness and sweetness in the peach blossom dream are displayed vividly." A young man in a brocade robe could not help but praise.

"That's right, 'endless longing and lingering', this artistic conception is profound and makes people have endless aftertaste." A young lady next to her echoed, her eyes full of admiration.

"In comparison, Miss Shen Si's poems seem mediocre." Someone whispered. Although the voice was small, it reached Shen Wanqing's ears clearly.

Shen Wanqing frowned slightly, but quickly regained her composure. She knew her poem wasn't particularly impressive. She'd try to cheer Shen Wanru up for a while, then see how she'd end up crying.

"Miss Shen is indeed a famous talented woman in the capital. Her poetry skills are profound." An elderly teacher stroked his beard and nodded frequently.

"It seems that Miss Shen will be the winner of this year's poetry competition." Everyone echoed and praised Shen Wanqing's poems.

As Shen Wanru heard these words of praise, the smile on her face became even brighter. She looked at Shen Wanqing proudly, her eyes full of provocation.

But Shen Wanqing was not disturbed by these noises. She still sat there quietly, thinking about her poems.

At this time, a graceful young scholar stepped forward and said, "Although Miss Shen's poems are plain, they also have a simple beauty. Perhaps she has not yet fully demonstrated her talent."

As soon as these words were spoken, the surroundings suddenly became quiet for a moment, and then someone said, "Even so, it's still far behind Miss Shen's poem."

Shen Wanru smiled contemptuously and mocked Shen Wanqing: "Sister, you still need to work harder."

Shen Wanqing raised her head and said calmly, "Sister is very talented, and I should learn from her."

The maidservant nearby, following the rules, posted the sisters' poems in the display area for more people to read and comment on. A crowd of onlookers gathered in front of the display area, pointing and praising Shen Wanru's poems, while Shen Wanqing's poems seemed much quieter.

"They are both daughters of the Marquis' Mansion, so why is there such a huge difference between them? It seems that this Miss Shen is really talented."

"Thank you all for your kindness." Shen Wanru covered her face modestly, but still couldn't hide the smile in her eyes.

"Sister, your poems are so elegant and beautiful that I am ashamed to be inferior to you." Shen Wanqing raised the corners of her mouth, revealing a faint smile. The smile seemed sincere, but in fact it carried a subtle and profound meaning.

Shen Wanru's face was full of pride when she heard her sister's praise, and her chin was slightly raised, enjoying the praise from the people around her. However, Shen Wanqing's eyes inadvertently became sharp.

The poem written by Shen Wanru is exactly the same as the one in the poetry collection given by the down-and-out scholar she rescued.

Recalling her past life, Shen Wanqing's heart was overwhelmed with emotion. Back then, Shen Wanru had won praise at the Hundred Flowers Banquet with this plagiarized poem, instantly gaining fame as a talented person. Meanwhile, the truly talented had been overshadowed by her.

In this life, Shen Wanqing secretly swore in her heart that she would never let Shen Wanru deceive the world and steal fame with such despicable means again.

Meanwhile, many people at other tables had finished writing poems and handed them to the maids to hang up. Suddenly, poems were displayed before everyone like snowflakes.

Shen Wanqing shifted her attention away from Shen Wanru and began to read attentively. The poem written by Shen Wanxiu, the daughter of the Hou Mansion's eldest wife, unfolded like a beautiful scroll before her eyes. The words flowed like flowing water, their strokes as fleeting as clouds and smoke. Every word seemed to dance with a vibrant musical note, enchanting her.

The girls who accompanied Shen Wanxiu were all students of the Imperial Tutor, and their poems were all unique and full of real talent and learning. Some were graceful and delicate, some were bold and majestic, and some were fresh and refined. Each poem displayed a unique charm and profound foundation.

Immersed in these masterpieces, Shen Wanqing couldn't help but recall the scenes of her previous life. Back then, Shen Wanxiu was clearly exceptionally talented, her poems exquisite and incomparable, but due to Shen Wanru's machinations, she was completely outshined and ultimately only took second place at the Hundred Flowers Banquet. Thinking of this, Shen Huqing's brows furrowed slightly, feeling a sense of injustice for Shen Wanxiu.

She was so focused on reading the poem, her expression so concentrated and absorbed that she didn't even notice Shen Wanxiu quietly standing beside her.

When Shen Wanqing finally came back to her senses from the poem and turned her head, she met Shen Wanxiu's clear eyes.

Shen Wanxiu's eyes were as bright as stars. She tilted her head and smiled at Shen Wanqing. There was no contempt or arrogance in that smile, but it was full of friendliness and kindness.

Shen Wanqing was stunned at first, then she smiled back and said, "Second sister's poetry is truly a masterpiece. Wanqing really admires it."

Shen Wanru shook her head gently and said, "Fourth sister, you are too kind. I saw that my eldest sister was so serious when she was appreciating the poem. I think she must be a poetry lover too."

The two smiled at each other, as if they had found a soulmate.

Shen Wanxiu continued, "There are many poems at this Hundred Flowers Banquet. Does Fourth Sister have any favorites?"

Shen Wanqing thought for a moment and said, "The poems written by my second sister and all of my classmates have enlightened me. But I just remember that in my previous life, my second sister was so talented, but was..." At this point, Shen Wanqing suddenly realized that something was wrong and quickly stopped talking.

Shen Wanxiu seemed to understand what she hadn't finished saying. A hint of emotion flashed in her eyes as she said, "There's no need to talk about the past. But the results of my own efforts will surely be different."

Shen Wanqing nodded and said, "Yes, it must be different."

Just as the two were chatting happily, Shen Wanru's voice came from not far away: "Oh, my younger sister and the second sister seem to be having a good chat."

Shen Wanqing and Shen Wanxiu looked at Shen Wanru at the same time, only to see that she had a fake smile on her face, but her eyes were filled with jealousy and dissatisfaction.

Shen Wanqing said calmly, "Sister, your poems have been highly praised. Do you still have the leisure to come here?"

Shen Wanru's face froze, and then she said, "I just came to see what interesting topics my sister and Miss Xie were talking about."

Shen Wanru smiled slightly. "We're just talking about poetry. I'm sure you're interested, too, Big Sister."

Shen Wanru snorted, "I don't have the time for that." After that, she turned around and left with a twist of her waist.