Reborn Young Lady's Peerless Grace

Of the many poems posted, Shen Wanru's had undoubtedly received the most praise. Its beautiful words and gorgeous rhetoric seemed to encapsulate the entire beauty of spring. If nothing unexpected happened, her poem would surely take first place in the poetry competition.

"In Miss Shen's poem, the word 'fragrance' is a metaphor for peach blossoms at their peak bloom, like the unrivaled beauty of a young girl. What does the 'tenderness' in that line mean?" Shen Wanxiu stood among the crowd, her bright eyes filled with a thirst for knowledge. She had always been eager to learn, and when she saw a poem better than her own, she couldn't help but ask, "Please enlighten me."

When Shen Wanru heard this question, her face suddenly changed. She was speechless for a moment, her eyes darting around in panic. After hesitating for a long time, she could only manage this sentence: "Tenderness also refers to peach blossoms."

Such a simple and vague answer was obviously unsatisfactory. The surrounding ladies and Shen Wanxiu were all very confused. They exchanged glances with each other and secretly wondered why Shen Wanru could not understand her poem at all.

Just as the awkward atmosphere was about to spread, Shen Wanqing's soft yet firm voice echoed, "I think the artistic conception of your poem is to compare peach blossoms to a young girl in her prime, and also to use peach blossoms as a metaphor for a drunken beauty, her cheeks flushed like a tenderness." Her expression was calm, her tone gentle, and she continued, "The flowers are as shy as people, and people are as blooming as flowers. The double meaning is truly admirable."

With Shen Wanqing's explanation, it was like a spring breeze that blew away the fog in everyone's hearts, and the artistic conception of the poem was clearly presented before everyone. Everyone was stunned at first, but then suddenly understood and nodded in praise.

"Well said!" A man clapped his hands and emerged from the crowd, laughing heartily. "Young lady, your interpretation is brilliant." This man was none other than Xiao Chenyang, the son of the Prime Minister's family. He wore a dark blue robe, a jeweled belt around his waist, and stood tall, his face handsome yet uninhibited. Xiao Chenyang appeared lazy and single-minded, but in reality, at a young age, he had risen to the rank of Deputy Commander of the Fourth Cavalry, relying on his own abilities, and was quite well-known in the capital.

Seeing the person behind Xiao Chenyang, Su Jinzhu couldn't help but smile. It turned out that this young master from the Prime Minister's Mansion had been invited to support his second sister, Shen Wanxiu, and he had brought his good friend Du Zhijie along. Du Zhijie was dressed in a moon-white gown, with a warm jade pendant hanging from his waist, which made him look even more elegant and refined.

Amidst the crowd, Du Zhijie immediately noticed Shen Wanqing's smiling gaze. The two of them exchanged glances, their eyes locked in tacit understanding. It was as if everything around them had stopped in that moment, their gazes alone conveying a feeling only they could understand. But then, as if by telepathic agreement, they simultaneously averted their gazes, each blushing a barely perceptible flush.

"Zhijie, I think this girl is very talented at interpreting poetry. We should get to know her better in the future. After all, such talented women are very likable." Xiao Chenyang spoke frankly, not noticing the gradually cooling look in Du Zhijie's eyes. He waved his hand, pointing at Shen Wanqing and said to Du Zhijie.

"Miss Shen Si and I are old acquaintances." Du Zhijie glared at Xiao Chenyang, but inwardly he was deeply impressed by Shen Wanqing's interpretation of the poem. Just by looking at his friend's eyes, he knew that he must have a crush on Shen Si. However, he also truly admired Shen Wanqing and felt that if this friend, who appeared cold on the outside but warm on the inside, could develop a relationship with Shen Wanqing, it would be a wonderful thing.

"I wrote this poem. Would you two be willing to appreciate it?" Shen Wanru was overjoyed to see Xiao Chenyang and Du Zhijie appear. She hurried forward and greeted them with a beaming smile. She deliberately slowed her pace, swaying her figure, showcasing her most charming side. Her eyes were filled with anticipation, hoping to use her poem to attract these two young men of apparently distinguished status. After all, at this Hundred Flowers Banquet, to win the favor of a distinguished young man was a dream come true for a young lady from an aristocratic family. This was also a key reason why young ladies from aristocratic families competed so hard to stand out at the Hundred Flowers Banquet.

Xiao Chenyang glanced at Shen Wanru, frowned slightly, and said, "Miss Shen's poem has been explained very clearly by that girl just now, so I won't say much." His tone was flat, and it was obvious that he was not very interested in Shen Wanru's initiative to show goodwill.

Shen Wan'na's smile froze slightly, but she quickly returned to normal and said, "Mr. Xiao, you are too modest. I still hope to hear your opinion."

Du Zhijie smiled and said, "Ms. Shen's poem is indeed good, but the artistic conception is still more exquisitely interpreted by Miss Shen."

Shen Wanru's face turned ugly in an instant. She bit her lip and forced a smile, saying, "Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Du." But in her heart she hated Shen Wanqing to the core.

Shen Wanxiu walked forward, took Shen Wanqing's hand, and said, "Fourth sister, let's go over there and take a look."

Shen Wanqing smiled and nodded, then left with Shen Wanxiu.

Shen Wanru looked at their departing backs, stomped her feet in anger, and turned around to look for other targets.

Xiao Chenyang and Du Zhijie looked at their backs and continued to tour this poetry competition area.

"Chenyang, are you interested in Miss Shen Si?" Du Zhijie suddenly asked.

Xiao Chenyang was stunned for a moment, then laughed and said, "What nonsense are you talking about! However, Fourth Miss Shen is indeed very talented."

Du Zhijie smiled and stopped talking, but he was thinking about Shen Wanqing's intelligence in his heart.

Shen Wanqing, pulled aside by Shen Wanxiu, was also filled with thoughts. She knew that her rescue of Shen Wanru would inevitably arouse her jealousy and resentment. But she didn't care. As long as she could reveal Shen Wanru's true face and stop her from relying on plagiarism and deception to gain honor, everything would be worth it.

"Fourth sister, don't worry about the eldest sister. She is just that competitive." Shen Wanxiu said softly.

Shen Wanqing smiled and said, "Second sister, you are too serious. I won't take it to heart."

The two of them walked and talked, and the atmosphere became more harmonious.

At this moment, a melodious sound of piano came from not far away. Shen Wanxiu's eyes lit up and she said, "Let's go and take a look."

It turned out that a young man was playing the guqin under a peach tree. The sound of the guqin was like crying and complaining, as if telling a touching story.

Shen Wanqing and Shen Wanxiu stood quietly by and listened, intoxicated by the wonderful piano music.

The Hundred Flowers Banquet is still going on, with various wonderful performances and competitions emerging one after another.