After traveling through time, I was raised by a little brat

The group soon arrived at the West Courtyard, already bustling with activity. Young ladies from various mansions arrived to admire the beautiful scenery. However, the beauty wasn't exactly relaxing, as they all knew they would be composing poems soon. How could they possibly be relaxed and cheerful? Still, they had to observe carefully, lest they stumble upon inspiration for their poems.

Soon, the Chrysanthemum Poetry Festival officially began. The eldest princess sat at the head of the West Courtyard, with the young ladies from various mansions below her. The table was divided into two halves: one side was filled with a variety of delicacies, while the other was furnished with brushes, inkstones, and paper. Unlike the West Courtyard, the East Courtyard had the same arrangement, but the young ladies there were free to choose whether to write poetry, while every young lady from the East Courtyard was required to submit at least one poem.

The maid at the Princess's residence announced, "Today's chrysanthemum viewing banquet will be themed around chrysanthemums, and the time limit is one hour. The Eastern and Western Houses will each select five outstanding poems. The winners will have the opportunity to go on a chrysanthemum viewing trip together, provided both parties are willing."

Upon hearing the news, everyone started talking. "Wow! This year's chrysanthemum viewing game is so exciting!" "I wonder who will win this game?"

For a moment, the entire banquet hall was filled with anticipation and tension. Everyone was thinking about how to compose a stunning chrysanthemum poem, while others began gossiping about what would happen after the victory.

"Yes, yes. I heard from my brothers and sisters that it wasn't this lively in previous years. It was just a group of literati and scholars who gathered together to drink wine, drink tea, recite poems and write essays." A girl in a pink dress said softly.

"This year is really an eye-opener. I can actually see Brother Ming from the next yard." One of the girls looked shy and lovingly at the next yard, as if the person she had long admired was there.

"Don't be so wishful thinking. Do you think you can make it into the top five? With your limited ability," the girl next to him mocked him mercilessly.

"Hmph, why can't I do it? Let's wait and see." The girl who was being teased straightened her back, with a firm and confident expression on her face.

After hearing the rules of the competition, the West Court ladies each had their own thoughts. Some were filled with anticipation, hoping to make it into the top five, while others were unconcerned, dismissing it as a boring competition. One even boldly asked, "Excuse me, if I'm lucky enough to make it into the top five, can I choose a West Court lady?"

Upon hearing this question, the previously noisy environment instantly quieted down, and everyone's attention was focused on the questioner. The young lady's lips curled up slightly, revealing a smug smile. However, the eldest princess did not directly answer her question, but cast her gaze elsewhere.

A moment later, the eldest princess' voice rang out. "Of course," she said calmly and firmly, as if everything was under her control. She sat upright in the main seat, her demeanor dignified and imbued with dignity. Her gaze, like a torch, slowly swept over everyone present, sending a chill down their spine.

The sister next to the young lady who had asked the question quickly lowered her voice and warned, "Even if you want to scheme against others, don't do it in a place like this, lest you bring trouble to everyone!"

The young lady's expression changed slightly, but she quickly regained her composure. She was secretly pondering how she could become one of the five, thereby gaining greater control. Meanwhile, the other young ladies also began to secretly plan, pondering how to handle the upcoming competition.

A tense atmosphere permeated the entire West Courtyard, like the calm before the storm. Everyone knew that this competition was more than just a simple display of talent; it was an opportunity to demonstrate their strength and wisdom. Only the most outstanding would stand out and win the favor of the eldest princess.

The eldest princess thought to herself, "Rui'er, you must choose a good wife and help her. Don't be like father, causing constant strife." It turned out that Crown Prince Zhao Rui had infiltrated the East Courtyard, posing as a student from the Imperial Academy, and was participating in the discussion. The ladies of the West Courtyard were unaware of this, but with the eldest princess and the children of the powerful and ambitious East Courtyard present, they still tried their best to put their best foot forward.

Unlike other mansions, even before the princess gave her instructions, Aunt Wu, who was by the side of the eldest lady, had already issued a notice to the young ladies, requiring each of them to submit a poem. This stumped Tang Wenshu. She wailed inwardly, "Ahhh!" but dared not cry out loud in such an occasion. "Ahhhh, another day without the help of my sisters. Writing poetry? What can a poor student like me do?"

So, during this hour, Tang Wenshu spent the first half of the day eating and drinking non-stop, as if she wanted to try every possible delicacy. The second half, however, she fumbled around, picking up her pen countless times but unable to put pen to paper. Ink dripped down, soaking sheet after sheet of paper, forcing her to constantly change the paper.

Zeng Yuan looked at Tang Wenshu's weird look and couldn't help but chuckle. Seeing this, Tang Wenshu immediately accused her angrily, "Mom, I'm in such a difficult situation, and you're still laughing."

However, time flies by, and in the blink of an eye, it was time for the last stick of incense to burn. Tang Wenshu gritted his teeth, finally picked up his pen, and quickly wrote a poem.

chrysanthemum, chrysanthemum, chrysanthemum

Colorful chrysanthemums

Colorful chrysanthemums

Anyway, it's all chrysanthemum, ...

After finishing it, she handed the poem to the maid from Liuyun Villa who came to collect the manuscript without even looking at it.

Soon, the results came out from the East Courtyard. The first five articles were indeed wonderful, so the princess asked her maid to bring them to the West Courtyard to be read aloud.

"Ying Chrysanthemum"

In autumn, the chrysanthemums under the fence stand alone, proud of the wind and frost.

The cold dew condenses and the fragrance fills the thatched cottage.

Chrysanthemum Melody

Golden stamens bloom by the eastern fence, and the faint fragrance blows in the air.

The flowers are more beautiful in the frost, but I enjoy them alone for a long time.

"Chrysanthemum Appreciation"

The yellow flowers bloom and fill the garden with fragrance, their elegance and grace are long-lasting.

It does not compete with other flowers for beauty, but is fragrant even with the autumn frost.

Winter Chrysanthemum

The wind sways the chrysanthemums, making their shadows dance in their colorful clothes; the cold dew condenses into frost, yet they smell fragrant.

Who can share my loneliness and pride in the cold autumn?

Autumn Chrysanthemum

The autumn wind is bleak and all the flowers are withered, only the chrysanthemums in the east hedge are bright.

I don’t envy the beautiful spring, but smile when the flowers bloom in the frost.

These poems were indeed all brilliant, but what was surprising was that the West Court had chosen Tang Wenshu's poem as the fifth. The first four poems were naturally impeccable, after all, they were all written by renowned and talented women in the Imperial City. The other women either didn't submit any poems or simply copied the works of renowned figures. Even the women from Duke Tang's residence were no different, submitting either a copied poem or a drawing of chrysanthemums. In contrast, Tang Wenshu was the only one who honestly wrote and submitted a doggerel poem.

Damn it! How could my meticulously copied poem be inferior to Tang Wenshu's shabby one? Many people were dissatisfied, but no one dared to refute the result personally chosen by the eldest princess.