Best friends dressed up in ancient times to become mistresses? You run, I run too!

Shen Ningzhu said in a serious tone,

"Times have changed. Everything I did before was to get the person I loved."

Now that I've got her, I should naturally do something else, lest my precious little darling be snatched away by some other slutty and cheap woman.

Besides, being a good-for-nothing would embarrass my darling, wouldn't you agree, Princess Qingyi?

"Oh, by the way, I heard that the princess took good care of my brother Yan before. Thank you so much."

Brother Yan has called you "elder sister" since you were little. An elder sister is like a mother to us. Don't worry, Brother Yan and I will take good care of you and never let anyone bully you.

His words successfully caused everyone present to break out in a rage.

Jiang Qingyi was so angry that her face turned completely red.

That wretched maid, she's the one who's always bullied her, okay? From the very first time they met, she'd disliked Shen Ningzhu. Sure enough, the days that followed completely proved her intuition was right.

What did she mean by those words?

Was it a veiled insult implying she was too old, old enough to be Ayan's mother? But she was only twenty-seven.

Jiang Xuan Yan's eyelids trembled slightly.

This woman, though her heart is as hard as iron for him, has a mouth that's as sweet as honey. Just listen to what she's saying! She's really... she's becoming more and more shameless.

Chu Wan'er's face grew even colder.

She was certain that this bitch had come here on purpose to cause trouble and make a fool of herself.

She is the future Crown Princess. How dare this bitch say in public that His Highness the Crown Prince is her precious darling?

This is tantamount to slapping her in the face in public.

"Consort Shen is being too hasty. She has forgotten that the second round of the competition is no longer themed around lotus flowers. The questions should have been set by His Highness the Crown Prince."

"Miss Chu is right."

"Is Consort Shen in such a hurry to recite the poem because she's afraid she'll forget it later?"

"Miss Song, what are you saying? Concubine Shen didn't memorize the poem in advance, how could she suddenly forget it?"

In my opinion, perhaps Consort Shen was only skilled at writing poems about lotus flowers?

It seems I've incurred the wrath of the masses; just look at the momentum of this attack.

Shen Ningzhu sneered.

Who is this referring to? If someone is truly talented, how could they only excel at writing poems on one theme?

These people were all chiming in, practically accusing her of cheating. Fine, she'd just be merciful this once and convince them.

"I was negligent."

She turned her head, her voice sweet and coquettish, and winked at Jiang Xuan Yan, "Then, Brother Yan, you can begin~~~"

Jiang Xuan Yan's body trembled.

He gave her a reproachful look, his eyes warning her, "You'd better stop now."

He just spoke coolly, giving a curt "hmm."

"Since the topic set by my second brother is flowers, then I will set a topic of my own. Let's compose a poem on the theme of natural scenery such as mountains and rivers."

The winners of the first round were Chu Wan'er, the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister's family, Qin Xiangxiang, the legitimate daughter of the Grand Tutor's family, and Shen Ningzhu.

Following the order, Chu Wan'er composed a poem first.

"Mountain Soul"

Green mountains and towering peaks reach into the clouds.

Layers of emerald shadows stand on the ground.

Mist shrouds the mountain peaks, the wind howls silently.

Its majestic form stands tall, stabilizing the universe.

As soon as the words fell, the man put down his pen.

Immediately, a maid came over, carefully took the Xuan paper with the poems written on it, and presented it to Jiang Xuan Yan on the table in front of him.

Next up is Qin Xiangxiang.

Mountain View

The green mountains rise majestically into the sky.

Mist swirls and clouds obscure the verdant shadows.

Amidst the sounds of birdsong and the whispering of pines,

The scenery is breathtaking and the meaning is boundless.

Shen Ningzhu frowned deeply, sighing inwardly, "Another rare and excellent poem."

The talent of the ancients in composing poetry is something that students like her, raised with a modern education, can never match.

What should we do? Should we bring up Li Bai and Du Fu?

As soon as the idea began to emerge, Shen Ningzhu abandoned it.

Li Bai and Du Fu left behind timeless masterpieces; she had no desire to become famous and then be burdened by her fame.

At worst, she can find another way to get her hands on the jade pendant later.

Anyway, the jade pendant was just her guess. The one in Prince Chen's possession was only somewhat related to hers, but it wasn't what she really wanted.

It would be best to get it, but it's okay if I don't. After figuring this out, I felt much more relaxed.

After a moment of contemplation, he picked up his brush and began to write.

Beautiful Scenery of Mountains and Rivers

The verdant shadows of mountains and rivers reflect the glow of the sunset.

The waterfall cascades down into the verdant hills.

Where the wind caresses the tree branches and the clouds dance,

The beauty of Peach Blossom Spring makes one reluctant to leave.

The three poems each had their own unique characteristics, and Jiang Xuanyan proposed that the winner be decided by a vote of the crowd.

Unsurprisingly, Chu Wan'er won again, taking the top spot, much to Shen Ningzhu's regret.

The banquet continued, with noble ladies taking turns to perform songs, dances, and other arts such as playing musical instruments, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

Shen Ningzhu had lost interest, so she quietly led Liu Zhiyi to a pavilion not far away to find some peace and quiet.

Let's also discuss how to explain things to the prince when we get back.

The prince is naturally suspicious. He can't investigate too deeply now because there are many people around, but he will definitely interrogate him thoroughly when he gets back.

Unexpectedly, there were other people in the pavilion.

The man wore a crimson robe with a gold and jade belt around his waist, which accentuated his tall and upright figure.

Her dark hair was combed into a high ponytail, tied neatly with a long red ribbon, and then she wore a jade crown.

A gentle breeze blew, and the ribbons danced in her hair.

When she glanced over, her beautiful peach blossom eyes were slightly upturned at the corners, full of affection and tenderness, as if they held countless hooks, inexplicably alluring.

"What a handsome young man."

Shen Ningzhu couldn't help but sigh, and Liu Zhiyi beside her nodded in complete agreement.

"He is indeed handsome, but those eyes of his, he doesn't look like a good guy at all. Zhuzhu, I think we should leave this place first."

Shen Ningzhu nodded.

The two turned and walked out of the pavilion, but at that moment, the man gave a wicked smile and spoke.

"Why are you two beauties running away? I'm not a tiger, why are you so afraid?"

Well, Shen Ningzhu rolled her eyes, intending to take back what she had just said to praise him.

That man is just so-so.

When he was silent, everything was peaceful and serene; but the moment he spoke, all his noble and elegant demeanor was instantly destroyed.

“Afraid? It’s always been others who are afraid of me, Shen Ningzhu. I’m never afraid of anyone.”

Except for that pervert Jiang Xuanyan.

The man nodded. "That's true. Everyone says that Shen Ningzhu, the most beautiful woman in the capital, is a rose with thorns. Now it seems that's indeed true."

Shen Ningzhu narrowed her eyes.

I tried to recall all the information about this man in my mind, but unfortunately, I couldn't think of anything.

"Who are you? Judging from your tone, you seem to know me quite well?"

One corner of the man's lips curled up, and a wicked smile returned to his face.

"This young master knows all the beauties in the world very well."

Shen Ningzhu: ...

He gave the other person a cold look, then grabbed Liu Zhiyi and left without lingering, taking a few steps to the outside of the pavilion.

Fortunately, the man did not persist.

Just as they caught their breath, their path was blocked. Shen Ningzhu and Liu Zhiyi exchanged a glance, their hearts sinking at the same time.