The Sickly Regent Prince Who Was Abandoned as a Substitute Bride

"Tch, what's with the airs of being the eldest sister? Besides being the eldest daughter, in what other way are you ahead of me..." Li Sisi didn't take her eldest sister's words seriously at all, and curled her lips in disdain.

“Sisi, we are now representing the Ministry of Rites! If you misbehave, I don’t mind telling Father…” Li Yanran knew that her younger sister was stubborn, so she could only use their father’s name to scare her.

Sure enough, as soon as Li Sisi heard that her father was going to be told, she immediately shut her mouth and dared not say another word.

Li Yanran breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her younger sister calm down. She shook her head helplessly, thinking that her sister was always so impulsive, and if she wasn't disciplined, she would probably cause even bigger trouble in the future.

"Wan'er, don't feel guilty, the important thing is to participate..." Lu Wanning said to her daughter.

"Yes, Wan'er."

At this moment, the Lu family also arrived...

"Yes, Mother, Grandfather, Grandmother, Uncles, Aunt, Qingcheng, don't worry, I was just joking..." Dongfang Wan'er said and walked into the group of talented women.

Dongfang Wan'er wore a light blue dress, and her long hair was tied up with a jade hairpin. She looked fresh, elegant, and beautiful.

Meanwhile, Ye Jingchu kept a close eye on Dongfang Wan'er. He discovered that Dongfang Wan'er's carriage actually belonged to the Ninth Prince, and his mood instantly soured...

"Hmph, why would she ride in Ninth Prince's carriage? What's their relationship?" Ye Jingchu thought to herself.

Emperor Ye Erxiao also noticed this and began to speculate about the relationship between Dongfang Wan'er and Ye Jiuchen.

"The time has come. Ladies, please showcase your talents. The judges will score you. A perfect score is ten points, and only those with an average score of nine will be selected!" the eunuch announced the rules…

"Game start……"

"The Regent has arrived..."

Ye Jiuchen would never have participated in such a boring selection process before...

But he attended this year...

Everyone was surprised and wondered what he had come for. Was he here to see the future princess?

Because of Ye Jiuchen's arrival, the intense competition suddenly had to be put on hold...

"Ninth Brother, what brings you here today?" The Emperor immediately stood up to greet Ye Jiuchen upon his arrival.

Upon seeing this, the Empress also stood up...

Upon seeing this, all the princes and ministers rose and paid their respects to the Regent.

“Royal brother…” Ye Jiuchen simply nodded slightly, then walked directly up to the high platform and sat in the seat below the emperor.

"Brother, I was just bored, so I came to take a look," Ye Jiuchen said coldly.

"Ah... is that the legendary Ninth Prince Regent? He looks so tall and imposing, and so handsome..." The talented women in the audience began to swoon.

"Can you all tone it down a bit? He's the Regent, after all."

"Yes, if the Regent hears you saying these things, you'll be in for a world of hurt!"

"You all like the Regent very much. Didn't you know he's rumored to be ruthless, cold-blooded, and bloodthirsty..."

"Hmph, you guys just know how to scare people. Maybe those are all rumors!"

"Tch, a rumor? Who do you think would be so bored as to make up such a rumor?"

"If you want to like it, then like it yourself. I certainly don't dare to like it..."

"Quiet, quiet..." The eunuch directed the scene, inwardly marveling: This was the first time in so many years he had witnessed such chaos...

After a while, everyone quieted down, and then the eunuch's shrill voice rang out: "The competition begins..."

As soon as the words were spoken, women stepped forward one by one to showcase their talents. Some played the guqin, some danced gracefully, and others painted.

Finally, it was Li Sisi's turn to go on stage. She walked to the center of the stage and began to dance gracefully to the music.

"Hmm, this girl dances pretty well. What were those girls dancing before her doing..." someone in the audience whispered.

After the dance ended, Li Sisi, like a proud peacock, walked off the stage with swagger.

Next up was Li Yanran, who also chose to dance, but her dance was even more graceful and moving than Li Sisi's.

"They must all be Minister Li's daughters, right? They are truly outstanding..." Consort Bao, who was by the emperor's side, exclaimed softly.

"Hmm!" The Emperor nodded slightly, but his gaze unconsciously drifted to Ye Jiuchen beside him. He remembered that Ye Jiuchen had once said he had taken a liking to a woman and had come here specifically today. Among these women, there must be someone he fancyed. The Emperor decided to pay close attention and find out who this woman was in advance, so that he could better utilize this relationship in the future.

"Hmph, what kind of dance is that? It's not as good as mine. Looks like I'm definitely going to be number one this year..." Dongfang Mingzhu thought to herself, a smug smile creeping onto her lips.

Just then, the host on stage announced: "Next up, the second young lady of the Marquis's mansion, Oriental Pearl..."

Oriental Pearl gracefully rose and walked onto the stage, meeting the gazes of the crowd. Dressed in a magnificent gown, she resembled a fairy descending to earth. As the music began, she danced lightly, each movement full of agility and rhythm, like a beautiful butterfly fluttering among flowers.

The audience watched, completely captivated, mesmerized by her graceful dance. Her skillful and exquisite technique transported them to a dreamlike world. As the music quickened, her steps became increasingly light and lively, utterly enchanting the viewer.

Finally, the music ended, and the Oriental Pearl Tower concluded with a perfect spin. The audience erupted in enthusiastic applause and cheers, expressing their admiration for her performance.

Hearing the applause, the previously languid Ye Jiuchen couldn't help but raise his head and take a serious look at the Oriental Pearl Tower. A hint of amazement flashed in his eyes, but he quickly regained his indifference. However, this scene was caught by Emperor Ye Erxiao.

[So it was her. Good, she's the daughter of the Marquis of Dongfang. That makes things much easier...] Ye Erxiao thought to himself. He looked at Dongfang Mingzhu, a cunning glint in his eyes.

Just then, a figure slowly walked to the center of the stage, and everyone looked closely and saw that it was Dongfang Wan'er!

"Look, it's that ugly woman. She actually has the self-awareness to wear a veil, afraid of scaring us..."

"Hahaha, how utterly ridiculous! Does she think she can hide her ugly face like this?"

"This woman is incredibly shameless! She actually dares to show up in public wearing a veil!"

The group of talented women began to whisper amongst themselves, their words filled with mockery and disdain for Dongfang Wan'er. They looked at Dongfang Wan'er's face, hidden behind a veil, their eyes brimming with disdain and ridicule.

Some talented women made no attempt to hide their contempt, pursing their lips slightly; while others shook their heads and sighed, seemingly very disappointed by Dongfang Wan'er's behavior.