The number one spendthrift woman in the capital actually brings glory to her entire family?

The curtain behind the stage was finally slowly drawn back, and suddenly the faint sound of cold and desolate string and bamboo instruments could be heard. Unlike the empty and lonely sound of the shakuhachi that Ma Lancheng often heard, this sound of string and bamboo instruments seemed to have a more elegant feel to it.

A veiled woman dressed in a green dress gracefully walked out from behind the curtain, bowed to the crowd, glanced at the guests below, and then smiled and said, "On behalf of Xingyun Pavilion, I welcome everyone. The Flower Festival is here again in the blink of an eye, and I, like everyone else, am looking forward to this grand event."

"Stop rambling! What exactly is this competition about? Where's Miss Ziyuan? Why can't we see her? Tell her to come out now!"

"That's right! Where's Miss Ziyuan? Tell her to come out!"

Before Xiao Huan could finish speaking, the crowd below began to jeer. In fact, besides wanting to win the championship, the second purpose of this grand event was to catch a glimpse of the legendary beauty Zi Yuan. It is said that she is exceptionally intelligent and has a beauty that could shame the moon and flowers, second only to the Four Beauties of Fengyun. What is even more remarkable is that she is not only a master of martial arts, but also one of the managers of Xingyun Pavilion. She is the one who organizes the annual flower appreciation ceremony of Xingyun Pavilion almost every year.

Many people come specifically because of her.

In Luoyang, the name Zi Yuan is one that everyone talks about with admiration and respect, and she is also the goddess in the hearts of many noble young men and wandering heroes.

Although she was not born into a noble family, she was proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. If it weren't for her background, she would probably have had the opportunity to be among the Four Beauties of the World.

"Please be quiet, everyone, don't rush! Manager Ziyuan has already told Xiaohuan about the question," Xiaohuan explained with a smile.

"Tell me quickly! What exactly is the competition about!"

"That's right, hurry up and say it!"

……

Xiao Huan chuckled softly, then bowed again and continued, "The task set by Steward Zi Yuan is for everyone to compose a piece of music that can move her within half an incense stick's time. Steward Zi Yuan will personally review them and determine the champion. Alright, everyone, you can begin now. The writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones are on the table in front of you."

As soon as Xiao Huan finished speaking, she gestured to the servant beside her, who quickly lit incense.

"What? Composing music?"

"Damn it, what's going on! I know absolutely nothing about music!"

"I heard that woman has recently become obsessed with music, but she's going to use this difficult problem to stump us! I'm so angry!"

"If you're not knowledgeable, then get out of here. Why are you blaming Miss Ziyuan? What are you looking at? I'm talking about you, you're a disgrace!"

A burst of shouts and curses immediately erupted from below.

At that very moment, in a private room on the second floor, a person wearing a black cloak was leaning against the cushions behind him. The cloak hood was pulled low, revealing a delicate and refined face—a simple and handsome young man.

"Sigh, these self-righteous literati just love to indulge in these pretentious and artistic things. Wouldn't it be better to just live a simple and low-key life?"

The boy couldn't help but sigh softly.

"What did you say? Who's acting all high and mighty?"

The boy's voice wasn't loud, but the guests opposite him could hear it clearly, and they immediately glared at him with dark faces.

Raising an eyebrow slightly, the young man realized he had offended this brainwashed fan of some girl named Ziyuan. Looking down again, he saw that the paper in front of the man was covered with several cheesy, sentimental lyrics—

The moonlight shines through the cold window, the brocade quilt is filled with fragrance, her snow-white shoulders and flowing black hair are draped over her shoulders. I am drunk, I am drunk, I want to get drunk with you, laughing and strolling together...

I rely on!

If I keep writing, I'll get drunk too; the level of vulgarity is almost on par with an extended version of "Eighteen Touches"!

The boy blinked, a naive smile flickering in his eyes, and met the man's hostile gaze. He laughed, "I... I'm just arrogant! You continue, you continue!"

"Humph!"

The man snorted coldly and continued to lower his head.

The boy looked around, then turned to look behind him. After a long while, he raised his eyebrows, stroked his chin, and murmured, "Such poetic lines, hmm, 'When will the moon be clear and bright? I raise my cup to ask the blue sky...' 'Turning to the red pavilion, lowering the embroidered curtains...' Hmm? What's the next line? Never mind, let's go against the grain and start with the simplest one!"

After pondering for a while, the young man leisurely picked up his brush and began to write slowly and deliberately on the rice paper in front of him.

With one hand wrapped around his sleeve, he wielded his brush with swift strokes, and in the blink of an eye, the composition was complete.

In another private room.

Liu Xianxian handed the completed melody to the maid, a confident smile on her beautiful face. She took the tea poured by Liu Xin and took a small sip.

"Xian'er, judging from your expression, you seem to have victory in your grasp."

Liu Xin looked at Liu Xianxian thoughtfully.

Liu Xianxian smiled, pursing her red lips, "Brother Xin, don't worry. I can't guarantee anything else, but as for composing... have you forgotten that I've been studying with the Eighth Princess for many years? The Eighth Princess is the number one musician in our Great Yong. This is no problem for me."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xin smiled and said, "That's true. If we successfully complete this mission, Xian'er, you'll be invaluable!"

"I was just doing my duty, Brother Xin."

Liu Xianxian took another sip of tea, and her beautiful eyes began to carefully observe the area below and around her. At this moment, the sound of drums and flutes began to play on the stage below, and several enchanting and beautiful dancers gracefully descended. Their dance costumes fluttered, their waists were slender and white, and their dance steps were graceful and charming. They had a unique exotic style and were truly stunning, instantly attracting everyone's attention.

Before long, the sound of heavy breathing could be faintly heard in the air, and the surrounding temperature suddenly soared.

About an incense stick's time later, the song and dance came to an end. Amidst the expectant gazes of the crowd, the maid Xiao Huan came up again, and everyone immediately fell silent, the entire place becoming completely quiet.

Xiao Huan curtsied and smiled, "Manager Zi Yuan has finished reviewing the documents. The winner of this year's Xingyun Pavilion Flower Appreciation Ceremony is—Young Master Nan Chen. You may now go in and meet Manager Zi Yuan. Congratulations!"

As Xiao Huan finished speaking, everyone was immediately shocked—

What do you mean?

What Young Master Nanchen?

Before they could react, a faint, melancholic melody drifted in, and from behind the curtains billowing in the breeze, someone was softly singing—

"The past is gone, never to return. Red leaves lie buried in the dust. Beginnings and endings are always the same, unchanged. You drift in the sky, beyond the white clouds. In the sea of ​​suffering, love and hate surge. In this world, fate is inescapable. We are close, yet we cannot be near. Perhaps I should believe it is destiny..."

Amidst the soothing singing, a slender figure in a black cloak slowly descended from upstairs...