Chapter 080
Chapter 80: Was Miss Yun Looking at Me?
Even now, many still doubted Su Qian Xue could produce anything resembling a good poem.
On stage, Su Qian Xue swiftly finished writing the final character, then casually set the bamboo brush back on the rack. Old Man Yu shoved the lord of ceremonies aside with enthusiasm, both hands reverently lifting the xuan paper as his expression turned feverishly ecstatic.
The lord of ceremonies had been caught off guard and was easily nudged aside. His beard bristled with indignation as he glared furiously.
“‘When the red sun rises, I still stand tall with the heavens.’ Just listen to that! What kind of spirit must one possess to pen such a line?”
“And this—‘When my flowers bloom, all others wither’—such domineering power! I, the old one, love this line best.”
“This one is brilliant as well: ‘The city is draped in golden armor.’ Chang’an is another name for Haojing, and every autumn, the capital bursts with blooming chrysanthemums. Among all the talented poets here today, this is the first verse to name our imperial city.”
“What a poem, what a poem! I’ve lived many years, yet never have I seen verses so bold, so brimming with murderous intent. It’s hard to believe such words came from the hand of a woman.”
The grand scholars burst into animated discussion over the lines, completely ignoring everyone below the stage.
Because their voices were low, the rest of the crowd couldn’t quite catch the contents of the poems. All they could see were the elated expressions of the scholars.
This only deepened their curiosity, and the audience craned their necks in unison to try and get a better view.
Yun Wan Ning was growing sleepy. She yawned lazily but forced herself to stay awake, determined to see what would happen next before going to sleep.
Even her heart voice had fallen silent for once.
“Miss Su,” Old Man Yu asked with sparkling eyes and a note of cautious reverence, “I must ask—did you truly compose both of these poems?”
Hearing this, Su Qian Xue furrowed her brows, suddenly feeling a flicker of guilt. But a moment later, she reassured herself: no one else knew the true authors of these poems. And even if there were someone else like her—someone who had transmigrated into the story—such a person would surely stay silent for fear of revealing their own identity.
As long as her fame was firmly established, no one would dare challenge her claim later on.
Besides, she refused to believe in such a ridiculous coincidence. The previous plan at Duke Ning’s residence had been exposed, yes, but that must’ve been due to some other reason.
With that thought, her heart settled like a rock in water.
She nodded with unwavering confidence and said, “Of course.”
At that very moment, Yun Wan Ning perked up, instantly re-energized. Her thoughts resumed their lively chatter:
[Wow, the heroine’s face is thick as a wall. Her nerves must be made of iron. How brazen—to just seize someone else’s work like that without a flicker of shame.]
[I wonder if Zhu Yuan Zhang and Huang Chao would come looking for her if they found out.]
[Oh, right—I forgot. She’s just a paper person in a book, from a different world. They couldn’t possibly find her. They should go after the author instead.]
[Yes, that’s it—go find the author.]
Yun Wan Ye: “…”
Even now, his little sister’s heart voice continued to defy all his expectations. No matter how long he listened, he still couldn’t predict what she’d say next.
Old Man Yu asked again, “Then let me ask, Miss Su—did you compose these on the spot, or were they prepared in advance?”
Su Qian Xue didn’t understand why he would ask this, but she instinctively felt that composing on the spot sounded more impressive. So she answered with great confidence, “It is a bit embarrassing, but I was simply inspired by the many marvelous poems I heard today. That’s all.”
She claimed they were composed on the spot?
The lord of ceremonies and the grand scholars were stunned once again.
“Master, what exactly does Su Qian Xue’s poem say?” someone shouted from the crowd. “Please read it aloud already—we’re dying from curiosity here!”
“Yes! Why should only you few get to hear it? Come on, read it for all of us. Let’s see what Su Qian Xue has created that has you looking so thrilled.”
“Exactly—read it! Don’t keep us hanging. At this rate, curiosity might kill me.”
A chorus of impatient voices rose from the eager young masters nearby.
The lord of ceremonies coughed lightly, then declared, “Everyone, calm down, calm down. I shall read it now. Listen closely, for I will only read it once.”
The first poem, Ode to Bamboo:
Snow presses low the branches,
Yet they do not touch the mud.
When the red sun rises,
They still stand tall with the heavens.
The second, After Failing the Exam, Ode to the Chrysanthemum:
When autumn comes on the eighth of September,
My flowers bloom and all others wither.
A sky-piercing scent spreads through Chang’an,
The city is draped in golden armor.
Whoa!
The moment the last word was spoken, the crowd fell silent as death.
All the men stared wide-eyed at the sheet of xuan paper in the lord of ceremonies’ hands, unable to believe what they’d just heard. Even the royal brothers, Mo Yuan Lin and Mo Yuan Hao, had flashes of astonishment flicker through their eyes.
That useless good-for-nothing—how could she possibly have written verses so commanding in tone?
Something must be wrong.
Yun Wan Yao’s tightly clenched heart relaxed ever so slightly. [Good. No accidents. The poems were exactly as they appeared in little sister’s heart voice.]
[If things continue this way, nothing should go wrong.]
[A’Tang’s title of ‘First Talented Lady’ is most likely safe.]
“A’Yao, did Su Qian Xue really write those poems? I can hardly believe it,” said Mo Zhao Zhao, staring blankly like a puppet whose strings had gone slack. Her gaze turned toward Yun Wan Yao, a look of unease on her face.
She didn’t know much about poetry, but even she could tell Su Qian Xue’s verses outshone Jiang Zi Tang’s by far.
Yun Wan Yao frowned slightly and replied, “I don’t believe it either.”
On the other side, a few noble ladies began to murmur among themselves.
“It’s just… average, really. What’s everyone getting so excited about?”
“Exactly. Such a fuss over nothing. Typical of people who’ve never seen real talent.”
But no sooner had those words left their lips than the talented young lords descended on them like a pack of wolves.
“Philistine powder-puff girls. What do you even know? Do you understand the magnificence of ‘still stand tall with the heavens’ or ‘my flowers bloom and all others wither’?”
“Exactly. You know nothing. You’re the ones who’ve never seen anything worth seeing.”
“Average, huh? Then why don’t you write something equally ‘average’ for us to admire? All you ladies are good for is stirring up envy—useless in everything else.”
The noble girls blushed in shame, each wishing the ground would swallow them whole.
“Damn… Su Qian Xue can actually write poetry? Thank heavens I didn’t make some arrogant bet like ‘if she can write a poem, I’ll eat sht,’ or I’d be in serious trouble now.”
“I may not have made a bet, but this is still a major slap in the face. My cheeks are burning.”
“Tell me about it. And to think we all thought she was just a disaster on the zither… but she’s clearly not some talentless waste. I misjudged her. She’s just bad at music, that’s all.”
“Wow, Su Qian Xue is not only stunning, but also gifted in poetry. Say, should we consider her for the title of First Talented Lady of Great Wu?”
“I’m all for it. Regardless of anything else, these two poems today truly outshine Jiang young miss, and every other talented poet present.”
Inside the banquet hall, the gazes of the men toward Su Qian Xue grew even more fervent than before.
In separate corners, Gu Heng, Lu Huai Jin, and Lin Xing Xuan stared intensely at the stunningly beautiful, brilliantly talented woman on stage. Even Mo Yuan Hao’s eyes held a faint glimmer of admiration.
Yun Wan Yao glanced at him without thinking, only to find that he was utterly captivated by Su Qian Xue. Her heart sank into a cold abyss.
[If little sister’s heart voice listening can capture every single word in a poem, then it surely wouldn’t misinterpret a living, breathing person like Mo Yuan Hao.]
[He and the female lead… they’re clearly destined. No matter how hard I try to break the plot, I can’t defeat the fate that binds them together.]
Yun Wan Yao clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug deep into her palms without her noticing.
“Is Miss Yun looking at Us?”
Suddenly, Mo Yuan Lin turned toward her and chuckled softly as he spoke. Yun Wan Yao was startled. Her dark, lovely eyes blinked in confusion, unable to understand why he would think such a thing.
It really was just a misunderstanding.
“No, I wouldn’t dare. This humble girl wouldn’t dare,” she replied quickly. Then she cast a fleeting glance at Mo Yuan Hao before stiffly turning back and sitting up straight.
Though her voice wasn’t particularly quiet, Mo Yuan Hao didn’t seem to hear a thing. His gaze was utterly fixated, as if lost in another world.
“Second Brother has been watching Su young miss for quite some time today. What is it—have you truly fallen for her? Shall I bestow a marriage for you?” Mo Yuan Lin spoke meaningfully, turning his attention to Mo Yuan Hao the moment Yun Wan Yao averted hers. The smile at his lips began to fade.
Mo Yuan Hao was slightly dazed. Hearing that voice, he blinked and turned toward Mo Yuan Lin with a hint of realization.
“Imperial Elder Brother knows I’m already betrothed. Please don’t tease me like that. If Yao’er were to misunderstand, it would not be good.” He added seriously, “There is only Yao’er in my heart. Today, I merely found Su Qian Xue’s transformation rather surprising. Those two poems were incredibly striking. I only glanced a few extra times, that’s all.”
After a pause, he turned the question around with a casual air, “Doesn’t Imperial Elder Brother also find those two poems powerful?”
Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, his eyes gleamed subtly. “Could it be… Imperial Elder Brother has taken a liking to Su Qian Xue?”
Mo Yuan Hao found that hard to believe. The tone in which his brother had spoken earlier hadn’t been kind at all.
[Could Imperial Elder Brother actually like a woman?]
In his memory, apart from their mother and cousins Jiang Zi Tang and Yao’er, Mo Yuan Lin had never spared another woman even a passing glance.
“We are not so frivolous,” Mo Yuan Lin replied coolly. “But you, Second Brother, have been rather unusual today. I truly thought you’d taken a liking to Su young miss, and I was considering helping you fulfill your desire with another marriage.”
Mo Yuan Hao: [I truly thank you for your generous intention.]
“Thank you for your kindness, Imperial Elder Brother, but there’s no need. This lifetime, Yao’er alone is enough.”
At those words, Mo Yuan Lin’s gaze darkened. His eyes narrowed, and he turned away.
Yun Wan Yao didn’t know what the two brothers had been saying, but she could clearly sense the sudden shift in the air beside her. A chilly, oppressive aura began to radiate from the man at her side, making her spine tingle.
She was already somewhat afraid of him. Now she was even more so. Yun Wan Yao sat upright, not daring to move or even breathe too loudly.
“Lord High Scholar, I think Su Qian Xue’s two poems far outshine Miss Jiang’s. She’s been the first talented lady of Great Wu for six years in a row—shouldn’t we pick someone new this year?”
“That’s right! I agree. The title of first talented lady should go to someone else. If we let Miss Jiang continue to hold it, it feels undeserved.”
“……”
Voices rose from the crowd, calling out to the Lord High Scholar and suggesting a change in the position of first talented lady.
Hearing these words, Jiang Zi Tang’s face turned crimson with embarrassment, as though blood might drip from her cheeks. Yun Wan Yao clenched her fists again and turned sharply toward Yun Wan Ye.
[Damn it. Didn’t second brother say he was ready?]
[Why hasn’t he done anything yet? Could he have messed this up?]
[If he really ruins this, I’ll ruin him when we get home.]
“These people are seriously humiliating Elder Cousin. Absolutely vile,” Mo Zhao Zhao’s fists tightened, her eyes turning red.
She had never minded if someone surpassed her cousin to take the title. What she couldn’t bear was it happening in such a disgraceful way. No respect at all. No dignity left for her cousin.
On stage, the Lord High Scholar looked helplessly toward Jiang Zi Tang.
By all reasoning, Su Qian Xue had indeed won the hearts of the people today. She truly deserved the title. But Miss Jiang had contributed much over the years to the Winter Banquet and the literary circle. To cast her aside like this left him feeling uneasy.
“Lord High Scholar, I don’t mind,” Jiang Zi Tang spoke at last, her voice calm and forthright. “Today, I was simply outmatched. Miss Su’s poems are far superior to mine, and I concede willingly.”
The title of first talented lady had indeed brought her glory, but today she had lost fair and square. If she insisted on clinging to it, she’d only bring herself further disgrace.
The Lord High Scholar sighed, turning to seek confirmation from Mo Yuan Lin.
Mo Yuan Lin gave a faint nod of approval.
Finally relieved, the Lord High Scholar raised his voice and declared, “Since all present believe that Miss Su’s work today surpasses Miss Jiang’s and unanimously request that the title of first talented lady be passed to her, then this old man shall follow the will of the people. I hereby announce…”
He paused deliberately for effect, drawing out the suspense.
A quick, smug smile curved Su Qian Xue’s lips.
[Hah, the title of first talented lady is now crushed beneath my feet. From this moment on, I am the true talented maiden of Great Wu.]
[Hah, the show’s finally coming to an end.]
[The female lead has successfully claimed the laurel of first talented lady. From now on, her halo will shine brighter than ever, capturing countless admirers—including Gu Heng.]
[It won’t be long before she uses Gu Heng’s hand to break into the business world.]
[She’ll stir the waters there until the entire economic lifeline of a third of Great Wu is in her grasp.]
Yun Wan Ning let out a lazy yawn. With the drama coming to a close, she shut her eyes in preparation for a nap.
“This old man hereby announces—”
“Wait! This young lord still has something to say, Lord High Scholar, so don’t be too hasty.”
Suddenly, a cold voice rang out like an arrow, sharp and piercing.
It struck Yun Wan Ning like a jolt. Her sleepiness vanished in an instant as her eyes flew open in confusion.