After nearly two hours of competition, the winners of each event were finally determined. Ye Ying's performance was slightly inferior to last year's. Although she later managed to tie with Qixia Princess by showcasing a segment of the Flying Immortal Dance, earning them both first place, she was ultimately denied by Third Master Feng—renowned as the capital’s top zither master—and lost to Liu Ruyun, the daughter of the Liu family, settling for second place. Later, she secured third place in poetry composition, but this did little to mask her look of frustration and defeat. In contrast, Qixia Princess, as a foreign participant, shone brilliantly in the subsequent competitions, achieving third place in zither, first in calligraphy, and second in chess. As a result, Qixia Princess emerged as the overall champion of the Hundred Flowers Festival with two first-place, one second-place, and one third-place finish.
Princess Zhaoyang was evidently very pleased with the outcome, and the judges on the viewing platform also showed increased admiration for this foreign princess. Just as Elder Su Zhe was about to announce the final results of the Hundred Flowers Festival, Qixia Princess leaned over and whispered something into Princess Zhaoyang’s ear. She then stood up, bowed apologetically to Elder Su, and turned to look at Ye Ying, who stood below the stage with a despondent expression. A faint sneer flickered across Qixia Princess’s brow.
"Forgive my interruption," Qixia Princess declared loudly, "but I request a rematch with Miss Ye in dance." The venue erupted in murmurs.
Feng Zhiyao lounged lazily in his chair, watching Qixia Princess with amusement. "I’m sure everyone here would be delighted to witness another dance performance from the princess and the capital’s top beauty. However… may I ask why a rematch is necessary?"
Qixia Princess lifted her chin proudly. "Isn’t it said in your Central Plains that 'in literature, there is no absolute first, and in martial arts, no absolute second'? Though this dance is not martial arts, I am unaccustomed to sharing first place." As she spoke, she cast a disdainful glance at Ye Ying, almost outright stating that Ye Ying was unworthy of tying with her. Below the stage, Ye Ying’s face turned deathly pale, her slender frame trembling as if on the verge of collapse. The audience couldn’t help but feel that Qixia Princess was being overly harsh. Yet, she paid no heed to their reactions, her gaze fixed firmly on Ye Ying.
Feng Zhiyao’s languid phoenix-like eyes swept toward Mo Jingli, who sat nearby with a dark expression. "Li Wang Dianxia, what do you think? After all… Miss Ye is your betrothed."
Mo Jingli glanced at Ye Ying below the stage, a ripple of emotion passing through his otherwise indifferent eyes. "Is the princess dissatisfied with Yao Ji’s judgment?" he asked coolly.
Yao Ji smiled enchantingly, her charm radiating. "If Qixia Princess has an even more exquisite dance to present, I would naturally be honored to witness it. Though I wonder if I am worthy of such a privilege."
Mo Jingli remained silent. Though he was no expert in dance, he understood that Yao Ji’s earlier verdict had placed Ye Ying and Qixia Princess on roughly equal footing. However, dance was ultimately a visual art—even if their technical skills were comparable, Qixia Princess’s fiery passion was far more captivating than Ye Ying’s ethereal grace. One might call it a case of "highbrow songs finding few singers." If Ye Ying were to lose to Qixia Princess again… Mo Jingli’s handsome brows gradually furrowed.
Noticing his silence, Princess Zhaoyang, seated at the head of the table, frowned in displeasure. "Jing Li."
"Ah..."A low gasp sounded from below the stage, followed by the crisp shattering of porcelain. Everyone turned to look—Ye Ying's maid was prostrate on the ground, begging for mercy, while Ye Ying herself clutched her left arm, her face deathly pale. Her sleeve was already soaked. Clearly, the maid had accidentally spilled tea on her while serving.
"Ying'er..." Mo Jingli stood up and leaped down from the viewing platform, pulling Ye Ying into his arms. He kicked the kneeling maid away. "Get lost!"
On the stage, the Princess's face turned livid with anger. The maid Mo Jingli had kicked belonged to her Princess Manor. "Someone, fetch the imperial physician for Miss Ye," she ordered.
The young noblewomen present were momentarily stunned by the sudden turn of events. Though each tried to maintain their dignified composure, it didn't stop them from exchanging whispered opinions in various ways.
"Tsk, A Li, you'd better be careful. Your sister is ruthless," Murong Ting said, her tone shifting from the formal "Miss Ye" to the intimate "A Li" after hours of sitting idly. She would bet her book-averse brain that the maid hadn't accidentally spilled the tea on Ye Ying. What a coincidence—just as Qixia Princess issued her challenge, Ye Ying conveniently got scalded?
Hua Tianxiang frowned. "I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling about this."
Before Ye Li could respond, Ye Ying's weak, regretful voice sounded from Mo Jingli's embrace. "Princess, I truly apologize. I'm afraid I won't be able to compete with you. Since you're dissatisfied... perhaps my elder sister could take my place. As the legitimate daughter of the Minister's household, she certainly wouldn't disgrace you. Isn't that right, Sister?"
Ye Li's usually calm expression darkened. There was no way Ye Ying didn't know she couldn't dance. If she lost, it would be Ye Li's incompetence tarnishing the Minister's reputation, not Ye Ying's failure against Qixia Princess. Not only had Ye Ying avoided potential defeat, but she'd also ensured Ye Li would be humiliated at her very first social gathering. What a brilliant scheme.
"Do as Ying'er says!" Mo Jingli impatiently commanded. Without waiting for the physician, he scooped Ye Ying into his arms and prepared to leave.
Watching Mo Jingli's retreating back, the Princess's eyes darkened. After a long pause, she finally said coldly, "In that case, the Third Miss Ye shall replace the Fourth Miss Ye."
Ye Li was speechless. Did no one think to ask if she could dance?
Nearly every gaze in the room fixed on Ye Li. Qin Zheng and the others watched her anxiously. Though they had earlier playfully urged her to compete, they hadn't seriously meant to pressure her. As new friends—and considering Qin Zheng's future ties to Ye Li—they certainly didn't want to harm her.
Qixia Princess, already seething over Mo Jingli and Ye Ying's departure, now directed her fury at Ye Li—Mo Jingli's former fiancée, no less. Raising an exquisitely arched brow, she sneered, "Miss Ye, you may go first."
With no other choice, Ye Li stood up. Meeting Qixia Princess's venomous glare, she thought for a moment before speaking. "I concede."
Everyone, including Qixia Princess, stared in shock. After a long pause, the princess finally recovered, glaring at Ye Li. "Are you looking down on me? I don't need your pity!"Ye Li shook her head helplessly, "I didn't let the princess win. I sincerely admit defeat."
"Admitting defeat without even competing? Even if I win, it wouldn't be a fair victory."
"Isn't forcing someone who can't dance to compete even more unfair?" Ye Li sighed softly, looking sincerely at the furious Qixia Princess above her with her almond-shaped eyes wide open. "Your Highness, I don't know how to dance. So, you've been tricked by Ye Ying."
"Heh, asking someone who can't dance to substitute—Li Wang Dianxia and the future Princess Li are truly creative," Feng Zhiyao's lazy voice chimed in, dripping with schadenfreude.
Qixia Princess was also taken aback. "Why don't you know how to dance?"
"Because dancing isn't a required skill for noble young ladies in Da Chu. I believe many young ladies present here don't know how to dance either," Ye Li replied matter-of-factly. Not knowing how to dance wasn't something shameful. In fact, very few noble daughters in Da Chu specifically learned to dance unless they had a genuine passion for it or their families intended to send them to the imperial palace.
Since Ye Li had already stated she hadn't learned to dance, forcing her to perform would be unreasonable. Qixia Princess realized she had been played by Ye Ying and could only suppress her anger for now. Her gaze flickered as she stared at the composed, elegantly smiling young woman in green below the stage. "I didn't see Miss Ye take the stage earlier either. Since Fourth Miss Ye has such confidence in her elder sister, why not showcase your talents in another area? Or..." She looked at Ye Li with a faintly mocking smile, pausing deliberately before raising her voice, "Or does Miss Ye not know anything at all?"
Ye Li lowered her head in silence for a moment before raising it again, her gaze calm as she met Qixia Princess's eyes. "In that case, I shall embarrass myself."
--------Author's Note--------
I feel like I'm being so wordy. Even though the plot in my head has already raced far ahead, when I type it out, I keep leaving things unfinished here and there. Is the pacing not tight enough? I'm starting to really like the structure of Taiwanese romance novels—meet in chapter one, fall in love by chapters two and three, emotional turmoil in chapters four through seven, climax and reconciliation, and a happy ending by chapter ten~
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