Old Madam Yun and First Madam Yun stood by in attendance. Old Princess Consort’s expression remained indifferent, revealing neither joy nor anger. After taking her seat in the main position, she waved her hand lightly. Princess Consort smiled and nodded toward Old Madam Yun and First Madam Yun, whereupon First Madam Yun helped Old Madam Yun to sit in the side seat next to the main position.
The main seats were originally occupied by Old Princess Consort, Princess Consort, and Commandery Princess, each with a low table. Old Princess Consort had Xiao Wei sit beside her, while Wu Yiyu shared a table with Xiao Jinglin. Princess Consort then instructed First Madam Yun to add seats for Lady Xiao the Second and her daughter Xiao Jingyuan.
On either side of the main seats, several low tables were placed. With Old Madam Yun now seated at one, Ren Yaoqi was wondering who would occupy the remaining ones when she saw Lady Xu, Ouyang Shi, and several other ladies approaching together. After paying their respects to Old Princess Consort and Princess Consort, the ladies took their seats at the low tables beside Old Madam Yun. Six people were seated there in total. Ren Yaoqi only recognized Lady Xu, Old Madam Yun, and Old Madam Su. The remaining three ladies were around the same age as Lady Xu, and regardless of their appearances, their demeanors were all gentle and refined.
The young ladies, who had been standing, all curtsied in unison.
Princess Consort nodded gently and said, “Please be seated.” Only then did everyone sit down.
“Is everyone here? Then let us begin.” Old Princess Consort lifted her eyes slightly and spoke calmly to Princess Consort.
Princess Consort acknowledged with a nod and then turned to Lady Xu.
Although the Thousand Gold Banquet had always been organized by the Yun Family in previous years, the task of evaluating the young ladies’ talents was presided over by Lady Xu, Ouyang Shi.
Ouyang Shi stood up and spoke softly, “You are all likely familiar with the rules of today’s competition, so I will not elaborate further. Whether it is music, chess, calligraphy, painting, or any of the six arts of a gentleman, any talent you believe you excel in may be presented. Ultimately, we will select the ten most outstanding ‘uncombed scholars’ as this year’s champions of the Thousand Gold Banquet. As the sage said, ‘A gentleman does not contend, but if he must, it is in archery. He bows and yields before ascending and descending, and drinks together. Even in contention, he remains a gentleman.’ As long as you understand this principle, the outcome is not what truly matters…”
Ouyang Shi’s voice was neither loud nor forceful, even carrying a hint of frail weakness, yet it possessed a unique charm that could calm people’s hearts and make them listen attentively.
Ren Yaoqi observed Ouyang Shi from below, noticing that although her complexion still appeared somewhat unwell, her spirits seemed good. She wondered whether the prescription had helped her condition. Ren Yaoqi thought she would find an opportunity to visit her after the Thousand Gold Banquet concluded.
Ouyang Shi had finished speaking and taken her seat, but Ren Yaoqi noticed that the young ladies, who had been sitting upright and proper, seemed somewhat restless, though they restrained themselves well. Ren Yaoyu, seated beside her, kept stealing glances toward the peach blossom grove across the way.
Ren Yaoqi also looked up and noticed what seemed to be a gathering of people within the peach blossom grove. Glancing at the shy, eager, and excited expressions of the young ladies, she understood. Likely, just like at the Su Family’s tea gathering last time, the young masters and gentlemen were now gathering in the grove.It was said that just from the interactions of the previous day, over a dozen families had already expressed intentions to form marriage alliances. These young gentlemen and ladies were likely eager to learn the appearance of their potential betrothed, as the next time they met might very well be on their wedding night. Since the families involved might not be from the same prefecture, trying to recognize someone through the vast expanse of peach blossoms was like viewing flowers through a fog—hardly a reliable method.
Observing that the elders seated above, including the Old Princess Consort, showed no displeasure at this, it was likely a customary practice of the Thousand Gold Banquet.
Ren Yaoqi was idly pondering such trivial matters when she heard Ouyang Shi speak from above, "Commandery Princess, why don't you begin today?"
Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but look toward Xiao Jinglin, who had been sitting expressionlessly, silently reciting the meridian and acupoint charts of the human body. Hearing Ouyang Shi call her name, Xiao Jinglin raised her head nonchalantly. Instinctively, she glanced toward Ren Yaoqi, who responded with a smile, a wink, and a nod.
Xiao Jinglin thought to herself that since she would have to perform sooner or later, going first was just as well. Finishing early would allow her to feign illness and leave ahead of time, much like those women who claimed to fall ill three times a day.
Just as she was about to nod in agreement, Wu Yiyu, seated beside her, spoke up first, "Jinglin probably isn’t fully prepared yet. Why don’t I take the lead today and set the stage?" Without waiting for Xiao Jinglin’s response, she stood up first.
Xiao Jinglin frowned slightly. The Princess Consort was about to say something, but the Old Princess Consort smiled warmly and said, "Since Yiyu wishes to go first, let her. Jinglin can take the finale today."
With the Old Princess Consort having spoken, the Princess Consort could only swallow her words and nod with a smile. "It’s just as well for Yiyu to go first."
Wu Yiyu turned and flashed a smile at Xiao Jinglin. Hidden from the others, her expression was filled with undisguised smugness and malice. Xiao Jinglin averted her gaze, treating her as if she were invisible.
When two maids carried a qin table and placed it below the main seats, Ren Yaoqi began to sense trouble.
Wu Yiyu walked gracefully to the qin table and took her seat. Her maid placed a qin on the table before her. With a haughty smile curling her lips, Wu Yiyu raised her hand and plucked the strings.
Familiar notes flowed from Wu Yiyu’s fingertips, and Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but sigh, glancing toward Xiao Jinglin.
Xiao Jinglin watched Wu Yiyu below with an impassive expression. Today, Wu Yiyu was dressed in a purple jacket and skirt, embroidered entirely with gold thread depicting a soaring phoenix. Instead of the customary pheasant patterns, the cuffs and hem were adorned with the "Eight Treasures" motif—wheel, conch, umbrella, canopy, flower, vase, fish, and endless knot. On her head, she wore an exquisite white jade lotus crown inlaid with gems. Her attire bore a striking resemblance, about seventy to eighty percent, to Xiao Jinglin’s own.
Xiao Jinglin had never paid much attention to clothing and grooming, so she hadn’t noticed Wu Yiyu’s outfit earlier. But now, with Wu Yiyu performing "Moon Over the Mountain Pass"—a piece Xiao Jinglin had practiced for a long time—before her, it was impossible not to recognize the deliberate provocation. If she failed to see it, she would have wasted her years of life.
By nature, Xiao Jinglin was carefree and indifferent to winning or losing at the Thousand Gold Banquet. However, Wu Yiyu’s actions made her feel somewhat sorry for her mother, who had invested so much effort in preparing her, and for Ren Yaoqi, who had spent time and energy accompanying her in practice.Xiao Jinglin couldn't help but glance at the Princess Consort, whose smile had noticeably faded as she picked up her teacup, idly skimming the tea leaves.
Meanwhile, the Old Princess Consort narrowed her eyes slightly, seemingly immersed in Wu Yiyu's zither performance, oblivious to the shifting atmosphere. Xiao Wei watched her daughter with a gentle smile, her right index finger lightly tapping the rhythm on the low table.
None of them seemed to notice anything amiss in Wu Yiyu's actions. However, everyone in the Yanbei Prince's Mansion knew that Xiao Jinglin had been practicing the zither, and even the cleaning women were aware that the Commandery Princess played only one piece daily.
Finally, Xiao Jinglin met Ren Yaoqi's concerned gaze. After a moment's thought, she offered Ren Yaoqi a reassuring smile.
Ouyang Shi also frowned slightly, but as the host of today's competition, she couldn't intervene. After all, it had been stated from the beginning that each young lady was free to showcase whatever talent she wished.
Wu Yiyu finally finished her piece.
To be fair, Wu Yiyu played quite well—certainly more skillfully than Xiao Jinglin, who had only recently begun practicing. If Xiao Jinglin still insisted on performing "Moon Over the Mountain Pass," no matter how well she played, she would inevitably be overshadowed. This was likely Wu Yiyu's intention in preemptively performing Xiao Jinglin's chosen piece.
Wu Yiyu rose and returned to her seat. As she sat down, she leaned slightly toward Xiao Jinglin and whispered in her ear, "How was my performance?"
Xiao Jinglin turned to look at her, her gaze as if observing an insignificant insect, then turned away without a word, ignoring her completely.
Xiao Jinglin had already decided not to perform, though deep down, she felt a faint twinge of reluctance.
Wu Yiyu's expression turned cold at her dismissive look, but then, as if remembering something, a cold smile curled at the corner of her lips.
"If you don't perform, not only will you miss out on today's top honor, but you won't even secure one of the ten secondary prizes. By then, you'll have thoroughly embarrassed the Yanbei Prince's Mansion and the Princess Consort. Oh, I forgot—the Prince's Mansion still has Jingyuan to uphold its reputation, but the Princess Consort's dignity won't be so easily restored. Do you not care? Does the Princess Consort not care either?"
Xiao Jinglin remained unmoved. She knew Wu Yiyu was trying to provoke her into losing her temper in public. If she fell for it, she would be beyond foolish.
Inwardly, however, Xiao Jinglin was silently cursing every one of Wu Yiyu's ancestors for eighteen generations.
Seeing that Xiao Jinglin remained unresponsive no matter what she said, Wu Yiyu felt a tinge of disappointment, but her anticipation for the spectacle ahead remained undimmed.
Next, the young ladies took turns performing in order of their seating arrangement. The seating had been arranged according to each family's status and prestige, so no one objected. The Ren Family's daughters, however, were particularly excited because the Princess Consort had specially arranged for them to perform earlier. Everyone knew that the earlier one performed, the greater the chance of winning.
After Wu Yiyu, it was the turn of the Yun Family's Eldest Miss, Yun Qiuchen. However, Yun Qiuchen had already won the top honor at the previous Thousand Gold Banquet. With Xiao Jinglin and the others present this time, she modestly treated her performance as a mere formality, reciting a poem before gracefully withdrawing.The eldest daughter of the Su family, Su Fangfei, was also widely known for her talent and beauty. Although she had lost to Yun Qiuchen in the previous Thousand Gold Banquet, securing the second place, this year, Miss Su performed calligraphy with both hands. When the finished work was passed around for everyone to view, Ren Yaoqi also glanced at it a few times. Miss Su’s left-handed calligraphy seemed to have been practiced only in the past two years; while it appeared decent, it ultimately lacked a certain charm. In contrast, her right-handed calligraphy was quite well-executed.
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