She Holds the World After Being Reborn
Chapter 144: The Name Appears Again

Chapter 144: Chapter 144: The Name Appears Again

Li Chengyuan exerted great effort, knocked out four young ladies, and stuffed them into an abandoned house. Then, she locked the door and swaggered out.

The Seventh Prince’s selection ceremony for a consort had officially begun.

Noble daughters had already begun to exhibit their talents onstage.

Zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting—choose one, but the focus must be on "elegance." It was neither too difficult nor too simple to pinpoint the profound essence that would gain the admiration of the distinguished guests, yet it required much effort.

Yan Wanqing had not the slightest interest in it.

She simply treated it as if she were watching a song and dance performance.

But who would have thought that someone wouldn’t let her off the hook?

Seeing the palace attendant in charge of the roster in a flustered rush, she raised her eyebrows.

Zhang Lanyi opened the roster and, quite by chance, the last position had been added with Yan Wanqing’s name.

"Who did this?" said Zhang Lanyi furiously, her voice low as she looked at the palace attendant with eyes full of blame: "This roster has only passed through your hands. Just now, there was no mention of the Commandery Princess’s name—who added it?"

The palace attendant had no idea and shook her head in panic.

Yan Wanqing sighed, picked a lychee from the side, peeled it open, pinched the flesh to drip out the juice, and thoroughly soaked the three characters until the ink blurred. Only then did she nonchalantly turn around to go wash her hands.

"It’s not a big deal, the Empress needn’t be angry over such a trifle. Even if they truly call me up, it’s no big concern."

The Empress handed the roster back to the palace attendant: "You are very bold. Do you know what punishment you deserve for sullying the roster?"

"After this round, they will change to a new roster anyway. As for the old one, who will care?" Yan Wanqing did not take it seriously at all.

"You are already betrothed to the Young Marquis of the Northern Border, who would be so blind as to add your name at such a time?" the more Zhang Lanyi thought about it, the uglier her expression became: "Truly reckless, insisting on courting trouble with this palace."

Yan Wanqing, seeing her speak such childish words, sighed: "Your Majesty, there’s no need to be agitated. This won’t harm our foundations. You might as well focus on the selection of the Seventh Prince’s consort and choose a virtuous and gentle Imperial Concubine for him, which will please the Emperor."

Zhang Lanyi knew this little she-wolf was harboring mischief in her heart, so she felt somewhat relieved and put the matter out of her mind.

Below the stage, the singing and dancing reached a peak, and the noble daughters displayed their diverse talents, each performance eliciting rousing applause.

But what left the scholar-officials in awe was none other than the third young miss of the Li Family, Li Chengyuan.

This previously unknown young lady did not choose to dance or play an instrument; instead, she stood on the stage and composed a poem in seven steps, each line worthy of being called an eternal masterpiece!

"Have you not seen the waters of the Yellow River come from the heavens, rushing into the sea, never to return?

Have you not seen in high halls how the mirror laments white hair, Morning like black silk, by evening turned to snow?

Life should be enjoyed fully... with you, I shall dispel the eternal sorrows."

This toast poem immediately sparked the generous and impassioned spirit in the hearts of the literati, and even the Emperor, tipsy with drink, felt a sense of ambition rise within him.

"Excellent! ’Have you not seen the waters of the Yellow River come from the heavens’!" the Emperor held up his cup high, leading others to stand. He downed his drink and smashed the cup on the ground: "An excellent poem indeed! Which family’s young miss is this, who can recite such an ambitious verse? I must see her for myself."

Hearing that the Emperor wanted to see her in person, Li Chengyuan was so excited she could hardly contain herself. She struggled to suppress her emotions and, led by the palace attendants, walked behind the curtain where the highest-ranking were seated.

She saw the fat and bloated Emperor, the beautiful and delicate Empress, the bunch of concubines and palace maids by their side, and among the crowd, the unflappable Princess Anping, Yan Wanqing.

Why was she here too?

Li Chengyuan’s heart skipped a beat; she had a feeling that Yan Wanqing’s appearance here was no good omen.

"Are you the young miss from the Li Family who recited such a unique poem?" the Emperor’s authoritative voice came from above.

Li Chengyuan, urged by the palace attendants, knelt down in homage and was then helped up by attendants.

"To answer Your Highness, indeed, it is your humble daughter."

"I did not expect that official Li could father such a daughter of extraordinary caliber. I have truly underestimated him," said the Emperor, gesturing broadly, "Reward her!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Li Chengyuan knelt again in gratitude.

The Emperor looked at Li Chengyuan’s petite figure and beckoned to the seventh prince, Xiao Hongshen, "How does my son find this woman?"

Li Chengyuan’s heart hung suspended in mid-air.

Xiao Hongshen had spent some time with Li Chengyuan and knew she was versed in both ancient and modern knowledge, and understood Qimen Dunjia, but this was the first time he witnessed her showcasing her literary talent, and to such an exceptional level, earning the favor of the Emperor.

Never had he considered that a woman from such a modest background like Li Chengyuan could pass the scrutiny of the Empress’s nursemaids, and when she was with him, she clearly was no longer a virgin.

How could he, a prince, marry such a tainted woman as his Imperial Concubine?

She was fine for a fling, but not fit to be his lawful wife.

Xiao Hongshen felt extremely uncomfortable inside.

But he couldn’t voice these thoughts outright, for he still needed Li Chengyuan’s help on his side.

He could only manage a smile and nod, saying, "Her literary grace is indeed rare in the court."

Upon hearing this, the Emperor perked up, "My son also thinks so, this woman does have great talent."

Li Chengyuan, praised by father and son, felt her heart race and couldn’t help feeling elated.

Just then, the Emperor’s gaze fell on Yan Wanqing, who was quietly watching the proceedings, "However, she is not without rivals. Our Princess Anping is also renowned for her talents, and she might just be a match."

At this declaration, everyone present was stunned.

Yan Wanqing spoke leisurely, "Your Majesty, today is the prince’s consort selection feast. If Your Majesty wishes to see Princess Anping and Miss Li engage in a poetry match, another day should be chosen. However, Princess Anping will concede in advance, for Miss Li’s ability to compose a poem in seven steps is truly extraordinary. I cannot compare, and if I lose, I hope Your Majesty will not be disappointed in me."

"Hahaha, you rascal, ever since you were small, no one could outtalk you," the Emperor laughed heartily.

Yan Wanqing picked up a cup of wine from the table and held it with both hands, "Today, I’ve dampened Your Majesty’s spirit. I shall punish myself with this cup." With that, she tilted her head back and drank it all.

Seeing this, the Emperor said no more.

Everyone present was shrewd.

The Emperor’s sudden challenge was deftly deflected by Princess Anping in a few words.

Although the reputation of the "female Zhuge" was well-known, Li Chengyuan’s ability to compose poetry in seven steps should not be underestimated; it would be difficult to win again. If she lost, it would not only be a loss of face for the Township Manor, but as Princess Anping was personally titled by the Emperor, a loss to Li Chengyuan could lead to punishment from the Emperor.

Therefore, participating in a poetry contest is simply an unrewarding task, and Princess Anping’s decision to steer clear was the wise choice.

Having received rewards and been graced by the Emperor with permission to continue watching the selection process from her seat, Li Chengyuan felt herself floating on air.

Meanwhile, Xiao Hongshen had maintained a grim expression throughout.

It wasn’t until the second round’s list of selected ladies was presented to Zhang Lanyi again that she couldn’t help wanting to smash the cup in front of her, but she was restrained by Yan Wanqing.

"This is simply outrageous!"

In this round’s list, Yan Wanqing’s name was still there.

Her three characters placed right in the center.

But everyone knew she hadn’t participated at all.

The person who added her name was clearly malicious!

If the Emperor saw this, it could lead to all sorts of suspicions.

"It’s of no concern," Yan Wanqing said calmly as she took the ribbon from around her wrist and slowly wound it around her forehead, securing her stray hair. She looked composedly at the Empress and said, "Since someone from the shadows wants to play, then let’s play along."

"Hasn’t Your Majesty always wanted to see my Green Snake Sword Dance?" She curved her lips, her smile possessing the boldness of her youth, "Today, Your Majesty is in for a treat."

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