Chapter 173: Poem Competition
Translator: Antonia
After this dance, there were more girls volunteered to show their dancing.
Several rounds later, it was silence for a moment. Seeing, no more ladies intended to join in the competition, Princess Yuhe smiled, “I believe every lady dances with their unique beauty, but nobody outperformed Susu. I’m a little stumped now.”
She appeared fair, but the jealousy was immediately against Junzhu Susu.
Susu didn’t care, “I said I’m out of the game. I must keep my words.”
“That being said, the fame wouldn’t match the talent… Alright, just select one from the rest of the contenders.”
The Princess’s “the fame wouldn’t match the talent” was uttered very sorry. No matter who got the Peach Blossom Pendant, the winner would feel the thorn in the flesh.
The ladies were silent.
Princess thought for a while, “It’s really hard to choose from…” She said so, but her eyes were wandering about Susu, looking very sorry.
“I heard that lady Lan is an outstanding dancer. I’m wondering whether we’ll be lucky to see…”
The speaker was Junzhu Xinrui, sitting in an opposite pavilion, that Susu had introduced to her.
The tone and the way she glanced over suggested dissatisfaction. Mo Qianxue figured that she just didn’t want Junzhu Susu to make a hit, but it actually happened to help Susu out.
As Junzhu Xinrui made the suggestion, there were naturally others chiming in. Hence, unable to turn them down, Lan Ruomeng, a daughter of the first-level Lan family, stood out. In a royal blue dress, she walked to the middle of the stage, curtsied to Princess, and then stood still waiting for the music.
It could be seen that this girl had a cold nature and pride in her bones.
As the music was played, she, waist swinging, head raising, sleeves thrown high and at the same time, the long silk around her arms cast to the sky in a perfect curve, instantly leaped to the air.
Her waist was soft, and her spinning graceful like a crane extending its wings and strolling above the clouds. As she moved lightly, her dress floated in the wind, and the whole person seemed to submerse into the long silk. In the poses like those of a fairy, she made nine twirling in a row in the air, sweeping over like a speedy gust of wind.
The audience had believed that Junzhu Susu’s dancing was rare enough to stun the world, but to their surprise, this lady Lan’s dancing impressed them more.
With Lan Ruomeng’s finale dance, no one dared to give a shot again. Without judgment, it was obvious who should be the winner of this Dance Pendant.
Junzhu Xinrui cast a provocative look, but Junzhu Susu only made a face at her.
Princess Yuhe appeared not to see the interaction between the two girls and smiled with satisfaction about the result, “Now we have a winner of the Dance Pendant. Since our ladies came from the eye-pleasing blossoms, what about we make a poem on the topic of peach blossom so as to select a winner of the Poem Pendant?”
The ladies all applauded, “That’s great.”
Princess Yuhe said, “Just now Junzhu Susu took the lead in dancing, now I’d like to take the lead in this contend. But, also, let’s make it clear first, I’m not joining the competition either.”
She cleared her throat. It was quiet.
She began, “All flowers in late spring have fallen far and wide/ But peach blossoms are full-blown on the mountainside / Long did I regret Spring’s departure, nowhere to be found/ Little knowing that here is where she has turned around.”
After she finished, it was quieter. Most of the ladies received elite education. Even if they couldn’t compose a poem, they had a good taste about a poem’s content and artistic image.
The exquisite poem was evidently prepared beforehand. As long as no one outperformed her, then the winner of the Poem Pendant wouldn’t live up to the fame.
She could win both the reputation of talent and generosity. One stone, two birds. No wonder that previously she didn’t want Junzhu Susu to give up, because then she couldn’t be the only generous one.
It was fair to say that this Princess Yuhe had a really deep mind of calculation.
In a long while, some began to applaud, “A great poem.”
“Princess is genius.”
“…”
As she took the lead, the atmosphere became alive again. Talking about artistic activities and pretending to be an expert in them was an indispensable part in these ladies’ parties.
An Eryan stood up, “The hazy mist reveals the faint shape of a raised bridge/ I enquire the fisherman standing west at the crag of an edge/ As the peach blossoms drift daily with the running water/ Where can I find the source of the creek, I wonder?”
Bai Youwei frowned, “Ahead of the unfolding of leaves vying for efflorescence/ The florets are so densely interlocked as to be void of sprays in outward appearance/ By the pond of a fair beholds herself in the mirror on the sly/ Scaring fishes into splashing water against the bridge nearby.”
Qin Lingrou, “…”
Although these poems were good in images, they weren’t as deep as Princess Yuhe’s, impossible to surpass it.
Wengzhu YuaiAi made a doggerel to amuse everybody and then squinted at Mo Qianxue, saying loudly, “Princess, Miss. Mo is brave and knowledgeable. I guess she must also be excelled in poetry. Why not let Miss. Mo make one for us to appreciate?”
She kept the embarrassment in mind for the whole morning and came up with this idea seeing that all the ladies were racking their brains to compose something while Mo Qianxue was only sipping tea, similar to those daughters of military generals. Obviously, she didn’t know poetry at all.
If so, when she was asked to make one, she would make a fool of herself.
Princess Yuhe smiled gently, a hint of slyness flashing in her eyes, “Then, please let Miss. Mo make one for us. Miss. Mo is a brave sister who often visited when she was young. I heard mother praised your talents and learning. I guess you’re a great poet too. Let’s prepare paper and ink for her…”
Princess Yuhe didn’t even prepare those for herself.
Mo Qianxue slowly got up in astonishment. Wengzhu YuanAi looked complacent while Princess Yuhe encouraged her with a bright smile. The other ladies glanced over, expectant or teasing…
Even Wengzhu YuanAi could discover Mo Qianxue’s difference from others, let alone Princess Yuhe. She was just waiting for a proper opportunity.
Mo Qianxue smiled shyly, “I’m not smart and know little about poetry. It’s better that I don’t participate in the competition. Princess, please let me just have some tea and enjoy your poems and great learnings.”
“The paper and ink is prepared already. Do you want to embarrass me, Miss. Mo?” Princess Yuhe said in a humble tone, but it was still a warning.
To embarrass her in public would mean standing opposite to all ladies.
Even the paper and ink was ready, so as long as she spoke, the words would be on the paper. If she didn’t make anything, it became an iron-hard proof that she was a fool! What a wonderful idea!
She wasn’t wrong. Princess Yuhe was going to kill her with over-sweet words and manners…
In view that she had no choice, Mo Qianxue smiled, “I should receive Princess’s kindness, so please bear with my plain learning.”
Then, she started,
“In the Peach Blossom Land there is a peach blossom plot/ A peach blossom lover lives in Peach Blossom Cot/ The peach blossom lover plants peach trees in days fine/ He sells his peach blossoms for money to buy wine.
When he is not drunk, he would sit before the flowers/ He would lie beneath them to spend his drunken hours/ From day to day half-drunk, half-sober he’d appear/ The peach flowers blossom and fall from year to year.
I would grow old and die among flowers and wine/ Rather than bow before the steed and carriage fine/ The rich may love their dust-raising carriages and bowers/ The poor only enjoy their cups of wine and flowers.
If you compare the poor with the rich low and high/ You’ll find the one on earth, the other in the sky/ If you compare the poor with the carriage and steed/ The poor have leisure while the rich gallop with speed.
Others may pity me so foolish and so mad/ I laugh at them for those who can’t see through are sad/ Can you find where the tombs of gallant heroes stand? / Without flowers or wine they turn into plough land.”
No one had expected that Mo Qianxue was able to make a poem immediately upon opening her mouth, let alone one of such length and great content…
Besides Mo Qianxue’s voice, there was no other sound. The recorders hurriedly wrote it down, fearing to miss one single word. So did the ladies.
This breath-taking poem was really composed by this girl? However hard they recalled, they had never heard any line of it. Who else might be the writer?
If to plagiarize, then choose the best one. This one had been selected when she heard Princess’s.
She and the Empress were at odds against each other, leaving no possibility to make up for.
If so, then she wouldn’t give Princess Yuhe this chance to gain the fame. She must exceed her. She had been exactly trying to find a best timing to throw this poem out, when the dumb-headed Wengzhu offered the chance voluntarily.
As this poem was read loudly, Princess Yuhe’s expression changed.
In terms of either image or content, rhyme or rhythm, this poem surpassed that of Yuhe’s a lot. She lost, completely.
The Empress had warned her that this girl was sticky, but she didn’t believe it and swore to her mother that she would let Mo Qianxue make a huge scene of herself in the party and lead all other ladies jealous against her.
However, pushing forward step by step, only one slip, and now Mo Qianxue made a hit instead of a fool of herself.
The ever smiling face of Princess Yuhe finally found it hard to maintain it.
“A great one!”
“Awesome!”
“In the Peach Blossom Land there is a peach blossom plot/ A peach blossom lover lives in Peach Blossom Cot/ The peach blossom lover plants peach trees in days fine… What beautiful images!”
“I admire your talent, Miss. Mo.” Lan Ruomeng said.
The site was full of praise. Some even left their seats and asked the recorder for a copy.
Without further comment, it was already the best one.
When it got a little quieter, Princess Yuhe returned to earth too. She coughed and granted Mo Qianxue the Poem Pendant in a complicated expression. It was already noon, and she, looking tired, raised her hand, and there served lunch.
Every lady had her own table, and dishes were served in an order. The first was appetizer, then peach blossom wine, and then main courses.
As the ladies had lunch, Princess Yuhe had restored her normal countenance, raising the peach blossom wine from time to time to toast in a distant to every lady, without a self-conceited manner.
She wore pinkish makeup, behaved in a noble and graceful bearing.
If she wasn’t the daughter of the Empress, Mo Qianxue would really trust her.
Mo Qianxue picked up the wine. It tasted great… She closed her eyes to enjoy it, when, however, a servant tripped over something and fell before Mo Qianxue’s table which should be knocked over, dishes and soup splashing all over the place.
Mo Qianxue, sitting at the table, certainly couldn’t escape.
The light-blue dress was stained with oil, dishes and soup.
The servant was so frightened that she wasn’t able to talk but kept kowtowing to her.
The other ladies were scared too.
Princess Yuhe flew into a fury, immediately ordered the clumsy servant to be taken away and beaten to death, and then asked her own servants to help Mo Qianxue leave and get changed.
Mo Qianxue knew it would get here.
She would be anxious if everything went normal.
Just wait and see what tricks Princess Yuhe was going to play.