The gazes of the crowd turned to the woman behind the Prince of Qin. Dressed in a flowing palace gown of smoky rose and iridescent brocade, she perfectly accentuated her delicate figure. Her hair was adorned with a simple hairpin of white jade inlaid with pearls. Walking beside the Prince of Qin, she was by no means inferior to him.
However, when everyone clearly recognized her, a sense of unease settled upon them. It was Xiao Man!
"Your humble subject greets His Majesty, Empress." Xiao Man curtsied with grace.
"Rise," the Emperor chuckled. "Xiao family girl, how did you end up walking with my Little Fourth?"
"I arrived at the hall entrance first, but upon seeing the Prince of Qin's peerless beauty, I was momentarily dazzled and fell behind," Xiao Man replied with a lighthearted tone.
The old Emperor was amused, laughing heartily. "My Little Fourth's appearance is indeed captivating. Please, take your seat."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
The chief eunuch had already arranged a seat for Xiao Man beside the Old Madam. After Xiao Man took her seat, she respectfully greeted the Old Madam.
"I heard the eldest daughter of the Xiao family was beaten and wouldn't even attend His Majesty's Dragon Boat Festival banquet. Were you badly injured?" Consort Xian inquired as Xiao Man settled in.
Xiao Man, who had just sat down, had to rise again to reply. "Replying to Consort Xian, it was merely a superficial wound. It was due to my naughtiness that Grandmother administered a mild punishment. I also wished to attend His Majesty's Dragon Boat Festival banquet, but I happened to catch a cold and feared I might spread illness to others, so I abstained. I never expected His Majesty to remember me. I am profoundly grateful."
"Your Majesty, as I said, Miss Xiao has a strong constitution and would surely be nearly recovered. See? Her words are as sweet as honey," Consort Xian said, covering her mouth with a laugh. "I hear there is a 'Female Talents Ranking' in the capital, and Miss Xiao has long held the top spot. Recently, she also gained Granny Sheng as her governess, and Granny Sheng praised her highly. It is said her talents are astonishing. Why not let Miss Xiao showcase some of her skills for us to admire?"
The old Emperor looked at Xiao Man. "Xiao Man, what talents do you possess?"
"Your Majesty, what talents does Xiao Man have? She only knows how to beat people. Her ranking is achieved by beating others," Xue Kun blurted out impulsively.
"Nonsense! Xiao Man, with her slender arms and legs, how could she possibly beat anyone?"
"Your Majesty, she is indeed skilled at beating people, she often beats me!" Xue Kun quickly retorted.
"You still have the nerve to say that!" The old Emperor glared at him. "You are a grown man, always arguing with a little girl. A couple of blows from her, and you think it would truly hurt you?"
Xue Kun felt utterly humiliated and dared not speak further. The Emperor's maternal uncle glanced at his useless son. Being beaten soundly by General Xiao Zhen's daughter was humiliating enough, but to admit it in front of so many people was an utter disgrace.
"This consort has heard that Granny Sheng praised Miss Xiao, saying her demeanor is like fragrant orchid and her talent like an immortal. If Miss Xiao possesses no talent, wouldn't that mean Granny Sheng was speaking falsely?" Consort Xian said slowly.
For some unknown reason, Xiao Man instinctively glanced at Nangong Yu.
Nangong Yu was quite protective of Granny Sheng. Consort Xian's words were clearly intended to provoke the Prince of Qin's anger, thus pitting the Protectorate General's household against the Prince of Qin.
Nangong Yu looked at Consort Xian with a blank expression, about to speak, when he heard Xiao Man speak first.
"Replying to your Highness, Granny Sheng's upright character and temperament are known to all, how could she speak falsely? It is my great fortune to have received Granny Sheng's praise. To avoid bringing shame upon Granny Sheng, I shall present my humble skills. I will offer one piece each in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. I humbly hope everyone present will offer their guidance."
Consort Xian sneered inwardly upon hearing this. A dissolute woman, no matter how clever or diligent, could not possibly become a learned scholar in just one month. Today, she would expose Xiao Man's true colors in front of everyone!
The Empress immediately ordered servants to prepare what Xiao Man would need: the zither, chess pieces, and the four treasures of the study.
Xiao Man walked to the zither table and sat down. She carefully inspected the instrument, tested its tuning, and confirmed there were no issues. She then played a rendition of "High Mountains and Flowing Water Seeking a True Friend," which earned her thunderous applause.
Wen Moyu's gaze fell upon Xiao Man. She had seen her when she entered with the Prince of Qin. She had loved the Prince of Qin since childhood and knew him well. Although his expression was cold today, there was a hint of warmth, which stirred a sense of unease within her. Especially when Xiao Man was playing the zither, the Prince of Qin's gaze never left her. Su Dan Novel Network.
Xiao Man then proceeded to paint a peony. She inscribed a poem in the blank space: "The peonies in the courtyard, graceful without true character; the lotuses on the pond, pure yet lacking feeling. Only the peony, the true queen of flowers, moves the capital when it blooms."
"This humble subject offers this painting to Her Majesty the Empress. The peony is the empress among flowers, surpassing all in beauty, a perfect complement to Her Majesty."
"Present it quickly." The Empress was overjoyed. The head palace maid beside her quickly took the painting and handed it to the Empress for her appreciation. "A fine painting, a fine poem. Awarded."
"Thank you, Her Majesty the Empress."
Consort Xian's expression turned somewhat unpleasant, but she forced a smile. Xiao Man was clearly using this painting to mock her, yet she could not openly retaliate.
Finally, Xiao Man approached the chessboard and, with lightning speed, set up a mid-game position. "I have been idly pondering this mid-game position. If anyone can break it, I shall present them with a treasure box I chanced upon."
"What treasure box?"
"A mechanical box from the Mohist school," Xiao Man said, producing an item. It was clearly the mechanical box she had taken from Zen Master Wu You. "I presume everyone present is knowledgeable. This mechanical box is used to store confidential items. If the opening method is incorrect, not only will the contents be destroyed, but the person attempting to open it will also be injured."
The Prince of Qin's expression stirred slightly. Xiao Man had actually brought the mechanical box she took from Wu You as a prize. What was her intention?
Those present were surprised to hear it was a mechanical box from the Mohist school.
After all, the Mohist school had been annihilated. Their creations were now nearly extinct. However, everything produced by the Mohists was exquisite. Instantly, numerous people stood up and rushed to see the mid-game position Xiao Man had set.
In General Xiao Zhen's eyes, there was a look of shock. In fact, when Xiao Man produced the mechanical box, a flicker of panic flashed across his face.
However, he quickly regained his composure, lowered his gaze, and fell into deep thought, contemplating something unknown.
The old Emperor was also quite interested in the mechanical box in Xiao Man's hand. "Xiao family girl, where did you obtain this mechanical box?"
"It's a curious coincidence. I acquired this mechanical box from a beggar. The beggar had stumbled upon this treasure box but didn't recognize it, thinking it was useless. I then traded two taels of silver for it," Xiao Man said with a smile.
"Miss Xiao is indeed lucky."
Many people attempted Xiao Man's mid-game position but ultimately returned without success.
Finally, a young eunuch presented the mid-game position to the old Emperor. Even the old Emperor pondered it for a long time without finding a solution. He looked at Nangong Yu. "Little Fourth, you try."