Su Yuting smiled and matched Shen Lixue's couplet. Next, it was her turn to pose a question: "Eighty kings, eighteen dukes everywhere, longevity by the roadside." This couplet was neither simple nor difficult. She wondered if Shen Lixue could match it.
Shen Lixue smiled faintly: "The Emperor of the Nine Heavens celebrates the Double Ninth Festival every year, raising his cup in celebration on the frontier. At the third watch of the night, the third watch drum announces the start of the night!"
A hint of surprise flashed in Su Yuting's beautiful eyes. Shen Lixue not only matched her couplet but also gave her a difficult one. She was indeed quite talented. However, her couplet was no challenge for her: "Mid-Autumn Festival in the eighth month, the moon is full in the middle of the eighth month!"
...
Shen Lixue and Su Yuting, one after another, composed one perfect, rhyming, and catchy couplet after another. Everyone in the hall looked at Shen Lixue with surprise: her talent was in no way inferior to Su Yuting's. She was truly amazing.
Nangong Xiao held his folding fan, remaining motionless, his astonished gaze never leaving Shen Lixue. After a long while, he muttered to himself, "I really doubt that Shen Lixue grew up in Qingzhou." Her exceptional talent surpassed that of many noble ladies from the capital. How could such a talented person have grown up in that poor, remote place of Qingzhou?
Lin Yan suppressed his joy and said calmly, "Li Xue is my aunt Lin Qingzhu's daughter!" Li Xue is so outstanding, my aunt can rest in peace now.
Nangong Xiao paused, lowered his eyelids, and gently shook his folding fan. Eighteen years ago, Lin Qingzhu was the most outstanding woman in the capital, and no one in the entire Qingyan clan could match her. It was not surprising that the daughter she had personally taught was so excellent.
Su Yuting: "South Tongzhou, North Tongzhou, Tongzhou connects the North and South!"
Shen Lixue: "East pawnshop, west pawnshop, pawn things at both pawnshops!"
Su Yuting: "Big casino, small casino, big casino, bet on big or small!"
Shen Lixue: "Read books in spring, read books in autumn, read books in spring and autumn, and read the Spring and Autumn Annals!"
“Miss Su, our talents are similar, and it’s impossible to tell who is better in a short time. If we continue, we won’t be able to determine a winner even by tomorrow!” Shen Lixue had studied poetry in modern times, but she was not an ancient person after all. If they continued, she would definitely lose.
"According to Miss Shen, how should we determine the winner?" After several rounds of competition, Su Yuting had already put away her contempt. Just as Shen Lixue said, their talents were similar, and it was impossible to determine a winner in a short time. There was only one prize, so they had to determine a winner and had to change the competition method.
Shen Lixue frowned: "How about this, we find someone with exceptional talent to pose a difficult question, and whoever answers it correctly first wins."
Su Yuting pondered for a moment, then nodded in agreement: "Alright, but who should we ask to set the questions?" Her gaze seemingly casually swept over Nangong Xiao and Lin Yan, who were leisurely drinking tea. In the entire hall, these two were the most distinguished and talented. Could it be that Shen Lixue wanted them to set the questions...?
Shen Lixue smiled slightly, her cool gaze sweeping towards the private room on the second floor: "I wonder if the guests in room number two of the Heavenly tier could pose a question for Miss Su and me?"
Instantly, everyone's attention was focused on Room No. 2 of the Heavenly Class. Zuixianlou was the largest restaurant in the capital and also the most expensive. Especially the private rooms starting with the Heavenly Class, you couldn't get a reservation without spending hundreds or thousands of taels of silver. It could be said that those who could dine there were all high-ranking nobles and dignitaries. I wonder who is currently staying in Room No. 2 of the Heavenly Class.
"Squeak!" The door to the private room slowly opened, and a young man in blue walked out amidst the curious gazes of the crowd. His handsome face and warm smile were like a gentle breeze.
"Greetings, Prince Zhan!" The crowd bowed in greeting.
"No need for formalities." Dongfang Zhan said politely, his gaze fixed on Shen Lixue: "Miss Shen wishes to have me set a challenge?"
"Is Your Highness willing?" When Zhuang Kexin came down the stairs to scheme against her, Shen Lixue sensed that there was a master in Room 2 of the Heavenly Division, but she did not expect it to be Dongfang Zhan. As the Prince of Qingyan, Dongfang Zhan was learned and talented, and the question of determining the winner was a piece of cake for him.
Dongfang Zhan's smiling gaze swept over Su Yuting: "It is an honor to be able to set questions for two talented ladies, and I will naturally not refuse!"
"Thank you, Prince Zhan!" After bowing and expressing her gratitude, Su Yuting remained silent. She knew clearly that although Dongfang Zhanwang was smiling, his smile was tinged with indifference and aloofness.
After a moment's thought, Dongfang Zhan's clear and gentle voice slowly rang out in the hall: "Three merchants went to stay at an inn. The price was thirty taels of silver per night. Each of them took out ten taels, which totaled thirty taels, and handed them to the innkeeper. Later, the inn offered a discount, and the price was only twenty-five taels. The innkeeper took out five taels of silver and instructed the waiter to return it to the merchants."
"The waiter secretly hid two taels and then divided the remaining three taels of silver among the three merchants, giving each of them one tael. In other words, each merchant initially paid ten taels, but now they got one tael back, meaning each of them only spent nine taels of silver. The three of them spent twenty-seven taels, plus the two taels the waiter hid, for a total of twenty-nine taels. Where did the other tael of silver go?"
The crowd in the hall fell silent for a moment, then began to discuss: "Yes, where did the other tael of silver go?"
"It's with the innkeeper. He runs an inn and cleverly deducts money from the guests' bills!"
"If you ask me, it's the waiter; he's greedy for money..."
Shen Lixue smiled. This question tested a person's responsiveness and intelligence. She wondered if Su Yuting could come up with the correct answer.
Dongfang Zhan's deep gaze fell on Shen Lixue. Her dark eyes, bright as the most dazzling stars in the night sky, radiated a dazzling light that made people want to look at her a second time. Her fresh and natural temperament was serene and unparalleled. Even if she stood in the center of a crowd of thousands, people would immediately focus their attention on her. Her free and unrestrained aura was like a gentle breeze, making her unfathomable and unpredictable.
Looking at Su Yuting again, a hint of amusement flashed in Dongfang Zhan's eyes. Su Yuting was taller than Shen Lixue, but she did not suppress her aura. She was dressed more exquisitely than Shen Lixue, but she was not as beautiful as her. The amazing feeling was not related to appearance, but the confidence that emanated from her heart. It was a kind of elegance that he had never seen before.
This question is neither too difficult nor too easy; it remains to be seen whether Shen Lixue or Su Yuting will answer it correctly first.
037 It's so easy for enemies to meet on such a narrow road.
"Miss Zhuang, have you ever heard of the phrase 'talented yet arrogant'?" Nangong Xiao slowly waved his folding fan, his charming eyes gleaming with coldness. "I am exceptionally talented. It's not that I'm afraid to accept the challenge, but I don't want to embarrass you insignificant characters."
Su Yuting lowered her eyelids, and something flashed in her beautiful eyes so quickly that no one could see it clearly.
Zhuang Kexin's face instantly changed more than ten colors, her eyes burning with jealousy and anger. Shen Lixue was just a wild girl from the countryside; how talented could she be? Why did she look down on her and Yuting?
However, the question that Yuting had been racking her brains to figure out was answered correctly by Shen Lixue, indirectly proving her intelligence. If she mocked her again, the foolish people in the hall would definitely blame her. She had only won once by luck, what was there to be proud of? She was a jerk!
"Cousin Yan, you're busy, I'm going back to the Prime Minister's residence!" Having already bought the fruits and the Azure Mango Night Pearl, Shen Lixue didn't plan to stay any longer. As for Zhuang Kexin and Su Yuting, she had won the Azure Mango Night Pearl by answering the question correctly, which was considered a defeat for Su Yuting. They must be extremely frustrated, so there was no need for her to pay them any more attention.
Lin Yan smiled slightly and said with concern, "Be careful on the road!"
Shen Lixue agreed and turned to walk away. Zhuang Kexin's beautiful eyes burned with even more anger. Shen Lixue actually turned and left without saying a word, ignoring her. She clearly looked down on her. How hateful!
Su Yuting stared at Shen Lixue's departing figure for a long time until she could no longer see her, then she looked away and lowered her eyes in thought.
As Shen Lixue walked out of Zuixianlou, she discovered that a 'tail' was following her.
"Young Master Nangong, didn't you come to Zuixianlou for breakfast? Why are you out here?" Shen Lixue asked knowingly.
“I’m worried about you going back to the Prime Minister’s residence alone, so I’ll see you off. As for breakfast, you can have it at the Bamboo Garden!” Nangong Xiao said this as if it were his own home, where he could go whenever he wanted and eat whenever he wanted.
Shen Lixue was speechless. Nangong Xiao was wicked and shameless, and there was no way to get rid of him.
With Dongfang Heng's handsome face appearing in her mind, Shen Lixue lowered her voice and said, "Young Master Nangong, do you know who has the highest martial arts skills in Qingyan Kingdom?" Since she couldn't get rid of him, she would ask him for some useful information.
Nangong Xiao waved his folding fan, his brows slightly furrowed: "There are many talented and extraordinary people in Qingyan Kingdom, but as for the person with the highest martial arts skills, it's really hard to say. Why are you asking this?"
"I want to find someone with high martial arts skills to teach me lightness skills and internal energy!" Shen Lixue replied casually. After learning them, she wouldn't be bullied by Dongfang Heng anymore.
Nangong Xiao shook his head in disapproval: "Lightness skill and internal energy are very difficult to learn. You girls can't endure that kind of hardship, practicing in the coldest and hottest winters..."