Ouyang Zhide stared straight at Ouyang Yue, his deep eyes filled with complex emotions, as if he were looking at her, yet also as if he were looking through her at someone else. After what seemed like an eternity, Ouyang Zhide finally said, "Yue'er, with your intelligence, you must have already begun to doubt your own origins."
Ouyang Yue's heart skipped a beat, and she looked up at Ouyang Zhide, only to see that the latter's expression was extremely complicated. Ouyang Yue was about to tell her about her background!
☆、126、The Mystery of My Origins!
Ouyang Yue had indeed always had some doubts about her background. If she were her biological mother, no matter what happened or how many conflicts existed between them, Ning Shi shouldn't be hostile towards her.
Well, judging from the original owner's memories, she once greatly admired her mother, Ning Shi, and made many efforts to win Ning Shi's favor, but...
The results were not good, and the conflict between the two seemed to have intensified. She did not believe that this was something a mother would do.
Moreover, considering Ning Shi's repeated actions since her rebirth, there must be more to this story than meets the eye. Since Ouyang Zhide said so, Ouyang Yue was even more certain that this was the place.
Faced with something, she took a deep breath and said, "Yes, Father, I've always had a question. I feel that Mother isn't kind to me. It seems like she's not my biological mother."
The father's affection for his daughter.
Ouyang Zhide was not surprised, but his eyes looked somewhat blank, and his expression was a little strange. Ouyang Yue was not in a hurry, but just waited quietly for him to speak.
After a while, Ouyang Zhide suddenly said, "Yue'er, you seem to really enjoy reading now. What kind of books do you usually read?"
Ouyang Yue was slightly taken aback, then replied, "Actually, they are all miscellaneous books, including anecdotes and unofficial histories of Langya Continent, as well as some serious classics and so on."
Ouyang Zhide nodded slightly. He figured Ouyang Yue wouldn't be able to handle rote memorization like everyone else; reading these books, however, didn't surprise him. "Then you..."
But he knew some of the strange things about the Langya Continent.
"Strange things?" Ouyang Yue was puzzled, but she still thought about it seriously. After a while, she said, "After thinking about it, there are just too many strange things to count."
Starting before the new year, a beauty pageant was held on the Langya Continent. This wouldn't be unusual if it were held in any other country; what's unusual is that it was held on the Langya Continent, the most prestigious continent in China.
Several major powers. The so-called "major powers" refers to the remaining nations that have survived countless wars and the many years that have passed on the Langya continent; it's a disguised form of participation.
Conflicts between nations.
Ouyang Zhide nodded and said, "That's right. The beauty pageant on the Langya Continent is quite a unique event. This beauty pageant dates back countless years, but..."
It's been going on since I was born. The beauty pageant on the Langya Continent is held every five years, and only unmarried girls aged fourteen to eighteen are eligible.
"The only way to participate is for each woman in the Langya Continent to participate once in her lifetime."
Ouyang Yue nodded. She had read about this in the book as well. To be honest, the conditions were somewhat harsh, but the number of participants in each beauty pageant was quite large.
The competition was so popular that many young women from Langya Continent considered it an honor to win a place in the beauty pageant. This was a woman's vanity, and also a form of affirmation; many...
Many women study and practice diligently just for this one beauty pageant competition. It may seem ridiculous, but that's the truth.
"Our noble ladies of the Great Zhou Dynasty have also repeatedly excelled in this beauty pageant," Ouyang Zhide couldn't help but say. "Every one of those who wins the crown is truly talented."
A woman of exceptional beauty and talent, sought after by all, and in the history of the Great Zhou Dynasty, three women stood out as the most outstanding in beauty pageants across the Langya Continent. "Speaking of this," Ouyang Zhide said...
His face held a longing expression, and as if he were thinking of something, his eyes lit up, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, showing a hint of self-satisfaction.
Ouyang Yue simply watched him quietly. Ouyang Zhide wasn't a tactless person; for him to tell her about the beauty pageant in Langya Continent, could it be that her relatives had...
Have you participated in this beauty pageant, or are you involved in any way? Or are you someone who lost out in a beauty pageant?
For some reason, Ouyang Yue's eyebrows twitched slightly as she asked, "Father, did Mother ever participate in a beauty pageant?"
Ouyang Zhide was taken aback, seemingly not expecting Ouyang Yue to suddenly bring up the Ning family, but he still explained to Ouyang Yue: "She couldn't participate; she gave birth at the time."
She missed the chance to be seriously ill, but even if she hadn't, she wouldn't have placed in the beauty pageant on the Langya Continent. Whether she was truly ill at the time is still hard to say.
At this point, Ouyang Yue clearly sensed the mockery in Ouyang Zhide's words, and that he looked down on Ning Shi.
Ouyang Yue was slightly taken aback and said, "This Langya beauty pageant is so difficult that even Mother couldn't get a place?" Ouyang Yue had only read about this beauty pageant in books.
However, the descriptions are indeed less detailed than those of Ouyang Zhide, and they only specify the woman's age and marital status, with virtually no other requirements. It's as if one simply believes...
Anyone with talent can participate in the competition; the requirements are quite lenient to a certain extent. After all, the Ning family is of noble birth; even if their talent isn't unparalleled, it's certainly...
He may have some talent, but in Ouyang Zhide's words, this beauty pageant is extremely difficult.
"You might not believe it, but in the last eight beauty pageants, only three noble ladies from the Great Zhou Dynasty have won the championship, and each of these three women has an extraordinary background."
"Both are exceptionally talented and beautiful; they're both highly sought after by young men." Ouyang Zhide said, his eyes flashing. Ouyang Yue pondered, "Hmm, an eight to three ratio isn't exactly high."
Jin said, "Proportionally speaking, it's neither high nor low."
Ouyang Zhide gave her a deep look: "The first of these three is the current Princess Shuangxia. The second is from a family that is the lowest-ranking of the five great families in the current dynasty."
The third Empress was Leng Yuyan, the eldest daughter of the Leng family, one of the five great families of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Ouyang Yue knew a little about these things and wasn't too surprised. However, she was born at the wrong time, and her understanding of these three women was very limited. Only Shuangxia...
She had met the eldest princess before, but judging from her status and bearing, Ouyang Yue could only imagine that the young Princess Shuangxia would have been so outstanding and extraordinary. However, Ouyang Yue...
She stared intently at Ouyang Zhide, not believing that her father, a military general, would be so enthusiastic about beauty pageants and share these things with her, and that it was definitely not out of a lack of understanding.
Talk.
Ouyang Zhide looked at Ouyang Yue, a slight smile curving his lips, and said, "Yue'er, you're really smart. Do you remember when you said you didn't want to participate in the beauty pageant?"
Is it about the competition?
Ouyang Yue was taken aback. She casually searched through the original owner's memories and suddenly remembered that it seemed there really was such a thing. It was when Ouyang Zhide returned to the capital to report on his duties that Ouyang Zhi...
Ouyang Zhide had sustained some injuries to his arm, and Ouyang Yue was very worried, insisting on personally staying by his side to take care of him. Ouyang Zhide was very gratified, but of course, he couldn't let Ouyang Yue actually take care of him.
How could he bear to part with her? So, whenever he had free time, he would have Ouyang Yue come over and chat with her. Somehow, the conversation drifted to the beauty pageant of the Great Demon of Langya, something the original owner of this body had quite disliked.
He scoffed, "What beauty pageant? I don't want to participate."
Ouyang Zhide laughed and said, "Why don't you want to participate? You should know that all the women in Langya Dachong consider it an honor to participate in beauty pageants. Is Yue'er afraid of it?"
After all, all the women who participated were exceptionally talented.
Ouyang Yue snorted: "Afraid? Me, afraid? I just think there's no point in arguing like this. Father, don't you think it's pointless to go on stage and be judged by others?"
Do I look like a monkey being played? Besides, I don't have any outstanding talents. I know my limitations, and I won't force myself to do something I don't like just for this beauty pageant.
"It's too painful to do something enjoyable. Why should I torture myself for a beauty pageant? Why should I do something that makes me unhappy?"
This woman, who was coveted by many talented and beautiful women of the Langya Continent, was actually compared to him by the original owner of this body, making him look like a monkey in a show. If people heard this, I wonder how many people would be disgusted.
She was furious. But in a sense, the original owner wasn't wrong. Her understanding of the original owner could be fully analyzed from her memories. The original owner was originally a person of little wisdom, who liked...
A person who lives for the moment, she never forces herself to do things she doesn't like, which leads to her increasingly arrogant nature and reckless behavior. However, this...
She was actually quite pleased with this seemingly talentless and immoral person, believing that such a person truly understood life. Life is short, only a few decades; how can one be happy if one worries too much?
.
However, whether in this life or the past, there are too many things in reality that we need to think about. For example, the original owner of this body did enjoy life to the fullest, but her reputation suffered.
It's ruined just like that. This is what they mean by "you can't have everything." It's hard for women to have free rein in this era.
Ouyang Zhide looked at Ouyang Yue and couldn't help but laugh, "Yue'er, have you still not changed your mind? You really don't want to participate in the beauty pageant?"
Ouyang Yue nodded. She didn't care much about those empty titles and said, "I don't have that ambition in my heart."
Ouyang Zhide looked at Ouyang Yue, his eyes narrowing slightly, and finally sighed sadly, "If only she had thought like you back then." Then Ou...
Yang Zhide shook his head, looking at Ouyang Yue with a wry smile: "Yue'er, you must have realized it, yes, Ning Caiyue is not your biological mother at all. Your biological mother is actually someone else..."
She.
Before Ouyang Zhide said it himself, Ouyang Yue wasn't entirely certain. But his sudden statement made her heart skip a beat.
He whispered, "Could it be...could it be that my biological mother is one of these three?"
Thinking of this, Ouyang Yue's heart tightened, but she quickly calmed down. Ouyang Zhide wouldn't say that without a purpose; her biological mother should be here.
One of the three, but Princess Shuangxia's age definitely doesn't match, while the former empress's age does. However, she was a favored daughter of heaven, so if it were her daughter, she would certainly be...
She was a princess of the imperial dynasty. The royal family would not allow their bloodline to flow outside the palace, much less entrust it to a foreign official or military general; it was simply impossible. Yet this Leng Yuyan was...
Of the three, Ouyang Yue was the least familiar with one.
"Yes, she is Leng Yuyan, the eldest daughter of the Leng family, one of the five great families of the Great Zhou Dynasty," Ouyang Zhide explained.
"Leng Yuyan?" Ouyang Yue's heart skipped a beat. Leng Yuyan was the least described of the three women, the only mention being that she was the legitimate daughter of the Leng family, and...
Moreover, she possessed both beauty and talent, making her a worthy contender for the beauty pageant in Langya Continent. However, she disappeared without a trace afterward, as if she had vanished into thin air.
.
Ouyang Zhide suddenly realized, "She is truly an outstanding woman, and she is very kind, intelligent, and highly talented. I still remember the first time I met her."
Back then, we both attended a banquet at the palace. I had drunk a bit too much and went outside to get some fresh air and sober up, while she sat alone in the pavilion, tilting her head slightly upwards and gazing at the sky.
Her delicate profile, graceful neck, and slender figure were unforgettable at first glance. I was in Northeast China when she participated in the beauty pageant; it was my first...
The first time I saw her, she was being hailed as the most important person by everyone, even I had to look up to her. But she seemed incredibly lonely. I remember, at that moment I was just about to speak...
I greeted her, and when she turned around, her face was still wet with tears. She immediately turned away to wipe them away when she saw me.
Ouyang Zhide wore a slight smile, and from his expression, Ouyang Yue could tell how beautiful that memory was for him, yet her heart was filled with mixed emotions.
What happened to Leng Yuyan afterward? Given Leng Yuyan's status, if she had been able to marry Ouyang Zhide, the position of General's wife wouldn't have been available to Ning Shi. Although they both...
She was the daughter of one of the five great families of the Great Zhou Dynasty. However, these five families varied in status; for example, the Lin family, currently ranked first and the maternal family of the reigning empress, was...
The name itself doesn't have the same long history as the Leng family. The Leng family has been scholars for generations, producing two prime ministers, three grand secretaries, and a grand tutor in the imperial court—truly a family of scholars.
The Lin family is a prestigious and powerful clan. The reason the Lin family is considered the foremost family in the Great Zhou Dynasty is because they produced the current Empress, and the Empress gave birth to the Crown Prince.
As for the Ning family, which ranks third, although it is also a prominent family with a strong literary tradition, it is still somewhat inferior to the Leng family, a family with a thousand-year history. As for the fourth...
The fact that the Sun family, the family of the current Consort Sun, and the Bai family, the family of the former Empress, are ranked at the top is naturally due to their daughters' connections.
The daughter of such a wealthy and powerful family, and also a beauty pageant champion in Langya Continent, according to Ouyang Zhide, the Ning family wouldn't even make it into the top ranks of beauty pageants.
What right does she have to compare with Leng Yuyan compared to those others?
Wait a minute! The eldest daughter of the Leng family, the Leng family!
Ouyang Yue was startled and couldn't help but ask, "The Leng family, the Leng family of the five great families of the Great Zhou Dynasty?"
Ouyang Zhide was taken aback by Ouyang Yue's reaction, then nodded and said, "Yes, it is this Leng residence."
Ouyang Yue's lips twitched slightly. If her biological mother was Leng Yuyan, then wouldn't she and Leng Caiwen be cousins? Her mind involuntarily drifted to the image of that girl who always liked...