Ouyang Yue turned to Jiang Huan with a smile: "It seems the judges have no objections, so I can continue. If Princess Jiang can't answer, please step aside."
"You!" Jiang Huan stared at Ouyang Yue with a dark face and a cold expression. Having been humiliated in front of so many people, Jiang Huan now hated Ouyang Yue to the core.
"I continued, why do some people say that the most fairly distributed thing in the world is 'conscience'? Please answer," Ouyang Yue said.
Zi Er frowned and sneered, "What does this mean? There are good people and bad people in this world, and conscience is not necessarily fair. Good people have a conscience, but what about bad people? Miss Ouyang, is there something wrong with this question?"
Ouyang Yue smiled faintly, a strange light in her eyes, and said, "What Miss Zi said is right. It's a pity that neither good nor bad people would say such things about themselves. Take Miss Zi for example. If you were a bad person, would you tell others that you have no conscience? Would anyone deliberately ruin their own reputation? Have you ever heard of such a person? Or is Miss Zi such a person?"
Zi Er's face was gloomy. Was Ouyang Yue taking this opportunity to scold her for being heartless and vicious?
"Pfft, haha, that's right! Miss Ouyang's question is really brilliant. You in purple, you're the one with a vicious heart, would you admit to being a bad person? Hahaha!"
"Haha, that's right. Would you do something that contradicts yourself?"
The crowd below started shouting and making a fuss. Zi Er, with a gloomy face, finally retreated.
Ouyang Yue looked at the eight people and continued with a smile: "Then what is the next question? What is pigskin used for? This is a very simple question, ladies. Please answer."
Yan Xihe looked at Ouyang Yue, opened her mouth as if to speak, but ultimately kept silent. No one else answered either, because Ouyang Yue would mock someone every time she solved a problem. Although there were people of higher status than her, in this competition, no one cared about such things. Even Baili Nan thought of it but dared not speak; what if she was wrong? If Ouyang Yue started mocking her, it would be too much to ask, especially since there were still two people on the other side who hadn't chosen a question yet, and they all had a chance. After all, the previous six had all successfully defended their challenges without losing points, so everyone agreed to remain silent.
Ouyang Yue raised her eyebrows slightly: "Is that so? None of the ladies can answer this question. Well then, I'll give you the answer. What is pigskin used for? Of course, it's used to wrap pigskin."
The expressions on the ladies' faces were priceless. They were right that Ouyang Yue hadn't done anything wrong. How infuriating that she hadn't said it aloud!
Ouyang Yue smiled and said, "There were four questions in total, but unfortunately none of you answered them correctly. It seems I have succeeded, and your challenge has failed."
Mr. Qi, on the judging panel, exclaimed, "Oh, so that's the answer? I thought that based on the answers to the previous three questions, this one would be even more surprising. Pigskin is meant to wrap pork, whether it's before or after slaughter. Sigh, it's so simple, and they still got it wrong."
Miao Jiang Sheng Wang's eyes flickered slightly. This was something no one had expected. Ouyang Yue deliberately made the previous questions very strange, and when a more normal one appeared later, everyone would wonder if there was some trick to it. As a result, no one answered any of the four questions correctly.
Ouyang Yue...
From the main stands, Leng Caiwen laughed: "This Miss Ouyang is just... just... isn't she just playing everyone for a fool!"
Baili Chen, however, had a beaming smile on his face. It was good that she had tricked him; his wife's cunning was extremely endearing.
As expected, the next round of the nine-to-seven competition went as planned. Although Zi Er and Zi San were both women skilled in both literature and martial arts, as servants of the Miao Holy King, they primarily served as maids and bodyguards. While their martial arts skills were superior, they were only somewhat adept at the arts, not particularly proficient. Compared to the other young ladies present who had trained extensively from a young age, they were naturally inferior. This competition was about literature, and the two of them were successfully challenged and disqualified from the competition.
The next day, the competition to narrow down the seven to five officially began.
Before the competition, Mr. Qi said, "Today is still an arts and culture competition. I hope the seven ladies will show their true skills. Today's judges will be all the audience members in the stands. At the end of the competition, they will choose the top five who receive the most flowers to continue the competition."
The ladies are all very confident about today's competition. The next two rounds will be related to martial arts, so they must show their true skills in the arts section. If they don't make it into the top five, it will be too late.
The seven contestants in the top seven to top five competition are Yan Xue'er from the Black Teeth Kingdom, Princess Jiang Huan from the Great Gan Kingdom, Zi Si from Miao Jiang, none from nomadic tribes, the most from the Great Zhou Dynasty, Ouyang Yue, Baili Nan, Ning Xihe, and Mu Cuiwei.
It was clear that the Great Zhou Dynasty had a better chance of winning the beauty pageant this year. Crown Prince Baili Cheng, acting on behalf of Emperor Mingxian, smiled broadly upon seeing this: "Hahaha, not bad, not bad. Our Great Zhou Dynasty is blessed with outstanding people and resources. Very good, very good. Regardless of whether these four can win the championship in the end, I will inform my father that they will all be rewarded. Of course, whoever wins the championship will be rewarded handsomely."
Baili Jian also wore a smile, his gentle and refined demeanor making him appear very approachable. Coupled with his handsome appearance, he was a sight to behold wherever he stood. He had been the object of countless gazes from men and women of the five nations on the field. No one noticed anything amiss with his moderate smile, except that his gaze towards Ouyang Yue had noticeably deepened. He had never expected Ouyang Yue to advance so far, reaching the seventh to fifth round. While Ouyang Yue had mostly won these rounds through unconventional methods, he had witnessed firsthand the ten-to-nine horse race. It was not merely a display of skill or trickery; it demonstrated genuine ability. Even putting that aside, just considering the talents, from ten thousand to one hundred, then from five hundred to one hundred to ten, most of the talents performed were in the arts. The judges weren't blind. If Ouyang Yue were a good-for-nothing, she definitely wouldn't have made it to seventh place. Clearly, many people were deceived by the rumors. Ouyang Yue is probably a rough gem. If she can ultimately win the championship, his original thoughts might change.
Baili Jian glanced at Baili Cheng, who sat in the main seat, a mocking glint in his eyes. As Baili Cheng's most threatening opponent, Baili Jian could sense that Baili Cheng was putting on a brave face. While Hong Yicheng's annulment of the engagement with the General's Mansion hadn't caused a city-wide uproar, it was known to some with connections. Baili Cheng had probably played a significant role in that back then. Who knew that Ouyang Zhide would return victorious, showered with favor, and that Ouyang Yue would also shine so brightly? This time, Baili Cheng had truly lost both his wife and his army.
After all, it was Hong Yicheng who originally chose Ouyang Yue as his wife, not the Crown Prince. No matter how bad Ouyang Yue was, it was Hong Yicheng who suffered and was criticized. Hong Wantang was just a dog under Baili Cheng, and he could probably give up on her at will. But he gave up Ouyang Yue for the sake of his reputation, which gave other people a chance.
Baili Cheng kept smiling, but his eyes grew colder and colder.
The children of the Great Zhou royal family are truly blessed. Leaving aside Baili Chen, who can be considered the most handsome man in the land, even the renowned Fifth Prince Baili Jian is elegant and refined. Crown Prince Baili Cheng has a dignified appearance and is the prince who most resembles Emperor Mingxian. It is said that Emperor Mingxian bestowed the title of Crown Prince upon him precisely because of his resemblance to the emperor and his status as the eldest son. During his more than twenty years as Crown Prince, his royal bearing and extraordinary dignity were unmatched by ordinary people. Even the youngest, the Ninth Prince Baili Mao, possesses a striking and exceptional appearance, inspiring envy in others.
Even as he smiled, Baili Cheng exuded a serious aura, making his attendants hesitant to speak or disturb him. Just as Baili Jian had suspected, Baili Cheng was now filled with regret. Who could have imagined Ouyang Yue would end up like this? When Hong Yicheng broke off the engagement with the General's Mansion, Ouyang Yue's reputation was at its worst. Hong Yicheng was a subordinate of the Li Li Cheng (a high-ranking official), and at that time, facing the princes, Baili Cheng heard mostly about Hong Yicheng and Ouyang Yue. The princes did everything they could to mock Baili Cheng, trying to tell him that his decision had failed and that his subordinates had greatly embarrassed him. What was Ouyang Yue? Just the legitimate daughter of the General's Mansion. He didn't care at all. Hong Yicheng breaking off the engagement was fine; he wasn't trying to completely sever ties with the General's Mansion, so it didn't cause him any harm.
But he hadn't expected things to spiral out of control so quickly. Step by step, not only were Hong Yicheng and Hong Tang's reputations damaged, but even the General's Mansion, an ally, turned against him. He even punished Hong Wantang for his incompetence. But if Ouyang Yue won the beauty pageant, wouldn't that be a huge slap in the face? The woman he, the current crown prince, had abandoned was now famous throughout the Langya Continent, enjoying immense prestige. Wouldn't he appear blind to her worth? And how many people would secretly mock him?
He is the Crown Prince of the current dynasty; he cannot allow such a thing to exist!
Baili Cheng squinted, seemingly lost in thought.
The competition to narrow down the field from seven to five has begun. Yan Xue'er from the Black Teeth Kingdom was the first to perform. Her exquisite dance naturally drew much applause and was truly spectacular. Jiang Huan's forte was her zither playing; she was extremely skilled. The music was melodious and lingering, like the gentle tinkling of a spring, as if a constantly flowing stream was present, captivating the listener.
However, compared to the top two, Ning Xihe's talent paled in comparison. In truth, Ning Xihe was a well-deserved talented woman of the capital. Even without the backing of the Ning family, her talent alone was enough to earn her the title. She was versed in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and her poetry and prose were comparable to those of many talented individuals. However, her studies were too broad, resulting in a lack of mastery. While her music and dance skills were all quite good, they paled in comparison to the highly proficient Yan Xue'er and Jiang Huan. Ning Xihe's greatest strength lay in poetry and prose. She had just composed ten poems in a competition with Mr. Qi, but she lost the last one slightly, allowing Mr. Qi to win. Ning Xihe frowned as she walked off the stage. Although Ning Xihe possessed considerable talent, and her previous poems were all excellent, demonstrating her ability, she ultimately lost, which was a significant disadvantage in such a competition.
Princess Baili Nan of the Great Zhou Dynasty performed a pipa piece, choosing "Ambush from Ten Sides." The melody was extremely dramatic and inspiring, and the applause at the end was even louder than that for Jiang Huan.
Surprisingly, Zi Si also performed a dance. However, her dance clearly incorporated many different martial arts styles. Her movements were sometimes graceful and sometimes delicate. Coupled with her superb dancing skills, it was exceptionally moving. Ouyang Yue was also somewhat surprised by Zi Si's performance. She thought that Zi Si would lose this round. She was unaware of Zi Yi's talent, and Zi Er and Zi San's talents were quite ordinary. It turned out that among the four, Zi Si was the most talented. Moreover, from her observation, Zi Si was also the least fond of showing off among the four women. She had underestimated her at first.
Mu Cuiwei performed her most accomplished skill: singing. Ouyang Yue had heard Mu Cuiwei sing before at the Ning family's birthday banquet; it was indeed excellent. However, she and Mu Cuiwei had a rivalry then, and Mu Cuiwei's competitive spirit had led to her defeat. Mu Cuiwei even knelt and kowtowed as a result, thus sowing the seeds of enmity between them. Mu Cuiwei had clearly practiced diligently for this beauty pageant, her voice even more mellow and captivating.
The performances of the first six people have ended, and now only Ouyang Yue is left.
Discussions erupted both on and off the stage. Ouyang Yue had truly surprised everyone in this competition. The most astonished were the people of the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Many of them were familiar with Ouyang Yue and had been following her ever since her reputation for being ugly first emerged. When Ouyang Yue was suddenly forced to leave the capital, it caused quite a stir. The level of attention they paid to Ouyang Yue was indeed considerable. However, most of them had not held out much hope for this beauty pageant at the beginning. Some even joked that Ouyang Yue wouldn't even make it past the first round of eliminations. Now that she had entered the top seven, it was astonishing.
"Ugh, this is so frustrating. I bet that Miss Ouyang wouldn't make it into the top ten."
"Me too."
"Oh no, I lost everything. I bet she would lose worse."
"Yes, Miss Ning, whom I chose, made it into the top five."
"I chose Princess Baili as the champion."
"My Miss Fu..."
For some reason, the audience members started discussing amongst themselves, their faces filled with worry. It turned out that before the competition, two casinos in the capital had opened large-scale betting. One of them, called "Today's Fortune," had directly released predictions for the top ten and listed several potential finalists. The seven people present, except for Zi Yi and the other three who weren't initially included, had all placed bets, each betting on who was least likely to win and not make the top ten. For example, betting on Baili Nan and Ning Xihe, whose talents were widely known, resulted in a 1-to-1 payout, while betting on Mu Cuiwei resulted in a 1-to-3 payout. Later, almost everyone bet that Ouyang Yue would definitely lose. At the time, everyone found the odds strange; most knew Ouyang Yue was neither talented nor virtuous, yet the casino was offering a 1-to-1, 1-to-1 payout. Full of confidence, most of them bet that Ouyang Yue would lose, even if they got impatient.
The other casino was the opposite, betting on who would win. Although there were participants, the word spread quickly, and those who bet on Ouyang Yue to lose, waiting to see the casino lose everything today, were now dumbfounded.
Someone sitting in the crowd twitched their lips, watching Ouyang Yue's performance on stage. Their face darkened; she had probably fooled not only the people present, but everyone from the five countries who had participated in the gambling. That final round, the bet that Ouyang Yue absolutely could not win the championship, had already been placed at 30 to 1...
If Ouyang Yue wins in the end, he can definitely imagine the scene of wailing and lamentation. But the woman beside him clenched her hands tightly and said, "Miss will definitely win."
The man glanced at the woman and said, "Yes, it's all for the final bet. She'll definitely win."
The woman glanced at the man, then turned away with some displeasure. "Why do you say that, Miss is obsessed with money?" The man sighed helplessly. "Is that just how your Miss is?"
These two were none other than Qiu Yue and Leng Can, the two managers who were supposed to be guarding the Beauty Pavilion.
"It's Miss Ouyang's turn to compete. Hmm, what's she holding in her hand?"
"What talent is she going to perform? Why is she carrying such a strange thing? Hey, what did she move up there?"
Suddenly someone spoke up, and the audience in the stands, as well as the contestants on the field, all stared wide-eyed at Ouyang Yue!
☆, 140, a stunning performance that will blow your mind! (High-quality)
"What's that? A ribbon?" someone in the stands asked, puzzled.
"Are you stupid? How could it be an ordinary ribbon? Look, there are things tied to the ribbons on their left and right hands." Another person said, equally puzzled.
"Yeah, what tricks is Miss Ouyang up to? I've never seen such a talent show before." The murmurs continued.
"Yes, yes, look, another wooden frame has been brought up over there, and another one is a scroll. What are they going to do with all this?" As one item after another was brought up from the stage, the people became even more puzzled.
"Oh, the painting is on the shelf now."
"What on earth is this?" This was probably what everyone present was thinking as they looked at the image before them.
On the stage, Ouyang Yue had already changed into a white long dress, but she had tied a silk ribbon around her wrists on both hands, and held an object in each hand. In her right hand was a seemingly ordinary dagger, and in her other hand she held a large wolf-hair brush. But that wasn't the strangest thing.
The strangest thing was that as soon as Ouyang Yue stepped onto the stage, two items were brought up. On Ouyang Yue's right was an ordinary wooden frame, about the height of a person. The other was also a wooden frame, but the difference was that a piece of paper about half a meter long was laid horizontally on the wooden frame. If it were just this piece of paper, Ouyang Yue would probably have a book or a painting. But why did she put up that wooden frame? It was really hard to figure out.
"Miss Ouyang... what are you going to perform?" Mr. Li asked, his eyes shining, scanning the paper rack repeatedly, still puzzled.
The curiosity of the entire arena was piqued. Ouyang Yue smiled faintly, her beautiful face like a quietly blooming hibiscus flower, not ostentatious, yet captivating. She lightly curled her red lips and said, "Performance? It's just a spontaneous performance."
"Huh? Just a spontaneous performance?" Mr. Li's voice was slightly louder, and the crowd, who had been full of curiosity about her, couldn't help but sigh with disappointment.
Jiang Huan sneered from behind, "So it was just a show of mystery. I thought she had some skills. It seems she just wanted to use this as an excuse to pique curiosity and gain more points. Isn't she one of the three ugliest women in the capital? Talentless and immoral, what good performance could she possibly have? Princess Baili and Miss Mu, don't you agree?"
Baili Nan said coldly, "The competition hasn't even started yet. How do you know Miss Ouyang didn't have an extraordinary performance, or is Princess Jiang lacking confidence in her own performance? Are you trying to belittle others to highlight yourself?"
"Do I need to discourage her? She's no match for me anyway." Jiang Huan was indeed a bit annoyed. Everyone was giving it their all in this competition to narrow down the seven to five. Although she was confident in herself, she wasn't entirely sure if she could actually make it into the top five. Seeing Ouyang Yue's self-destructive behavior, she naturally had to give her a blow to help herself relax.
Mu Cuiwei sighed, "Miss Ouyang is certainly good at coming up with new ideas, but we don't know what she's planning to do right now. However, if we're talking about individual talent performances, I'm afraid she'll have a hard time surpassing everyone here." This was actually what everyone was thinking. They had all put in a lot of effort to practice their talents; while they might not be the best in the world, they were certainly not to be underestimated. Ouyang Yue had performed quite a few talents before, but upon closer inspection, none of them were particularly outstanding. No, apart from her equestrian skills, Ouyang Yue didn't have anything else that was truly amazing. In fact, to some extent, it had to be said that she didn't have the ability to compete with them individually.
Zi Si chuckled coldly. With seven advancing to five, there was no way Ouyang Yue could get in.
Yan Xueer suddenly said, "I think Miss Ouyang's performance will be wonderful."
"What do you mean by this?" Jiang Huan looked coldly at Yan Xue'er.
Yan Xue'er lowered her head slightly and said, "I'm just expressing my feelings. Does Princess Jiang not allow it?"
"Hmph, you really know how to flatter her. I don't believe she has any skills." Jiang Huan sneered. Mu Cuiwei's words just now gave her even more confidence. Ouyang Yue's performances were never good. How could she compare to her? It seemed that suppressing Ouyang Yue to advance this time was a certainty.
Ning Xihe sat silently to one side, but her expression flickered. The performances of the audience were indeed outstanding. Her palms were sweating. She had been preparing for this beauty pageant for more than ten years. If she didn't succeed, she would never have another chance. Ouyang Yue had no talent to begin with, so no one would laugh at her if she failed. But it was different for her. The Ning family had placed their hopes on her, and she couldn't lose.
Yan Xue'er observed the expressions on everyone's faces. Although Baili Nan, being a fellow citizen of the Great Zhou Dynasty, still verbally defended Ouyang Yue, her attitude suggested she might also lack confidence in Ouyang Yue's performance. Yan Xue'er, however, was different. She had clearly witnessed the competition's narrowing down from nine to seven; Ouyang Yue's talent was far from lacking—on the contrary, it was exceptional—she simply hadn't showcased it from the beginning. Noticing Ouyang Yue's difference, Yan Xue'er had spent the previous day meticulously reflecting on the competition's start. Aside from the horse race, Ouyang Yue had offered almost no particularly outstanding performances. But without such stellar performances, how could she have advanced all the way to the final seven? Could anyone else, lacking any exceptional talent, have accomplished that?
Yan Xueer has always been very confident in herself, but she didn't dare to deliberately hide her strengths during the competition. If she did, she wouldn't be confident in standing out among so many outstanding people. Either Miss Ouyang was too confident, or she had other concerns. But no matter what, Yan Xueer knew that Ouyang Yue was not the kind of person who would make things up without reason. The fact that she prepared these things meant that her performance was probably very wonderful and unique!
“Impromptu performance, Miss Ouyang. This is a crucial competition to narrow down the field from seven to five. The performances by the contestants from various countries have all been excellent. If you take this lightly, I'm afraid it will be impossible for you to make it into the top five,” Mr. Li said with some dissatisfaction.
Ouyang Yue smiled and said, "I don't have any real skills, so I can only rely on surprise to win. It will take me a little longer, but because I have to complete two works at the same time, it will be a difficult improvisational performance. So, let me begin." These words were essentially meaningless. Mr. Li was about to speak when he suddenly noticed that Ouyang Yue's expression had changed.
Her face, which had been beaming with smiles, suddenly hardened, turning as white as snow and as serious as frost.
"Snap, whoosh!"
Suddenly, Ouyang Yue swung her right arm, and the ribbon in her hand, along with the seemingly ordinary dagger, flew out as well. However, at the moment of the swing, a piece of wood on the wooden shelf to her right was knocked off by Ouyang Yue's movement. At the same time, Ouyang Yue opened her left hand, and the wolf-hair brush connected to the ribbon in her hand was quickly thrown out, heading straight for the painting paper lying on the ground.
"Whoosh, swish."
As soon as Ouyang Yue made her move, a messy black line appeared on the drawing paper. Everyone present burst into laughter at this.
"Hey, what is she doing? Hahaha, I'm dying of laughter! I thought she had some great talent, but all she did was draw a line. Hahaha, is that what you call a talent?"
"What a disappointment! What is Miss Ouyang up to? Luckily, I bet she would lose, or I would have lost a fortune."
"Honestly, I thought she was capable enough to make it into the top seven, but it turns out she only has this kind of talent. It's really laughable. Sigh."
"No, that's not true..." Qiu Yue, sitting in the stands, naturally heard what these people were saying. Her face turned red and she was about to retort when Leng Can grabbed her arm. "What are you going to say?"
"Of course I have to defend Miss! Miss is not like what they say. Miss must have her own reasons, and she would never do something that would make her a laughingstock," Qiuyue said anxiously.
Leng Can asked, "Do you know what Ouyang Yue is going to perform?" Qiu Yue was about to speak, but suddenly shut her mouth tightly. Leng Can said, "You don't know either, do you? Who knows what tricks Ouyang Yue is up to? Just watch quietly."
Qiu Yue stared at him with wide eyes, and then suddenly reached out and pinched Leng Can's waist. Leng Can gasped, "You...you actually pinched me! Why did you pinch me!"
"You dare to look down on Miss, this is your punishment. If Miss loses this time, I will never speak to you again," Qiu Yue said angrily.
"What does it matter to me whether she loses or not?" Leng Can said, frowning.