Shen Lixue curled her lips into a cold smile. Reiterating this issue before the competition meant that the winner would have no reason to refuse the so-called special surprise. The person who orchestrated this was truly clever.
Su Yuting glanced at Shen Lixue from across a few rows of people, and seeing that she showed no sign of leaving, her smile deepened.
The old man glanced around at the quietly standing young women and nodded in satisfaction: "Very good, the competition officially begins!"
The competition offers generous prizes and attracts a large number of participants. The selection process is divided into four rounds. In the first round, 100 people are chosen from over 300 participants. In the second round, 10 people are selected from those 100. The top three are then chosen publicly. The competition continues until one person is selected from the remaining three, who will ultimately win the championship!
In the first round of the competition, Shen Lixue played the original owner's favorite piece, "High Mountains and Flowing Water." After several days of practice, Shen Lixue had become completely familiar with the guqin. Under the gaze of hundreds of eyes, she gently stroked the strings with both hands, playing as smoothly as flowing water.
When the music ended, there was a deathly silence all around. Hundreds of eyes stared at her, but there was no applause or cheers. Shen Lixue was slightly taken aback. What happened? Did she play something wrong?
"Sister's playing is so beautiful, everyone is mesmerized!" Su Yuting walked forward with a smile, praising her generously, her beautiful eyes filled with a growing smile.
"Sister Su, you flatter me. Your music is heavenly, and the lingering sound has lasted for three days!" Shen Lixue had already heard Su Yuting play. Her music was gentle, melodious, elegant, and captivating. She truly deserved the title of the most talented woman in Qingyan.
"Compared to my sister's piano playing, I am truly ashamed of myself!" Su Yuting said modestly, her beautiful eyes filled with an irrepressible smile.
"Congratulations, sister!" Shen Caiyun also walked over, a faint smile on her lips, but her expression was rather unpleasant.
"Your sister is seriously ill, why aren't you resting at home?" Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow. Her internal organs were aching, yet she still insisted on coming to participate in the competition. She really has perseverance.
Shen Caiyun smiled awkwardly, "Thank you for your concern, sister. I'm fine now!" Her small hand, hidden in her sleeve, clenched tightly. She had listened to all the young ladies' music. Compared to Su Yuting, Shen Lixue was her strongest enemy.
In a restaurant not far away, Nangong Xiao stood by the second-floor window, holding a wine glass, his gaze towards Shen Lixue filled with astonishment: "Shen Lixue's playing is so smooth, much better than those noble ladies' playing!"
“A good teacher produces excellent students. With Aunt’s personal instruction, how could Li Xue’s zither skills be lacking!” Lin Yan took a sip of wine, looked at the beautiful woman in the center of the platform, smiled gently, his eyes full of satisfaction. Li Xue was so outstanding that Aunt’s spirit in heaven could rest in peace.
Dongfang Heng sat alone by another window, watching Shen Lixue in the bustling crowd below, without saying a word. His sharp eyes flashed with a cold light: Zi Mo still hasn't found out the contents of the surprise?
The qin (a seven-stringed zither) skills competition held by Jiaowei Qin Workshop was unprecedented and caused a great sensation in the capital. The Crown Prince, Prince Zhan, and the Fifth Prince all took time to come and watch. Looking at the beautiful woman with a graceful demeanor, the Crown Prince repeatedly praised, "The qin played by this Princess Anjun is like heavenly music. Few people in the world can match it!"
Dongfang Zhan paused in his tea-drinking motion, his deep gaze sweeping through the wide-open window towards Shen Lixue, a slight smile playing on his lips. He had long known that she was extraordinary.
The first round of competition was uneven, with the young ladies varying greatly in both beauty and musical skills. More than two hundred people were quickly eliminated. Shen Lixue, Shen Caiyun, and Su Yuting all successfully entered the top one hundred and began the second round of competition.
These hundred young ladies all possessed excellent musical skills, but there were still some differences among them. Shen Lixue, Shen Caiyun, and Su Yuting's musical skills surpassed all others, and they once again entered the top ten through the competition.
These ten young ladies were all outstanding individuals in the capital, with similar abilities. They were all exceptional in both appearance and musical skills. Shen Lixue glanced at Su Yuting and Shen Caiyun, who were on high alert, and secretly became more cautious.
The young ladies lined up again to perform, and the melodious sound of their zithers floated in the air. They played a sad farewell song with a tone that was both sorrowful and resentful, which amazed everyone. The second and third place winners, and the young ladies from prestigious families, played one piece after another with their hearts. The audience listened with rapt attention, nodding and praising. When the pieces were finished, there was always thunderous applause and cheers.
Shen Caiyun played "Ode to Fallen Flowers." The music was gentle, like a gentle breeze and fine rain, like white feathers and catkins fluttering, like a hundred flowers gently scattering, deeply captivating people's hearts. When the music ended, the applause was even more enthusiastic than before.
Su Yuting played "Butterfly Loves Flowers." Her slender hands caressed each string, gently plucking them. The melancholy and poignant emotions of the song were vividly portrayed by her. The sorrowful music echoed in the air. Some listened intently, shaking their heads and sighing at the sadness and helplessness of the protagonist. Young women had tears in their eyes, gently wiping away their falling tears with handkerchiefs. The strong-willed men shook their heads, looking up at the sky and sighing deeply...
After the piece ended, cheers erupted from the crowd. Even the usually stern chief judge smiled faintly and couldn't help but praise, "Miss Su's piano skills are superb; she truly deserves the title of the most talented woman in the capital!"
"Sister Lixue, it's your turn!" Su Yuting said modestly as she walked gracefully to Shen Lixue, her lips slightly upturned, her beautiful face radiant with a bright and dazzling smile.
Normally, Shen Lixue would have thought that Su Yuting was just being polite, but now it was a special time, and considering Su Yuting's superb piano skills just now, her gentle smile carried a hint of smugness.
Su Yuting is a well-educated and sensible young lady from a prominent family. She is shrewd and always calm and composed in her dealings with people and things. Her subtle boasting was not meant to mock or provoke Shen Lixue, but rather to deliberately provoke her into playing an even more beautiful piece and entering the top three.
While other young ladies hoped their opponents would suffer as much as possible, Su Yuting used this subtle method to ignite her opponents' fighting spirit, motivating them to strive for the next level. This competition was clearly aimed at Shen Lixue.
Shen Lixue smiled gently, carrying her zither as she gracefully walked onto the high platform. A gentle breeze blew in her face, lifting her hair and dress. Su Yuting hoped that she would play the zither well, and she didn't want to embarrass Lin Qingzhu. Even if Su Yuting didn't provoke her, she would definitely make it into the top three.
With her slender fingers lightly touching the strings, Shen Lixue calmed down, as if she were the only person in the world. A melody of memories flowed from her fingertips. The music was melodious, evoking images of the countryside, a small house, her deceased mother, and a faint sense of loneliness. Through the music, she played out all the hardships and suffering Shen Lixue had endured over the years.
After the music ended, she looked around and found the room completely silent. Everyone was gazing at Shen Lixue with rapt attention. A gentle breeze brushed past her face, and Shen Lixue smiled softly, bowed to the judges, and stepped off the stage with her zither.
Qiuhe hurried forward, her eyes red, and quickly took the zither from Shen Lixue's hands. Her voice was somewhat muffled as she said, "Miss, you played so well, it made me want to cry!"
"Really?" Shen Lixue was just playing the tune casually and didn't know if it was good or not. Just as she was about to ask Qiu He for more details, the judges announced from the stage: "The top three are Su Yuting, Shen Caiyun, and Shen Lixue!"
"Miss has made it into the top three! That's wonderful!" Qiu He beamed with joy, seemingly even happier than Shen Lixue, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons with laughter.
With over 300 noble ladies, Miss has made it into the top three, demonstrating her exceptional piano skills. Keep up the good work and strive to win the championship and prize.
"Shen Lixue has made it into the top three!" The Crown Prince, sitting by the window, nodded in praise once again.
"With her talent, winning the championship is not an exaggeration!" Dongfang Zhan looked down at the tea in his cup, the rising steam obscuring the expression in his eyes.
"Even a concubine's daughter from the Prime Minister's residence has made it into the top three. The Prime Minister's residence is truly a blessed place, producing talented women!" The Fifth Prince stood to the side, watching the lively crowd, his clear eyes full of admiration.
"Is that so?" Dongfang Zhan replied casually, glancing at Shen Caiyun before his gaze fell on Shen Lixue.
In another private room, Dongfang Heng sat by the window, his sharp eyes narrowed slightly, his piercing gaze fixed on the box on the high platform. The top three had been decided, and the champion would soon be decided. What exactly was the mysterious surprise inside the box?
"Miss, hurry up and come up on stage, you three need to draw lots!" At Qiu He's joyful urging, Shen Lixue walked up to the platform again.
A judge walked over with three cards. The cards were grayish-white, with the numbers face down and the blank ones face up. Shen Caiyun stood at the front and drew the first card. Whether it was Shen Lixue's imagination or not, the three cards quickly changed positions in the judge's hand the moment she drew the card. Shen Caiyun drew the number one and was the first to demonstrate her talent!
When it was Su Yuting's turn to draw a number, Shen Lixue's cold gaze was fixed on the judges, Su Yuting, and the two number cards. The judges did not change the position of the cards. However, when Su Yuting took one of the number cards, the smile on the judges' faces froze slightly. Su Yuting's fair hand quickly picked up the other card, and the judges' smiles returned to normal.
Shen Lixue sneered. It was a subtle hint. There were three number plates in total. Shen Caiyun took one, Su Yuting took three, and the remaining two were hers. Their arrangement was premeditated.
"Congratulations on making it into the top three, sister! In the upcoming competition, I hope you'll go easy on me and not let me lose too badly!" Shen Caiyun caught up with Shen Lixue, her beautiful eyes full of flattering smiles.
"Sister, you are too modest. Your zither playing is clear and melodious, like a dream. You have a high chance of winning!" Shen Lixue replied casually, thinking to herself that although Shen Caiyun's zither skills were good, they were not as good as the original owner of Shen Lixue's. She was determined to be the champion and would definitely not allow such a big threat as herself to exist. The final three-into-one competition was coming up soon, and she would definitely make a move.
Shen Caiyun walked slowly behind Shen Lixue, a cold glint flashing in her beautiful eyes. She wanted the priceless Ice String Zither, ten thousand taels of gold, and the miraculous medicine that could cure all diseases. She also wanted to stand out from the crowd, to be superior to others, to be admired and respected. Anyone who stood in her way would be eliminated without mercy.
Just as she was about to reach the edge of the platform, Shen Caiyun gave a cold smile and exclaimed, "Sister, be careful!" Her fair little hand quickly pushed Shen Lixue away, a cruel smile playing on her lips. If Shen Lixue fell and was seriously injured, she would be unable to participate in the competition. If she could defeat Su Yuting, she could become the champion.
Finally, the right moment to strike! Shen Lixue smiled coldly, turned around instantly, and kicked Shen Caiyun's ankle hard with her small foot, while shouting, "Sister, be careful!"
Shen Caiyun gathered all her strength in her arms, wanting to succeed in one strike, but Shen Lixue suddenly turned around. She missed pushing the person and couldn't control her strength, so her body leaned forward quickly.