Everyone in the hall stared at her, then at the woman on the stage, and immediately understood that there was going to be a good show. This was much more interesting than any kind of assessment or competition. A hint of interest flashed in Crown Prince Feng Zixiao's eyes, and he no longer felt bored.
Everyone knows that Miss Jiang is out of favor and has a nickname that sounds like "more precious than a thousand pounds". How could the daughter of such a concubine possibly compete with these noble ladies on stage?
The Seventh Prince, Feng Zihe, looked anxious, while Wei Lin remained indifferent. Even Feng Qian couldn't help but worry. Although she knew Hai Ling was different from others, she didn't know how capable Hai Ling really was. So if Hai Ling couldn't compare to these women, she might become the laughingstock of the capital again.
Thinking of this, Princess Chang Le Feng Qian couldn't help but glare resentfully at her imperial brother. He didn't even know how to protect his own woman; this imperial brother was truly disappointing.
Men are indeed driven by food and sex; if Hailin were as beautiful as a flower today, things would probably be a completely different story.
Feng Qian glared at her elder brother, then at the woman on the stage who had provoked Hai Ling, Ye Xiuya, the daughter of Grand Tutor Ye.
Not only is she beautiful, but she is also very talented. As the daughter of the Grand Tutor, poetry and literature are naturally her strengths. With her taking action, how could Hailing possibly deal with her?
Feng Qian's cold gaze made Ye Xiuying, the daughter of the Grand Tutor, tremble slightly. However, when she saw that the Crown Prince did not stand up for the Crown Princess and even seemed to have a look of amusement in his eyes, Ye Xiuying became bolder and stood up straight.
In the hall, everyone thought that Hailing was bound to lose. The thought of this woman making a fool of herself in front of the Crown Prince made everyone unhappy.
The Crown Prince already disliked her; if she were to embarrass herself again, even if she entered the Crown Prince's residence, she would be immediately banished to the Cold Palace.
However, among these many people, there was one man whose eyes remained deep and unfathomable, a faint smile playing on his lips. His piercing gaze was fixed on Hai Ling, eagerly anticipating how this girl would handle the situation. He knew she would absolutely surprise everyone, and a rare sense of pleasure welled up within him…
---Aside---
We've received over twenty comments today, so I'll update again tomorrow! Hehe, everyone, please leave a comment after reading! One comment per person, duplicates don't count, hehe.
Chapter 41 I'll embarrass her later.
Hai Ling originally didn't want to get involved, but today, she knew perfectly well that these women wouldn't be satisfied unless they made her look foolish.
Their desire to marry the Crown Prince is understandable, but she would never allow them to climb over her head to squeeze into the Crown Prince's residence.
She wouldn't let herself become the laughingstock of the capital again. She couldn't change what had happened in the past, but she would never allow anyone to use her as a stepping stone to achieve their own ends.
Thinking of this, Hai Ling looked up at the platform, her dark eyes glaring coldly at Ye Xiuying on the platform, quietly waiting for her to say something next.
Inside the Banana Garden Study, everyone knew that besides Jiang Feixue, who wanted to marry the Crown Prince, Ye Xiuying was also a potential suitor.
As the daughter of the Grand Tutor, she and the Crown Prince had a fraternal bond as fellow students. How could she not want to marry someone like the Crown Prince?
All along, she and Jiang Feixue had been secretly vying for the same goal of marrying the Crown Prince. But in the end, both of their hopes were dashed, and it was Jiang Hailing, such an ugly woman, who married the Crown Prince. The thought that the god-like man in her heart was going to marry this woman made Ye Xiuying's heart bleed.
That's why she provoked Hai Ling today, wanting the Crown Prince to see clearly how a useless woman like her deserves to stay by his side.
However, when Ye Xiuying met Hai Ling's eyes, she was initially indifferent, but gradually she began to struggle. This woman's eyes were like ice blades in February, almost freezing people, or like a cold, eerie forest with a chilling wind, making people's hair stand on end and afraid to look directly at her.
Hai Ling remained silent, so Ye Xiuya could only swallow hard before speaking.
"As a noblewoman of the Great Zhou Dynasty, Your Highness the Crown Princess must possess extraordinary talents. I wonder if Xiuya would have the opportunity to exchange talents with Your Highness the Crown Princess."
Now, many people in the hall were looking at Hailin with mocking smiles on their faces.
Everyone knows that Jiang Hailing is the daughter of an unloved concubine in the Jiang family, and has been neglected since childhood. What talents could she possibly have? Ye Xiuying, on the other hand, is the apple of the eye of Grand Tutor Ye. She has been well-versed in poetry and literature since childhood and possesses both talent and intelligence. It is obvious at a glance who is stronger between these two.
Now it would be difficult for Jiang Hailing not to embarrass herself. These people thought to themselves, their eyes subconsciously glancing at the Crown Prince, secretly wondering if the Crown Prince would help her.
Seeing that the crown prince hadn't made a move, the anxiety of watching a good show finally subsided.
The Crown Prince leaned back casually in his chair, not looking at Hai Ling, but playing with a jade pendant in his palm, seemingly unaware of the commotion on the field.
As a prince of exceptional talent and ability, he married such an ugly woman. Although he knew it was a temporary measure, he was still unwilling to accept it. So he wanted to embarrass this woman. If he were to depose her in the future, perhaps others would not think that he had done something wrong.
Hai Ling didn't look at anyone else; she stared at Ye Xiuya on the stage the whole time, slowly opening her lips as if to speak.
Feng Qian, who was behind her, quickly moved closer and whispered something to her.
"Are you sure? If not, pretend to have a stomachache and then pretend to faint. I'll clean up the mess."
Hai Ling couldn't help but smile, feeling a little better. At least among all these people, the princess was on her side, and she knew that the Seventh Prince, Feng Zihe, was also on her side. However, she wasn't going to be a coward. Thinking of this, she looked at Feng Qian and whispered, "I'm fine."
Today, she wanted to teach this daughter of Grand Tutor Ye a lesson, to show her that there are always people more capable than you.
In addition, she also wanted to take this opportunity to set a good example for herself and let people know that although Jiang Hailing was fat, it did not mean she was useless.
Previously, she worried that if she revealed her talent, the Crown Prince would treat her differently, and she might not be able to break off the engagement even if she wanted to. But now she is no longer worried.
The Crown Prince is someone who values appearance, and perhaps even has obsessive-compulsive disorder. So no matter how talented she is, her chubby appearance won't catch his eye, so she doesn't need to worry.
Thinking of this, Hailin smiled and said, "Shall we have a friendly spar?"
When Ye Xiuying saw that Jiang Hailing had recklessly spoken up, and that the Crown Prince hadn't said anything, seemingly wanting to see her make a fool of herself, Ye Xiuying was overjoyed.
"I hope the Crown Princess will not hesitate to offer her her guidance."
She spoke politely, but her face was full of sarcasm.
Seeing that she couldn't leave, Hai Ling simply went with Feng Qian to their previous spot and sat down, calmly watching Ye Xiuya.
"Are you sure this is a friendly exchange? Not to embarrass me so you can elevate your own status and gain special attention from so-and-so, not to make me the laughingstock of Kyoto while you secretly rejoice, not to make yourself famous as the number one talented woman in Kyoto and then be a perfect match with so-and-so."
Hai Ling's sharp and cold words clearly revealed Ye Xiuya's thoughts, making Ye Xiuya's face turn ugly, and she was so angry that her chest heaved.
Inside the hall, many people subconsciously stirred. The Crown Prince narrowed his eyes, the Seventh Prince smiled broadly, Wei Lin was somewhat surprised, and the Left Prime Minister Xi Lingfeng's lips curled slightly.
The young ladies below all showed surprise on their faces. This Crown Princess has such a sharp mind. She is really different from the rumors.
Feng Qian smiled happily, saying that was extremely flattering. She reached out and patted Hai Ling's shoulder, mouthing a "Well done, that's very flattering, keep going."
Hai Ling nodded and smiled at Feng Qian, then suddenly asked, "Tell me, how do you want to compete?"