"Oh no, Princess Jiang Huan's dagger missed its mark."
"Oh no, Miss Zi is in danger."
Some people in the stands had good eyesight and knew some martial arts, so they could see the trick. The dagger was clearly off course; it wasn't aimed at Apple at all, but at Zi Si's face. If it hit him, his face would probably be ruined.
Zi Si merely smiled coldly, completely unconcerned. Her gaze towards Jiang Huan grew increasingly icy. Jiang Huan was startled. This Zi Si, a woman, was so indifferent to her appearance? A dagger was aimed at her face, yet she remained so calmly watching her. Had she truly lost all shame? That couldn't be possible. As a woman, she understood these things best; it was absolutely impossible. However, the dagger seemed to slow its pace. Jiang Huan could clearly see it slowly piercing Zi Si's eyes, but Zi Si remained motionless. Just as it was about a palm's width away from Zi Si, a dagger suddenly shot out from the side.
"Clang, clang." Two daggers pierced the stage. The audience was stunned. The tension they had just felt was like being in their throats. However, things had developed too quickly. Before they could react, it was already over. They didn't know whether to let go or not.
"Who told you to make a move!" Jiang Huan was stunned for a moment, then immediately glared angrily to the side.
Below the stage stood a man in black, his expression calm and unconcerned about Jiang Huan's anger. Mr. Qi immediately said, "To prevent the contestants from getting injured, someone will come to their rescue at the most critical moment. However, this is only as a precaution, and it was not mentioned beforehand to test the contestants' courage. Miss Zi Si did not make a move at the last moment, which is commendable and earns her four points. Princess Jiang Huan's shot was off, so four points are deducted."
Jiang Huan gritted her teeth, glaring hatefully at Zi Si and the man in black. She then glanced at Mr. Qi and the Miao Jiang Holy King, her eyes filled with unmistakable resentment.
Zi Si remained on the stage, and next up was Baili Nan's apple-balancing act. Compared to his previous nervousness, Zi Si casually played with the dagger. Before Baili Nan could even react, he suddenly felt a release on his head. With two sharp "snap" sounds, the apple on his head was split in two. Baili Nan was stunned, but enthusiastic applause erupted from the audience. Compared to the previous two competitions, Zi Si's technique was far superior. The difference in skill was immediately apparent, and no one could dislike watching it.
Baili Nan nodded slightly to Zi Si, and then nodded and walked off the stage. Mr. Qi smiled and said, "Princess Baili has commendable courage. She gets four points for remaining motionless. Miss Zi Si's throwing skills are also excellent, so she gets four points as well. Next up is Sister Ouyang Yuexia."
Ouyang Yue brushed past Zi Si and suddenly heard Zi Si's low, dark voice: "Don't disappoint me too much. I still need to avenge my three sisters. It's just that killing you on this stage is not very satisfying. If you can't make it into the top three and fight me, I will have to resort to more cruel methods to kill you. That's not what I want. So, in order to make your death more comfortable, you should try your best to get into the top three."
Ouyang Yue didn't turn around, but in that fleeting moment as they brushed past each other, a slight smile appeared on her lips: "Zi Si, is that right? Can your eldest sister get out of bed now? Do you think you'll be worse off than her, or luckier?"
The two figures immediately parted ways. Zi Si turned around abruptly, her eyes shooting out at Ouyang Yue like cold swords. They had thought that Zi Yi had only suffered serious injuries from the fall, but when they were carried back, they learned that Zi Yi's injuries from falling off the horse were too severe, and her lower body was ruined!
Actually, if it weren't for the competition being held in front of everyone, Ouyang Yue wouldn't have been so lenient. Zi Yi and the other three were ready to kill right from the start. She's never been a kind person. When someone has a knife to her throat, she won't just surrender, but she also won't use too much force to give them leverage. She just used the momentum of Zi Yi's fall to make her fall harder. The most serious consequence would be that her lower body would be crippled, and the least serious consequence would be that she would be bedridden for two or three months.
Ouyang Yue, you will die, no matter what! Zi Si's eyes grew colder as he turned and went into the tent.
Ouyang Yue stood quietly atop the wooden pillar, an apple balanced on her head. Facing the audience, and with a dagger that could potentially kill her right before her, her expression remained calm and composed. Even in the most critical moment, when someone might intervene, Ouyang Yue's composure was remarkable, mirroring Zi Si's earlier performance. This wasn't just unwavering confidence in her master, but also absolute self-confidence; her courage was truly commendable.
Baili Nan looked at Ouyang Yue, holding a gleaming dagger in his hand. He raised it slightly, and just as everyone held their breath, Baili Nan suddenly said, "I give up."
"What? Did I hear that right? Princess Baili has given up?"
"Yes, that's what I heard too."
Mr. Qi was taken aback and asked, "Does Princess Baili really intend to give up?"
Baili Nan nodded slightly: "I don't know any shooting skills, and I have no confidence in hitting the apple. I'll fail 99% of the time. I don't need to compete anymore. I give up."
A murmur immediately arose from the audience: "What a pity, Princess Baili actually gave up. She was just trying, or maybe she would have been lucky enough to hit the target."
"What do you know? This is called magnanimity, knowing when to advance and retreat. Since you're going to lose anyway, giving up now will earn you a good reputation. Princess Baili is very clever."
Since someone had voluntarily given up, the judges wouldn't stop them. Just as the audience had guessed, Baili Nan had no confidence in this throw. If she actually threw, she was afraid that injuring Ouyang Yue would make her nervous and cause her to look bad. If she wasn't afraid of injuring Ouyang Yue, she probably wouldn't get a good score anyway. Although Ouyang Yue's status wasn't anything special in her eyes—her father, Baili Qiade Wang, was the emperor's younger brother, and there weren't many in the Great Zhou Dynasty who could make her fearful—injuring Ouyang Yue probably wouldn't do her any good. When Baili Nan heard the competition rules, she had already given up on the competition.
Although she was disappointed that she did not win the beauty pageant this time, she understood that no one would blame her for losing in her own category. According to the rule of five to three, the competition of three to one would definitely be more dangerous. Since Baili Nan was not good at martial arts, there was no need for her to put herself in danger. It was not worth it at all.
Before stepping down from the stage, Ouyang Yue couldn't help but praise, "Princess Baili is indeed a smart person."
Baili Nan smiled at Ouyang Yue: "Miss Ouyang, you'd better be careful from now on. I'm quite curious to see who will ultimately win the title of the most beautiful woman in the world." Then Baili Nan turned and left, and Ouyang Yue watched his retreating figure with slightly narrowed eyes.
At this moment, Mu Cuiwei had already stepped onto the stage as a challenger, brushing past Baili Nan. She walked to Ouyang Yue's side and threatened, "Ouyang Yue, I am the daughter of the Minister of Justice. My Mu family is extremely influential in the Great Zhou Dynasty, and I am also a confidante of the Second Princess. If you dare to hurt me, I guarantee you will die a very, very terrible death." After saying that, Mu Cuiwei snorted coldly and stood properly by the wooden pillar, immediately placing an apple on her head.
Mu Cuiwei was secretly pleased. Based on the level of tension she had projected earlier, she deliberately intimidated Ouyang Yue, even bringing up Baili Jing to pressure her. It was no wonder Ouyang Yue was nervous; if she made a mistake, Mu Cuiwei would ensure Ouyang Yue suffered a crushing defeat and lost face. Ouyang Yue only deserved to be trampled under her feet!
Mu Cuiwei was secretly pleased with herself, but she didn't see the cold smile on Ouyang Yue's lips after hearing her words. Suddenly, Ouyang Yue raised his hand and said, "Wait a minute, I have something to say."
Mu Cuiwei snorted coldly. This Ouyang Yue was indeed frightened by her. Before even starting, was she going to give up like Princess Baili? What a despicable thing!
Ouyang Yue then looked at the judges and said, "I request that my eyes be covered."
"Why are your eyes covered?" Mr. Qi asked immediately.
Ouyang Yue shook her head and sighed, "Well, it's really a little embarrassing to say this."
Mr. Li had a very good impression of Ouyang Yue because of her previous talent performance. He was very curious about Ouyang Yue's appearance and asked, "Is there something you're embarrassed to say? If you can't give us a reason, we're afraid we can't agree."
Ouyang Yue shook her head and sighed, "Well... alright then, I'll say it. Actually, I'm not very confident in my projection skills, since I don't really play it much..." Upon hearing this, Mu Cuiwei laughed even more smugly. Sure enough, Ouyang Yue was scared. Unexpectedly, the intimidation effect was so good.
Baili Yan snorted coldly from the stands, "What's Ouyang Yue up to? She's actually copying Sister Nan. Does she really think that just because Sister Nan gave up on gaining a good reputation, she can achieve the same effect by imitating her? It's just a ridiculous attempt to imitate someone else. Seventh Brother, don't you think so?" Baili Yan frowned, her little nose slightly wrinkled, making her look cute and charming. However, Baili Chen's gaze was unusually cold, startling Baili Yan, who was speechless with fright.
Leng Caiwen glanced at her slightly, then turned to look at the stage, a smile playing on her lips. Ouyang Yue would imitate Baili Nan, and she was afraid? That would be the biggest joke in the world.
Just then, Ouyang Yue's clear voice rang out: "So, because I'm not confident in my projection, I'm afraid that if I accidentally hurt Miss Mu, it would be bad. I'm also afraid that seeing blood will hurt my eyes and cause me to have some bad negative thoughts. So I'll just shoot blindfolded. If I shoot straight, that's luck. If I shoot off-target, well, I can only pray for good luck."
"..."
Upon hearing Ouyang Yue's explanation, everyone present was stunned. Baili Nan, who had just sat down, even stared with his mouth slightly open, looking incredulous.
"Hahaha, so that's why Ouyang Yue did this. Hahaha, shoot, shoot! It would be great if Mu Cuiwei were shot to death!" Jiang Huan suddenly laughed, her laughter extremely arrogant. Anyway, it would benefit her if either Ouyang Yue or Mu Cuiwei were in trouble, so she was happy to see it happen.
Zi Si sneered, glancing at Ouyang Yue with an inscrutable expression.
Upon hearing Ouyang Yue's words, Mu Cuiwei's smug smile froze instantly, and she angrily retorted, "Ouyang Yue, how dare you!"
Ouyang Yue looked at her coldly and said, "Why wouldn't I dare?"
"You...you might not even be able to shoot accurately, are you playing with your life by covering your eyes? I don't agree!" Mu Cuiwei said angrily, her face flushed. Ouyang Yue had a grudge against her, and she couldn't guarantee that Ouyang Yue wouldn't secretly hurt her.
Ouyang Yue frowned and said, "Miss Mu, have you forgotten? The judges have already planned ahead and thought of a way to solve this problem. There are people watching from below the stage. If I really miss, they will come to my rescue at the crucial moment. Why are you so distrustful, Miss Mu? Don't worry, even if my throwing technique is terrible, I can't kill you at his hands. Just relax." After saying that, Ouyang Yue turned her head and looked at the audience, "What do you judges think?"
The Miao King's lips curled into a playful smile: "When we set up this competition, the rules were already explained. Other minor requirements are not included in the rules. It's up to the ladies in the competition to do whatever they want. As long as it doesn't exceed the rules, everything is permissible."
“Yes, Miss Ouyang’s request is indeed acceptable.” Mr. Qi nodded. Ouyang Yue had already flattered them, and as she said, they had already taken protective measures. On the contrary, Ouyang Yue’s request seemed to make the competition more exciting, so they naturally had no reason to disagree.
The other judges kept a low profile. Abbot Minghui was fiddling with his prayer beads and didn't say a word throughout the entire judging process. The Taoist priest was similar, so naturally no one sought their opinions. They agreed to Ouyang Yue's request.
Mu Cuiwei's face was darker than ever before. Someone from below the stage brought a black cloth and handed it to Ouyang Yue. Ouyang Yue played with the cloth, smiling as she looked up. As she tied the cloth around her neck, her lips moved slightly. Mu Cuiwei, who had been staring at Ouyang Yue, clearly saw her lip movements and immediately flew into a rage: "Ouyang Yue, you dare! You...you're not allowed to project blindfolded! I won't allow it!" Ouyang Yue's lip movements clearly said: Mu Cuiwei, you're dead!
Mu Cuiwei's mind went blank for a moment. Ever since her falling out with Ouyang Yue at the Ning Mansion, a series of events suddenly flooded her mind. Each one a source of irreconcilable hatred between her and Ouyang Yue. If she were in Ouyang Yue's position, would she have given up the opportunity to eliminate her? No, she would have done everything in her power to get rid of Ouyang Yue. Similarly, wouldn't Ouyang Yue do the same thing?
Yes, there were protective personnel on the field, but did Ouyang Yue have some way to avoid them? She couldn't help but think of the top ten to nine competition. Ouyang Yue managed to escape the four girls from Zi Yi's group and even win first place. Didn't she have any other way to get past the protective personnel? If she dared to say that to her, she must have a way. She wanted to kill her. The excuse of covering her eyes to prevent bloodshed was clearly intentional. With her eyes covered, she could say she couldn't see anything and how could she be sure whether she was injured or dead to exonerate herself.
Jiang Huan has already lost ten points, so she probably won't be able to make it into the top ten. Ouyang Yue already scored four points. Even if she gets injured and misses, she'll only have four or six points at most. But if she gets injured and can't compete, Ouyang Yue can lose more points, but still not more than Jiang Huan. In that case, both Jiang Huan and Ouyang Yue will lose, and Ouyang Yue will easily enter the top three. So that's what Ouyang Yue was thinking! Isn't this a two-birds-with-one-stone plan? Ouyang Yue's mind is so vicious!
"No, you mustn't do that..." Mu Cuiwei cried out anxiously, but at that moment, she suddenly realized that she couldn't make a sound. Miao Jiang Holy King frowned and said, "This person is too noisy. Since the judges have all agreed to Miss Ouyang's request, there is no need for others to comment. Let's begin."
Mu Cuiwei was extremely anxious. What did the Miao Jiang Holy King mean by this? He had silenced her by pressing her acupoint, so she couldn't call out or stop it. But at the same time, she didn't even have the right to choose to give up. She couldn't speak anymore.
Ouyang Yue smiled faintly, then her lips moved again: "Mu Cuiwei, you're dead!"
Mu Cuiwei felt a chill run down her spine and hurriedly tried to escape. Yes, the beauty pageant was very important to her, but her life was even more important. If Ouyang Yue used this opportunity to retaliate and kill her, she wouldn't even have a chance for revenge. As long as she was alive, she could always fight again. However, as soon as Mu Cuiwei tried to move, she was horrified to find that she couldn't move either. She could only stand there frozen, completely helpless, as Ouyang Yue did as she pleased. Mu Cuiwei roared inwardly with rage, "Who is it? Who dares to treat her like this? If I find out, I'll make sure they all die! Die!"
Unfortunately, she was shouting so loudly that no one could hear her. Meanwhile, Ouyang Yue slowly raised her dagger. Mu Cuiwei felt her heart pounding with anxiety. What should she do? Ouyang Yue was going to kill her! What could she do? She had to ask the Second Princess for help, but how? She couldn't move anything except her mouth and her eyes. There was a distance between them and the stands. Could the Second Princess understand what she was saying?
Was she really going to die by Ouyang Yue's dagger like this? Mu Cuiwei was so frightened by this thought that large drops of cold sweat kept dripping from her forehead, soon covering her entire face. Although she couldn't move or speak, the expression on her face was paler than ever before, and her eyes showed a look of terror as she stared at Ouyang Yue. Damn bitch, you dare to kill me, I'll make you wish you were dead!
Ouyang Yue's face suddenly turned cold. With a slight movement of her hand, the dagger shot towards Mu Cuiwei. Mu Cuiwei felt as if her breath had stopped. Her eyes widened to an unbelievable degree. The dagger shot towards her at a slow speed. Her lips trembled incessantly, and the muscles on her face twitched uncontrollably. She was terrified to the extreme.
"Whoosh, puff, clang!"
"Snap!"
At the same time, the sound of a dagger piercing a wooden pillar and the sound of an apple falling to the ground rang out simultaneously. The two apples fell to the ground, one on the left and one on the right, interrupting everyone's thoughts. Then, a round of applause rang out, much louder than Zi Si's applause earlier. Ouyang Yue had shot the apples while blindfolded, which was much more skillful than Zi Si's.
Mr. Qi announced with a smile: "Miss Ouyang's successful throw earns four points, and Miss Mu's successful challenge earns four points. Now I announce that the top three are Miss Ouyang, Miss Fu, and Miss Zi Si."
A round of applause erupted again, but then a loud "bang" rang out. Everyone was stunned and looked towards the stage. The person in the stands who was about to remove the wooden pillar naturally called out to Mu Cuiwei, who was standing there motionless. But who knew that as soon as they touched her, she suddenly swayed to the side and fell down. At this moment, Mu Cuiwei on the stage kept rolling her eyes, her mouth twitched, and she took a deep breath and fainted!
An eerie silence fell over the entire scene!
☆、143, Use it! (Monthly pass~)
"What's wrong with Miss Mu?" After a long while, someone asked, breaking the awkward silence.
Someone nearby slapped the man on the head: "Are you stupid? Even a fool can see that Miss Mu has fainted."
"Dizzy? But why is that..."
This was probably the consensus among everyone. There was one insightful person who pretended to think deeply for a moment and sighed, "It seems that Miss Mu has fainted from fright."
"She fainted from fright? No way!" Everyone's eyes and mouths gaped open. She fainted from just a little fright? This Miss Mu is far too timid. How could the people in the stands know that Mu Cuiwei was unable to speak or move, and that Ouyang Yue had deliberately blindfolded her, creating immense psychological pressure, which caused her to faint? In Mu Cuiwei's state, it would probably be no problem to frighten several people into fainting.
The key point is that they didn't know, so when they looked at Mu Cuiwei who had fainted on the competition stage, their expressions were a bit strange: "Hehe, she was so scared that she fainted? She's not even as good as Princess Baili. If she didn't have the skill, why did she have to show off? She should have just admitted defeat earlier. Why was she so scared? She didn't even wet herself. It shows that Miss Mu still has the manners of a lady from a respectable family."
Many people laughed when they heard this. Indeed, the words were full of sarcasm. If Mu Cuiwei had wet herself in this situation, she would have lost all face among the five kingdoms and probably would never be able to hold her head up in public again. Of course, things weren't much better now.
Mr. Qi and the other judges were dumbfounded by the situation. They had just announced that Mu Cuiwei had entered the top three. What was going on? Mu Cuiwei was really something, wasn't she just slapping them in the face?
On the stands, Baili Chen twirled a bead in his hand, laughing along with the crowd as if nothing had happened. Baili Nan covered his mouth and chuckled, "This Mu Cuiwei is really funny. If she can't do it, she should just come down. Why scare herself so much that she fainted? Wouldn't that make her look even worse? Hey, Seventh Brother, what are you holding in your hand?"
Baili Chen seemed to be in a much better mood now, at least he no longer looked at Baili Nan with a cold and intimidating aura: "You like it? You can play with it." As he spoke, Baili Nan handed it over, and Baili Nan immediately took it with a big smile. The beads in Baili Chen's hand were actually plump winter beads, with a smooth color. They were certainly good items, but they couldn't be called top-grade. Of course, it was a bit strange that Baili Chen, given his status, would like these winter beads. Anyway, Baili Nan looked at them for a long time and didn't see anything particularly likable about them, but she still happily accepted them and carefully put them into her purse.
Leng Caiwen smiled knowingly as he looked at the arena. Dai Yu's forehead seemed to twitch twice, and a look of surprise flashed across Xuan Yuan Chaohua's face on the other side.
"Hahaha, what? She fainted? She actually fainted!" At this moment, Baili Le on the main platform suddenly burst into laughter. Her laughter was very bright. She looked at the Second Princess Baili Jing, whose face was pale, and her smile deepened: "Miss Mu actually fainted? Was she scared? Miss Mu is one of the three ugly women in the capital. She has a very bold and flamboyant style. I thought she was very brave. How could she be so easily scared? It's really unexpected. Second Princess, isn't Miss Mu one of your people? You should send someone over to check on her quickly. Otherwise, this fright might really cause her some serious injury. She might not even have a chance to meet again. It's such a pity. It's such a good girl. She was scared out of her wits on the stage. Oh, I really couldn't imagine it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes."
Baili Jing glanced at her coldly, but Baili Le was not afraid of her at all. She still smiled and mocked, "But this Miss Mu is really something. She's been following you around, Second Sister, and she hasn't learned even the slightest thing. You know, among all the princesses in our royal family, you are the most daring, Second Sister. She's been following you around but hasn't learned anything. She can't be so shameful and make you lose face too."
Baili Jing's previously indifferent expression suddenly changed. She glanced at Baili Jing with a cold look, and seeing that the latter's expression held no other meaning than mockery, and that she hadn't noticed the implication of her own words, she breathed a slight sigh of relief. A faint smile appeared on her lips: "Oh, but comparatively speaking, didn't Fifth Princess send quite a few people to participate in the beauty pageant? How come I haven't heard of a single one making it into the top ten? I imagine Fifth Princess must be feeling quite frustrated right now."
Baili Le's expression changed, and her eyes turned cold. She was naturally very frustrated. Although Fu Meier did not make it into the top ten, she was still considered one of the more eye-catching ones. Unfortunately, none of the people who relied on her were particularly outstanding. Even if Mu Cuiwei performed poorly in this competition, she still made it into the top five, which was very prestigious and worth boasting about. But this person was someone of the Second Princess Baili Jing. Naturally, she was very resentful.
But she would never allow Baili Jing to enjoy herself alone, and she said in a sharp, drunken voice, "Yes, everyone I've involved with knows their own limitations. Even if they're not capable, they won't act recklessly and make their mistress a laughingstock. I'm very satisfied with them on this point. If they're not capable, they're not capable. Wouldn't it be better for them to step down early and make way for the capable ones? Speaking of Sister Nan, she's different. Her status and demeanor are what the people of the Great Zhou Dynasty should learn from. She has humility, talent, beauty, and a noble status. Tsk tsk tsk, compared to the contestants in this beauty pageant, Sister Nan is undoubtedly the number one. It would be great if our royal family had Sister Nan as a role model, wouldn't you say, Second Princess?"
Baili Le was using Baili Nan's name to manipulate her. Baili Nan's father, Prince De, was currently the only prince with imperial status in the court, not to mention the emperor's younger brother. The two had a particularly good relationship since childhood, and in the Great Zhou Dynasty, Prince De had always maintained a very relaxed position, with no one daring to offend him. Prince De didn't have any great ambitions, spending his days appreciating flowers and playing with birds. It's unclear whether Baili Nan inherited his traits, but she had a particular fondness for poetry and painting from a young age, and her reputation for talent gradually spread. Compared to the Three Beauties of the Capital, Baili Nan's status made her even more famous. Besides, as a princess, no one would bother comparing Baili Nan to the Three Beauties of the Capital; there was simply no comparison. Therefore, some people felt that the Three Beauties of the Capital had a more prestigious reputation, and in comparison, they were no match for Baili Nan.
If Baili Jing were to single out Baili Nan and praise Mu Cuiwei in return, wouldn't that be looking down on Baili Nan? But if she didn't say anything, she would be being humiliated by Baili Le. How could she be willing to do that? After thinking about it, she gritted her teeth and didn't say anything. Baili Le snorted coldly when he saw this and didn't say anything either.
There was an undercurrent of tension in the stands, but the arguments on the stage were even fiercer.
Of the five contestants, besides Ouyang Yue, there was also Mu Cuiwei who had fainted. The other three were also somewhat bewildered. They had genuinely thought Mu Cuiwei was incredibly brave, but who knew she had simply fainted from fright and couldn't do anything at all. This made it impossible for them to accept defeat wholeheartedly. Jiang Huan, in particular, who had always aimed for the beauty pageant championship, was furious: "Mu Cuiwei fainted! She actually fainted! I don't agree! Mu Cuiwei has fainted, what right does she have to be selected as one of the top three? I don't agree!"
Jiang Huan's words were echoed by the crowd. Mu Cuiwei's humiliating appearance was indeed hard to convince anyone.
Mr. Qi and the others were also taken aback for a moment. Then they began to discuss among themselves. Jiang Huan's cold eyes swept over Mu Cuiwei, but there was a hint of smugness in them. Since Mu Cuiwei had fainted, the possibility of her continuing to advance was extremely low. Wouldn't that increase her chances of making it into the top three? It was good that Mu Cuiwei fainted. If Mu Cuiwei had only moved slightly, or if she had run away like herself, and the scores were the same, it would have been a lot more trouble. She was definitely going to make it into the top three.
After a short while, the judges discussed their options and Mr. Qi announced, "After deliberation among the seven judges, the final three are Miss Ouyang Yue, Miss Zi Si, and Miss Mu Cuiwei!"
"What!" Jiang Huan, who had been smiling, suddenly froze. Everyone else looked at the judges in surprise. Jiang Huan exclaimed indignantly, "Mu Cuiwei fainted from fright! She fainted from fright! Why can she enter the top three? I don't agree! How can I be convinced?"
Mr. Qi explained, “We understand Princess Jiang Huan’s thoughts. We also argued about this matter a bit earlier. However, the competition rules don’t specify what happens if someone faints from fright and stands still until the end. This is something we hadn’t considered beforehand, so we couldn’t make up our minds. In the end, we all agreed that since the competition rules have been set, we should follow them. Although Miss Mu Cuiwei fainted, she stood from beginning to end, so she should be considered the winner.”
"What kind of explanation is this!" Jiang Huan said coldly. She simply couldn't understand it, and she didn't know that Mu Cuiwei had actually been immobilized by pressure points, which was why she fainted from fright and became a laughing stock. Otherwise, Jiang Huan would have been so angry that she would have died of frustration. "I can't understand it, I don't accept this. This five-to-three competition is all about courage, isn't it? Mu Cuiwei was so scared, it's clear she has no courage. Letting her pass under such circumstances, what will others think? I don't agree, after all, I'm dragging her down."
"So who should we bring up? Princess Jiang Huan? In this beauty pageant where five are narrowed down to three, you have the lowest score. If anyone's going to get in, it won't be you." The Miao Jiang Holy King's eyes seemed to see right through Jiang Huan's thoughts. After he said this, Jiang Huan paused and suddenly fell silent.
"Yes, if Mu Cuiwei is eliminated, then according to the scores, Baili Nan will be the one to advance. In that case, two of the top three will be from the Great Zhou Dynasty. What benefit would that bring her?" Mr. Qi chimed in, "If Princess Jiang Huan insists, it's not impossible to resolve. We can just wait for Miss Mu Cuiwei to wake up and then let her compete with Princess Jiang Huan and Princess Baili Nan. What does Princess Jiang Huan think?"
Baili Nan shook his head and said, "I have already given up, and I will not participate in this competition."
All eyes turned to Jiang Huan. Jiang Huan froze, her body tensing, her mind racing. It was uncertain who would win between her and Mu Cuiwei. If Mu Cuiwei won, wouldn't her suggestion seem ridiculous, making her appear overly ambitious yet ultimately unsuccessful? Wouldn't all her previous boasting have been meaningless? Even if she won and made it into the top three, according to the judges, the competition would become increasingly difficult. She still didn't know how dangerous the final competition would be, but at least one thing was certain: it would be far more difficult than the top five to top three. If that was the case, could she even win the championship? Making it into the top three wouldn't really matter much. She was still filled with fear; the previous competition was still fresh in her memory, and she remained terrified.