These harsh words came from the mouth of Fúmǐn Jùnzhǔ.

She had been holding back her anger before, but she swallowed it back in front of Changping Gōngzhǔ. When had the always arrogant and willful Fúmǐn Jùnzhǔ ever suffered such a loss? She was trying her best to make a comeback.

Fúmǐn Jùnzhǔ started painting while paying attention to Ling Jingshu’s every move. When she saw that Ling Jingshu had not moved for half an hour, Fúmǐn Jùnzhǔ was very happy and sneered unceremoniously.

Ling Jingyan’s pretty face flushed with indignation: “You…”

“What do you mean by Fúmǐn Jùnzhǔ?” Ling Jingshu quickly took over the conversation. If Ling Jingyan, who was impetuous and impulsive, confronted Fúmǐn Jùnzhǔ, she would most likely suffer.

Fúmǐn Jùnzhǔ glanced at Ling Jingshu with contempt: “Isn’t it clear what I said? Don’t you understand? Everyone who came to the banquet today is good at poetry and painting. You are a country bumpkin from Dingzhou City, so don’t make a fool of yourself.”

Changping Gōngzhǔ frowned slightly unhappy.

Why did Fumin confront Ling Jingshu today?

On other occasions, she would not bother to care. But at today’s banquet, she was the host. Fumin’s arrogance was embarrassing, and her host was also unhappy…

Ling Jingshu was humiliated and ridiculed like this, but she remained calm as usual and responded slowly: “I was born and raised in Dingzhou. Compared with the ladies in the capital, I am indeed far inferior. However, in terms of poetry and painting, I should be as good as the Jùnzhǔ.”

Fúmǐn Jùnzhǔ: “…”

Fúmǐn Jùnzhǔ was furious and stood up suddenly: “Ling Jingshu! How dare you talk to me like this!”

Ling Jingshu also stood up quickly, bowed to Changping Gōngzhǔ, and said apologetically: “I have brought a trivial personal grudge between the Jùnzhǔ and me to the Gōngzhǔ and disturbed her interest. It is really not what I want. I hope Your Highness will forgive me!”

Changping Gōngzhǔ’s tightly frowned brows relaxed, and she said lightly: “Forget it! I am not such an unreasonable person. Most of what happened today was caused by Fumin, so it’s not your fault.”

Fúmǐn Jùnzhǔ almost thought she had heard it wrong. She turned around with a look of astonishment: “Táng jiě, you actually spoke for her!”

Changping Gōngzhǔ’s eyes flashed with impatience, and her face darkened: “Sit down first.”

Fúmǐn Jùnzhǔ sat down aggrievedly, glaring at Ling Jingshu from a distance.

She was really a brainless idiot!

Changping Gōngzhǔ didn’t care about who was right or wrong. It was not that there was any grudge between them, but that the rhythm of the specially held lotus viewing banquet was disrupted.

To put it bluntly, Changping Gōngzhǔ was someone who cared most about face, and she wouldn’t tolerate anyone being presumptuous in front of her.

Ling Jingshu’s eyes flashed a sneer, and her voice became more respectful and gentle: “I have a bold suggestion, please agree to it, Your Highness.”

Changping Gōngzhǔ said with interest: “What do you suggest? Tell me.”

Ling Jingshu said with a smile: “Fúmǐn Jùnzhǔalways says that my skills are not as good as others. I am also a little dissatisfied in my heart. I will draw a lotus picture and write a poem. I will compete with Fúmǐn Jùnzhǔ alone. Please be the judge, Your Highness.”

Damn! This bumpkin from Dingzhou City dared to take the initiative to provoke!

Fúmǐn Jùnzhǔ gnashed her teeth in anger. The purpose of holding a banquet was to have fun. This unexpected episode was quite interesting.

Changping Gōngzhǔ was interested and glanced atFúmǐn Jùnzhǔ, whose face was flushed with anger: “Fumin, what do you think?”

Fúmǐn Jùnzhǔ sneered: “This proposal is exactly what I want.”

Changping Gōngzhǔ clapped her hands and smiled: “Okay, okay, since you two agree. Then I will be the judge. Ninth Miss Ling Jiu, I am Fumin’s táng jiě, aren’t you afraid that I will protect her and favor Fumin?”

The last sentence. There was no lack of joking.

Ling Jingshu smiled calmly: “As long as it can make Her Royal Highness happy, the result is not important.”

What a “result is not important”! Even if you knew that this was flattery, it was enough to make people feel happy.

Changping Gōngzhǔ smiled: “You are really good at talking. Don’t worry, I will be fair and just today, and will never favor anyone.”

…

Anyone with a discerning eye could see that no matter what the result was, the biggest winner of today’s “competition” was Ling Jingshu.

In terms of speech, demeanor, and reaction, Fúmǐn Jùnzhǔis far inferior to Ling Jingshu.

Fúmǐn Jùnzhǔ gnashed her teeth in hatred and said stiffly, “Since we are competing alone, why not add a little more stake? If I win, you jump into the lake and pick a lotus flower.”

Everyone looked at each other.

This bet was really too much.

The ladies waiting to be married pay attention to elegance and chastity. Their leisure time pastimes were nothing more than reading, practicing calligraphy, composing poems, painting, planting flowers, and raising birds. How could a rich lady know how to swim?

Even if she could swim, jumping into the lake to pick lotus flowers in front of so many people was not what a lady from a noble family does.

Ling Jingyan and Jiang Shi looked at her with worried eyes.

Ah Shu, you can’t agree to this kind of bet!

Ling Jingshu agreed without changing her expression: “Okay, I’ll accept it.” Then she raised her eyebrows and asked: “What if the Jùnzhǔ loses?”

Fúmǐn Jùnzhǔ said without hesitation: “Then I’ll jump into the lake and pick a lotus flower!”

“It’s a deal!” Ling Jingshu quickly took over the conversation.

There was no chance or room for others to interrupt. The two of them had already “made it a deal”! The speed was so fast that it was jaw-dropping!

…

Fúmǐn Jùnzhǔ raised her eyebrows and sneered at Ling Jingshu, then quickly lowered her head and started painting.

Fúmǐn Jùnzhǔ was indeed spoiled by nature, but she was not a useless fool. Especially in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, she had been taught by famous teachers since she was a child. Over the years, she had often attracted praise at boudoir gatherings.

Compared with Su Ying, she may be a little worse, but she was definitely ten or a hundred times better than the bumpkin from Dingzhou!

Fúmǐn Jùnzhǔ, with strong confidence, had inspiration like a spring and her writing was like a dragon.

Changping Gōngzhǔ, who was sitting next to Fúmǐn Jùnzhǔ, nodded secretly.

On the other hand, Ling Jingshu didn’t seem to be in a hurry at all. She rolled up her sleeves slowly and mixed the paint slowly… Her slow movements were so annoying!

“Ah Shu,” Ling Jingyan couldn’t bear it anymore and said anxiously, “There’s less than half an hour left. If you don’t start, it will be too late.”

Although she and Ling Jingshu were cousins, one lived in the capital and the other in Dingzhou. She didn’t know Ling Jingshu’s poetry and painting skills at all.

Ling Jingshu smiled at Ling Jingyan and said calmly, “Don’t worry, there’s enough time.”

(To be continued.)