Unbridled Medical Expert Consort: Demon Prince, Be Good - Chapter 49

Chapter 49: Rules for the Mid-Autumn Festival’s Poems Should be Changed

Just as someone stood up to be the first to recite poetry, they heard Empress Wang ask this question. That person’s smile suddenly froze on her face. Everyone turned and looked towards a certain direction while Luo Qing Luan’s eyelids twitched. [Darn! She deliberately sat in the corner. Why did Her Highness still think of her?]

Was it possible she really fancied her to be the crown prince consort? That would be anything but reassuring!

But having no choice, she also could only brace herself as she stood up. “Greetings to Your Highness.”

Full of smiles, Empress Wang immediately waved towards Luo Qing Luan. “Come. Qing Luan, you also come and sit by my side.”

After she finished speaking, she looked at Yuchi Lianqing by her side, then looked again at Luo Qing Luan who’s walking over. The two young ladies both had bright eyes and white teeth, outstanding and other worldly. Merely, one was dressed in white, fresh and pure, just like a heavenly immortal, while one was was adorned in a yellow palace dress, pretty, bright and beautiful. Based on appearance alone, it’s truly difficult to say who was better.

“Thank you, Your Highness.” Luo Qing Luan bowed and sat at Empress Wang’s left side and did not look at Yuchi Lianqing to the empress right side at all.

“Last time, at Your Highness’ Flower Bestowment feast, Lianqing health was out of sorts, so I didn’t have the fortune to participate. Only today do I have the pleasure of meeting Miss Luo. This is truly regretful.” Yuchi Lianqing actually smiled slightly as she looked at Luo Qing Luan while speaking. A bit of sincerity was displayed within her eyes, as if she really regretted not having met earlier.

Empress Wang was puzzled as she asked, “Lianqing, what do you regret?”

“Your Highness, I can see that Miss Luo is so young yet unmatched in our generation. I can’t help but think about the past.”

The expression in Luo Qing Luan’s eyes altered. Very likely, this Duchess of Yiyang is up to something. As expected, she then heard her let out a sigh before saying faintly. “I wonder if Your Highness has heard the rumors which has spread throughout the capital previously. The second Miss Luo from the General’s Mansion was an utterly vulgar, ugly woman. Not only was she madly obsessed with Fifth Prince, she also stabbed her sister in the back, ganged up with servants at her home, and was a love-struck fool.”

Speaking up to here, she paused. Sure enough, she saw a flash of astonishment streak across the empress’ eyes while her brows knitted, apparently somewhat unhappily.

Without the slightest difference in her facial expression, Yuchi Lianqing continued, “But only having personally seen Miss Luo today did I know that there’s actually such a beauty in the world. Even I feel ashamed of my inferiority. Clearly, those rumors were all lies.”

The corners of her lips raised as she looked towards Luo Qing Luan and nodded with a smile on her face before saying softly, “Miss Luo, don’t you care about those common people’s crazy words. They’re merely following the crowd, that’s all. Tonight is the annual Full Moon poetry gathering. Naturally, Miss Luo is capable of bringing everyone a poetic masterpiece and have everyone know the purity of a faultless person, how you’re not the kind of person that you’re rumored to be at all.”

Looking at the girl facing her, whose face was covered in an appearance of goodwill, as if she was helping her speak on her behalf, Luo Qing Luan sneered in her heart.

This Miss Yuchi truly deserved to be Nangong Wan’er’s bosom buddy. She actually helped the princess in this way, ridiculing her in front of everybody. Her previous reputation was in fact something that the Luo Qing Shuang mother and daughter originally started rumors about. She’d now completely changed beyond recognition. Anyone could tell by looking.

Yet Yuchi Lianqing insisted on bringing up her past, wasn’t she deliberately bringing up her faults in front of everybody?

Sure enough, these pampered aristocratic ladies and imperial relatives, each and everyone of whom were not simple minded, who grew up within large mansions, if they don’t have any scheming ability, how could the fame of their talents have easily spread throughout the capital?

Empress Wang nodded repeatedly as she listened. The displeasure on her face reduced quite a bit as she pulled Luo Qing Luo’s hand and said, “Mm, not bad, the main wife’s daughter from the General’s Mansion is naturally like a tiger’s daughter. How can she be mediocre? Qing Luan, have you prepared for tonight’s poetry meeting?”

Most likely, Yuchi Lianqing had already investigated thoroughly earlier that she formerly had never touched these poems before? So she waited to hit her with it tonight. Otherwise, why would she spread those rumors claiming that she wanted to strive for the title of the most talented girl in the capital?

Luo Qing Luan naturally wouldn’t fall into her web. Without the least bit of shame, she replied, “Empress Wang, I don’t know how to recite poetry.”

“Hm? You don’t know how……”

Empress Wang stopped and continued in astonishment, “Qing Luan, you, you truly……”

Luo Qing Luan smiled faintly, not minding it in the least as she replied, “Yes, Your Highness, how can I joke about this kind of thing. I really don’t know how to compose poetry. It may be only possible for me to recite some poems from books.”

She smiled gently and serenely, without the slightest bit of embarrassment, as if it was not an embarrassment at all for a high class lady not not be able to paint and compose poetry, just like it was normal for someone from the nobility not to work the farms.

“That can’t be, right? Miss Luo is a noble daughter from the General’s Mansion. You should have been schooled since little to learn these things. Why don’t you know how?” Imperial Consort Song interrupted, also appearing very puzzled.

Whispers erupted in around them. The multitude of women all heard Luo Qing Luan’s unconcealed voice. Each and everyone of them now whispering while their faces displayed a sneering expression, completely appearing as if they were both surprised and looked down upon her.

Grasping this perfect timing, Yuchi Lianqing’s eyes opened wide slightly and responded in an unconvinced tone, “Miss Luo is not joking, right?”

“This is not something to brag about anyway. Why would I joke about it.”to

Luo Qing Luan was as calm and indifferent as before. “I already said this earlier. I truly don’t know how to compose poetry and paint, these kinds of things. My mother passed away early. My father grieved too much, so he’d never bothered with me ever since my childhood. Naturally, I’m not as blessed as other young ladies.”

Listening to hear somewhat grief filled voice, Empress Wang sighed, “It doesn’t matter, Qing Luan, there’s no harm in not knowing how to compose poetry. Just take tonight as a chance to enjoy yourself. Listen to other people’s poems. Eat a bit. Don’t dwell on it too much, understand?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

With these words, Luo Qing Luan became completely relaxed.

So what if she doesn’t know how to compose poetry? At present, even Empress Wang didn’t mind it and told her to sit there and enjoy herself. Let’s see if anyone else dared to make trouble for her. As for this Miss Yuchi wanting to give her a slap on the face, too bad she wouldn’t have the chance.

Yuchi Lianqing could be considered to have been let off lightly. Otherwise…..she’d throw caution to the wind tonight and shamelessly recite those well-known poems written by famed later generation poets. Now that would truly cause the girl to be too embarrassed to meet people anymore, too ashamed as someone with the title of “most talented girl”.

This short episode passed very quickly. The crowd of women simply stopped after a few comments. Since their most formidable rival, Luo Qing Luan, won’t be reciting poems, then she certainly wouldn’t be able to show off tonight. They easily eliminated one rival. That’s no doubt a good thing. They already made preparations earlier and were only waiting for tonight’s poetry meeting to start, so that they could take out the poem that they prepared to obtain Empress Wang’s notice.

Right at 8 pm, the moon was overhead and the Full Moon Poetry Gathering officially started.

The young girl who previously prepared to stand up and recite poetry finally grabbed the opportunity and rushed to bow towards Empress Wang. “Your Highness, I’m Sun Qiao’er. My father is the supervisor of Shanglin Institution, Sun Huidong. I’d like to especially present a poem to Your Highness.”

The poetry meeting’s main purpose was to praise the moon and enjoy each other’s company, but everyone at the gathering would say that their poem was an offering to His Majesty or Her Highness before reciting it. This already became an unspoken rule, all to garner a bit of attention, hoping that it would raise the result of their assessment a bit.

Empress Wang also didn’t mind and smiled as she nodded her head. “Alright, what good poem do you have?”

“Your Highness……”

Just when Sun Qiao’Er was going to recite the poem she had prepared, Luo Qing Luan suddenly asked, “Are poems recited each year during the Full Moon Feast? Moreover, is the subject matter fixed?”

Even though she didn’t know why the other wanted to ask this, Empress Wang’s impression of Luo Qing Luan was quite good, so she didn’t mind being interrupted by her. “Ever since the first Full Moon Feast until now, which has been held for thirty-two years, it’s always been like this. The moon is full during the Mid-Autumn Festival, which represents harmony and joy. This is a big festive occasion, so naturally we recite poetry to express these sentiments.”

Luo Qing Luan creased her eyebrows as she spoke. “Isn’t this……very boring?”

She deliberately said this, because she wanted to throw the poetry recital meeting off balance, to flummox these people who made preparations in advance. These highborn girls previously mocked her so much, was it possible for her to just accept everyone’s bullying without fighting back. Also that Miss Yuchi……heh heh, she really wanted to see of this Duchess of Yiyang’s literary talents truly matched her beauty!

“Miss Luo, what’s your intention in saying that?” Within the crowd, Li Shuyun, who was already jealous of Luo Qing Luan sitting by the Empress’ side, spoke up. Last time, she was put in order and left in a sorry state by Luo Qing Luan. Strangely itching from head to toe, she scratched so much that bloody scars forms all over her body. She’d always been waiting to take revenge.

Immediately taking advantage of Luo Qing Luan’s disrespectful remark, she opened her mouth and coldly said, “This poetry meeting is our country’s tradition from tens of years ago. His Majesty and Her Highness also approves enthusiastically, yet you actually said that it’s boring? Is it possible that you look down on His Majesty and Her Highness?”

“You’re Miss Li, right?” Luo Qing Luan smiled slightly. “I haven’t finished speaking, so what are you jumping out anxiously for?”

She turned towards Empress Wang and bowed in respect before continuing unflinchingly, “Your Highness, even though I don’t know how to compose poetry, I’d also like to hear everyone’s masterpieces. Based on customs from previous years, everyone knew that would know that the subject matter of tonight’s poems would be praising the moon and treasuring relationships. It’s quite possible that some people had already prepared in advance. The poems they’ll be reciting may not necessarily be their own compositions. That would be too boring.”

Li Shuyi’s complexion changed. “Luo Qing Luan, what do you mean by that? Don’t tell me that you’re saying that we deliberately found other people to write poetry, then pretend that we composed them ourselves?”

Luo Qing Luan shot a glance at her. “Miss Li, I didn’t even say that you’re plagiarizing. What are you so anxious for? Since this is a poetry meeting, it should naturally reflect our genuine talent in order win His Majesty and Her Highness’ reward and gain the title of Western Chu’s ‘girl of talent’. If the poem is something we had someone else compose earlier, if that’s not plagiarizing, then what is?”

Absolute silence descended upon the scene. Everyone’s complexion changed.

It went without saying that during all of the previous poetry meetings, preparations were made in advance. All they had to do was recite when the time came. Naturally, some of these highborn ladies didn’t have this ability, but didn’t want to lose face, so they had their family’s teachers or maybe an acquaintance compose the poems in advance.

This had already become a public secret which had never been openly talked about. Certainly, this group of ladies absolutely had never thought that during this crucial year when the crown prince consort was going to be chosen, there would surprisingly be someone who openly declared that they prepared someone’s poem in advance. How could they accept something like this?

Yuchi Lianqing could become the most talented girl in Western Chu. She naturally relied somewhat on her own abilities, so she actually wasn’t afraid, but she was very disgusted with the way Luo Qing Luan went against accepted customs. Were it not for Empress Wang’s restraining presence, how could she still remain so polite?

Then according to Miss Luo’s opinion, how should this year’s poetry meeting be conducted? We shouldn’t take away everything, right?” She responded unenthusiastically, her tone of voice already displaying a trace of coldness.

Indeed waiting for someone to say this, Luo Qing Luan smiled faintly and turned towards Empress Wang to say, “Of course not. Your Highness, every year, the poems have been recited randomly. I’m afraid that Your Highness might be a bit tired of it. How about we change the way it’s done this year? How about making it a bit more novel? Moreover, this approach can also distinguish who is truly talented. I wonder what Your Highness think?”