333. Such talent at such a young age!

Thanks to the universal license, no one doubted why Tao Wanbi was here.

As for Marquis Beiding, he understood Tao Wanbi's thoughts better than anyone else.

They must be thinking of showing off by presenting a poem, given the solemnity of the occasion, and perhaps they're even plotting something sinister.

Jiang Xiyue's face turned pale: "What if she embarrasses herself in front of His Majesty, or tries some trick to bully Yue'er again? What will we do then?"

She felt that Tao Wanbi not only looked crazy, but also had more scheming in her heart than anyone else.

He suddenly presented a poem today; who knows what mischief he's up to?

Jin Qizhi was about to get up and pull Tao Wanbi back, but her second brother stopped her: "Big brother, wait!"

"Look at her, it's like she was prepared all along. Maybe she was deliberately waiting for you to come forward."

"Let's see what tricks she's up to first. We can't let her bully my sister."

As he spoke, he kept a close eye on Tao Wanbi, protecting the little dumpling in front of him like a wary little wolf cub.

The little dumpling was protected in the middle by her two older brothers, clutching half a piece of pastry in her hand, her big, dark eyes looking at Tao Wanbi with curiosity.

She didn't understand why her parents and brothers were all frowning at Sister Tao.

"Is Sister Tao going to write a poem?" she mumbled indistinctly while chewing on a pastry. "It sounds amazing..."

She couldn't do it, the little princess and the little prince couldn't do it, her second brother couldn't do it, and even her sister Fufu couldn't do it.

Only the Grand Tutor would attend.

The Grand Tutor wanted to teach them how to write poetry, but he shook his head when he saw the poems they wrote.

so……

Is Sister Tao just as good at composing poetry as the Grand Tutor? Are they equally talented?

Xie Wenling sat upright in the banquet hall, dressed in a brocade robe, with skin as white as snow and eyebrows and eyes as beautiful as a painting.

He remained indifferent, merely glancing at Tao Wanbi with a faint expression, his eyes showing no emotion.

Logically speaking, for him, whoever presented the poem was just a minor episode at the palace banquet.

only……

The only special thing about that person was Tao Wanbi.

So he glanced at her a few more times and happened to catch a glimpse of Tao Wanbi's hand clenching the hem of her clothes and her attempt to hide her panic.

This made him raise an eyebrow slightly, a hint of doubt in his eyes, and a spark of interest in him.

Qu Zijin, who always admired talent, had his eyes light up upon hearing this. He temporarily suppressed his dislike for Tao Wanbi and looked at her with curiosity.

Tao Wanbi felt uneasy under everyone's gaze, and cold sweat broke out on her back.

[Host, don't panic, stay calm.]

Tao Wanbi was inwardly groaning.

But now that things had come to this, she had no choice but to steel herself and raise her head to meet Wei Xiuming's gaze: "Your Majesty, I am Tao Wanbi, the adopted daughter of the Marquis of Beiding... Please give me a chance!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the expressions of Marquis Beiding and Jiang Xiyue became even more unpleasant.

Just as Marquis Beiding was about to apologize, he saw Wei Xiuming smile and look at Tao Wanbi with interest: "Oh? The adopted daughter of the Marquis Beiding's household? How interesting. Granted. Now recite it. If you do well, I will reward you!"

[Okay, the first step was successful. Next, the first poem will be "New Year's Day," a timeless masterpiece by Wang Anshi. I'll show you the original text; you just need to read it aloud.]

Tao Wanbi took a deep breath and, mimicking the manner of the ancients in her memory, recited with a swaying head: "Amidst the crackling of firecrackers, the old year departs; the spring breeze brings warmth to the New Year's wine. The sun shines brightly on every door and window; everyone replaces the old peachwood charms with new ones!"

The moment the words were spoken, the hall fell silent for a moment.

Immediately afterwards, someone clapped and praised—

"What a wonderful poem! It captures the lively scene of New Year's Day while also conveying the youthful spirit of bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new. Such talent at such a young age!"

"Indeed, this poem is catchy and has a beautiful imagery. It doesn't seem like something a three-year-old could write."

"Your Excellency is truly blessed to have such a talented adopted daughter!"

The officials and their families at the banquet praised her in hushed tones, while Marquis Beiding and Jiang Xiyue looked at Tao Wanbi with some disbelief.

She actually has this kind of talent?

I never expected this.

The little dumpling was focused on eating the cake, not thinking much about it.

After all, it's a bit too much to ask a child of her age to appreciate the subtleties of a poem.

Gao Gao is still the best.

The second brother next to her, though three years older, was also completely oblivious. He looked up to join in the fun, then looked down and continued happily sharing the delicious food with his sister, seemingly unaffected.

Faced with everyone's praise, Tao Wanbi secretly breathed a sigh of relief and mentally gave the system a thumbs up.

Just as I was about to sit down, the system urged me again—

[Host, strike while the iron is hot. Recite another poem, "Staying Up Late on New Year's Eve," by Du Fu. It can solidify your character. Let the male lead and the others see your talent.]

"...I have one more poem."

Tao Wanbi straightened up again: "At A Rong's house, we stay up all night to celebrate the New Year, the pepper platter is already filled with flowers. The horses in their stalls chatter with their hairpins, the torches scatter the crows in the woods. Tomorrow, I'll be forty, and the twilight will be upon me. Who can restrain me now? A life of drunkenness is my destiny!"

This poem is more profound than the previous one.

It describes the custom of staying up all night on New Year's Eve, and also implies a sense of heroic spirit.

Let alone a three-year-old child, even well-read scholars and writers might not be able to write such a piece.

The praise inside the hall grew louder, and even the little dumpling curiously peeked at Tao Wanbi: "Wow, that's amazing! It's even longer than the poem the Grand Tutor taught Yue'er!"

The second brother scratched his head and said, "Yeah, this poem is really long."

Children's thinking is simple: the longer the poem, the more impressive it is.

Writing poetry is tiring, after all.

They're learning five-character quatrains now.

Tao Wanbi subconsciously glanced at the little prince sitting next to the little princess.

According to their preconceived notions, the young prince should now be captivated by her talent and showing an expression of admiration.

Can……

The young prince seemed completely oblivious to her and the commotion.

Instead, he focused on picking and choosing, selecting a few of the best snacks and placing them on a plate. He then picked up the plate and walked over to the little dumpling.

Somewhat abruptly, Wei Xiuming noticed him, as did some other people.

But Wei Xiuming didn't think much of it, after all, the little prince's poor condition and abnormal behavior had been going on for more than just a day or two.

He actually felt that it was a good thing to allow the little prince and the little dumpling to interact more.

Seeing that Wei Xiuming tacitly approved, the others naturally didn't bring it up.

The little girl tilted her head back, her eyes sparkling, and looked expectantly at the little prince walking towards her—holding a plate of pastries in his hand.

Soon, the young prince sat down next to her, and Marquis Beiding and Jiang Xiyue made room for him.

The little prince stared intently at the little dumpling, admiring her round, chubby face, which looked like a pink dumpling—she was incredibly cute.

The little dumpling took the pastry from his hand and nibbled on it in small bites.

tasty!

A happy expression appeared on her face.

She mumbled incoherently, "...The poem is nice, but...Yue'er can't understand it. Gao Gao is still the best."

The little prince looked a little puzzled, but seeing the little dumpling's cheeks puffing up, his attention was quickly diverted.

Meanwhile, Bei Dinghou, Jiang Xiyue, Jin Qizhi, and her second brother all watched Tao Wanbi warily.

They had already found it strange that someone who usually stayed in her room dared to show off at the palace banquet. Now, seeing her compose two excellent poems in a row, they felt even more suspicious.

Jiang Xiyue quietly tugged at Bei Dinghou's sleeve and whispered, "This child might have a problem. How can a three-year-old child compose such a poem?"

This level of skill is clearly not something a three-year-old could produce casually.

Tao Wanbi's side...

What's going on? Why isn't the male lead reacting at all?

The system was a bit confused.

[Host, play another one, but one even more stunning. Let's use Li Bai's "Qing Ping Le: Spring Day in the Forbidden Courtyard".]

Tao Wanbi had a bad feeling about it.

She's already memorized two songs. What if she keeps memorizing them and someone finds out?

But she couldn't disobey the system's orders, and now she was in a bind, so she could only grit her teeth and continue: "Um, I have one more song..."

"In the forbidden palace on a spring day, the orioles' feathers are adorned with new embroidery. All the plants cleverly compete beneath the flowers, betting only on a full measure of pearls. As the day ends, they tidy their disheveled makeup and idly dance in their rainbow-colored robes before the emperor. Who says their waists are slender and graceful? Their twirling and turning have made the emperor smile."

This poem is ornate and describes the splendor of the palace in spring and the charm of the beautiful women.

Tao Wanbi read it out in her childish voice, creating a unique sense of contrast.

Sure enough, upon hearing this poem, everyone was filled with astonishment—

"My God! This is absolutely brilliant!"

"Could this child be a reincarnation of the God of Literature? It's already rare for a three-year-old to be able to compose poetry, but to be able to write such exquisite lyrics!"

"Marquis of Beiding, your adopted daughter is a real treasure! In my opinion, she's no less beautiful than a princess. Why are you hiding her from everyone?"