The poetry competition had been going on for an hour, and the number of students on the field had decreased from a hundred to twenty. Song Yaozhu yawned widely, and Song Wenyue next to her shifted her position with obvious disgust, clearly not wanting to sit with her.

Song Yaozhu asked Caijin, "Find a private room, I need to take a nap."

Caijin's pupils contracted slightly, and she hesitated before agreeing to make the arrangements.

This poetry collection was the perfect opportunity to showcase the reputation of talented men and beautiful women. Not only did her princess yawn, but she also left her seat to sleep halfway through. It's easy to imagine what outsiders would say about her.

Xie Liwei, who was on stage, naturally noticed Song Yaozhu's departure. Qin Yu whispered the reason in his ear, and he couldn't help but twitch his lips.

If it were his older sister, she wouldn't have done such an indecent thing!

Then she thought again, why did she compare her to her older sister again? Clearly, she couldn't even compare to a single hair of her older sister's!

Upon entering the room, Song Yaozhu's first action was to remove the messy hairpins and ornaments from her head, then she let out a long sigh: "I'm exhausted!"

Caijin and Caiyin looked on helplessly, but could only try to persuade her gently: "Your Highness, your behavior today is really not in accordance with etiquette."

Song Yaozhu naturally knew this, but it just so happened to fit her identity as a "country girl".

"I'll be more careful next time," she said in advance, not wanting to listen to Granny Qin's nagging.

Lying on the chaise lounge, Song Yaozhu pondered how to matchmake Yuwen Wuji and Song Wenyue. It wasn't easy for Yuwen Wuji to leave the palace, so she had to seize the opportunity.

Seeing that she had closed her eyes to rest, Caijin and Caiyin had no choice but to go out and keep watch over her.

She hadn't rested for long when Song Wenyue came over with a plate of snacks.

Seeing that her features were even more radiant after she removed her hairpins, Song Wenyue couldn't help but feel jealous. When Mingming first returned to the Song family, her skin was so rough that she couldn't even apply makeup, and her hands were covered with small cuts from working in the fields.

After staying at the Song family's house for three months, she immediately changed because she didn't have to do any work and her food and drink were better than before.

Her naturally good looks made her so jealous that she felt a pang of envy.

"Why did you hide here, sister? There are other talent shows coming up later!" Song Wenyue said with a smile.

Song Yaozhu glanced at her with slightly raised eyes, then had an idea. She stood up and took the pastries from Song Wenyue's hand, then said warmly, "Sister, please sit down. I didn't have the heart to take out this tea for you downstairs. Now that it's just the two of us, please try some!"

He poured her a cup of tea and handed it to her.

Song Wenyue was momentarily stunned, inwardly scoffing at Song Yaozhu's lack of class, but still reached out to take the cup with a sense of satisfaction. Unexpectedly, Song Yaozhu let go too soon, and the cup of tea spilled all over her.

"Ah!" Song Wenyue exclaimed in surprise, "My dress! I have to perform on stage later!"

Song Yaozhu hurriedly called Caijin and Caiyin in, "Sister, don't be angry. I brought some change of clothes. Put mine on as my apology to you."

Young ladies and gentlemen from wealthy families usually bring a change of clothes with them when they go out, just in case, but the Song family doesn't have that kind of extravagance.

Song Wenyue's expression softened a little when she heard Song Yaozhu say she would give her clothes to her.

She chose a pink top with a hibiscus pattern, paired with a light purple brocade skirt with a subtle butterfly and floral pattern. This outfit perfectly showcased her delicate and youthful charm.

“My sister looks beautiful in this outfit, but the hairstyle doesn’t match the clothes. Caijin, please style her hair into a nice updo, and don’t use a plain hairpin.”

Caijin had no idea what her princess was up to, but she obediently restyled Song Wenyue's hair and put several of Song Yaozhu's hairpins into her head.

Suddenly, Song Wenyue, who had just been a delicate and beautiful girl, became vibrant and dazzling. She had always been known for her gentle and graceful demeanor and had never imagined that she was so suited to bright and glamorous outfits; she looked absolutely gorgeous.

"Thank you so much, sister." It seems that getting along well with Song San has its advantages.

Song Yaozhu smiled as she put the veil on her face, saying, "Didn't you say you'd be performing later? Hurry up and go down, I'll be right there. I want to see how you'll show off your skills."

Song Wenyue left happily, and Song Yaozhu slowly began to tidy herself up.

The poetry competition downstairs had ended, and the host was announcing the next activity—the time for the talented women to showcase their skills. Song Wenyue's talent today was playing the piano, and her appearance on stage immediately drew gasps from the assembled men.

As soon as the music began, everyone was completely absorbed in it.

"I wonder which young lady is playing the zither so beautifully; it truly makes one yearn for her."

"Although we can't see her face, judging from her ethereal beauty, she must be a celestial being descended to earth!"

The crowd was buzzing with discussion, but Xie Liwei's eyes remained deep and somber.

The moment Song Si stepped onto the stage, he vaguely thought he saw his elder sister. Just looking at her back, she looked remarkably like his elder sister.

Looking up at Yuwen Wuji upstairs, he sneered inwardly. Was the Song family planning to rely on a single trick to dominate the world?

They have quite the ambition!

"Your Highness, I went to inquire and found out that Miss Song knocked over a teacup in the Princess's room, which is why the Princess lent her her own clothes."

Xie Liwei frowned, seemingly lost in thought.

Meanwhile, Yuwen Wuji, sitting in a private room on the second floor, watched Song Wenyue playing the zither on the stage, his heart filled with turbulent emotions.

She looks just like Wanqing!

"This is Song Si?"

Li Wei immediately nodded, "Your Majesty, that is indeed the fourth young lady of the Song family."

"Tell the Imperial Concubine that I am very satisfied with Song Si, and let her make the arrangements."

Li Wei quickly agreed, turning his back to the Emperor to wipe the cold sweat from his brow. Thank goodness, dealing with Song Si was much easier than stealing a minister's wife!

Xie Liwei was not interested in the following activities, so after Yuwen Wuji left, he also went down from the stage to find Song Yaozhu.

Song Yaozhu was still lying on the chaise lounge in the side room, having only changed into a light outfit and simply tied her hair up without much decoration. Her loose eyebrows made her look like a lazy cat, noble and proud.

But these two words shouldn't be associated with Song Yaozhu, a woman who grew up in the countryside.

"Did you do Song Wenyue's outfit today?"

"My sister's dress got dirty, so I just lent her some clothes."

Meeting Xie Liwei's discerning gaze, she remained calm and composed. She stubbornly refused to admit anything; what could he do to her?

Xie Liwei did not press her for details, but instead walked to the table, picked up a gold hairpin, and held it up in front of her.

Song Yaozhu looked up at him and saw that he had put down the gold hairpin and replaced it with a jade hairpin, which he then held up in front of her. Finally, he inserted the jade hairpin into her hair.

Xie Liwei's actions were a bit rough, and Song Yaozhu couldn't help but wince in pain.

"You should dress up less in the future. You look most like her when you're not dressed up."