Chapter 12 Composing Poetry

Xie Wuyou held the cool jade bracelet and kowtowed repeatedly: "Thank you for your gift, Your Highness! Your Highness is blessed with boundless good fortune!"

She could almost see Xie Sangning utterly humiliated amidst the jeers of the room, and she was overjoyed.

Pei Mingyue stopped looking at her, cleared her throat, and said, "I have always heard that the women of the borderlands are open-minded and unconcerned with trivial matters. Today is a fine day with beautiful scenery and a gathering of famous flowers. If we only admire the flowers and drink tea, it would be rather monotonous. How about... Miss Xie compose a poem on the theme of flowers to add to the enjoyment?"

Her gaze was sharp and fixed on Xie Sangning, her tone tinged with disdain: "Miss Xie has come from afar, surely you wish to add splendor to today's banquet? I am quite curious, perhaps the wind and snow of the Western Cold can nurture a different kind of poetic sentiment?"

Everyone took a deep breath. Here it comes again, the second princess is up to her old tricks again!

I don't know if I'll be able to bring a living heart home today.

If you're looking for trouble, then you're looking for trouble. You have to come up with some unreasonable reason, which is nothing more than the assumption that Xie Sangning must be illiterate after returning from Xihan.

However, Xie Sangning merely raised her eyes slightly, meeting the Second Princess's malicious gaze.

She still wore a calm smile.

"Your Highness's hospitality is too kind for me to refuse. Although the wind and snow in the west are fierce, they also temper the heart. Since this is a flower appreciation banquet, I will offer my humble work on the theme of plum blossoms."

She paused slightly, then slowly recited:

......

The Jade Terrace is divided into pure white realms, and the cold blossoms overshadow all other flowers.

Her jade-like bones are encased in icy silk, and her rosy makeup is tempered by the north wind.

My bones are charred but my face remains unbroken by the east wind; why should I fear the judgments of the world?

If I attain true beauty in the future, I will burn down the jade hall and fill it with the old fragrance!

......

The moment the poem was recited, everyone present was astonished!

"Though my bones are charred, my face remains unbroken by the east wind; why should I fear the judgments of the world?" This couplet is truly astounding!

This perfectly showcases Xie Sangning's pride and fearlessness!

This is hardly a poem about flowers.

Clearly, she was using the flowers as a metaphor for herself, declaring war on the rumors and gossip throughout Jinling City! It was also a response to the Second Princess's earlier accusations against her! She had her own principles, and had nothing to fear from your opinions!

The last two lines, "If I can find true beauty in the future, I will burn down the jade hall and fill it with old fragrance!" are filled with a resolute determination and boundless hatred, as if everything would be destroyed together.

Whom is being hated?

Inside the warm chamber, there was an eerie silence; you could hear a pin drop.

Pei Mingyue's hand holding the teacup suddenly trembled, and the scalding tea spilled out, soaking her sleeves, but she was completely unaware!

Her face drained of all color in an instant! Her pupils contracted sharply as she stared intently at Xie Sangning!

That snowy night ten years ago! Xie Sangyu, who was forcibly abducted! Those despicable intentions!

Ten years ago I was fine, but things are different now!

Xie Zhenting is no longer the lowly fifth-rank general he once was, but the pillar of the entire Daqing!

If this matter is brought up again now, even Father Emperor won't be able to protect himself!

These seemingly flower-themed verses sent a chill down Pei Mingyue's spine!

Xie Sangning...she knows! She remembers everything!

She did it on purpose today!

Not only did she know, but she also dared to publicly express her hatred in such a vicious way in front of everyone!

If this gets to Father Emperor's ears...

This is not a poem! This is a declaration of war!!

It took Pei Mingyue quite a while to come to her senses.

“Good…good poem…” Pei Mingyue almost gritted her teeth as she squeezed out these words, her voice dry and hoarse.

Everyone could tell that the poem was aimed at the Second Princess, but the reason for such a deep grudge remained a mystery.

People who had recovered from their shock looked at each other, their eyes practically brimming with gossip.

Judging from that expression, are you talking about the princess?

What did the princess do to make the eldest daughter of the Xie family so angry?

But if it's the second princess, then that seems quite normal...

Upon hearing the poem, Xie Wuyou turned pale. He was wrong, completely wrong! He had been set up!

Today, she had inadvertently helped Xie Sangning, who had always wanted the princess to hate her! To remember her! To let everyone in Jinling know that she and the princess were enemies!

The method I came up with myself might offend the princess!

Xie Sangning isn't brainless! She's a devil!

Because of this incident, the banquet ended hastily after everyone finished their meal, and each family was eager to go back and gossip... no, analyze the thrilling experience of the day with their husbands and fathers!

Many women have become fans of Xie Sangning; he's so handsome!

She's the only woman who can offend the Second Princess and still make her lose face!

As expected, Xie Wuyou, who was in such a tragic situation, was left behind, and the princess truly held a grudge against her.

——

Inside the warm pavilion, the air was thick with tension, and the palace maids dared not utter a sound.

Pei Mingyue's gaze, sharp as a poisoned knife, suddenly swept towards Xie Wuyou in the corner!

It's all her fault! It was all that idiot's idea! She didn't even know the other person could write poetry, yet she dared to presumptuously offer suggestions!

If she can't touch Xie Sangning, surely she can't touch a second wife's daughter who's dependent on the General's Mansion?

"Thank you, Er."

Zhou Mingyue did not address the other party as Miss Xie the Second, but as Xie the Second.

This means that the princess believed she was not a daughter of an official, but just a commoner!

Upon hearing this address, Xie Sangning's face instantly turned pale: "This humble woman..."

"I felt something was off just now," the Second Princess said in a low but authoritative voice, "Are you perhaps using me as a tool to get revenge on Xie Sangning?"

"This humble woman dares not! Princess, you have been wronged!"

Pei Mingyue stepped forward and slapped Xie Wuyou across the face!

"You don't dare? I think you're quite bold! You dare to use me and make me a laughing stock!"

Xie Wuyou, who had just been slapped, immediately knelt down, trembling.

At this moment, Pei Mingyue was displeased with Xie Wuyou no matter what she looked at, and now she had noticed her clothes.

"Your outfit today is quite unique."

Xie Wuyou wore a newly made peach-colored jacket and skirt today, and several gold-inlaid jade hairpins in her hair.

She had dressed up carefully, but that couldn't stop Pei Mingyue from deliberately picking a fight with her.

"With such a frivolous air, how dare she dress up for my flower-viewing banquet? Anyone who didn't know better would think she was a girl who ran away from some brothel, not knowing the rules and offending the elegant plum blossoms in the garden!"

This metaphor is absolutely vicious!

Xie Wuyou's face drained of all color in an instant, turning deathly pale, and her body swayed precariously: "Your Highness...this humble woman..." she tried to explain, but was too frightened to utter a complete sentence.

"I noticed that Miss Xie was quite adept at coming up with ideas during the banquet just now?"

"This humble woman merely... spoke without thinking... she had no other intention! I beg Your Highness to understand! I beg Your Highness to forgive me!"

"Unrestrained speech?" The Second Princess sneered, slamming her teacup heavily on the table! "What an 'unrestrained speech'! I think you have ulterior motives and are doing this on purpose! What a fine upbringing! Your words are frivolous, you stir up trouble, your clothes are vulgar, and you have no manners whatsoever! You are truly a disgrace!"