Chapter 19 Third Sister, you really are...so impressive!
Hearing the Grand Tutor praise her so highly, everyone looked at the woman in astonishment and began to whisper among themselves.
"Who is this person? How could he receive such praise from the Grand Tutor and Madam Wei?"
"I heard she is the eldest daughter of Prime Minister Su, named Su Qingci. She had been staying at her maternal grandparents' home in Jiangnan and had only returned to the capital less than two months ago."
"Prime Minister Su? Su Qinglin usually acts so arrogantly in the capital. I thought she was the eldest daughter of the legitimate wife."
"Su Qinglin is only the second young lady of the Su family. I heard that her mother is a second wife. In terms of status, she is not as good as this Su Qingci who has just returned."
"I see... no wonder your temperament is so different."
Su Qingci stood there, listening to the surrounding discussions, with a faint smile on her face, neither smug nor uneasy.
She bowed slightly to Madam Wei and Liu Jinzhang, her voice still gentle, "Thank you for your praise, Madam and Grand Tutor."
Cui Jiulang looked at Su Qingci with a hint of amazement in his eyes, and immediately clapped his hands and said, "In my opinion, Miss Su is both talented and beautiful, and should be the champion today!"
The poems had been presented once, and only Su Qingci received praise from the two great scholars present. Everyone agreed without objection and echoed the praise.
Cui Jiulang changed the subject, saying meaningfully, "Miss Su was born into a prestigious family and is exceptionally talented. Compared to those who can only recite a few lines about romance and dream of a bright future, she is far superior."
Upon hearing this, everyone understood the implied meaning, and their gazes darted back and forth between Du Cong and Su Qingci, creating a slightly awkward atmosphere.
Du Cong seemed not to understand and continued to drink his wine slowly and deliberately.
Su Qingci merely glanced at Cui Jiulang indifferently and did not respond.
Seeing that Du Cong did not respond, Cui Jiulang felt he had the upper hand and continued, "Does Du Tanhua think I'm right? You come from a humble background. Even if you have some talent, how easy is it to gain a foothold in the imperial court? Without the support of a powerful family or the help of a noble person, you will probably spend your whole life stuck in a low-ranking position. You have a lot of ambition, but where can you put it into practice?"
These words were extremely blatant, practically an insult directed at Du Cong.
Du Cong finally put down his wine cup, his face showing no anger whatsoever. Instead, he smiled slightly and said, "What Young Master Cui said may have some merit. But in my opinion, while birth is certainly important, can a noble family truly guarantee a life free of trouble?"
He paused, his gaze falling on Cui Jiulang, and said in a calm and unhurried tone, "Didn't Young Master Cui also fail the imperial examination and only obtain a minor official position through the patronage of his ancestors?"
These words struck like a thunderclap from a clear sky, exploding in everyone's ears.
Everyone present knew that Cui Jiulang only knew how to fight cocks and chase dogs, and was completely ignorant of learning. He failed the imperial examination twice in a row, and later obtained an eighth-rank official position through hereditary privilege.
Cui Jiulang's face turned bright red instantly, as if he had been slapped hard across the face, feeling both ashamed and angry.
As the imperial concubine's nephew, he was always surrounded by attendants whenever he went out. He had never been so humiliated in front of others.
He slammed his fist on the table and stood up abruptly, shouting, "You vile scoundrel, how dare you insult me like this!"
Du Cong said calmly, "I'm just stating the facts. How can that be considered an insult?"
Several scholars from humble backgrounds who had passed the imperial examinations quickly tugged at his sleeves, urging him to stop talking.
Although they passed the imperial examination, they had no family background, so how could they possibly oppose Consort Cui's nephew?
If I offend the Cui family today, my future will be ruined.
As Cui Jiulang's anger intensified, fueled by the alcohol, he shouted, "Such an arrogant and disrespectful person who dares to insult aristocratic families should not be allowed to remain at the banquet and pollute our eyes! Guards, drag this person away!"
He was the one who spoke rudely first, but now he's really getting serious. Although everyone felt it was inappropriate, no one dared to speak up.
After all, who would want to offend the powerful Cui family for the sake of a poor scholar who only achieved the third-highest rank in the imperial examinations?
Moreover, many children from prominent families genuinely felt that Du Cong's words were truly ungrateful.
Being allowed to enter the Hibiscus Garden is already an immense favor. How dare you publicly contradict the Imperial Concubine's own nephew? You've truly become a bookworm, not even understanding the basics of facial features.
Even the hostess of today's banquet, the Third Princess Li Yuanshu, simply sat at her seat and watched her cousin throw a tantrum, without making any move to stop him.
"Young Master Cui, please calm down." Madam Wei coughed lightly, her tone softening. "It was just a few words, why get so worked up?"
Du Cong straightened his back and faced the guards summoned by Cui Jiulang. His face showed no fear; he simply looked at them calmly.
"If Young Master Cui thinks I'm wrong, he's free to argue with me. Is resorting to knives and guns really the mark of a noble young master?"
These words enraged Cui Jiulang even more, and he raised his foot to kick him, but Su Qingci stopped him with a casual "Young Master Cui".
"Today is a flower-viewing banquet; resorting to violence would spoil the enjoyment of everyone present." Her voice remained gentle. "Besides, Scholar Du is speaking the truth; why should Young Master Cui take it so seriously?"
Cui Jiulang's feet froze in mid-air. Looking into Su Qingci's calm eyes, he was speechless for a moment.
He never expected that the person he was trying to please would speak up for an outsider.
Just then, a sweet voice suddenly rang out, "Sister, why are you taking this person's side? Could it be that you two knew each other before?"
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Su Qinglin stand up from the women's section.
She wore a yellow ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) and had a large peony in her hair, making her appear exceptionally bright and flamboyant compared to Su Qingci's simple elegance.
The crowd, who had initially been observing indifferently, became even more excited, their eyes darting back and forth between Su Qingci and Du Cong, their faces showing gossipy expressions.
In this world, what could be more intriguing than the private affairs between men and women?
Su Qingci looked at her younger sister and said without any politeness, "I have never met Scholar Du before. I was merely speaking up for justice today. Why did you stand up and speak for Cui Jiulang?"
Su Qinglin stammered, "I... I naturally also... spoke out for justice..."
She actually harbored feelings for Cui Jiulang.
He was handsome and dashing, and backed by the prestigious Cui family. How could he not make her heart flutter?
However, he kept this thought to himself and never spoke of it.
The Cui and Su families are currently secretly negotiating a marriage. She originally thought she could marry into the Cui family smoothly, but her father brought Su Qingci back, clearly to steal her marriage. How could she not be angry?
Seeing Cui Jiulang's favoritism towards Su Qingci today, she was consumed by jealousy and couldn't help but jump out to speak up, wanting to show Cui Jiulang who was the right woman to be his wife.
Su Qingci countered, "Since you are speaking out for justice, why don't you try to persuade people with reason, instead of steer the matter towards matters between men and women?"
Su Qinglin was speechless for a moment, her cheeks flushed red, and she looked at Li Yuanshu with a wronged expression, hoping that she would say something for her.
Now that the Imperial Concubine is gone, Li Yuanshu is the most honored person here, and everyone naturally has to listen to her.
Moreover, Cui Jiulang is her cousin, and Su Qinglin is her close friend, so she naturally sides with these two.
"Miss Su has a sharp tongue. It's just a small matter, but she has to be so aggressive, showing no regard for sisterly affection whatsoever."
Facing the Third Princess, Su Qingci naturally could not argue any further. "This humble woman just spoke inappropriately and lost her composure. Thank you for your lesson, Princess."
Su Qinglin, feigning righteousness, said, "Your Highness, please don't be angry. It's only right that my sister disciplines me. Besides, she's favored by Father, so how could I dare to argue with her..."
These words instantly ignited Li Yuanshu's anger, reminding her of her situation where she was constantly suppressed by Li Yuanzhao.
The frustration of having nowhere to vent has finally found an outlet.
Since she can't punish Li Yuanzhao, she still has the ability to punish this little prime minister's daughter.
"What I hate most is people like this who bully others by relying on their power! Guards, throw this Miss Su into Qujiang Pool to cool off her temper!"
The field fell into a deathly silence; everyone was stunned by the sudden order.
No one expected that a few words of argument between sisters would escalate to the point of throwing someone into the pool.
Du Cong stood up and blocked Su Qingci's way, saying, "Third Princess, this matter arose because of me. Please do not take your anger out on others."
Seeing that he dared to talk back, Li Yuanshu's anger intensified. "Throw him down too! What lowly creature is this, daring to speak before me?"
The Third Princess's attendant obeyed the order and went towards the two of them.
Pei Huaijin frowned, about to speak to dissuade him, when he suddenly heard a voice.
"Third sister, you really are...so impressive."
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