The others, seeing that they hadn't been chosen, all pouted in dissatisfaction.
But it's too late to say anything now. The Marquis of Bei has already taken the people away, and all they can do is make sarcastic remarks.
"Hmph, I sang the best, so why didn't Father choose me!"
"Who says otherwise? They're just a little prettier, but we're just as good-looking."
"Honestly, we're clearly better than those two, but they didn't choose us!"
"Alright, do you think this is a good job? I've heard that the king is tyrannical and beheads people at the slightest disagreement. Several batches of officials have already died."
"Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger; one may well become rich or lose their life in the future."
"That's true. Who knows when they might anger His Majesty? But that's none of my business."
"Yes, let's call it a day, let's call it a day."
With a few words, Yin Jiuli easily appeased her sisters. After they left, she lagged far behind and, when no one was looking, walked away alone.
She prided herself on being as intelligent as any man, and she was determined to succeed in this trip to the capital. She believed that her father, the Marquis, also needed a clever person to help those two devise strategies.
Thinking of this, she quickened her pace and walked in the direction where the Marquis of Bei had left.
Sure enough, she caught up with the Marquis of Bei and his two sisters after only a few steps. She was overjoyed and called out to them.
"Father, your daughter greets you!"
"Oh, Xiao Jiu, what brings you here? Why didn't you go back to your palace to rest?"
Although the Marquis of Bei was somewhat surprised, he still valued this daughter highly, so his expression softened and he asked her with some concern.
"But I have some matters to discuss with my father, so perhaps we should wait a while."
"Father, I will accompany my sisters to the palace this time, even if it is as a maid."
Yin Jiuli did not give the Marquis of Bei a chance to get rid of her. She had to go now, otherwise, if the Marquis of Bei handed over everything to them, she would be useless.
"Oh, come with me."
At first, the Marquis of Bei was indeed puzzled, but after thinking about it, he knew what Xiao Jiu wanted to do. Indeed, she was smart enough, and with her around, he could rest assured.
Meanwhile, Yin Liuli and Yin Shiniang, who were following him, looked disdainful. This guy was shameless, and they didn't need someone to compete with them for favor.
However, they dared not refute the Marquis of the North in public, and could only grit their teeth in secret.
The die was cast, and the days that followed passed quickly. The Marquis of Bei summoned the best musicians and dancers from the royal court and had them practice every day.
Aside from wanting them to be favored, there were no other instructions. The Marquis of Bei valued the Ninth Princess highly and told her everything, which really made people resentful.
"Don't be angry. Father only asked me to assist you. I won't compete with you for anything. Besides, even if I were to compete, I wouldn't be able to win."
Yin Jiuli smiled modestly. She knew her father's plan: whoever was chosen as queen would be given a secret medicine as soon as they gave birth to a child.
Let them go to the underworld with the tyrant. Luckily, I'm smart. They probably don't know that their lives are now in my own hands.
She can say a few nice words now; it won't cost her anything. She'll deal with them later.
As Yin Jiuli thought this, her smile grew even brighter.
"Tch, what are you looking at? I want to drink Eight Treasures Soup, and I want you to make it yourself."
Yin Liuli has always been someone who is not to be trifled with in front of her sisters. Now that Yin Jiuli has upset her, she can't help but want to teach him a lesson.
However, Yin Jiuli showed no particular resistance, obediently bowed, and walked away.
"Oh, is this still our gentle and kind Sixth Sister? She's finally showing her true colors. I knew you couldn't keep up the act for long!"
Yin Shiniang wasn't trying to speak well of Yin Jiuli, but rather she knew that she and Yin Jiuli were rivals, so wasn't it only right to strike at the enemy?
"Stop talking nonsense, just say you're jealous."
"you!"
Yin Liuli was furious, but she couldn't do anything about it. She could only snort coldly and angrily run off to continue practicing her dance.
The two women disliked each other, especially since their father said that the king would only have one queen in the future. They didn't want to be outdone or inferior to others in the future, so they could only work even harder.
Yin Shiniang also hurriedly ran to practice dancing. She wanted to be better than Yin Liuli, because she was the future queen.
...
And so, the three-month period arrived, and the young women trained in various regions arrived in the capital one after another, riding in their own carriages.
The entire capital city, which had been desolate in the past, suddenly became lively, and the people showed off their best skills, with all kinds of snacks and delicacies filling the alleys.
Several young women from the northern vassal states also came out, wanting to experience the local customs and culture of the capital. They stopped at a stall that looked decent and picked out hairpins.
"Oh my, you ladies are all so beautiful! You make even my humble stall seem more elegant. May I ask where you come from?"
"Haha, hmm, you're not bad at talking. We're from the northern desert."
Yin Shiniang chuckled. She was wearing gold hairpins and jade rings in her hair. She had only come here to relieve her boredom, but she didn't expect this stall owner to be so eloquent.
"We'll take care of all of this, Xiao Jiu, check please."
"yes."
Yin Jiuli remained expressionless, dressed as a servant, and deftly rummaged through his bags for silver.
In the past three months, she had been tormented by her best friends, and Yin Jiuli was already itching to get back at them, but she had no choice but to endure it.
She now hopes that they can quickly enter the palace and compete for supremacy. Once they are in the palace and meet the tyrant, she will see if they are still arrogant.
"So this is the Northern Desert. The vassal states of the Northern Desert are quite wealthy. I didn't expect the young ladies raised here to be so beautiful. Are all the girls here for a talent show?"
The stall owner was an elderly man who was quite skilled and could carve hairpins, making a living with this craft.
Now that all the stock I've accumulated over the past few days has been sold out at once, I'm so happy I can't stop smiling, and I keep saying nice things.
"Exactly! Hey, let me ask you, you've seen so many people these past few days, have you seen anyone more beautiful than us?"
Yin Shiniang's eyes darted around, and she asked with a charming smile.
They had only been here a short time and didn't know the situation yet. Knowing your enemy and yourself is the key to victory.
"You've come to the right person. A few days ago, there were indeed a few pretty young ladies, but compared to you, they're nothing."
The stall owner wasn't lying; Yin Shiniang was indeed exceptionally beautiful, and the other girl also possessed an ethereal charm. They were truly the most beautiful women he had ever seen.
"Hahahaha, you really know how to talk, here's a reward."
"Thank you, young lady! Thank you, young lady!"
Having received a satisfactory answer, and ignoring the stall owners behind them, Yin Shiniang and Yin Liuli exchanged a glance, both seeing the relief in each other's eyes.
They knew there was probably no one more beautiful than them this time, and they were determined to win the talent show, so they smiled at each other and left with peace of mind.
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