Chen Weiwan chewed on a lychee and said vaguely: "With her little ink, she is worthy of comparing with me? She is simply overestimating herself."
"Oh, Miss," Chuntao said mysteriously, handing over a brocade box. "The Seventh Prince sent this." Chen Weiwan opened it and saw an exquisite sheep-hair brush inside. The penholder was engraved with the words "Miao Bi Sheng Hua" (Miao Bi Sheng Hua). There was also a note next to it, which read: "I heard that the Second Miss Chen wants to compete with you in poetry, so I sent you a brush. I hope you will produce another masterpiece. This prince is waiting to see you laugh."
Looking at the familiar handwriting on the note, Shen Weiwan smiled with her eyebrows curved. "This Seventh Prince is getting better at watching the fun." She picked up the pen, thought for a moment, and wrote on the rice paper: "It's hard to be a talented woman. Plagiarism will be exposed. I prefer doggerel. It's easy to say and makes money." After writing, she asked Chuntao to deliver the manuscript to the Seventh Prince's residence, adding a sentence: "Just say that I said that in the next competition, let Miss Shen learn to write poetry first!"
Not long after, Chun Tao returned with a mysterious smile on her face. She imitated Xiao Yu's tone and said, "The Seventh Prince asked me to bring you a message. He said, 'Miss Chen, if you're bored, how about I accompany you to the street to watch the jokes of Second Miss Chen's "talented woman"? By the way, I'll also buy you a string of candied haws.'"
Shen Weiwan couldn't help but burst out laughing: "Go back to the Seventh Prince and tell him that I agree, but I want two strings of candied haws, and I want them stuffed with walnuts!"
The next day, news of Shen Ruorou's plagiarism spread throughout the capital. People coined a new rhyme: "Shen Dacai is a true woman, her true nature is evident in her doggerel. Second Miss Shen is a hypocrite, plagiarizing and even getting caught."
Inside the Liu residence, Shen Ruoruo slammed the dressing table against the mirror, sending her jadeite headpiece scattering to the floor with a resounding clang. Liu gritted her teeth and said, "My son, don't be angry! Mother has already asked your uncle to bribe the governor of Shuntian Prefecture. Let's see how long Shen Weiwan can remain complacent!"
On Suzaku Street, Shen Weiwan was dangling the candied haws that the Seventh Prince had bought, watching him clumsily pick out the walnut filling for her. The sunlight shone on the corners of Xiao Yu's smiling eyes, forming a warm halo. Shen Weiwan suddenly felt that on these days of being envied by others, having him by her side was even sweeter than honey.
At a street corner bookstall, someone loudly hawked the newly published "A Sequel to the Collection of Sand Sculpture Poems," which included Shen Weiwan's latest work: "Plagiarism fails, only to bring shame upon oneself; a talented woman is but a paper kite. Why not learn doggerel from me and watch the clowns roll in the mire with laughter?"
Hiding behind the curtains of the sedan chair, Shen Ruorou happened to hear the bookseller's cries. She trembled with anger, her nails digging deep into her palms, leaving crescent-shaped bloody marks. Unbeknownst to her, an even greater joke was yet to come—a servant from the Seventh Prince's residence was hurriedly marching towards the palace, carrying Shen Weiwan's new collection of poetry. It was said that even the Emperor had heard of this "poetry mudslide"'s new tales and wanted to experience them for himself.
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