Old Madam Yun and Madam Yun were by her side. The old princess's face remained expressionless, showing no emotion. After taking the main seat, she waved her hand. The princess smiled and nodded to Old Madam Yun and Madam Yun. Madam Yun then helped Old Madam Yun to a side seat next to the main seat.
The main seat was originally occupied by the old princess, the princess, and the princess, each with a low table. The old princess asked Xiao Wei to sit next to her, and Wu Yiyu sat at the same table with Xiao Jinglin. The princess then asked Madam Yun to add seats for Madam Xiao Er and Xiao Jingyuan and her daughter.
A few low tables were placed off to either side of the main seat, and currently occupied by Old Lady Yun. Ren Yaoqi was just wondering who the remaining seats were for when Madam Xu and Ouyang arrived, along with several other ladies. After greeting the old princess and the princess, the ladies took their seats at the low tables next to Old Lady Yun. There were six people seated there in total, and Ren Yaoqi only recognized Madam Xu, Old Lady Yun, and Old Lady Su. The remaining three ladies were all around Madam Xu's age, and despite their appearance, they all possessed a very gentle and elegant demeanor.
The ladies who were originally standing all knelt down and saluted.
The princess nodded gently and said, "Please sit down." Then everyone sat down.
"Is everyone here? Let's start." The old princess raised her eyes and said calmly to the princess.
The princess responded and nodded at Madam Xu.
Although the Daughters' Banquet in previous years was organized by the Yun family, the task of examining the talents of the daughters was presided over by Madam Xu and Ouyang.
Ouyang stood up and said slowly, "I'm sure you all know the rules of today's competition, so I won't elaborate. The six arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting are considered the gentleman's arts. No matter what talent you consider your strengths, you may display them. Ultimately, we will select the ten best uncombed Jinshi, who will be the winners of this year's Qianjin Banquet. The sage said, 'A gentleman has nothing to contend with, except perhaps archery. They bow and yield, ascending and descending, and drinking. Their contention is that of a gentleman.' As long as you understand this principle, the result won't matter..."
Ouyang's voice wasn't loud, nor was it resonant and powerful, and even had a somewhat pathological lack of energy, but it had a unique charm that made people calm down and listen to her.
Ren Yaoqi sat down and looked at Ouyang. Although her complexion was still not very good, she was in good spirits. He wondered if the prescription would help her illness. Ren Yaoqi thought about finding a chance to visit her after the Qianjin Banquet.
Ouyang had finished her words and sat down, but Ren Yaoqi noticed that the ladies, who had been sitting so neatly, seemed to be getting a little restless, though their agitation was very restrained. Ren Yaoyu, who sat next to her, would occasionally stealthily glance across at the peach blossom grove.
Ren Yaoqi also looked up, only to find a crowd of people in the peach blossom grove. Glancing at the ladies, their shyness and eagerness, Ren Yaoqi understood. It must be the same as the last tea party at the Su family. Those young masters were gathering in the woods.
I heard that after just yesterday's exchanges, more than a dozen families had already expressed interest in marrying each other. These young men and women must have been very curious to know what their future betrotheds looked like. After all, the next time they met, it would likely be their wedding night. Since the two parties might not be from the same prefecture, it was impossible to tell if they could recognize each other clearly through the mist of a large peach forest.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com