As Ren Shimin's daughter, Ren Yaoqi, having spent years immersed in art appreciation under Pei Zhiyan, naturally possessed a vision unmatched by the average person. Setting aside all the trappings, she offered a detailed critique of Miss Li's paintings. A connoisseur's eye for quality is a testament to her skill. Anyone familiar with painting and appreciation could discern from Ren Yaoqi's comments on Miss Li's paintings that she possessed considerable talent. Even the several older ladies, deeply knowledgeable in painting, who sat with Madam Xu, genuinely admired this "Mr. Ren."
Those who had been waiting to see Ren Yaoqi's joke were now silent. No wonder the Yanbei Palace dared to employ the young Ren Yaoqi as a teacher. If all the ladies attending the banquet today were from Yanbei, Ren Yaoqi's outstanding performance might have led to speculation that the Yanbei Palace was deliberately trying to drum up momentum for her marriage. However, those who specifically requested "Mr. Ren"'s instruction today were all sent by the Queen Mother to undermine the Yanbei Palace. No one would doubt that Ren Yaoqi had "communicated" with these people beforehand; she was a real talent.
Miss Tan, the seventh, and Miss Zhuang, the eighth, appeared together. Miss Tan excelled at reciting poetry and writing couplets, while Miss Zhuang excelled at composing music and singing. Miss Tan asked the gentlemen to present a topic, and then she composed a poem on the spot, while Miss Zhuang arranged the music and sang along. Miss Tan's wit was sharp, while Miss Zhuang's voice was soft, bright, and clear; this pairing was a perfect match, a refreshing sight.
Ren Yaoqi wasn't particularly adept at reciting poetry or writing couplets, but she'd studied and learned everything she'd learned from Master Pei, and she could still imitate him, using a few sophisticated-sounding phrases to comment on poems and songs. Coupled with her previous excellent performance, and her expression remaining calm and confident throughout, she gave off the illusion of omnipotence. So, after she finished her comments, no one noticed anything wrong. Fortunately, she was only asked to comment, not to compose a poem to compete with Miss Tan.
After the first eight ladies had finished their performance, only Yan Ningshuang and Zhao Yingqiu were left.
Everyone was captivated by the battle between these Kyoto beauties and Ren Yaoqi. The ladies from Yanbei who had come to attend the banquet were reduced to mere decorations, hurriedly leaving the stage after a formality. Everyone knew that the grand finale would be held at the end, so when it came to the turn of these two ladies, everyone present perked up and watched the battle.
Yan Ningshuang and Zhao Yingqiu looked at each other, and finally Zhao Yingqiu stood up and fought first.
At this moment, someone came up and whispered something in the princess's ear. The princess seemed a little surprised. She thought for a moment, nodded, and then smiled at everyone, saying, "The officials sent by the court have arrived. Although men are not usually present at our Yanbei Thousand Gold Banquet, these officials are all highly talented and respected elders. They represent the court and the Queen Mother, so there is nothing wrong with their attendance."
Since the princess said this, naturally no one dared to object.
The three adults were quickly led over. Except for Pei Zhiyan who was walking behind, the other two adults were a little embarrassed.
The maids sent by the Queen Mother were anxious to see these young ladies being defeated by Ren Yaoqi one by one. They insisted on inviting a few adults to take charge, fearing that the Yanbei Palace would secretly bully them. However, the adults felt a little uncomfortable among the women.
The princess ordered the three adults to be arranged on the east side of the platform, facing Madam Xu and the others.
After everyone was seated again, Zhao Yingqiu stepped forward, bowed, and said softly, "I'm a young woman of limited talent and knowledge, and I don't have any special talents. After thinking it over, I think my chess skills are just a bit impressive." Her gaze swept across the faces of the people on the stage, finally stopping on Ren Yaoqi's. With a hint of apology in her eyes, she said, "I wonder if Mr. Ren could play a game with me?"
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