The young ladies from the noble families present were a little afraid of her, and her reputation as a talented woman was known throughout the capital.
"...Your sister Yining's calligraphy is excellent." Old Madam Wei sat everyone down and said to Xie Yun, "You can compete with each other when you have time."
Xie Yun felt that Yining was young and had been raised outside, so her foundation was shallow and she naturally couldn't compare to her. She asked, "Who did Yining learn calligraphy from? I learned calligraphy from my grandfather."
The thought of calling that proud little girl "sister" still felt a bit strange to Yi Ning. She was actually not very talented in this area, and her current writing prowess was entirely due to hard work. A comparison revealed her true colors; she knew herself. Xie Yun, on the other hand, had been renowned for her intelligence since childhood; even the late Emperor had praised the second daughter of the Xie family.
Yi Ning just smiled and said, "It's just a little doodle I did in my spare time. Sister Xie Yun is well-known in the capital, so I'm afraid I can't compare with her."
Xie Yun had been accustomed to being praised since childhood, so she didn't take Yining's words seriously. She gracefully put down her teacup and continued, "Sister Yining must be being modest. I wonder if there are any other famous teachers in Baoding? I've heard of a few. Did you study with Xuezhai Jushi or with Cao Daxueshi?"
Xie Yun came from a prominent family, and the people he interacted with were all top figures. These two were indeed world-renowned, but they lived in seclusion in Baoding, rarely leaving their homes. Unless they were literary giants like Xie Yun's grandfather, Xie Daxueshi, no one could invite them.
No wonder others were defeated by this Second Miss Xie. Such insight and vision were not something an ordinary young lady could possess.
Just as Yi Ning was about to speak, she heard a faint voice outside the door: "She is my disciple."
When Yi Ning heard the voice and looked up, she saw a tall figure walking in with his hands behind his back. Xie Yun, who was standing opposite her, seemed a little surprised. He stood up and looked at him and said, "It's you... Luo Shenyuan!"
Yining didn't know that Xie Yun and Luo Shenyuan knew each other.
Luo Shenyuan walked up to Yi Ning and said, "I am not a famous teacher and cannot be compared with Master Xie. Miss Xie, please don't embarrass me."
Seeing his calm expression, Xie Yun pursed her lips and smiled. "The last time I saw you, I wanted to exchange poems with you, but you refused. Now you're actually talking to me?" She glanced at Yining. "Yining is your sister? Then I must compete with her. At least to see how well you, the newly crowned top scholar, are teaching."
Luo Shenyuan frowned and said, "Xie Yun!"
Yi Ning thought that Third Brother might not only know this Second Miss Xie, but also be somewhat familiar with her. Otherwise, Third Brother, such a polite person, would not call her by her name when he was angry.
"Even my grandfather praised Third Master Luo's calligraphy." Xie Yun looked at Luo Shenyuan without moving his eyes away. "I'm sure the disciples he taught will be good too."
Yining finally understood. This Second Miss Xie... actually had such feelings for her Third Brother?
But she... is clearly Cheng Lang's wife!
Yi Ning suddenly remembered that Cheng Lang hadn't been very kind to his future wife. He'd taken three concubines, and when Xie Yun gave birth, he'd even been playing chess with Lu Jiaxue at the Ningyuan Marquis' residence. He'd heard they had a boy, and he hadn't even raised his eyelids. Could this be the reason?
Yi Ning felt that these human relationships were truly complex. Many things she hadn't known in her past life seemed to slowly become apparent, as if an unknown thread was connecting them all. She gradually began to see more clearly the things she hadn't understood in her past life. But she also found them somewhat ridiculous.
Luo Shenyuan was well aware of Yining's abilities. He could let this girl bluff, but how could she compare to the truly accomplished Xie Yun? After a moment's pause, Luo Shenyuan calmed down and said calmly, "My little sister is still young, and her writing skills aren't strong enough." He asked for a brush and ink. "If Second Miss Xie really wants to compete, I'll take her place."
Xie Yun refused to admit defeat. He stepped forward and said with a smile, "The new number one scholar, are you bullying me? The number one scholar is now famous all over the world, so it's not fair for him to win against me."
Luo Shenyuan raised his head, looked at her and said, "Second Miss Xie is also famous all over the world. Compared with my little sister who is not even fourteen, isn't it easy for her to succeed?"
Xie Yun blushed upon hearing this. Seeing Luo Shenyuan standing straight in front of her, she spoke again for some reason, "It's okay for Third Young Master Luo to protect my sister. I'm not the kind of person who would bully others. As long as Third Young Master can answer the riddle I gave you last time, that's fine. I still won't make things difficult for Sister Yining."
It turns out there really is some past.
Yi Ning could easily guess that Xie Yun always respected talented people the most. She had high expectations, but if you had even a little bit of talent, she would look up to you with extra esteem.
Luo Shenyuan said, "Second Miss Xie, I already told you last time when you asked me that my training is in writing essays and eight-part parallel prose. It's really not fair to compare myself to you."
No matter how talented and famous a young lady is, she is not really trying to take the imperial examination to become an official, so how can she compare with a real Jinshi?
After hearing this, Xie Yun bit her lip and was speechless to refute him for a moment.
Since it was her fault, Yining would not ignore it.
"I can compete with Sister Xie Yun, but not in calligraphy or painting. Otherwise, if others hear it, they'll say Sister Xie Yun bullied me. Even if I win, there's nothing to say." Yi Ning stepped forward and said to Xie Yun, "Does Sister Xie Yun play the pipa?"
Yining can play the pipa, and she plays it quite well.
It wasn't surprising, wasn't it? Yi Ning's mother in her previous life could play the pipa. Although she was no longer around, her wet nurse taught her. It was strange, but she always struggled with other instruments, but this one was a breeze to learn. It was simply because her grandmother didn't like musical instruments that she didn't play much. She remembered Xie Yun also learning the pipa from a young age.
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