Chapter 340 Hidden Clues
Dou Wenyi smiled and said, "Ladies, you must put your hearts into the competition later. His Majesty and I have specially prepared a lot of prizes this year. Although they are not precious items, we guarantee that everyone will be happy."
The crowd grew increasingly expectant, thinking that what young women hoped for was nothing more than gold and silver jewelry, rouge and face powder. Could it be that this Empress Dou could really produce some priceless treasures?
The prize is secondary; the main thing is that if you can win first place and gain a good reputation, even if you don't become a concubine in the palace, it will still be very auspicious for marriage.
Dou Wenyi said a few more polite words praising Xu Yujiao, but the ladies of the court had different thoughts, and their gazes toward Xu and her daughter became subtle.
Madam Xu's old face began to falter, and she was utterly shocked. She never imagined that Empress Dou was so powerful; with just a few casual words, she had made them the target of everyone's ire.
Fortunately, Dou Wenyi soon turned her attention to Lin Zhiyi, the young lady of the household of the Imperial Censor Lin, keeping her by her side and offering her a seat. They chatted happily.
Seeing Lin Zhiyi's shy yet smiling demeanor and her composed demeanor, Xu Yujiao felt a surge of jealousy.
Could this be the person she has her eye on?
Madam Xu pulled her out, and immediately a familiar noblewoman greeted them warmly, "...Madam Xu, when did you enter the palace? To win the Empress's favor, Miss Xu is both beautiful and talented, and has a bright future!"
"With such a good thing happening, how could you not share it with me? What kind of test will be on you later?"
"Alas, it's nothing more than music, chess, calligraphy, and painting; we don't know anything about the specifics." Madam Xu's smile faltered.
"It seems Miss Xu is determined to win, and is confident of victory?" The lady's expression changed immediately when she couldn't get any information out of her.
Xu Yujiao was ignorant and fearless, and had long been used to being high above others and shining brightly. She couldn't stand this kind of humiliation.
She retorted directly, "If you want to know, why don't you just ask the Empress? Why come to me? The upcoming exam will test your true abilities. Those who try to cheat won't succeed so easily."
He was actually quite pleased with himself.
Everyone around fell silent.
"My daughter was impetuous, please forgive her, Madam!" Madam Xu hurriedly grabbed her arm and led her to a less crowded place.
The women in the palace are truly different; Yu Jiao is no match for them at all.
Madam Xu looked sad. "Don't you understand what she said yet? It's not scarcity that's worrisome, but inequality; it's not poverty that's worrisome, but insecurity. Regardless of whether we are treated well or not, these noblewomen will gossip endlessly."
Dou Wenyi publicly pointed out her private relationship with the Xu family and the two 'small gifts'—wasn't she just trying to make them the subject of gossip among the wealthy ladies?
Even if Xu Yujiao were truly favored by the Emperor, these noblewomen would only gossip, saying that she only got the chance to enter the palace by currying favor with the Empress.
If she fails to be selected, these people will only say even harsher things.
The Empress revealed all the questions to them; it was Xu Yujiao's own fault for being useless and hopeless.
After her reminder, Xu Yujiao finally realized that just a few days ago she had been mocking her for her low standards, saying that she was easily swayed by such a small gift.
"Mother, she's so hateful! Is she trying to break ties with us by disregarding the Xu family's reputation?"
Madam Xu gripped the fan tightly in her hand. She had underestimated her opponent and had been tricked by the Empress.
"Don't worry about all that. Just let them see your skills during the competition later!"
Meanwhile, Lin Zhiyi accompanied Dou Wenyi into the elegant pavilion of the painted boat. The two, who rarely met, began to have a private conversation.
Seeing that she was in much better spirits, Dou Wenyi was genuinely happy for her. "It's wonderful that you could come to the flower banquet."
Although this flower banquet was mainly for Pei Siyan to select a concubine, the noblewomen who came included both daughters and sons. In the Great Zhou Dynasty, when women got married, the first thing they had to do was to be approved by their mother-in-law before a betrothal would be made.
“My mother was afraid I would be too stifled. They said that my story had not been leaked at all, and I shouldn’t hide at home like a coward every day. I also wanted to see how people would react to me. As it stands, they really don’t seem to know about those things.”
Lin Zhiyi looked melancholy; she didn't know how long it would take to fully recover from that incident.
Dou Wenyi patted her hand and comforted her, "Take it slow. Time heals all wounds. You'll get through this."
"Wenyi, I know that if it weren't for you, I would probably have been disgraced long ago..." Her eyes were a little moist.
“My father has already submitted a memorial requesting to be transferred to a post outside the capital. Once I go to Fuzhou, perhaps I can completely forget about all those unpleasant things.”
As she spoke, Lin Zhiyi glanced around subconsciously and whispered, "The Emperor is choosing concubines, aren't you... upset? Do you need my help?"
Dou Wenyi gave a sly smile. "The Emperor is fine, don't worry. But it's really great that you can help me."
Lin Zhiyi knew that she was completely different from before. She was now a perfect woman, an empress that everyone envied, but what she hoped for most was that she could be happy.
Dou Wenyi whispered a few words to her.
Soon, the palace steward came to invite the Empress to take charge, saying that the competition was ready.
Dou Wenyi returned to her seat of honor, her warm gaze sweeping over each of the young ladies present, and spoke in a gentle voice.
"Since we are here to appreciate the flowers, we should naturally paint them."
Dou Wenyi's voice was clear and melodious, enough for everyone to hear, "His Majesty and I discussed and decided to break with tradition and set up three competitions. One is 'Observing Things and Depicting One's Feelings,' another is 'Smelling Fragrances and Composing Inspiration,' and the last one is..."
She paused slightly, then looked at the steward beside her with a smile.
Manager Chen understood and announced loudly, "The final round is 'Impromptu Q&A'."
The young ladies looked at each other in bewilderment. The first three items sounded elegant, but they were quite different from the usual arts and sciences, such as playing the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. The last item was even more puzzling.
The saying goes, "Observe things and reflect your own heart."
Dou Wenyi gestured for the palace servants to bring out several trays covered with brocade. "Each person can choose one item, draw freely within the space of an incense stick, and compose a poem to express their feelings. Answering on the spot will naturally lead to an audience with the Emperor."
When the brocade was lifted, the tray held not some rare treasures, but ordinary objects: a piece of withered branch, a pebble, a purse, and even a half-used ink stick.
The simple objects left the young ladies, who were eager to show off their skills, somewhat at a loss for where to begin.
Xu Yujiao secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She had chosen a purse embroidered with twin lotus flowers.
She was already quite skilled in painting, and since Dou Wenyi had mentioned that the Emperor liked lotus flowers, she specially copied many famous lotus paintings and even prepared several poems about lotus flowers.
Therefore, this question is not difficult for her.
She composed herself, picked up her brush, and began to paint...
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