Wang Xuan's face darkened as he turned and glared at him: "Get this done today, no matter what! Whoever comes! Even if it's the Emperor himself, Zhao Xile won't be able to leave here peacefully today!"
“This…” Li Mi hesitated, “Cousin, don’t worry.”
Wang Xuan's gaze returned to Zhao Xile on the stage.
Zhao Xile had a faint smile on her face. Among all the women present, she was the youngest, still quite a child. However, she showed no fear whatsoever, and her demeanor was quite composed and dignified, not at all inferior to those daughters of officials.
Jiang Bai felt both gratified and happy, and even the referee had a very good first impression of Zhao Xile.
"Let's begin," said He Yu, the speaker.
He Yu had never spoken since he sat down in the referee's seat, but this was the first time he had spoken, which drew sidelong glances from his colleagues.
Zhao Xile politely bowed to everyone, then lifted her skirt and sat down on a chair, straightening her back and placing her round, delicate hands on the strings of the zither.
The sound of the zither spread out in waves like flowing water; it was a melody never heard before in the Great Chu Dynasty.
The melodies are sometimes cheerful, sometimes solemn, and like a gentle stream, each tune resonates directly in the hearts of the listeners, making them empathize and become captivated.
When the song ended, no one was able to snap out of their reverie.
As applause slowly rose, it suddenly erupted in cheers from the crowd.
He Yu also applauded Zhao Xile: "This is the first time I've heard this piece."
"Indeed, this is unprecedented. I never expected it to come from the hand of a five-year-old child." He Yu was a great talent of the court, and these words from him were high praise.
Zhao Xile stood up and bowed to him: "Uncle, I didn't make this up myself, my mother taught me to do it."
The crowd gasped, their gazes shifting from Zhao Xile to Xiang Jiangbai.
Jiang Bai smiled but didn't say anything, remaining quite calm on the surface.
But I felt a little embarrassed; why did this kid always tell the truth?
"Madam, may I ask your name?" He Yu stood up and asked Jiang Bai.
He had inquired about Sheng Bai's affairs at Jiang Bai's shop a few days before he met Jiang Bai.
"My name is Jiang Bai, and this piece was just something I made up when I was bored." Jiang Bai didn't want to show off, but she knew that this piece had already won.
He Yu nodded: "With such talent as Madam, it's no wonder that Xile is so outstanding at such a young age. It turns out that she has been raised with excellent family education."
Lei Yun didn't seem surprised at all. He picked up his teacup, took a sip of wine to moisten his throat, and felt even more admiration for Zhao Xile.
He Yu sat back down, and after several discussions, the referees finally decided on the top three winners of the first game.
The first place winner was Zhao Xile.
Zhao Xile was not only the only female merchant to enter the top three, but also the youngest and the first contestant to get a perfect score.
Even if Zhao Xile doesn't win the championship today, her performance in the first round will make her reputation in the capital grow.
Jiang Bai was quite satisfied. She and Zhao Yi smiled at each other. When Zhao Xile returned, she pulled Zhao Xile aside with great joy and said, "Our Le'er is so wonderful."
"Mother's tune is still the best, otherwise Le'er wouldn't have won first place."
"Since Mother can't play the piano, Le'er truly deserves first place!"
Zhao Xile won first place, which aroused the envy and jealousy of many people. Now, the officials are whispering about the Zhao family.
I wonder what this family's background is, since they were able to get involved with Lei Yun and their daughter is so capable.
This merchant is truly remarkable.
As a result, many people secretly began to investigate the Zhao family's identity.
Zhao Yi pulled Zhao Xile to sit down next to him: "Le'er, as your fame grows, are you afraid?"
"The greater the reputation a person has, the heavier the burden he has to bear."
Upon hearing this, Lei Yun turned and glanced at Zhao Yi, and he had a somewhat different opinion of Zhao Yi.
Zhao Yi is a man with a secret.
This was Lei Yun's intuition.
Zhao Xile couldn't fully understand Lei Yun's words at first. After thinking about it carefully, she finally understood and nodded solemnly: "Father, don't worry, Le'er won't be afraid. Today, Le'er will participate in this competition and will definitely do her best. This is the best way to give myself a proper answer."
Zhao Yi's eyes were full of admiration: "Good boy!"
Li Mi and Wang Xuan stared at this scene, Wang Xuan already growing impatient: "Aren't you going to make a move?!"
Li Mi looked somewhat troubled: "Cousin, in the next match, Zhao Xile will definitely not be in the limelight anymore. The current Princess Anping is one of the top chess players. Does she still have any territory left?"
“Also, there’s a break in the middle of the third match, that’s the best time for us to make our move.” Li Mi’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Wang Xuan tapped his fingers rhythmically on the edge of the table: "Anyway, I'm leaving this matter to you. If it's done well, you'll be well rewarded, and my father will also try to get you an official position in the court."
"Cousin, what are you saying? If you need my help, I will certainly do my best to help."
There was no break between the first and second matches. Zhao Xile was the first to go on stage this time, and her opponent was Princess Anping.
As soon as the two stepped onto the stage, some people couldn't help but laugh.
"Zhao Xile is really unlucky. Could it be that he used up all his luck in the last game and ended up playing chess with Princess Anping?"
"Yes, who doesn't know that among all the female chess players in the world today, no one can beat Princess Anping?"
These words reached the ears of Jiang Bai and Zhao Yi, and Zhao Xile naturally heard them as well.
Jiang Bai patted Zhao Xile's hand: "Le'er, don't worry, it's alright. Just consider it as learning from a senior."
Zhao Xile smiled and said, "Le'er understands. Of course, Le'er likes playing chess with pretty older sisters."
On the field, Princess Anping and Zhao Xile sat facing each other. Anping raised her head slightly, glanced at Zhao Xile, and a smile appeared on her lips.
This doll is so cute!
“You’re so cute and young, I’ll give you a two-way handicap,” Anping joked.
Zhao Xile looked at Anping with her round eyes: "Sister is pretty too, but this is a competition, wouldn't it be a bit inappropriate to let her win?"
"It's nothing, you can go now." Anping smiled.
Jiang Bai breathed a sigh of relief. This Princess Anping was not a narrow-minded person like those other women; she was quite interesting.
However, after half an incense stick had burned in the game, Anping's expression turned serious.
“Little one, it seems I shouldn’t underestimate you.” Anping became serious, and Zhao Xile found it increasingly difficult.
It took an hour for the game to finish, and everyone who watched was on tenterhooks.
Zhao Xile ultimately lost, but Anping gained a good opponent: "Your name is Zhao Xile?"
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