Noble Imperial Consort Chang leaned over to investigate and then had to take out her handkerchief to cover her mouth.

  Everyone shared curious glances as Princess Shao Ning ran up the stairs to investigate, only to return holding her stomach as she shook with laughter.

  Ning Yi’s calm focus on his erotic drawings wavered as he finally looked over to his father. The Seventh Prince was walking back to his table and shot Ning Yi a glance before looking away, a look of stifled laughter on his face.

  Ning Yi stared at his brother but the Seventh Prince refused to speak, only casting looks at him here and there without stop. Finally, Ning Yi banged his cup down, spilling liquor in every direction.

  The Seventh Prince jolted and knew that his brother was no longer playing around, so he quickly leaned over to whisper in his ear.

  Ning Yi paled with anger.

  The gold cup in his hand slightly changed shape.

  Feng Zhiwei eyed the cup sympathetically, feeling that everything around Prince Chu was so pitiful.

  After laughing for a long while, the Tian Sheng Emperor eventually placed the paper on top of his side pile.

  Noble Imperial Consort Change covered her mouth again as Shao Ning doubled over once more; when the Seventh Prince whispered into his wife’s ear, she also had to search for something to cover her mouth, and after the curious Princes wandered over to look at the paper, they all returned and burst out in laughter.

  Ning Yi’s cup was already a thin plate of gold.

  He looked over and turned to Feng Zhiwei.

  Feng Zhiwei met his eyes with a perfect face of adorable ignorance, mastered under the guidance of Young Master Gu.

  Ning Yi paused for a moment, eyeing her suspiciously. The Tian Sheng Emperor took a moment to look over his choices one more time, his expression growing complicated before he smiled and announced: “Today’s topics are quite good. My Tian Sheng Dynasty’s noble young ladies have many talents.”


  Hua Gongmei smiled in pleasure, already smoothing out her dress and preparing to stand to receive her reward.

  “These three.” The Tian Sheng Emperor tied the respective scrolls with a Gold, Silver, and White silk ribbon before gesturing to a servant.

  Everyone straightened, their eyes burning with excitement.

  The servant opened the third place scroll and announced the winner’s name.

  “Ministry of Personnel’s daughter, Hua Gongmei.

  A stir swept through the crowd as Hua Gongmei’s face paled.

  How was she third!?

  Everyone was surprised by the outcome, and after the people recovered from their daze, joy and happiness filled the young ladies.

  People like Qiu Yuluo knew that they were not well read and could not make it into the top three placing, but watching a star like Hua Gongmei be shaken was pleasurable in and of itself. Qiu Yuluo looked over at Hua Gongmei’s devastated and worried face and could not resist asking her: “What now? Will my crazy sister win first place?”


  Hua Gongmei was no longer thinking about Feng Zhiwei — the Hu Zhuo Prince’s fiancée was not her competition, she had just been upset earlier that Feng Zhiwei had been showing off. At Qiu Yuluo’s words, she snapped back with a sneer: “Even if everyone else dies, it will still not be your older sister’s turn!”


  “Second Place,” the servant continued, “Qian Yuan Library, Grand Scholar Hu Shengshan’s Granddaughter, Hu Jingshui.”


  Hu Jingshui smiled gently, a hint of disappointment and surprise on her face.

  She had come prepared, having already consulted with experts, but someone still beat her?

  “First Place.” The servant called out, his voice filling the square. Everyone stared, holding their breath — the two stars of Dijing had only gotten second and third, who had surpassed them?

  All the young ladies looked around and everyone seemed like a possible candidate.

  But no one spared Feng Zhiwei a glance.

  Ning Yi had regained his natural calm and was pouring himself another cup of liquor, schadenfreude peeking out from the corner of his lips.

  Helian Zheng flipped the drumstick around waiting for everything to end. This first place would never be Feng Zhiwei — she would never try to become Ning Yi’s wife, her heart was too big for that.

  Feng Zhiwei was also cheerfully pouring out her own liquor — this no longer had anything to do with her. As long as her answer did not anger people to death, it would be fine.

  The eunuch’s high pitched voice called out, cutting through the silence.

  “Feng Zhiwei!”


  Gasps and exclamations.

  A bustling outcry.

  Countless guests shot up in surprise before realizing their lack of manners.

  The recovered guests sat back down, but two young ladies remained motionlessly standing. Qiu Yuluo and Hua Gongmei stood staring blankly into the distance as their panicked mothers hurriedly pulled them into their chairs.

  Ning Yi happily tossed back his liquor, coughing in his hurry, a faint flush filling his cheeks as his face grew bright like the moon. His beauty was elegant and ethereal like the floating clouds, and all the young ladies who had been ignored wanted to die.

  The drumstick fell from Helian Zheng’s hand and almost landed on his foot.

  Feng Zhiwei accidentally squished her cup into a plate.

  What? Her question? First Place?

  The Tian Sheng Emperor smiled as he explained: “Ignorance is a virtue for women. It is never a good sign in a nation when women interfere in politics; a topic may be good, but it may not be appropriate. Women only need to manage the thing’s in their sphere. Although teasing and worldly, this First Place topic is in fact novel and brave, and deeply entertaining.”


  When the Emperor spoke about women’s interference, Noble Imperial Consort Chang’s face paled, and she hurriedly added: “Yes, this Consort agrees, this First Place Scroll truly deserves the prize.

  These words only roused the people’s curiosity to higher heights. Everyone wanted to know how this insane woman from the Feng Family could earn such respect in the eyes of His Majesty and Her Highness. Such high praise clearly knocked aside the prestige of even the Hu Family and Hu Family’s round madams, not to mention the Consort’s unlisted niece.

  Feng Zhiwei was filled with such regret that she just wanted to hide and bang her head against a wall.

  She was wrong!

  In order to demonstrate their talents, all the young ladies had chosen subjects based on grand and important political events, causing the Tian Sheng Emperor unhappiness and dissatisfaction. In this atmosphere, her silly words had been lifted up by the Tian Sheng Emperor as a foil and warning to the Imperial Consorts and Concubines who meddled in politics.

  One false step would bring her a thousand years of grief!

  “The Young Ladies can now choose one of the topics.” The eunuch announced. Helian Zheng could only angrily beat the drum as if trying to smash it into pieces.

  “This young miss wishes to try the Third Place Scroll.” A pink clad woman stood and announced shyly. The Noble Imperial Consort’s niece was a steady figure without notable merit or demerit and accordingly asked for the easiest scroll.

  The servant unfolded Hua Gongmei’s question.

  “Based on the Three Vassal Rebellion in the 22nd year of the reign of Chang Xing, Da Cheng Dynasty, come up with a plan that will not harm the country.”


  Feng Zhiwei paused.

  Was this not just a rephrasing of how to quell a vassal? The Three Vassal Rebellion was a rebellion mounted by members of the past Emperor’s extended family. Why was Hua Gongmei’s topic identical to the one Ning Yi had proposed to Feng Zhiwei?