Chapter Seventeen: The Emperor’s Threat

Yan Ziyu!

Hearing this, the Emperor’s eyes flashed with approval. He turned to Long Xiaoyan and said, "Your consort’s words are reasonable. Yan, let your Princess Consort exchange talents with the distinguished guests from the Chiyang Kingdom. What is your opinion?"

Long Xiaoyan’s expression remained unchanged, and he replied coldly, "This subject has no objection."

With his consent, the Emperor bypassed Yan Ziyu’s own opinion entirely and addressed Prince Xi directly, "In that case, let the distinguished guests from Chiyang propose the topic first. Does the Princess of Xiao have any objections?" He then cast a meaningful glance at Yan Ziyu.

"This subject possesses neither talent nor virtue; I fear I shall bring shame upon our Great Yun. If Your Majesty does not mind me making a fool of myself before the guests, then I naturally have no objections," Yan Ziyu’s clear, cold voice rang out, laced with sarcasm.

The Emperor frowned, a flicker of anger rising in his eyes, but he was interrupted before he could lash out.

"I have long heard that the Great Yun is a land of outstanding people, where all women are intelligent and beautiful. I, Yueji, have come with the audacity to request a challenge. My Prince always says that women are like flowers and should be cherished and loved; I have felt this deeply. Today, let us each take our own 'flower' as a topic and compose a poem. I ask those present to be the judges. Does the Princess agree?" Yueji’s voice carried a bewitching power that made it difficult to refuse.

After the Emperor dazedly agreed, he suddenly remembered that Yan Ziyu was notoriously incompetent and barely knew how to read, let alone compose poetry. At this thought, his expression turned incredibly grim.

However, in the center of the hall, Yan Ziyu remained unmoved by Yueji’s charms and posturing. She slowly stood up, walked to the center of the hall, and said calmly, "The host follows the guest. Lady Yueji is an honored guest, and as a Princess of Great Yun, how could I be petty? I shall agree to Lady Yueji’s proposal."

Yan Ziyu truly did not care. As a transmigrator, if she were stumped by a mere few poems, she would be unworthy of the great poets like Li Bai and Du Fu. She intended not only to win but to win brilliantly, enough to infuriate those who wished to see her humiliated.

Others, unaware of her true origin, took her demeanor as a sign that she was ready to concede. Long Xiaotian, on the throne, shared this thought. After a moment of contemplation, he immediately ordered someone to deliver a message to Yan Ziyu.

When the eunuch whispered the message in her ear, she was instantly incensed. Biting her lower lip, she lowered her head and took a deep breath, suppressing the fury in her heart. A few seconds later, she looked up, her expression having returned to calm.

Minutes later, the desks were set, and the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone were all prepared.

"Distinguished guest of Chiyang, please!"

With that, Yan Ziyu walked to the other desk. The moment she picked up the brush, a cold glint flashed in her eyes. The message the eunuch had delivered on behalf of Long Xiaotian echoed in her mind:

*—This round must be won, not lost! Otherwise, mother and son shall share the same coffin!—*

Long Xiaotian, you should never have used Ruier to threaten me. You will regret it—absolutely!

A dragon has a reverse scale; touch it, and it will surely rage, and in its rage, it shall destroy!

Ruier was Yan Ziyu’s reverse scale. She was currently a leopard that had not yet fully regained its fighting strength, but once provoked, the technology she commanded possessed the power to destroy the Great Yun Kingdom.

She scanned her surroundings with cold eyes, observing the mocking and scornful smiles of those present. Her heart was as still as stagnant water. If they wanted her life, these petty tricks were not enough. If her life were so easily taken, she would never have emerged from hundreds of children to survive in her past life, nor would she be the Yan Ziyu of today.

She had never known how to write the word "compromise." Her temporary forbearance was merely for a more violent eruption later. If she were truly pushed to the limit, she would not mind using the technology at her disposal to rewrite the history of this world entirely.

A faint, mocking sneer curled the corners of Yan Ziyu’s lips, her gaze cold, dangerous, and wicked.

***

"I have finished!"

Yueji set down her brush. On the snowy white paper appeared several lines of elegant calligraphy. She looked at Yan Ziyu, who was still deep in thought with her eyes closed, a look of contemptuous disdain in her eyes as she offered a seductive smile.

*The miasma of Jiangcheng breeds strange plants,*
*Only the bitter, secluded orchid is known.*
*Smiling charmingly amidst the bamboo fence,*
*The peach and plum blossoms on the mountain seem vulgar.*
*Knowing the Creator has deep intent,*
*Sending a beauty to the empty valley.*
*Natural wealth born of heavenly grace,*
*Only the crabapple deserves the magnificent hall.*

"Good! A fine line, 'Only the crabapple deserves the magnificent hall!' Who would have thought the Chiyang Kingdom could produce such a talented woman? Rare, truly rare!" General Chen exclaimed. The first half was fine, but the second half was ambiguous, leaving one unsure if it was praise or insult.

The way the crowd looked at Yueji changed; if it had been dismissive before, it was now filled with a measure of wariness.

At the other desk, Yan Ziyu wore a grass-green gauze dress, her sleeves fluttering in the wind. She focused intently on her writing, a lock of dark hair falling across her forehead. Her spirited eyes held a cold detachment, as if she were transcending the mundane world and dwelling in her own realm.

A moment later!

"I have finished as well."

Yan Ziyu set down her brush and carefully blew the ink dry. Her delicate voice sounded softly, "The 'Other Shore,' also known as the Manjusaka. Legend says it is a beautiful sight that blooms on the road to the Underworld. It was transformed from lovers punished by the Heavenly Emperor: the man is the leaf, the woman is the flower. When the flower blooms, the leaf is gone; when the leaf falls, the flower is gone. Never to meet for generation after generation—that is the punishment the Heavenly Emperor bestowed upon them."

It was a sorrowful and beautiful story, one that easily touched the hearts of the young people who harbored romantic longings.

"Oh? There is such a story in this world? I have never heard of it. Someone, bring the Princess’s poem to me. I wish to see how a flower with such a beautiful language appears in the eyes of the world."

Long Xiaotian looked surprised. He had not expected such a story to come from Yan Ziyu, who was dubbed an incompetent fool. When he read it, he was so shocked he could not regain his composure for a long time.

*The flower blooms on the other shore,*
*Yet it has no fate with the leaf.*
*The river of forgetfulness flows deep and dim,*
*The distance between the flower and the shore is like a chasm.*
*The road of fire is long and weary,*
*Past and present lives, the causes and effects dissipate.*
*Wish, heart, and love—all wither away,*
*The leaves drift, never to be seen again.*

Whether it was the choice of words or the imagery within the poem, it was of a very high caliber. He could not believe it had been written by the hand of the "fool" Yan Ziyu.

Yan Ziyu’s handwriting was strange, even somewhat ugly, but it did not diminish the artistic conception of the poem.

"This… did you truly write this?" Long Xiaotian asked, his face filled with shock and disbelief.

Yan Ziyu remained silent, neither admitting nor denying it.

Prince Xi and General Chen were fine, as they did not know the history of Yan Ziyu. But Long Xiaoyan, Yan Ruqing, and the others were completely stunned. Could this truly have been written by Yan Ziyu?

"Well, excellent. Both poems have their own merits, describing the crabapple and the legendary 'Other Shore' respectively. It is truly difficult to determine a winner. I suggest this round ends in a draw. What does everyone think?" Prince Xi shook his head slightly and said in a deep voice.

General Chen nodded. "Prince Xi speaks reasonably. This General also agrees to a draw. I wonder what the Emperor of Great Yun thinks?"

"I share the same view. Since that is the case, let this round be considered a draw. It is the best of three, and currently, Great Yun has one win and one draw. If Prince Xi is careless, he might just lose," the Emperor said, squinting with a pointed implication.

"No matter. It was only a game played by my concubine anyway; if we lose, we lose!" Prince Xi’s words nearly caused the Emperor and the high officials of Great Yun to vomit blood in frustration.

You were the one who insisted on the competition, and now that you are about to lose, you call it a game played by your concubine? Have you ever seen a concubine run to the Imperial Palace to play games with the Emperor, the Empress, and all the civil and military officials?

"I wonder who the Great Yun will send for the next round?" Prince Xi shrugged and asked.

As the Emperor was pondering whom to send, Yan Ruqing suddenly stood up and said softly, "Reporting to Your Majesty, this subject’s daughter would like to recommend someone."

The Emperor raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"This person is my half-sister, the current Princess of Xiao, Yan Ziyu. My sister was intelligent since she was young; the poem just now proves her literary talent. I beg Your Majesty’s approval!" Yan Ruqing’s words were sincere and heartfelt, as if every syllable were spoken for Yan Ziyu’s benefit.

The Emperor looked at Long Xiaoyan thoughtfully. Seeing him nod slightly, the Emperor immediately said, "Since Miss Yan recommends the Princess of Xiao so highly, I would also like to witness her literary talent. What does my sister-in-law think?"

"I am honored by Your Majesty’s favor; how could this subject refuse?" Yan Ziyu’s expression remained unchanged, as if she had not seen through the machinations. Her beautiful face remained cold and indifferent, as if the matter had nothing to do with her.