Chapter Eighteen: First Glimmers of Talent

“Very well, a guest is always welcome! For the third round, let the esteemed guest from Chiyang propose the challenge. What do you think, Prince Xi?” the Emperor laughed heartily.

Prince Xi nodded indifferently. “As the Great Emperor commands, so it shall be. Yue Ji, the consort of Prince Xiao is exceptionally talented. You must give it your all. Should you lose, I shall have to punish you.”

At these words, Yue Ji smiled enchantingly, her alluring beauty causing the men present to lose themselves in admiration. “Yes, Prince, I will certainly do my utmost not to bring disgrace upon you.”

“I’ve long heard that Consort Xiao is both virtuous and talented, skilled in poetry, chess, calligraphy, and painting. I have admired her from afar. Today, I am fortunate to have this opportunity... If Consort Xiao doesn’t mind, shall we each paint a picture? What do you think?” Yue Ji, twisting her delicate, supple waist, stepped forward slowly, approaching Yan Ziyu by a few paces and spoke softly.

Yan Ziyu returned Yue Ji’s coquettish smile with a serene, graceful one of her own. She stepped forward and took Yue Ji’s hand gently, saying, “Miss Yue Ji, you are too polite. Though our statuses differ, a guest is a guest. You needn’t be bound by those empty formalities. As the consort, I cannot bear to see such a delicate lady like you kneeling about. Should you be hurt in the slightest, it would indeed be a pity.”

Yan Ziyu was always the type who adhered to the principle: if others do not offend me, I shall not offend them. But she would never tolerate anyone bullying her.

Faced with Yue Ji’s insincere flattery, Yan Ziyu swiftly and elegantly turned it back on her with a few words—a counterattack that was both brilliant and exquisite.

Yue Ji’s expression shifted slightly, a flicker of unease flashing in her eyes. “As expected of the consort, truly an extraordinary demeanor worthy of admiration. Then I shall humbly present my work first.” Immediately, she resumed her usual alluring charm, as if she hadn’t caught the true meaning behind Yan Ziyu’s words.

Yet no sooner had she spoken than Yan Ziyu suddenly laughed softly, “Miss Yue Ji, don’t be impatient. I still have a few words to say.”

“Since this is a competition, why not raise the stakes to make it more interesting?” Yan Ziyu’s heart still burned with resentment over the Emperor’s earlier joke about “mother and son sharing a coffin.” This time, she spoke boldly without looking at the lofty Emperor but instead fixed her gaze on the envoys from Chiyang and Shengyue, her tone inquisitive but brimming with confidence.

What was this woman thinking?

The Emperor’s and Long Xiaoyan’s eyes met mid-air, both filled with displeasure toward Yan Ziyu.

“Raise the stakes? Ha! Interesting, indeed interesting. Consort Xiao is truly no ordinary person. I think it’s a fine suggestion, very fine...” Prince Xi laughed aloud.

“What stakes does Consort Xiao propose? Please do share.” General Chen gave Yan Ziyu a deep look. This woman’s behavior differed greatly from the intelligence reports. What could be the reason? This trip to Chiyang seemed well worth it.

“Ahem...” The Emperor cleared his throat lightly, narrowing his eyes to warn Yan Ziyu with a sharp glance. “If Consort Xiao has a proposal, speak plainly. We have honored guests present today. As a consort, you certainly have the right to speak.”

In other words, a warning: with envoys from two countries present, do not say anything reckless. Otherwise, today you are a consort; tomorrow, who knows?

Yan Ziyu understood the threat in the Emperor’s words. But was she afraid?

Certainly not!

“Hehe... Your Majesty is a benevolent and magnanimous ruler. I am truly grateful for the imperial grace that allows me to compete in poetry and painting with a talented lady from Chiyang. I shall forever cherish this honor... However, I believe that a competition without stakes lacks a certain thrill. I dare to propose a suggestion to Your Majesty and humbly ask for your approval!” Yan Ziyu took a few steps forward gracefully, meeting the Emperor’s gaze, each word laden with subtle irony and coldness.

“What is your proposal?”

“If I lose this match, I shall publicly cripple one arm to add some color to this festive night. If I am fortunate enough to win, I only wish that Your Majesty grant me a trivial request.”

...

Boom—

Yan Ziyu’s words struck everyone like thunder, shocking all present!

What had she just said?

She dared to claim she would surpass the guest from Chiyang and even proposed such a cruel penalty on herself. Was she courting death?

That was the unanimous thought among the crowd. Almost everyone believed Yan Ziyu was seeking her own demise. Even Prince Xi and General Chen, who had previously regarded her with some respect, thought so. After all, all prior intelligence described her as a fool, an imbecile, with no mention of any exceptional literary talent.

No one believed her. Even if she had just composed such a poetic verse, to them it was mere luck or perhaps stolen from some book. There was no way she could have created it herself.

“If Your Majesty does not approve, I have nothing more to say. Should I lose to Miss Yue Ji, I shall accept it wholeheartedly,” Yan Ziyu said calmly, ignoring the skeptical gazes. Her voice, cool and clear, emerged softly from her crimson lips.

“Interesting, indeed interesting! Consort Xiao is really someone to be reckoned with. Ha ha ha...” This time, the hearty laugh came from the seemingly gentle and refined General Chen. It seemed he had truly come to the right place, lest he would have missed much entertainment!

A fierce glint flashed in the Emperor’s eyes as murderous intent stirred within him at Yan Ziyu’s threat. “If you insist, then I consent.” He spoke coldly, not even asking what her trivial request was.

“I thank Your Majesty,” Yan Ziyu said with a flash of cold light in her eyes, bowing deeply in gratitude before turning to Yue Ji. “Miss Yue Ji, please.”

Yue Ji nodded politely and exchanged a few courteous words before confidently approaching the table, twisting her supple, serpent-like waist as she began to paint.

Compared to Yue Ji’s confidence, Yan Ziyu remained unusually relaxed. She walked over to Rui’er and whispered a few words in his ear. Rui’er looked puzzled but allowed her to lift him onto a chair beside the table. The mother and son each took a brush in hand. Qiu He ground ink nearby as they playfully began to paint on the paper as if engaged in a game.

Was Yan Ziyu courting death?

Seeing this, everyone’s minds surged with the same thought.

Remember, it was Yan Ziyu herself who proposed the wager. If she lost, she would cripple herself and become useless, unable to continue as Consort Xiao. The Emperor would not tolerate a disgrace to the royal family living on. This wager was essentially a gamble for her life.

Yet she treated it lightly, even letting a child scribble on the paper as if it were a game. What else could this be but courting death?

What baffled the onlookers more was that Ali, who had been quietly accompanying Rui’er, suddenly bounded over when Yan Ziyu carried Rui’er away. Seeming to sense a fun game, Ali grabbed a brush and chattered, “Ali wants to play too! Play with Xiao Yu and the baby, play together...”

“Alright, let’s play together. Rui’er, Ali, let’s see who draws the most,” Yan Ziyu said, smiling warmly at their innocent faces.

“Yes, Rui’er and Ali will help mother paint. Mother cannot lose,” Rui’er nodded seriously and resumed concentrating on his painting.

Ali eagerly nodded as well, mimicking Rui’er’s words. “Paint, cannot lose, paint... paint...”

Seeing these two pure and adorable faces, Yan Ziyu’s mood brightened considerably. She let them continue their play while turning her head to whisper a few instructions to Qiu He. Upon hearing her words, Qiu He put down the ink stick and walked away.

...

After about the time it takes an incense stick to burn, Yue Ji’s painting was nearing completion, entering the final coloring stage. Yan Ziyu still smiled gently, watching Ali and Rui’er bent over their painting, their focus inscrutable.

“Ali, Rui’er, you’ve done enough. You must be tired. Go rest for a while,” Yan Ziyu finally spoke.

Ali and Rui’er obediently put down their brushes and followed Qiu He back to their previous place, gulping down tea—they were truly thirsty from their exertions.

Yan Ziyu opened the embroidered box on the table and took out the items she had asked Qiu He to find. The box had been cut open from the middle. On one side were black, wriggling insects; on the other, a dazzling array of colorful and varied larvae. One side was utterly repulsive, the other exquisitely beautiful—a stark contrast.

What was Yan Ziyu planning to do with these?

Seeing her open the box, the crowd’s curiosity and unease grew. Indeed, today Yan Ziyu had shocked them in so many ways.

Carefully taking out the larvae, Yan Ziyu’s eyes flickered with a mischievous gleam as she suddenly hurled the box containing the black insects toward Long Xiaoyan, shouting, “Prince, beware!”

Instinctively, Long Xiaoyan drew his sword and swept it through the box, cleaving it in two along with the writhing insects.

Before Long Xiaoyan could scold Yan Ziyu, a slender, graceful figure darted forward, snatching the severed insects before they touched the ground—catching every last one...