Xiao Man glanced at Ying Xue, motioning for her to retrieve the questions. Ying Xue immediately fetched the card bearing the inscription, "Hua Fei Hua."
Upon seeing it, the crowd found it amusing.
The theme of today's flower viewing banquet was "flowers," yet Xiao Man, overestimating herself, had chosen the most difficult topic!
"Miss Xiao, why don't you pick another one? It would be embarrassing if you couldn't answer it later," Yan Mengyao said mockingly.
Xiao Ling looked at Xiao Man, her expression unchanged, a meek and pleasing smile on her face. "Elder Sister, you don't have to force yourself. If you can't do it, your sister will help you."
"Isn't the title 'Talent as Radiant as Immortals' that Miss Xiao claims, stolen from your sister? I heard that the other two young ladies from the General's mansion are studying with you, and your second young lady is quite talented... Oh, my memory! I almost forgot, your second young lady was just thrown into the lake by you. Frightened and terrified, she left. Could it be that you threw her into the lake for fear that the second young lady of the mansion would reveal something she shouldn't, thus ruining your reputation?"
Li Zhaoyao's speech did not elicit a response from the assembled guests.
After all, everyone present was a legitimate daughter, and more or less had suffered at the hands of illegitimate daughters from their respective households.
As for Li Zhaoyao, although she resided in the Prince of Zhao's mansion and was nominally a county princess, her status was lower than that of even an illegitimate daughter. Furthermore, the legitimate daughters in the mansion did not associate with her, so she naturally gravitated towards the company of illegitimate daughters.
Xiao Man ignored Li Zhaoyao, thinking: Li Zhaoyao is as ostentatious as her name suggests.
Living under someone else's roof, yet lacking basic survival instincts. She was nominally a county princess, but how many people present truly considered her as such?
Such a lack of restraint would eventually lead her to trouble.
Xiao Man pondered for a moment, then picked up her brush and quickly penned a poem. She then handed it to Ying Xue, asking her to submit it.
The poems written by the women's side had to be returned to the men's side. Although she didn't know who had given her the same topic, she assumed the other party would also choose her topic. She wondered how his poem would turn out.
Seeing that Xiao Man had finished so quickly, the others' eyes flickered with surprise. They each took the topic they had chosen, answered it, and submitted it. The Wen siblings arranged them in order.
"First lot, Hua Fei Hua."
A hint of surprise flashed in Nangong Yu's eyes. The corner of his mouth curved slightly, a subtle arc that was imperceptible to others.
"This is Prince Qin's topic, answered by Xiao Man," Wen Mohan said, frowning slightly.
He least wanted these two to be connected, yet they always seemed to gravitate towards each other, intentionally or unintentionally.
After a moment of thought, Wen Mohan suppressed his discomfort and then read aloud, "North wind blows the white grass flat, eight months in the barbarian sky the snow begins to fly. As if a spring breeze arrives overnight, a thousand trees and ten thousand trees of pear blossoms bloom."
"Good! It fits the occasion and the topic. The last line has the most flavor, truly worthy of the praise 'Talent as Radiant as Immortals' from Madam Sheng." The Crown Prince praised loudly.
Seeing this, everyone's gaze turned to Xiao Man, disbelieving that this was written by her.
Xiao Man calmly sipped her tea, ignoring the gazes fixed upon her.
"Second lot, Seeking Fragrance, topic by His Highness the Crown Prince, answered by my younger sister, Moyu." Wen Mohan continued, "Seeking fragrance, I unknowingly get drunk on rosy clouds, leaning against a tree, slumbering as the sun dips low. Guests depart, I wake after midnight, holding a red candle to admire the fallen flowers."
"Miss Wen truly lives up to her title as the foremost talented woman in the capital."
Wen Moyu suppressed her elation upon hearing this, but her arrogant expression was undeniable.
"Third lot, Questioning the Peach..."
"The last lot..." Wen Moyu's expression turned to surprise as she saw the name on the card. "Hua Fei Hua, topic by Xiao Man, answered by His Highness Prince Qin."
As Wen Moyu finished speaking, guests on both sides looked astonished.
Prince Qin and Xiao Man had chosen the exact same topic, and had even answered each other's questions!
Everyone pricked up their ears, eager to hear how Prince Qin had answered.
"Amidst the falling blossoms, she stands alone in her splendor, occupying all the charm of the small garden. Slender branches, slanted and water-clear, faint fragrance drifts in the twilight moon."
Wen Moyu looked at Prince Qin, a hint of shyness flashing in her eyes.
Prince Qin's face showed no discernible emotion, yet for some reason, she felt he was in a good mood, and the person who made him happy was Xiao Man.
"What a coincidence! Miss Xiao and His Highness Prince Qin chose the same topic, and even answered each other's questions." Wen Moyu looked at Xiao Man. "His Highness's poem is also excellent."
Xiao Man lowered her gaze, surprised it was Prince Qin. She hadn't wanted any further interaction with him, yet they always seemed to cross paths by chance.
"Could it be that the two of them arranged it?" someone said sarcastically. "Speaking of which, Madam Sheng is also Prince Qin's wet nurse. Miss Xiao, why don't you tell us how you managed to get His Highness Prince Qin to favor you?"
Xiao Man looked displeased at the speaker. She didn't recognize this woman. Ying Xue immediately whispered to Xiao Man, "This is Minister Du's daughter, Du Qiuruo."
Xiao Man's expression shifted slightly.
Minister Du, being exceedingly proud, looked down upon Prince Qin's birth mother, Consort Xue, believing her to be from a small Western country with a humble background, and thus looked down upon Prince Qin as well. Even with Prince Qin's military achievements, Minister Du never showed him any deference, always attacking him with the sentiment that those not of our kind are of a different heart.
"I also want to know how to get His Highness Prince Qin to favor me. I've heard that Minister Du is best at winning people over. I assume Miss Du has inherited his teachings. Perhaps Miss Du can teach me how to win over His Highness Prince Qin?"
"You..." Du Qiuruo slammed the table. As the daughter of a minister, she had never been spoken to like this before. "The daughter of a brute is indeed as ill-bred as a brute!"
As Du Qiuruo's words fell, Xiao Man, who was seated, walked over to her and delivered a fierce slap across Du Qiuruo's face.
The slap sent Du Qiuruo staggering, falling to the ground. She also knocked over a flower pot placed in the center, landing in front of the male guests.
Xiao Man looked down at the disheveled Du Qiuruo.
"You can insult me, but you cannot insult my father! If you dare to insult my father, I will beat you until your father doesn't recognize you!" She then raised her foot to kick, but others quickly stepped forward to restrain Xiao Man.
"Eldest Miss, please calm down. Miss Du didn't mean it."
The male guests, who were appreciating the poems written by the female guests, suddenly saw the daughter of Minister Du fall towards them, with Xiao Man chasing after her.
Du Qiuruo, startled and frightened, quickly got up and rushed towards the Crown Prince. "Your Highness, save me! Xiao Man, Xiao Man wants to kill me."
"Presumptuous!" The Crown Prince slammed the table in anger. "Xiao Man, you are truly lawless!"
Xiao Man shook off those restraining her and walked directly to the male guests' seating area, her face filled with anger.
"Your Highness, my father has served in the military his entire life. He has experienced countless battles, large and small. His body is covered in scars, old and new, innumerable. Whenever it rains, his old wounds ache. He protected our home and country, killing countless enemies, yet he is insulted by an ignorant woman as an ill-bred brute. I must ask, has Minister Du raised such an ill-bred daughter with the intention of her using her ulcerous, rotten tongue to repel enemy troops, or is there a malicious intent to sow discord between ruler and minister, aiming to destroy our prosperous empire?"
The Crown Prince was rendered speechless by Xiao Man's barrage of words. He had only uttered one sentence, and Xiao Man had responded with a torrent of words that defied him, truly showing no regard for him as Crown Prince!