The competitions now were very different from before.
The content wasn’t limited to music, chess, calligraphy, and painting—anything could be competed in.
There was a Miss Cong who enjoyed fishing. She was originally a timid and quiet person, but because the girls were all fired up with enthusiasm, she unconsciously stood up with them and shouted that she knew how to fish—did anyone dare compete with her?
After shouting, Miss Cong herself felt ashamed—what kind of talent was fishing? But someone actually accepted the challenge, and then Miss Cong won.
Chu Zhao had pointed at that person and laughed loudly at the time: “You can’t even beat a woman at leisure activities.”
Thus riding, archery, fishing, and other leisure activities were all brought out for competition. Today’s competition was arrow-tossing. Ten people per team. Because Chu Zhao could ride horses and shoot arrows, and had good arm strength and eyesight from archery, she was allowed to join the team.
“But you should know that arrow-tossing is still different from archery,” Qi Leyun still warned her uneasily. “Don’t throw randomly. If we lose, you’ll make us all lose face together.”
Chu Zhao laughed and pointed at the screen standing in the flower hall: “Who’s lost face more often?”
After each competition, the winners were recorded, and so were the losers—thus, winners wanted to win more, and losers, wanting to wash away their shame, competed even harder.
Qi Leyun had lost more times than Chu Zhao.
Everyone could see it. Even if Qi Leyun wanted to argue, she had nothing to say. She ground her teeth in frustration: “We’ve all lost face. The pot calling the kettle black, yet you’re so proud.”
Qi Leyun was no longer afraid that Chu Zhao would hit people—actually, though Chu Zhao spoke fiercely, besides that one time with Liang Qin, Chu Zhao hadn’t hit any other girl. Several times she had deliberately provoked her, and Chu Zhao only cursed back without hitting.
Sure enough, Chu Zhao just laughed upon hearing this, and the other girls also laughed—they had long since stopped being afraid that Chu Zhao would hit people.
They even felt that the previous hitting incident wasn’t such a big deal.
Girls were people too. Since they were people, they had various temperaments. What was wrong with a girl having a quick temper? When playing together, conflicts were inevitable. Didn’t sisters at home often quarrel and argue?
Moreover, Chu Zhao and Liang Qin’s fight had cause and effect—it wasn’t unprovoked or malicious harm.
When those young men gathered together, besides discussing poetry and philosophy, they often fought over disagreements. After fighting, they bore no grudges and continued their association, even earning praise as “gentlemen who are open and forthright.”
Then naturally they could be open and forthright too.
“Alright, you two stop arguing about winning and losing,” the girls laughed, pointing ahead. “Go win against them—that’s what counts.”
……
……
Chu Tang sat on the second floor.
Hearing cheers and laughter from outside, the maidservants organizing the account books said with a smile: “Miss Ah Zhao and the others won.”
Chu Tang didn’t sit looking at account books as usual, but stood up and walked over to look. She saw the girls cheering and jumping with joy, Chu Zhao surrounded in the very center, with several girls holding Chu Zhao’s hands—
“Miss Ah Zhao has become very close with everyone,” a maidservant said with a smile.
Chu Tang nodded with a smile: “Yes, everyone likes her very much now.”
And this fondness wasn’t because Chu Zhao had become like them, but because Chu Zhao was different from them.
Chu Tang found this amusing yet quite understandable. Actually, people were more curious about those different from themselves. Once curious, their hearts became attached. Women were willing to accept them, while men wanted to conquer them—
Prince Zhongshan must be like this.
Chu Zhao had spoken vaguely and refused to tell her, but after some thought, she guessed what had happened, especially after asking Chu Ke.
However, Chu Ke didn’t know about Chu Zhao falling into the water and being rescued by Prince Zhongshan, so this clearly happened before Chu Ke caught up.
But Chu Ke confirmed that throughout the journey, Chu Zhao’s attitude toward Prince Zhongshan had been very poor.
“Prince Zhongshan was so courteous, kind and pleasant, refined and polite, so good to her—” Chu Ke had still been indignant about it.
Yes, other women didn’t even need a life-saving grace—just hearing the name Prince Zhongshan made them obediently and eagerly approach.
The women Prince Zhongshan usually encountered must be like this. Meeting someone as unruly as Chu Zhao, naturally he was attracted.
Though she had never dealt with men, having grown up in the academy watching men’s behavior, Chu Tang considered herself quite knowledgeable about them.
Chu Zhao was an ignorant country person, taught by their uncle to look down on everyone. She was not like that. She knew very well what it meant to climb up to a man like Prince Zhongshan.
“You compete for admiration among the daughters,” Chu Tang murmured quietly. “While I will go seize the opportunity to establish myself.”
The maidservants heard her murmuring and were about to inquire when a servant woman approached with a smile.
“Miss Ah Tang, people from the Drunken Immortal House have sent a new menu,” she said.
Chu Tang smiled at the woman and picked up the account book from the desk: “I’ll go take a look.”
The maidservants thought nothing of it and bowed to see her off, watching as Chu Tang followed the woman away. Not long after, they saw Chu Tang’s maidservant Linlong return and say something to Chu Zhao below. Chu Zhao then told the girls, “I won’t participate in the next one. Don’t you all lose.”
The girls laughingly shooed her away.
Only then did Chu Zhao follow Linlong and leave.
The maidservants upstairs also thought nothing of it. Though Miss Ah Zhao had handed all of Chu Garden’s affairs to Chu Tang, she couldn’t possibly not ask about anything. Important matters still required Miss Ah Zhao’s approval.
……
……
Chu Zhao left, but the competition continued. Now whether Chu Zhao participated or not didn’t matter unless someone specifically challenged Chu Zhao to compete.
As soon as Chu Zhao left, a new girl immediately joined in. Ten against ten. This round was also won by the girls.
The girls cheered and jumped for joy. The young masters across from them just shook their heads, some even bowing to these women. However, some said: “In these leisure skills, we acknowledge our inferiority.”
The girls naturally heard the sarcasm in such words, but it didn’t provoke angry cursing from them.
A girl asked with a smile: “Young Master is learned and talented. I wonder what Young Master excels at?”
That young master naturally knew what this girl was asking for, but since she had complimented him first, he couldn’t refuse to answer—otherwise, wouldn’t it seem he was unlearned?
Moreover, they didn’t dare underestimate these girls anymore. The young master carefully considered and chose a skill he was best at.
That girl indeed smiled and said: “I also happen to know a little about this. I would like to exchange knowledge and learn from Young Master.”
The words were spoken so politely that the young master could only accept. The two competed, and in this round, the girl lost.
The young master breathed a sigh of relief but didn’t say anything arrogant or humiliating. Instead, he bowed to the girl: “Miss is quick-witted. I was fortunate to win.”
The girl also thanked him sincerely: “A discussion with you has benefited me greatly.”
The two separated. Whether it was the onlooking men or women, no one made a commotion. The men didn’t praise the victor much but instead pointed out his shortcomings, while the girls praised the loser, encouraging her not to be discouraged by defeat.
The atmosphere of competitions at Chu Garden had also changed. Competitions were no longer aimed at stepping on and defeating others, but had become exchanges to test one’s skills.
Since they were exchanges, one should neither be arrogant in victory nor discouraged in defeat. Learning was endless—no one dared claim that winning once made them invincible.
This also meant being regarded as an opponent, being seen.
The girls gathered around the girl who had lost, chattering and laughing. Amid the joyful bustle, suddenly came a woman’s sharp scream, followed by the splash of a heavy object falling into water.
“Miss—” A shrill shout also rose.
Everyone’s gaze turned in one direction. It wasn’t far—right across from the platform, by the lakeside, beneath an artificial mountain, stood a maidservant.
The maidservant was no stranger—everyone knew her. A’Le, who was inseparable from Chu Zhao.
But at this moment, A’Le was not beside Chu Zhao. A’Le’s face showed alarm and fear as she shouted toward the lake water.
“Help—”
Help? Miss Chu Zhao had fallen into the water? Everyone was shocked, their gazes turning to the water. Before they could see clearly, they heard another splash.
Someone came running, swift as wind, and jumped into the lake, raising great splashes of water.