After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Liu Junqing left.

Qin Lulu nudged Qin Shuying’s arm, “Seventh Sister, with so many people here, saying a few words wouldn’t hurt. Seventh Sister, such opportunities are rare, why didn’t you speak? Even just casual conversation would have been fine!”

Qin Shuying said, “Fifth Sister, it’s never wrong for a young lady to be a bit reserved.”

Qin Lulu deeply agreed and finally felt at ease: “Then I can rest assured.”

However, Dong Shi wasn’t as optimistic as Qin Lulu. She always felt that Qin Shuying’s attitude toward Liu Junqing was too courteous and distant, as if he were someone completely unrelated to her.

When Qin Shuying was no longer the focus of Qin Lulu’s attention, she also breathed a sigh of relief and took a sip of hot water.

In her previous life, she had already been twenty-three years old and had mingled in the marketplace – what kind of men hadn’t she seen? She had even seen those male entertainers and famous actors, each one beautiful as celestial beings with graceful figures. Who among them would be inferior to Liu Junqing? How could she possibly be deceived by Liu Junqing’s appearance?

Lu Changxuan also had good looks and was gentle and courteous to others, always smiling. She had never seen him lose composure. Liu Junqing was even more handsome than Lu Changxuan by a few degrees, but his character was simply a carbon copy of Lu Changxuan.

Toward such people, Qin Shuying felt an indescribable disgust in her heart. Every time she saw Liu Junqing, she felt her chest churn and particularly wanted to vomit.

That deep-seated revulsion was simply uncontrollable.

Moreover, Liu Junqing clearly knew about the transaction between Princess Fu’an and Madam Liu, yet he could still come and say such words – hypocritical and affected, making him even more disgusting.

Sure enough, as Liu Junqing walked back, many young ladies’ gazes turned toward Qin Shuying, whispering among themselves.

Placing herself at the center of gossip – how could Liu Junqing be any good person?

This marriage arrangement, Qin Shuying simply didn’t want. She had never thought about marrying in this lifetime.

However, it was also impossible to let them benefit so easily. They wanted both reputation and advantages, wanting to occupy everything – did they really think she was dead!

Qin Shuying’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Sure enough, before long, Luo Jinniang walked over, looking at her sideways with mockery: “From the day before yesterday until today, there have been five competitions, and Seventh Miss Qin hasn’t won a single ranking. Without talent or virtue yet showing herself in public, Seventh Miss Qin actually dares to be so thick-skinned and still has the face to continue the engagement with Scholar Liu?”

Qin Shuying looked at her, her eyes calm as water, neither angry nor startled.

Seeing her calm expression, Luo Jinniang became furious: “I’m talking to you – do you understand rules or not!”

Only then did Qin Shuying smile charmingly, gracefully lifting her tea cup and smiling lightly: “What are Seventh Miss Luo’s rules? Please tell me so I can hear.”

Luo Jinniang snorted and said, “How surprising – the young lady from Consort Lian’s maternal family doesn’t even know proper rules! Speaking of it, aren’t you afraid of being laughed at!”

Qin Shuying put away her smile and said coolly, “Seventh Miss Luo, earlier you looked down on court officials, and now you’re actively coming to provoke me – are these the rules of your Luo family? Forgive my ignorance, but I haven’t heard that the Great Zhou has such rules.”

Luo Jinniang laughed mockingly, “Don’t use other matters to squeeze me. In music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, you can’t produce anything worthwhile. Such a woman without talent or virtue – probably even in the entire capital, you couldn’t find many like this. If I were you, I would withdraw from the engagement myself, to save people from looking down on you later.”

Having said this, she challengingly raised her head, looking down at Qin Shuying disdainfully.

Qin Shuying wasn’t angry at all, instead saying, “Even if I withdrew from the engagement, the Liu family’s marriage wouldn’t fall to Seventh Miss Luo. Why do you need to worry so much about it?”

As she spoke, her eyes intentionally or unintentionally glanced toward Mu Tianxiang’s direction, then toward Yun Jingshu’s direction, meaningfully and with a strange expression.

Luo Jinniang followed her gaze and saw that both Mu Tianxiang and Yun Jingshu were looking at Liu Junqing’s retreating figure. Especially Yun Jingshu, who hadn’t turned her head back for quite a while.

When Luo Jinniang came back to her senses, Qin Shuying said, “Seventh Miss Luo, it seems you now have an idea in your heart, so I won’t say more.”

Having said this, she turned her head away and began eating fruit with Qin Lulu.

Luo Jinniang was both annoyed and resentful, but was made irritated and confused by Mu Tianxiang and Yun Jingshu’s attitudes. Unable to spare more words with Qin Shuying, she paused for a moment, then walked past Qin Shuying.

She detested Qin Shuying, but she detested Mu Tianxiang even more. They had never gotten along well, and now seeing that Mu Tianxiang also had designs on Liu Junqing, her fury immediately ignited. However, Mu Tianxiang wasn’t someone to be trifled with either. Luo Jinniang didn’t go to pick a fight immediately, but returned to her seat, slowly contemplating how to deal with Mu Tianxiang.

While she was contemplating, a maid walked over and gave her a meaningful look.

This was her personal maid. Seeing her like this meant there was something urgent. Luo Jinniang got up and followed the maid to the railings of the flower hall.

The maid whispered a few words in her ear, and Luo Jinniang’s eyes widened with surprise and delight: “Is everything you said true?”

The maid nodded firmly and said, “Miss, it’s true. Now, the entire capital is spreading the news. If you don’t believe it, wait a moment and you’ll see.”

Before long, indeed several maids arrived, whispering something in their mistresses’ or young ladies’ ears. Soon, the entire atmosphere of the flower hall became strange, with everyone’s gazes focusing on Mu Tianxiang’s area.

The one who had brought Mu Tianxiang and the other ladies out was Mu Tianxiang’s sister-in-law, who was about the same age as Dong Shi, but wasn’t present at the moment, having gone to tour the garden.

Mu Tianxiang had stayed here because of the competition. After receiving her ranking and prize, she hadn’t rushed to leave but was talking with her sisters.

She was also perceptive and quickly noticed everyone’s abnormal behavior, but suppressed the strange feeling in her heart and said nothing. Before long, a maid hurried over and whispered a few words to her. Her complexion suddenly changed, but she didn’t make any excessive movements. She only pressed the corner of her lips with a handkerchief, drank a few sips of tea, then excused herself to change clothes and left the flower hall with her maid.

As soon as she left, the discussion in the flower hall immediately became loud.

“Old Madam Mu actually openly sold foreign incense? Doesn’t she know about the court’s prohibition?”

“Is this true or false?”

“Now people on the streets are all talking about it, but who knows if it’s true or false.”

“Just now Mu Tianxiang’s complexion changed drastically – it’s probably eighty to ninety percent true.”

“Perhaps so.”

…

“Selling foreign incense – if taken seriously, that’s a capital offense. Doesn’t Master Mu know to restrain his family?”

“Now they have Consort Kang, and Consort Kang has hope of becoming a Noble Consort. Perhaps the Mu family’s horizons have risen.”

“Consort Kang becoming a Noble Consort? The four Noble Consort positions are short by one – but what about Consort Lian?”

“Shh – keep your voice down! Such matters, how can you and I speak of them? It’s just that everyone is talking about it.”

…

The most surprised was none other than Dong Shi, and the most delighted was also none other than Dong Shi.

If this matter were true, Consort Kang would be unable to rise to Noble Consort position, and Consort Lian could rise instead.

If Consort Lian became a Noble Consort, the greatest beneficiary would be the Qin household, and the most direct beneficiaries would be her own pair of children.