This was, after all, Nanzhao, and Consort Qin was, after all, the ruler’s own woman—when she swayed her seductive waist and slowly rose to her feet, everyone instinctively fell silent all at once.
Ziqing leaned back lazily against her chair, arms crossed over her chest, watching with idle interest—just how skilled was Consort Qin at the qin, really? It was certainly a question worth wondering about, given that she’d signed up knowing full well the three clan judges wouldn’t go easy on her, and knowing full well how many skilled competitors there were.
Not every woman had the same “self-awareness” that Ziqing displayed—if Consort Qin had dared to sign up, she surely wasn’t afraid of embarrassing herself in public!
Yet to everyone’s surprise, Consort Qin did not step forward at all. She simply stood where she was, smiling modestly. “This consort said from the start, I only came to join in the fun, with no intention of truly competing—that’s why I saved myself for last. This contest has let us hear so many wonderful pieces, witness so much exquisite skill—His Majesty and I both feel deeply gratified. Ha, this consort won’t take up any more of everyone’s time. The three clan heads, please announce the results.”
At these words, the crowd was instantly disappointed, though no one dared to comment. If there had been any doubt before, Consort Qin’s tactful, modest withdrawal now made her true meaning unmistakably clear!
Given Consort Qin’s temperament, if Chu Feiyan and Xuanyuan Zhaoxi had truly stolen so much of the spotlight and she’d had any confidence of beating them, would she not have fought with everything she had? This meant she had no confidence she could win—and rather than risk a humiliating loss, she’d simply withdraw instead. After all, as a consort, she had plenty of reasons to gracefully step aside and save face—why not take advantage of that?
Only now did everyone realize—all that sincere, modest talk from Consort Qin earlier had been entirely false! This woman cared fiercely about her pride!
Xuanyuan Zhaoxi couldn’t help but suck in a cold breath, glancing involuntarily at Chu Feiyan, secretly relieved—thank goodness, thank goodness the winner hadn’t been her!
Though Chu Feiyan, like Xuanyuan Zhaoxi, held the rank of princess, she had always been indulged and doted upon by the Emperor of Western Chu, and was nowhere near as shrewd as Xuanyuan Zhaoxi, who had been personally raised and trained by the Empress of Dongqin since childhood.
If she hadn’t seen through Consort Qin’s nature before, that was understandable enough—but no matter how naive she might be, she was still someone raised within a royal household. Surely she understood it now!
Unfortunately, at this very moment, she was too intoxicated with the joy of victory to notice anything else, having stared unblinkingly at Ziqing the entire time until Consort Qin spoke those words, at which point she finally turned to look toward the three judges, her heart already wild with anticipation, waiting for the results to be announced!
No one knew how many times she had practiced in secret, all in preparation for this one contest, waiting for the day she could finally, thoroughly crush Han Ziqing beneath her feet!
It was precisely because she’d lost both the literary and martial contests that she hadn’t been the one sent to Da Zhou as a bride, hadn’t been the one to marry Jun Beiyue!
This was only the beginning of her counterattack. She swore that one day, she would crush Han Ziqing before Jun Beiyue’s very eyes—even more brutally than this time!
Clan Head Yao rose to his feet and said with a smile, “Since Consort Qin has withdrawn, this old man shall now announce the results of the contest.”
Consort Qin made a gracious gesture inviting him to proceed, then sat back down lazily. In the instant her head lowered, her sidelong glance fell on the still-triumphant Chu Feiyan, her cold eyes chillingly venomous!
“Your Majesty, Consort Qin, everyone—in this qin contest, Western Chu’s Princess Imperial Chu Feiyan received three smiling faces, unmatched by anyone—she is the winner!”
Once Clan Head Yao had finished announcing the result, Clan Head Shou couldn’t help but rise as well, saying with a smile, “The Princess Imperial’s qin skill is extraordinary—to witness such brilliance today is truly a rare fortune for us. May we ask the name of the piece the Princess Imperial just performed, and whose composition it is?”
Only then did Chu Feiyan collect herself, hurrying to stand, saying modestly, “This unworthy Feiyan has made a fool of herself before all you elders. This piece is called ‘Regret at Linyang,’ composed by myself.”
At these words, Ziqing’s face immediately darkened. Linyang—that was the former name of Da Zhou’s imperial capital. What a woman, Chu Feiyan—holding a grudge to this extent.
“Composed by the Princess Imperial herself!” Clan Head Jiao rose as well, not bothering to inquire into the meaning behind the title, hurriedly saying, “The Princess Imperial’s talent is remarkable indeed—to handle the highs and lows, the rises and falls, so masterfully—simply perfect!”
“Clan Head Jiao flatters me too much. This is nothing but a trifling skill. As for true perfection and mastery, how could it compare to Young Master Xuanyuan, the greatest qin master under heaven?”
Though Chu Feiyan’s words sounded modest, in truth they landed a vicious blow against Han Ziqing. Even Yelu Qianqian caught the implication, immediately muttering, “Han Ziqing, surely that’s not all the skill you’ve got!”
Ziqing paid her no mind, keeping her smile in place, and as the King of Nanzhao couldn’t help but speak up as well, the smile on her lips grew all the more mysterious.
“Ha, the Princess Imperial’s qin skill…” the King of Nanzhao said, pausing, stroking his goatee, then laughing again. “It was far beyond what I expected. Excellent! Truly excellent!”
With that, he immediately led the applause, and in an instant everyone joined in, calling out their approval.
“Princess Imperial, might I invite you to the Pure Water Sacred Grounds, to perform the grand ceremonial music?” the King of Nanzhao asked earnestly.
At these words, even Consort Qin beside him couldn’t hold steady, stumbling back two steps—that grand ceremonial music was supposed to be hers to perform!
“Your Majesty!” she said in a soft, delicate voice, secretly tugging at the King’s sleeve.
But the King of Nanzhao paid her no mind at all, his eyes fixed on Chu Feiyan, practically glowing.
Chu Feiyan was overjoyed, shooting a provocative glance at Ziqing before immediately stepping forward and bowing. “His Majesty’s generous invitation is an honor for Western Chu, and a privilege for Feiyan. Feiyan will certainly do her utmost.”
“My beloved consort, the sheet music is with you, isn’t it? Send it to the Princess Imperial to look over later,” the King of Nanzhao said, finally turning his attention to Consort Qin.
A flash of venom crossed Consort Qin’s eyes, yet she answered graciously all the same, “Yes, Your Majesty. Your Majesty, what about the prize we agreed on earlier? With skill as exquisite as the Princess Imperial’s, that ice silk can belong to no one else!”
But after all, the King of Nanzhao was the King, and Consort Qin was merely a consort—how could everything always go her way?
Just how the King of Nanzhao ought to be handled, Consort Qin knew perfectly well in her own heart.
“Look at that, in my delight I nearly forgot—it must be rewarded!” the King of Nanzhao said, waving his hand grandly, and the attendants immediately came forward, presenting the bolt of ice silkworm silk with both hands.
Watching this with a pang of reluctance, Consort Qin nonetheless rushed to take the ice silk before the King of Nanzhao could, saying with a smile, “Princess Imperial, congratulations—such accomplishment at such a young age, your future is surely limitless. You must keep practicing diligently!”
Chu Feiyan hastily bowed in thanks, then took the ice silk in both hands.
“Ha, this journey down the poison river is such a long one, I thought it would be tedious—who would have guessed the Princess Imperial would bring such delightful surprise! Looks like this trip won’t be boring after all!” the King of Nanzhao teased.
Though spoken in jest, to anyone paying attention, the words carried another layer of meaning entirely.
Consort Qin immediately chimed in as well. “Princess Imperial, if you ever have free time, do come visit His Majesty and myself. If your qin music could ease the tedium along the way, this journey would surely become one to linger over… and never wish to leave.”
As Consort Qin spoke, she took hold of Ziqing’s hand—no wait, of the hand holding the ice silk—and, unable to restrain herself any longer, suddenly dug her fingers in sharply, giving such a fright that Chu Feiyan’s heart very nearly stopped, only then realizing something was terribly wrong.
Unfortunately… it was already too late.