“I yield to your superior skill.” Qiao Zhao bowed slightly to Princess Xijiang, picked up the yaoqin, and walked toward the Great Liang noble ladies.

The Great Liang noble ladies looked at the approaching Qiao Zhao with fervent eyes.

How could she play such beautiful zither music? They wanted to hold Third Miss Li’s little hands.

Qiao Zhao walked before Xu Jinghong and handed over the yaoqin: “Miss Xu, returning the treasure intact. Thank you very much.”

Xu Jinghong looked at Qiao Zhao with admiration in her eyes and said softly: “Famous zithers are easy to obtain, but a kindred spirit is hard to find. Miss Li, I’m giving you this Bingqing.”

Qiao Zhao looked into Xu Jinghong’s eyes.

The girl, cold as ice and snow, had eyes as transparent as crystal.

Qiao Zhao thought that she couldn’t refuse words spoken by such a girl.

“I’ll accept Bingqing. Thank you for your gift, Miss Xu.”

“Miss Li, please take the stage first.”

After Qiao Zhao returned to the center, Zhu Yán said with slight surprise: “Miss Xu, are you really giving Bingqing to Third Miss Li?”

Xu Jinghong lovingly caressed the famous zither Bingqing and said coolly, “She is a more suitable owner than I am.”

“Bingqing’s” tone was naturally cold, and she had always played aloof pieces, but today from Miss Li’s hands, she finally understood that “Bingqing” could bring people such joyful pleasure.

From Miss Li’s zither music, she heard vitality, heard sunshine illuminating everything, heard the tranquility of breaking free from constraints to achieve spiritual freedom.

Such zither music was truly wonderful, much better than the high and cold otherworldly sounds she had always revered.

She willingly admitted defeat.

“Your Highness, shall we continue to the next round?”

Having lost one round, Princess Xijiang looked at Qiao Zhao with gravity and nodded slightly: “Very well.”

“Wait a moment.” Princess Mu smiled with a face full of gentleness, “Shouldn’t Your Highness taste our Great Liang fine wine?”

This little girl, when Great Liang was losing earlier, had watched them drink cup after cup, even making cutting remarks. Now that the tables had turned, did she think she could muddle through without drinking?

Not while she was here!

Before Princess Mu married, she also had a spirited temperament. Now facing foreign guests, she had to maintain a Princess’s dignity while being mocked by others—it was stifling her to death.

Princess Xijiang’s face flushed red. She raised her cup and drained it in one gulp, calling out loudly: “Again!”

The lot tube rotated, and a flower lot fell out.

Princess Xijiang hurriedly looked and saw the character “shu” (calligraphy) written on the flower lot.

Waves of low exclamations immediately arose from the Great Liang noble ladies’ section.

“Excellent! Third Miss Li’s calligraphy has been praised by Master Shuying’an—the first in so many years. This competition will be no problem.”

“Yes, after seeing Third Miss Li’s zither competition, I have even more confidence in her calligraphy.”

“It seems luck is still on our Great Liang’s side.”

“What luck? Miss Li is relying on real ability.”

The discussion reached Princess Xijiang’s ears, and her heart tightened.

Miss Li’s greatest strength was calligraphy?

She had just been outshone by Miss Li in the zither competition—she absolutely could not lose again in this calligraphy competition!

“This time, how does Your Highness think we should compete?”

Whispers arose from the noble ladies’ section.

“Why is it always Princess Xijiang who sets the rules? This isn’t fair to us.”

“This way, they can lose convincingly.”

“Uh, that makes sense too.”

Princess Xijiang heard this and secretly ground her teeth in anger.

These people became arrogant once they gained the upper hand, not like when they were losing miserably in the first two rounds.

Princess Xijiang looked at the serene-faced young woman, her eyes turning slightly.

No, since calligraphy was the opponent’s strength, she had to think carefully about the rules.

Qiao Zhao observed Princess Xijiang’s expression and smiled charmingly.

The more the opponent thought, the more it proved her lack of confidence. Since the opponent wasn’t confident, she could only be more confident.

Her grandfather was a great scholar of the current age, skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, widely revered by scholars and literati throughout the world.

Although she didn’t possess even one ten-thousandth of her grandfather’s learning, she had been personally instructed by him since childhood. If she couldn’t surpass a foreign princess, she would truly have no face to call herself Mr. Qiao’s granddaughter.

“Has Your Highness decided?” After waiting calmly for a while, Qiao Zhao asked with a smile.

Princess Xijiang’s face grew slightly hot.

When she returned to Xijiang, she would go to her royal brother’s residence and scratch that dancing girl’s face to vent her anger!

“Having each person write one page for judgment would be boring, after all, we’re here to add excitement to the banquet. Miss Li, how about this: we’ll take a book, and within the time of one incense stick, see who can write more while still writing well. That would be much more interesting.”

Qiao Zhao was slightly stunned: “Your Highness wants to compete with me on writing speed?”

Seeing Qiao Zhao’s hesitation, Princess Xijiang felt joy in her heart and nodded: “Yes, ensuring beautiful writing while seeing who writes more. Let’s use hairpin flower small script. Uh, Miss Li knows hairpin flower small script, right?”

Qiao Zhao looked at Princess Xijiang with a half-smile, her tone gentle: “I do.”

Princess Xijiang remembered the young woman’s earlier discourse on the yaoqin and suddenly didn’t dare say more. She turned to Princess Mu: “For fairness, let the Princess provide the book.”

“No need.” The young woman’s calm voice rang out.

Princess Xijiang looked at Qiao Zhao: “What does Miss Li mean?”

“Let Your Highness provide the book. If the Princess provides a book I’ve read but Your Highness hasn’t, that would be unfair.”

“In that case, let’s simply copy the Admonitions for Women. We’re both familiar with this book, so it’s fair to both sides.” Princess Xijiang suggested.

She had just lost one round and couldn’t let people say she was afraid in this round, trying every method to gain an advantage.

Hehe, if it were about beautiful writing, she might lose to the person before her, but if it were about speed, she would win.

Dual-hand writing was her specialty.

Princess Mu quickly had everything arranged.

“If you’re both ready, I’ll have the incense lit.”

“Wait a moment.” Princess Xijiang pointed to the small script brush on the writing desk, “One brush isn’t enough. I need another one.”

Princess Mu was surprised inwardly but showed nothing on her face, instructing her maid to simply provide each person with a whole holder of brushes.

What was this Princess Xijiang up to? A holder contained eight brushes—surely this would be enough?

“Begin.”

The incense smoke rose, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Princess Xijiang glanced at Qiao Zhao, picked up a brush in each hand, and began writing rapidly.

Gasps arose from the noble ladies’ section.

“Princess Xijiang can write with both hands!”

“Too much! No wonder she proposed competing on speed. Why should she get to set the rules?”

“Just now you were saying to let them set the rules so they could lose convincingly.”

“Eh, look at Third Miss Li—why isn’t she moving?”

“Could she be planning to give up directly after seeing Princess Xijiang can write with both hands?”

Just then, Qiao Zhao moved.

She picked up the Admonitions for Women and first scanned through it unhurriedly, then carefully examined the spread rice paper for a moment before reaching toward the brush holder.

“Third Miss Li is taking a brush with her left hand—could she also know dual-hand writing?”

One noble lady suddenly widened her eyes and murmured, “Am I seeing things? Why has Third Miss Li picked up three brushes?”