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Poetry Gathering centered around the theme of Spring Scenery, allowing for expressions of spring, flowers, grass, and green trees. Hanno breathed a sigh of relief; this broadened her scope, giving her more to write about. A maid dressed in pink approached Hanno with ink and brushes, her demeanor slightly disrespectful, her eyes filled with contempt and disdain.
Hanno felt a chill in her gaze. It was understandable that the Young Ladies looked down on her; they had status and family backing them. But what gave this maid the audacity? She was merely a servant, nothing more than a dog relying on its master’s power. With a slight movement of her fingers, the pink-clad maid stumbled, colliding with another maid in yellow who had been gossiping about Hanno. The two maids crashed into each other, toppling a nearby table laden with fruits, snacks, and tea, scattering everything everywhere and staining the skirts of two nearby ladies, who gasped in shock. Zhang Yunrong, as the host, hurried over to resolve the situation. She first sent someone to take the two ladies to change their clothes before turning an angry glare at the two maids. These maids served in her courtyard and had a good relationship with her; she usually valued them highly. Who would have thought they would embarrass her on such an important day in front of all the young ladies?
“Sister, I—I didn’t mean it,” the pink-clad maid repeatedly bowed her head. She understood Zhang Yunrong's temperament well enough; she knew that beneath her proud exterior lay a soft heart. If she pleaded earnestly, perhaps Zhang Yunrong would forgive them. However, she hadn’t considered that she had publicly humiliated Zhang Yunrong. Even if Zhang Yunrong forgave them, there was still Madam Zhang watching from the side.
“What are you still standing there for? Hurry up and drag them away,” Madam Zhang approached. “Ten lashes each and throw them out of the estate.”
“No, madam, please spare us,” the two maids cried out desperately, but it was futile as they were silenced by the strong arms of an elderly woman who dragged them out of the garden.
Madam Zhang smiled gently at the gathered One Thousand Jin, saying, “I apologize for the disturbance caused by these unruly servants.”
The ladies quickly shook their heads in response. Although some were still dissatisfied, they could only make peace since the lady of the house had spoken.
“Yunrong, make sure to entertain all the young ladies well. Once your poems are finished, bring them to Flower Hall for evaluation by everyone,” Madam Zhang instructed her daughter before casting one last glance at Hanno and leaving.
Mo Yan, the Princess and Qi Xueru walked over to Hanno, whispering, “That Madam Zhang is quite formidable; I’m starting to suspect you.”
Hanno chuckled lightly. “What does it matter if she suspects me? She has no evidence.”
Qi Xueru remarked, “I thought the Zhang Family had strict upbringing standards; I didn’t expect even a few maids to be so poorly managed.”
Hanno: “It’s just that their master is soft-hearted. Although Sister Zhang can be a bit arrogant, she has a good heart and treats her servants well, which has led some to take advantage of her kindness.”
Mo Yan, the Princess added, “Clearly in terms of management skills, Zhang Yunrong is lacking. Today’s incident will spread; even if she has talent and reputation, many noble families will think less of her when selecting a daughter-in-law.”
Hanno felt a twinge of guilt. “Then have I harmed her?”
Qi Xueru waved her hand dismissively and comforted her gently. “It has nothing to do with you. The fact that Zhang Yunrong is not good at managing affairs is her own issue; it’s not your fault. Even without your involvement today, given how she usually behaves poorly, many people were already watching her flaws would eventually come to light.”
"Yes," Mo Yan, the Princess nodded. "Don't feel guilty. If you can't be the legitimate wife of the steward, Zhang Yunrong can still marry the second or third son of a big family. Besides, Madam Zhang has already recognized her daughter's shortcomings, and from now on, she will definitely put all her effort into teaching Zhang Yunrong about being a steward. Perhaps she will turn misfortune into fortune."
After hearing this, Hanno set aside the matter of Zhang Yunrong and asked, "Have you two finished your poems?"
Mo Yan, the Princess replied, "With my level of skill, what good poem could I write? I just scribbled down a couple of lines to make up the numbers. Why don't you show us what you've written to prove me wrong?"
Qi Xueru laughed and said, "I'm just like the princess. I can practice medicine and embroidery, but writing poetry is too much to ask."
Hanno thought to herself that she was just as bad as them—no, she was even worse. Modern people really couldn't handle writing ancient poetry!
"Hanno, have you decided what to write?" Mo Yan, the Princess asked.
"I have," Hanno pointed to a pot of begonia flowers and said, "I'll write about the begonia flowers."
Mo Yan, the Princess and Qi Xueru urged her, "Quickly write it down so we can see."
"Alright." Hanno picked up her brush and wrote swiftly:
"Treasure your fragrant beauty hidden by day,
As you carry your hands to water the mossy pot.
Rouge washes out autumn shadows on the steps,
Ice and snow summon dew to awaken the soul.
Only when pale does one know flowers are more vivid,
With so much sorrow how can jade remain unmarked?
To repay the White Emperor one must be clean,
Without speaking, the day dims again."
Hanno had just plagiarized Baocai's "Ode to White Begonia."
"That line 'Only when pale does one know flowers are more vivid' has quite the essence of Wang Wenhai's 'Birds sing, mountains grow more serene.' Just that line alone could win first place at the Poetry Gathering," both Mo Yan, the Princess and Qi Xueru praised repeatedly.
Hanno smiled silently; she had great confidence in Baocai's poetry.
After putting down her brush, Hanno chatted casually with Mo Yan, the Princess and Qi Xueru. Soon after, a maid came to collect their poems along with others to send them to the Flower Hall. The young ladies in the garden were no longer lingering there; they all gathered outside the Flower Hall waiting for results.
Inside the Flower Hall, even those ladies who were not skilled in poetry during their youth could still critique its quality. The young girls listened intently to the comments coming from within and felt delighted. At this moment, in order to outshine Hanno, every young lady was doing their utmost; even those who didn't write well had found good proxies beforehand. As a result, every poem submitted was quite impressive, with Zhang Yunrong's "Peach Blossom Poem" standing out as the best among them.
A lady remarked, "Sister Yunrong's 'Peach Blossom Poem' has quite the style of Li Du; it is the best verse I have seen. I believe this poem is the finest. What does everyone think?"
Another lady sighed, "I originally thought Sister Yunrong's 'Peach Blossom Poem' was the best, but it pales in comparison to Miss Han's 'Crabapple Poem.'"
"'Crabapple Poem'? Let me see." The first lady took the 'Crabapple Poem' and praised it repeatedly, "What a wonderful poem!" She then read it aloud.
The young women outside the Flower Hall felt their joy dissipate upon hearing the recitation of the 'Crabapple Poem.' Their faces turned to disbelief and resentment. Zhang Yunrong's complexion grew even paler, especially after hearing the line "Only when the flowers fade do we know they are more splendid." Her body trembled, nearly collapsing, but her maid deftly supported her from behind, preventing her from losing her composure. Originally intending to showcase her talent and overshadow her rival, she found herself crushed in her area of expertise. How could Zhang Yunrong accept this? This proud young woman was deeply affected.
"Beautiful characters, beautiful characters," Madam Zhang's voice echoed from within the Flower Hall. "Miss Han not only writes poetry well but also has such exquisite calligraphy. The strokes are powerful and fluid, like a monkey leaping through trees or a dragon soaring through water; I fear she rivals my husband."
Hanno smiled slightly; this calligraphy was her proudest achievement. She had practiced for several worlds to achieve her current skill.
One lady said, "Then this Poetry Gathering should crown Miss Han as the champion?"
"Indeed."
"I agree."
The noble ladies all chimed in, but then a young lady outside called out loudly, "I disagree. Who knows if someone hired a ghostwriter and had those verses prepared in advance?"
Hanno wanted to give this young lady a thumbs up; she truly had keen insight! Indeed, she did have help from a ghostwriter!
Naturally, the noble ladies inside the Flower Hall leaned toward this young lady's opinion. After all, their objectives aligned with hers—they were all against Hanno. Previously allowing Hanno to become the champion of the Poetry Gathering was merely due to how stunning her submitted poem was; they could not openly criticize it. But now that this young lady provided them with a reason, they naturally took that opportunity.
"Indeed, that is a valid concern," one lady called out. "Miss Han, do you have any evidence to prove that this 'Crabapple Poem' is truly yours?"
Hanno chuckled lightly, "What I wrote is what I wrote; what evidence do you need?"
"The lady cannot provide evidence, so we cannot rate the poem as outstanding," My Lady stated.
Hanno replied, "Whatever. It's just that if today's events get out, I wonder how others will view my poetry and the evaluations of the noble ladies."
The Noble Ladies fell silent, realizing that they had indeed lost their fairness. However, if they were to yield and apologize to Hanno at this moment, they would feel quite unwilling. Just as the stalemate continued, another lady spoke up to break the tension: "Why don't we let the ladies decide on a topic and have Miss Han write another poem? That should allow for a proper evaluation."
The Noble Ladies and One Thousand Jin all agreed, and the first lady who had questioned Hanno provocatively asked, "Miss Han, do you dare to accept the challenge?"
Hanno smiled lightly and said, "Please, ladies, present your topic."
Madam Zhang said, "In that case, let Miss Han write a Peach Blossom Poem."
Hanno chuckled inwardly; Madam Zhang was setting her daughter up for failure. Was one blow against Zhang Yunrong not enough? Now she wanted to strike again? But if you send your daughter here for me to embarrass her, how could I refuse? Zhang Yunrong, I'm sorry; blame your overly clever yet self-righteous mother.
Hanno walked over to the table where she would write the poem, followed closely by Mo Yan, the Princess, and Qi Xueru, who asked, "Do you have confidence?"
Hanno gave them a reassuring smile. "Don't worry; it's just a Peach Blossom Poem. I will definitely write one better than Zhang Yunrong's."
Mo Yan and Qi Xueru were not entirely at ease. They had previously heard My Lady recite Zhang Yunrong's Peach Blossom Poem and knew it was indeed quite good—better than many famous poets. If it weren't for Hanno's Crabapple Poem, that poem would surely be in first place.
"Don't think too much; just help me grind the ink," Hanno instructed.
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