"You're spitting lies! When did I ever mean that?" Liu Qingran pouted and turned her head away guiltily.
Shen Yiru gave a cold snort and ignored Liu Qingran. After all, Liu Qingran was the daughter of the prime minister. A little lesson would suffice to avoid unnecessary trouble for the Minister's Mansion.
Shen Yiru's courage impressed Mu Fengqie. She would never allow anyone to slander the Minister's Mansion, not even the dog emperor.
"This young lady seems so well - educated, yet her words are even less refined than mine, a country bumpkin. Since all the young ladies are so set against me, it would disappoint you if I didn't participate. Xiao Qing, go get me some paper and a brush."
No one present had expected Mu Fengqie to say such a thing. Some were looking forward to seeing a joke, not knowing that Mu Fengqie was the real champion.
Xiao Qing responded and nervously went to fetch the paper and brush. Although she had seen Mu Fengqie write prescriptions, the prescriptions were so scribbled. How could she compete with these aristocratic young ladies?
Mu Fengqie didn't know what was on the girl's mind. In modern times, which doctor didn't write scribbles? But scribbling didn't mean she was bad at calligraphy. She was a socialite. How could she lose to these little girls?
However, these aristocratic young ladies didn't take this country bumpkin seriously at all. Soon the poetry session began. The theme was autumn, and some people had already started to compose poems in groups.
Mu Fengqie just sat there motionless. When only a few people were left, she finally picked up the brush and quickly wrote a few lines on the paper.
The master first picked up Sun Yuerou's poem. She looked at the master proudly, very satisfied with her own work.
"The autumn wind brings warmth and welcomes twinkling stars. Not bad. It fits the current mood perfectly..."
Sun Yuerou bowed gracefully to the master. "Thank you, master, for your praise."
...
"By silver - candled autumn light the painted screen is cold; A silken fan is used to catch fireflies on the wing. Truly a great poem! No wonder she's the most talented lady in the world. Lou Yueying deserves the title!"
The master was excited when he saw Lou Yueying's poem. Mu Fengqie was also stunned when she heard the poem. Wasn't this Du Mu's poem?
As there was only one piece of paper left, the young ladies and gentlemen who were watching the fun perked up. Since the last one to hand in was Mu Fengqie, they were eager to see what kind of work she could produce.
"Do you think the paper will be blank?"
"Even if she can compose a poem, it'll probably be full of a rustic flavor and not presentable."
"I don't think so. Since she can even make tea, maybe she's good at poetry too."
The heated discussions reached Mu Fengqie's ears. A beautiful arc appeared on her lips. The more sarcastic these people were now, the more embarrassed they would be later.
"The lake's light and autumn moon blend in harmony; The lake surface is calm like an un - polished mirror..."
After the master read Mu Fengqie's poem, there was a sudden silence. Everyone present looked incredulous.
Lou Yueying's face darkened visibly. Although she was the most talented lady in the world, her poem seemed a bit petty, while Mu Fengqie's poem was bold and free, instantly outshining Lou Yueying's.
Even Shen Yiru, who had always had a problem with Mu Fengqie, couldn't help but look at her with new respect. She knew that if it were her, she would never be able to compose such a good poem.
"A great poem! The light on the lake reflects the autumn moon, and the calm lake surface is like an un - polished mirror. I've never heard such a vivid metaphor. Truly a great poem!" the master said excitedly, holding the paper.
Sun Yuerou could hardly believe her ears. She had been ready to sneer at Mu Fengqie, but all her words were stuck in her throat.
Didn't Mu Fengqie grow up in the countryside? How could she compose poems? Where did she get the money to hire a tutor? Suddenly, an idea popped into Sun Yuerou's mind.
"Are you sure you composed this poem?" Sun Yuerou asked suspiciously.
Mu Fengqie's heart skipped a beat, but she showed no sign of it. "Of course I did. If not me, did you, Miss Sun, compose it?"
Sun Yuerou's face turned green and then white, and she couldn't regain her composure for a long time. "Who can prove that this poem was composed by you? You're just a girl who grew up in the countryside. How could you possibly compose a poem?"
Sun Yuerou's words made everyone suspicious. Even these young ladies and gentlemen who had been studying since childhood couldn't compose such good poems, yet Mu Fengqie, a country girl, was one step ahead. It was really strange. Even the master frowned.
Mu Fengqie scoffed and slowly said, "Then how can you, Miss Sun, prove that your poem was composed by yourself? Although I grew up in the countryside, I've read a lot of books and learned a great deal from the scholar in the village. So it's not strange that I can do these things, right?"
"Who can testify based on just your words? I think you stole someone else's work. How could you possibly compose such a good poem?"
Sun Yuerou still refused to let Mu Fengqie go. Even Shen Yiru couldn't stand it anymore.
"I think you're so disgusting! I advise you to mind your own business. She can even make tea. What's so special about composing a poem? So what if she's from the countryside? You were born in the imperial city, but you've still been outshone, haven't you?"
Shen Yiru glared at Sun Yuerou angrily but didn't even glance at Mu Fengqie. However, Mu Fengqie still felt a warm current in her heart.
Lou Xingzhou also chimed in, "What Miss Shen said is right. If this young lady had really stolen someone else's work, she couldn't have faked the tea - making. I think all of us have seen this young lady's talent."
Sure enough, after they said that, the blame was shifted to Sun Yuerou, and no one talked about Mu Fengqie's background anymore. Some people even came to care about Mu Fengqie.
Mu Fengqie just felt a headache. If it weren't for her plan to open a cosmetics store, she wouldn't have mingled with these women. Women were such troublesome creatures. It was really a headache. They said three women made a drama. With all these women in the yard, they could put on a show for a month.
Finally, the tea party ended. Mu Fengqie and Xiao Qing came out but found that the carriage from the Shen Mansion was gone.
"Miss, where's our carriage? I saw Miss Shen leave early. Did she go back first? This Miss Shen is so annoying. Why didn't she wait for us?"