The Eldest Daughter is Delicate and Pretty, How Can She Be a Malicious Supporting Character - Chapter 44

Chapter 44: Creating Momentum

In the Great Ye Dynasty, literature was highly valued, and scholars enjoyed a high social status. Poetry gatherings were frequently held among the people, and the Flying Flower Order was a common literary game played at these gatherings. However, the

Flying Flower Order at the gathering was different, as participants had to compose poems on the spot without relying on previous poets.

Many people found it challenging, as it was difficult to come up with poems within a short time frame that met the conditions of the Flying Flower Order. Despite the difficulty, the competition eventually began.

The names of the participants were written on bamboo sticks, and the old man on stage drew a stick to determine the first participant.

“Today, the weather is crisp and refreshing. Let’s use the character ‘autumn’ as the starting point for our poems,” he said, shaking the bamboo tube.
With a “Bang” sound, a bamboo stick fell onto the table.
The old man picked up the stick and announced the name of the first participant, “Hongwen Academy – Tang Yuan.”
As soon as the name was announced, the crowd began to search for the person.

After a brief moment, a thin man raised his hand to indicate his presence. A woman stood beside him, and it was clear that they were allies. Both of them looked pale and nervous, and it seemed unlikely that they would be able to compose a poem.

Tang Yuan glanced at the woman beside him, swallowed hard, and gestured for her to speak. However, the woman hesitated and couldn’t utter a word.
The old man shook his head and said with regret, “Unfortunately, the two of you will have to leave the competition.”

Many people in the audience were there to enjoy the show, and those who were friends with the two participants couldn’t help but sigh. Why did they have such bad luck?
Out of so many people, they were the first ones to be called.

The interruption gave some people time to think of poem lines, and the atmosphere became slightly more relaxed.
“Changping Marquis’s Mansion – Shen Xun,” the old man’s voice announced again.

To everyone’s surprise, Shen Xun was called, and many people looked on with amusement. Even the examiners on stage couldn’t help but frown.

It seemed that the reputation of the most notorious playboy in the capital was well-known.
Xue Yiran hadn’t found Shen Xun earlier, and now that his name was called, she still couldn’t see him.

Just as she was about to speak up for him, a lazy voice came from a tree in the distance, “What? Am I being called?”
The crowd looked up at the tree and saw a young man in luxurious clothing lying on a branch, hidden among the dense leaves. No one had noticed him earlier because no one would think to look up.

The examiners on stage sighed, shaking their heads.
“Sigh, Little Marquis Shen, this little marquis of the Changping Marquis’s Mansion is truly a handful. The entire family is known for their loyalty and bravery, but it seems they’ve produced a single wild child.”

“Cough, cough, Little Marquis Shen, are you going to participate in the Flying Flower Order or not? If not, you’ll be giving up your chance,” Mister Zhou said.
Xue Yiran felt like rushing out to speak for Shen Xun.

Although the two were allies, Shen Xun’s permission was required for Xue Yiran to answer on his behalf. Seeing that he was taking his time, Xue Yiran couldn’t help but feel anxious.

Pei Lingyi, on the other hand, observed the scene clearly, noting the young man’s casual demeanor and the girl’s nervousness.

Ah, the young marquis was creating momentum for Xue Yiran.
The longer he delayed, the less surprising it would be. But if he intended for Xue Yiran to answer on his behalf, the more he made people look down on him, the more it would highlight Xue Yiran’s charm.

The woman lowered her eyes, and no one could see the darkness in her gaze.
It was truly… a display of deep affection and loyalty.

The real scene was gradually matching the one in her dream. These men, each of them started out for their own reasons, but eventually got lost in the trap of love.

They spoke of Xue Yiran’s innocence and romance, but when it came to her, Pei Lingyi, it was all about ruthless tactics and playing mind games.

The girl’s fingers, as white as jade, were stained with red flower juice. The wooden lotus flower she had been playing with was discarded in the mud like a rag.

She remembered that in her dream, everyone praised her as a blooming lotus flower, symbolizing passion, resilience, and perseverance. It was a perfect metaphor for Xue Yiran’s strong and determined attitude despite being an illegitimate daughter.

But how ironic… she wanted to reveal the true nature of this lotus flower that everyone admired.
As the examiners on stage grew impatient, Shen Xun finally spoke up in his lazy tone, “Who said I’m giving up? I have an ally, can’t she answer for me?”

Mister Zhou, a great Confucian scholar, was still exasperated by Shen Xun’s attitude.
“Where is Shen Xun’s ally? Can you start with the first line?”
“I’m here!” Xue Yiran couldn’t wait any longer and exclaimed, “It’s me!”

At that moment, almost everyone’s gaze was fixed on the girl, making her the center of attention.
“Oh? What insight does this young lady have to offer?”

The white-robed old man, Mister Xu, spoke up. He was one of the examiners who had judged their paintings earlier. He was surprised to see Xue Yiran and curious about what kind of poem she would come up with.
Many people in the audience didn’t recognize Xue Yiran and asked their neighbors, “Who is she? I’ve never seen her before.”

“That’s the third Miss Xue from the Ministry of Rites. Little Marquis Shen announced that they were allies the day before yesterday. You must have missed it.”

The man shook his head in surprise: “I didn’t know that. But doesn’t the Xue family only have one eldest daughter? Didn’t she come?”

“Yes, she did. Look over there,” someone replied, pointing to Xue Baohua, whose face was dark and gloomy. She seemed to sense that someone was looking at her and turned her gaze, her eyes filled with an icy coldness that made people shiver.

The man quickly turned his head back, having heard that the eldest Miss Xue had a bad temper. Now, seeing her in person, he realized that the rumors were true.

Xue Yiran, standing in the crowd, didn’t feel nervous despite all the attention. Instead, she was filled with excitement.
She bowed respectfully and said, “Greetings, honorable examiners. Today, I’ll recite a poem to express my understanding of autumn.”

She cleared her throat and then spoke with enthusiasm, “Since ancient times, autumn has been a season of sorrow and loneliness. But I say that autumn is better than spring!”

When she finished speaking, the crowd was stunned, and some people even dropped their fans.

The venue fell silent after Xue Yiran’s words, and she could even hear her own heartbeat clearly, beat by beat.