Chapter 432: Fighting for Qingzhi
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Fan Yuru wanted to pull Chu Qingzhi into her camp, but the news was kept very secret from the daughters of the civil officials.
“Let me tell you, I’m a person who will do anything to achieve my goals. Rong Shiyu, don’t provoke me. If you provoke me, I’ll beat you up.”
Rong Shiyu was not afraid of Fan Yuru’s threat. “Alright, it’s fine if you don’t tell us, but did you tell Miss Chu? Is she willing to join you?”
Chu Qingzhi was showered with everyone’s attention again. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Ge Lihua was also a little puzzled. Wasn’t it supposed to be a banquet? Why did it seem like they were going to join some organization? Moreover, both parties were fighting for Qingzhi, causing the atmosphere to be tense.
Fan Yuru told Chu Qingzhi about the ins and outs…
The enmity between the two sides stemmed from a royal hunt.
During the hunt, all the civil and military officials could participate. They could also bring their families. At that time, Fan Yuru and Rong Shiyu were there.
At that time, Fan Yuru liked a man, but she didn’t say it explicitly. That man helped Rong Shiyu up when she almost fell.
Seeing the man she liked interact with another woman, Fan Yuru was unhappy. She went up and said angrily, “What a weak woman. You can even fall when you walk.”
Rong Shiyu did not fall on purpose. When she heard this, she was furious. “What does it have to do with you? Are you God? Why do you care so much?”
From then on, the two of them became enemies. Later on, something worsened their relationship, so much so that the two of them directly formed cliques. Even their sisters were not allowed to play with each other.
Fan Yuru was a little nervous. “Miss Chu, that’s it. Which side do you choose?”
Chu Qingzhi didn’t want to choose any of them. Moreover, only the weak would make choices. “Can you let me consider it?”
Fan Yuru glanced at the aggressive Rong Shiyu and smiled. “Of course. We have no intention of forcing Miss Chu. Miss, do as you please.”
She may have spoken with generosity, but in her heart, she was worried. She hoped that Chu Qingzhi would not choose the side of Rong Shiyu, or else their numbers would surpass theirs.
Now, the number of people on both sides was equal, and Chu Qingzhi’s choice determined the balance between the two sides. The two young ladies attached great importance to this matter.
Yuan Qingqing said to liven up the atmosphere, “It’s still early from lunch. Let’s have some fun.”
Feng Xuejun went along with a smile, “Okay, what do you want to play?”
Fan Yuru looked at Rong Shiyu provocatively. “Of course we’re playing pitch-pot. Previously, there was a young lady in the capital who threw twenty arrows but missed nineteen. I wonder if she’s improved.”
This young lady was Rong Shiyu. As the daughter of the Prime Minister, Rong Shiyu was naturally not bad in all aspects. However, she had never been good at pitch-pot because of her poor balance.
Rong Shiyu’s face turned red from anger when she heard this. She glared at Fan Yuru and said, “Don’t make insinuations. I’ll make you admit defeat today.”
How things turned out depended on her ability, but she had to show her attitude.
“We don’t want to see your lousy pitch-pot skills. We want to see Qingzhi do it.” Fan Yuru had already fallen out with Rong Shiyu, so she didn’t have any scruples when she spoke.
“Wait.” Rong Shiyu took a step forward and said, “We can have fun, but according to the rules of the capital, Miss Chu, you should show off your talents in public. Let us understand you more.”
Rong Shiyu was not deliberately making things difficult for Chu Qingzhi. This was a common rule.
Fan Yuru defended Chu Qingzhi. “You bookworms are really annoying. So what if Miss Chu doesn’t have talents? Aren’t people without talents qualified to live in the capital?”
Rong Shiyu insisted, “Since she’s here, she has to abide by our rules.”
She had some other motives. Many girls in her camp had a crush on Tang Jinghong. If Tang Jinghong planned to marry a woman who was inferior to them, they would snatch him away.
Fan Yuru could not refute because every one of them had performed their talents in public.
Knowing that she couldn’t avoid it, Chu Qingzhi asked calmly, “Any talent is fine?”
Rong Shiyu looked at Chu Qingzhi, her dark pupils reflecting Chu Qingzhi’s calm figure. “Guqin, chess, calligraphy, and painting. You can choose any one of them.”
Chu Qingzhi turned her head. “Miss Rong, please prepare a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.”
Rong Shiyu immediately instructed the servant girl to prepare.
The servant girl placed the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone on the table in front of Chu Qingzhi. “Miss Chu, please.”
Fan Yuru was a little worried. Chu Qingzhi was a farm girl, so how could a farm girl have any talent? However, seeing Chu Qingzhi’s nonchalant expression, she suppressed her worry and asked with concern, “Miss Chu, you plan to…”
Chu Qingzhi chose the simplest one. “Calligraphy!”
She felt that it was the simplest, but it was actually the most difficult. Upon hearing this, everyone vaguely felt that she was too arrogant. However, they did not understand Chu Qingzhi and could not help but be curious.
Chu Qingzhi would not disappoint them…
“In Tingzhou, I gather white duckweeds, As the sun sets in the southern spring.
In Dongting, there are returning guests, And in Xiaoxiang, I meet an old friend.
Why doesn’t the old friend return? Spring’s beauty may have faded.
I don’t speak of the joy of new acquaintances, Only of the difficulty of the journey.”
Chu Qingzhi wrote the above sentences in regular script, clerical script, semi-cursive script, and cursive script.
The girls here were all educated. Some of them loved calligraphy. When they saw Chu Qingzhi write four types of calligraphy with a wave of her hand, they were already stunned.
The paper was passed around in the girl’s hands…
“Not only is her calligraphy good, but her poem is also wonderful. Miss Chu said that she was born in a farmer’s family, but her education and upbringing are not inferior to a rich lady in the capital.”
“Could there be something going on?”
“I don’t think so. When we introduced ourselves earlier, she didn’t mention it. I suppose she’s from a farming family.”
“She was born in a farming family, but she has such high calligraphy attainments. I guess her family background is not simple.”
“By the way, I heard that many of the old officials who retired liked to live in seclusion in farming houses. Is she from such a farming family?”
“If that’s the case, won’t she be just like us?”
The girls looked at each other and lowered their heads in shame.
Rong Shiyu looked at the five types of calligraphy carefully and then looked up at Chu Qingzhi with a puzzled gaze. “Miss Chu, are you sure you were born in a farming family?”
Chu Qingzhi’s gaze was sincere. “Absolutely.”
Rong Shiyu looked intently at Chu Qingzhi, not wanting to give up on her. Chu Qingzhi had to join their camp.
Fan Yuru took all the paper from Rong Shiyu’s hand. She hadn’t had a chance to look at them yet, as they had been snatched away in a rush. Rong Shiyu appeared to be a delicate woman, but when it came to snatching things, she was not at all feeble..
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