The stunned silence of everyone present was something Lin Qinghe had anticipated.
This was a poem by Li Bai, revered by later generations as the "Poet Immortal." His verses had endured for a thousand years, so naturally, they would leave people in awe!
After a long, silent interlude, someone finally broke the stillness. They stood up, clapping incessantly, and exclaimed with excitement, "A masterful poem! The verse composed by this young master is peerless, displaying extraordinary breadth and vigor! The entire poem flows like a great river, possessing both momentum and intricate twists! Truly, truly... this young master is the undisputed champion of today's poetry gathering!"
Upon hearing this, the others chimed in, "Indeed! This young master is the champion! We support him being awarded the title of champion!"
"Right! This young master's talent is more than enough for the champion title! We support him too!"
"Yes... we support him too!"
"So do we..."
Amidst the excited voices, Chu Yue's face turned extremely unpleasant, looking as if he had just eaten something foul.
Lin Qinghe leaned languidly against the railing, gazing at Chu Yue with a half-smile. "Young Master Chu, compared to me, who lost and who won is quite clear. I request you uphold your promise and loudly proclaim three times that the poem I wrote is utter nonsense. Young Master Chu, please proceed..." Lin Qinghe gestured.
Chu Yue gritted his teeth, his face contorting from pale to ashen.
He had never been so humiliated in his life.
In a fit of embarrassment and rage, Chu Yue blurted out, "You... you must have cheated! How could you possibly compose such a brilliant poem in such a short time? You definitely cheated!"
"Cheated?" Lin Qinghe asked the others with amusement, "Everyone present, do you believe I cheated?"
The others responded, "Of course not! Who could cheat and produce such a magnificent poem? Young Master Chu, you must keep your word and not try to renege!"
"Exactly, Young Master Chu... you're trying to back out, aren't you! A gentleman's word is as good as gold. Since you agreed then, and lost now, you refuse to fulfill your promise. It's rather ungentlemanly!"
"Right, right..."
"You! All of you!" Chu Yue was so furious his shoulders trembled. Facing the crowd's jeers, he gritted his teeth, glared fiercely at Lin Qinghe, and declared, "You just wait!"
With that, Chu Yue attempted to leave. Lin Qinghe, with lightning speed, gave a subtle glance to a hidden guard. The guard immediately darted forward, drawing his sword and placing it at Chu Yue's throat. Chu Yue stiffened, his face paling. Angrily, he demanded, "What do you think you're doing! Do you know who my father is? My father is the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue!"
"So what if he's the Vice Minister? Today, no matter who your father is, you must fulfill your promise and shout three times. If you refuse..." Lin Qinghe's eyes sharpened, "I'll have your tongue cut out!"
Upon hearing this, the guard made a move as if to cut off Chu Yue's tongue. Chu Yue, seeing this, abandoned all pretense of dignity and hastily cried out, "I'll shout! I'll shout, alright!"
Lin Qinghe raised an eyebrow, awaiting his words.
Chu Yue gritted his teeth and shouted, "I... I declare the poem I wrote is utter nonsense! I declare the poem I wrote is utter nonsense! I... I declare the poem I wrote is utter nonsense!"
After he finished shouting, Chu Yue glared at Lin Qinghe with a dark expression. "I've shouted. Is that enough!"
Lin Qinghe scoffed, "Remember to watch your mouth when you go out in the future. Don't spread rumors anymore, or... your tongue might truly be lost!"
Chu Yue's chest ached with anger, but with the sword at his throat, he could only glare furiously, unable to speak.
Lin Qinghe signaled the guard again. The guard released Chu Yue. Seeing everyone whispering and mocking him, Chu Yue, seething, stormed away.
Only then did Lin Qinghe feel significantly better. She turned away from the poetry competition, returned to her seat, and met You Rong's appraising gaze. She smiled awkwardly, "I... I was just a little angry at what he said. You too, don't take it to heart, don't be unhappy..."
She had never imagined that allowing You Rong to recuperate at Changning Palace for a few days would lead to such gossip. She would definitely discipline the palace servants upon her return.
You Rong's gaze was deep, and it was impossible to discern his thoughts. After a long moment, just as he was about to speak, a voice from outside their private seating area interrupted him.
"Prime Minister You, it's me... may I come in?"
You Rong looked at Lin Qinghe. Lin Qinghe recognized the voice as the young man who had argued with Chu Yue earlier. She directly replied, "Didn't you say you wanted to critique his poem? Let him in."
You Rong nodded slightly and said calmly, "Come in."
"Yes, Prime Minister You."
The young man pushed open the door and approached You Rong. After bowing respectfully, You Rong asked calmly, "You wish for me to critique your poem?" Su Dan Novel Network
The young man's expression shifted, and he hesitated before gathering his courage. "No! I've come today to ask Prime Minister You... did you really stay in His Majesty's chambers... for a few days?"
As he finished speaking, Lin Qinghe's expression changed too.
"No way! Isn't this guy You Rong's little fanboy? Why is he bringing up this sensitive topic?"
Lin Qinghe looked at You Rong somewhat nervously. His expression was indifferent, revealing neither joy nor sorrow. After a moment of silence, he replied calmly, "That is correct."
In the next instant, Lin Qinghe's heart leaped into her throat, ready to have the guard throw the young man out if he said anything further. To her surprise, the young man exclaimed with indignant fury, "His Majesty is too much! You are the Prime Minister of a nation! You are the pillar of the country! You possess immense talent and dedicate yourself to the people. How could His Majesty treat you like this, against your will... She! She is simply a tyrannical ruler!"
At these words, Lin Qinghe choked on her own saliva, coughing violently. "Cough cough... cough cough..."
Wang Jiang, seeing this, abandoned his glare at the young man and hurried forward to pour Lin Qinghe some tea. "Young master, please have some tea... How are you? Young master, are you alright?"
Lin Qinghe drank the tea and finally managed to recover, her face flushed with embarrassment. "I... I'm fine. Please continue, continue..."
She had never expected that while she was worrying about You Rong, she would be the one to get caught in the crossfire.
You Rong calmly shifted his gaze and said to the indignant young man, "His Majesty merely kept me at Changning Palace to recover from my injuries for a few days. She did nothing against my will."
"Uh..." The young man suddenly looked awkward, scratching his head. He said apologetically, "Prime Minister You! I am sorry. It was my recklessness. I... I shall take my leave now!"
With that, he turned red and ran off.
Lin Qinghe looked at You Rong and couldn't help but wonder: was he explaining on her behalf just now?
Leaving the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, inside the carriage, Lin Qinghe closed her eyes to rest. They had barely spoken to each other on the way.
Finally, the carriage stopped, and Wang Jiang announced from outside, "Your Majesty, we have arrived at Prime Minister You's mansion."
Lin Qinghe opened her eyes. You Rong cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for escorting me home. I shall take my leave now."
As You Rong stood up to exit the carriage, Lin Qinghe suddenly reached out and grabbed his sleeve. You Rong paused, "Your Majesty..."
"I am sorry." Lin Qinghe said with a bitter smile, her eyes full of regret. "I never knew my affection for you would damage your reputation and make you a laughingstock. You are such a good person; this should not be happening... I am truly sorry. I will never do it again. I really, truly will not..."
You Rong was stunned and had not yet recovered when Lin Qinghe withdrew her hand, her head bowed. "You should return home soon. I will return to the palace."
You Rong alighted from the carriage and watched it drive away. Recalling Lin Qinghe's appearance just now, he felt an indescribable emotion.
Inside the carriage.
Lin Qinghe sighed.
She wondered if her sincere apology had been of any use to You Rong. However, she held no hope.
Unbeknownst to her, Lin Qinghe then heard the system prompt: "Progress bar increased by 5%. Total progress bar is 28%."
[Due to physical reasons, I will be admitted to the hospital for treatment tomorrow. Although I will bring my laptop, I am unsure if I can write. Updates will be irregular this week, and catch-up chapters will have to be postponed. Thank you all for your support. May you all be healthy and happy every day~]