Abandoned Woman Busy Farming

Chapter 2443: Chapter 2444: Wind, Flowers, Snow, and Moon

Bai Ruozhu was somewhat surprised, not expecting that the beautiful woman who was also a judge was actually the mother of the little girl named Yaxi. But on closer thought, what Hui Zi and Princess Ya’an said was clearly intended to smear Yaxi, which was naked jealousy.

The beautiful woman seemed to hold a significant status in Kyoto, so it wasn’t surprising that Hui Zi would be jealous of Yaxi.

Bai Ruozhu didn’t chat much with the few people on stage, fearing that if he tried to extract information from them, he might end up alerting them without obtaining suitable information.

Soon, the Tangfen Poetry Contest began, and the ladies took their seats. Bai Ruozhu noticed that Fangzi was sitting with Yizi and Fo Lanying, not making much effort to move forward, apparently not caring much about the results of the competition. Meanwhile, Hui Zi, with a bruised face, sat with Princess Ya’an, surrounded by none of her previous friends, which seemed to make Princess Ya’an appear rather aloof.

Bai Ruozhu smirked lightly, pretending to know nothing.

Very soon, a female instructor rose and announced the start of the event, explaining the competition’s rules and segments. As she spoke, murmurs emerged from below: apparently, some of the rules had changed this time.

”The old rules applied every year; why change them this year? Was it suggested by the female officer from Danliang Country?” Hui Zi whispered to Princess Ya’an, unaware that Bai Ruozhu could hear her words and assuming he was unaware of her deliberate attempt to sow discord.

By all accounts, Bai Ruozhu and Hui Zi had no grievances with each other, so it was uncalled for Hui Zi to cause trouble for Bai Ruozhu. However, Bai Ruozhu, having just been seen with Fangzi, made Hui Zi quite displeased, as if she feared that Bai Ruozhu might win over Princess Ya’an’s favor and later help Fangzi to rise.

Bai Ruozhu suddenly glanced at Hui Zi, and just as she finished speaking, her gaze met Bai Ruozhu’s, giving her a startle. She thought, being so far away, there’s no way he could have heard her, right?

Princess Ya’an noticed Bai Ruozhu’s gaze too and whispered, ”Do not make wild guesses; she’s only been here a few days, so it shouldn’t be her.”

Hui Zi, perhaps feeling guilty, spoke the next few words in the Fusang language. Bai Ruozhu found it a bit fuzzy and decided not to bother about it.

Although the ladies disliked the change in format this year, they knew there was little they could do and soon quieted down.

The poetry conference here could be described as rather simple. The first segment involved drawing lots to compose poetry. It was said that before, a judge would draw a topic, and everyone would compose a poem on that topic. But not this time; this time, the participants drew lots — whatever they drew, they would compose a poem on that.

There were four topics for the draw: wind, flower, snow, and moon. Bai Ruozhu couldn’t help but twitch at the corner of his mouth; the Fusang people actually used ”wind, flower, snow, and moon” like this.

Soon, the ladies below had all drawn their topics. They didn’t have much time to compose their poems, with an hourglass used to control the time. The ladies below began to ponder with paper and pen, while the judges on stage chatted.

”Your Yaxi indeed has a solid foundation, thinking it through so quickly,” the female instructor praised with a smile.

The beautiful woman pursed her lips and smiled, nodding politely in appreciation, ”But she’s rather too gentle in nature, and her poetry is a bit mediocre, lacking grandeur. I admire the works of the Zhongyuan poet Li Bai the most; his boldness and unrestrained style are truly unforgettable for me.”

”You can’t blame Miss Yaxi for that. After all, it’s good for women to remain gentle,” Kui Shou beside said, his smile carrying a hint of charmer’s allure.

The beautiful woman raised her eyebrows, ”Who says women must be gentle? Look at Lord Bai; her martial prowess brings honor to us women.”

Bai Ruozhu, not wanting to be the topic of conversation, nodded with a smile, ”Madam, you are too kind. I only learned some self-defense techniques.”

”Since Lord Bai has come from Zhongyuan, is there any poet’s work you’ve encountered recently that you could share with us?” The female instructor looked genuinely eager, showing real interest in Zhongyuan poetry.

Bai Ruozhu thought for a moment, then recited a poem by his second brother, making the eyes of the other three light up with delight.

”This poem is so profound; whose work is it?” the beautiful woman asked happily.

”It’s composed by my elder brother; I love this one too, so I was bold enough to share it with everyone,” Bai Ruozhu replied with a laugh.

Kui Shou cast a fleeting glance at Bai Ruozhu, who quickly noticed the displeasure in his eyes, indicating that although Kui Shou was handsome and talented, he lacked magnanimity.

”With such an outstanding brother, how does Lord Bai compose poetry?” Kui Shou suddenly asked. Yet, before Bai Ruozhu could answer, he continued, ”Since the Emperor sent Lord Bai as a judge for this poetry conference, it implies that your achievements in poetry must be extraordinary.”

Hmph, does he want to provoke her into composing a poem with just a few words from a peacock man?

Of course, she didn’t enjoy poetry; if she had to, she would discreetly recall one from her memory, not her preferred method.

So, Bai Ruozhu smiled and said, ”Then you’ve misunderstood; my brother excels in literature, while I practice martial arts. I’m not good at composing poetry, sorry to disappoint.”

The female instructor quickly mediated, saying, ”Even if Lord Bai isn’t adept at composing, your vast knowledge is invaluable for assessing the ladies’ work later on.”

”You’re too kind, instructor; I will humbly accept the task,” Bai Ruozhu replied with a smile, not looking at Kui Shou, but addressing the female instructor.

The beautiful woman could see the undercurrents, yet neither helped Bai Ruozhu nor Kui Shou, merely smiling at the proceedings below as if she heard nothing.

Finally, time was up, and all the ladies had completed their compositions.

Bai Ruozhu glanced at Fangzi’s poem, amused by its simplicity, nearly resembling a doggerel. No wonder the young girl claimed she was poor at poetry writing.

However, many ladies’ poems were like that; for Fusang people to have this level was already quite good.

Soon, several of the better poems were chosen, and Bai Ruozhu noticed that Yaxi’s, Hui Zi’s, and Princess Ya’an’s poems were the best among them.

The beautiful woman on stage noticed Hui Zi’s face and inquired in surprise, ”Hui Zi, what happened to you?”

Hui Zi stood, bowing meekly, and said, ”I somehow fell just at the entrance; though I look a bit unsightly, it wouldn’t do to quit halfway, so I gathered my courage and came in.”

”You poor child, make sure to see the doctor later,” the beautiful woman said with concern.

The smile on Bai Ruozhu’s face deepened further. The beautiful woman’s concern seemed genuine, so she likely didn’t know Hui Zi was scheming against her daughter. Of course, Bai Ruozhu didn’t believe that at Hui Zi’s age, she could fool the beautiful woman; it was more probable that Hui Zi had just started to find Yaxi disagreeable, which is why she was only beginning to smear her; otherwise, the beautiful woman would have long since caught on.

”To persist despite it all is indeed commendable,” the female instructor’s eyes showed more admiration, indicating that in the subsequent scoring, ”the resilient Hui Zi” would receive higher marks.