C24

Qing He was speechless. It was a miracle that there was such a simple-minded princess in the palace. It looked like the empress had protected her well.

Qing He did not know that her name appeared on the list of participants in the poetry meet.

Three days passed by quickly. Qing He opened the curtain of the carriage and saw the sea of people and the endless stream of people. He sighed in his heart. This poetry meet was indeed well-deserved.

Qing He saw the words "Cang Lang Garden" on the plaque of a huge gate from afar. It was filled with vigor and vigor, it was surrounded by trees, and was full of grass. From afar, Cang Lang Garden seemed to be an integral part of nature, even though it was created by humans and opened from the heavens.

Qing He closed the curtain and could not help but exclaim in admiration, "This Cang Lang Garden is truly marvelous."

Sitting opposite Qing He, Qing Yao said, "Yes, third sister, this Cang Lang Garden is the personal garden of the Grand Commandant, and is known as the number one garden of the Xuanyuan Empire. The location of the poetry meet is also a part of the Cang Lang Country, and you have also come to participate in the poetry meet before, but you have forgotten about it."

"Yeah, third sister, after you participated, you somehow said that you wouldn't participate. After that, you never came to this garden again."

Qing He smiled. "Thank you, sisters. I wouldn't know if the sisters hadn't told me."

Liu Yue stared at Qing He blankly. Didn't she already tell Qing He, why did she say she didn't know?

Qing He gave Liu Yue a meaningful look. Qing He thought Qing Yuan was the only one who came with her. He didn't expect Su Qingyao and Su Qingqi to come too, as Qing He had been secretly harmed by them. She took a detour immediately after meeting them at the House of Generals, so Qing He was very unhappy.

At the door, the carriage stopped. The coachman and the attendant chatted for a bit before the carriage entered again.

Liuyue saw through Qing He's doubt and explained, "There are special passages for officials of the royal family, and reserved seats."

Qing He nodded to show that he understood.

After a while, the carriage stopped again, and the coachman called out, "Here we are."

They got off the carriage and were led to a stall by a waiter. A curtain was draped across the front of the compartment. There was a table with some fruit snacks and tea on it.

As they sat down, Qing He looked out the window through the screen.

A ring floated on top of a huge lake, in the middle of which numerous lotuses were competing to open up. There was a corridor that connected the four sides of the ring to the outside of the lake, and beyond the corridor was a stall or a resting area for the contestants.

Qing He liked this arrangement. She looked at the people coming and going, and asked, "How many people are participating in the poetry meet?"

Qing Yuan said slowly, "Most of the people here are spectators, and there are only twenty to thirty people participating in the competition. Ordinary people with insufficient talent will not register, and must be under twenty years old. This is a gathering of scholars, which is strange because there is only one victor here, and not only will this victor receive a generous reward, but most importantly, his name will be known, so there's no need to worry about his future career."

"Then what gift did I get last time?"

Flowing Moon continued, "It's a Rainbow Glazed Night Pearl. There's only one in the entire Xuanyuan Empire. I asked for it from Grand Commandant, but he didn't give it to me."

Qing Yuan laughed. "How can I give you such a precious thing? If you have the ability to win, you can also compete on stage."

Qing Yao also added, "That's right, the princess can compete on stage. I heard that Lord Grand Commandant has a lot of treasures."

"If I had that kind of ability, I would have entered the arena a long time ago. These are the most famous talents of the thirty-six counties of the Xuanyuan Dynasty. They speak with great grace and are all good poets."

Qing Yuan said, "Qing Yao, stop teasing her. Look, she's about to cry."

Flowing Moon angrily said to Qing Yuan, "What are you saying, who's crying?"

"Big brother Qing Yuan was just joking with you, don't take it seriously."

Liuyue snorted and ignored him.

"Welcome, princes and officials, talented people, to this gathering. I am the person in charge of this garden, Uncle Wu, and today there are twenty participants, all of them are famous figures of the Xuanyuan Empire, I guarantee that all of you will enjoy the show. Each competitor has a great time of discussion, and today's rules are the same as always: one person will stand guard, the rest will fight, and the first one will draw a lot to choose who to fight."

When Qing He heard this, he became interested.

"Yes!" Wu Bo shouted. "Miss Ye Lin of the Third Heavenly Sun County."

Around seventeen or eighteen years old, Ye Lin walked out of her pavilion, revealing the elegance of a Jiangnan citizen with a single gesture. She gracefully walked onto the stage and blessed herself, "Little girl, Ye Lin from the Sky Sun Country. Please take care of her for the first time in the competition this year."

Qing He narrowed his eyes at Ye Lin. This person was not a simple person.

Ye Lin then said, "I'm seventeen this year. Besides me, there's one other thing."

She looked around and smiled coquettishly, "Looking for my husband."

Someone spoke up, "What request does Miss Ye have to choose a husband?"

Ye Lin took two steps forward. "First, you can't look too ugly with your looks. Second, you have to convince me of your talents by defeating me. Third, you have to marry someone without an engagement. Fourth, you have to be in good health. Right, it's a simple challenge to challenge me. You don't have to be my husband."

She asked, "Do you know where this Ye Lin comes from?"

Qing Yuan said, "The conditions in the Heavenly Sun County are only second to the capital. Ye Lin is the daughter of the county governor of the Heavenly Sun County. She is also a well-known talented girl, and her popularity is the same as it was in the past."

Hearing his words, Qing He couldn't help but take another look.

"Hahaha …" A hearty laugh sounded out. A cyan robed man flew onto the stage in a few handsome postures.

"I am Cheng Ye of Turin County. I have admired Miss Ye's talent for a long time and have come to seek advice."

Ye Lin looked at the newcomer. He was a good-looking guy, and also had a good figure. Seeing that those two were martial artists, Ye Lin was very satisfied. She smiled at Cheng Ye and asked, "Are you here for a blind date or just to challenge me?"

Cheng Ye clasped his fists, "I already have a wife, so I don't meet the requirements of the lady. I am only here to seek guidance from you because I admire the talent of the lady."

Ye Lin's smile froze.

"Hahaha …" Liuyue couldn't help but clap her hands on the table and laugh wildly, "This Ye Lin, she was looking at Cheng Ye with a face full of satisfaction just a moment ago. I didn't expect that Cheng Ye had already gotten married. Look at her expression, it's so interesting."

Qing He also felt that it was funny. Her lips were curled up, but her emotions weren't fluctuating at all.

In the arena, Ye Lin quickly adjusted her emotions and asked with a smile, "How does Princess Cheng want to compete?"