Chapter 133: Let Me Test You
She promptly agreed.
Chai Wan’er glanced at this “Yang Luo.”
Whether it was the lofty Princess His Majesty or being mockingly called a country bumpkin, she showed no unease or shame, and actually responded to both.
Was it that she didn’t understand, or was she just bold?
“You’re really something,” Chai Wan’er said with a half-smile, then looked at the others in the hall, “Are you all gathered here to celebrate for this impressive young lady?”
The young ladies in the hall had no desire to respond, their expressions shrinking back for a moment.
Yang Hui, who had been excitedly watching the spectacle, also froze.
Oh no, she wasn’t!
Too unlucky, she knew standing with this Yang Luo would bring no good!
“Wan’er young lady, you misunderstood.”
“Actually, I invited Miss Yang because I was curious and wanted to probe about other matters.”
Qin Ying hurriedly stepped forward to explain.
“Wan’er young lady, you’ve heard too, haven’t you? Miss Yang’s maidservant impersonated others to take the exam, but now she’s been switched back, and I’m just so curious.”
“This is all my fault. I’m no good at reading, couldn’t get into the National Academy to be a companion reader, so I could only invite everyone privately to enjoy the excitement.”
Qin Ying kept paying respects as she spoke.
“Wan’er young lady, since you’re here, why not sit down and join us in the fun?”
At this point, she gave “Yang Luo” an apologetic look, mentioning impersonating others was truly impolite…
No choice, she could only steady Chai Wan’er first, regardless of this Miss Yang Luo’s face.
Chai Wan’er sneered, “No need to hear this kind of excitement, it’s not anything glorious.”
Qin Ying was about to say something when Mo Zheng smiled, “Young lady, mind your words.”
Mind her words?
She was telling her to mind her words?
Chai Wan’er was stunned for a moment, looking at this “Yang Luo.”
“My maidservant impersonating others was wrong, but His Majesty and the Libationer forgave us and allowed our three to continue reading.” Mo Zheng looked at her and said, “This is the Sage Ruler’s benevolence, the Sage teaches without class distinction, something worth praising by all under Heaven. Young lady, saying it’s not glorious—do you think His Majesty and the Libationer were wrong?”
“You!” Chai Wan’er’s face stiffened.
“And also.” Mo Zheng interrupted again, glancing at her, “Young lady, who might you be?”
What? Chai Wan’er looked at her in disbelief.
She was mocking her?!
Chai Wan’er flew into a rage: “You—”
Just as she opened her mouth, this “Yang Luo” curtsied again.
“Please don’t be angry. You know I’m from the countryside coming to join relatives, don’t know many people, and you’re not a companion reader young lady…” She said apologetically, “I don’t know you….”
……
…….
What she said was truly… polite yet impolite. Qin Ying listened stunned beside her.
Chai Wan’er seemed stunned by the words too, momentarily unsure how to react.
Li Rong burst out laughing.
Chai Wan’er’s gaze coldly turned to her.
Li Rong was a bit timid and retreated slightly behind “Yang Luo.”
“Miss Yang, this is the third young lady of Marquis Yichun’s family, her aunt is the Empress.” She hurriedly said, shaking “Yang Luo’s” arm, “You, you don’t provoke her…”
Then, as if thinking of something, she stepped forward, blocking in front of “Yang Luo.”
“Wan’er, don’t bully her. She saved Princess Pingcheng, and the Empress and His Majesty both rewarded her as a meritorious official…”
“Meritorious official!” Chai Wan’er sneered, interrupting Li Rong, then looked at “Yang Luo” with a strange smile, “Miss Yang, I know you’re a meritorious official, but merit is merit, fault is fault. No need to drag in His Majesty and the Libationer to boast about yourself. I’m also thinking of His Majesty and the Libationer’s reputation.”
She stepped forward as she spoke.
Li Rong retreated backward somewhat afraid.
Chai Wan’er reached out and pushed her away: “Get out of the way, it’s your turn to speak before me!”
Li Rong cried out and was pushed aside, fortunately caught timely by her own maidservant.
Chai Wan’er ignored her and paced in front of “Yang Luo,” sighing.
“Here’s the thing: yesterday I went out with family elders and encountered some scholars discussing the Libationer’s new disciple, that is, you, Miss Yang. There was much criticism of you.”
“Miss Yang’s improper act of impersonating others, now taking first place, inevitably draws rebuke, which also harms His Majesty and the Libationer’s reputation.”
“Fortunately, Famous scholar Zhang Fang and Elder Bai were there at the time, so I asked each of them for a question.”
She stopped and gestured to her maidservant.
Two maidservants stepped forward, took out a sheet of paper and unfolded it, with a line written on each.
Chai Wan’er stood still, looking at Yang Luo.
“Miss Yang, let me test you. Answer these two questions and see if you’re just lucky once or truly learned, to prove your reputation.”
To prove reputation. Mo Zheng’s gaze turned to the questions in the two maidservants’ hands.
…….
…….
Qin Ying regretted it.
She shouldn’t have, just to prove she hadn’t misjudged—miss became maidservant, that maidservant’s young lady must be even more worth befriending—held this banquet…
Originally thought the embarrassment would be the companion reader young ladies not coming.
Didn’t expect the companion reader young ladies not to come, but an uninvited young lady did.
Miss Li family was fine, she came to support.
Miss Chai, however, came with ill intent.
Just as Miss Chai said, this Miss Yang’s exam score surpassed Princess Pingcheng.
Chai Wan’er came to vent for her princess cousin!
What to do?
She couldn’t stop Chai Wan’er.
Yang Hui this fool at least knew to step on low and lift high, to weigh others’ family background.
Chai Wan’er never needed to. As a young lady of Marquis Yichun’s family, with the Empress as aunt, she never needed to weigh others’ family background, always doing whatever she wanted.
So she could only wrong this Yang Luo.
Hope she could answer this question.
But even if she did, being forced publicly to answer and prove herself was a kind of humiliation.
“Young ladies…” Qin Ying squeezed out a smile, “How about some tea first?”
……
……
No one paid attention to Qin Ying’s words, no one in the mood for tea.
Gazes shifted between “Yang Luo” and those two questions.
“Chai Wan, you’re deliberately making things difficult. Miss Yang just started reading…” Li Rong called out aggrievedly, “I haven’t even seen this classics question.”
Chai Wan’er’s expression grew even more smug: “You not seeing it doesn’t mean Miss Yang hasn’t. She’s the Libationer’s disciple after all.”
She looked at “Yang Luo” again.
“Miss Yang, don’t you agree?”
“You can’t even answer this, can you?”
Mo Zheng withdrew her gaze from the question, looked at her: “You’re right, I am the Libationer’s disciple, so what qualification do you have to test me?”
Chai Wan’er was stunned. What?
Mo Zheng looked at her, enunciating each word: “I said, what qualification do you have to test me?”
Meaning she won’t answer? Chai Wan’er laughed ha: “You dare not answer? And you ask what qualification I have—”
“Of course I ask what qualification you have!” Mo Zheng said with a smile, “I was personally graced by His Majesty, sent to the National Academy as princess lady-in-waiting. The exam I took was proposed by His Majesty, questions by the Libationer. Can any random person jump out to test me?”
She finished, her gaze scanning Chai Wan’er from bottom to top.
Random person? Chai Wan’er’s ears buzzed. No one had ever dared speak to her like this in her life.
“Wretched maid!” She raged, instantly forgetting her father’s instructions. She must immediately teach this wretched maid a lesson. “How dare you speak to me like this? What are you!”
She raised the whip in her hand and lashed out.
The hall rang with the young ladies’ screams, mixed with Li Rong’s voice “Don’t hit her, hit me!”
At the same time, a loud male voice.
“Stop!”
A figure flashed, arm swung, bang—the raised whip was caught by a long sword and knocked to the ground.
Gently pulled by Mo Zheng, the retreating Yang Luo lifted her head and saw a back.
Even a back, she recognized at a glance.
Heh, her lips twitched, Zhu Yunxiao.
