"What's this, Third Miss, are you interested in going on stage now?" Miss Han said to Third Miss, ignoring the others at this moment. She only knew Third Miss and wasn't familiar with the others.
"No, I'm just a spectator. With Miss Han up there, I'm sure it will be very exciting." Third Miss said with a smile.
"Susu, who is this?" Young Miss looked toward Miss Han, stealing Nangong Su's question, and Young Miss's eyes seemed to hold special meaning.
Damn, Young Miss's special hobby is acting up again.
"This is the daughter of Governor Han of Qingyun City, famous throughout the world for her musical talents - the talented woman Han Qin." Third Miss introduced.
"This is my big sister..." Third Miss introduced her side, "And this is Miss Mo Yu of the Mo family."
When the Mo family was mentioned, Han Qin was a bit surprised. She had heard that the Nangong family and Mo family didn't get along well - how could the Mo family's Young Miss be hanging around with the Nangong family?
"Han Qin greets all the young misses. 'Talented woman' - Third Miss flatters me too much. Who doesn't know that Third Miss is Qingyun City's number one talented woman." Han Qin said very modestly after greeting them.
"That's just what some busybodies say. Actually, I only understand a little, and that was only when Miss Han wasn't in Qingyun City. If Miss Han had been here, the number one position would definitely be yours." Third Miss said calmly.
"Hehe, Third Miss is too kind..." Han Qin said with a laugh. She neither refuted nor acknowledged this, making her meaning very clear - she was eyeing Third Miss's position as number one talented woman.
Perhaps her calling Third Miss to go on stage was also to seize this position.
Because of her attitude, Nangong Suxin was very displeased, and Young Miss, "loving the house and its crow," also had no good feelings toward this Han Qin.
However, in literature there is no clear first place, so Han Qin's attitude wasn't hard to understand and was quite normal.
"Huh? How are you here?"
At this moment, Han Qin suddenly noticed Chi Chi on the ground eating sugar-roasted chestnuts, then turned to see Xiaoyao throwing chestnuts. She was a bit puzzled.
"I was already here. Weren't you the one who called me over." Xiaoyao replied casually.
"What, you know her?" Young Miss asked. This question was directed at Xiaoyao, but Han Qin thought the question was for her, since normally in such situations with so many young ladies present, no one would ask a servant.
"This little servant is someone I just brought over. Today's activities are different from previous years. We'll randomly select people from various social levels to play riddle games. This was my suggestion, to have fun with the people." Han Qin said with a smile, feeling this made her very proud.
"..."
Young Miss and the others fell silent, all looking at Han Qin with eyes full of doubt, thinking of what Xiaoyao had said earlier.
Ugly...
Flirtatious...
Undeniably, this Han Qin wasn't very likeable, but her appearance couldn't be called ugly. As for flirtatious, that was hard to say.
"What's wrong? What's wrong with everyone? Why are you all looking at me like this." Han Qin was a bit strange, not understanding why everyone was looking at her with such odd expressions.
"Xiaoyao, is she the woman you mentioned earlier?" Young Miss ignored Han Qin and asked Xiaoyao, who was still eating sugar-roasted chestnuts.
"Yes, that's her. She gave me ten taels of silver, very wealthy." Xiaoyao nodded.
"..." This time, everyone's gazes became even stranger.
"What's wrong with you all? Why are you looking at me like this?" Han Qin was confused about the situation again.
"Nothing. It's none of your business..." Nangong Suxin shook her head. She didn't know how to explain this matter, better to wait until after this person left to ask Xiaoyao.
Because no matter what, if they said it to her face, it would definitely make this Han Qin very embarrassed.
Although this Han Qin wasn't very likeable, she was the governor's daughter after all, and Governor Han's family background was very strong - Qingyun City governor was only a small part of it.
Though the Han family established itself through literature and was far inferior to martial families in martial arts, they had been officials for generations and possessed strong influence in Heavenly Wind Kingdom that ordinary families couldn't contend with.
Because of this, although Governor Han was only a provincial governor, even the prefect had to show him respect. Plus he was relatively clean as an official with good political achievements and decent governance, making the people of Qingyun City respect him.
"You can't say it's none of her business." Young Miss didn't know what giving face meant, or perhaps she didn't know Han Qin's background, or perhaps she simply didn't care.
"Mo Yu..." Nangong Suxin spoke up, wanting to remind her.
"It's fine, what's there to fear. Xiaoyao, this Han Qin isn't ugly, and she looks quite proper. How did you say she was ugly and flirtatious, throwing sultry glances?" Young Miss asked Xiaoyao.
"What." Han Qin was indeed angry, looking at Xiaoyao, wanting to know what this meant.
A mere servant actually said she was ugly and flirtatious - this was naked slander.
"I'm ugly. I'm flirtatious. You servant better explain this clearly today, or I'll throw you in jail." Han Qin immediately pointed at Xiaoyao coldly.
"Young Miss, I didn't say she was ugly. I only said she was uglier than you. Don't you think she's prettier than you?" Xiaoyao replied very innocently.
"..." Everyone seemed not to have thought carefully about this wording. If it was really said this way, then there were countless people uglier than Young Miss, including several from the Nangong family.
Everyone habitually assumed that saying someone was uglier than someone else meant that person should be ugly.
"You." Han Qin was so choked she couldn't speak. She'd rather be called ugly than be compared and told she was uglier than someone else.
This was completely a slap in the face, and being slapped with no way to refute made it even more depressing.
What made her even more depressed was that Young Miss very rudely continued to step on her:
"Mm, that's right, she is uglier than me, and by more than a little." Young Miss nodded very proudly, her smug expression making several girls present have the urge to beat someone up.
"As for being flirtatious and throwing sultry glances, that's a fact. When she came over, she threw sultry glances at me, blinking desperately, her eyes all misty - so seductive. Fortunately I have strong willpower and could ignore it." Xiaoyao continued.
"Bastard, what nonsense are you spouting? I didn't throw sultry glances at you... I... wait, I remember now, bastard, that wasn't sultry glancing. I was blinking because the smoke from those sugar-roasted chestnuts was too thick - I was choking." Han Qin said through gritted teeth. She now wanted nothing more than to bite this bastard servant to death.
"..." Everyone fell silent.
"Ah, so that's how it was. You scared me - I thought my carefully hidden handsomeness had been discovered." Xiaoyao said very shamelessly.
"..."
Wearing old, inferior servant clothes, a worn little leather cap, his face even a bit blackened (smoked by the furnace these past few days) nowhere could anyone see where he was handsome.
"Handsome? Hmph. I chose you because I couldn't find anyone worse." Han Qin said very disdainfully. This statement was fact - she indeed wanted to find the worst person for dramatic effect.
"Damn, how can you talk like that? With so many people here, how could I possibly be the worst..." Xiaoyao was angry - this was a personal attack.
"Then find me someone worse. Go find another low-ranking servant, and I'll replace him with you, and you can return those ten taels of silver to me." Han Qin said very disdainfully.
"Fine. I'm the worst." Xiaoyao nodded, acknowledging it.
This guy, I really want to kick you to death.
Young Miss, Nangong Suxin and the others all wanted to kick Xiaoyao - for ten taels of silver, don't you even want your dignity?
Dignity? Was that even involved?
Xiaoyao didn't think so. Being a low-ranking servant was a fact, and if ranking by status here, low-ranking servants could be said to be at the bottom. Even finding others would just be a matter of half a catty versus eight ounces.
Right now he only knew that in his spare time, he'd earned ten taels of silver compensation - equivalent to several months of salary.
"Hmph~" Han Qin raised her head disdainfully, then walked proudly onto the platform.
"Xiaoyao, how can you be so embarrassing. For money, you admitted you're the worst." Young Miss grabbed Xiaoyao and scolded him.
"Young Miss, how is this embarrassing. By the way, didn't you also choose me when you said to pick the worst one." Xiaoyao replied casually.
"..."
Young Miss and Nangong Suxin both remembered that time when Xiaoyao was selected by the servants...
"I'll just go through the motions later - these ten taels of silver are too easy to earn. That Miss Han, acting all proud like that, let her be proud." Xiaoyao said carelessly. "Young Miss, I'm going up. Don't interfere with anything in the middle - I'm only representing myself. If you come up, it'll be different."
"Got it, so long-winded." Young Miss waved her hand impatiently.
Actually, Xiaoyao was right. He could get real benefits, and being called the worst was his personal business. Besides, from different angles, people would view this differently.
Never mind all that - what's left is to watch the show.
You brought this guy up there - what great people-picking skills. Soon you'll know how to write the word "regret."
"Fellow townspeople, fathers and elders, brothers and sisters, today on this Lantern Festival, at this lantern gathering, according to tradition we will present to everyone a live lantern riddle competition. All riddles will be posed and solved on the spot."
"In previous years, talented scholars and beauties posed and solved riddles. Today is different - we invite everyone present, randomly selecting people from all social levels."
After the opening remarks, the host began introducing the rules of this activity and introducing the participants. Of course, the talented scholars and beauties would be introduced first.
To show fairness, or rather to demonstrate the talented scholars' and beauties' connection with common people, everyone would cooperate with a civilian representative and form several teams.
(End of Chapter)