The Reborn Princess Has Turned Evil

Chapter 208 Gathering of Talents (3)

She gracefully performed a curtsy, her waist slender and her figure delicate and graceful.

Jing Anle picked up a cup of tea, took a sip, and glanced discreetly at Murong Ruoyan's location.

A moment later, a melodious sound of a guqin rang out.

The sound of a single string evokes the imagery of flowing water amidst towering mountains.

the other side.

Murong Ruoyan had no intention of going to the outhouse; she was just embarrassed and went along with it. She straightened her skirt, and suddenly a melodious zither tune drifted over.

This is?

"Qingyuntai"—is this the piece she's preparing to play? How could it be?

Murong Ruoyan was extremely anxious. Just as she was about to push the door open, she discovered that it had been locked from the outside by someone.

"Lan Xin?" Murong Ruoyan tried to call out.

Lan Xin was a maid brought by Murong Ruoyan. She had come with her earlier, but no matter how Murong Ruoyan called out, no one answered her outside.

"Help! Help!"

This was, after all, the general's mansion, and the outhouse was elegantly built. No one outside could hear the noise inside. Her voice had long been drowned out by the music outside, so no one heard her shouts at all.

As the piece "Qingyuntai" was finished, Murong Ruoyan felt flustered. She tried to calm herself down and comforted herself, saying, "Don't be afraid, luckily I have a backup piece."

But the problem at hand was how to get out. Just as she was worrying about it, footsteps sounded outside the door.

Murong Ruoyan was somewhat excited, and her voice was tinged with joy. She did not dare to be arrogant and said politely, "I wonder which young lady is outside? I am Murong Ruoyan from the Pingchang Marquis's residence. Please open the door for me."

Her words were reasonable and measured, but no one outside responded to her.

"Excuse me, is anyone outside?" Murong Ruoyan asked again.

Just as she was knocking on the door with a puzzled look in her mind, her intuition made her look up unconsciously, and unexpectedly, a bucket of water of unknown origin poured down on her head.

"what!"

Murong Ruoyan couldn't help but scream. In an instant, her hair was disheveled and fell askew, her clothes were soaked, and what's worse, she emitted a nauseating stench.

How could a pampered young lady have ever suffered such humiliation? A tremendous sense of shame made her scream uncontrollably, and tears streamed down her face. She cried and screamed in the outhouse of the general's mansion, like a mad pheasant.

The lobby, however, offers a different kind of scenery.

This Shao En, though pretty and dressed in bright colors, played the piano with such grace that it sounded like something out of a fairy tale.

"This is really interesting," Jing Anle thought to himself.

"What does the princess mean by this?" Afang asked, leaning closer.

Jing Anle squinted and said in a low voice, "This Miss Shao is deliberately dressed up to be charming and beautiful, but the music she plays is melodious and ethereal. The music reflects her heart. She must be a person of noble character."

Afang reacted quickly this time, "What the princess means is that this Miss Shao dressed up like this on purpose."

Everyone knows that Madam Qin was born into a military family and dislikes pretentious women. This Miss Shao dressed up like this precisely because she didn't want to catch Madam Qin's eye.

Jing Anle glanced at Shao En and said leisurely, "Not everyone is willing to be a caged bird and be manipulated."

As expected, Madam Qin showed little interest in this Miss Shao, only asking a few casual questions.

The other noble ladies could also see through Madam Qin's attitude. Some were secretly pleased, some remained calm, and others were gloating.

Shao En, on the other hand, remained calm and composed.

"Please continue with the drawing of lots, Your Highness," Qin Zhihua said.

Jing Anle smiled and nodded. At this moment, Mu Ping quietly returned, carrying a handkerchief in her hand. Jing Anle naturally took the handkerchief and wiped her hands, as if Mu Ping had prepared the handkerchief specifically for Jing Anle.

"Next up is Zou Qinyi, daughter of the Prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture," Jing Anle announced.

The Prefect of Jingzhao? Jing Anle thought to himself: So that must be the one who recently took office.

In the previous case involving Fang Ling's son, Fang Xianda, the former Prefect of Jingzhao was dismissed, and the current one is naturally the new one.

Upon hearing her name called, Zou Qinyi gracefully rose from her seat, first bowing to Jing Anle, then greeting Old Madam Qin, saying, "This humble girl greets Old Madam. I am not as talented as my sisters, so please excuse my poor performance."

The manners were impeccable, and Madam Qin nodded in satisfaction.

Zou Qinyi walked to the center of the hall, picked up her pipa, and created a beautiful scene of a beauty embracing the moon.

She spoke slowly, "May the old lady enjoy boundless happiness and longevity."

After she finished speaking, her skillful hands plucked the strings of the zither, and the music was stirring and cheerful; it turned out to be a birthday poem.

Jing Anle smiled without saying a word, knowing that this was someone with a plan. She said affectionately to Old Madam Qin, "Grandmother, this Miss Zou is quite ingenious."

When she was young, Madam Qin disliked such fancy things, and even in her old age, she wouldn't show it on her face. She just smiled and said, "The princess is right. This Miss Zou is indeed very thoughtful."

This Zou Qinyi is the eldest daughter of the Zou family. Although her mother was the first wife, she was of low status. Later, when the Zou family prospered, Zou's father took a second wife, and the mother and daughter did not have an easy life.

That's why Zou Qinyi is working so hard; if she can win over Old Madam Qin, her future will be secure.

Despite her performance, Old Madam Qin showed no joy and was somewhat disappointed.

Seeing that it was almost time, Jing Anle casually pulled out a piece of paper and read it aloud in a low voice: "Next..."

"Murong Ruoyan from the Pingchang Marquis's Mansion."

Ok?

No one answered, and everyone looked at the empty seat.

"I suppose Miss Murong hasn't returned yet. Perhaps I should go and call her?" Zou Qinyi said, as she wanted to show off her abilities.

Qin Zhihua laughed heartily and waved her hand, saying, "How can we do that?"

Seeing that Qin Zhihua did not refuse, Zou Qinyi said happily, "What's inconvenient about that? We're all familiar sisters."

As he spoke, he stood up.

Pu Yanran, who was sitting next to her, also stood up and said, "Why don't I go with Sister Zou?"

Zou Qinyi clenched her fist, knowing that Pu Yanran was doing this on purpose, but with so many people around, it was difficult to refuse. "That's fine then, anyway, we'll be back soon."

"Qiu Tong, shall we go with her to see how Miss Murong is doing?"

"Yes." Qiu Tong was Qin Zhihua's close attendant. Upon receiving the order, she led two maids out.

Jing Anle sat there, quietly waiting to watch this good show.