Chapter 441 – Qualifications
Li Meirou sensed that Royal Princess Minglan was looking at her in a displeased manner and decided that she couldn’t lose this argument. She raised her voice to say, “Everyone who is here had ancestors who contributed to the country, which is how they ended up with their ranks. You’re only the daughter of a farmer, so how dare you compare us to you?”
Yu Xiaocao opened her eyes wide and looked at Li Meirou. It was only when the other girl started to feel uncomfortable that she finally replied, “You also said that this was all the deeds and contributions of your ancestors. So what leg do you have to stand on in being so proud and arrogant? Are you able to help the emperor in making the country better? Or are you able to improve the lives of the people? If you can’t, then are you in any position to look down on other people?”
Li Meirou was speechless. Her father, as the Right Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Appointments, was a third-ranked official. Other than He Wanning occasionally saying a remark that made everyone not know what to say, there really wasn’t anyone else in this circle who would speak to her so impolitely. At this moment, she was so incensed that her lips trembled and the rims of her eyes gradually turned red.
As one of the famed four talented girls in the capital, Wu Lingyun [1] had to interfere now. She stepped forward and said, “Older Sister Li had just had a misunderstanding with you and felt a bit upset about it. The only reason why she was a bit rude was because of the situation. Official Yu, do you need to be so overbearing?”
Overbearing? Her? Was the other girl sure it wasn’t the other way around? One shouldn’t be this obviously biased, right? Yu Xiaocao had never been the type of person to rein in her sharp tongue. That being said, it wasn’t as if she was trying to fawn over these maidens. What was the point in swallowing this humiliation for nothing? If they wanted to cause problems for her, then she wasn’t going to make their lives easy either.
“Miss Wu, the words you’re saying are a bit too biased! From the moment I entered, have I ever personally claimed to be the daughter of the Left Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Appointments? Miss Li made a mistake, which isn’t a big deal in the first place. But was there any need for her to lash out at me about my background and birth? From what Miss Wu is saying, I should take these insults, no matter how awful, and just endure it? Then, if someone wants to slap my face, I shouldn’t try to dodge and instead raise my face to meet their hands and let my dignity be trampled? Is this how the noble maidens in the capital interact with each other? If that’s the case, then I was wrong to come to this flower battle!”
As she finished, she slowly stood up and used a sharp gaze to look at all of the maidens who were obviously enjoying the show. She flitted across Wu Lingyun’s and Li Meirou’s faces before finally looking at Royal Princess Minglan. She moved a few steps as she said with an unapologetic look on her face, “Forgive me for causing havoc at your flower banquet, Your Highness. This pot of ‘Two Qiaos’ I will leave behind as a gift of apology. Hechun…”
Hechun stepped forward with a rigid look on her face and placed the pot of flowers in her hands up front. She also took cloth covering off of the flower, revealing a pot of chrysanthemums that had flowers that were colored yellow and purple on one bloom.
Royal Princess Minglan, who was a lover of chrysanthemums, immediately forgot the words of persuasion she wanted to say as her entire attention was now on that pot of gorgeous flowers. The dark green leaves contrasted sharply with the one flower in full bloom. The flower had rows of delicate petals and, in the exact middle, there was a clear division between the bright yellow petals and gorgeous purple petals. Next to the open bloom were several delicate buds that were all half yellow and purple. They seemed like shy little sisters that hid behind their beautiful sister and regarded everyone else bashfully.
