Chapter 1447

Yuan Zhisheng and Su Yujin exchanged a glance that could be understood but not spoken.

Minister of Rites Wang Qiezhi walked back and forth observing the progress of the more than twenty contestants; the predetermined time was half an hour, and everyone had to finish their artwork within the allotted time. Hu Xiaotian was completely at ease, finishing first, and Wang Qiezhi picked up his completed portrait and handed it to the two chief examiners.

Yuan Zhisheng and Su Yujin looked over and saw on the white paper a lively portrait of a young lady—it was Princess Yingyue, the figure vivid and lifelike on the page. Yuan Zhisheng was a renowned calligrapher and painter of the Fragrant Heaven Kingdom; given his experience, he had never seen such a technique that captured both form and spirit, his expression clearly somewhat excited as he stroked his beard and praised, "Good! Good!"

The chief examiners openly exclaimed their approval, while the remaining contestants naturally felt disheartened—not everyone had talent for painting, and three of them simply didn't move their brushes at all.

Hu Xiaotian secretly chuckled, never expecting to win so easily; it must be that Xi Yue is considerate and deeply fond of me—what merit do I, Hu Xiaotian, have to earn such affection from a beauty, to devise the method of using charcoal sketches to eliminate others, and Xi Yue has put great thought into it.

Half an hour quickly passed; everyone submitted their work, and Yuan Zhisheng selected ten that were passable to have palace maids deliver to Princess Yingyue for her decision, while those not chosen naturally became the first batch of eliminations.

The results came back quickly; five of the ten paintings were eliminated, leaving only five people, Hu Xiaotian certainly among them, though Xue Daoming was not eliminated in this round either.

Yuan Zhisheng then announced the five selected paintings on the spot; Hu Xiaotian actually had the advantage of familiarity with the technique. Among the five finally selected, if we compare painting skill, none is inferior to him, but when it comes to likeness, certainly no one but Hu Xiaotian. He is the only one among the five who has seen the real person; the others have only seen embroidered images, and this is their first time using charcoal, so Hu Xiaotian enjoys all the advantages.

Hu Xiaotian paid special attention to Xue Daoming's painting; Xue Daoming's work is fundamentally not Long Xi Yue but clearly a purple cuckoo, though the eyebrows and eyes of the purple cuckoo still bear a three‑tenths resemblance to Long Xi Yue. It seems Xue Daoming has suffered greatly at the hands of Xi Yan, still holding onto the image of the purple cuckoo in his heart—his affection is truly deep. Objectively speaking, Xue Daoming's painting is really not bad; using an unfamiliar brush he managed to reach this level, showing the depth of his foundation. If today's contest weren't a themed competition allowing free expression, Hu Xiaotian couldn't guarantee he would definitely win.

However, after this round of painting comparison, no ultimate victor was selected; instead, these five advanced to the next round.

This round, however, was a couplet match; Yuan Zhisheng presented the upper line, and the five finalists vied to answer. Yuan Zhisheng habitually stroked his beard and said, "Gentlemen, please listen carefully. My upper line is—'The moon is full in heaven, half on earth; month after month, the full moon meets the half.'"

Hu Xiaotian felt a surge of excitement; this was exactly the moment when he and Long Xi Yue slipped and fell into the hollow valley together. Long Xi Yue had tested him on his first couplet question, and he was about to speak when someone nearby already answered: "Tonight is the year's end, tomorrow the year's beginning; year after year, the year's end joins the year's start."

Hu Xiaotian glared fiercely at that person, "Damn! He actually stole my thunder."

Yuan Zhisheng laughed, "Marvelous! Good! Good!"

That man was smug. By securing the first move, he gave himself a slightly better chance than others; everyone has a competitive spirit, and even knowing the outcome, he still wanted to outshine Hu Xiaotian in appearance.

Yuan Zhisheng then said, "One night, five watches; half a night, half of the five watches!"

This time Xue Daoming was the first to speak: "Three autumns, eighth month; Mid‑Autumn, the middle of the eighth month!"

Hu Xiaotian realized there were indeed many experts in couplets, and this group was the fastest; although he had opened his mouth too, he ultimately fell a step behind Xue Daoming. Outsiders wouldn't grasp the subtlety, but only Hu Xiaotian understood Long Xi Yue's intention—this gentle, lovable princess was flirting with him; recalling the night they were trapped in the hollow valley truly is unforgettable.

Hu Xiaotian racked his brains, recalling that the next couplet should be—"Sun in the east, moon in the west, heaven forms the character 'bright'; son on the right, daughter on the left, the world ordains a good match!" Damn it, this time I'll show you what it means to buzz in! Hu Xiaotian missed the buzzer on two attempts, his frustration naturally building; this time, no matter what, he must succeed in buzzing in.

Yuan Zhisheng said, "The couplet is just to let everyone relax; the next question is the key. It's not overly complex, nor is it simple—whoever can answer this question will basically win."

Hu Xiaotian exclaimed in astonishment, "Are we not doing couplets anymore?"

Yuan Zhisheng replied, "There were only two couplet questions, and we've finished them both!"

Hu Xiaotian felt gloomy; just two questions—could it be that I'm eliminated outright? Careless, really too careless.

Fortunately, this round had no elimination rule; Yuan Zhisheng smiled and said, "To win the princess, you must understand her heart. Do you know what kind of life the princess most wishes for?"

Again, the boy who had been the first to answer just now said: "If I marry the princess, I will take care of her and protect her, give her the most beautiful clothes, the most luxurious residence, the most extravagant carriages and horses, making her the happiest woman in the world."

Hu Xiaotian, upon hearing this question, was no longer in a hurry.

Yuan Zhisheng again turned his gaze toward Xue Daoming.

Xue Daoming said: "If I marry the princess, she will become the consort of Da Yong; all the power, status, glory, and honor I possess will be shared with her."

Hu Xiaotian snorted; Xue Daoming's former splendor in Da Yong is long gone—the throne was inherited by his elder brother Xue Daohong, who would love nothing more than to see him dead, yet this fellow still has the cheek to talk about power and status; in Da Yong he's nothing but a tail‑tucked nobody.

Yuan Zhisheng was the last to ask Hu Xiaotian: "Master Hu, what do you think is the princess's greatest wish?"

Hu Xiaotian smiled faintly, and his answer stunned everyone: "She wants to become a monkey!"

After the silence, the hall burst into laughter; even Xue Daoming couldn't help laughing, inwardly scorning him, thinking this fellow must be over‑excited—what woman would want to become a monkey? If Princess Yingyue heard such nonsense, she'd never choose him.

Su Yujin took out an envelope, opened it to glance at the contents, then handed it to Yuan Zhisheng.

A knowing smile appeared on Yuan Zhisheng's lips; he nodded to the crowd and said: "Except for Master Hu, everyone else may leave—the princess already has her answer."

This answer was not something newly arrived, nor was it the monkey Hu Xiaotian mentioned, for the note inside contained only three words—Hu Xiaotian.

Apart from Hu Xiaotian, Long Xi Yue would choose no one else; to her there are only two outcomes: either she chooses Hu Xiaotian, or she chooses death.

Upon hearing this result, no one was surprised, though some felt unwilling; they had made the trip in vain, never seeing Princess Yingyue, and this election ended in a baffling defeat—how could a perfectly fine princess refuse her status to want to be a monkey, truly incomprehensible. Yet now that the answer is revealed, there is no need for anyone else to stay.

Xue Daoming still felt a bit unwilling; he asked Yuan Zhisheng: "What exactly does Princess Yingyue look like?"

Yuan Zhisheng pointed to the portrait drawn by Hu Xiaotian and said: "It's almost identical."

Su Yujin beckoned Hu Xiaotian, leading him to the rear garden, leaving the flower hall and entering a quiet corridor. Although it was Mid‑Autumn, the garden of the Green Shadow Pavilion was still bursting with flowers—fragrance filling the air, blossoms in myriad colors, leaves variegated, the whole garden a sight to behold. Walking the corridor, scented with blossoms, his eyes full of color, thinking of the imminent meeting with Long Xi Yue, Hu Xiaotian felt as if he had stepped into a dream.

Su Yujin said: "The Empress Dowager has sent me to tell you: you must treat Princess Yingyue kindly."

Hu Xiaotian nodded repeatedly, even feeling that Su Yujin had become much more adorable.

Su Yujin said: "Although you refuse to admit it, I know it was you who sneaked into the Qingxuan Temple that day!"

Hu Xiaotian sighed: "Master Su seems to be biased against me."

Su Yujin said: "If you want something to stay unknown, don't do it—don't think that saving the Empress Dowager and the king makes you a saint overnight."

Hu Xiaotian said: "If I become the prince consort of the Tianxiang Kingdom, Master Su ought to be a bit more courteous toward me; I know nothing of what you speak of. If you have evidence, produce it and let me confess; if not, it's best not to bring up baseless rumors—I have a short temper."

Su Yujin snorted coldly: "Are you threatening me?"

"Not at all! Not at all!"

By now the two had reached the end of the corridor, where a palace maid in a green dress stood, smiling sweetly as she gave Hu Xiaotian a respectful salute and said softly: "Master Hu, our princess is waiting for you inside."

Hu Xiaotian smiled and nodded; Su Yujin stopped in her tracks, her expression unsmiling. Hu Xiaotian had not misspoken—though she suspected him, she had no solid proof. Now that Hu Xiaotian had done a kindness for the Tianxiang Kingdom and even become its prince consort, it was clearly impossible to use force against him; another plan would be needed.

Hu Xiaotian followed the maid into the chamber, seeing a silhouette behind the bead curtain. Unable to contain his excitement, the maid smiled slightly, turned and left. Hu Xiaotian drew a deep breath, calmed his emotions, then asked: "Is it you?"

From behind the screen came Long Xi Yue's familiar voice; she gave an affirmative hum.

"Xi Yue!" Hu Xiaotian prepared to lift the bead curtain and enter.

But Long Xi Yue's voice came: "You are not allowed to come over!"

Hu Xiaotian had no choice but to stop, speaking softly: "Are you angry with me? Blaming me for not coming to see you for so long?"

Behind the bead curtain, Long Xi Yue remained silent.

Hu Xiaotian sighed, feeling self‑reproach: "I know you must be unhappy; if I were in your place I'd be angry too. At first I was deceived by Zhou Mo and even doubted you. You have treated me so well, forsaking your status and wealth, content with coarse tea and plain food, wearing simple clothes and hairpins, accompanying me as I roamed the mountains like a monkey—how could I harbor even the slightest doubt about you?"

Third Update sent—just out playing, having just checked into a guesthouse; the chapter to be typed on the high‑speed rail will be uploaded shortly. Updates continue during the Spring Festival, the typing continues, to repay brothers and sisters with unceasing effort for their support. Once again wishing everyone a happy New Year and all the best! (To be continued~^~)