The most dissolute couple in the capital

Cui Qingyi sat quietly in the corner, watching the group of noble ladies vying for attention.

Some people arranged flowers, some played the zither, and some even composed a sentimental poem on the spot, forcing Princess Yongning to put on a smiling face and praise it as "good."

Cui Qingyi ate her snacks while mentally giving herself a score.

The flower arranger was a 7 out of 10. The technique was alright, but the aesthetic sense was lacking. The vase opening was too narrow and didn't match the grandeur of the peony.

The one playing the zither, five points. Her fingering is good, but she's playing "The Phoenix Seeks Its Mate"—young lady, are you sure you want to play this in front of a group of unmarried girls?

The one who wrote the poem...

Cui Qingyi silently took a bite of the peach shortbread, deciding not to comment further, wanting to save face for the other person.

"Why isn't Miss Cui going up?" A girl in a pink ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) approached with a smile. "I heard your flower arranging is exceptional."

Cui Qingyi recognized her; she was Zhou Wanqing, the eldest daughter of the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. In her previous life, they had a good relationship. Later, she married a prefect who was stationed in another region, and they lived a peaceful life.

"Sister Zhou, you flatter me." Cui Qingyi smiled gently and calmly. "I'm not feeling well today, so I won't embarrass myself by performing."

Zhou Wanqing exclaimed "Oh dear!" and looked at her with concern, "Have you caught a cold?"

"It's nothing, I probably ate a couple more iced dishes last night because I was feeling a bit chilly," Cui Qingyi said innocently.

Zhou Wanqing believed her and patted the back of her hand, "Then you should rest well. Your health is more important than anything else."

Cui Qingyi watched her leave, secretly letting out a sigh of relief.

First hurdle passed.

As long as she doesn't stand out, Old Madam Zheng won't notice her. Although Cui Qingyi comes from the Cui family of Qinghe, she is from a collateral branch. Her father is only a sixth-rank secretary. Among all the daughters of high-ranking officials, she is hardly a dazzling presence.

In her previous life, she was able to catch the eye of Madam Zheng entirely because of her flower arranging skills and her smooth and thoughtful responses.

Now she does nothing; she is just an ordinary daughter of an official in Chang'an.

Ordinary is good.

Ordinary means free.

Sure enough, halfway through the talent show, Cui Qingyi noticed that Old Madam Zheng's gaze swept around the room.

The gaze swept over her head without lingering for even a moment.

Cui Qingyi mentally set off a string of firecrackers.

Then, she saw Madam Zheng's gaze fall on another person.

It was a young woman dressed in an apricot-colored blouse, holding a sheep's hair brush, painting an ink orchid on plain silk. Her brushstrokes were elegant, her painting was of superior quality, and her every move exuded a refined and reserved charm.

Cui Qingyi narrowed her eyes.

Liu Ruyue.

In his previous life, Zheng Wenyuan's first concubine was also placed in his household by his second wife. They claimed they were "childhood sweethearts" and "innocent childhood friends," but in reality, it was just a scheme by his second wife to plant spies within the eldest son's family.

The year after Cui Qingyi married into the Zheng family, this Miss Liu was carried in.

In her past life, she endured countless grievances and suffered countless open and hidden attacks because of Liu Ruyue.

Now—

Cui Qingyi took a bite of the peach shortbread.

What does it have to do with her?

Old Madam Zheng can choose whomever she wants. Liu Ruyue wants to marry into the Zheng family? Excellent, go ahead, go ahead! Cui Qingyi wholeheartedly agrees, and it would be best if she could return all the suffering she endured in her past life intact.

"Qingyi." Cui Lingyi returned sometime earlier, holding a cup of fresh tea, and handed it to her. "I changed it to hot tea."

"Thank you, sister." Cui Qingyi took the drink and took a sip; it was her favorite Longjing tea.

Cui Lingyi sat down next to her and lowered her voice: "I just saw Old Madam Zheng glance this way."

Cui Qingyi almost spat out her tea.

"But I wasn't looking at you," Cui Lingyi added, her tone subtle. "I was looking at the Liu family girl who painted the ink orchids."

"Oh," Cui Qingyi said calmly. "That's good."

Cui Lingyi stared at her for a long time, hesitating to speak.

Of course, she knew what her younger sister was thinking. Although Cui Qingyi was from a collateral branch, she was exceptionally talented and had a dignified appearance. Cui Lingyi had also privately analyzed the situation for her. Zheng Wenyuan, the eldest son of the Zheng family of Xingyang, was of similar age and had not yet been engaged. If she could make an appearance at this flower-viewing banquet, it might not be impossible.

As a result, this girl seemed like a completely different person today. She didn't show any interest in anything, and she couldn't even muster the energy to talk to people. She just sat here eating snacks.

"Are you really not going?" Cui Lingyi asked one last time to confirm.

Cui Qingyi shook her head, her smile sincere and firm: "I'm not going. Sister, do you know what I've been thinking about lately?"

"What?"

What is the most important thing in a person's life?

Cui Lingyi thought she was going to say something profound, so she waited with a serious expression.

"It means doing less work," Cui Qingyi said, emphasizing each word.

Cui Lingyi: "…………"

She looked at the sky, then at her cousin. The sun wasn't even that hot, so how could she have heatstroke?

Just then, applause rang out. Liu Ruyue had finished her ink orchid painting, and Princess Yongning had personally praised it. Old Madam Zheng nodded with a smile, her eyes full of approval.

Cui Qingyi watched this scene from afar, feeling extremely pleased.

The alternative is already available.

She was about to eat another piece of mung bean cake when she suddenly caught a glimpse of a familiar figure walking towards her.

Wearing a lotus-colored jacket, a white jade hairpin, she walked with a dignified gait and a warm smile.

Is this Madam Zheng?!??

No, according to the script from the previous life, Madam Zheng should have gone to find Liu Ruyue to further examine her speech and character. Why did she bypass her?

Does her very existence possess an inherent attraction?

No, no, no, calm down.

Cui Qingyi carefully observed Madam Zheng's walking route—

She was heading in this direction, that's right, but her destination...

Cui Qingyi slowly turned her head and looked at a girl who was looking down at a book three steps away to her left.

The young woman was dressed in a simple blue ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), with a cool and aloof demeanor. She held a scroll of the Book of Songs in her hand and was reading it very attentively.

Cui Qingyi did not know her.

But Madam Zheng clearly recognized her.

"Whose daughter is this? What books does she read?" Old Madam Zheng walked over, her voice kind.

The young woman raised her head, bowed, and replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Madam, my daughter is Lu Shi. My father is an assistant instructor at the Imperial Academy. In my hand is the poem 'Guan Ju' from the Book of Songs."

Madam Zheng smiled and patted her hand: "Good child, so calm and composed."

Cui Qingyi: …………

She had heard those lines before, word for word.

It seems that Madam Zheng's criteria for choosing a daughter-in-law are quite consistent: whoever is quiet, dignified, and easy to control, she will choose.

Cui Qingyi silently moved two steps to the side, afraid that if Old Madam Zheng turned around, she would be dragged along as well.

Fortunately, Madam Zheng chatted with Miss Lu for a few more minutes before leaving with a smile.

Cui Qingyi breathed a sigh of relief.

Cui Lingyi leaned closer, covering her mouth with a fan, her gaze complex: "Old Madam Zheng was standing right next to you just now, yet you didn't react at all."

Cui Qingyi turned her head and gave a sweet and obedient smile: "Sister, she didn't come to see me."

Cui Lingyi gave her a deep look, feeling that something was off about her cousin today, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

As the talent show segment drew to a close, Princess Yongning had a new round of tea, snacks, and drinks served.

Cui Qingyi had just picked up a cup of freshly brewed tea when she noticed the water was scalding hot, the surface of the porcelain cup burning. She instinctively pulled her hand back, her fingertips brushing against the rim of the cup for a fleeting moment—

A plan immediately came to mind.