Princess Yuan'an still hadn't arrived by the time they finished dinner at Cuihua Tower.
Princess Yuan'an had gone off to play somewhere and was probably already completely engrossed in her fun.
After eating and drinking their fill, Princess Ankang and her party exited Cuihua Tower.
At this time, the four gates of the East Market had already closed.
Originally, Princess Ankang had no intention of staying out overnight, but somehow, she ended up lingering in Cuihua Tower for a while longer, causing her to miss the time to leave the East Market.
Hearing that the gong signaling the imminent closing of the four gates had ceased, Princess Ankang also felt a bit helpless.
"It seems we'll have to find a place to stay here tonight again."
This time, Princess Ankang didn't plan to go to Hu Yu House again; just for sleeping, that place was very expensive.
Moreover, with Zhou Mama not present, the management of Hu Yu House was quite chaotic, and it was unclear who was in charge now.
Princess Ankang first dispatched a Flower-Clothed Eunuchs back to Xingqing Palace to report that they wouldn't be able to return tonight.
The Flower-Clothed Eunuchs would reach the closed four gates of the East Market, and from there, he would naturally find someone to relay the message back to Xingqing Palace, and then returning to Princess Ankang's side wouldn't take too long.
Princess Ankang led her people, strolling through the East Market at night, preparing to find a suitable inn to stay.
If only she had known, she would have just asked the shopkeeper of Cuihua Tower directly.
The East Market, of course, was not just a place for seeking pleasure like Flower Street; there were also some quieter places at night.
Princess Ankang was overwhelmed with choices and couldn't find a suitable place, so she sent someone to inquire along the way.
As a result, a few literati and scholars told them about a good place.
If they were lucky at this place, they wouldn't even have to pay to sleep at night.
However, when they said this, they chuckled strangely, and Li Xuan could tell at a glance that it wasn't a proper place.
But tonight, no one was treating, so Princess Ankang had the thought of saving some money and decided to go check out the place those people mentioned.
As a result, they arrived at a place called "Qinglou."
[Qinglou]
That's right, it wasn't the 'qing' for youth, but the 'qing' for tranquility.
This Qinglou was also brightly lit at this time.
However, compared to the shops on Flower Street, it was indeed quieter here, and there was also soft music and light, ethereal sounds within.
Simply put, the background music in the establishment was not as lively and explosive as in Hu Yu House, but rather elegant and grand.
"Could this place be Great Xing's 'Qing Bar'?"
Princess Ankang led her people into this Qinglou and found that the lighting here was elegant and simple, bright everywhere, without any hint of ambiguity.
In the center of the main hall, a celestial-like woman was hosting, seemingly conducting a drinking game or similar activity.
Behind the woman, several enormous scrolls hung down, each inscribed with lines of varying calligraphy.
Upon careful reading, they were all rare and beautiful verses, and combined with the either powerful and vigorous or free-spirited and elegant calligraphy, they complemented each other uniquely, truly a delight to the eyes.
Within the main hall, there were also dedicated musicians who provided accompaniment according to the atmosphere of the scene.
Looking around, the guests in Qinglou were all dressed as literati and scholars; at least, they all looked respectable.
Moreover, it could be seen that among the guests in Qinglou, many were women, also participating in the game in the main hall at this time.
Regardless of gender, as long as one answered well, they could win a round of applause, and everyone would raise a cup for them; the atmosphere was very lively, not at all inferior to Hu Yu House, where Western Region Girl danced without clothes.
Princess Ankang found this Qinglou interesting and decided to stay and watch.
As soon as they entered, a young female attendant from Qinglou came to guide them.
The young female attendant of Qinglou was a tastefully dressed young woman; she didn't speak upon approaching, but smiled gracefully at Princess Ankang, and then silently led the way for them.
Soon, they found a place in a corner of the main hall where they could sit down.
Afterward, they were served basic tea and snacks, and the attendant quietly presented a price list, then set up a numbered small wooden sign on their table and left.
The price list at Qinglou was fair, listing only simple tea and snacks, and none of the prices were expensive.
In addition, what was striking was that the price list actually included teaching prices for various arts such as zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, with corresponding teacher introductions listed afterward.
Li Xuan also leaned over the table, looking at the somewhat novel price list with Princess Ankang.
Compared to the affordable prices of tea and snacks, the learning prices for those arts were astronomical.
The cheapest was several hundred taels of silver, and the time unit marked after each art was surprisingly'shichen' (two-hour period).
In other words, it would cost hundreds or even thousands of taels to learn these arts for one shichen, with the highest price reaching nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine taels.
Li Xuan had never seen such outrageous prices even at Hu Yu House before.
"Meow, could it be vegetarian dishes at meat prices?"
"And that last nine-nine-nine-nine, I'm afraid it's enough to redeem a common courtesan, isn't it?"
The Three Little Ones stared at the Qinglou's price list, all dumbfounded.
No wonder the attendant immediately brought the price list; they were afraid someone might overestimate their spending power.
The Three Little Ones all found it strange, and Li Xuan even maliciously speculated that learning these arts might not be so simple, and perhaps the categories like zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting all held hidden meanings.
"Hmph, I thought it was a pure stream, but it's just well-packaged after all."
Li Xuan grabbed a small pastry from the table and angrily stuffed it into his mouth.
"Fortunately, the small pastries here are quite affordable. Watch me teach the boss a lesson."
The quality of Qinglou's pastries was good, and they were quite a bit cheaper than outside; it seemed that these inexpensive tea and pastries were a kind of welfare.
Li Xuan ravenously devoured the complimentary pastries on the table, noting which ones were tasty, and then prepared to thoroughly fleece the Qinglou's boss.
Princess Ankang, however, didn't notice Li Xuan's unusual behavior; instead, she was intently watching the game in the main hall.
It seemed to be a couplet-matching game, played in turns according to the order of the wooden signs on the tables; some who weren't good at it directly forfeited, simply focusing on watching the excitement.
The woman hosting in the main hall would change the theme every few rounds to ensure the game continued smoothly.
By the time Princess Ankang and her group sat down, many people had already given up or been eliminated, leaving only about a dozen tables of guests still continuing the game.
Moreover, it seemed that as time passed, the difficulty of the game was constantly increasing, and the elimination rate would become faster and faster.
After watching for a while, Princess Ankang had already understood the rules of the game.
It was just that she wasn't very good at matching couplets, or rather, she was completely clueless about poetry and prose.
Princess Ankang had grown up reading that book of fables for enlightenment, and later, she had always been in the Imperial Harem; there was no one to teach her these things.
Although she was an Imperial Princess, she had not received the educational resources she should have.
If it weren't for Princess Ankang recently borrowing many books from Thousand Stars Pavilion to read, expanding her knowledge and recognizing many characters, her cultural level would still be far behind that of other Imperial children her age.
However, although Princess Ankang understood the game, she still hadn't figured out where the free accommodation mentioned by those people on the road was.
She scoured Qinglou's price list, but there were no accommodation-related items on it at all.
Princess Ankang had no choice but to find a young female attendant from Qinglou and ask her about the free accommodation.
The young lady who had previously guided them covered her mouth and chuckled; seeing Princess Ankang still looking like a young girl, she knew she had misunderstood and immediately clarified.
It turned out that Qinglou did not provide accommodation services.
However, some lucky individuals would gain the qualification to become a favored guest of Qinglou.
For example, the woman currently hosting the game in the main hall, named Qing Ci, was one of the mentors in Qinglou responsible for teaching poetry and prose.
If one was fortunate enough to gain the favor of Miss Qing Ci tonight, they could become a favored guest and stay overnight in Qinglou for free.
Because there were no dedicated guest rooms in Qinglou, one could only share a room with a mentor.
As for what happened when staying together at night, Qinglou would not interfere.
In any case, the expenses incurred by this overnight stay were covered by Qinglou, and the favored guest did not need to spend a single coin.
Thus, free accommodation could be achieved.
Upon hearing this, Princess Ankang's face couldn't help but flush, and only then did she understand why those strange uncles on the road had chuckled mischievously.
The term 'favored guest' used here always made people's minds wander.
Princess Ankang was no exception to this common reaction.
Especially when the young female attendant of Qinglou said that they wouldn't interfere with whatever was done to the mentor at night, her winking, teasing expression made Princess Ankang blush even more.
Li Xuan, upon hearing this explanation, even gave a thumbs-up.
"So, no matter what you do, you need to be cultured."
Li Xuan chewed on the small pastry in his mouth, not forgetting to pull over the price list and press his cat paw on the exorbitant prices for the courses.
Ankang Princess immediately understood and proceeded to ask what those courses meant.
To this question, the attendant straightened his face and answered seriously.
It turned out that every tutor in the Cuihua Tower had unique skills, and the techniques taught there were legitimate lessons in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, not the special services Li Xuan had imagined.
Moreover, if you surpassed a tutor in any of these skills, not only would you not have to pay for lessons, but the tutors would also ask for your guidance.
As for whether the tutors would pay money or other costs for guidance, that depended on how they negotiated with each other.
According to the attendant, there were quite a few people who stayed in the Cuihua Tower for half a year under the guise of teaching skills.
Some even obtained the qualification to be an intimate guest of three tutors, allowing them to treat the Cuihua Tower as their home.
Of course, this was limited to interacting with the tutors who had obtained the intimate guest qualification; one could not harass other tutors who did not have this qualification. Violators would be expelled from the Cuihua Tower and forbidden from ever stepping foot there again.
After listening to these various rules, Li Xuan finally understood why the business here was so good.
Who could refuse the temptation of freebies?
Moreover, the basic consumption items in the Cuihua Tower were very cheap, so one could often come and try it out.
But if one day you gained the favor of a Cuihua Tower tutor, you would have the chance to get freebies.
Not to mention, if you gathered the favor of three tutors, you could even get long-term freebies.
Li Xuan turned his head to look at the people in the hall, with an expression that seemed to have seen through everyone.
However, as he looked, he noticed a familiar figure.
"Oh, isn't that person...?"
At this moment, Ankang Princess had finished asking her questions and sent off the attendant from the Cuihua Tower.
The attendant smiled and left, not forgetting to glance at Ankang Princess a few more times, seemingly finding her quite cute.
Ankang Princess noticed the attendant's gaze and felt a little embarrassed.
Li Xuan quickly nudged her and then pointed to a table in the distance.
Ankang Princess curiously followed his gaze, then showed a surprised expression.
"Isn't that Fifth Imperial Prince?"
"He's here too."
The Fifth Prince, whom they had met once before in the Imperial Garden, was sitting at a table far from them, his wooden plaque still standing, not eliminated.
Behind the Fifth Prince followed a Flower-Clothed Eunuchs for protection, and the eunuch recording his words and actions was also by his side.
"This guy is really shameless."
"If he really gets invited as an intimate guest, isn't he afraid of that eunuch meticulously recording it and presenting it to Emperor Yongyuan?"
Li Xuan thought to himself, greatly surprised.
No matter how capable a man was, he probably wouldn't like being watched while he was busy, right?
But just as Li Xuan and Ankang Princess were observing the Fifth Prince in the distance, their turn in the sequence had unknowingly arrived.
Qing Ci, who was hosting the game, looked at their table and, seeing a little girl in a wheelchair sitting in the main seat, paused, then gave Ankang Princess a gentle smile.
"Miss, would you like me to explain the rules of the game to you?"
Qing Ci asked Ankang Princess softly and kindly, her attitude very amiable.
"Uh, no need, I've been watching for a while and pretty much understand it."
For some reason, Ankang Princess felt that everyone in the Cuihua Tower was exceptionally friendly towards her.
This was true for both the previous attendant and Qing Ci before her.
"Alright, Miss, please give a couplet on any theme you wish, how about that?"
Ankang Princess nodded upon hearing the topic.
Li Xuan also gave Qing Ci a surprised look.
Such a topic was definitely a lenient one.
Because previously, when switching topics, Qing Ci would always give a specific theme.
The setting of the topic was also very particular.
The dozens of tables of guests took turns giving couplets; in each round, one person would give a couplet, and the rest would provide corresponding couplets. Those who couldn't were eliminated.
But conversely, if the couplet given by the person was matched by everyone, that person would be eliminated.
Therefore, the person giving the couplet had to ensure that at least one table of people couldn't match it to continue participating in the game.
Other guests still in the competition secretly breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that a little girl was giving the topic this time.
Tonight's game was nearing its end, and only by winning tonight's competition could one possibly be invited by Qing Ci as an intimate guest.
Of course, this also depended on Qing Ci's mood.
Because intimate guests were not chosen every day.
Both the person giving the couplet and the person matching it had a certain amount of time to think. Based on the previous eliminations, Li Xuan guessed there was a maximum of about thirty seconds of thinking time.
Qing Ci managed this time very well, and it was a necessary skill for her as a host.
She needed to control the time as objectively as possible, without being too rigid, and needed to adapt flexibly to the situation on the floor.
Ankang Princess had initially thought that she wasn't good at these things.
Now, if she was suddenly asked to come up with a couplet, she couldn't compose one.
She simply wanted to give up directly, not to waste everyone's time.
Otherwise, if she were to be eliminated after everyone else had gone through a round, it would waste an entire round's time.
Moreover, if the topic was poorly chosen, it would only invite ridicule.
The Fifth Prince in the distance naturally also noticed Ankang Princess.
At first, when Ankang Princess brought people in, he hadn't noticed.
Because the Fifth Prince was concentrating on the game, it was only when the sequence came to Ankang Princess that he noticed one of his Imperial Princesses had arrived at the Cuihua Tower.
Although Ankang Princess had only met the Fifth Prince once before during the lottery in the Imperial Garden, the Fifth Prince was already very familiar with Ankang Princess.
After all, Ankang Princess's existence itself was very special.
The Fifth Prince had not met this Imperial Princess before, but he had heard much about her.
At this moment, seeing Ankang Princess's hesitant expression and timid demeanor, the Fifth Prince looked down on her even more.
"Hmph, not an ounce of Imperial Princess's bearing."
The Fifth Prince snorted coldly in his heart.
He had always held himself in high regard, believing his literary talent to be exceptional and on a completely different level from his other siblings.
Moreover, he had no interest in the throne.
Fighting to the death for temporary power, siblings killing each other.
And all of this just to satisfy one's selfish desires.
In the Fifth Prince's view, this was foolish.
What he sought was never temporary glory.
The Fifth Prince was seeking the path to eternal life.
And he had discovered the method to achieve eternal life long ago: to leave his name in history.
As long as there were people in this world who remembered the poems, songs, prose, and brilliant phrases he left behind, his thoughts and his life could continue through them, thus achieving his eternal life.
Those who came before him had set an example for him; the knowledge, thoughts, essays, and poems he had learned since childhood were proof of their eternal life.
People who had passed away hundreds or thousands of years ago, the Fifth Prince could still recount their lives today.
If this wasn't eternal life, then what was it?
And the Fifth Prince's pursuit in this life was precisely this.
To leave his name in history, to live eternally in human civilization.
Regardless of whether this statement was right or wrong.
At least the Fifth Prince found his lifelong pursuit at a young age.
This time, if it weren't for the opportunity to leave the palace, he would not have participated in this boring competition.
And the eunuch assigned by his Imperial Father to record his words and actions was an excellent opportunity for the Fifth Prince.
He could leave his mark earlier, and as long as his name went down in history in the future, these marks would surely be discovered by later generations.
Therefore, the Fifth Prince had not investigated any cases these past few days but had instead sought out gathering places for literati and scholars throughout the capital.
Especially places where famous historical figures had once resided, he made sure to visit every single one.
And this Cuihua Tower was definitely on his must-visit list.
Because a great talent had once emerged from here.
Although that talent remains highly controversial to this day, the lyrics he left behind are now widely circulated among the common people.
More importantly, he had enjoyed free services at the Cuihua Tower for over a decade back then, making him the patriarch of the 'freebie' world.
The romantic scholar Liu Sanbian, a famous lyricist of Great Xing, and a representative figure of the graceful and restrained school of poetry.
He was also the Fifth Prince's idol in this life.
In those years, countless courtesans flocked to Liu Sanbian, just to receive his favor once and have him inscribe a line of poetry.
It is said that when Liu Sanbian died of old age in the Cuihua Tower, it caused all the courtesans in the world to mourn him, and this wondrous spectacle is still recounted to this day.
The Fifth Prince sought nothing else; to be remembered like Liu Sanbian was enough.
Thinking of this, the Fifth Prince couldn't help but shake his head, took a sip of tea, and cleared his throat.
He knew how difficult it was to achieve this.
Just as the Fifth Prince was looking forward to achieving his lifelong ambition, Princess Ankang thought for a moment and was about to give up when Li Xuan stretched out his tail and wrapped it around Princess Ankang's hand, stopping her from tipping over the wooden Card on the table.
Tipping over the wooden Card would mean forfeiting.
Princess Ankang looked down at Li Xuan, only to see him grin slyly, a look that clearly meant he was up to no good.
"Hehe, you like couplets, do you?"
"While composing poetry is a bit difficult, when it comes to couplets, Li Xuan has heard of a few good ones."
The guests at those dozen tables, seeing Princess Ankang's hesitant expression and then her gaze turning to the wooden Card on the table, all thought she was going to give up.
However, her movement suddenly paused, and after a moment of deep thought, her eyes lit up as she looked at Qing Ci on the stage.
Princess Ankang cleared her throat slightly, then slowly recited:
"Smoke locks the pond's willows."
The Cuihua Tower suddenly fell silent, with only the gentle echo of strings and zithers.
But the soft music also slowly ceased.
The musicians of Cuihua Tower would adjust the music according to the atmosphere, and now they couldn't play anymore.
Because the Cuihua Tower was so quiet that even their music would become jarring.
After a period of silence, a sudden uproar erupted within the Cuihua Tower.
Qing Ci on the stage stared intently at Princess Ankang, her eyes filled with burning passion.
"Smoke locks the pond's willows, smoke locks the pond's willows…"
Qing Ci murmured to herself, unable to resist picking up the brush in front of her, unrolling a scroll, and writing furiously on it.
"Someone, hang it up!"
Qing Ci shouted excitedly.
Immediately, someone from the Cuihua Tower hung the scroll she had just finished writing high in the main hall, right behind Qing Ci, facing everyone.
Looking at the delicate handwriting on the huge scroll, everyone praised it without exception.
"Just five short characters create such an artistic conception!"
Below the stage, someone knowledgeable exclaimed in surprise.
The others also saw a serene pond, surrounded by green trees, and shrouded in mist from these simple five characters.
Just five characters could give everyone such a vivid image, and everyone couldn't help but look at Princess Ankang with surprised eyes.
No one had expected that this seemingly delicate and somewhat timid little girl would possess such literary talent.
At this moment, Qing Ci spoke loudly:
"These five characters, gentlemen, secretly contain the Five Elements; it will be difficult to find a perfectly matched couplet."
As Qing Ci pointed this out, everyone also discovered this wonderful subtlety.
Both participants and spectators alike exclaimed "Marvelous, marvelous, marvelous."
Some even began to sway their heads and recite, looking utterly captivated.
The dozen or so tables of competing guests were now sweating profusely, their backs drenched, and they suddenly felt a sense of dread.
They had thought she was just here to watch the fun, but unexpectedly, she was a master!
The one most impacted, naturally, was the Fifth Prince, who had earlier fantasized about how he would be recorded in history and live forever in human civilization.
Recalling how he had looked down on Princess Ankang just a short while ago, he now felt as ridiculous as a clown.
"H-how is that possible…?"
"Ankang, she, she actually possesses such literary talent!?"
"No, no, this is impossible. I heard she doesn't even have a teacher!"
The Fifth Prince gasped for breath, feeling utterly mortified, wishing he could find a hole to crawl into.
"It's copied, it must be copied."
"She heard this absolute couplet from somewhere and used it here!"
Even as the Fifth Prince consoled himself, he was still seething with anger, his eyes red and his face distorted.
Because he knew how excellent the opponent's five short characters were, and that he couldn't match them even if he racked his brains.
This desperate disparity made it impossible for him to accept.
However, the Fifth Prince, whose mindset had exploded, did not notice that the Flower-Clothed Eunuchs beside him, responsible for recording words and deeds, were meticulously observing him, making the most diligent records word by word.
The Flower-Clothed Eunuchs chosen for recording duties were all excellent writers, and in no time, they had vividly documented the Fifth Prince's current appearance.
If the Fifth Prince knew that his first step towards being recorded in history began this way, his mindset would probably explode again.
Fortunately, these records would only be seen by the Emperor Yongyuan; the Imperial Princes and Princesses had no right to view them.
Moreover, if one interfered with the recording process, they would be directly disqualified from this competition in severe cases.
But if the Fifth Prince saw the records about him, he would probably tear up the Flower-Clothed Eunuchs' notebook without hesitation on the spot.
Princess Ankang also hadn't expected that the couplet she presented, following Li Xuan's instructions, would cause such a stir.
Noticing that everyone's gaze was focused on her, Princess Ankang lowered her head shyly, her cheeks flushed, looking incredibly adorable.
Now, even more fervent gazes were directed at Princess Ankang.
"What an adorable little girl!"
Qing Ci lightly bit her lower lip and tugged hard at her sleeve.
"Uh…"
Li Xuan was initially enjoying the thrill of shocking everyone, but he soon noticed that some gazes in the crowd were particularly aggressive.
And they were all female.
"Meow, I already noticed something was off about the atmosphere in Great Xing."
Li Xuan immediately became furious.
He was all too familiar with those gazes.
"I knew something felt off, like it was always 'yuri-ish'; turns out it's not just friendship between girls?"
The shock brought by Princess Ankang's couplet lingered, but the game had to continue.
Qing Ci calmed her inner excitement, exhaled a few breaths of orchid-like warmth, and continued to host the competition.
But how could the famous "Smoke locks the pond's willows" be so easily matched?
Although the person who presents the couplet will be eliminated if everyone else manages to match it, they also have an advantage: if no one can match it, they win directly.
Everyone racked their brains, but even when time ran out, they couldn't come up with a good couplet.
Thus, one by one, they were reluctantly eliminated as the turns progressed.
Soon, it was the Fifth Prince's turn.
The Fifth Prince was unwilling to give up; after racking his brains, he managed to come up with five characters, but they weren't even perfectly matched, let alone corresponding to the Five Elements.
He was directly ruled out by Qing Ci and eliminated from the competition.
The Fifth Prince's body relaxed, feeling as if all his strength had been drained, looking utterly dejected.
The Flower-Clothed Eunuchs beside him diligently recorded everything.
As the turns continued, it quickly came back to the person before Princess Ankang.
That person had been thinking the entire time, but still had no answer.
Therefore, without waiting for Qing Ci to continue the countdown, he directly stood up and bowed towards Princess Ankang, saying:
"Young lady's couplet is an absolute masterpiece for all ages; we are utterly convinced."
"Congratulations!"
This person was indeed highly emotionally intelligent, directly elevating Princess Ankang's couplet to the status of an eternal masterpiece, and then acknowledging defeat along with all the previously eliminated participants, giving both Princess Ankang face and preserving their own dignity as losers.
Princess Ankang was also well-mannered.
Since the other party showed her respect, she naturally returned it tenfold.
Princess Ankang stood up and returned the bow, and a harmonious atmosphere filled the Cuihua Tower.
Everyone was surprised that today's competition ended so quickly, feeling quite unexpected.
But seeing the five characters hanging in the hall, they were all convinced.
No one had expected that this little girl, who came from who knows where, would become the biggest dark horse of the night.
And Li Xuan had even less expected to win this couplet competition so easily.
"It seems you talented scholars are nothing special after all."
Li Xuan chuckled inwardly, naturally understanding that he benefited from his past life.
Although he couldn't recall many poems, he did remember some of these small couplets, but not too many in total.
Li Xuan thought that he should cherish these reserves in the future, so that Princess Ankang could continue to show off in front of others.
It must be said, when everyone was not optimistic about Princess Ankang just now, and Princess Ankang recited those five characters, the expressions of everyone in the Cuihua Tower were truly spectacular, especially the self-important Fifth Prince in the distance, which brought Li Xuan immense joy.
"I always say people love to show off in front of others; it's just too satisfying!"
Li Xuan savored the earlier thrill, his lips nearly reaching his ears.
As the last person conceded, Qing Ci suddenly stood up, her gaze sweeping across the hall, finally settling on Princess Ankang.
"I announce that tonight's winner is this young lady."
After Qing Ci said this, everyone still waited to see if she had anything further to add.
Although after winning the competition every night at the Cuihua Tower, one could receive some prizes, these prizes were mostly given by the mentor of the night.
For example, Qing Ci mostly gave out her own poems.
Don't underestimate this; many people who liked Qing Ci would buy them at high prices, and they could fetch a considerable price.
Even if not sold, collecting them oneself was very valuable.
No one who could be a mentor at the Cuihua Tower was just a pretty face; they all possessed formidable skills.
Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to host the games every night.
For instance, tonight was about couplets, while other times involved music, chess, painting, and so on. To host such competitions well, one must possess exceptional skill.
Therefore, the cost for Qinglou to cultivate these highly qualified talented women was dozens of times that of the courtesans on Flower Street.
Moreover, this kind of thing heavily depended on talent.
If one's natural aptitude was insufficient, no matter how much training was provided, their potential would ultimately be limited.
And Qinglou's business model dictated that there must be a standout individual in each category.
Hence, Qinglou's seemingly unreasonable price list for skill instruction was, in fact, their biggest source of income.
Because Qinglou taught true skills.
But everyone knew that the most important thing tonight was not the victory in the competition or the prize, but…
"This humble one, Qing Ci, sincerely invites this lady to be my guest for tonight. Would you grace me with your presence?"
Qing Ci slowly performed a standard curtsy, then shyly extended the invitation to Ankang Princess.
Ankang Princess was stunned, not expecting the problem of free accommodation tonight to be resolved so easily.
Ankang Princess immediately nodded happily in agreement.
Qing Ci immediately smiled like a blooming flower and said,
"Please wait a moment, Miss. Qing Ci will go back and prepare now."
With that, Qing Ci trotted upstairs, no one knew what she went to prepare.
In the main hall, everyone cast envious glances at Ankang Princess, along with much curiosity and fervor.
Li Xuan immediately wagged his tail and wrote on the back of Ankang Princess's hand:
"Why did you agree to her so casually? Be careful not to be completely devoured without even realizing it."
Ankang Princess asked, puzzled:
"This Qinglou isn't a den of thieves; how could they engage in such a devouring act?"
Li Xuan choked, knowing that this little girl wouldn't understand. He immediately looked at Yuan'an.
He only saw Yuan'an nodding solemnly and saying,
"Li Xuan, I understand what you mean."
"Don't worry, Your Highness will be protected by me!"
Yuan'an said righteously.
It seemed that the slightly older Yuan'an had already noticed Qing Ci and the fervent gazes around her.
Li Xuan was also speechless, not expecting his own little cabbage to be eyed by other cabbages before it even fully grew.
"This outrageous Great Xing!"
While Qing Ci was preparing upstairs, the people from Qinglou brought new pastries to Ankang Princess's table.
The pastries brought earlier had long been eaten by Li Xuan.
Moreover, since Ankang Princess had become Qing Ci's guest for the night, all expenses were waived, so she could naturally eat to her heart's content.
Li Xuan was also not polite, eating and taking, and also put some into the di hong bone ring.
The later pastries were noticeably more advanced and much tastier than the initial ones.
As Li Xuan munched away, Ankang Princess couldn't help but say with some concern,
"Li Xuan, why are you acting like a starving ghost reborn?"
"And you ate that fish from Cuihua Tower just now, why are you still eating with such gusto?"
But Li Xuan didn't care; he struggled in Ankang Princess's arms, lunging towards the pastries on the table.
"When pastries are free, why wouldn't you eat more?"
But just then, Fifth Prince walked over to Ankang Princess.
His breathing was still a bit heavy, and he looked down at Ankang Princess from above.
The Flower-Clad Eunuchs, knowing Fifth Prince's identity, silently moved aside.
Ankang Princess looked at Fifth Prince, who stood beside her in silence, and couldn't quite figure out his thoughts, so she couldn't help but ask,
"Brother, what is this…?"
Outside the palace, Ankang Princess used 'brother' instead of 'Imperial Brother'.
Li Xuan saw that Fifth Prince seemed to be looking for trouble, so he stopped eating pastries and turned to stare at him, wondering what he wanted to do.
Fifth Prince stared at Ankang Princess in silence for a long time, not knowing what he was thinking.
Li Xuan saw him standing there without leaving, so he spat the remaining pastry crumbs on him, along with a lot of saliva.
Only then did Fifth Prince seem to awaken from a dream, looking at his soiled clothes, yet showing no expression.
"Oh, Li Xuan."
"How can you be so rude?"
"Brother, I'm sorry."
Ankang Princess knew Li Xuan did it on purpose, but she still apologized for him.
Fifth Prince waved his hand and then said,
"It's nothing. I just wanted to ask you, was that couplet truly your own idea?"
Fifth Prince stared into Ankang Princess's eyes, wanting an answer.
Ankang Princess did not meet Fifth Prince's gaze. Just as she was thinking about how to respond, she felt an itch on the back of her hand.
Li Xuan thought Fifth Prince was here for something important, but it turned out he was just unwilling to accept his defeat.
When he first saw him in the Imperial Garden, Li Xuan knew this guy was arrogant.
Now, losing to the inconspicuous Ankang Princess, he probably couldn't accept it for a while.
Seeing Fifth Prince so upset, Li Xuan couldn't help but add fuel to the fire.
Ankang Princess noticed the words Li Xuan wrote on the back of her hand, and a look of reluctance appeared on her face.
"Answer me honestly!"
Fifth Prince saw that Ankang Princess dared not look him in the eye, assuming she was guilty. His shattered self-esteem began to re-coalesce, and his voice gained a few degrees of firmness.
The conversation here had already attracted the attention of many people in the main hall.
Ankang Princess, having sensationally won the competition as a dark horse and becoming Qing Ci's guest for the night, was already the center of attention.
Of course, Ankang Princess's show of prominence also drew some dissatisfaction, but no one, like Fifth Prince, openly troubled a little girl.
After all, everyone cared about their reputation, having frequented this Qinglou for more than just a day or two, it wasn't worth bothering a young girl over a night's win or loss.
But no one expected that someone would actually go out of their way to trouble Ankang Princess.
And as Fifth Prince's voice grew louder, more and more people noticed the dispute here.
To be honest, quite a few people also doubted whether that couplet was Ankang Princess's own idea.
But now that Qing Ci didn't care about this issue and had invited the other party to be her guest for the night, no one would spoil Qing Ci's mood.
However, now that a hothead had come forward to ask this question, there were also many people in the main hall who wanted to see how Ankang Princess would respond.
Seeing Fifth Prince being so aggressive, Ankang Princess sighed, and finally, following Li Xuan's intention, she uttered another sentence.
"An essay is inherently formed by Heaven, a masterpiece occasionally obtained by a skilled hand."
Ankang Princess had played it once, and now she was proficient.
She softly recited, her head slightly raised, looking at the starry sky outside the window, wearing a profound and enigmatic expression.
In that expression, there were three parts disdain, three parts regret, and ninety-four parts compassion for the world.
It seemed she was lamenting that people like Fifth Prince could never comprehend her realm.
Li Xuan silently buried his head in Ankang Princess's stomach, afraid he couldn't hold back his laughter.
Fifth Prince stood frozen on the spot, like a snowman meeting the warm sun, sweating profusely.
His newly re-gathered self-confidence was shattered once again.
Fifth Prince, in front of Ankang Princess, was like a constantly melting snowman, becoming smaller and smaller.
Fifth Prince wanted to flee the place, but his legs were weak, and he couldn't exert any strength.
The onlookers, who were originally watching the show, were again stunned speechless by this exquisite sentence.
They never expected that tonight at Qinglou, they would witness the birth of a peerless talented woman.
The previous couplet could still have various conjectures.
But now with another golden line appearing, no one dared to doubt Ankang Princess's literary talent anymore.
Because they were afraid of becoming the next Fifth Prince, ashamed beyond words in the face of the truth.
"An essay is inherently formed by Heaven, a masterpiece occasionally obtained by a skilled hand…"
"Is this a poem? Is there more to it?"
"Tell me, please tell me the rest of it!"
Fifth Prince, with great difficulty, mustered the courage from his defeated emotions, suppressing the fear of wanting to flee this place, and instead asked the deepest desire of his heart.
He wanted to hear the rest of the poem.
As long as he could hear the continuation, Fifth Prince would have no regrets, even if he died!