CHAPTER 104 — WHEN HIS HIGHNESS DREW HIS LINE
The hall had barely recovered from the earlier commotion when Feng Qingyan's request fell like a fresh stone into still water.
A talent competition.
Between her… and Tang Ke Xin.
The contrast between the two young women could not have been more striking.
Feng Qingyan — the capital's famed prodigy, gentle, elegant, and accomplished in every refined art.
Tang Ke Xin — once foolish, recently recovered, and known to be ignorant of the four arts.
What was Miss Feng planning?
"Oh?" The Emperor's brows lifted with interest. "Qingyan wishes to compete with Xin'er?"
His tone held amusement, but his eyes gleamed with curiosity.
"And what does Qingyan wish to compete in?"
Feng Qingyan smiled sweetly, though her eyes were sharp as blades.
"Miss Tang may choose. Whatever she wishes to compete in, I shall follow."
A murmur rippled through the hall.
Everyone knew the truth — no matter what Tang Ke Xin chose, she could not possibly surpass Feng Qingyan.
The Empress's expression tightened.
"Xin'er," the Emperor said, turning to Tang Ke Xin, "what do you think?"
He had long suspected that Tang Ke Xin hid more than she revealed. This was an opportunity to see what lay beneath the surface.
The Empress stepped forward at once.
"Your Majesty knows Xin'er has been ill for many years. She has not learned the arts since childhood. There is no need to make things difficult for her."
Her voice was gentle but firm.
She knew Tang Ke Xin's past better than anyone.
The girl had been foolish for a decade — how could she compete with Feng Qingyan?
Moreover, she disliked the idea of young women being forced to perform like trained birds. Even if Feng Qingyan excelled, such skills were not what made a good wife.
The Emperor, however, chuckled.
"Though she was ill, she seems to know quite a few things now. Perhaps she may surprise us."
His gaze lingered on Tang Ke Xin with open interest.
Feng Qingyan's provocation was too blatant.
If Tang Ke Xin refused, it would appear she feared her.
"Your Majesty," the Empress said again, displeasure flickering in her eyes, "zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting require years of practice. Xin'er has had no such opportunity."
But Feng Qingyan had already heard enough.
She stepped forward, her voice clear and unwavering.
"Everything shall be decided by Miss Tang. Whatever she chooses, I will compete."
Her tone was polite, but her posture was rigid with jealousy.
The incident in the garden — Ye Lan Jue pulling Tang Ke Xin into his arms — had clearly shattered her composure.
Tang Ke Xin's lips curved faintly.
She understood perfectly.
Feng Qingyan saw her as a rival in love — but she was merely Ye Lan Jue's temporary shield.
Feng Qingyan's true rival was not her.
"Miss Tang," Feng Qingyan pressed, "what are you most proficient in?"
Her gaze was forceful, almost aggressive.
Tang Ke Xin answered honestly.
"To be truthful, I know very little."
She did not feel ashamed.
If anything, she pitied Feng Qingyan.
To love someone she should not love — that was the true tragedy.
"Miss Tang must know at least one thing," Feng Qingyan insisted, her voice tightening.
Tang Ke Xin's eyes cooled.
So this was not a competition.
It was humiliation.
Imperial Concubine Ming, ever eager for spectacle, chimed in cheerfully:
"Indeed, Miss Tang must know something. Let us all enjoy the show."
Tang Ke Xin shot her a cold glance.
"No."
A single word — sharp as a blade.
She truly knew nothing except painting, and she had no intention of displaying it here.
"Why is Miss Tang so modest?" Feng Qingyan said, her jealousy now barely concealed. "Miss Tang is so clever — how could she know nothing?"
She wanted to humiliate Tang Ke Xin in front of Ye Lan Jue.
She wanted him to see who was truly worthy.
Before Tang Ke Xin could reply, a calm voice cut through the hall.
"It does not matter whether she knows anything."
Ye Lan Jue.
His tone was indifferent, but his gaze on Tang Ke Xin was unmistakably protective — indulgent, even.
"As long as she watches, it is enough."
The hall fell silent.
His words were too clear.
Too intimate.
Too revealing.
Only a prince's consort had the privilege of not performing at imperial banquets.
Was the Third Prince implying…?
Was he declaring his intention to marry Tang Ke Xin?
The Empress's eyes widened.
The Crown Prince's face darkened instantly.
Feng Qingyan went pale.
"What does Your Highness mean by this?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
Ye Lan Jue turned his gaze upon her — cold, sharp, merciless.
"What this king means," he said softly, "is that it is not your place to interfere."
The words struck like a slap.
Feng Qingyan staggered.
Her face drained of all colour.
She had always believed she held a special place in his heart — not important, perhaps, but different from other women.
He had never rejected her openly.
But now, before the entire court, he had cut her down without hesitation.
Ye Lan Chen watched quietly, a sigh forming in his heart.
It seemed the Third Prince truly cared for Tang Ke Xin.
His own fondness for her…
He would bury it.
Imperial Concubine Ming, sensing the tension, quickly intervened.
"Qingyan, why don't you play a song for everyone?"
Feng Qingyan could not refuse.
She bowed her head.
"Yes."
But her hands trembled as she played.
Her mind was elsewhere.
Her notes faltered.
The hall listened in awkward silence.
Then General Gu Xiuran rose.
"Your Majesty, it is still early. This subject has not returned to the capital for two years. I wish to spar with the other generals."
The Emperor brightened immediately.
"Excellent! Let us go now. I have not drawn a bow in ages."
As the Emperor stood, the hall rose with him.
Feng Qingyan stopped playing.
But when she heard the word archery, her eyes lit up.
She knew archery.
She excelled at it — taught by her father, trained with diligence.
No woman could match her.
Tang Ke Xin had refused the four arts.
But archery?
She could not refuse that.
The Emperor would certainly be interested.
And Ye Lan Jue would be watching.
Today, Feng Qingyan vowed to defeat Tang Ke Xin completely.
To show Ye Lan Jue the vast gulf between them.
To prove who truly deserved to stand at his side.