Empress’ Game: Make-up Master Chapter 68 - The Young Prince's Provocation

Wu Sheyue said nothing more. She stood and walked over directly, removed the blue crystal that had been hanging from her bodice tie, and placed it beside Wu Liuyun’s crystal. The two crystals lay side by side, exactly the same apart from their colors.

Wu Sheyue did not consider herself some purely good person who could endure silently, yet she had never actively stirred up trouble. For some reason, however, there were always people who wanted to step on her a couple of times.

Whether it was Wu Jinghua or Wu Liuyun, she would not go easy on either of them.

The two sisters’ identical actions caused people to discuss quietly. Wu Sheyue truly seemed not inferior to Wu Liuyun. They almost doubted whether this Wu Sheyue was really the person who had once been ugly and foolish.

She had clearly been ranked first among the Four Ugly Women, but in appearance, manners, and bearing… she did not seem inferior to Wu Liuyun, one of Qinan’s Four Beauties.

Wu Jinghua felt miserable. Now two Wu family girls had made such a move. If she was too stingy and refused to agree, she would only lose face in front of Yu Jing. She gritted her teeth and also rose to put her green crystal on the table.

Now on the table lay a jade bracelet and three identical crystal tassel pendants. The young ladies and gentlemen looked at one another. Since three Wu family young ladies had agreed, they also gradually took out their own items.

Soon, the table was piled full of hairpins, jadeite, colored glass, jade pendants, and all sorts of varied stakes.

Jiang Ying looked at the pile of glittering items and clapped happily. “Now this is interesting. Who should go first?”

One young master suggested, “Whoever began the last round should begin this one.”

Everyone immediately agreed.

A young woman stood, somewhat nervous. “In that case, I will embarrass myself first. My opening line is: ‘Heaven forms the chessboard, stars become the pieces; who dares make the move?'”

After she finished, everyone began thinking.

Jiang Ying asked Wu Liuyun, “Do you want to answer?”

Wu Liuyun took a sip of tea and did not answer at all.

Jiang Ying smiled and said to everyone, “Liuyun is waiting to show her full ability, so I won’t answer for now either.”

Wu Liuyun and Jiang Ying both looked as if they were preparing to return victorious. They could answer but chose not to, making the women who could not immediately think of a response both envious and anxious.

Several young gentlemen hesitated, unsure whether they should take the girls’ stakes. Over there, Han Yi smiled and responded, “Earth serves as writing paper, rivers become the ink; who dares paint the scene? Everyone, that fan was a gift from my grandmother. I have to take it back first before playing with you.”

When Heir Han spoke, of course someone had to support him. A young man in blue robes with thick brows and large eyes smiled. “We knew that fan was Heir Han’s. Who would dare take it? Heir, please let us have a few rounds.”

After Han Yi took back his fan, Zhao Mo’er blushed slightly and immediately stood. “I suddenly thought of an opening line: ‘Layer upon layer of happy events, layer upon layer of joy; joy year after year brings abundant harvests.’ Please respond.”

“That’s good.”

“A fine couplet.”

As soon as Zhao Mo’er finished, praise rose below. During the poetry round, Zhao Mo’er had composed well, and this couplet was also good. It was clear that Zhao Mo’er knew more than pitch-pot.

Wu Sheyue felt sorry on the side. Such good learning had already surpassed Wu Jinghua by far, yet she had gone to be Wu Jinghua’s lackey. How unable to think clearly.

The blue-robed young master from before answered, “This time, let me. ‘Smiles brim with bright words, smiles brim and bloom; smiling again and again spreads news of victory.'”

As soon as he said it, everyone hissed and teased. He had used the character “Ying” several times, making it obvious he was showing favor to Jiang Ying. Jiang Ying wore her usual smiling expression, and no one could tell whether she understood or not.

After the young master finished, he walked to the table to take something. His gaze circled Jiang Ying’s bracelet, but in the end, he took back one of his own jade thumb rings.

In games like this, people usually took back their own items the first time. Everyone present had status and reputation; this was also to avoid offending anyone.

Listening to the praise around Zhao Mo’er, Wu Liuyun’s face revealed a trace of mockery. The daughter of a fifth-rank official was actually showing off literary talent and attracting butterflies in her Prime Minister’s Residence.

She finally deigned to speak. She placed her cup on the table and said coldly, “The upper hook makes ‘old’; the lower hook makes ‘exam’; an old examinee takes the child’s test, and the child’s test lasts until he is old.”

After Wu Liuyun finished, the corner of her mouth lifted proudly. She picked up her cup again and took a sip of tea. She did not believe anyone could easily match this couplet.

As expected, those who supported her most were the men. When the goddess spoke, they naturally had to show amazed expressions.

Wu Sheyue had been focusing on a few fixed people. She was just about to speak and cut off Wu Liuyun’s momentum when Yu Jing beat her to it. “One person is ‘great’; two people make ‘heaven’; heaven is greater than human favor, and human favor is greater than heaven.”

Wu Sheyue curled her lip. Her dislike of Yu Jing rose another level. Wu Liuyun smiled at Yu Jing, and the two nodded to each other.

A young woman nearby sighed softly. “As expected, the young prince is formidable.”

Everyone around them also sighed in admiration. “Yes, Miss Wu’s line was truly absolute. I wouldn’t have thought of an answer.”

“Only the young prince could match Miss Wu.”

Having given the second line, Yu Jing naturally rose and went to the table to take something. Yet what no one expected was that he did not take his own white jade pendant. Instead, he reached out and picked up the blue crystal that Wu Sheyue had placed there.

The crowd gasped. Wu Sheyue’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Yu Jing turned the crystal over in his fingers, examining it casually, then looked at Wu Sheyue with a faint smile. “This crystal is quite beautiful. I’ll take this one as my prize.”

Wu Sheyue’s face darkened. That was her crystal—the one she had worn with her new outfit, the one the Old Madam had given her. And this man, this insufferable man who had broken into her courtyard in the middle of the night, had just openly taken it from her.

“You—” Wu Sheyue started to rise, her temper flaring.

But Yu Jing had already tucked the crystal into his sleeve and returned to his seat as if nothing had happened. He sat down, picked up his teacup, and took a leisurely sip, utterly unconcerned.

Han Yi leaned over and whispered loudly enough for everyone nearby to hear, “Yu Jing, you have no shame. Taking a lady’s accessory right in front of everyone?”

Yu Jing’s gaze flickered to Wu Sheyue’s angry face. His lips curved. “If Third Miss Wu wants it back, she’s welcome to win it from me in the next round.”

Wu Sheyue’s fingers curled into fists at her sides. She forced herself to sit back down, her mind already racing with schemes.

Wu Jinghua stared at Yu Jing, then at Wu Sheyue, her heart churning with jealousy. He had chosen Wu Sheyue’s crystal. Of all the things on the table, he had chosen hers. Was it just a coincidence, or had Wu Sheyue somehow caught the young prince’s attention?

Jiang Ying, watching the scene unfold, couldn’t suppress a small, knowing smile.