Chapter 93: This Girl Is Truly Hopeless.
Liu Shixu lived up to his name as the peerless Young Master Wushuang, meticulously groomed by the Liu Family. He cut through the competition and left everyone in his dust, securing a token for the finals in record time.
The other young masters from noble families were no slouches, either. After all, with all eyes on them today, none would have dared take the stage without some real skill. As members of renowned families, they couldn’t afford such a loss of face.
Thirty people made it to the final round.
As preparations for the finals began below, Xiao Yang received a roster of the thirty contestants.
The final rankings hadn’t been decided yet, so the roster was organized by social standing: fifteen from noble families, ten from poor families, and five common scholars.
Xiao Yang’s gaze swept over the latter fifteen names.
’I’ve given them the opportunity. Whether or not they can seize it is up to them.’
The final round would be a series of arena matches. Three stages were set up, and contestants could choose one suited to their strengths to challenge. The ones who successfully defended their stage would be the top three, who would then compete against each other to determine the final rankings.
Liu Shixu stood on the center stage, dressed in plain, light-blue cloud-patterned brocade. A jade coronet secured a blue ribbon in his hair. He stood tall and graceful, his handsome features giving him an otherworldly air.
His looks and aura alone had already won him half the battle, to say nothing of the scholarly talent he displayed, which only added to his charm.
So even though he wore a cold and distant expression, as if he looked down on everyone, it didn’t stop him from becoming the center of everyone’s attention.
The men admired his talent, while the women were captivated by his charm.
Xie Liuzheng and Xiao Jinsu sat by the window, gossiping.
Xie Liuzheng was already completely smitten. ’Ancient, all-natural handsome guys are just top-tier! There’s Your Majesty’s refined and devilish beauty, the Regent King’s gloomy and cold arrogance, Li Wei’s dangerous ambition, and Xiao Lv’s gentle and proper demeanor. And now there’s a cold and aloof type, too!’
’Just looking at them is such a feast for the eyes.’
Xiao Jinsu, however, was more rational. She tugged on her friend’s sleeve and whispered, "That man is practically Your Majesty’s enemy."
"Ah? Oh!"
Xie Liuzheng quickly composed herself. She thought for two seconds. ’I should be on Your Majesty’s side now. I can’t betray the organization.’
’It’s good to have a powerful backer. Your Majesty is good to me, takes me along to have fun, even gave me a whole chest of gold, and is very tolerant of me. I firmly support Your Majesty!’
’Liu Shixu is the enemy. I’ve decided... I’ll stare him to death!’
Xiao Jinsu: "..."
’This girl is truly a lost cause.’
Challenger after challenger went up, and one by one, they came down in defeat.
They competed in poetry, calligraphy, mathematics, and political discourse, round after round.
Anyone who emerged victorious in the end was certainly fortunate. But to defend the stage from the very beginning and win—that was a display of undeniable skill.
Liu Shixu did it.
Seeing this, who could resist exclaiming, "The young master of the Liu Family is a man of peerless talent"?
Hearing the rising and falling waves of praise from below, Xiao Yang turned her gaze to Rong Yin. "How do you compare to him?"
Rong Yin calmly raised an eyebrow, his voice laced with confident pride. "Six years ago, I was not his inferior. Six years later, the same holds true."
Xiao Yang didn’t humor him in the slightest. "I don’t believe you."
Rong Yin: "..."
He let out a frustrated laugh. "Then what answer did Your Majesty want to hear? Or does Your Majesty truly believe I am his inferior?"
As he spoke, his expression unconsciously turned dangerous.
He was suddenly reminded of the time Your Majesty had been poisoned with the Mandarin Duck Knot. His investigation had revealed that the other half of the poison was administered to Liu Shixu.
’Your Majesty likes men. Your Majesty might be a woman. And Liu Shixu was once Your Majesty’s study companion... Could Your Majesty be fond of Liu Shixu?’
’The Mandarin Duck Knot is an aphrodisiac; the two people poisoned by it become inseparable.’
’Has the poison in Your Majesty’s system been completely neutralized?’
In that instant, his thoughts converged on a single, clear answer: ’Liu Shixu must die!’