I really don't want to take shortcuts anymore

Luo Qianhuai waved his hand indifferently: "No need to be polite, I was just speaking casually, please forgive me if I have offended you."

"Madam, what you said is all good advice." Madam Yan Er changed her arrogant attitude when she first met her and said respectfully, "If A Rui achieves anything in the future, it will all be due to your guidance today."

With the lessons learned from the previous two cases, most of the young ladies adjusted their attitudes and no one dared to look at Luo Qianhuai with tinted glasses anymore.

Not only that, they also prepared themselves to be fully alert for the talent show that would take place later. They were trembling with fear as if they were facing a powerful enemy or a distinguished guest, and they left today's main character, Yu He, aside, which made Luo Qianhuai feel a little amused and helpless.

"Woo" The round-faced young lady on the upper left side was so nervous that she played two wrong notes in a row. Without waiting for Luo Qianhuai to comment, she threw the flute in her hand and cried all the way out of the cabin.

The little maid who served her hurriedly followed him out. Luo Qianhuai looked at Master Mo with an innocent face, but saw that his eyes were full of smiles.

Was he laughing at her for being so cruel that she frightened the innocent young lady into that state?

Luo Qianhuai pinched Master Mo hard in annoyance, and seeing the forbearance shown on that jade-white face, he felt relieved.

Princess Changzhou had a very bad impression of the young lady who had just left.

"You're so impatient." She sighed and said, "Go on."

This is equivalent to sentencing the other party to be eliminated.

Next, there were two young ladies playing the piano, plus one playing the pipa. The songs they chose were all very proper, and their attitude towards Luo Qianhuai was extremely respectful and polite. They asked for advice in a humble manner, with cautious attempts to please him in their eyes.

Luo Qianhuai had not planned to make it too difficult for them. She did not really understand music, but was just talking nonsense based on her past life experience. However, she was now covered with the aura of an expert, so no matter what she said, people could automatically make up a lot of reasons. Therefore, not only was she not seen through, but even the Princess of Changzhou, who had previously despised her, was gradually fooled.

The seventh person to go on stage to display her talent was Guan Yuaner, the granddaughter of Chief Censor Guan Daoyuan.

Although the rank of Chief Censor was only one thousand stones, he was the right-hand man of the Grand Censor and had the power to supervise, assess, and impeach all officials, nobles, and counties. Although his position was not high, he had great power. Normally, no one would offend him easily, so Guan Yuan'er was usually treated with courtesy outside, not much worse than the legitimate daughters of some two thousand stone officials. This made her develop a sense of superiority.

Today on this boat, her seat was ranked below that of Tong Lianniang, the concubine of Youfufengwei. She was already secretly dissatisfied, and then Master Mo and Luo Qianhuai arrived and moved her seat down further.

She secretly bore a grudge in her heart, and had thought that after returning, she would ask her grandfather, who had always loved her, to stand up for her and make both Xiang Hou Yu Chu and You Fufeng Wei Tong Ye very embarrassed. However, she did not expect that Madam Jing was completely different from the rumors. She was as sharp-tongued as a knife, and made Tong Lianniang look so embarrassed in public. She was also disliked by the prince, who eliminated her from the list of candidates for the prince's wife.

Although Guan Yuan'er's impression of Luo Qianhuai has improved, she still despises other young ladies who would bow their heads and obey her in order to get her to say a few good words.

Perhaps that was indeed a bit beyond the ordinary people's views on music, but the Guan family had always educated their daughters to be chaste, quiet and virtuous. Playing the flute and the zither was good, but indulgence would change one's temperament. It was better to practice needlework, which could not only cultivate one's character, but also serve one's husband and respect one's parents-in-law.

So what she wanted to show at this moment was embroidery. She had worked hard for many years on this, and the finished products were praised by even the most picky old lady in the family. Even the embroiderers employed by the top ready-made clothing shops in Xijing were inferior to her. Therefore, Guan Yuan'er was very sure that Madam Jing had no qualifications to instruct her in needlework.

The content of what the ladies are going to perform today has actually been communicated in advance, so the corresponding items have been prepared in the painting studio.

As soon as Guan Yuan'er came on stage, several maids came up with an embroidery table. With a perfect and generous smile on her face, she bowed to the upper and upper right respectively, then sat down and calmly threaded the needle and began to embroider.

Her slender hands flew up and down, and every move was graceful and skillful, which looked very pleasing to the eye.

However, embroidery is a delicate job that consumes a lot of time and energy. Since it is just a display, it is impossible to embroider the entire embroidery pattern endlessly.

Guan Yuan'er knew what was going on and would not keep the princess and the prince waiting for too long.

After only a quarter of an hour, she stopped. A maid came forward, took down the silk on the embroidery table, and presented it to the Princess of Changzhou.

"Exquisitely lifelike." The princess's smile overflowed from her eyes. "Madam Guan is indeed a lady of great talent. It is rare that she can embroider such exquisite precious flowers in such a short time. I'm afraid that few people in Xijing can match her skills in needlework, right?"

Guan Yuan'er bowed her head and said modestly, "I am dull and not as accomplished in music as the other ladies. In my spare time, I spend more time on sewing and make some clothes, shoes and socks for the elders at home, but it's nothing."

Princess Changzhou smiled even more deeply when she heard this: "Needlework is boring, but if you can concentrate on it, your moral character will be impeccable. He'er, what do you think?"

Yu He naturally understood what his mother meant. In fact, the eight young ladies invited today were all carefully selected, and the candidates for the Crown Prince's Consort had already been basically decided based on the official positions held by their families.

As for today's talent show, it is just a formality. No one would really decide on marriage based on playing the piano, playing music, or embroidering.

This Guan Yuan'er was actually the designated Crown Prince's Consort. The reason was very simple. Her grandfather was the Chief Censor and her father was also the Inspector Censor. She would most likely take over her father's position. If a relative of her own took this position, then the feudal state might be safe for more than a decade.

After all, the one in power now is no longer the late emperor who doted on his younger brother, and his own fiefdom seems too conspicuous among all the princes.

Yu He's face showed just the right amount of appreciation.

"Mother, you are absolutely right. This is the first time I have ever seen such a clever and skillful lady!"

His praise was too superficial and straightforward, without any of the subtlety and gentleness of the Xijing noblemen. Guan Yuan'er was so embarrassed that her face turned red. She could only bow slightly to express her gratitude, and then turned around and directed her criticism at Luo Qianhuai.

"Today, the prince has asked the lady to judge. I hope you will be so kind as to take a look at my humble work. Is there anything lacking?"