Help! The Frosty Noble's Son Is in Love With Me!-Chapter 368: Precision

When Qu Fulan returned to the banquet with Princess Qing, the competition between the two sides had reached a fervent peak.

One side had just finished dancing, when the other side began singing and playing music, accompanied by poetry and prose.

The talented men and women who performed on stage did very well, each being as strong as the other, showcasing impressive skills.

Those who were able to perform on stage already had some talent and fame, along with good family backgrounds; otherwise, how could they shine in such a setting?

However, talented individuals without influential family backgrounds could also perform, as long as they were extraordinarily gifted and recognized.

For women, it’s different. Without good family backgrounds, they lack the means to learn various skills from a young age, let alone attend such banquets.

After all, performing at such an event is a matter of considerable prestige. If a woman performs well, she can gain fame in social circles, which benefits her future marital prospects.

The same goes for men, who can gain both fame and fortune, which benefits their future official careers.

This royal banquet also invited many newly successful scholars, including Chen Zhengsheng.

Even as a young scholar, he was already somewhat renowned within his circle. Later, Qu Fulan’s event and the success of "The Best Storybook" further enhanced his reputation. He later passed the scholar exams, although not as the top scorer, his results were good enough to catch the attention of his teacher, who selected him for the scholars’ palace entry.

Earlier, his poem was so outstanding that even the Emperor nodded in satisfaction, leaving a good impression on him, which would greatly help the future palace exams—others would have struggled to get even a foot in the door.

"Why was Nanny Lai looking at you like that earlier?"

Princess Qing and Prince Qing’s seats were right next to Pei Ji’an’s table, allowing Qu Fulan and Princess Qing to whisper across.

Upon hearing the Princess’s words, Qu Fulan remembered her earlier encounter with Nanny Lai, who had stared at her in shock, as if mistaking her for someone else.

Given that Qu Fulan had never met Nanny Lai, it was impossible for them to know each other. Thus, her expression could only be interpreted this way.

A palace maid later mentioned that the Empress Dowager had summoned Nanny Lai, prompting her and Princess Qing to leave.

"Perhaps she mistook me for someone else," Qu Fulan said.

Princess Qing thought it plausible and, not dwelling on it further, returned her gaze to the stage.

Since both sides had performed with distinct characteristics, no one had outdone the other, leaving some impatient individuals restless, wanting a clear winner to be declared. Suddenly, a martial-clad young lady stood up, first placing her hands on her chest and bowing to the Emperor before speaking.

"Isn’t it boring to keep playing these scholarly poetry and music games? How about something different?"

"What sort of different? You don’t mean horseback archery, do you? It’s not appropriate for this setting."

This was the common assumption, that anyone involved in martial arts would choose to perform martial-related acts.

But the young woman declared, "Who says horseback archery is the only option? Don’t underestimate me. I know plenty more—things you likely haven’t seen before and might struggle to keep up with."

"Then tell us what it is. As long as you can name it, someone here will certainly accompany you."

Without knowing the activity, bold declarations were made that risked embarrassment later on, Qu Fulan thought.

Considering the cultural differences between the two nations, there might truly be something novel she presents that no one here could match.

However, the young woman confidently stepped to the center of the stage.

Every place has some free-spirited women, and every country, even more so; this girl seemed unrestrained, without a care for the conventional virtues designed to restrain women—those around her were clearly used to this.

The girl introduced herself, revealing that she was a foreign princess, hence her unbounded manner.

"If my upcoming performance goes unmatched, I’ll consider it a victory; then please fulfill the purpose of our visit."

As an envoy, there must be reasons for her mission, but to agree to conditions based on a mere game? It seemed too casual.

Yet, given the circumstances, if the offer wasn’t accepted, rumors might spread that Da Jin is unable to face the challenge.

Thus, the Emperor agreed, trusting in the abundant talent around, not believing they could lose.

The Princess, after receiving acknowledgment, pulled out an item—a deck of cards.

Namely, playing cards.

Da Jin Country frequently traded with other nations, so these items were common enough, with local versions also available under another name—Leaf Cards.

Leaf Cards were about two fingers wide, measuring 8 cm long and 2.5 cm wide, made of silk and paper with printed designs from wood blocks.

It’s said that foreign playing cards originated from modified Leaf Cards.

So—

"What’s so novel about these?" a local asked.

The Princess simply smiled and proudly declared, "You’ll see if it’s new once I play a round—perhaps it’ll leave you all amazed."

"How do you play?" that person presumed it was a card match.

The Princess looked at him with a somewhat pitiful expression, "I need someone to sit opposite me, to handle the cards. Since you’re so eager, how about you help me out."

Her words framed him almost as a compliant servant.

The man felt a bit annoyed but, after the Emperor nodded, he still sat opposite the Princess. Just a simple deck, what could come of it?

Qu Fulan, sipping tea, heard the Princess’s words and watched the scene unfold. Her eyes narrowed slightly; this situation seemed so familiar.

Indeed, the Princess’s subsequent actions confirmed Fulan’s guesses.

The Princess first handed the cards to the person across for inspection, confirming it was just an ordinary deck without issues. She then began shuffling them openly, even thrice, before placing them on the table, instructing her opposite, "Now please draw a card at random, you can look at it yourself or show your people while keeping it hidden from me, then return it for another shuffle, please."

The individual drew a card—The Seven of Hearts—checked it himself, showed it to his side, then replaced it.

Without needing further observation, Qu Fulan knew the final result—the Princess would undoubtedly locate the precise card, despite the multiple shuffles. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

And indeed, after openly shuffling a few times, the Princess asked the person opposite, "Now pick a number between one and fifty."

The person chose twenty.

The Princess counted nineteen cards openly, and placed the final card face-up before everyone, and sure enough, it was the Seven of Hearts.

Not only did the individual opposite widen his eyes in amazement, but the audience who previously saw the card also echoed their astonishment.

"It’s incredible! How did she do it?"

"Could she know spells?"

"So impressive, must be magic, she’s truly extraordinary!"

...

Hearing these discussions, Qu Fulan felt a mix of emotions; the notion of divinity had emerged, almost as if boosting their morale by downplaying their own strength.

Not to mention the Emperor’s face had gone pale.

Because he, too, felt the game was somewhat impressive; unable to find any flaws, he looked among those gathered, each displaying expressions of surprise, who now hoped to outperform her?

The Princess then spoke again, "If no one can rise to the challenge, I’ll consider myself victorious; then please—"

"Wait."