Pampered Consort of the Fragrant Orchard Chapter 094.3: Determining Heaven and Earth with a Dance! (3)

Du Xiaoli and Fu Yalan went down from the stage and met Ji Liuxia and Meng Jiangzhuo, who had been waiting a long while for them. Hugging Du Xiaoli and Fu Yalan excitedly, Ji Liuxia called out, "Xiaoli, you're really amazing! What a beautiful dance! It was even better than the dance at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet!"
"Yes. In Xiaoli’s presence, any of us who dare to say we are good dancers will have to dig ourselves a hole in the ground!" Meng Jiangzhuo teased.
"Xiaoli, good dancing!" Meng Weiren said approvingly as he came over. Then he went up to the stage to wait for the judges to calculate and inform him of Du Xiaoli's scores.
"Let's go back and sit down while waiting for the results," Du Xiaoli said.
"Okay."
Ji Liuxia and Meng Jiangzhuo returned to the spectator seats, while Du Xiaoli and Fu Yalan went back to the rest area. As they passed by the seating area for the people of Northern Yuan, Zhao Zirui stood up.
"Congratulations, Miss Du. You danced really well. I, Zirui, have accepted my loss wholeheartedly!" Zhao Zirui said kindly, totally unlike her condescending manner from before.
Du Xiaoli stopped and replied with a smile, "I, Xiaoli, was also very impressed by your dance, Princess."
"If you’re free later, I hope I can have a discussion with you, Miss Du," Zhao Zirui said.
"It would be my honor to discuss dancing with Princess," Du Xiaoli said. "Imperial Tutor Meng is going to announce the results, so I’ll have to head back first."
"Please do, Miss Du." Zhao Zirui gave Du Xiaoli a nod.
Du Xiaoli and Fu Yalan went back to their resting area and had only just sat down when they heard Meng Weiren begin reading out the scores. Every judge gave Du Xiaoli an almost perfect score, so her scores were much higher than Zhao Zirui's scores from just a while ago. With absolute superiority, Du Xiaoli won first place in this competition.
"I will now announce the rankings of this dance competition: 1st place, Miss Du Xiaoli of Feng Ming; 2nd place, Princess Zhao Zirui of Northern Yuan; 3rd place, Princess Lu Junqi of Eastern Li; 4th place, Princess Beiling Yu of Northern Qi; 5th place, ...... The top three contestants are invited to come up to the stage to receive their awards."
When the final results were announced, everyone was overflowing with excitement. How many competitions had passed without Feng Ming ever obtaining 1st place in a contest? Yet this year, they had actually won 1st place for dance.
Once the result of the competition was known, Han Mingze and a line of officials left early. They only cared about the final result. So they didn't care about whatever happened after the announcement of the results.
The winner’s podium was moved onto the stage. This had also been one of Du Xiaoli’s suggestions. Standing on the winner’s podium, she almost sang the national anthem from her previous life. When she received her award, she even thought that she could now understand how the Olympic champions felt when they stood on the podium.
After Du Xiaoli and the other winners went off the stage, Meng Weiren said to the people on the stage: "Today, this Academy Competition has come to a satisfactory end. As the saying goes, friendship comes first, and competition second. Regardless of the result, we are still friends. In order to celebrate the successful conclusion of this competition, His Majesty, the emperor, has arranged for a feast in the palace. Everyone can have a good rest for the afternoon, and an ambassador will come to bring everyone into the palace just before dinnertime
. Everyone can go back now."
Hearing Meng Weiren say that the competition had ended satisfactorily, Du Xiaoli suddenly felt her heart being lightened of a great burden. There wasn’t much for her to deal with after this competition was over.
The other trainees were the same. Once they heard that the competition was over, everyone's face was overflowing with joy, and their whole body had entered a relaxed state.
Ji Liuxia pulled Meng Jiangzhuo over to Du Xiaoli and asked, "Xiao Li, is it okay for us to eat at your place at noon?"
The two of them could not enter the palace this time, so they wanted to eat with Du Xiaoli and take it as a celebration of her win.
"Not at noon today. I’ll invite you guys over for a meal when I'm free in a couple of days. I have something to do this afternoon," Du Xiaoli answered.
Although the competition was over, her work wasn't completely done. It would only be considered as done after all the people left Sui Yuan Club.
She heard that the people from Northern Qi would be returning home the next day, perhaps because it would already be winter by the time they reached Northern Qi. The weather would be too cold, and they would be in serious trouble if they encountered heavy snowfall on their journey back. So they had to hurry home.
The students from Eastern Li would go back with the people who came to meet Lu Junqi, leaving either the next day or the day after.
As for the people of Northern Yuan... Du Xiaoli lowered her gaze. She kept feeling like Zhao Zhen was secretly planning something. Since he came here for peace negotiations, he naturally wouldn’t be leaving so early. However, Northern Yuan’s student representatives should be leaving early. If they weren’t leaving yet, they would go stay in a specially prepared inn. In short, they would not continue staying in Sui Yuan Club.
Thinking about how she would be relieved of her responsibilities tomorrow, Du Xiaoli felt at ease. These responsibilities had been weighing her down for long enough.
Seeing that Du Xiaoli had something to do, Ji Liuxia only obediently left with Meng Jiangzhuo and Han Mingxiang.
"Okay, I'll head back first too," Fu Yalan said.
"Hey, Yalan-jiejie. Since we have to go into the palace together in the afternoon, why don’t you stay behind with me. It just so happens that I still have some things to ask you," Du Xiaoli said while pulling Fu Yalan back.
Fu Yalan looked at Du Xiaoli's mysterious look and asked curiously, “What is it?"
"Just come with me." Du Xiaoli pulled Fu Yalan back toward their courtyard.
This competition field wasn’t being used anymore. So in a moment, Mu Zi Mu would naturally bring people over to clean it up.
Once Du Xiaoli and Fu Yalan arrived at their courtyard, Du Xiaoli let Xia Yuan put her qin away. Then they went to the dining room where lunch had already been placed on the table.
"Yalan-jie, sit down." Du Xiaoli pressed Fu Yalan onto a stool.
Qiao Zhu went up to serve the meal to the two of them and then retreated.
When Fu Yalan saw Du Xiaoli's expression, she smiled and said, "If you have something to say, just say it directly. I'm really a little uncomfortable with you being like this!"
"Really? Then I'll just tell you straight!" Du Xiaoli said with a smile as she sat down on the seat next to her and looked at Fu Yalan.
"Just say it," Fu Yalan replied amusedly. "Are you wanting me to help you with something, so you’re thinking about what you're going to gift me in exchange? Or will you share your prizes with me?"
"Those prizes—all of them can be given to Yalan-jie," Du Xiaoli said. "But that's not the thing I'm going to say!"
"Then what exactly is the matter?" Fu Yalan couldn't figure it out. "Earlier, did you reject Liuxia and Jiangzhuo because of this?"
"Ha, Yalan-jie, you’re so smart! But I'm doing this for your own good!" Du Xiaoli said. "I want to ask you... when would the best time for my father and my brother to propose the marriage?"
"Cough cough——" Fu Yalan was drinking water right at that moment when she heard Du Xiaoli's words and immediately choked. "You called me here just to ask me this?"
"Of course! Why else would I have rejected Jiangzhuo-jiejie and Liuxia-jiejie?" Du Xiaoli said while hurriedly patting Fu Yalan's back. "Yalan-jie, think quickly. When would be the best time for my father to propose marriage?"
"How should I know this?!" Fu Yalan's face suddenly became flushed like a red apple, and she glared at Du Xiaoli reproachfully.
"I just wanted to ask about your thoughts on this. If you think anytime is fine, I’ll ask my father to go propose the marriage tomorrow. If you think this is too sudden, we can arrange it after getting your opinion on it," Du Xiaoli said.
She remembered what Han Mingxiang had said to her. Since the two parties had mutual affection, it was better to get together earlier than later.
Moreover, she also felt that the imperial power of this era was authoritarian. If the emperor were to have a momentary lapse in his calmness and arrange a marriage for Fu Yalan or Du Xiuheng, that would be a problem!
So after getting the competition out of the way, Du Xiaoli wanted to matchmake them immediately!References 1. — 申时 3-5pm in the system of two-hour subdivisions used in former times MoonWhisperer, skyrise's Thoughts

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