Quick Transmigration: Drama Queen's Daily Life Chapter 1451 - 1440: The Lady Who Doesn’t Want to Rise to Power

From that point on, Ye Qiu’s reputation for calligraphy spread throughout the mansion. Her Second Uncle’s sons, Second Cousin Zhang Yancheng and Fifth Cousin Zhang Yanwei, upon hearing their father’s evaluation, went out of their way to consult Ye Qiu. During a competition at the academy, they carelessly mentioned Ye Qiu’s name.

"Zhang Wu, since your cousin is so impressive, why not show us a few samples of her calligraphy?"

"Don’t tell me you’re infatuated with your cousin and have lost your mind?"

The usual adversaries from the academy openly mocked, making Zhang Yanwei’s face flush with anger. He shouted, "Just wait, I’ll show you right now."

He stormed back to his room and actually took out a few pieces of Ye Qiu’s calligraphy. He had specifically pleaded with Ye Qiu to write them for him to practice some days ago when he returned to the mansion.

"Feast your eyes until they’re blinded. Aren’t you always boasting about being intelligent and diligent? Do you feel inferior now?" Zhang Yanwei sneered arrogantly.

Yet the students were skeptical: "Zhang Wu, this calligraphy obviously looks like it’s from someone older, at least not younger than thirty, and the strokes are powerful and free. How can it possibly be by a lady from the inner chambers? Stop joking."

"You don’t believe me?" Zhang Yanwei glared angrily.

"Why don’t you let the teacher see if he believes it or not?"

Just then, their teacher happened to pass by with a friend, and the crowd took the calligraphy over for the teacher to appraise.

"Exquisite calligraphy," said the teacher’s friend excitedly as he took the piece before the teacher could speak.

"Yunchi, you still get excited at good calligraphy," the teacher said, nodding uncontrollably as they both looked at it together, then asked the students, "This doesn’t look like your work. Where did it come from?"

The student answered hastily, "It was brought by Zhang Yanwei, he said it was written by his cousin from the inner chambers. Teacher, do you think that’s possible?"

"Unlikely," the teacher shook his head, "It would take a wide breadth of knowledge to write such good characters, and I don’t believe it without at least twenty years of experience."

Hearing the teacher’s words, the student immediately looked smugly at Zhang Yanwei: "Zhang Wu, did you hear that? Even the teacher judged it, and yet you won’t admit your mistake?"

"Admit what mistake? I made no mistake." Zhang Yanwei huffed lightly, then bowed towards the teacher and said earnestly, "Teacher, this calligraphy was indeed written by my cousin. I watched her write it myself, I’m not lying. My brother can testify."

"Oh?" The teacher stroked his beard, "Then this is quite curious. If it truly is written by a lady from the inner chambers, I would genuinely like to see what extraordinary woman she is."

The teacher’s friend, holding the calligraphy with fondness, added from the side: "In a few days, my sister-in-law is hosting an autumn banquet. You’re from the Zhongyong Marquis Mansion, right? I’ll have my sister-in-law send an invitation over, and we can set another gathering next door, then everything will be clear."

"But..." Zhang Yanwei hesitated, "My cousin is still in mourning, I don’t know if she would want to, and if she knows I’ve shown her work to outsiders, she’ll definitely be angry with me."

The students jeered, "Zhang Wu, are you making excuses because your lies can’t hold up? Just apologize today, and we won’t force you."

"Who said I’m lying?" Zhang Yanwei immediately became indignant, "Just wait and see, I’ll definitely convince my cousin to come; it will shock all of you."

The teacher’s friend, seeing that Zhang Yanwei agreed, beamed with joy, holding onto the calligraphy even more dearly, carefully rolling it up and securing it as if he didn’t intend to return it.

Seeing this, the teacher lightly coughed and said to his student Zhang Yanwei, "We’ll keep this piece here for the time being; let’s see what happens at the autumn banquet."

Zhang Wu watched the calligraphy in the hands of the teacher’s friend, wanting it yet not daring to ask, sensing faintly that he had gotten himself into trouble.

"Are you also hosting an autumn banquet?" At Jiang Residence, Madam Jiang looked incredulously at her brother-in-law and asked curiously, "Fifth Brother, haven’t you always disliked hosting parties at home? Saying it’s lacking in spiritual energy, so why this time..."

Madam Jiang’s question instantly puzzled the Jiang family members, as they all looked at Xiao Wu curiously. Although called Xiao Wu, he was actually already quite advanced in years, around twenty-seven or twenty-eight. He wasn’t married, though he had scholarly honors, he didn’t serve as an official, and spent his days tending to his bamboo, writing poetry, and painting. He had even gained some fame, with his paintings worth a fortune now, and the Thousand-Mile River and Mountain Painting he painted at age twenty was stored in the Holy Emperor’s treasury, earning him the title Mr. Lv Zhu.

Though he was well-known, his family was troubled by his marriage prospects. In earlier years when the Old Madam sought matches for this youngest son, no noble ladies could catch his eye. After finally finding two suitable in terms of family and temperament, this pampered young son refused, delaying until now.

The family worried about his marriage prospects, but he remained indifferent. Sometimes he disappeared to enjoy nature, even hinting at wanting to become a monk. As a result, the Old Madam lowered her expectations for a daughter-in-law, stating now that if her youngest wanted to marry, she wouldn’t care about family background anymore.

Unconcerned with conventions, and rarely at home, when he actually mentioned wanting to host an autumn banquet at the mansion, even requesting his elder sister-in-law send an invitation to the Zhongyong Marquis Mansion, it was no wonder the Jiang family was curious.

"Xiao Wu, tell us honestly, what’s the reason behind all this?"

"Nothing much, just saw a piece of calligraphy I liked. I heard it was done by someone from the Zhongyong Marquis Mansion."

With that simple explanation, everyone understood. Their Fifth Brother/Little Uncle never cared about much, only obsessed over calligraphy and painting. It was possible he had the potential to achieve legendary fame. The family wasn’t short of money or power, supporting someone like him leisurely wasn’t an issue.

Following Jiang Wulang’s suggestion, Madam Jiang sent an invitation to the Zhongyong Marquis Mansion, and it was then, under the puzzled eyes of everyone, that Zhang Yanwei finally mumbled the truth.

"You scoundrel, your cousin, an inner chamber lady, and you took her calligraphy to show outsiders? Will you take responsibility for ruining her reputation?" Second Uncle Zhang immediately scolded when he heard, even wanting to apply family discipline to Zhang Yanwei.

Zhang Yanwei knew how badly he had erred this time, so he didn’t argue, kneeled obediently, and explained in a low voice, "I was just too angry then, they called me a liar. Father, I’m willing to accept any punishment."

"You..."

Second Uncle Zhang raised his hand to hit, but Duan Family quickly protected him: "Is it the son’s alone to err? Had Ye Qiu not written, would there be so much trouble?"

"You’re defending him?" Second Uncle Zhang glared wide-eyed, "Are you saying it’s Ye Qiu’s fault she wrote?"

"Mother," Zhang Yanwei also spoke up, "This has nothing to do with my cousin, it’s my fault. He’s right to punish me."

"I..." Caught between roles, Duan Family increasingly grumbled about Ye Qiu, feeling that without her, she wouldn’t endure such disgrace today, and that she even tempted her son to defend her.