Seeing Lin Zhiqing walk towards that woman, everyone else's expressions weren't very pleasant.
"This Miss Lin is indeed as foolish as the rumors say. She passed on someone from the Imperial Weaving Bureau and actually chose an embroiderer from a common town embroidery shop!"
"They're like a tortoise meeting a green bean, they've found their match. If she chose you, would you dare accept?"
"This is the Spring Day Banquet! It's also a great opportunity for us to make a name for ourselves. Can she produce any new style of clothing? It's better to wait for Princess Pingning and the others."
Lin Shian heard these comments and couldn't help but glare at the person who spoke. But Lin Zhiqing, on the other hand, acted as if nothing had happened, walking quickly to the embroiderer's side.
"Greetings to Miss Lin." The embroiderer pursed her lips, clasping her hands tightly, her shoulders hunched, appearing somewhat timid.
"No need for such formalities. Let me ask you, how is your needlework?" Lin Zhiqing got straight to the point.
At this, the embroiderer's lips curved upwards, and her brow unfurled: "There's no better embroiderer in Shengjing City than me."
As she spoke, her body straightened, and the corners of her eyebrows slightly lifted, a display of confidence.
Lin Zhiqing nodded: "When can you start?"
The embroiderer didn't react for a moment: "Wh... what?"
Upon seeing Lin Zhiqing's serious expression, she realized she had indeed been chosen, and nodded as if waking from a dream: "Now, I can start now."
But upon seeing the pile of mesh fabric brought by the maid, the embroiderer's expression was slightly surprised: "Miss Lin, have you been deceived?"
She restrained herself, then chose to speak and remind her.
Lin Zhiqing was not surprised by her question: "It's fine. Just follow the steps on my blueprint."
Although the embroiderer had doubts, she chose to trust Lin Zhiqing.
Compared to the two busy women, Lin Shian seemed somewhat superfluous on the side.
After he tore the mesh fabric for the third time, a "polite" smile appeared on Lin Zhiqing's face, and she decisively asked him to leave.
Meanwhile, the others had also successively found tailors they liked.
Princess Pingning, carrying a pile of expensive fabrics, arrived late and walked directly to a male tailor with a small mustache.
Then, she sat aside, leisurely observing the others.
Seeing Lin Zhiqing roll up her sleeves to help the embroiderer, her face was filled with disdain: "She has absolutely no demeanor of a noble young lady. I truly don't know what Young Master Jiang likes about her."
Her gaze shifted to Jiang Liuyun's side. Their situation wasn't going smoothly.
"Purple is grand and unrestrained, use purple." Jiang Liuyun pushed the fabric in his hand towards the tailor.
Lu Huai was not to be outdone, offering the blue brocade in his hand: "Blue is elegant, and won't appear too sharp. Use blue."
The tailor was sweating profusely, agitated by these two demanding young masters. He dared not take either person's fabric.
Jiang Liuyun crossed his arms over his chest: "This blue is too effeminate, no masculine aura. No good."
Lu Huai raised an eyebrow: "Young Master Jiang, I chose this blue for a reason, of course. This garment is tailor-made for someone."
"Who?" Jiang Liuyun's attention was piqued.
Lu Huai smiled brightly: "You, of course!"
"Then I want to wear purple!" Jiang Liuyun agreed to Lu Huai's suggestion without thinking: "Qing'er likes purple!"
"No problem." Lu Huai glanced at Lin Zhiqing in the corner, quickly agreeing.
Only then did the two manage to proceed normally.
Time passed minute by minute. On the viewing stand, Miss Hua was still observing the situation on the field with keen interest.
But the Old Madam was a bit tired and was taking a nap with her eyes closed.
"Bang!"
As the gong was struck, the Old Madam slowly opened her eyes.
At the same time, Lin Zhiqing, who had been busy for two hours, breathed a sigh of relief. After smoothing out the last wrinkle on the finished garment, she followed the maid to the side room.
During the process of changing clothes, Lin Shian remained guarding the door, which greatly put Lin Zhiqing at ease.
She had seen countless tropes in novels and dramas where entering a side room at a banquet invariably led to being schemed against. But today, perhaps the Scholar's Residence was prepared, as everything went smoothly.
Meanwhile, Miss Hua was restless, eager to see everyone's finished garments.
At her urging, the display time finally arrived.
As the Old Madam's嬷嬷 announced the start, the first person to appear slowly walked from a specially designed passage to the center of the small garden.
"Greetings to all ladies. The garment I present today utilizes chaotic needle embroidery, incorporating the flora and fauna of the Spring Day Banquet into the fabric." She introduced the garment as she displayed it.
The Old Madam and others praised it with words like "exquisite," but Miss Hua was not entirely satisfied:
"The idea of displaying the Spring Day Banquet scene on the garment is clever, but both the style and the embroidery are very conventional, common throughout Bianliang."
Her words were blunt, but also a serious critique, preventing others from feeling any ill will.
Next, several more people made presentations, but Miss Hua remained unenthusiastic.
It wasn't until Jiang Liuyun and Lu Huai appeared that a smile finally graced her face, though it wasn't because their designs were particularly beautiful.
Jiang Liuyun appeared in a purple robe, upon which a majestic tiger was embroidered, exuding a hint of martial prowess.
However, a ribbon was tied around his head, giving him a robust aesthetic at first glance.
But as soon as he turned, the ribbon tightened, and whether it triggered some mechanism or not, the purple outer robe instantly fell off, and another blue robe slid down.
What made everyone burst into laughter was that the fierce tiger, which had just been so imposing, transformed into a white, tiger-headed, cat-like creature with this reversal.
This ingenious design immediately captivated everyone's attention, especially Miss Hua, who loved that cat-like creature.
Ignoring the bewildered Jiang Liuyun on stage, Lu Huai cupped his hands and attributed the tiger turning into a cat to the tailor's double-sided embroidery.
As for the garment changing from purple to blue... that was also a clever trick, requiring a bit of mathematical calculation.
The Old Madam was also amused by this act and gave the highest praise so far.
Finally, a design that captivated her attention appeared, and Miss Hua's interest was piqued. She eagerly anticipated the performances of those who would follow.
Before she could recover from the fascination with the cat embroidery, a commotion suddenly erupted from the crowd below.
"Hibiscus pales before a beauty's makeup, water-pavilion wind brings pearl-and-jade fragrance!"
"Th... this... has a celestial maiden descended upon the mortal world?"
"Beautiful, truly beautiful! There's no need for anyone else to come out. Today's champion is undoubtedly hers!"
Amidst the exclamations of the crowd, a wisp of light gauze slowly emerged, accompanied by the woman's graceful steps.
Miss Hua's mouth was slightly agape, and she couldn't tear her eyes away.
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