Chapter 23 Springtime Spree "You wouldn't be thinking of showing off to Miss Xue..."

Jiang Ce won several more rounds on the field, and his score on the scoreboard was far ahead.

He kicked the ball into the net for the last time, spun around, landed, and greeted Xiao Huaiting and the others with extremely bright smiles.

Xiao Huaiting could only smile helplessly.

Jiang Ce ran up to the emperor, begging with both hands, his eyes blinking expectantly.

"Your Majesty, I have won. Shouldn't the gun be mine now?"

"Don't get too cocky with me."

The emperor slapped his hand away hard, causing him to hiss in pain.

Jiang Ce's face fell, looking somewhat aggrieved: "Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven. The Son of Heaven's words are law and cannot be taken back."

The emperor sighed, "Fine, fine. The gun is yours. You can divide the other prizes yourselves. Everyone who participated today will also receive a reward."

Zheng Shaoyu put his arm around Youyu's neck and laughed, "Youyu, we'll get a reward too!"

Yu: "..."

The emperor looked up at the rising spring sun and asked those around him, "Is the banquet ready?"

Wang Xu, who was standing to the side, said, "Preparations have been made at Chonghua Hall and Shisi Tower, and we are just waiting for His Majesty to arrive."

The Emperor nodded, not forgetting to turn back and take Consort Xue's hand: "Now that the sun is getting strong, let's all go and enjoy the flowers and wine, and not waste this spring scenery."

"yes"

Once the emperor left, everyone was led away by their respective palace servants.

Jiang Ce didn't care much about the spear he got; he just stared at the prizes in a daze.

Zheng Shaoyu leaned against him: "Among us, you're the only one with a marriage contract. Apart from this gun, you don't need the other good things. You can give them to Miss Xue to please her."

"Yes, these things are beautiful and exquisite, and young ladies would probably like them."

Xiao Huaiting nodded in agreement and said with a smile.

Jiang Ce replied, "To win her favor?"

That would make me seem so boring.

Seeing that he was hesitant and didn't speak, the group simply pushed him along.

"Shaoguang Pavilion has prepared a banquet. Let's not just stand here and go have some wine and admire the flowers."

The group started joking around. Jiang Ce picked up the football, gently weighed it in his hand, and looked back.

They were dressed in colorful clothes and adorned with pearls and jade, but there was no sign of that pale yellow and willow green figure.

Zheng Shaoyu patted him hard on the back: "Stop looking, you'll have your chance to show off later."

Xiao Huaiting pushed him forward, smiling, "Let's go."

On the Shaoguang Pavilion.

Xue Chan and Cheng Huaizhu took their seats, with men and women seated separately, separated by several large painted screens.

Because Zheng Tan was an imperial consort, she was separated from the other three and sat in the corner opposite Xue Chan.

Before long, Lady Shen Yiguang, wife of Prince Ning, sat down beside her.

The two looked at each other and remained silent for a moment.

Shen Yiguang spoke up: "I saw her at Fengyang Terrace just now, and you saw her too, didn't you?"

Zheng Tan turned her face slightly away, not wanting to mention Deng Run, nor the things the Shen family did when the Deng family was destroyed.

She didn't say anything, but poured herself a glass of wine, the wine reflecting her tearful eyes.

"What's the point of saying all this? Everyone's already left."

Music started playing on the stage opposite. Zheng Tan looked in the direction of the sound and simply got up and left his seat.

She passed by Xue Chan, and the two smiled at each other.

Xue Chan stared blankly at her departing figure, when another person walked up beside her.

"Thank you very much, Miss Xue."

She looked up and found that it was Xiao Yangjun, who was two seats away from her, who had come over to thank her.

Xue Chan said calmly, "I just happened to be standing there. It was an accident. Miss Xiao, there's no need to thank me. If you want to thank someone, thank Heaven for its favor."

In fact, Xiao Yangjun had inquired about Xue Chan intentionally or unintentionally, and had heard many things about her.

Cheng Huaizhu said that she had excellent painting skills and a good temperament.

Yu Lang said she was aloof and weak, a quiet and reserved person.

There are many, many examples like these. Good, bad, ambiguous.

She had also seen Xue Chan's paintings, in Huaizhu's palace. The brushstrokes were delicate and lively, and the colors were rich.

So she kept wondering what kind of person he was, and she was curious and wanted to meet him.

The person sitting in front of Xiao Yangjun at this moment was calm and gentle, with a distant air beneath his smile.

Xiao Yangjun pursed his lips, thought for a moment, and then shook his head.

"No"

She sat down and looked at Xue Chan with a determined gaze.

"Whether it was a coincidence or not, Miss Xue's help is a fact. Therefore, I should thank you."

Xue Chan blinked; she didn't want to waste time arguing and passing the buck. So she picked up a small wine cup, smiled, poured two cups of clear wine, and handed them to Xiao Yangjun.

She laughed, her tone light and cheerful: "If Miss Xiao really wants to thank me, then drink this cup of wine."

Xiao Yangjun accepted it.

Xue Chan casually reached out and clinked glasses with her, the glasses making a crisp sound.

While Xiao Yangjun was still looking at the wine, Xue Chan had already drunk it all in one gulp, which made her feel a little awkward, so she also drank it all.

The fruit wine, once ingested, is refreshingly sweet with a slight burning sensation.

She put down her wine glass, only to see Xue Chan propping her chin up and looking at her, her eyes bright and soft when she smiled.

"Now that we've drunk the wine, this matter is over, and there's no need to worry about it anymore."

Xiao Yangjun was slightly taken aback by her straightforward smiling eyes, and his face couldn't help but feel a little hot.

However, she thought that perhaps she was just not a good drinker.

She smiled, got up and started to walk back, but couldn't help looking back.

Xue Chan was smiling as she pushed a cup of pastries in front of Huai Zhu, coaxing her to drink.

As Cheng Huaizhu downed her fourth glass of wine, she became dizzy and grabbed Xue Chan's hand as she poured the wine: "Are you kidding me?"

Xue Chan laughed innocently: "What do you mean? You were the one who wanted to play with me. Now that you're not as good as me, you're going to cheat?"

"After you drink the last cup, this round will be over." She smiled and coaxed Cheng Huaizhu softly, "Sweetie, I'm not lying to you."

Cheng Huaizhu hardened her stance, pushed away her wine glass, and snorted.

"I don't believe it. You've always been a wicked person."

She stood up, huffing and puffing like a rabbit: "I'm going out to sell my drinks, I'm not playing with you anymore."

Xue Chan picked up the fifth cup of wine, drank it down with a smile, and then stood up to chase after Huai Zhu.

"Don't be angry. I'll have Chunniang make you locust honey after we leave the palace."

Cheng Huaizhu turned around and smiled: "Really?"

Xue Chan raised an eyebrow; she had indeed hooked him.

Seeing her smile, Cheng Huaizhu knew she had been charmed again. She simply pulled off her sleeve and ran downstairs.

"I knew you were just trying to fool me!"

Xue Chan walked behind, laughing as she went.

They followed Cheng Huaizhu into the flower grove.

Cheng Huaizhu walked very fast, her figure appearing and disappearing amidst a pink cloud.

Yun Sheng asked, "Miss Huaizhu is walking so fast, won't she get lost?"

Xue Chan said leisurely, "No, she will turn around and check if we are keeping up."

Yun Sheng was puzzled. When she took a few more steps forward, Cheng Huaizhu and Ming Xia were standing under a peach tree not far away, watching them come. They stomped their feet and left.

Xue Chan smiled softly.

Doesn't she understand Cheng Huaizhu?

The group continued walking until they reached the depths of the flower grove.

Xue Chan simply admired the flowers while following Cheng Huaizhu at a distance that was neither too close nor too far.

She paused for a moment when she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure flash by out of the corner of her eye.

As the group continued walking, Mingxia ran back anxiously, saying, "Miss Xue, my young lady is lost."

Xue Chan frowned and said in a deep voice, "Chu Tao, you and Ming Xia go forward. Yun Sheng and I will go to find her from the other end. We will meet at Peach Blossom Embankment."

The group split up to search for Cheng Huaizhu.

Xue Chan walked through the slender, intertwined branches and saw a familiar figure sitting on a rock not far away.

She tried calling out.

"lilac?"

Xueqing's eyes flickered when she saw her arrive.

What are you doing here?

“The palaces need peaches for decoration, so I’ll pick some.”

Xue Chan frowned: "But weren't you transferred to Fangchun Pavilion a long time ago? Why would we need you to pick flowers?"

Xueqing looked embarrassed, and after a while she said weakly, "Actually, one of my sisters was sent to pick flowers. I was afraid she couldn't finish by herself, so I came to help."

"I'll take your word for it and believe you said you came to pick flowers." Xue Chan tilted her head to look at her empty hands and asked, "Then where are the peach blossoms you picked?"

Xueqing quickly hid her hands and lowered her head, stammering, "I...I..."

Seeing that she was reluctant to speak, Xue Chan did not want to press her for details and gave her all the peach blossoms she had picked from her bosom.

"Since you've come to pick flowers, you should go back early."

Thank you...

Xue Chan turned around and walked back. Two women came up from the bottom of the slope and bumped into her.

The other person was also taken aback when they saw her.

Xue Chan recognized him clearly: one was the palace maid who had led her away that night, and the other...

It is Zheng Tan.

Xue Chan did not go forward to ask, and led Yun Sheng back.

After the two left, Deng Run said to Zheng Tan, "I'm fine. Don't come to see me again. It wouldn't be good if you were implicated..."

Zheng Tan began to sob: "What are you saying? We're best friends, how could I..."

"You saw it yourself, I'm perfectly fine." Deng Run gently advised her, "Staying away from your seat for too long might arouse suspicion. You should go back now. That girl from earlier..."

"That's Erlang's fiancée, I've taken care of it." Zheng Tan wiped away her tears and quickly left.

After she left, Deng Run walked up to Xue Qing and said, "Xue Qing, was that Miss Xue who taught you to paint just now?"

"Um"

Xueqing nodded and said, "Sister Deng, Miss Xue... is doing very well."

Deng Run said, "Thank you very much today."

Xue Qing shook her head: "With your talent, you should have been the one transferred to Fangchun Pavilion..."

Deng Run gently brushed the flower petals from her hair: "What's this about right or wrong? I'll be able to get out sooner or later. Look, I've been transferred to the Music Bureau, so I don't have to do those rough jobs anymore."

Xueqing didn't say anything, but she knew how difficult it was for her to be transferred this time.

"Let's go."

"good"

The two walked away in another direction.

Xue Chan hadn't gone far when she ran into Zheng Tan.

Zheng Tan stepped forward lightly: "Miss Xue..."

Xue Chan spoke first: "If she were just an ordinary palace maid, how could she have made the Lady of the Marquis leave her seat without permission and go to such lengths to meet her?"

With tears in her eyes, Zheng Tan said, "She was one of my very, very good friends..."

"So, I'm willing to risk being discovered to see her."

"Yes"

Xue Chan nodded; in fact, she probably already knew who it was.

Six years ago, Cheng Huaizhu sent her a letter.

Besides casual conversations, there was also Deng Run, the eldest daughter of Minister Deng, who wrote "Ode to Dongyang" at the Qujiang Banquet, outshining all the other scholars.

However, in just six months, Cheng Huaizhu sent another letter mentioning that the Deng family had been raided and beheaded, and that Deng Run had not been allowed into the palace.

That letter contained few words, but many tears.

Zheng Tan: "Regarding today's matter, could you...?"

Xue Chan asked with a smile, "What is it? Didn't we just happen to meet by chance after I left the banquet drunk, and then we saw these peach blossoms and invited each other to admire them together?"

Zheng Tan was taken aback, then lowered his head and smiled: "That's right."

"But why did Miss Xue come out?"

Yun Sheng said worriedly, "Miss Huai Zhu has gotten lost in this flower grove, and we are looking for her."

Xue Chan spoke up: "Actually, it's not a big deal, but Huaizhu is drunk, and I'm afraid something might happen. I wonder if Madam Zheng could lend us two people to help search?"

Zheng Tan readily agreed: "Don't worry, leave it to me."

Xue Chan parted ways with her amidst the dense shadows of flowers.

In Shaoguang Pavilion, Jiang Ce was drinking with Zheng Shaoyu and a few others.

He leaned against the railing, looking at the Peach Blossom Embankment not far away, where the water rippled beneath the long embankment.

He propped his chin on his hand and drank a glass of wine.

Actually, he just saw Xue Chan head towards the flower grove.

Because he was somewhat preoccupied with something, he was a little distracted while Zheng Shaoyu and Xiao Huaiting were talking.

Zheng Shaoyu and Xiao Huaiting huddled together and said, "I think he just wants to show off to Miss Xue and display his charm in front of her."

Xiao Huaiting looked hesitant: "Are you sure?"

Zheng Shaoyu scoffed, "Believe it or not."

Jiang Ce looked at the football in his arms and tapped the table with his knuckles.

He lowered his head and thought for a moment, then stood up and prepared to leave, still holding the football in his hand.

Zheng Shaoyu propped his chin on his hand and teased, "You wouldn't be thinking of showing off to Miss Xue, would you?"

Jiang Ce kicked him: "What nonsense are you talking about? Go out and get some fresh air after drinking too much."

Zheng Shaoyu saw through it but didn't say anything, only giving a knowing look and smiling with narrowed eyes, "Good, good, good."

He turned his head and gave Xiao Huaiting a wink, signaling him to follow.

Xiao Huaiting: "Isn't this a bad idea?"

Zheng Shaoyu followed cautiously behind Jiang Ce, glancing at him: "What's wrong with that?"

Jiang Ce walked very fast, and in the blink of an eye, only a crimson shadow remained, blending into a sea of ​​peach blossoms.

After a few turns, the two lost track of him.

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Author's note: I hate summer...

I also hate winter.

Okay, actually I also hate autumn and spring.

It's so hot...

I really want to eat hot pot, I really want to eat hot pot, I really want to eat hot pot... [melting][melting][melting]