Chapter 24 A Few Dark Clouds

Preparations for the Empress Dowager's "Flower Viewing Banquet" are in full swing.

Invitations had already been sent to the various aristocratic families in the capital, and for a time, the entire circle of noble ladies in the capital was shocked. Everyone knew what this banquet, which was called a flower viewing event but was actually a "concubine selection" banquet, meant to them.

To be favored by the Queen Mother, to marry into the Prince Regent's Palace, and to become the future Princess Regent is a great honor and opportunity!

Each family began to compete secretly, carefully preparing clothes and makeup for their daughters, and teaching them etiquette and behavior, hoping to stand out in this special "beauty pageant".

The Imperial Master's Mansion naturally also received an invitation.

Chu Xuanyi looked at the gold-embossed invitation and felt overwhelmed.

He really didn't want Ah Jiu to appear in any public place anymore! God knows what shocking words this girl would say and what earth-shattering things she would do once she got to the palace!

But, would he dare not accept the invitation personally sent by the Empress Dowager? Would he dare not let Ah Jiu go?

Unless he wanted to take everyone in the Imperial Master's Mansion to the Ministry of Justice's prison to "appreciate the flowers."

"Housekeeper," Chu Xuanyi ordered weakly, "Go... go prepare some decent clothes for Ah Jiu. Remember, they must be simple! The simpler the better! Don't let her pick out anything fancy!"

Now he only hoped that Jiu would quietly serve as a background figure at the flower viewing banquet, and not say anything shocking again, thus ruining his last bit of face.

However, Chu Xuanyi obviously underestimated Ajiu's "lethality" and overestimated his own "psychological endurance".

On the day of the flower viewing banquet, when he saw Ah Jiu, dressed up in her finery (still full of flaws in his opinion), jumping up and down and preparing to go to the palace with him, he suddenly had a premonition -

Today, the gossip headlines in the capital are likely to be monopolized by his Imperial Master Mansion again.

The Empress Dowager's flower-viewing banquet was held in and around the "Baifang Pavilion", the most elegant venue in the Imperial Garden.

Pavilions, towers, carved beams, painted buildings, exotic flowers and plants all competed for splendor. The ladies of noble families invited were even more beautiful than the flowers, each one meticulously dressed, their jewelry jingling, their fragrance wafting in the air, all trying their best to win the favor of the Empress Dowager and His Royal Highness the Regent.

The scene was peaceful and festive, filled with...the atmosphere of war without the smoke of gunpowder.

The banquet had already begun when Chu Xuanyi and Ajiu arrived. He took a deep breath, forced a stiff smile, and led Ajiu towards the Empress Dowager.

Along the way, countless eyes were cast on them intentionally or unintentionally, or to be more precise, on Ajiu.

After all, this was the legendary woman who could see the "Prince Regent's romantic affairs" and even made the Imperial Preceptor faint with rage. Everyone wanted to see what astonishing move this "little fortune teller" would make today.

When people saw Ajiu's "formal attire", many of them almost couldn't help laughing out loud.

Ah Jiu was wearing a... well, barely "plain" goose-yellow jacket and skirt, but her hair was adorned with several silk flowers of varying colors and sizes, red, pink, yellow, and purple, like a small, moving garden. Even more remarkable, she wore a chain of multicolored beads around her neck, several brightly colored cloth bracelets on her wrists, and even the pouch around her waist was embroidered with a... well, you could barely make out it was a butterfly, crookedly embroidered with colored thread.

It cannot be said that this outfit is ugly, it can only be said that... it is full of wildness and childlike innocence, forming a sharp contrast with the dignified, elegant, exquisite and luxurious ladies around her, as if she is a little wild duck that has strayed into a flock of swans.

Chu Xuanyi felt his face begin to burn again. He had clearly instructed the housekeeper to be pure! Pure! So how did this girl understand "pure"? By piling all kinds of colors on herself, was she showing off all the colors "purely"?

Ah Jiu was unaware of the gazes around her. She was looking around curiously, her little face full of novelty.

"Wow! Look, sir! There are so many beautiful sisters!" She whispered to Chu Xuanyi, her eyes sparkling, "They all wear shiny things on their heads, which are much prettier than Ajiu's silk flowers!"

Chu Xuanyi: “…” Thank you for knowing that your silk flowers are not pretty.

"And more! They all smell so good! Did they apply honey?" Jiu sniffed hard.

The corners of Chu Xuanyi's mouth twitched, and he felt his blood pressure starting to soar again.

After finally reaching the Empress Dowager and paying her respects, the Empress Dowager was stunned at first when she saw Ah Jiu's "unique" outfit, but then she waved her hand joyfully for her to come forward: "Oh, Ah Jiu is here! Come here quickly so I can take a good look! Hmm, this outfit... is really smart!"

Ah Jiu responded crisply and ran to the Queen Mother happily.

"Your Majesty the Queen Mother is well! Your Majesty the Queen Mother looks so beautiful today, as bright as the moon in the sky!" Ajiu said with a smile, looking up at his little face.

The Queen Mother laughed heartily at her eccentric metaphor. "Great, great! You're the only one with a sweet tongue!" She took Ah Jiu's hand and asked her to sit next to her. Then, glancing at Xiao Yu, who was chatting with several ministers not far away, she said pointedly, "Yu'er, come and meet your Uncle Chu, and... Miss Ah Jiu."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yu's deep gaze swept over lightly, and finally landed on Ajiu's little face that was full of "trophies".

When he saw Ajiu's outfit, which could be described as a "disaster-level mix and match" outfit, even his usually calm expression couldn't help but twitch slightly.

He walked forward, nodded to Chu Xuanyi, then turned his gaze to Ajiu, and said in a voice that could not be heard whether he was happy or angry: "Miss Ajiu."

Ah Jiu also looked up at him, her big eyes twinkling. She suddenly pointed at the top of Xiao Yu's head and whispered to the Queen Mother in surprise, "Look, Queen Mother! The little flower on Brother Xiong Xiong's head is even more beautiful today! There's even a little green leaf! Is it about to grow some small fruit?"

"Puff—cough cough cough!"

"hiss--"

There was an instant burst of suppressed gasps and coughs that almost choked around.

Chu Xuanyi's eyes went dark, and he almost died on the spot. He just wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into and never come out again!

Xiao Yu's face changed from expressionless to a shattered state at a visible speed. The veins on his forehead throbbed. If looks could kill, Ah Jiu would have been executed by slow slicing by now.

The Queen Mother was also taken aback, then a mischievous smile flashed in her eyes. She gently patted Ah Jiu's hand and said angrily, "You little girl, you're talking nonsense again! His Royal Highness the Regent is so heroic and extraordinary, there's no need for flowers and plants on his hair!"

"Yes, yes!" Ah Jiu insisted seriously, "Really! Pink and tender, so pretty! And... eh?"

She suddenly tilted her head and stared at the top of Xiao Yu's head for a while, then frowned slightly and muttered softly, "Strange... Why are there a few... dark clouds floating next to Xiao Huahua today? And a few small lightning bolts! They seem to be bullying Xiao Huahua..."

Xiao Yu: "..." His fist hardened.

Chu Xuanyi: "..." His heart sank. He felt that he might really have to retire early and go back to the countryside to farm.