Chapter 76: The Fallen Princess Bai Yueguang 7 Spring Banquet

Wen Qianning came out of the imperial study, still muttering to himself.

She shook the handkerchief in her hand, and when she was halfway there, her mind changed again, and she walked towards the side hall of Yaoguang Palace as if possessed by a ghost.

The hero fell off his horse and was sent back to recover from his injuries. He is still lying down. If someone hadn't harmed him, he wouldn't have ended up like that.

Thinking of this, Wen Qianning felt inexplicably uncomfortable.

The side hall was quiet. The palace maids were waiting outside the hall. When they heard the noise, several maids were about to bow, but Wen Qianning waved her hand, asked them to step back, and walked straight in.

There was only one palace lantern lit in the hall. Ji Hanlin was leaning on the couch, with a hint of fatigue between his brows. His already pale complexion made his facial features look even more refined, giving him an unreal beauty.

Just then, a maid came up with a medicine bowl and asked Ji Hanlin to take the medicine. Wen Qianning's eyes turned and she took the bowl first, saying confidently, "No need for you, this princess will do it herself!"

The maids were stunned and dared not say anything, so they had to retreat.

Ji Hanlin raised an eyebrow, his eyes fixed on the bowl of dark medicinal juice in her hand, and he spoke slowly, "Your Highness the Princess is so delicate, how can she do all this herself..."

"Shut up." Wen Qianning glared at him unhappily. "I'm in a good mood, so I condescended to serve you personally. Now open your mouth!"

She ordered in a delicate voice, holding the bowl, scooped a mouthful with a spoon, and brought it to his lips.

But the little princess, who had never taken care of anyone, had no idea how to handle these things. Her hands shook and she almost burned Ji Hanlin's chin.

Her movements were clumsy, and one wave of liquid came after another. Half of the liquid in the spoon shook out and flowed onto his clothes, leaving a large dark mark.

Ji Hanlin: "..."

Wen Qianning blushed and hurriedly took out a handkerchief to wipe it for him. However, the more she wiped, the more blurry it became. The dark traces of the medicine became even bigger, and it looked so messy no matter how she looked at it.

Ji Hanlin looked at her clumsy appearance and finally couldn't help but sigh softly: "If you can't do it well, there's no need to do it."

"Is it not possible?" Wen Qianning glared at him angrily, "Why do I feel that your tone is a bit disgusted? This princess is kind-hearted, how dare you dislike me?"

She simply put the bowl aside, crossed her arms, and raised her chin: "Forget it, forget it, whether you want to drink it or not, it's up to you!"

After saying that, Wen Qianning turned around angrily, turned her head to the side, and didn't intend to pay any attention to Ji Hanlin.

Ji Hanlin looked at the petite figure, a faint smile appearing in his eyes.

She is really...squeamish and awkward.

He slowly reached out, took the bowl of medicine, and drank it down sip by sip. The bitter taste entered his throat, but he seemed not to notice it at all.

Because this bitterness is far less real than the warmth deep in my heart.

Wen Qianning heard the clear sound of the bowl being put down and couldn't help but sneak a peek over. She saw that Ji Hanlin had already finished the medicine. The corners of the boy's lips curved slightly, "Thank you, Princess."

Wen Qianning blushed at these four simple words and quickly turned her head away: "Hmph, this princess was just acting on a whim. You won't get such a good thing next time."

Her eyes fell on his collar which was soaked with medicine. She wanted to say a few words of concern, but in the end she choked them back stubbornly.

"Forget it, just take a good rest." Wen Qianning waved his hand and left quickly.

The days passed one by one, the winter snow melted, spring came, and the flowers in and around the palace began to bloom.

This year's spring banquet was held in the Prime Minister's residence. The garden in the residence was huge, and the pavilions and terraces on the waterside were all beautifully carved.

On this day, the Prime Minister's Mansion was decorated with lights and colorful lanterns, and young men and women from various noble families were invited to attend.

There were people in elegant clothes and smiling faces, it was a lively scene.

Princess Zhaohua was naturally the most anticipated guest among them.

She wore a peach pink long dress, with a touch of peach blossom makeup on her forehead, her hair was tied up high, and a few strands of hair fell by her ears, adding a bit of liveliness.

As soon as Princess Zhaohua walked into the garden, the entire garden lost its color in front of her. The petals under the peach trees fell down, making her look like a spring peach blossom created by the human world.

The young boys and girls all looked over, and many noble ladies immediately felt admiration and adoration. They gathered around her and praised the princess with smiles on her gorgeous makeup today.

"Your Highness the Princess is truly stunning today, even more stunning than all the flowers in this garden."

"Yes, if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed that the world could be like this."

Wen Qianning was used to being admired by everyone. She pursed her lips and smiled, her smile was gorgeous and had a bit of girlish charm.

She chatted calmly with several noble ladies around her. The topics ranged from the new spring silk to who played the best piano at the flower show. In a few words, she became the focus of everyone's attention.

Several young men not far away could not help but look over frequently. After all, Princess Zhaohua was of noble status and the most beautiful in the capital. She had been known as the "flower of the mountain" since she was a child.

Today's spring banquet actually implies the intention of making friends and choosing a son-in-law. When Princess Zhaohua arrived, she naturally attracted countless eyes.

When the music started, the guests in the garden gradually dispersed, and the number of people surrounding Wen Qianning gradually decreased.

At this time, a young man walked towards her slowly.

Xie Yunji is only nineteen years old now. As the son of the prime minister, he looks like a handsome young man with clear features, neat clothes, and confidence in his every move.

He had admired Wen Qianning since he was a child, and the Prime Minister's Mansion also wanted him to get close to Wen Qianning. In the blink of an eye, the two had reached the age to get married.

"Your Highness." Xie Yunji bowed from a distance in front of the pavilion and spoke in a gentle voice.

Wen Qianning was sitting idly under the corridor, playing with a fallen peach blossom in her hand. She raised her eyes when she heard the voice, and her eyes swept over indifferently, with a sense of arrogance and alienation in her attitude.

Undeterred, the young man approached the pavilion and began with a smile, "Although the flowers in the garden are flourishing today, none of them can compare to your Highness's splendor. Sister Zhaohua, do you remember the little poem I presented to you at the Spring Banquet last year?"

He looked attentive, as if he wanted to bring up old memories between them.

Wen Qianning didn't take it to heart and just said "Oh" softly. His eyes were wandering and he was obviously absent-minded.

Xie Yunji sighed inwardly, mustered up the courage to sit across from her, picked up the teacup and handed it to her: "The banquet is often lively and noisy, it would be nice to rest here for a while. Your Highness has always disliked noisy places, I remember that."

Wen Qianning then turned around, her eyes falling on the teacup he handed over, and she raised the corners of her mouth with an ambiguous look.

"You remember clearly what this princess likes and dislikes are?" She took the tea and said this.

Hearing this, Xie Yunji became a little nervous, but he still maintained a smile on his face: "Your Highness is naturally different. Others may forget, but I... will never forget."

As soon as he finished speaking, a breeze blew outside the pavilion, and peach blossoms fell between the two of them. Xie Yunji reached out and brushed away a petal, his eyes falling gently and intently on Wen Qianning's face, trying to find some response from her expression.

But Wen Qianning just smiled, as if she didn't understand his hint, and stood up.

"The spring scenery in the garden is so beautiful. Sir, please take your time to enjoy it. I will go ahead." The girl's voice was crisp.

Seeing Wen Qianning about to leave the pavilion, Xie Yunji became anxious and quickly called out to her, "Your Highness."

"Is there anything else?" Wen Qianning turned around with a somewhat nonchalant look on his face.

Xie Yunji took a deep breath, took out a brocade bag from his sleeve, and presented it with both hands: "This is a piece of beautiful jade that I personally selected. I would like to give it to Your Highness."

He said this with a serious expression and an undisguised passion in his eyes.

The carefully selected jade pendants are crystal clear and warm, with transparent color and excellent carving. If ordinary people get them, they will definitely regard them as treasures.

Jade pendants have other meanings. According to Xuanping customs, men and women like to give each other jade pendants when they express their feelings to each other.

Wen Qianning looked down and took it casually.

In her eyes, although this jade is good, it is not rare.

After all, Princess Zhaohua had lived a life of luxury since childhood, having seen countless treasures and exotic objects, and jade pendants alone were readily available. By comparison, she remembered an even more precious piece of fine jade gifted to her by Emperor Xuanping a few days ago. Thinking of this, Wen Qianning became even less concerned.

Seeing Xie Yunji looking at her eagerly, Wen Qianning thought it was just an ordinary gift, not realizing the deeper meaning behind it. She casually slipped the jade pendant into her sleeve, as if it were just an ordinary trinket. "Thank you very much, sir. This princess accepts it."

Xie Yunji was delighted, but he didn't dare show it too much on his face, lowering his eyes to hide his excitement. To him, this jade pendant was a token of his love. He didn't know that Wen Qianning didn't think so much about it.

After Wen Qianning collected the jade pendant, she turned and walked out of the pavilion. Her skirt swept past the steps, leaving Xie Yunji with a distant back.

Xie Yunji stood there for a moment, watching the figure go away, his heart beating fast.

He understood that Princess Zhaohua had always been like this, as proud as a flower in the clouds, difficult for others to pluck easily. But precisely because of this, he wanted to get closer...

It was already dusk when they returned from the Spring Banquet. Wen Qianning had dressed up all day, and as the center of attention, she had to maintain a constant state of alertness. Returning to the palace, she felt as if all her energy had been drained away.

As soon as she entered the bedroom, she heard a soft cry from inside: "Ah!"

Then there was a flurry of movement. The new maid knelt on the ground in panic, frantically picking up the scattered mattresses and candlesticks. Wax splattered all over the floor, and a faint burnt smell lingered in the air.

Wen Qianning held her forehead, feeling exhausted and helpless. The little palace maid was frantically kowtowing, "Your Highness, please spare me, Your Highness, please spare me, this servant did not mean to do that..."

If it were any other day, Wen Qianning might have scolded her a few times, but at this moment, she didn't even have the energy to speak. She raised her hand tiredly and said, "Forget it. Clean up for this princess as soon as possible."

Without even untying her cloak, she turned and went to the side hall.

Pushing the door open, the room was quiet. Wen Qianning walked straight to the bed without saying a word, took off his shoes, and threw himself on it. He sank into the soft quilt and let out a long breath.

Ji Hanlin sat at his desk, pausing briefly to hold the scroll. Turning his gaze, he saw the girl, her sleeves trailing on the ground, her hair slightly dishevelled, her delicate face languid with weariness. She had unhesitatingly treated his side hall as her own bedroom, jumping into bed in one breath.

His eyes darkened, and his gaze lingered on her slender, snow-white ankle.

The girl had just casually taken off her shoes, without any embroidered socks, and her porcelain-white feet stepped directly onto the edge of the couch, completely defenseless.

...How could she be so careless?

This is his bed, he is a normal man, but the little princess stepped on it without any scruples, taking this intimacy for granted?

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