"Miss Jiang, everyone's playing pitch-pot, would you like to join in a game?"
Jiang Shuyue looked up and saw that she did not recognize the woman in front of her.
Before the woman could introduce herself, Du Yutong said:
"You Xian'er, everyone knows that your pitching accuracy is the best among us. Sister Yue'er is not good at pitching, so you can play by yourself. We'll go admire the flowers first."
You Xian'er was considered a champion in pitch-pot among the young ladies. When noble ladies held banquets and played pitch-pot, she would win eight or nine times out of ten.
In her heart, Sister Yue'er was like a fairy, and she didn't want Sister Yue'er to lose to her in public and be laughed at.
Du Yutong made up her mind that while You Xian'er and the other girls were admiring the plum blossoms, she would go and have a good time with Sister Yue'er.
The name You Xian'er is legendary.
Jiang Shuyue understood.
The daughter of the Minister of Works was not born in the Jiazi year; it is said that her birth month, day, and hour were all Yin hours.
Recently, rumors have been circulating in the capital that one of You Xian'er and Cui Yudie will be staying at the Pepper Chamber.
Jiang Shuyue had also heard that the pretty You Xian'er was actually born to a concubine in the You family.
Her concubine died in childbirth, and her stepmother, being kind, took her in and raised her as her own daughter.
Jiang Shuyue smiled faintly, meeting You Xian'er's somewhat provocative gaze.
"So Miss You is good at pitch-pot. I'm not interested in the game, so I hope you have fun."
In Jiang Shuyue's opinion, the game of pitch-pot was boring and childish.
For an adult like her to compete with a group of young girls makes her seem tasteless and even suggests that she is bullying the girls.
Seeing that Jiang Shuyue politely declined, Du Yutong chimed in, "Yes, as long as you have fun. The plum blossoms in this garden are a rare sight. Let's go admire the plum blossoms and not disturb Miss You's enjoyment."
It is said that the plum varieties in the garden were brought from other countries by the emperor of the previous dynasty, and they only bloom most profusely in the depths of winter.
The plum blossom varieties in the Imperial Garden of Beijing are not as numerous as those here, making it extremely rare.
You Xian'er saw Jiang Shuyue and Du Yutong about to leave.
She moved her feet to block their way, "Sister Jiang refuses to play with everyone. Is she arrogant because she's rich and powerful, or because she looks down on all the sisters?"
"you!"
Qiu Ju was about to lash out when Jiang Shuyue stopped her with a single look.
Jiang Shuyue, dressed in a red fox fur cloak, stood out conspicuously in the plum garden.
In addition, You Xian'er deliberately raised her voice, causing the girls playing pitch-pot in the pavilion to all look in her direction.
Several girls curiously gathered around.
"Hey! Isn't this the big boss of Juxian Pavilion? Why are you arguing with Miss You!"
Jiang Shuyue looked at the woman walking at the front.
She was about fourteen or fifteen years old, and although she was pretty, the things she said were not very pleasant.
He gives the impression of being a bit dim-witted.
Jiang Shuyue raised her eyebrows slightly and stared intently at the newcomer. "Which ear of yours heard me arguing with Miss You?"
"That's right, Wu Shiyin, you're so young, but your hearing isn't very good."
"It was Miss You who invited me and Sister Yue'er to play pitch-pot, and Sister Yue'er politely declined. How did it become an argument in your eyes?"
Seeing Du Yutong's unfriendly tone, Wu Shiyin looked embarrassed and said, "No, it's good that we didn't argue. Miss Du, would you like to play pitch-pot with us?"
If her grandmother found out about her falling out with the daughter of the Minister of Justice, Wu Shiyin would surely scold her. She wasn't stupid, though, and her tone had a hint of flattery.
Du Yutong shook her head. "Not interested."
Jiang Shuyue found Wu Shiyin's address of "sister" particularly grating.
During the palace selection process, a large portion of the women present were eager to enter the palace.
She doesn't want to be called a sister by anyone.
Jiang Shuyue remembered that Wu Shiyin was Wu Taiwei's niece, the second daughter of the second branch of the Wu family.
Out of respect for Madam Wu, she didn't hold a grudge against a young girl.
At this moment, another woman invited, "Since you're here, let's all play together!"
"Exactly, winning or losing doesn't matter, just have fun."
Jiang Shuyue warmly invited the beautiful young girls.
If I refuse again, I will appear out of place.
Just as she was hesitating whether to go and play a round, You Xian'er said quietly, "Those who are afraid to play are naturally afraid of losing."
"You Xian'er! Don't go too far." Du Yutong raised her voice and threw a warning look at her.
Women of lower rank sensed the tension; some lowered their heads, pretending to adjust their skirts, while others turned their gaze to the branches, feigning to admire the plum blossoms.
Jiang Shuyue tugged at Du Yutong's hand, "Let's go over and play a couple of rounds, so as not to disappoint Miss You's kind intentions."
Qiu Ju chuckled inwardly, looking at You Xian'er as if she were a clown; it was still uncertain who would win or lose.
Jiang Shuyue realized that You Xian'er, who had never met her before, had come to provoke her, so she must dislike her.
Could it be that I've become her imagined enemy?
"That's right, Sister Jiang is playing with us too, it's more fun with more people." The girls on the side breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Jiang Shuyue nod.
Jiang Shuyue cast a gentle glance at the girls, "Everyone calls me Yue Niang, and you girls can call me that too."
Jiang Shuyue was no stranger to them. Seeing that she did not have the airs of a typical young lady from a prominent family, the girls all stepped forward to greet her.
Du Yutong wanted Jiang Shuyue to get to know them and also learn about the young ladies' family backgrounds.
Every time Jiang Shuyue met a girl, she would introduce her name and her father's position in the imperial court.
These women were all around fifteen years old. Due to the changing dynasties, Jiang Shuyue knew very few of their family backgrounds.
Just then, melodious zither music drifted from the other end of the plum garden.
One of the girls said, "Let's play a round quickly. Her Highness the Princess will be playing the zither herself today. Let's go over and learn a thing or two later."
Everyone went into the pavilion, and Qiuju and Zhuer followed.
"Each person throws five balls in a row, and whoever makes the most shots wins."
Seeing You Xian'er and Jiang Shuyue go inside, a palace maid picked up the arrows that had no arrowheads scattered on the ground.
You Xian'er looked at Jiang Shuyue and said, "Please."
The distances for pitching in the pot varied, and Jiang Shuyue didn't know what rules everyone had just played.
She politely declined, saying, "I'm older than all of you, so please let the ladies go first."
After some polite refusals, a young girl whose father worked in the Ministry of Rites stepped forward.
Please don't laugh at me, everyone. I'll start by showing off my skills.
The young girl took the arrow handed to her by the palace maid, walked five steps away from the pot, and turned around.
One, two... four.
"Clang!"
The fifth one hit the neck of the pot and bounced away.
The little girl wasn't being modest when she said she was making a fool of herself; only one of her five arrows hit the rim of the pot.
Her face flushed slightly. "If the spout were a little bigger, the fifth one would have gone in."
One of the girls said mischievously, "That's right. If it were a water vat with a mouth as big as that, you could throw it in from ten steps away."
Seeing You Xian'er looking this way, Du Yutong volunteered and rolled up her sleeves, "Sister Yue'er, you can throw last. I'll do it this time."
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