"Take a step forward," Tianyun said softly, her voice carrying a strong coaxing tone, as she beckoned to the little maid.
The little maid felt as if she had been bewitched for a moment, when a soft little hand landed on her shoulder, and the young lady in front of her had long eyelashes that curved, her eyes looking straight at her solemnly.
Can I trust you?
Lingqi was captivated by that gaze and hurriedly knelt down, her knees slamming heavily onto the solid glazed tiles on the ground with a loud "thud."
"Lingqi has served you for decades, and will continue to serve you in the future!"
Her voice was urgent, as if she feared the girl might doubt her loyalty.
The slamming sound was so loud that Tianyun was startled and hurriedly covered his chest, saying, "I understand, and I'm not questioning your loyalty. Get up quickly." He was truly afraid of the ancient custom of kneeling down at the slightest disagreement.
Tianyun felt very sorry for her knees, and softened his voice even more, afraid of frightening her again: "I just had a dream. In the dream, an old immortal gave me some warnings. The old immortal told me, 'A loss may turn out to be a blessing in disguise.' Do you know what that means?"
The maid was relieved to hear that the girl didn't doubt me, and shook her head again.
Who is the old man from the frontier?
"..."
Tianyun was defeated by her confusion and said helplessly, "You don't need to know who he is, but whether Father's promotion is a blessing or a curse is still unknown. You need to tell me in detail about the situation in the capital."
Tomorrow I'll be studying at the Imperial Academy, a place where the sons of high-ranking officials and noble ladies of the capital gather. If I don't understand the situation clearly, and accidentally offend someone, I might not even be able to save my life.
She looked bewildered, and Tianyun couldn't bear to press her.
"Well then, tell me, who is this Miss Mu who sent me the invitation?"
The little maid finally had a chance to answer the question. She said in a light voice, "Miss Mu, Mu Zhiyao, is the eldest daughter of the Left Prime Minister's family. She is a famous painter in the capital and was also elected as the Hundred Flower Fairy with a high number of votes at last year's Hundred Flower Banquet!" Lingqi's eyes lit up as she spoke, showing that she greatly admired this Miss Mu.
Talented, beautiful, and from a good family, could she be the woman of destiny in this world?
Tianyun walked to the octagonal table with flowers and branches, picked up the now-cold Longjing tea and took a sip. The refreshing cool tea was invigorating, and she hadn't experienced this bittersweet taste in a long time.
"Has Miss Mu considered marriage?"
The young maid seemed somewhat surprised, her already round eyes widening even further.
Seeing her strange expression, Tianyun had a bad feeling.
The next second—her premonition was confirmed.
“There have been rumors lately that His Majesty intends to… intends to bestow a marriage between the Second Prince and… Miss Mu,” Lingqi stammered. She knew about the girl’s infatuation with the Second Prince.
"But Miss, don't be too upset. These are all baseless rumors. Master is currently a fourth-rank official, and given time, he may be promoted again. If you wish to become the Second Prince's concubine then, it's not impossible!"
A concubine? Forget it, she doesn't have the time to compete with a bunch of women for a husband!
The most urgent matter is to find out who this person named "Xiao Ziwu" is and whether he is in the capital. If he isn't, how can she find him in this vast sea of people?
Tianyun asked seriously, "Have you ever heard of the name Xiao Ziwu?"
Lingqi was even more surprised. She poured her another cup of tea before saying, "The Third Prince, Xiao Ziwu, must be known to everyone in the capital."
At noon the next day, a setting sun hung high in the azure sky, its rays filtering through the soft clouds and spreading across the earth. The time for the banquet had arrived.
This time, all the prominent young men and women from noble families had been invited. Xiao Ziwu is a prince, so he would probably be invited as well, right? Tianyun came with the hope that she might be able to meet him.
Upon arriving at the banquet venue, the servants at the entrance respectfully greeted them and led them inside.
First, turn through a long corridor and then go upstairs. The second and third floors each have several independent private rooms, from which occasionally drift the sounds of string and wind instruments, creating a very elegant atmosphere. Further up is an open-air terrace, vast in area and designed in a circular shape, surrounding a central lake. In the center of the lake is a high platform where musicians are playing the guqin (a traditional Chinese stringed instrument). A melodious and graceful sound drifts over, and upon closer inspection, you can see several trumpet-shaped metal objects beside the platform; no wonder the sound travels so far.
It had been a long time since she had seen such a lively scene. Tianyun stayed in the corner with great interest, her slender white fingers propping up her chin. No one came over to talk to her, so she could only whisper to Lingqi.
Lingqi cautiously probed, "I overheard the young ladies saying that His Highness the Second Prince seems to be here today as well."
Tianyun picked up a grape, lifted her veil, and put it in her mouth: "Did you hear if the Third Prince has arrived?" Why was she asking about news of such an unimportant person?
"The Third Prince did not come."
Lingqi bent slightly and secretly glanced at the girl's face. Seeing that her expression was normal and she was not as shy as usual, searching for the Second Prince with her eyes, she said something else.
"The purple-gold brocade robe that the Second Prince is wearing today matches Miss Mu's purple-orchid phoenix-tail dress quite well. Could it be that you are telepathically connected?"
As soon as the lid of the peach blossom wine on the table was opened, a light fragrance of wine wafted out, like a soft hook luring Tianyun's stomach. She smacked her lips and said, "That's not surprising." After all, they are the male and female leads.
Lingqi bit her lower lip and used her last trump card: "His Highness the Second Prince is of a high status. Many people rush to send him invitations, but they all disappear without a trace. Only Miss Mu is different from the others!"
The singing and dancing on the high platform of Tianyun attracted attention. Having stayed in that closed and quiet ward for so long, he now found everything very interesting, so he responded to her absentmindedly.
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