Chapter 9 Flower Wreath: Eating and Taking
The clouds dispersed, the rain ceased, and the sky cleared, revealing a bright and colorful scene.
Zhang Ji, the leader of the Imperial Guard, carried a basket of flowers and escorted Madam Wen down the mountain.
Huiling Mountain is located in the suburbs of the capital. After the rain, the mountain is shrouded in mist. Zhang Ji walked carefully to the side of Lady Wen, slightly behind her. He was not good at talking. Compared to the eloquent Grand Eunuch Xu Sheng, he was more dull and silent, and only wanted to complete His Majesty's orders.
He had seen Madam Wen a few times before, the earliest being during the winter hunt last year. It was freezing cold and snowy, and Madam Wen was wearing a strange dress when she fainted by the frozen lake.
It was on that occasion that he witnessed His Majesty's loss of composure, and for the first time realized that even their wise and powerful emperor, who was supposed to be celibate, could have thoughts of other people.
The stone steps weren't long. When they reached the last few steps, Wen Miao spoke softly, "Lord Zhang, this is enough."
After delivering the person, Zhang Ji handed over the bamboo basket he was carrying. Wen Miao stared at the basket full of vibrant colors for a moment, then finally accepted it.
After adjusting the veil on her hat and patting her now completely dry skirt, Wen Miao couldn't help but think of the large, hot, and rough hands that had landed on her ankles in the stone pavilion earlier.
She took two unsteady steps, her breathing quickened, and she hurriedly left, half-holding her veil, as if she were fleeing some raging flood or ferocious beast.
Zhang Ji was completely unaware of what had happened in the stone pavilion. He scratched his head in confusion, wondering if he was really that frightening. Why was Madam Wen so panicked and reckless?
Wen Miao walked along the path she had come from. The rain-soaked forest gradually thinned out, and soon she reached the open grassland at the foot of the mountain.
At the same time, Shi Cui and Wan Bi, who saw Wen Miao coming, also breathed a sigh of relief.
From a distance, Xie Mengjun, who was holding a few willow branches in her hand, spotted Wen Miao carrying a flower basket.
"Cousin!"
The little girl ran over and snuggled close to Wen Miao, whispering, "It was raining just now and I didn't see my aunt. I thought I had lost her... I was so scared."
Wen Miao smiled faintly: "Auntie is already an adult, she won't be lost."
"Hmph, but my aunt is so beautiful, I'm afraid someone will try to steal her from me!"
Xie Mengjun spoke unintentionally, but Wen Miao, who had just experienced that encounter in the stone pavilion, was slightly moved. She subconsciously turned her head to look at the shadowy Huiling Mountain, which was hidden by the bushes.
It was obvious that the person in the stone pavilion had not left yet, and might still be sitting there, looking down at her.
The thought of this made Wen Miao feel uneasy, as if tiny crawling insects were growing on her back, causing her to intentionally turn away from the direction of the stone pavilion in the mountains.
"Aunt, what's up on the mountain? I've never been to Huiling Mountain by this road before," Xie Mengjun asked curiously.
The Huiling Mountain range on the outskirts of Beijing is a continuous stretch. Noble ladies from prominent families usually enter the mountain to worship Buddha from the side where Lingyun Temple is built, while this side is much quieter and hardly anyone comes.
Wen Miao briefly mentioned that there was only a small stone pavilion halfway up the mountain, and she didn't know anything about the area further in. Fortunately, children's attention is quick to shift, and when they saw the flowers in her bamboo basket adorned with dewdrops, they pouted and asked:
"Hey, Auntie, what happened to the flower wreath you made?"
Xie Mengjun scratched her head. She clearly remembered glancing back when she was flying a kite earlier and seeing that her aunt already had a half-finished flower wreath. How come after the rain, all that was left were flower branches?
Wen Miao led Xie Mengjun quickly to the carriage of the Xie residence. She sat back down on the wooden stool that Shi Cui and Wan Bi had brought out, and said with a slightly guilty conscience:
"The wreath got damaged when you were sheltering from the rain, so your aunt will make you a new one."
Who would have thought that the current emperor would snatch a flower wreath from a girl who was only ten years old? Not only did he snatch the wreath, but he also took away the basket of flowers that Wen Miao had picked earlier and had Zhang Ji, the leader of the Imperial Guard, pick them again from the forest!
With that manner of eating and taking, Wen Miao couldn't help but wonder if the person sitting in front of her was the emperor of Great Chu or a beggar on the street!
Xie Mengjun had no idea how turbulent Wen Miao's heart was, nor did she know that the flower wreath her aunt had given her was currently placed on the Emperor's table. She smiled and snuggled up to Wen Miao, saying in a sweet voice that she wanted to wear the same flower wreath as her aunt.
Wen Miao's fingers deftly explored the willow branches, her head bowed and her eyes gentle and bright. Although her hands were constantly moving, her heart had actually flown off to another place.
She tried to put aside what had happened in the stone pavilion, but the more she tried, the more she couldn't forget it, and she became entangled in her own thoughts, unable to help but ask herself why it had to be her. Given the Emperor's status and position, what kind of woman couldn't he have? How could it be a widow like her who had been married and lost her husband?
But did she have any other choice...?
The willow branches were intertwined, and flower stems were inserted into the gaps. When the completed wreath was placed on Xie Mengjun's head, Wen Miao also smiled as she looked at the other's smile.
If we can just wait it out for a while, and wait until the person in that high position loses interest, then perhaps there will be nothing to worry about.
...
After their spring outing, the group returned to the Xie residence before lunch. After having lunch with Xie Jingxuan, they each went back to their rooms to prepare for a midday rest.
Because she was physically and mentally exhausted, Wen Miao was unusually lazy and slept for a long time. She slept until she was completely relaxed and drowsy before finally lifting the softly colored gauze curtain.
It was already late afternoon, and the spring sunlight was just right. After a leisurely wash, Wen Miao, with her soft, thick long hair draped over her shoulders, rested her chin on her hand and leaned against the window.
From this angle, she could just see the flowers in the jade vase not far away.
Wen Miao's brows twitched slightly. "Shi Cui, these flowers..."
As Shi Cui poured tea, she said, "I noticed that there were still many flowers left in Madam's basket this morning, so I took the liberty of putting some into the vase in the room. Does Madam not like this kind of flower?"
"Keep it in, it looks nice."
The flowers were innocent, so why not use them? Wen Miao had no reason to get angry over such a small matter, but it inevitably reminded her of that unsettling emperor.
Wen Miao pressed her lips slightly, casually used a wooden hairpin to tie up her long hair, put on embroidered shoes, and put on a long-sleeved outer robe. She then said, "Shi Cui, Wan Bi, look around the house to see if there are any other vases. I'll go to the yard to pick some flowers to decorate."
The garden was filled with more flowers than ever before, and the servants in the courtyard took meticulous care of them.
At first, Wen Miao had other thoughts in her mind, but as she picked the fruit, she became immersed in her own enjoyment. As for Emperor Qian Yuan... who still remembers him?
Flower arranging was considered a pastime for nobles in the Great Chu Dynasty. Wen Miao guessed that she might have often done it before she lost her memory, so much so that when she picked up the scissors and trimmed the flower branches, she felt very comfortable doing it.
Especially when she saw the flowers arranged and placed in the beautifully glazed porcelain, a surge of warmth welled up in her heart, and she could vaguely glimpse a few fragmented memories in her mind.
Wen Miao was preoccupied with her past and became very interested. She spent half an afternoon tinkering with many things, some light and some vibrant. She couldn't recall any useful memories, but she couldn't fit the flowers in the room.
Wanbi laughed and said, "If Madam keeps adding more flowers, our room will be filled with them."
"That is indeed a bit too much."
Wen Miao looked up and saw Shi Cui surrounded by a bunch of flower arrangements. A smile appeared on her lips. "Send this pot of light-colored flowers to Grandfather, this pot of bright-colored flowers to Meng Jun, and you two can each pick one of the rest and put them in the house to make it more lively."
After distributing the arranged flowers, Wen Miao placed another pot in her own room, but there was still one left over.
The main body of the flower arrangement was dark green pine branches, bending upwards, full of vitality. There were originally two peach blossoms below, but Wen Miao felt that they didn't quite match.
She hesitated for a moment, then removed the peach blossom, but picked up the crabapple blossom from the dressing table that the emperor had previously pinned in her hair, and which she had casually tossed aside after returning.
The bright red crabapple blossoms fell among the pine branches, exuding vigor and passion, a perfect blend of strength and gentleness. The colors clashed and highlighted their respective strengths, making it Wen Miao's most satisfying work of the day.
The next morning, probably because she had slept well the night before, Wen Miao woke up just as dawn was breaking. She was too tired to sleep and couldn't lie still, so she called Shi Cui and Wan Bi to get up and get ready.
When they went to have their meal, they found Xie Jingxuan sitting in the front hall with a book in his hand, reading it while drinking tea.
Wen Miao was surprised. In the past, Xie Jingxuan usually returned after 7 a.m. "Grandfather, is the morning court session ending so early today?"
Xie Jingxuan stroked his beard. "His Majesty has caught a cold and has cancelled today's morning court session."
"A cold?"
Xie Jingxuan nodded, "It's probably because of yesterday's sudden rain."
Wen Miao's thoughts wandered, and she recalled the scene from yesterday on the stone steps where Emperor Qian Yuan, with his own arms and back soaked, held the oil-paper umbrella completely over her.
Was it because of that time? I don't know how serious the illness was...
"Miao Niang, Miao Niang?"
"Hmm, Grandfather, what's wrong?" Wen Miao snapped out of her reverie, pretending nothing was wrong.
Xie Jingxuan said, "You seem a bit restless. Did you not sleep well last night?"
“Possibly,” Wen Miao smiled, hiding the turmoil in her heart, “but I can’t fall asleep anymore. I want to go for a walk in the street later. I feel like I’ve been too idle these past few days, and I want to find something to do.”
Wen Miao sometimes wanted to know what her grandmother did on a daily basis when she was in Jinling, but she was afraid that her grandfather would worry about her, so she suppressed this impulse.
During her time in the capital, Wen Miao liked the atmosphere of the Xie family, but apart from being with her family, she felt somewhat lost. Perhaps she would only be able to understand the reason for her "incompatibility" if she traveled more and saw more of the place.
After finishing their meal and exchanging a few more words with Xie Jingxuan, Wen Miao left through the side gate of the Xie residence with only Shi Cui and two guards, while Wan Bi stayed in Qin Garden to look after the house.
Since she only wanted to stroll around, she didn't take a carriage. She wore a veiled hat the whole way, enjoying the light spring breeze that had been dampened by the rain the day before.
The streets of the capital of Great Chu were paved with bluestone, and vendors on both sides called out their lively voices. Wen Miao walked along, stopping and starting. Even after several days, he still found the shops and pedestrians here novel and strange.
But her physical strength was limited, and after walking such a distance, Wen Miao's legs were getting tired.
Shi Cui: "Madam, how about we go to the teahouse up ahead and ask for a private room to rest for a while?"
Wen Miao became interested, "Let's go to this one then."
There weren't many customers in the teahouse at this time. Wen Miao asked for a private room facing the street, and the two guards rested next door, while Shi Cui ordered food from the waiter downstairs.
Wen Miao had just sat down, taken off her veil, and leaned against the window to look out at the street when she heard a knock at the door. "Shi Cui? Come in."
The door was not pushed open. Wen Miao became suspicious. When she turned her head, she saw a tall figure standing behind the door panel—it looked like a man.
She frowned slightly. "Who is it?"
The person outside the door paused, then bent down and said, "Madam, my master would like to invite you for a talk."
The familiar voice... it was the guard who escorted her down the mountain yesterday, his name seemed to be Zhang Ji? Then it was obvious who the "master" he was referring to was.
Wen Miao was slightly taken aback, gripping the hem of her sleeve tightly, as if that heat was rising again from her ankle.
From yesterday to today, not even a single day has passed. The Emperor's interest in her... will probably fade away in the future, right?
A note from the author:
----------------------
Emperor: The wreath my lady made is mine, and the flowers she picked are also mine (he eats and takes).
Wen Miao: ... (speechless)
I recommend my friend's novel! "The Top Star's Beloved Little Sister is Back" by Song Zhuozhuo
Article ID: 5893926
Copywriting:
He Xun, a top star who debuted as a child actor, has seen his reputation decline in the past two years.
Haters call him He Laolao, mocking him for taking any kind of film and making any kind of money, calling him a worthless actor.
One day, haters discovered that He Laolao, the king of perfect attendance in Hengdian, had not appeared on set for more than half a month.
Huh? Is he scared of all the criticism and is going to quit the industry?
A few days later, a photo of this arrogant top celebrity squatting on the ground to coax a little girl went viral online and quickly topped the trending searches.
#He Xun has a child out of wedlock##He Xun has an illegitimate daughter##He Xun is morally corrupt#
Haters: Hehe, the show's about to begin.
The beautiful actress who has been retired from acting for many years has registered a Weibo account and announced to the world: Ladies and gentlemen, this is my daughter. My son is just helping to take care of his little sister, please don't misunderstand.
Haters: ? ? ?
A tech tycoon retweeted the post with a wry smile: "I don't want to go to work either. I want to go home and take care of my sister."
The cool and stylish retired F1 driver, Erjie, said: "Don't panic, little sister, wait for your sister to return to the track and win a championship for you."
The gloomy male ghost, Fourth Brother, ventures into the e-sports circle: "So what if you're a champion? Little sister, I can show you that too."
Even He Xun, who is known as the king of bad movies, silently accepted the Best Actor award.
The haters were speechless, and the netizens were bewildered.
A passerby asked honestly: "Don't you put pressure on your sister by doing this?"
Professor Shi, a top-tier expert in the medical field, said: "My younger sister likes gold. As her older brother and sister, what's wrong with her winning some trophies?"
As for pressure—
They're the ones who should feel the pressure.
Two years ago, Shi Yi, the youngest child in the Shi family, died for no apparent reason, leaving a bloody void in the hearts of the entire family.
Now that Shi Yi has returned, they only hope that she will be safe and well and grow up healthy.
She was their treasure, their lifelong love, the softest little island in their hearts.
Even though she has lost her memory, they are willing to carefully and lovingly welcome her home again.
This time, they will raise her well.
If miracles exist, then the name of that miracle is Shi Yi.
#A story about a family raising a daughter, a silly family raising a daughter, and also about childhood sweethearts.
#SisterSisterWeLikeYou
#The main text will contain some unrealistic elements.
If you like this, please add it to your favorites! [Pleading emoji] I want lots and lots of favorites and comments!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
