As soon as Yao Niang arrived in Shuojing, Gu Xingzhi had a new carriage made for her.
However, because he doted on Yao Niang, his requirements for the carriage became somewhat more detailed.
The carriage cannot be too small, otherwise Yao Niang will feel cramped; the carriage must have a small hidden compartment so that Yao Niang can carry some snacks and won't go hungry when she goes out; the carriage must be stable, otherwise Yao Niang will be jostled uncomfortably.
With so many requirements, the craftsmen made more than a dozen versions of the blueprints, which made the construction period much longer than that of a regular carriage.
On the day of the flower banquet at the princess's residence, Qiaoniang specially gave Xiexiang to Yaoniang to make it easier for her to come and go.
The fragrance was usually used by Qiaoniang, who was used to a rich floral scent. As soon as Yaoniang got into the carriage, she could smell the fragrance lingering around her nose. Even if she stopped lighting incense, her clothes would still smell of it.
Princess Ruining's residence was located right next to the imperial city. The emperor doted on this daughter immensely, not only raising her by his side from a young age but also choosing a location closest to the imperial city for her own residence after she grew up. This was all so that her daughter could minimize her travel distance when going to court or visiting her parents in the palace.
When Gu Yaoniang arrived, there weren't many guests; only a few carriages were scattered around the entrance.
Carrying fragrance, the carriage is tall and spacious, with green curtains lining the inside. At first glance, it looks like a plain wooden carriage without an oil-painted canopy, standing out among the other painted carriages with green curtains.
Upon seeing this, the servants of the princess's residence hurriedly came down the steps to greet them and led Gu Yaoniang and her servant inside.
Whether or not Princess Ruining had given instructions, the maid leading Yao Niang was named Linlang. She was beautiful and dressed exquisitely, and seemed to be a very popular maid in the princess's mansion.
Linlang was very polite to Yaoniang and her companion, introducing them to the sights of the princess's residence as they walked.
The princess's residence is a spacious and magnificent building with multiple gates and deep courtyards. Long corridors connect the courtyards, and winding walkways allow visitors to enjoy the surrounding garden scenery.
The corridors in the princess's mansion are interconnected, leading to various pavilions and scenic spots throughout the mansion.
As they spoke, they arrived at the garden behind the princess's residence. This garden was left behind by a high-ranking official from the previous dynasty who was fond of garden construction, and it was built with great care.
The garden features a variety of uniquely shaped rocks and artificial hills, with the earth and stones blending together seamlessly. Water flows through the garden, originating from the Jade Belt River which originates from the imperial city, creating a harmonious interplay between the mountains and water, with the streams babbling softly.
Linlang led Yaoniang along the covered walkway in the garden. Yaoniang glanced up casually and saw that every beam under the eaves of the walkway was painted with colorful paintings, which were gorgeous and charming.
Seeing Yao Niang's curiosity, Linlang smiled and said:
"These paintings were left by the garden's former owner. I heard that the man was extremely filial. At that time, the old lady of the mansion would go to the garden to digest her food after meals every day. She found the corridor too monotonous and boring, so the man ordered the painter to paint all the paintings in the corridor."
In this way, the old lady can enjoy the paintings while taking a walk.
She then pointed to a small pavilion in the corridor ahead and said, "That's the Fushou Pavilion, where you can see the best view in the garden."
Gu Yaoniang couldn't help but sigh, this gentleman was truly devoted to serving his mother. Since the scenery was the best, it seemed that the old lady had lingered in this pavilion for the longest time to admire the view, which certainly brought her good fortune.
Because they were enjoying the scenery along the way, the group didn't walk very fast. When they arrived at the eaves of the waterside pavilion, they could already hear young women laughing and playing inside.
Linlang led Yaoniang into the waterside pavilion, and everyone in the pavilion looked at her.
Yao Niang's attire today wasn't particularly striking; the colors were understated, a sky-blue cardigan paired with a moon-white skirt that swayed gently with her steps. The fabric, however, was of the finest quality, a fine silk gauze, perfect for summer.
Because Yao Niang was petite, Bi Tao deliberately styled her hair high, casually adding a few pearl flowers and a jade-colored hairpin.
At first glance, Yao Niang's outfit appears extremely simple and elegant, but upon closer inspection, each piece is clearly not ordinary.
There were only three people in the pavilion at this time: Princess Ruining and two young ladies were sitting around a round table in the water pavilion, looking at something.
Hearing the noise, the three of them came to their senses.
One of the young women was dressed in red, with a tall and slender figure. Yao Niang felt that her face looked familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had seen her before.
When the young woman saw Yao Niang, she exclaimed softly, "It's you?"
Princess Ruining asked in surprise, "Did you know each other before?"
Since arriving in Shuojing, apart from meeting Princess Ruining, the eldest prince, and Lu Zhaoan a few times, Yao Niang really racked her brains but couldn't remember where she had seen this lady before.
But the other person clearly remembers her. If I don't remember her, wouldn't that be impolite?
Yao Niang couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.
The young woman giggled at the sight. Seeing the slender woman's embarrassment, the round-faced young woman beside her quickly nudged the red-clad young woman's waist, signaling her to speak up.
The young woman in red stopped laughing and said, "I don't recognize her!"
Seeing the disbelief on their faces, even Yao Niang, though bewildered, said, "I feel that you look quite familiar, but I really don't know where I've seen you before."
The young woman in red giggled again upon hearing this, which made the round-faced young woman next to her pinch her cheek and scold, "Cousin!"
She gestured for the young woman in red to look at Yao Niang's cheeks, which were gradually turning red.
The young woman in red was extremely mischievous. She stared intently at Yao Niang without saying a word. Only when she saw Yao Niang's ears turn red did she speak: "This young lady wasn't this shy when she looked at me in the carriage a month or so ago."
Yao Niang was startled.
A month or so ago? Wasn't that when I first entered Shuojing City?
Was he staring at her? Her eyes looked confused, then suddenly she remembered something and her eyes lit up.
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