Chapter 43: Attracting flowers and butterflies
Several cousins have arrived at the Marquis of Xiayang's residence, and as a result, they've been frequenting various tea parties in the capital lately. Firstly, they want to liven things up and give the girls some playmates; secondly, they want to spread the news to the high-ranking officials in the capital, suggesting they might even be interested in meeting them there.
This was the first time that Xiayang Marquis's Mansion held a banquet, so Jiang Baohe took the opportunity to send an invitation to Zhuang Wan.
Zhuang Wan originally thought it was just an ordinary tea and flower viewing, but when she arrived at the Xiayang Marquis Mansion, she was surprised by the grand ceremony.
The back garden of Marquis Xiayang's mansion was almost filled with various flowers and plants. A troupe of opera performers was invited to the garden. The noble ladies sat in the pavilion by the water, eating fruits and chatting, and they could even watch the opera singing across the lotus pond.
The garden was almost filled with various noble ladies, surrounded by jewels and jade, looking extremely charming and beautiful, just like hundreds of flowers competing for beauty.
Until someone called out, "Miss Zhuang from the Pei Mansion is here."
Everyone looked sideways, and the atmosphere in the garden became strangely quiet.
"What is she doing here?"
"Who invited her?"
"I don't want to have tea with her."
"Shh... Don't say these words, lest she hears."
The noble lady shut up in disappointment.
Everyone had heard about what had happened at Furong Cloth Shop, and naturally they also knew what Zhuang Wan had said. She had once declared that if anyone dared to gossip about her to her face, she would hit them.
Therefore, the current situation was that everyone had to suppress their disdain. Especially when they saw Zhuang Wan enter the room in a light silk embroidered cloud satin dress, exquisite and beautiful, the frustration on their faces and the jealousy in their eyes became very difficult to suppress.
Zhuang Wan already had delicate features, a tall and slender figure, and a naturally free and easy demeanor, giving her a graceful and elegant beauty. But the teardrop mole under her eye added a touch of charming allure.
A beautiful woman's smile is so stunning that it can captivate a whole country and is beyond comparison.
Her appearance virtually made everyone present look inferior.
A fallen noble lady, not only is she beautiful, but she also has such a calm demeanor. Don’t you think she’s angry?
Just, very angry!
But he couldn't say it, he had to hold it in and watch the host of the banquet, Jiang Baohe, greet him warmly.
"Sister Zhuang is here?"
After thinking for a moment, Zhuang Wan also called out, "Sister Baohe."
Hearing this, Jiang Baohe's smile widened. She took Zhuang Wan's hand, leaned in close, and whispered, "You look so beautiful dressed up! They're all drooling."
Zhuang Wan smiled.
Jiang Baohe pulled her to sit in the front and ordered the maid to bring melons, fruits, honey and tea. She said, "Perhaps you will be surprised when you receive the invitation. Why would I invite you when you don't know me?"
"Actually, I've wanted to invite you for a long time, but I never had the chance. Since it's my house hosting the banquet today, I decided to take the initiative. At first, I was worried that you wouldn't want to come to such an occasion, but I didn't expect..."
The corners of her lips rose, and her eyes praised: "You are not timid at all."
This was said casually and with a sense of intimacy. Zhuang Wan also said, "I do have doubts. There are so many noble ladies in the capital. Given my current situation, I am really embarrassed. I don't understand why Sister Baohe invited me."
"An awkward situation is just an awkward situation. I'm not interested in material possessions. I simply like you as a person. You don't know..." She tilted her head slightly: "I really admire what you said at Furong Cloth Shop."
"I've wanted to do that for a long time, but I didn't dare because of my status and face. You did what I wanted to do but didn't dare to do."
"So..." Zhuang Wan blinked, "Do you have to thank me?"
Jiang Baohe was stunned and couldn't help laughing.
In the front, the two of them were talking sweetly with their heads touching, and the laughter continued.
Behind them, Jiang Baohe's cousins had different expressions.
"I really don't understand why my eldest sister wants to be close to her? If she was still the daughter of the Zhuang family before, it would be fine, but now..."
"What's there to be confused about? She used to be the daughter of the Zhuang family, and now she belongs to Lord Pei's family. Maybe before long, she will be the mistress of the Pei family."
"Isn't she a lowly woman? Why would Lord Pei marry her?"
"According to the laws of Dazhao, those who have been cast into the status of a lowly person can be recommended to be freed after one year. If Lord Pei marries her, she will naturally no longer be a lowly person, but a Madam Pei who has risen to a higher position. If you don't cling to her now, she may not be able to cling to her even if she wants to when she becomes Madam Pei. So, now you understand why my eldest sister is so close to her, right?"
Hearing this, the others felt depressed and hesitated whether to follow Jiang Baohe's example.
At this time, someone tsk-tsk-tsk-tsk-tsk: "It depends on whether she has the fate to fly to the tree branch."
"How do you say that?"
"Haven't you heard? The Lu Kingdom delegation came to visit recently, and Lord Pei was busy accompanying Princess Wu Jing on a tour."
The words were cryptic, but everyone understood. All of these people's families had members serving in the imperial court, and they were somewhat aware of the goings-on in the court.
What other purpose could the Lu delegation have in bringing the princess with them? It was nothing more than a desire for a marriage alliance with Dazhao. If it could be a royal marriage, that would be even better. If not, a marriage arranged by Dazhao's emperor to one of his ministers would also be a good idea.
Currently, the royal family has no sons of marriageable age, and while the emperor naturally cannot marry a princess from a small border nation, he will not reject someone's kindness for nothing. Therefore, the only option is to grant a marriage to a minister.
However, looking around, although there are many courtiers of marriageable age in the entire Dazhao court, none of them are as good-looking as Pei Xingju, and none of them are as powerful as Pei Xingju. Pei Xingju is powerful and handsome, but the key is that he has not yet married.
The emperor had a purpose in asking Pei Xingju to receive the envoys from the State of Lu.
A down-and-out noblewoman and a princess from a wealthy family, it is obvious who Pei Xingju will choose.
The noble ladies present looked at each other and smiled in tacit understanding.
They were not far away and their voices were quite loud, so Zhuang Wan and Jiang Baohe, who were sitting in the front, could hear them.
Jiang Baohe looked at Zhuang Wan worriedly, thought for a moment, and then said comfortingly, "Perhaps Lord Pei is just doing a routine matter. Sister Zhuang, please don't take it to heart."
Zhuang Wan looked ahead, listening to a fair-skinned young man singing on the stage across from the lotus pond.
That figure and that appearance were exactly what she wanted.
Hearing Jiang Baohe's words, she didn't care: "I know, thank you."
However, in Jiang Baohe's opinion, the calmer her face appeared, the more turbulent her heart was. After all, in Zhuang Wan's current situation, Pei Xingju was her only lifeline.
If Pei Xingju married the princess and abandoned her in the future, Zhuang Wan would never be able to make a comeback in her life, and many people might even rush to step on her.
Would such a life full of shame and embarrassment break the pride of such a person?
Jiang Baohe couldn't bear it!
She reached out and held Zhuang Wan's hand: "Come on, let's not stay here anymore. I'll go for a walk with you."
Zhuang Wan was watching with great interest: "Where are you going?"
"How about...we go out shopping?"
"Don't you care about the ladies in the garden?"
"And my mother and some cousins. I don't want to be here either. It's so boring to stay with them. I might as well go out for a walk and buy some small things to relax myself."
Zhuang Wan thought to herself, women in every era are the same, there is no trouble that cannot be solved by shopping.
.
Ningyang Street is the most bustling street in the capital, home to the finest and most diverse merchandise from across the country. There are pearl hairpins and headdresses favored by women, antique ink paintings beloved by scholars, and elegant and luxurious teahouses and taverns.
In short, it would take at least two hours to walk from the beginning to the end of the street.
At this time, several people came out of a teahouse on the street.
"Princess Wu Jing, where else would you like to go?"
The one who spoke was Shen Yi. Shen Yi glanced at Pei Xingju who was standing in front of him bored, and laughed to himself.
If it weren't for the emperor's order, Pei Xingju would have left long ago. How could he have the leisure to accompany a foreign princess shopping?
But Princess Wu Jing seemed to like the culture of Dazhao very much. She wanted to visit all the theaters and teahouses, and she always had Pei Xingju accompany her.
Therefore, Pei Xingju had no choice but to accompany the spoiled Princess Wu Jing for two consecutive days.
Of course, he also understood the emperor's intentions. Not only did he understand, Princess Wu Jing probably understood as well, which was why she became even more attached to Pei Xingju, treating him like her lover in just two days.
Listening to Shen Yi's words, she was impatient: "Master Shen, don't you have anything else to do? Master Pei is with me, so you can just go and get busy."
Oh well! You actually think he's an eyesore!
Shen Yi laughed in his heart.
Did she think he wasn't busy? He was a fourth-rank official in the Ministry of Justice, so busy that he wished he could split his time between them. And yet Pei Xingju wanted to ask him to be the third person, what could he do?
Seeing Princess Wu Jing pouting in displeasure, he looked towards Pei Xingju, hoping that he would quickly pardon him and let him leave.
However, no one knew what Pei Xingju was looking at. His gaze fell on a small stall. He seemed indifferent, as if he didn't hear the conversation between him and Princess Wu Jing.
Princess Wu Jing also noticed it and was secretly angry at Pei Xingju's incomprehensible gentleness. She stamped her feet and walked forward: "Master Pei, what are you looking at?"
She followed his gaze and it landed on a hairpin on the stall.
The hairpin's materials were obviously cheap, but the craftsmanship was excellent. A blue butterfly sat atop its head, its wings inlaid with silver thread and its antennae adorned with pearls. From a distance, the butterfly's wings fluttered slightly, as if about to take flight, creating a lifelike scene.
It looks quite unique.
She picked up the hairpin: "Oh, I like this one so much."
Pei Xing remained silent.
He was indeed looking at the hairpin, but for some reason he remembered Zhuang Wan's appearance when she left home that morning. The girl was as lively and beautiful as a butterfly fairy, and he felt that this hairpin would be more suitable for her.
When he heard Princess Wu Jing say that she liked him, he just smiled faintly and said nothing.
Princess Wu Jing blushed and said, "Master Pei, I don't have any silver. Can you buy it for me?"
Pei Xingju: "I didn't bring it either."
“…”
Shen Yi almost laughed out loud.
After thinking for a moment, he walked over and said, "I brought it. I brought it."
Wu Jing was not happy. She snatched the silver from his hand and stuffed it into Pei Xingju's hand. She smiled sweetly and said, "Master Pei, you pay."
Chen Yi was speechless. What was wrong with him that he was disliked like this?
Pei Xingju was helpless and asked the stall owner: "Is this money enough?"
The stall owner quickly took it and said, "That's enough, thank you, Master Pei!"
After paying the money, Pei Xingju seemed to sense something and suddenly turned his head.
At the corner of the street, a carriage was parked there, and the woman getting off was as graceful and elegant as a light purple cloud.
If not Zhuang Wan, who else could it be?
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