Chapter 83: Love and Flirting
Zhuang Wan was picking lotus seeds in the Bihu Palace.
The weather was sunny and the sky was clear. The afternoon sun was very gentle.
Princess Wu Jing came to find Zhuang Wan to pick lotus seeds.
"It's so boring to be with them. I'm going to pick lotus seeds, not to enjoy the flowers and fish. How can I pick lotus seeds while rowing the boat slowly?" Princess Wu Jing complained.
In the afternoon, she went to pick lotus seeds with the ladies. Halfway through, she felt bored and ran to find Zhuang Wan.
She pulled Zhuang Wan up and said, "Come on, you go with me."
Zhuang Wan had no choice but to put down her things and go out with her. On the way, she met Jiang Baohe again.
Jiang Baohe was surprised that Zhuang Wan and Princess Wu Jing had such a close relationship and asked, "Where are you going?"
Princess Wu Jing warmly invited, "Miss Jiang, come too? We're going to pick lotus seeds."
So the three of them ran to the Bihu Palace again.
Bihu Palace lacks a palace; it's a garden designed for scenic enjoyment and recreation, boasting pavilions, rockery, and lakes, along with a wide variety of plants and flowers. The contrast between the blue sky, green water, red flowers, and the green tiles and white walls creates a picturesque scene.
When Pei Xingju arrived, he heard the women's laughter from a distance.
Bihu Garden was bustling with activity, open to all, men and women alike. However, today was unusually crowded. The reason was that the noble ladies were enjoying themselves, attracting the young men of the aristocratic families.
Pei Xingju avoided the crowd and walked through the rockery path, came to a pavilion, and saw Zhuang Wan rowing in the lotus pond at a glance.
She rowed very seriously, fast and steadily, and no other boat could catch up with her.
Zhuang Wan was in charge of rowing, and Princess Wu Jing was in charge of picking lotus flowers. Their boat was already piled high with lotus seeds. Looking around, they looked like winners of a bountiful harvest.
"Zhuang Wan, hurry up, there are more over there." Wu Jing said.
Perhaps it was because he had been feeling depressed for many days and it was rare for him to relax, Zhuang Wan now had endless energy. He immediately changed direction and rowed the boat over.
Unexpectedly, a small boat came from the side, and it was Wei Shuiyun, who had had a conflict with her yesterday.
Wei Shuiyun, born into a military family and a skilled rower, saw that Zhuang Wan's boat had no intention of stopping. Determined to fight to the death, she rammed into it without hesitation.
The people watching on the shore all breathed a sigh of relief and exclaimed in surprise.
Pei Xingju stood with his hands behind his back, his fingers unconsciously clenched a little.
However, the expected result did not occur. Zhuang Wan raised the pole and pushed it from a distance. With the help of the force of Wei Shuiyun's boat, he rowed his boat to the front, while Wei Shuiyun's boat was pushed far away.
Zhuang Wan's unconventional approach resulted in an easy victory. Princess Wu Jing was stunned, then burst into laughter, and the people on the shore also laughed.
Wei Shuiyun was so angry that her face turned pale and blue, but when she tried to chase Zhuang Wan's boat, she could no longer catch up.
Pei Xingju watched silently for a while, and a smile appeared at the corners of his eyebrows and eyes.
After a moment, no one knew who noticed him, and the noble ladies all looked towards the pavilion.
Zhuang Wan also heard it and looked along with everyone else, only to see Pei Xingju standing in the pavilion in a purple official robe.
He was naturally tall, and the official uniform made him look even taller and more slender. He had handsome features, sharp eyebrows, and a serious expression. He stood there with his hands behind his back, seemingly nonchalant, yet the aura of a man of high position was as fierce and intimidating as thunder and lightning.
It was the first time she saw Pei Xingju wearing an official robe. She had to say, the male protagonist was the male protagonist. He looked so majestic and handsome in the official robe. All the young men in the garden were inferior to him.
Noticing her gaze, Pei Xingju's expression softened and he smiled faintly at her.
Zhuang Wan knew that it was the plate of pastries that worked.
Since she wanted to ease the relationship, she naturally wouldn't lose face in such an occasion. She immediately returned Pei Xingju's bright smile.
Just like that, the two of them smiled at each other across the lotus pond, across the blue sky, across the beautiful women and young girls.
Suddenly, the entire Bihu Palace was filled with sourness. Rumors of the two people's passionate love and flirting spread throughout the palace that day.
"shameless!"
"It's indecent!"
“It’s simply unbearable to watch!”
The ladies left cursing.
Here, Liang Yixin and her maid stood under the willow tree on the bank. She looked longingly in the direction of the pavilion and naturally saw the scene just now.
The maid said, "Miss, let's go too."
Liang Yixin nodded. Just as she raised her foot, she saw someone from the pavilion walking towards her, so she stopped again.
The maid asked, "Miss, what's wrong?"
She turned around and saw Pei Xingju leaving the pavilion, and she understood something.
Liang Yixin did not retreat, but waited there for Pei Xingju to pass by.
After a while, she stepped forward and bowed, "Master Pei."
Pei Xingju still had that slight smile on his face, as if he was thinking about something else. He just nodded slightly without looking at her and continued walking.
His indifference was like a gust of wind, which made Liang Yixin feel cold all over in the July weather.
The maid was also surprised: "Miss, could it be that Master Pei has forgotten you? Or is he trying to avoid suspicion because Miss Zhuang is here?"
Liang Yixin didn't say anything, just lowered her eyes in disappointment.
.
That plate of mung bean cake was a good start, and the effect could be seen from the "smiles" they exchanged in the pavilion.
Zhuang Wan thought the timing was good, so she dried the lotus seeds she had picked and made a bowl of fresh lotus seed soup for breakfast the next day and sent it to Pei Xingju.
The morning court session at the temporary palace was earlier than in the capital. After all, in the capital, the officials all started from their own homes, with different distances between them. Some rose at 1:00 pm, while others rose at 2:15 pm. However, at the temporary palace, everyone lived together and moved in unison, so the morning court session was scheduled for the beginning of the morning hour.
After the morning court session, it is time for the adults to have breakfast.
Zhuang Wan prepared breakfast and arrived outside Mingxiao Palace on time. When the eunuch learned that Zhuang Wan was delivering breakfast to Pei Xingju, he invited her to wait in a side hall.
"Miss Zhuang," the eunuch said, "Please sit here for a while. The court will be dismissed in about two quarters of an hour."
"Thank you." Zhuang Wan bowed.
The eunuchs left, and the hall fell silent. Morning sunlight streamed in through the windows, illuminating the bluestone slabs. Zhuang Wan stood, bored, at the intersection of light and shadow, making animal shapes with her fingers. Their shadows, cast on the floor, became lifelike as she moved.
After a while, she acted like a rabbit, jumping and hopping, jumping to the shade, then turning around and jumping back.
After playing like this for a while, he looked up and saw Pei Xingju standing outside the palace gate.
I don't know when he came, with a gentle smile on his face.
"What did you make for breakfast?" He stepped in.
Zhuang Wan hurriedly opened the food box and placed the breakfast inside on the table.
The breakfast was very sumptuous: a bowl of porridge, two small and exquisite crystal buns, some green vegetables, a serving of crispy fish balls, and a plate of fresh sliced fruits and vegetables.
After arranging the dishes, she took credit and said, "I got up at 3:00 AM to make this lotus seed and lily porridge. I cooked it slowly, bringing out the fresh aroma of the lotus seeds before adding the shrimp and lilies. It's delicious. Try it."
Pei Xingju didn't show it on his face, but a warm current flowed through his heart, making him feel warm all over.
He picked up the spoon, took a bite, and nodded: "It tastes really good."
After thinking about it, I felt that she had been very sensible these past two days and should be rewarded with something.
So he asked, "Are you used to coming to the palace? What do you want? If you ask, I will do my best to satisfy you."
Zhuang Wan shook her head. "I don't lack anything. All my toiletries were prepared by the Ministry of Rites."
"Then...what about money?" Pei Xingju heard from Guard Lu that Zhuang Wan liked money.
When Zhuang Wan heard this, she was a little confused. Why should she give her money for no reason?
She continued to shake her head: "I don't want money either."
"Hmm..." Pei Xingju tasted another crystal bun. The soup was full and fragrant. He said, "Then think carefully about what you want."
Zhuang Wan sat down opposite.
In fact, she had already thought about it before coming here, and now that she saw that he was so easy to talk to, she just brought it all out at once.
"What do I want...can you really promise me?"
"Tell me about it."
Zhuang Wan cleared her throat and said, "After much thought, I've decided to break up with you."
""
Pei Xingju stopped eating, and the crystal bun in his mouth suddenly lost its fragrance.
After just a short while of reconciliation, she broke up again.
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