Chapter 22 You Push Me
As the night watch ticked, Luo Zhaohan inserted a golden hairpin into her hair. The bronze mirror reflected Luo Jince's dark eyelids, and the young man's knuckles turned white as he clutched the "Strategy Theory".
"Sister." Luo Jince's voice was hoarse, "I still can't believe the secret you told me last night!"
The night before, Luo Zhaohan told Luo Jince his thrilling experience of rebirth without reservation.
She did not use any pretense, but revealed to Luo Jince the truth that she had been reborn in the most direct and honest way.
"Jin Ce." Luo Zhaohan turned and held his trembling hand. "In the previous life, the Luo family was full of loyal and brave people, but they ended up being poisoned and drunk." She pointed her finger at her brother's heart. "In this rebirth, I want you to remember—"
"Loyalty to the emperor is not as good as protecting the family!" Luo Jince suddenly raised his head, tears falling on the cover of "Strategy Essays". "Sister, I will definitely pass the imperial examinations to bring honor to our family and never let my parents suffer humiliation again!"
"very good!"
Today is the grand feast of tea tasting and flower appreciating held by Prince Duan’s Mansion.
After having lunch at home, Qin Wan took her two children and took a carriage to Prince Duan's Mansion.
On the way, Qin Wan carefully reminded Luo Zhaohan of various matters that should be paid attention to at the banquet.
Luo Zhaohan listened attentively. Although she agreed to participate in this flower viewing banquet only to appease her parents, she knew that there must not be any mistakes at the banquet.
She already had a plan in mind. After meeting the elders, she would find a quiet place and sit quietly until the banquet was over.
The carriage slowly drove to the intersection of Shuntian Street, and suddenly there was a traffic jam ahead. It turned out that there were a lot of guests attending the banquet today, making the street blocked.
Prince Duan is the younger brother of the current emperor. He and his brother are as close as brothers. Although he was crowned as a king and has his own fiefdom, he has never left the capital.
This banquet was initiated by Princess Duan herself. Every invitation seemed like a supreme honor. Everyone who received one was excited and few would refuse such a generous invitation.
Qin Wan gently lifted the car curtain, glanced outside, and then decided to take Luo Zhaohan and his sister out of the car and walk to the banquet venue.
Arriving at the gate and handing over the invitation, the concierge, upon seeing the sign of the Fuyuan General's Mansion, immediately smiled and warmly welcomed them into the mansion.
The autumn sun shines through the carved window lattices, casting tiny spots of light on the blue brick floor.
Luo Zhaohan followed Qin Wan over the threshold and smelled the fragrance of agarwood mixed with the bitter smell of medicine in the room.
The crimson figure in the main seat made her breath stop—the Crown Princess still had the white flowers on her temples, a string of Buddhist beads was pressed under her jade bracelet, and her wrist bones were so thin that purple veins could be seen.
"This humble servant and my daughter pay their respects to the Crown Princess and Princess Duan."
Luo Zhaohan followed his mother in bowing and saluting, his eyes lingering on the Crown Princess.
The Crown Princess nodded slightly and said nothing.
A faded peace knot is wrapped around her wrist, her eyebrows are like distant mountains with dark shadows, her eyes are like autumn waters filled with sorrow, just like a frost-bitten crabapple tree.
"Please stand up." Princess Duan raised her hand with a smile, the oriental pearl held by the golden phoenix in her hair swaying gently. "This is Zhaohan, right?"
Luo Zhaohan raised his head in response and met the gaze of the Crown Princess.
That gaze passed through the carved window lattice and seemed to fall somewhere in the void - two years ago, when the prince's coffin left the city, she looked at the paper money flying in the sky in the same way.
"What a beautiful and graceful girl you are." Princess Duan took Luo Zhaohan's hand and said, "Good boy, go to the West Courtyard to play with Yinzhen."
She smiled, but the fine lines at the corners of her eyes hid a look of scrutiny. "Young ladies, you should play and chat together."
The maid leading the way walked quickly, holding a glass lantern, her skirt sweeping past the weeping crabapple trees outside the corridor.
Luo Zhaohan suddenly stopped and looked at the koi in the pond, which disrupted the autumn scenery. "Let's rest in this pavilion."
"Miss Luo..." The maid's face froze slightly, and she clutched the lamp handle anxiously. "The West Courtyard has prepared Longjing pastries, and the view is even better. Miss, you might as well..."
"This place is very nice. You don't have to worry about me." Luo Zhaohan said, and walked into the pavilion.
On the cobblestone path beside the pavilion in the middle of the lake, Luo Zhaohan was about to avoid the crowd when he suddenly heard the rustling sound of a skirt behind him.
She turned slightly on her toes and sideways, her cherry-pink skirt wrapped in a fragrant breeze passed by her eyes and rushed straight towards the bluestone slabs.
“Bang—”
Feng Linzhi's gold-embroidered shoes got caught in a crack in the stone, and her palms scraped against the rough ground.
Two maids in green clothes hurried forward to support her, and the pearl flowers in her hair were shaking crookedly.
"Hiss..." Feng Linzhi stared at her bleeding palm, tears welling up in her eyes.
She had intended to follow Princess Yinzhen's wishes and drag Luo Zhaohan along to make a fool of herself, but she had not expected that the daughter of this military commander would react so quickly and barely dodge it.
In Guanlan Pavilion on the other side of the lake, Sun Honglei leaned against the carved window lattice and sneered, "The girl from General Fuyuan's family is quite clever."
"Isn't it!" The blue-robed young man approached, waving his folding fan. "Everyone used to say that Miss Luo was dull, but today she seems to be quite a wonderful person."
Sun Honglei caught a glimpse of Feng Linyu looking over here and deliberately raised his voice, "Whether it's a good idea or not, we'll see if Prince Feng dares to provoke him. I heard his sister is not someone you can easily mess with!"
Just as he finished speaking, Feng Linzhi's voice came from the other side of the lake: "Luo Zhaohan! Why did you push me?"
There was a burst of laughter in the cabinet.
Someone tapped the windowsill with a folding fan: "Brother Hong Lei, look! Your fiancée is about to start a fight with someone!"
Sun Honglei's face suddenly darkened: "Get away! Who cares about that damn girl from the Feng family?"
He grabbed a walnut on the table and threw it, but saw Luo Zhaohan looking up at him.
When their eyes met, the girl's eyes were as cold as frost, which startled him so much that the teacup in his hand shook.
Luo Zhaohan had only met Feng Linzhi once, but he knew that she was a close friend of Princess Yinzhen of Prince Duan's Mansion, and the two had a close relationship.
Presumably, her actions just now were instructed by Princess Yinzhen!
"Miss Feng, please be careful with your words." Luo Zhaohan glanced at the two maids who bowed their heads. "Zhaohan and you have never met before, so how can you say you pushed me?"
Feng Linzhi broke free from the maid's support, her nail-dyed fingertips almost poking Luo Zhaohan's nose: "They all saw it!" She turned and glared at the trembling maid, "Didn't they?"
"Yes... it was Miss Luo who pushed her..." The maid in green felt guilty and her voice was as soft as a mosquito.
Luo Zhaohan suddenly chuckled, "Miss Feng, do you know what the punishment is for falsely accusing the daughter of an imperial official?"
She took a half step closer, the hem of her embroidered skirt brushing against the tip of Feng Linzhi's shoe. "According to the Western Wei Dynasty Law, the punishment is twenty slaps on the face at the very least, and exile to Lingnan at the worst!"
"Who are you trying to scare?" Feng Linzhi backed away, her embroidered shoes catching the hem of her skirt and nearly falling. Suddenly, she caught sight of the moon-white hem of a dress at the corner of the lakeside pavilion, and her eyes flushed. "If Miss Luo doesn't want to apologize, then fine. Why use the law to pressure her?"
Luo Zhaohan followed her gaze and saw Feng Linyu, the son of Changtai Marquis, standing there with a fan in his hand, a look of just the right amount of worry on his face.
She sneered in her heart, curled her fingers slightly and then loosened them.
"Prince Feng has arrived just in time." Luo Zhaohan knelt and saluted, his hairpins untouched. "Your sister claims that Zhaohan pushed her. I beg Your Excellency to seek justice."
Feng Linyu waved his folding fan gently, his eyes lingering on Luo Zhaohan's beautiful face for a moment before he said, "My sister is naughty, I'm sorry to make you laugh, Miss Luo."
He suddenly reached out to help, "Are you hurt?"
Luo Zhaohan dodged and said, "Zhaohan has been practicing martial arts since he was young, so he won't be blown down by the fragrant wind."
She glanced at Feng Linzhi with a hint of meaning, "Miss Feng is very frail, so she should be examined by the imperial physician."
There was laughter in Guanlan Pavilion.
Sun Honglei slapped the window frame and panted, "What a sharp-tongued girl!"
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