Xue Shen couldn't help but stare at her for a few more seconds.
Feeling uncomfortable under her gaze, Shen Youying lowered her eyes and examined herself: "Is there anything wrong with me?"
Xue Shen raised an eyebrow: "It's rare to see the Princess dressed like this."
Shen Youying sensed a hint of mockery in his tone, but doubted it was just her imagination. She said softly, "I only dressed up for the banquet today." She lowered her eyes to look at the purple jade bracelet on her wrist, still somewhat skeptical of Bai Luo and Dan Zhu's explanation: "Isn't it a bit too formal?"
From childhood to adulthood, countless people have praised her appearance. Shen Youying naturally knew that she was born with a beautiful face. When she was young and ignorant, she was proud of it, but as she grew older and understood the ways of the world, she slowly realized that beauty not only attracts praise, but also covetousness and jealousy.
For example, King Chen, and Zhou Zhenrong.
In her daily life, she usually tries to dress simply and elegantly, and rarely does such gorgeous and complicated outfits.
Xue Shen shook his head: "What's so grand about this?" His gaze fell on Shen Youying's neck, and he instructed Wang Deshun: "I remember there was a set of purple jade jewelry in the storeroom. It was a gift from the Emperor and had been sitting in the storeroom unused. It seems that it has finally found its owner today."
Wang Deshun responded with an "Eh," and without instructing his servant to run errands, he quickly went to the storeroom to retrieve it himself.
This set of purple jadeite jewelry consists of ten pieces, made from a single piece of purple jadeite, including hairpins, hair ornaments, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets. The jadeite is of fine quality and translucent, without any impurities, and a subtle shimmering light can be seen.
Xue Shen glanced at them, took out the purple jade necklace, and beckoned to Shen Youying: "Come here."
Shen Youying pursed her lips, lowered her eyes and stepped forward, bending slightly to make it easier for him to move.
Xue Shen personally put the purple jade necklace on her.
The moment the cool jade necklace touched her skin, Shen Youying trembled slightly. She lifted her eyelashes and met the face so close to hers.
Because of the bending motion, the two were very close. Shen Youying could even smell the faint sandalwood scent on him. It wasn't as strong as the scent in the temple, but it instantly reminded her of the humble incense smoke of the Bodhisattva in Xiangguo Temple.
That compassionate, down-to-earth atmosphere seemed completely out of place with the person in front of him.
It is hard to imagine that a violent and tyrannical person would be a devout believer in Buddhist and Taoist practices.
Shen Youying had actually heard many rumors that the King of Qin was not in good health in his early years and sought out famous doctors without success. Later, he stayed at Xiangguo Temple for a while and his health gradually improved.
From then on, he became a devout believer in gods and Buddhas. However, he had a wide range of interests, worshipping both Buddhism and Taoism. The monks of Daxiangguo Temple and the wandering Taoist priests were all guests of the Prince of Qin's mansion.
However, Shen Youying had not seen any monks or Taoist priests after entering the mansion, so she forgot about this matter.
Now, smelling this familiar scent, I am somewhat taken aback as I recall those rumors, the truth of which I cannot discern.
Xue Shen put the necklace on her and nodded in satisfaction: "It suits you."
The quality of this purple jadeite is exceptionally rare. The craftsman didn't create much carving, but instead used the simplest and most rustic techniques to showcase the jadeite's inherent beauty. A string of perfectly round and smooth jadeite beads of uniform size rests gracefully on her slender neck, contrasting beautifully with her fair and delicate skin, making her appear even more translucent and lustrous.
Wang Deshun chimed in, "This 'Purple Smoke' set is extremely rare; it's the only one of its kind in the palace."
Shen Youying touched the jade beads around her neck, still somewhat bewildered, wondering why the King of Qin had suddenly given her jewelry: "Isn't this a royal gift too precious?"
Xue Shen said, "No matter how valuable it is, it's just a set of jewelry. Since it's jewelry, it's naturally meant for people to use." He instructed Liu Yun, who was standing beside him, "Put away the jewelry for the Princess. Tomorrow, go to the storeroom and find those batches of imperial silk gauze. Have the embroiderers make a few more sets of clothes for the Princess."
"Since you are my queen, you should not dress too plainly in the future." Xue Shen then turned to Shen Youying and said, "It would make it seem like I am mistreating you."
Shen Youying suddenly realized the reason behind the King of Qin's inexplicable behavior.
It turned out he was afraid she would dress too plainly and make him lose face.
She was immediately relieved, did not refuse, and curtsied to express her gratitude.
Xue Shen then instructed Wang Deshun to prepare a carriage, and they set off for the banquet.
*
This year's Spring Festival banquet will be held at the Lake Garden.
This lakeside garden is quite famous in Tokyo, but in earlier years the owner did not open it to the public. Only those fortunate enough to visit it wrote poems and lyrics praising its elegant beauty. But this year, Princess Shouning somehow persuaded the owner of the garden to borrow it to hold a spring banquet.
The carriage left Xinlingfang and headed towards Nanxunmen.
Lake Garden is located in the outer city of Tokyo, south of Nanxun Gate. It is bordered by the Cai River to the west, backed by Luoxia Mountain to the south, and has an open grassland to the east. A viewing platform was built around the perimeter, and horses were kept there, which could be used as a polo field.
When the carriage from the Prince of Qin's residence arrived, the entrance to the Lake Garden was already filled with carriages and horses from various families. Familiar ladies and gentlemen walked in groups, some being led into the courtyard by maids and servants, while others chatted and laughed at the gate, waiting for their friends who had not yet arrived. It was quite a lively scene.
Of course, this lively and joyous atmosphere only lasted until the King of Qin arrived.
After the servant loudly announced, "The King of Qin and the Queen of Qin have arrived—", the lively atmosphere from a moment ago immediately froze.
When Shen Youying stepped down from the carriage, she noticed the strange expressions on everyone's faces—an incongruous mix of smiles that hadn't quite faded and surprise. They themselves seemed completely unaware, believing they had perfectly composed themselves.
But from her vantage point, Shen Youying had a clear view of everything.
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