Gift
May was approaching, and with the changing of the roses came the rare military rest days. Wen Renju, finally free from the hectic schedule of the training camp in the north of the city, had just arrived home when his eldest brother dragged him to the main street in the south.
"When did Big Brother start liking shopping?"
The two brothers each rode a tall horse. Wenren Cuo's black horse was his beloved mount that had accompanied him in battles for many years. It was much stronger than Wenren Ju's red-maned horse that had never been on the battlefield. Therefore, he paced slightly ahead, and Wenren Ju had to raise his voice when speaking to him.
"I want to come out and pick out some gifts, but I can't make up my mind."
Oh, Wenren Ju understood in his heart that his elder brother wanted him to be his advisor.
Ke Wenrencuo doesn't like to manage interpersonal relationships, so who is he giving this gift to?
Could it be...
"Which girl did you take a fancy to, big brother?"
The reins were suddenly tightened, and the red-maned horse was also brought to a sudden stop by the black horse, almost throwing Wen Renju off the horse who did not react in time.
Wen Renju raised his eyes slightly nervously, and met his brother's serious gaze.
Did he guess wrong? Wen Renju was puzzled. It was impossible.
After a long time, Wen Rencuo, who had been frowning, regained his composure, curled his lips into a smile, whipped his horse and continued to walk towards the main street.
Wen Renju knew that he was right this time when he saw his elder brother's reaction.
The two brothers went all the way to the most famous jewelry and rouge shop in Shanghua City. There were pretty ladies in red and green coming in and out of the shop. When they saw two tall and strong young men suddenly come in, they all covered their faces with their round fans and retreated to the corner.
The young master of the Wen family could be easily recognized by the family crest on his clothes. A few curious girls cast cautious glances at him, but then shyly glanced away.
Wenren Ju was used to this kind of scene and didn't notice him. Wenren Cuo was also experienced in life. Although he didn't see many women, he was not shy when others looked at him. He ignored the people around him and asked the shopkeeper to take out a batch of the latest and best goods.
The shopkeeper responded and turned to pick up the goods. Wen Renju boldly joked, "Brother, why don't you bring Ah You with you when it comes to choosing gifts for girls? Isn't he more experienced?"
Wen Rencuo didn't deny the first half of the sentence, he just replied: "That kid is angry with me, and it doesn't make any difference if he calls you."
Since that day when I fought him, I haven't been able to see Jiang Er Niangzi. I transferred my anger to him and didn't speak to him for a long time. Wen Rencuo couldn't bring himself to apologize to his brother, and he was even more embarrassed to ask him for help.
"Children don't remember things." Wen Renju has a good personality and gets along well with all his brothers. He is a know-it-all at home, so he knows a thing or two about Wen Renyou. "Mrs. Jiang Er was just shy and left him alone for two days. Once she starts paying attention to him again, he will definitely not hold a grudge against you."
Wenrencuo nodded thoughtfully.
The boss put out a board of new rouge and jewelry for them to choose from. The Spring Festival Banquet was approaching, and the new jewelry was basically made around floral patterns. Various flowers were moved onto the exquisite accessories.
"They're all pretty." Wen Renju glanced at them. "When giving gifts, you have to cater to the recipient's preferences. Big brother, what style does the girl like?"
"have no idea."
"So, what kind of flowers do you like?"
"……have no idea."
"What's the color?"
Wen Rencuo heard the words and remained silent.
The two brothers stared at each other for a long time. After a long while, Wen Renju asked again, "Brother, do you really know him?"
He suspected that his elder brother just fell in love with a girl at first sight, and the other party was completely unaware of his existence.
"I know him." Wen Rencuo answered, and under Wen Renju's suspicious gaze, he added, "But I'm not familiar with him."
Wen Renju breathed a sigh of relief: "Hey, brother, who is she from? Maybe I know her."
My eldest brother is now unmarried at an advanced age, and my family is already anxious. Wen Renju is very happy to help my brother find a partner.
"She..." Wen Rencuo hesitated to speak, not knowing whether he should say it or not.
Wen Renju keenly sensed that he didn't seem to want to bring up this topic, so he gave up: "Okay, then choose according to your heart."
He picked up a pink eagle orchid hairpin: "How about this one?"
The eagle orchid is the representative flower on the Wenren family emblem. Although there is no purple eagle orchid on this hairpin, it is still related. Even if Wenren gives it away by mistake, it can still show his status.
"Fourth Young Master has excellent taste. The pistil on this flower is made of extremely precious pink conch pearls. They are very rare in the entire Shanghua City. This is the only one left in my shop."
Wen Renju was quite satisfied with his taste, but his elder brother beside him was lost in thought.
Family representative...
He suddenly realized what he could give.
"Are there any ornaments in the shape of the iris?"
"this……"
The extremely rare Xuantan Flower, with its flowing, silk-like shape and translucent aqua blue hue, is renowned as one of the five famous flowers of Xijing. This flower has long been extinct, seemingly existing only in paintings. Few people have ever seen a real Xuantan Flower.
The shopkeeper was a little embarrassed. Before he could finish his words, someone else walked in from the door and walked straight towards him: "Shopkeeper, I also want a Xuantan flower hairpin."
Upon seeing the visitor's face, everyone present quickly knelt in greeting. The two brothers from the Wen family also bowed their heads and saluted: "Greetings to His Royal Highness Prince Lin."
Si Jue waved his hand to signal them to stand up. Wen Rencuo was taller than him and looked down at the smiling young man: "Generals, what a fate it is for me to meet you here."
"Your Highness and I are also surprised." Wen Renju and Si Jue are of similar age, and their tone is more joking.
"Your Highness just said that he also wants to buy this Xuantan Flower Hairpin?"
Wenren Cuo's face was solemn, and he was more observing and examining.
He knew that this little prince was the younger brother of Crown Prince Si Pei, who had the same mother as him. He had returned to Beijing some time ago, but the two had never met formally.
I didn't expect that our first meeting would be in such a cosmetics and jewelry store.
Moreover, why did he specifically ask for Xuan Tanhua?
"Yes, I came here specifically for this purpose."
Si Jue still smiled, but his emotions could not be seen in his narrowed eyes.
Wen Renju, who was caught in the middle, vaguely felt that the atmosphere was a little strange.
"What a coincidence! I happen to want to buy one too."
"Oh?" Si Jue's smile grew. "That's a coincidence indeed. General Wenren won't also be sending her off at the Chunshu Banquet, right?"
Wen Rencuo raised the corner of his lips and asked, "Your Highness too?"
The two of them smiled at each other inexplicably, and Wen Renju swallowed his saliva.
Could it be that my elder brother and Prince Lin have fallen in love with the same girl?
"My two nobles..." The shopkeeper smiled awkwardly, interrupting the undercurrent between the two people, "We only have one Xuantan flower hairpin..."
"Okay." The boss was interrupted by Wen Rencuo again. He didn't even look at the boss. He just nodded slightly at Si Jue and smiled apologetically, "Then please wrap it up for me."
"General Wenren, I have long admired this hairpin. Please name a price and fulfill my wish."
"Your Highness, please forgive me for not being able to give up... my beloved possessions."
The two people stared into each other's eyes, as if they were talking about Hua Chai, but it seemed that there was more than that.
"Listen to me, my two lords..." The boss's forehead was covered with sweat, "This hairpin is not here."
Before Wen Rencuo and Si Jue could ask further questions, the boss pointed upstairs and said, "It was just sent up for another lady to choose from. She said she liked it very much and has already decided on it. I'm afraid you two will have to find other ways..."
After hearing this, Wenren Cuo's face suddenly darkened. He had just said a few words in front of Si Jue, but now they were all coming back to him.
Si Jue thought sharply for a moment, and Wen Rencuo was unwilling to give up, and they asked in unison: "Is that person still upstairs?"
The shopkeeper was startled: "Yes... yes."
Wen Renju saw that something was amiss and wanted to laugh it off with his brother: "Brother, I think this pink eagle orchid is really good... Hey, brother!"
Wen Rencuo didn't listen to him at all and caught up with Si Jue and went upstairs together.
Wen Renju was left there with a confused look on his face, but he had no choice but to follow his stubborn elder brother to see what was going on.
"You two, that's the lady in blue over there."
Looking in the direction the shopkeeper pointed, Wen Rencuo and Si Jue were both stunned.
The girl stood by the window admiring the jewelry in front of her. Her face, hidden by the indigo gauze, appeared vaguely in the dim light, and her graceful figure was enclosed in the flowing blue dress. She seemed to be chatting and laughing with her friends, and her gentle laughter could be heard from time to time.
Wen Renju, who had caught up, was also attracted by the girl's figure for a moment, but soon he found someone more surprising: "Ayou?!"
His voice not only woke up the two people next to him, but also made the people on the opposite side look over when they heard the sound.
"Big Brother, Fourth Brother..."
Jing Yao's gaze shifted to the young man next to him. He was smiling, showing his fangs and looking harmless.
Huo Zhuxin was the first to react: "Your Highness Prince Lin, what a coincidence."
"What a coincidence."
Si Jue took two steps forward while answering. From the first time Wen Rencuo saw the girl in blue, the figure in the bookstore appeared in his mind again.
He could call out her name almost without hesitation: "Jing Yao."
Si Jue frowned unhappily after hearing this, but couldn't get angry. Jing Yao was still a criminal outside. Although no one in or outside the palace dared to disrespect her, to be honest, there was nothing wrong with Wen Rencuo calling her by her name except that it was a bit rude.
Jing Yao looked at the group of people in front of her and thought to herself that it was a good thing that she didn't take off her veil when she entered the store, otherwise her uncontrollable twitching mouth and rolling eyes would be exposed.
"It turns out to be His Royal Highness Prince Lin and General Wenren." Jing Yao responded politely without intending to say more.
She hadn't left the palace for the past few days, wanting to stay out of the spotlight. Si Pei said she was dealing with Yue Ningning's matter. And "Hidden Dragon," like the dagger, ultimately came to nothing, with no real answer. Jing Yao sulked for two days over this, and Si Pei, hoping to cheer her up, invited Fourth Lady Huo and the two ladies from the Jiang family to the palace to keep her company.
Jing Yao left Si Pei and moved into Yanzhi Palace where the sisters stayed. The four of them chatted and happened to talk about the recent Chunshu Banquet.
The Spring Banquet was a grand social gathering held in the palace for young men and women from aristocratic families to enjoy the flowers. Gifts could be exchanged at the banquet, especially for those they admired.
"Minmin will definitely give it to that kid from the Wen family."
Jing Yao teased her with a smile, and Jiang Wen shyly turned her head to hug Huo Zhuxin: "No way..."
"You're still being stubborn, girl." Jiang Jing directly exposed her sister's shyness and spoke for her: "I see the purses you embroider every night... Ugh!"
In a panic, Jiang Wen covered her sister's mouth. Seeing this, Jing Yao and Huo Zhuxin laughed at the same time.
"What about you guys? Aren't you going to send them off?"
Jiang Wen looked around. Huo Zhuxin looked indifferent. Jiang Jing shrugged nonchalantly, "No."
"Then Ling Yi! Ling Yi, aren't you going to give it to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?"
"Me? Do I have to send it too?"
"Oh, yes, His Highness has given you so many gifts. If you don't hate him so much now, it wouldn't be bad to return the favor."
Jiang Jing was reminded by her sister and immediately turned the conversation to Jing Yao.
The three sisters all looked at him. Jing Yao thought for a moment and nodded: "That's fine, but what should I give you?"
Jing Yao is afraid of pain and is lazy, so she doesn't learn needlework, and she is definitely not good at embroidering.
She is not good at calligraphy and painting, so giving it to Si Pei would be like showing off one's skills in front of an expert.
"His Highness will definitely like whatever you give him."
Jing Yao thought about it and said decisively: "Oh, then let's go to the street and buy one tomorrow."
Jiang Jing opened her mouth wide. Is it so careless...
"Oh, I can't do handicrafts, buying him one isn't enough."
Huo Zhuxin said for her, "That's true. It's a thoughtful gesture to choose one with care."
“That’s right!”
So the four of them arrived at...Yanzhi Jewelry Shop the next day.
Jiang Wen raised her eyes: "Ling Yi..."
Huo Zhuxin was puzzled: "Are you sure..."
Jiang Jing frowned: "Buy it here...!?"
Aren’t the things sold here all things used by women?
Jing Yao chuckled and said, "It's right here, just follow me."
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