Chapter 60 The Chosen One If only this were a chemical formula, she could...
As Linchuan and Jingyi strolled over, Yu Nie could see from afar that the two graceful young women were holding hands and heading towards Xianliu Pavilion.
The one who was slightly taller had a fresh and beautiful appearance, delicate lips, wore a pale yellow embroidered pleated skirt with water patterns, and had her hair styled in a high bun. She had dark eyebrows, a face like a jade plate, and gorgeous hair ornaments, especially a pair of gemstone hairpins that were the most eye-catching.
The remaining one wore a light red silk dress with butterflies and clouds, and her eyes were bright and clear, worthy of praise. Her face was an oval shape, a standard feature of a beauty, and her features were delicate, yet she did not appear weak.
As the two approached, Yu Nie, out of courtesy, lifted her skirt and descended the steps to greet them.
The three met outside the pavilion, exchanged graceful greetings, their right knees slightly bent, their bodies leaning forward slightly, and their hands lightly clasped and placed against their abdomens.
Linchuan, always kind and helpful, spoke first: "I've long heard that Sister Shunhe is as beautiful as a fairy from the Jade Pool in the Ninth Heaven. Seeing her today, I can confirm that her reputation is well-deserved."
Linchuan warmly shook Shunhe's hand and introduced herself: "Sister, you may not recognize me. Actually, we were born in the same year, but you are five months older than me. My title is Linchuan, and my given name is Hua Ruo. You can call me Hua Ruo in private."
Hua Ruo seemed cheerful and generous, without the arrogance of those noble ladies from imperial families, and she was especially kind to Shunhe.
According to etiquette, the given names of royal women should not be revealed to outsiders, and even princesses should address each other by their titles. Unless the two people are very close, they will not address each other by their given names, nicknames, or pet names in private.
Because of yesterday's reception, Yu Nie was usually most afraid of people who came to see her, as they were often difficult to get along with. Unexpectedly, the two people in front of her were quite friendly.
Zhao Huaruo was innocent and warm-hearted. Jingyi, who was standing to the side, did not speak, nor did she show any arrogance in her eyes. Her gentle expression made Zhao Huaruo's slightly tense heartstrings relax a lot.
The arrogant gazes of those princes and the mocking words of those aristocratic youths from yesterday still linger in my mind.
In comparison, she couldn't help but feel a sense of awe, realizing that even among the noble and privileged, there were approachable people.
Xiao Chengyan was elegant and poised, and although Zhao Yuntuan was not eloquent, she showed no contempt. The two in front of her were even more amiable than princesses of the imperial family.
It seems there are still good people in the royal family. Today's experience was much better than the one I had with the princes and nobles at the city gate yesterday.
After Zhao Hua Ruo finished speaking, Jing Yi, who had been secretly observing Yu Nie, covered her mouth and laughed, saying, "Hua Ruo, your enthusiasm is making Shun He feel at a loss. Don't scare her."
Yu Nie turned her gaze to Jing He.
According to what Song Ai had just told her, Jinghe is the daughter of Cui Meiren.
Jingyi met her gaze and said in a soft voice, "Shunhe, you probably don't know me, your older sister, very well." Her tone was even more gentle than gentle: "I am one year older than you, my name is Huashu, the 'shu' in 'jingnu qishu' (a beautiful and quiet woman)."
"Quiet and beautiful"... What a familiar phrase. She felt like she had seen it somewhere a long time ago, but she couldn't remember where. Now she wanted to say a few words in response, not wanting to embarrass Zhao Huayan, but she couldn't even find the source of the phrase.
If only this were a chemical formula, she could solve it in no time.
Seeing that the two people in front of him had finished speaking, Yu Nie knew that he had to say something and not just stand there like a block of wood and embarrass Zhao Huayan.
She spoke with a dignified smile, "Sister Hua Shu's name is truly elegant, much more refined than mine."
After praising them, she added a few polite words: "It's strange, although I'm meeting you two sisters for the first time today, I feel as if I've met you before, and I feel even closer to you."
“Who says otherwise? My sister’s words have touched my heart.” Zhao Huashu replied, “It shows that even though we sisters have been separated since childhood, the closeness of our blood ties can never be severed.”
“That’s right…” Hua Ruo continued, “No matter what, we are all Father Emperor’s children, so it’s only natural that we are affectionate towards each other.”
Song Ai stood by and waited until the princesses finished speaking before stepping forward and curtsying, saying, "The sun is getting stronger, Your Highnesses. Standing for so long must be tiring. Why don't we move to the pavilion to chat? I'll have someone bring some more ice cream and crispy desserts. It'll be perfect for cooling you down while you eat and chat."
“It’s so hot in here, it’s stuffy in the pavilion. It would be much more pleasant to go to the water’s edge.” Hua Ruo said as if she were at home: “Just now I came in and took a look at the pavilion on the pond. They say that when the water recedes, the pond is hot, but when the wind blows, it’s cool under the pines.”
She looked at Yu Nie and Zhao Huashu and said, "Sisters, why don't we have the servants move the ice cream mountain to the waterside pavilion? Wouldn't it be better to talk to the lotus flowers in the pond than to be cooped up in the room?"
Yu Nie was feeling bored in the pavilion, so she agreed to Zhao Hua Ruo's suggestion, and Zhao Hua Shu, who was standing next to her, had no objection.
Seeing that they both agreed, Zhao Huaruo happily took their arms and headed towards the pool.
*
After crossing the small bridge, the three entered the waterside pavilion and took their seats around the round table. Song Ai and Cuiwei carefully arranged the shaved ice cream that had been moved over, then retreated to a corner to await instructions.
Yu Nie held a plain gauze fan, while Zhao Huashu held a bamboo-ribbed fan, and the two of them slowly fanned themselves.
Zhao Huaruo was focused on the food in her bowl. She stirred the ice cream with her silver spoon a couple of times, then scooped up a spoonful and put it in her mouth.
As she ate, her eyes kept glancing at the other two people, listening to their conversation.
When the topic of welcoming the emperor at the city gate yesterday came up, Zhao Huashu looked somewhat embarrassed and said, "Yesterday I was supposed to personally welcome my sister back to the capital, but I was feeling unwell, and Hua Ruo had to stay in the palace to take care of me. So neither of us could go to the city gate to welcome my sister back. Now that I think about it, I, as the older sister, feel quite ashamed."
There was a reason for this, and Yu Nie didn't care. Given her personality, even without a reason, she wouldn't hold any opinion about the two of them because of it.
She replied nonchalantly, "Sister, there's no need to worry. It's not like you didn't go on purpose. Since you're not feeling well, you should naturally take good care of yourself. Besides, didn't you come to see your younger sister today?"
She emphasized, "In this sweltering heat, my sister still came to see me. This sentiment is more precious than anything else."
Upon hearing her reply, Zhao Huashu lowered her eyelashes and gradually slowed down her fanning movements.
She suppressed her guilt but still said, "It was my fault after all."
These words contained two layers of meaning, which only Zhao Hua Ruo understood among those present.
She seemed anxious as she interjected, trying to reassure Zhao Huashu: "Sister Huayan has already forgiven us. If Sister Huashu says that again, Sister Huayan won't know what to do."
Zhao Huashu did not immediately raise her eyes, but kept them lowered and simply nodded.
Seeing her seemingly unable to let go, Yu Nie sighed inwardly, realizing that the person before her was truly a sensitive soul. Only a sensitive soul would dwell on such matters repeatedly, unable to find peace for so long.
Fearing she still felt bad, Yu Nie continued:
"Hua Ruo is right, sister, there's no need to blame yourself. It's not your fault after all. Who can predict when someone will fall ill? This is not your fault. If we really have to talk about right and wrong, it's more like God deliberately played a trick on us and put on this show. Fortunately, the main show is happening today, and neither of us has missed it."
After her words of comfort, Zhao Huashu finally raised her eyes, her clear, autumn-like eyes gleaming with a faint light.
After gazing at her for a moment, Zhao Huashu looked away and sighed softly, "Sister Huayan, you are gentle, respectful, and honest. As your older sister... I am truly inferior to you. But ultimately, it was my fault first."
Yu Nie smiled gently: "We've only just met, why do you keep apologizing, sister?"
Upon hearing this, both Zhao Huaruo and Zhao Huashu were shocked.
Zhao Huaruo was quicker to react than Zhao Huashu was; while Zhao Huashu was still in a daze, the former had already come up with a reason.
She leaned closer to Yu Nie and laughed it off: "It's not that our Sister Hua Shu is too soft-hearted. She values etiquette and rules the most. If there's even the slightest impropriety, she always feels like she hasn't done a good thing and feels guilty."
This statement was so well-said that Yu Nie didn't notice anything amiss.
She understood and continued, "Sister, you are truly blessed with a keen mind." She then turned her gaze to Zhao Huashu, "If you continue to be so demanding of yourself, it makes me, who am so heartless, feel even more ashamed."
Zhao Huaruo also joined in, advising the person in front of her not to be so hard on herself.
As the two looked at each other, Zhao Huashu understood her meaning and finally nodded.
Before coming to Hongzheng Pavilion today, her younger sister Zhao Huaruo repeatedly told her not to feel ashamed in front of Yu Nie because of that incident, since everyone was doing it for her own sake.
She simply didn't want to be married off to the borderlands by the emperor, becoming a political pawn and a sacrifice.
But she... never intended to harm anyone else.
But the matter of a marriage alliance is of great importance, and someone has to step up.
Among the princesses of the direct line of the palace, only these three were eligible to marry.
The Jie envoy was arrogant and would only marry women from the emperor's close relatives; women from collateral branches were not even considered.
Initially, the emperor favored Princess Jinghe, Zhao Huashu.
Less than two days after the imperial edict was issued, Princess Zhao Huashu, who was to be sent for a peace marriage, suddenly fell seriously ill and coughed up blood incessantly. The imperial physician diagnosed her with liver stagnation and blood heat, and said that she would not be able to be completely cured in a short time. Fearing that something might happen to her on the way, the emperor had no choice but to withdraw the edict. After all, marrying a sickly princess would seem like a deliberate humiliation to the Jie people.
The only remaining candidate, Zhao Huaruo, came from a powerful maternal clan. Before the emperor could even issue an edict, the following day at court, the Grand Minister of Works, one of the Three Dukes, submitted a memorial advising the emperor that "the late emperor's youngest daughter should not be married off to a distant place." He suggested that the emperor choose someone else.
It's called a proposal, but it contains more threats than anything else.
Suddenly, the emperor found himself with no other options. The marriage alliance was of utmost importance, and he couldn't sleep all night.
The Emperor's ability to recall Zhao Huayan, who had been neglected for years, was largely due to the efforts of the Imperial Clan Court. The selection of a marriage partner was primarily led by the Imperial Clan Court, with the Emperor holding the final decision-making power.
One day, after leaving the Imperial Stables, the Minister of the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs finally had a new candidate for princess and presented him to the emperor.
The emperor initially looked down on Zhao Huayan's background, but having no other choice, he had to elevate Zhao Huayan's status. In the end, he issued an edict bestowing upon Zhao Huayan the title of Princess Shunhe and sending her to marry into the Jie tribe.
This chain of cause and effect, like the flapping of butterfly wings causing a fierce wind that travels thousands of miles, ultimately made Zhao Huayan the "best" candidate.
She had no power, no influence, and no one to rely on; she was the best sacrifice in this game.
Although Zhao Huashu escaped the fate of being married off to a harsh and cold place, she still felt uneasy about being implicated by Zhao Huayan.
She and Hua Ruo did not stay long during their visit today, as it was merely a simple greeting.
As she left, she took off the pair of jadeite and seven-treasure glass bracelets that had been on her wrist.
The items were originally a pair, but now one of them was handed to Yu Nie, saying, "Since it's our first meeting, I should give my younger sister something of my own."
She took Yu Nie's hand and placed the cool, smooth jade bracelet in her palm: "This was originally a gift from Mother. I am giving it to you, my sister, as a small compensation."
Yu Nie quickly withdrew her hand and declined, saying, "This is unacceptable. My sister already brought many things with her; how can I accept such valuable items?"
Zhao Huashu was unusually stubborn and insisted on putting it on her: "Sister, don't refuse. If you refuse again, you will blame me for what happened yesterday."
Seeing her resolute attitude, Yu Nie knew that refusing again would only seem distant, so he had no choice but to accept it and thank her solemnly.
After the three agreed to meet again another day, she watched Hua Ruo and Hua Shu's carriage drive away.
Bathed in sunlight, she looked at the bracelet on her wrist, a warmth spreading through her heart. She immediately thought of Langxi and Ahui, who were far away in Huaiyuan.
She thought to herself that Zhao Huayan was truly fortunate to have such a caring sister.
She was just as lucky as she was to meet Lang Xi and the others.
So, now that she's become "Zhao Huayan," isn't she doubly lucky? First, she met Langxi Ahui and the others, and now she's encountered these people who treat her so sincerely.
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but chuckle.
Cuiwei's voice came from the side: "What is Your Highness laughing at?"
Yu Nie lowered her wrist, momentarily forgetting herself, and walked inside with her hands behind her back, her tone incredibly light: "I'm probably the luckiest person in the world."
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