The moment Zhao Qingyan stepped out of the carriage after the curtain was lifted, it caused a stir among those around her.
I've never seen anyone dressed like this before. Everyone usually dresses up in jewels, especially their clothes, which are either brocade or satin.
To exaggerate a bit, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they are walking Christmas trees.
Zhao Qingyan's dress, both in style and material, was something they had never seen before.
Although she looks very simple and doesn't wear any jewelry, she inexplicably exudes an air of nobility.
Zhao Qingyan lifted her skirt and stepped out of the carriage. The maid behind her handed her a bag.
Then they went back to the car and waited for their master to come out.
The rule of the Hundred Flowers Banquet is that neither servants nor maids or old women are allowed to be brought in.
It is said that only in this way can one better understand the character of a young lady or gentleman.
Marriages between large families are not just about physical appearance; the key is to know how to manage the household affairs and to be adept at navigating social situations.
If a capable old woman or maid is brought along, they will offer guidance if the master does anything improper.
This makes it impossible to see a person's character and abilities.
Amidst numerous gasps of amazement, Zhao Qingyan alighted from the carriage and walked towards the main gate of the Princess's residence.
The receptionist was also seeing a lady who was so beautiful and exquisitely dressed for the first time.
My head is a little dizzy.
Zhao Qingyan was almost at the door when the man finally realized what was happening and saw her standing there waiting for him.
He then jogged over to them.
"Miss Zhao, after you go inside, turn right and you will soon reach the back garden of our Princess's Mansion."
Fruits, snacks, and tea are prepared there; the young lady can ask the maids for anything she needs at any time.
"Just let me know if you need anything."
Zhao Qingyan expressed her gratitude, which greatly excited the gatekeeper.
No matter how high the threshold of the princess's mansion was, I was still a servant. No young lady or gentleman had ever thanked me.
Those who attended the Hundred Flowers Banquet did not actually enter the princess's residence through the main gate, but rather through a separate gate in the back garden.
Upon entering the garden, Zhao Qingyan's first reaction was one of grandeur. As expected of the eldest princess, this mansion felt even larger than her own mountain estate.
Following the instructions of the gatekeeper, they walked forward.
After walking a few steps, Zhao Qingyan felt a bit hot from the sun, so she took out a folding umbrella from her bag.
The sun was quite strong, but that didn't scare Zhao Qingyan; she had applied a thick layer of sunscreen before going out.
The arrangements inside the princess's residence were quite thorough. Every ten steps, a maid stood by the roadside to provide directions.
Zhao Qingyan felt like she had returned to her past life. Standing by the roadside, wasn't she a proper hostess?
Take off the skirt and put on a cheongsam, and you'll have that same charm.
But they look pretty good now. The girls are either delicate or charming, and overall they are all good-looking.
"The princess's residence is indeed a princess's residence; even the maids are so beautiful."
When a woman gets married, a dowry is indispensable.
As Zhao Qingyan walked, she muttered to herself. Since arriving in ancient times, she had never envied anyone. Now, she felt like a sour lemon.
In the garden of the princess's residence, the paths are paved with flagstones and pebbles arranged in different colors to form patterns, which looks very beautiful.
Artificial hills, flowing water, flowering trees, and every so often there is a stone table and benches, on which fruits and snacks are placed, and a little maid stands by.
Continuing further in, there's a large corridor with benches along the sides, clearly a place for people to rest. There are already quite a few young men and women standing there.
Although there were no partitions in the middle, the men occupied one side and the women occupied the other.
They chatted with each other, then glanced casually at the other side, wondering if there was someone they liked among them.
Several pavilions were built along the lake, and people were gathered in small groups inside them. However, there was no one in the pavilion in the center of the lake.
As Zhao Qingyan walked, she scanned the area within her sight.
It's pretty much confirmed that the people here basically know each other.
I'm the only odd one out; I don't know anyone. How am I supposed to start? I'm here to sell things today.
While Zhao Qingyan was figuring out where to start, her arrival had already caused a huge uproar.
"Good heavens, Sister Ying, look! Who is that young lady? Why is she dressed so strangely?"
Her skirt didn't drag on the ground, making it look so easy for her to walk in, without constantly worrying about getting the hem dirty.
"What's that she's carrying? Is it a food box?"
Why isn't she wearing anything on her head? Is it because her family doesn't have the money to buy her a suitable set of jewelry?
"They look unfamiliar. Could they be from some humble, unknown family?"
From the moment Zhao Qingyan came into their view, these people began to point and whisper.
As Zhao Qingyan approached, one could clearly hear gasps of breath.
"So beautiful!" said a little girl who looked like she hadn't reached marriageable age yet.
Zhao Qingyan had exceptional hearing; as she walked by, she overheard many people's comments about her.
However, Zhao Qingyan was not shy; this was exactly the effect she wanted today.
I walked calmly to the most crowded corridor.
A girl looked at her, and Zhao Qingyan returned the look with a gentle smile.
She was already beautiful, and her smile was as radiant as spring flowers and as warm as the sun.
That immediately made it impossible for anyone to feel jealous.
In this corridor, there were two people who had seen Zhao Qingyan before: Qiu Fengqin, the eldest daughter of the Prime Minister's family, and Mu Wan'er, the granddaughter of the Grand Tutor's family.
Qiu Fengqin was excited to see Zhao Qingyan.
When he saw Zhao Qingyan on the street with Princess Chaohua, he was dressed in men's clothing.
I never expected Zhao Qingyan to look so beautiful in a dress.
As for Mu Wan'er, she always boasted of her beauty, as if all the women in the world were unremarkable except for her.
Upon seeing this strangely dressed yet beautiful girl today, Mu Wan'er was practically green with envy.
The girl next to me couldn't help but say, "I wonder whose daughter that is? She's so beautiful."
Mu Wan'er pursed her lips.
"I've never even seen her before. In this capital city, every decent family has a young lady they've seen."
This unfamiliar person might have gotten lucky and received the invitation to enter.
Look at you, you don't have many pieces of jewelry on you, your family must be quite poor.
"A lady of a respectable family, dressed like this, looks utterly indecent."
The young girl who had just praised Zhao Qingyan's beauty ignored Mu Wan'er.
"Miss Mu is the most beautiful girl in our capital, everyone knows that."
After saying that, he left Mu Wan'er and her group of girlfriends and went straight to Zhao Qingyan.
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