9 Flower Viewing Banquet
◎Love poems with hidden words.◎
As the flower viewing banquet was approaching, the nanny came again.
This time, the etiquette the nanny taught was much more formal than last time. Ci Ying thought it might be because she had become more obedient recently, or it might be because Aunt Yu Sheng had done something, or maybe both.
After the nanny left, Ci Ying sat down. Her body had memories, and she could feel her body still trembling when facing the nanny, even though the nanny had not hit her once today.
Ciying looked at Ruzhen. What was Ruzhen doing?
Ru Zhen looked at the nanny's departing back with admiration.
Ciying looked again, and when she realized she was right, a sense of absurdity welled up in her heart. Ruzhen seemed completely oblivious to Ciying's emotions, as if she had already forgotten her dead father. Her face was filled with joy. "Ciying, I heard from Mother that Nanny Li is a Nanny from the palace who specializes in teaching young ladies etiquette."
Ci Ying's body was trembling again, and she whispered, "Stop talking."
Ci Ying's voice could even be described as gentle, but it still made Ru Zhen's face change. This was the first time in Ru Zhen's memory that Ci Ying had spoken to her like that. Ru Zhen bit her lip and said nothing, instinctively expecting Ci Ying to coax her.
But Ciying didn't. She simply flipped open a book on the desk. Ruzhen's eyes trembled, so she couldn't see that Ciying's hands were also shaking as she turned the pages of a book not far away. Ruzhen gritted her teeth and ran out. Ciying watched Ruzhen's quickly disappearing back and blinked very softly.
At midnight, Ru Zhen came back from outside. She went to bed and hugged Ci Ying, snuggling into her arms. Ci Ying was startled for a moment, but still reached out and gently patted Ru Zhen's back.
Ru Zhen hugged Ci Ying tighter, and her body temperature warmed Ci Ying. Ci Ying seemed to finally feel a little comfort, closed her eyes and fell asleep.
Ru Zhen didn't sleep. She kept her eyes open, looking at the lit lamp outside the window.
Three days before the flower-viewing banquet, Princess Yunhua sent someone to bring the news that there would be a segment of flowing water and wine drinking at this flower-viewing banquet. The many female relatives present were only required to follow the previous guests' interest. If anyone was invited, they did not have to drink, but could just recite a short poem.
What came before it was colored paper with the princess seal printed on it.
As Ci Ying picked up her pen to write, Ru Zhen sat beside her, looking at the contents of the princess's invitation. She whispered, "Mother said that your grades at the academy have declined a lot. If this is passed to you, you might not be able to write a good short fu."
Ci Ying quickly stopped writing and whispered, "It can't be too good."
Ru Zhen didn't hear clearly and thought Ci Ying said "maybe not too good". Ru Zhen carefully looked at Ci Ying's face and found that she could no longer see Ci Ying's emotions, but Ci Ying didn't look very happy. Was she worried about not being able to write a good short fu?
Ru Zhen pinched the hem of her skirt, trying to comfort Ci Ying, but she herself was not good at poetry.
She was not good at it so she didn't know. Ci Ying was worried about how to write this short fu well or not. If it was too good, something might happen to the old lady. If it was too moderate, people would use her as an excuse to ridicule Lishan Academy for being so-so. It would even affect the Xie family, and she would not be able to escape the blame either.
Ci Ying pondered and was glad that she had passed the assessment in the past two months as the old lady wished, otherwise she would not be able to get through the flower viewing banquet. While thinking, Ci Ying picked up the pen again.
Ru Zhen saw Ci Ying's changing expression, and it was clear she was fretting over the small poem she had written at the flower viewing banquet. Ru Zhen clutched the corner of her clothes and retreated from the study. She had returned because the Third Young Lady had found her and offered her some money, hoping she would ruin Ci Ying's performance at the banquet.
Ru Zhen used the money to buy Ci Ying a pearl flower as an apology gift, but Ci Ying had been acting so coldly recently that she didn't dare to say it. Of course, she wouldn't ruin Ci Ying's performance at the flower viewing banquet, but if she didn't accept the Third Miss's money, it would be troublesome if she didn't find someone else to help Ci Ying.
Being disrespectful in front of someone like the princess was a grave sin, and even Ru Zhen, despite her lack of understanding of etiquette, knew that. She hadn't returned home these days simply because she didn't know how to face Ci Ying. She knew she was wrong, but she couldn't bring herself to say it. Ru Zhen clutched the pearl flower she was going to give to Ci Ying, her body swaying as a thought suddenly struck her.
While Ciying was at the academy, Ruzhen climbed a ladder and found the ancient book she remembered. She took it down and saw the title "The Book of Songs" written on the cover. Ruzhen followed her memory and turned to the last page. She opened the cover and found a poem inside.
Ru Zhen thought about it.
There is spring, flowers and flowing water, which fits the theme of Ciying's flower viewing banquet very well.
Even for someone like Ru Zhen who doesn't understand poetry, this is an excellent fu. Ru Zhen narrowed her eyes, thinking that Ci Ying would definitely not agree to use the young lady's previous poems, but she hoped that Ci Ying would shine at the flower viewing banquet, perhaps in this way she could secure her status as a young lady.
Thinking of this, Ru Zhen carefully put the poem between the flowery paper. Then she thought of something else. Ru Zhen leaned over the desk, picked up the pen and lightly traced the old handwriting with very light ink. Ru Zhen thought that this way Ci Ying would be able to see it more clearly when the time comes.
Ru Zhen wasn't without selfish motives. As long as Ci Ying secured her status as a young lady, she would always protect her. But regardless of selfishness or anything else, Ru Zhen wished Ci Ying the best.
Although she had been jealous, envious, and complained, she always hoped that Ciying would be well.
Ci Ying was completely unaware of this. She even thought she could come up with something more appropriate based on the situation, so she didn't even know when Ru Zhen changed the flower paper. She only felt that Ru Zhen had been a little happy these days, and once asked Ru Zhen about it, but Ru Zhen just laughed and said "secret".
Ci Ying smiled and said, "Okay."
She always says yes to Ruzhen.
The day before the flower viewing banquet, when Ru Zhen said she wanted to go, Ci Ying's eyes paused for a moment, but she still said gently, "Okay."
Ru Zhen was visibly happy and kept telling Ci Ying some fantasy things, such as: "Will the princess be very beautiful and have a good temperament? In the past, the young lady never attended those banquets, so we have never met her, but she is already a very noble person."
For example: "Ciying, at the banquet, are you going to sit at the table in front like the young lady used to do, and I'll pour you wine from the back? Am I talking nonsense? It must be like this. I've only seen Qushui Liushang (a wine cup played on winding streams) in books. The young lady used to say it was boring, but I think it's quite interesting and sounds very elegant."
Ci Ying tilted her head, unable to admit that her heart was soft at that moment. She loved Ru Zhen's innocent and straightforward yearning for the world, something neither she nor the young lady possessed. She leaned over the desk, listening to Ru Zhen's story, feeling a rare sense of comfort, the whip that had been lashing out at her soul becoming lighter.
Before she knew it, Ci Ying fell asleep, and Ru Zhen's voice gradually became softer. She leaned over and gently touched Ci Ying's eyebrows, pressing them lightly to relax them. Ci Ying's brows gradually calmed down. Ru Zhen looked at Ci Ying for a long time across the candlelight. At that time, she stubbornly believed that the two of them could be together for the rest of their lives.
In March, on the Shangsi Day, there is a flower viewing banquet.
In the morning, Ru Zhen got up and dressed Ci Ying. Even though Ci Ying told her several times that there was a special maid nearby and that she didn't need to bother Ru Zhen, Ru Zhen still insisted on her doing it, muttering, "I used to do the young lady's things too."
Seeing that Ru Zhen really wanted to, Ci Ying let her go. She couldn't touch the young lady's jewelry. Ru Zhen picked and chose in the box, and finally fell on the pearl hairpin. Ci Ying stopped her and said, "No need."
But Ru Zhen gently inserted the pearl hairpin into her bun and whispered, "This is a birthday gift from the young lady, so you should wear it in front of them." There was actually someone she was targeting in her words. Ci Ying looked at Ru Zhen without saying anything, and did not let Ru Zhen take it off.
It would be inappropriate to go to the flower-viewing party invited by the princess in too plain a style. The jewellery in the young lady's dressing box was too precious and she didn't want to touch it. After much thought, only this pearl hairpin was suitable.
After dressing up, Ru Zhen exclaimed, "Ci Ying, so beautiful."
Ci Ying followed Ru Zhen's gaze into the bronze mirror. The woman in the mirror had her hair combed into a bun with a high-pitched hairpin. At first glance, she could see a round and flawless pearl hairpin in the bun. Her eyebrows and eyes were soft, and there were light flower ornaments in between.
She was wearing a long white dress embroidered with silver butterflies. She was tall and simple yet elegant.
Ci Ying was stunned for a moment. Ru Zhen hadn't done it on purpose, but every bit of this look was a reflection of the young lady. Ci Ying smiled, a rare smile; she really wanted the young lady to see her current appearance.
In fact, it is not similar. Ru Zhen secretly adjusted it according to Ci Ying's characteristics for a long time, tried it on her own face again and again, and only used it today.
But longing is unreasonable. Ci Ying looked at the soft and beautiful face in the bronze mirror, as if she saw the young lady's face. The young lady was not always gentle, and sometimes she would be very lazy. She would lie in her arms and cry out that she was tired and sleepy, and then all the homework assigned by the teacher in the academy would become hers.
It was almost noon and time to set off.
Ciying was an invited guest, and a maid was a must for such a banquet. Ru Zhen walked slowly behind Ciying, holding the invitation and the flowery paper with the poem written on it.
It was Ciying's first time attending such a banquet, and her heart was beating fast. Ru Zhen secretly held Ciying's hand from behind, and Ciying felt a little relieved for some reason.
After spending these days together, Ci Ying had actually forgotten her suspicions about Ru Zhen a few days ago. When she sat down, Ru Zhen followed the example of other maids and carefully placed the flowered paper on the table. Ci Ying smiled when she saw Ru Zhen's cautious movements.
Sitting next to her was Xie Anyun, who had been silent since being under house arrest. He was now staring at her with wide eyes. Ci Ying had experienced what happened with the old lady and no longer felt that Xie Anyun was a threat.
Ci Ying felt that no matter how stupid Xie Anyun was, she would not do anything in such a big occasion. After all, she came here to represent the Xie family, even though her identity was just a maid of the Xie family.
As expected, Xie Anyun just glared, and her glare even reached Ru Zhen behind her. Ci Ying slightly shifted her body to block Xie Anyun's gaze, not wanting her to affect Ru Zhen.
Later, whenever Ci Ying thought of this moment, she would always remain silent because of her own slowness. She was too tired to believe that Ru Zhen, the only one who could give her warmth at that time, would betray her.
As expected, the wine glass of Qushui Liushang was turned to Ciying. Perhaps due to the cold wind in March, she was not in as good a spirit as she had thought. She did not plan to spend time on composing a poem on the spot, but took out the flowered paper on the table.
The moment she opened it, everything was silent.
Ci Ying looked at Ru Zhen behind her in disbelief, and Ru Zhen's face was full of smiles.
While Ci Ying was speechless, Xie Anyun, who was standing beside her, snatched the letter and read aloud the contents of the poem written on the gilded paper...
Ciying was oblivious to what happened next. She spat out a mouthful of blood and fainted. This scandal spread among the aristocratic families of Chang'an for a long time. Ciying, who was about to be adopted by the Xie family as a young lady, was ungrateful and actually harbored feelings for her brother.
What Ru Zhen had stuck on the flowered paper with ointment was a love poem to Xie Huaijin with hidden words.
It comes from the days and nights that Ciying felt excited after the heavy snow.
Later, Xie Suwei treasured it on the last page of the Book of Songs.
Ru Zhen let it end at this scandalous flower-viewing party.
【Author’s words】
The bad guys rack their brains, but the stupid ones have a sudden inspiration [Lemon]
How is this not considered a talent!!!
Happy New Year, my dears!
Starting tomorrow, daily updates...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
