With her gaze sweeping over the surrounding noble ladies, her eyes seemed to...
Someone broke the silence, laughing, "Have you heard? Little Tyrant has returned to the capital."
Some people asked in confusion, "What kind of 'Little Tyrant' is this?"
The first person to speak blew away the foam from the tea and placed it heavily on the stone table: "Lord Jingning!" She raised her eyes and quickly glanced at the garden area before looking away and said, "Since he returned to the capital, he has stolen all the limelight, and even my cousin, the Crown Prince, has lost his luster."
A woman dressed in a light green ruqun frowned upon hearing this and lightly rebuked, "Pei Qing, how can you speak nonsense within the palace?"
Behind the artificial hill, a palace maid was leading another woman in elaborate attire toward the waterside pavilion.
Pei Qing, with a hint of anger in his eyes, asked, "Was what I said wrong? Or should I not have said it? That little tyrant, that unruly wolfhound, who in the capital hasn't he fought with back then? My brother was beaten black and blue by him back then, and he lost a front tooth. Have you forgotten? And Ah Xi, that little tyrant and Qin Weixi were in cahoots back then, and he gave Ah Xi a lot of trouble!"
Some palace maids retreated to a secluded spot, while women from noble families stepped forward to offer advice.
Pei Qing ignored him.
The woman in the light green dress blushed and stared at her, saying, "Pei Qing, every cause has its effect. Your brother is immoral, spending his days teasing cats and dogs with Li Sheng and harassing women in the street. Since your brother has escaped punishment for what happened at the Star Gazing Tower, you should also restrain yourself. As for the Qin family girl, why don't you think about the reasons behind it all?"
Pei Qing slammed his hand on the stone table, gritting his teeth in anger, and said, "Zhao Shuhan, keep your mute brother in check before you lecture me! Your great-aunt, the current Empress Dowager, is currently at Xiaguang Peak, and the harem is being protected by my aunt, the Empress. Don't spout nonsense here!"
Her face paled as she spoke, her anger seething inside. She couldn't help but sneer, "Zhao Shuhan, you're already eighteen this year! Many young women in the capital start talking about marriage before they even reach marriageable age. What? Do you intend to end up like the Luo family girl, a spinster forever?! You…"
"Pei Qing, be careful what you say, you're hopeless!" Zhao Shu interrupted her, her lips pursed and her head shaking.
Pei Qing choked on the phrase "rotten wood is hard to carve," and seeing the women and palace maids around him watching him cautiously, he became even angrier. He glanced at the scalding hot teacup on the table and impulsively picked it up and threw it at Zhao Shuhan.
A sudden gasp rippled through the crowd, leaving Zhao Shuhan, who was surrounded by the balustrade of the waterside pavilion, with nowhere to hide.
At the critical moment, Qin Weixi strode forward, snatched the food tray carried by a palace maid outside the waterside pavilion, and blocked Pei Qing's path. However, most of the scalding hot tea was still spilled onto her arm, leaving her sleeve completely wet.
Pei Qing was taken aback, but her mind cleared instantly. An inexplicable fear overcame her anger, and she retreated backward repeatedly.
Zhao Shuhan's almond-shaped eyes widened, and she opened her mouth, looking at the newcomer with surprise, "Xiao Xing?"
"Did you get burned? Are you alright?" She looked at the palace maid beside her: "Sister, could you please bring some ice?" She was taken aback and somewhat annoyed: "I was confused. Is there a place to change clothes? Is there any burn ointment?"
The afternoon sun shone brightly on every part of the Imperial Garden. The garden was quiet and secluded, with only the spring breeze gently caressing the flowering trees and making them rustle softly in the wind.
Qin Weixi gently squeezed her hand to indicate that she was alright, then turned around to face the crowd.
The brocade is most dazzling when refracted by sunlight.
Luo Zhaoxing was pretty even as a child, and now, in the prime of her youth, she has grown from a girl into a woman, becoming even more beautiful.
Pei Qing blurted out, "Luo Zhaoxing!"
Qin Weixi smiled brightly, returned the tray to the palace maid, sat on the stone bench, casually placed one hand on the stone table in front of her, and tapped the table surface absentmindedly with her five fingers.
“Pei Qing, if I remember correctly, you were betrothed to the son of the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture when you were young. Is that marriage still in effect? This man is truly accomplished in both literature and martial arts.” She emphasized the word “martial arts.”
"What did you say?" Pei Qing managed to utter a few words.
But who in the capital city didn't know that the only son of the Shuntian Prefecture Prefect was violent and had violent tendencies?
Women nearby covered their mouths with handkerchiefs and laughed.
Qin Weixi said dismissively, "It's nothing, it's just a pity about my nice clothes." She got up and walked down from the waterside pavilion. As if remembering something, she turned back to Pei Qing and said, "You just said that the harem is now protected by the Empress, but you spoke ill of the princess in the inner palace. That was really wrong."
Pei Qing was puzzled and asked, "When have I ever been disrespectful to Her Highness the Princess? Don't try to sow discord."
Qin Weixi smiled slightly, casting a friendly glance at Zhao Shuhan behind Pei Qing, and then said, "Princess Zhonggong is in the prime of her youth at twenty-nine, while we are all old maids. What kind of maid are you?" She cupped her hands slightly to Pei Qing in the pavilion and smiled, "Old lady?"
She still wore a faint smile as she glanced at him: "You're always rambling on and on, casually talking about the sons of officials in the capital. Isn't that unruly wolfhound in your household, your brother's man? Pei Qing, don't chill the hearts of the soldiers fighting on the front lines. If it weren't for them, how could you be enjoying tea and flowers in this garden full of spring?"
Upon hearing this, some women from prominent families couldn't help but burst into laughter, one after another, until they were bent over with laughter.
Zhao Shu smiled with her lips pursed and nodded slightly to her.
Unlike Zhao Shuhan, Pei Qing seemed somewhat wary of her. After a long pause, he said with a hint of sarcasm, "Luo Zhaoxing, you say you've chilled the hearts of all the soldiers in the world? How could a woman like me do such a thing? I'm afraid only the Qin family back then could have done it! How many loyal generals of our dynasty died at Little Penglai back then?"
Pei Qing knew that she was intentionally reminding her of the valiant General Chu Lanze from back then.
Qin Weixi looked at her, and Pei Qing felt a slight tremor in his gaze. Just as she was about to glare back, the person below the stone steps quickly walked over, standing only inches away from her. A pair of unfathomable eyes stared at her: "How do you know so much about what happened back then? Were you there? Did you witness that massacre?" She glanced at the surrounding noble ladies, her gaze seemingly lingering on Liang Xi for a moment, and smiled: "Which gossip is spreading rumors about me behind my back again?"
Pei Qing unconsciously took a step back, her brows furrowed tightly, and her face turned a deep purplish-red. A young lady who was close to her tried to persuade her gently, but she angrily shook her off and said, "Don't worry about me!" With that, she started to walk out of the garden.
A palace maid reminded Qin Weixi at the right moment: "Miss Luo, would you like to come with me to change into a clean set of clothes?"
Standing in the bright sunshine, she let out a long sigh of relief, feeling instantly refreshed. She smiled and said, "Thank you. No need. The spring breeze in the capital is warmer than people; I'll just dry myself off quickly by blowing on it along the way."
At the hanging flower gate, Tao Qingyun chuckled and said, "See? What did I tell you? No one can bully her. She's definitely learned a thing or two from me!"
Chu Yening glanced back at him. He blinked, stretched, and muttered, "How boring. I can't even get some fresh air. It's true what they say, even when you're grown up, you still miss your childhood. If it weren't for my uncle's recent illness and my aunt's frequent summons to the palace, and her insistence on having us attend this banquet today, I wouldn't have participated in this ridiculous event. What's wrong?" His eyes darted around.
"Huh? Could it be that Aunt has a plan?" Recalling the frequent glances cast by the women from the waterside pavilion towards the garden before the banquet began, he frowned and his face immediately darkened. "Does she want me to make a match?" As he spoke, he looked Chu Yening up and down. "And you? You and your uncle haven't even finished half of your game of chess, and Aunt has already coaxed you to come here with me. What's going on?"
Chu Yening ignored her and turned to look at the girl laughing freely in the warm sunlight, saying softly, "Sharp-tongued!"
On the other side, Qin Weixi left the pavilion, intending to find a quiet place to sit, or perhaps go to the lakeside to watch the fish swimming in the pond.
"Luo Zhaoxing." Liang Xi suddenly called out to her from behind.
Qin Weixi stopped and turned around, asking, "What is it?"
Liang Xi quickly approached her and whispered, "Luo Zhaoxing, are you still going back to Jiangnan?"
Qin Weixi stared at her for a moment, then suddenly smiled: "What? You missed me?"
Liang Xi felt a chill run down his spine under her gaze, and chuckled awkwardly before asking, "Xiao Xing, do you want to enter the Eastern Palace?"
Qin Weixi suddenly sneered: "Is this a matter of whether I want to or not? You want to enter the Crown Prince's Palace? Do you want me to give you a ride?" Then, she changed the subject: "But I remember, Miss Liang, didn't you fall in love with my brother?"
Liang Xi's eyes widened in surprise, and after a long while, she finally spoke, somewhat speechlessly, "What...what nonsense are you talking about?"
Qin Weixi smiled meaningfully.
Meanwhile, at the hanging flower gate, Tao Qingyun was about to leave when she felt a gentle tug on one of her sleeves. She shook her head, helplessly flicked the head of a young man beside her, and said with a smile, "Alright! You've seen enough of the show. Your sister wasn't bullied, so it's time to let go, isn't it?"
The boy had large eyes and was extremely handsome, but his behavior was somewhat inconsistent with his age. At this moment, he was holding onto the hem of the two people's clothes with both hands, and kept his head down in silence.
Tao Qingyun pointed in the direction Zhao Shuhan was, and asked softly, "Are you going to find your sister?"
"elder sister?"
"Sister?" The boy's eyes lit up at the sound of her voice, and he repeated it over and over.
Tao Qingyun nodded, about to speak, when footsteps sounded in the garden. Several elegantly dressed palace maids carrying trays filed in, surrounding Jiang Yuanfu as she approached from the covered walkway.
Everyone rose and bowed, the tense atmosphere from just moments before still lingering in the waterside pavilion.
Jiang Yuanfu, devoid of her usual sickly demeanor, smiled brightly and said, "These are special flower cakes made by the Imperial Kitchen. Everyone, please have a taste." She turned her gaze to Qin Weixi, shaking her head and chuckling, "Eighth Sister, those peach blossoms are blooming beautifully. Thank you."
Before Qin Weixi could answer, she called over Zishu, who presented a palm-sized inlaid wooden box with beads in both hands and said, "I've wanted to give this to you for a long time, but I thought and hoped that you would come back to Jiangnan one day after all these years, so I still wanted to give it to you in person."
"A beautiful dress needs an even more beautiful hairpin to match it."
Zi Shu opened the wooden box, and in front of the ladies from noble families, Jiang Yuanfu picked it up with one hand.
Peony hairpin. There is a line in an ancient poem that says, "Only the peony is truly a national beauty; when it blooms, it stirs the capital."
A pair of peony hairpins inlaid with gemstones. When Emperor Kangxi ascended the throne, Empress Tao hesitated between the three girls. She only had two gold hairpins. Who should she give them to? And how should she give them?
Finally, the three girls declined each other's offers, with Jiang Yuanfu saying, "What's missing in Kunning? Mother can give me other good treasures."
Qin Weixi politely declined, saying, "My hair is already adorned with apricot blossoms, and only the golden branches of peonies can compare."
This "golden branch" refers to Princess Zhenhui, Jiang Yuanfu, who was born of the Empress.
Of the last pair of gold hairpins, one was given to Luo Zhaoxing, who fell ill after being frightened by Liang Lang during the Lantern Festival. The other one had been kept in the national treasury for many years.
However, Qin Weixi was unaware of all this; she had always believed that the pair of gold hairpins were still in the palace.
This gold hairpin is extremely valuable, and now Jiang Yuanfu wants to give it to her in front of all the noble ladies. If she accepts it, she will become the target of their criticism today.
She wondered if Jiang Yuanfu's actions were also due to Jiang Yuanjun's lingering attachment to the Luo family's irretrievable departure, and her guilt towards Luo Ling, who remained alone in the capital. Or perhaps it was for another reason. She gazed towards the direction of the Kunning Palace, amidst its magnificent buildings.
She lowered her eyes, her gaze sweeping over Jiang Yuanfu's knees, which were hidden by her phoenix-tail dress. For a moment, she felt as if she were on that snowy night, kneeling on the ground, and she could hear her saying: "Xiao Xi's life or death is unknown. I beg Father Emperor for mercy! Send the Imperial Guards to search for her!"
As they approached the capital, the ship was about to dock. Pu Niang had a long talk with her all night, instructing her to be careful and cautious in everything she did after arriving in the capital, and to make sure she was safe.
She told Pu Niang that she was now completely free of worries. The people she cared about had long since vanished with the wind when she was eight years old that winter. But she still had the Luo family, her childhood best friend, and her grandmother Zhao, who was now on the summit of Xia Guang.
These are all her Achilles' heel and cannot be touched.
Pu Niang brought a tinderbox and lit an oil lamp in front of her, smiling gently as she said, "Silly girl, even if you are alone, there are still lights shining on you, even if those lights are extremely faint."
Pu Niang was telling her that there is light even when you are alone.
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The author writes: "Only the peony is truly a national beauty; when it blooms, it stirs the capital." This quote is from the poem "Appreciating Peonies" by the Tang Dynasty poet Liu Yuxi.
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