"The Awakening of Insects heralds the arrival of mid-spring, when spring's beauty is at its peak
The first thunder of spring awakens sleeping animals and hibernating insects.
They awaken from their hibernation dreams, welcoming the spring when all things revive.
At this moment, the earth is enveloped in a warm atmosphere, and the spring colors, like those carefully mixed on a palette, are gradually becoming richer.
When March arrived, it coincided with the "Nine-Nine" period.
In ancient folk traditions, "counting the nine days of winter" is a crystallization of wisdom in calculating the coldest days and the arrival of spring.
Every nine days after the winter solstice, until the end of the "Winter Nine Nines" eighty-one days later.
These nine days are like nine checkpoints; only by overcoming them all can one truly welcome the arrival of spring and the blooming of flowers.
As the old saying goes, "After nine nines, the plow oxen roam the fields."
People brought their elderly and children out of their homes to enjoy the flowers and spring scenery in the countryside.
Along the way, the air was filled with the fragrance of flowers and the grass was lush and green, and the world was full of life and vitality.
In this warm and blossoming spring, something happened that was neither too big nor too small.
Originally, Du Ruoxi was only arranged to marry into the Prince of Liang's palace as a concubine. However, General Du suddenly entered the palace to meet the Emperor and had a private conversation with him.
No one knows exactly what they talked about, but the result was unexpected.
The emperor issued an edict elevating Du Ruoxi's status to that of a princess, making her the true wife of the Prince of Liang.
This decision surprised everyone, since in the court, a change in status often meant a redistribution of power.
The noble ladies who had originally dreamed of becoming princesses felt a pang of disappointment.
The Prince of Liang has been enjoying unparalleled popularity lately.
Last winter, Yancheng suffered a severe snow disaster, resulting in countless deaths and injuries, and leaving many people homeless.
Therefore, the King of Liang volunteered to go and provide disaster relief and peace to the people.
He led a capable team deep into the disaster area, living and working alongside the people to overcome the difficulties together.
Under his careful arrangements, order was gradually restored in the disaster area, and the hungry and cold people received timely assistance.
King Liang's benevolence and talent earned him widespread praise from the people, and he became famous as a result.
After this incident, his prestige and influence surpassed that of the Crown Prince, and there were even rumors that the Emperor intended to change the Crown Prince.
Meanwhile, the Crown Prince has recently been embroiled in a sex scandal and is also facing accusations of corruption from high-ranking officials. He is burdened with numerous troubles and his situation is precarious.
From the outside perspective, becoming a concubine of the Prince of Liang seems to signify another possibility, a future full of uncertainties.
Therefore, this opportunity is so tempting for many families that it is hard to resist.
As a result, various families began to actively plan, hoping that their daughters would have the opportunity to become the concubine of the King of Liang.
The spring day was bright and sunny, with birds singing and flowers blooming.
On this day, the sun shone brightly and the weather was fine.
Lady Lin held a grand spring banquet at her residence.
She extended invitations to many noble ladies from Kyoto to come and enjoy the beautiful spring scenery, savor fragrant tea, admire flowers, and compose poems and lyrics together.
For a time, the entire mansion was bustling with activity, filled with laughter and joy.
These noblewomen were dressed in gorgeous clothes and had exquisite makeup. They also brought their children, who were young men and women, all dressed in their finest attire, elegant and beautiful.
In the courtyard, there are all kinds of blooming flowers, colorful and fragrant.
The group sat together, enjoying the fragrant tea while admiring the beautiful scenery before them.
People often compose poems and couplets to express their praise for spring.
In this atmosphere, everyone was in a good mood and chatted happily.
In the courtyard, there were exquisite tables and chairs, covered with soft cushions and gorgeous silks.
The ladies sat together, elegantly picking up their teacups, gently blowing away the steam, and then sipping the fine tea.
Their movements were light and skillful, as if every detail revealed nobility and taste.
Not far away, a group of young people in the prime of their youth gathered together, some chatting and laughing, others quietly appreciating the beautiful scenery around them.
However, the ladies looked at them with puzzled smiles.
This smile seems to hide some profound meaning, yet it is difficult to fathom.
Today's spring appreciation banquet appears to be a simple flower-viewing event, but in reality, it is an opportunity to find suitable marriage partners for one's own children.
Almost all those present were noble ladies and gentlemen of marriageable age from Kyoto. Everyone was well aware of the purpose behind this, and each had their own plans.
Just as everyone was chatting happily, a commotion suddenly broke out.
It turned out that the Empress Dowager had arrived with several princes.
Everyone stood up, their faces showing respect, and quickly walked out of the pavilion to welcome the Empress Dowager's arrival.
The Empress Dowager was dressed in magnificent attire, with a kind face and an air of majesty in every gesture.
She smiled and nodded to everyone, then slowly walked into the pavilion, and everyone followed her inside.
Lady Lin, dressed in a scarlet long dress, was graceful and charming.
She said respectfully, "It is a great honor for us that Her Majesty the Empress Dowager has come today."
"This banquet is truly excellent; Madam Lin has impeccable taste." The Empress Dowager raised her teacup and took a small sip.
Upon hearing this, Lady Lin smiled gently and replied humbly, "Your Majesty flatters me."
Everyone present breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed the Empress Dowager was quite easy to talk to after all.
The Empress Dowager waved her hand and said to the people behind her, "You all don't need to crowd around here. The scenery of the Lin residence is indeed quite nice."
As she spoke, she slowly stood up, her gaze sweeping around as if admiring the scenery of the mansion.
Upon seeing this, Lady Lin quickly stepped forward to lead the way: "Your Majesty, there is a garden in this mansion with particularly beautiful scenery. Would you like me to take you there to admire it?"
The Empress Dowager nodded slightly and strolled with Lady Lin towards the garden.
Along the way, the air was filled with the fragrance of flowers and the chirping of birds, as if one were in a beautiful painting.
The Empress Dowager wore a satisfied smile and occasionally exchanged a few words with Lady Lin, creating a harmonious atmosphere.
At this moment, King Liang also saw Lin Luobing, the eldest daughter of the Lin family, not far away.
In fact, if Princess Xuan Yue had not appeared, his preferred queen would have been Lin Luobing, the eldest daughter of the Lin family.
Lin Luobing is exceptionally beautiful, talented, and of noble birth, making her the dream girl of many young noblemen in the capital.
If he marries her, he will have the powerful backing of the Lin family, which will greatly help his path to the throne.
Unexpectedly, he ended up having a relationship with Du Ruoxi, but it was also a pleasant surprise, since the Du family had military power.
At this moment, Lin Luobing stood quietly by the lake, like a blooming white lotus, pure and elegant.
As King Liang looked at her, a ripple of emotion stirred within him.
Just as he was about to go forward and strike up a conversation, someone blocked his way...
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