Princess Anle in the novel is also one of the female supporting characters who secretly loves Pei Zhixuan. Her existence may simply be to highlight Pei Zhixuan's universally adored nature.
She's just a tool now.
But when she saw Princess Anle appear, she was still slightly surprised.
The princess's hair was styled in a high bun, her demeanor gentle and graceful, every movement revealing a subtle beauty.
She is the most classically elegant woman that Shen Yunjiao has seen since she transmigrated to the present day.
As soon as the princess appeared, everyone returned to their seats.
"I heard that the Crown Princess also came today."
As soon as Shen Yunjiao sat down, she heard the princess ask gently.
"Your Highness is well." Shen Yunjiao rose and curtsied. Princess Anle saw her serene appearance and a strange emotion flashed in her eyes.
"It's been a long time since I've seen the Crown Princess; you've become even more beautiful."
Shen Yunjiao knew that the princess was still very unhappy about her stealing her beloved.
This is understandable, after all, the original owner's methods of marrying Pei Zhixuan were indeed somewhat dishonorable, and the princess was a royal son, so she could have used the same methods to force Pei Zhixuan.
But she didn't. She looked down on such despicable methods, but unexpectedly, she gave the original host an opportunity.
Shen Yunjiao secretly lamented her predicament; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that she was surrounded by enemies on all sides.
Princess, Jiang Rong, and Fang Ziyu are all die-hard fans of Pei Zhixuan.
The blame should go to that scoundrel prince.
Shen Yunjiao bowed again: "Thank you for your praise, Your Highness. Your Highness's temperament is truly unmatched, especially the white magnolia at your temple, which makes Your Highness's skin look as delicate as porcelain, like a fairy in a painting."
"It's so beautiful," Shen Yunjiao added sincerely.
Everyone present was stunned. Shen Yunjiao, who had always been arrogant and rude, had suddenly become so obsequious.
Shen Yunjiao thought to herself, "Girls are like that. You have to praise them a lot until they're dizzy and confused. Then they'll magically calm down."
Sure enough, a hint of shyness crossed the princess's face, and her expression softened considerably. "Princess Consort, please sit down. There's no need to stand up and bow all the time."
Anle thought to herself that all the gorgeous jewelry on her head couldn't compare to the magnolia on Shen Yunjiao's temple in her eyes. Her taste was actually quite good.
At this moment, the sound of string and wind instruments began to play softly, and a group of graceful dancers entered the hall in a row. After bowing, they began to dance.
Sitting next to her, Shen Yunjiao watched the beauties dance gracefully in front of her, her mouth practically watering.
After the dance ended, the dancers bowed their heads and slowly left the stage.
"I heard that when Madam Pei was young, she was taught by a famous teacher and her dance became famous throughout the capital."
The speaker was Madam Zhang, the wife of Zhang Jun, who had just been transferred from the prefect of Jiangnan to the capital as the Prefect of the Capital. Her voice carried the soft tone characteristic of Jiangnan.
His words sounded like barbs.
Shen Yunjiao was taken aback, then said calmly, "I can't dance."
"As the Crown Prince's consort, she must be proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, right?" Madam Zhang stood up, bowed to the princess, and said with a smile, "Does Your Highness know that when Prince Pei was in Jiangnan, he worked tirelessly day and night to solve the great flood disaster for my master and bring benefits to the region?"
"At that time, I wondered, what kind of celestial being could be worthy of the young master?"
After saying that, she looked at Shen Yunjiao with a smile, "Why don't you show off your talents, Princess Consort, and let everyone see what you've got?"
"What does Your Highness think?"
Princess Anle was somewhat dazed upon hearing Pei Zhixuan's name, but seeing Madam Zhang's insistence, she nodded and said to Shen Yunjiao, "Princess Consort, why don't you compose a toast?"
The noble ladies inside the palace were all secretly laughing at the spectacle.
Lyricist?
Everyone knows that Prime Minister Shen's daughter is illiterate and uneducated. It seems that Madam Zhang is deliberately trying to embarrass the Crown Princess.
As soon as Shen Yunjiao heard Madam Zhang's words, she knew why Madam Zhang was deliberately making things difficult for her.
She forced a smile and said, "Your Highness, I have never met this lady before. I can't just write a poem for her out of the blue; that's against the rules."
Princess Anle calmly looked at Shen Yunjiao and said, "What if I asked you to give a toast?"
Pei Zhixuan is a renowned scholar in the capital, a man of exceptional talent, and one of the most outstanding talents in the city. If Shen Yunjiao cannot even compose poems and lyrics, how can she have the face to be the Crown Princess?
Everyone was gloating, but Jiang Rong said in a low voice, "If she doesn't want to write lyrics, then she doesn't have to. Why force her?"
Shen Yunjiao glanced at Jiang Rong in surprise; she hadn't expected Jiang Rong to speak up for her.
Jiang Rong, who inadvertently met Shen Yunjiao's gaze, pursed her lips awkwardly.
Princess Anle's expression darkened, and she looked at Princess Pingning: "According to the Princess, am I not allowed to ask for it?"
Upon seeing this, Shen Yunjiao immediately stood up and said, "Your Highness, please calm down. Perhaps the princess does not know that I have been well-versed in poetry and literature since childhood and am exceptionally talented. She was afraid that I would embarrass myself in front of others, so she pleaded for me."
Everyone present was stunned.
They were probably thinking, "How can the Crown Princess be so shameless?"
Madam Zhang chuckled and sat down, raising an eyebrow as she said, "Then let the Crown Princess use today's spring banquet as the theme for the first toast."
Upon hearing this, Shen Yunjiao was secretly laughing out loud.
She has a favorite period drama, and one of its famous scenes uses the theme of "Spring Banquet" to create atmosphere.
The Great Yong Dynasty is a fictional era, so they certainly wouldn't hear the poems and songs from Shen Yunjiao's time.
"What's wrong, Princess Consort? If you can't figure it out, just say so," Madam Zhao said sarcastically.
Hehe, you don't understand, I'm building up my emotions.
"It's not that I can't think of anything, it's just that I can think of certain people and things."
Shen Yunjiao slowly stood up. Her once bright eyes were now misty, as if tinged with a faint sorrow.
At this moment, all the music stopped, and Shen Yunjiao's clear, cold, and slightly broken voice rang out in the hall:
"At the spring banquet, we drink a cup of green wine and sing a song. I bow again and make three wishes: first, that my beloved may live a thousand years; second, that I may always be healthy; and third, that we may be like swallows on the beam, meeting year after year."
Before she could finish speaking, her eyes were already glistening with tears.
"These words are truly beautifully written," Liu Guinu, standing next to Jiang Rong, couldn't help but praise. "Drinking and making merry, life is perfect."
Another noblewoman added, "The Crown Princess's poem seems simple, yet it meticulously unfolds the wishes of a young woman, which is truly rare."
"Don't you find it ironic?" Jiang Rong, who had been silent for a while, finally spoke up calmly, "What's the use of being unable to see your loved one every year, no matter how lively and bustling it is, with singing and dancing all around?"
Everyone fell silent. They realized that Shen Yunjiao was not loved by her husband, so how could her wish to "see each other every year" ever be fulfilled?
In an instant, Shen Yunjiao won the genuine pity and sympathy of many noble ladies present.
Some people, thinking of their own experiences similar to Shen Yunjiao's, couldn't help but tear up.
Princess Anle, equally moved by the poem, looked at Shen Yunjiao with an indescribable sadness in her eyes: "This is a beautiful poem. I hope you can have your wish fulfilled."
Shen Yunjiao lowered her head, "Thank you for your praise, Your Highness."
Upon hearing the poem, Madam Zhang knew that she couldn't put Shen Yunjiao in a difficult position today, and quickly said, "The Crown Princess is indeed very talented."
"It's good that Madam Zhang knows this, please don't make things difficult for her anymore."
Shen Yunjiao's cold words seemed to slap Madam Zhang in the face. She smiled awkwardly and said, "How could I dare to make things difficult for the Crown Princess? I was just curious because I had heard the Crown Prince praise your talent before."
Shen Yunjiao indifferently looked away.
That's ridiculous. Do you think she'd believe that? Pei Zhixuan would only praise her if the sun rose in the west.
Shen Yunjiao was unaware that as soon as her poem was written, it was passed around by word of mouth among the servants and reached the ears of the group of male guests outside the palace who were drinking, composing poems, and laughing noisily.
"Brother Pei, you're so lucky!" A colleague chuckled and nudged the arm of a handsome man.
"Was this poem really written by her?"
Pei Zhixuan was slightly lost in thought, even his movement of picking up the wine glass slowed down a bit.
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