Chapter 18 - Something still happened (Part 2 combined)...
With so many beauties dazzling her, Zhao Xian didn't overlook Li Lianniang, after all, the female lead has her own halo.
"There will be many more banquets like this in the future, and you will need to build your own social circle. Go and have fun."
Surrounding Zhao Xian were all ladies from various families, and Li Lianniang couldn't get a word in edgewise, feeling extremely bored.
Moreover, as the eldest daughter-in-law of the Jiang family, she will inevitably have to deal with other wives in the future, so she might as well take this opportunity to make friends.
Even if she eventually ends up divorcing Jiang Wei according to the plot, making more friends now might be helpful to her in the future.
Li Lianniang rarely attends banquets; there are too many people, and she is somewhat afraid: "I'll just stay with Mother."
Seeing this, the shrewd lady glanced at her daughter-in-law.
The latter understood and stepped forward to invite Li Lianniang, "The Princess especially loves peonies. There are many more planted in the garden behind this flower hall, all of which are rare varieties. Shall we go and take a look?"
Another young lady stepped forward and replied, "Yes, the peonies in the Princess's residence have always been the best in Jin'an. In addition to those bestowed by the emperor in the flower hall, there are also precious varieties collected from all over the country."
Zhao Xian chimed in, "Go ahead, don't you like painting? It would be a shame not to see so many peonies."
Today's purpose is to make Li Lianniang appear in public to dispel the rumors outside, and the opportunity has just presented itself.
Hearing Zhao Xian's words, Li Lianniang was moved and touched that her mother-in-law knew her preferences.
He nodded and said, "If Mother needs anything, have Peony come and call me."
Granny He also came today, but she didn't serve Zhao Xian. Before leaving, she was instructed to stay close to Li Lianniang at all times.
Zhao Xian and Li Lianniang were surrounded by ladies and young women, while Princess Rongyang's side was cold and deserted.
Although the princess's status was impressive, Prince Duan held no important position, and the official rank of her husband was not high.
The ladies of high status looked down on her, and she looked down on those of low status.
Zhao Xian looked up and saw that the two ladies who had just been arguing with her had vanished in the blink of an eye.
"Madam Jiang."
Hearing a familiar call, Zhao Xian's gaze passed over the many beauties and saw the mother of the sweet romance novel heroine, as well as Lu Zhaoying, the sweet romance novel heroine beside her.
I couldn't recall this face no matter how hard I tried, but when I saw the real person, I immediately recognized it.
Zhao Xian walked past the crowd toward the two of them.
Lu Zhaoying bowed to Zhao Xian, her tone gentle and obedient: "Greetings, Madam Jiang."
Zhao Xianxu helped Lu Zhaoying up and said with a smile, "Third Sister has come too."
Unlike the bitter look on the face of a heroine in a tragic novel, the heroine in a sweet romance novel has a completely different aura, especially when she smiles, her two dimples at the corners of her mouth are like honey pots.
Just as she was starting to feel a little sweeter, Zhao Xian suddenly thought of that ill-fated destiny and instantly felt a bitter taste spreading back.
Noticing a slight change in Zhao Xian's expression, Madam Lu became somewhat worried. Just as she was about to ask about the marriage between the two families' children, she was interrupted by another woman.
"Madam Jiang, and who is this lady? She looks unfamiliar."
Those invited by the Princess's residence were almost all female relatives of officials of the third rank or above, and each rank had its own circle of friends.
Just like Zhao Xian didn't recognize the troublemaking Madam Zhou.
Zhao Xian introduced Madam Lu to everyone: "This is Madam Lu, the Chief of the Privy Council, and her daughter, Third Sister Lu."
The ladies exchanged bewildered glances, wondering what the eldest princess was thinking, having Princess Rongyang organize this flower-viewing banquet.
It wasn't that they looked down on the families of fifth-rank officials; after all, normally, female relatives of officials below the third rank weren't even allowed to enter.
With Zhao Xian making the introductions, the ladies present greeted Madam Lu with smiles.
With so many people chatting, Zhao Xian wanted to take a few more glances at the female lead in the sweet romance novel, but she had disappeared.
Surrounded by beauties, there are also troubles. With all sorts of spices and powders mixed together, Zhao Xian, being a local, felt her nose couldn't take it after a while.
He excused himself to relieve himself and extricated himself from the group of beauties.
Amidst a multitude of beautiful women asking questions, she was determined to answer them all. Talking so much that her mouth became dry, she inevitably drank a lot of tea, which wasn't entirely untrue.
Peony's eyes were almost dazzled: "Madam, this flower-viewing banquet is so lively."
The Princess's residence invited many people to the flower viewing banquet, and the courtyard behind the flower hall was especially lively.
The girls' silvery laughter was full of vitality, more beautiful than flowers.
There are indeed many varieties of peonies, which can be dazzling to the eye.
Zhao Xian sighed, "I don't even know which flower to look at anymore."
After a brief respite, Zhao Xian knew it was time to return to her surroundings of beauties.
Just as I turned around, I heard a splash as someone fell into the water.
She asked uncertainly, "Peony, did you hear anything?"
Peony nodded. "It seems someone has fallen into the water."
The two hurried towards the lake.
As they got closer, they heard the gasps of young women, their voices mingling together and making it difficult to hear clearly.
Looking in the direction of the sound, the girls were all standing on a high platform above a waterside pavilion, with people constantly looking down at them, their sleeves fluttering.
Zhao Xian looked into the lake and saw someone struggling in the water below the pavilion.
"Peony, go quickly and call someone, someone has fallen into the water." After instructing Peony, Zhao Xian lifted her skirt and went up to the water corridor.
When they ran over, they discovered that the person who had fallen into the water was Lu Zhaoying.
Fortunately, she was clever; after struggling in the water for a while, she grabbed onto a pillar under the waterside pavilion.
However, because he fell into the water, his black hair was completely soaked, his hairpins were disheveled, and strands of hair clung to his cheeks, making him look extremely disheveled, with a look of terror in his eyes.
"Don't be afraid, Peony has already gone to call for help. Hold on tight to the pillar, it'll be alright."
Thump, thump...
Several more splashes of water were heard, but no one was seen entering the water.
Zhao Xian's view was blocked by the waterside pavilion, so she assumed that someone on the other side had discovered someone had fallen into the water and was rushing to rescue them.
Before she could even breathe a sigh of relief, Lu Zhaoying frantically begged her for help: "Madam Jiang, save me."
Zhao Xian bent down and tilted her head in confusion, only to see that in the water area hidden by the pavilion, all those who had entered the water were men, not just one, but three.
Why would there be men at a flower-viewing banquet where women gather?
Zhao Xian felt a chill run down her spine. If this were modern times, she would have wished the man who was saving her would swim faster, because human life was more important.
But this was ancient times. Any physical intimacy would result in being branded as innocent and having one's reputation ruined by gossip. Even if one was rescued, one could still be drowned out by gossip.
Unfortunately, she couldn't swim, so she could only worry helplessly.
"Madam Jiang, save me!" Lu Zhaoying looked at the strange man swimming towards her. She was terrified, even more so than when she had just fallen into the water.
But the water was very deep all around, and she dared not let go, nor did she know what to do.
Zhao Xian searched around but couldn't find any long branches or bamboo poles to use, and Shaoyao called for help but didn't receive a response.
His gaze shifted upwards, landing on the equally worried girls on the waterside pavilion, and he said, "Throw your shawls to me."
One of the quick-witted girls immediately tore off her shawl, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it to Zhao Xian.
Most of the shawls were made of thin gauze; some were not crumpled into balls and fell into the water, while others were caught by Zhao Xian.
Tie these shawls together to make a rope.
The eldest princess truly loved flowers. Not only was her garden filled with flowers, but she also placed two pots of flowers at intervals on the steps of her building.
Zhao Xian disregarded propriety at this moment, directly plucked a potted plant, tied one end of her shawl tightly to the base of the plant, and, after judging the distance, threw it into the water along with the soil on the roots. "Got it? Hold your breath, I'll pull you over."
Seeing the flower branch, still covered in dirt, thrown in front of her, Lu Zhaoying grabbed it.
A clever girl, after throwing down her shawl, lifted her skirt and went down to the waterside pavilion to help.
It took everyone working together to pull Lu Zhaoying over. Dragging her from the water onto the corridor was the most difficult part, but luckily there were many people.
Lu Zhaoying struggled for a while after falling into the water, and was also frightened. The little girl was almost exhausted and leaned on Zhao Xian's arms, crying.
Zhao Xian helped the person up and comforted them, "It's alright, it's alright."
As for the man who went into the water to save people, he swam back after seeing this and even deliberately covered his face with his hands.
At this moment, the servants of the Princess's residence arrived late.
Lu Zhaoying was terrified and clung tightly to Zhao Xian's sleeve. Zhao Xian accompanied her to the guest room to change her clothes.
Upon receiving the news, Madam Lu rushed over, her face pale as she hugged her daughter: "I knew my eyelids were twitching this morning, and I was debating whether or not to come to the banquet. With our status, how could we be so fortunate as to be in such a prestigious place as the Princess's residence? And now this has happened."
"Mother." Before Lu Zhaoying could stop her, her mother had already blurted out everything.
Upon hearing Madam Lu's words, Zhao Xian's eyes narrowed slightly.
She asked in a slightly soft voice, "What is the relationship between Madam Lu and Princess Rongyang?"
In fact, the flower-viewing banquet at the Princess's residence was almost exclusively for the female relatives of officials of the third rank or above.
The original owner knew almost all of them, but this time some ladies she didn't recognize appeared.
When Madam Lu appeared, Zhao Xian also noticed the exchange of glances between the other ladies.
Madam Lu was so focused on her daughter that she didn't notice Zhao Xian sitting inside. After regaining her senses, she said, "We've chatted a few times, but we're not exactly close."
"Mother, it was Madam Jiang who saved my daughter."
Madam Lu looked at Zhao Xian gratefully and kept thanking her.
"It was nothing, anyone else would have done the same, Madam Lu, you don't need to be so polite," Zhao Xian waved her hand dismissively.
He was puzzled by Madam Lu's previous statement. Why would Princess Rongyang invite someone he wasn't familiar with?
Looking at Lu Zhaoying, whose face was still a little pale, Zhao Xian suddenly realized that she was the female lead. It was normal for the protagonist to get involved in various events to drive the plot.
Like those three people in a tragic novel.
But then Zhao Xian realized something was wrong.
Why would a female lead in a sweet romance novel have this kind of plot? And there's no male lead this time, so what plot point is needed to advance the story?
Zhao Xian really wanted to ask them if they had offended Princess Rongyang.
Lu Zhaoying's falling into the water was too suspicious. There were so many people in the pavilion, yet she was the one who fell in.
In houses like this, which have ponds or lakes, servants who can swim are usually assigned to be on standby. If there is a banquet, twice as many maids and servants will be assigned to watch over the place.
Unfortunately, no servants came to the rescue today, and even when Peony went to call for help, she couldn't get anyone to come.
And those three men who went into the water—the flower-viewing banquet was for women, so where did these men come from? Judging from their clothes, they didn't seem to be servants from the Princess's residence.
"Yingying, Yingying."
A girl's anxious voice rang out, and soon the door was pushed open, and a girl dressed in a scarlet dress with gold embroidery and butterfly trim flew in like a butterfly.
Upon seeing the young woman's face clearly, Zhao Xian recognized her as Lin Nianzang, the sixth daughter of the fourth branch of the Lin family, the daughter of Princess Rongyang.
Upon seeing Lin Nianzang, Zhao Xian was reminded of some sweet romance novel plots.
In the book, these two are portrayed as very close best friends.
It makes sense that the Lu family was invited.
Lin Nianzang rushed into the house and went straight to Lu Zhaoying. "I was only gone for a short while, and I heard from the servants that you fell into the water? What happened? Who bullied you?"
Seeing Lin Nianzang's worried expression, Lu Zhaoying quickly explained, "Sixth Sister, don't worry, I'm fine."
Lin Nianzang said angrily, "How could I not worry? You fell into the water out of nowhere, it scared me to death."
Lu Zhaoying gave a faint smile. "It's my own fault for being too careless."
Madam Lu frowned slightly, but considering that those girls were not people they could afford to offend, she lowered her eyes helplessly, pretending not to see her daughter's forced smile.
Zhao Xian pulled Lu Zhaoying out of the water and hugged her. Her clothes were soaked. After changing her clothes, she sat down to the side and warmed her hands with a cup of warm tea.
Although it is springtime now and I am wearing only a few thin layers of clothing, the pool water is still bone-chilling, so I have to keep warm.
The girl entered the room, and she didn't speak, just watched quietly.
Lin Nianzang listened to Lu Zhaoying's words and saw that she was indeed alright. She breathed a sigh of relief, turned her head with a surprised expression, and then noticed that there were still people in the room. She quickly clasped her hands and bowed, saying, "Sixth Sister greets Madam Jiang."
Zhao Xian nodded in response.
For some reason, seeing Lin Nianzang gave her a strange feeling, a feeling that was hard to explain.
In the original owner's memories, there was little interaction with this Lin Liu Niang, and even with her mother, she would avoid her whenever possible.
That feeling was a complex mix of disdain, pity, and disgust.
Suddenly, there was a noise at the door, and the group looked up.
Then, Granny Chen, who had led Zhao Xian along, came over, bowed to the group, and said, "Madam Jiang, Miss Lu, the Princess invites you."
Zhao Xian did not expect that Princess Rongyang's flower viewing banquet would cause trouble, and that the Eldest Princess would have to come forward to handle it: "Please ask Granny Chen to lead the way."
Following Granny Chen to the Luoyang Courtyard where the Princess resides, the garden is filled with Luoyang red peonies, eye-catching and dazzling.
I remember the guest courtyard where they changed clothes was called Douluyuan, and the peonies planted in the courtyard were green with delicate petals like a child's face.
It seems that the eldest princess is a huge fan of peonies. Not only does she plant peonies everywhere, but she also names all the courtyards in her mansion after peonies.
Zhao Xian made up her mind.
Stepping over the high threshold, unlike the typical house with its separate outer and inner rooms, this place is a spacious and bright room, like a grand hall. Inside, peonies of various colors are arranged along the walls on both sides, and the floor is so shiny that you can see your shadow when you look down.
Through the gauze curtain embroidered with peonies, Granny Chen respectfully said, "Your Highness, the person has arrived."
Zhao Xian knelt down, placed her hands in front of her forehead, and performed a full curtsy: "This humble woman greets the Princess. This humble woman begs the Princess's forgiveness."
Madam Lu, who knelt down with her, and Lu Zhaoying exchanged a quiet glance, then kept their heads down and remained silent.
"Oh, what have you done that I need to forgive?" The princess's voice sounded somewhat languid.
"I have ruined the peony that Your Highness loves. Although I did not do it intentionally, the peony has been damaged. It is my fault, so I beg Your Highness to forgive me."
"Madam Jiang, you really have a silver tongue... The imperial gift was destroyed, and you think you can just apologize and be done with it?" Princess Rongyang's voice came from behind the gauze curtain.
Zhao Xian's heart skipped a beat. On the way, she was worried that Princess Rongyang might seize the opportunity to make a fuss about this.
A gift from the Emperor? A gift from the Emperor left on the steps outside to be exposed to the wind and rain? How could she not believe it?
Zhao Xian even resorted to yin and yang theories, beginning to suspect that Lu Zhaoying's drowning might have been a scheme against her. But how could it be such a coincidence?
Lu Zhaoying then understood why Madam Jiang had performed such a grand ceremony. Everyone in Jin'an knew that the Princess loved peonies so much that even a servant who damaged a single leaf could have their leg broken. She immediately said, "Please punish me, Your Highness. Madam Jiang damaged the peony while trying to save me. It was my fault."
Madam Lu was filled with regret; she should never have come.
Lin Nianzang, who had followed along, said, "Aunt, Madam Jiang didn't do it on purpose, and she was trying to save someone. Please forgive her."
Zhao Xian knelt on the gleaming floor tiles, her head bowed, unaware of the Princess's attitude. However, with Princess Rongyang present, she feared she might exaggerate the situation, which was the most troublesome aspect.
But she didn't expect to hear Lin Nianzang pleading for her.
Is this a case of bad bamboo producing good shoots?
The next moment, the eldest princess's voice came from behind the curtain:
"It was done out of necessity to save lives, so I will not pursue the matter. However, since it was a gift from the Emperor, do you have any way to remedy the situation?"
As the princess finished speaking, a palace maid brought a tray to Zhao Xian, on which lay the peony that could only be described as pitiful.
The flowers were in disarray, with only two or three petals remaining; the branches were broken and twisted; and the roots were also damaged.
Zhao Xian doesn't know how to grow flowers; in fact, everything she tries to grow dies, so she dares not promise to save her.
But judging from the princess's words, there was no solution to this matter, and it was best not to let it go.
"If Your Highness doesn't mind, may I ask for a peony-themed item as compensation?" She vaguely remembered that during their conversation, a lady who loved flowers had mentioned that the peonies in the Princess's residence were very precious, with a single pot worth a thousand gold pieces, and they were not easy to find.
If she can't save this peony, she'll have to replace it with an identical one, and she can't guarantee she can find one.
Princess Rongyang scoffed coldly: "Is Madam Jiang sure that any item with a peony on it can be used to offset the imperial gift?"
"The princess herself said it was a gift from the emperor. Even if I cannot save it, searching for a peony that is the same as the one in the picture would be deceiving the emperor. I can only do my best to make amends."
The princess's voice held a hint of curiosity: "Oh, what is this thing you're talking about that has peonies on it?"
"I cannot tell you now, but I hope the Princess can have some hope."
Princess Rongyang scolded, "How dare you! You are deliberately deceiving me."
Lin Liu Niang's voice carried a hint of coquettishness: "Mother, Auntie likes peonies. Since Madam Jiang is willing to use other items with peonies to make amends, let's give Madam Jiang a chance. The peony was damaged to save someone, not intentionally. I think the Emperor won't blame us if he finds out."
A palace maid lifted the gauze curtain, and Princess Rongyang helped the eldest princess down the steps.
The princess's voice was languid and peaceful: "Get up, all of you."
The three kneeling people stood up.
Zhao Xian then saw the princess's face.
The eldest princess, who was in her forties, was very well-maintained and looked only in her twenties or thirties. Standing next to Princess Rongyang, they could easily be mistaken for sisters.
The eldest princess glanced at Granny Chen, who understood and led four palace maids carrying trays forward.
Each tray contains one item.
"Madam Jiang saved someone at the Princess's residence, which is a good thing. Putting aside the fact that you damaged the imperial peony, I should reward you. I heard that Madam Jiang enjoys playing chess with Lord Jiang in the residence. This exquisite jade chess set was made by Master Yu, so I will give it to Madam Jiang to please her."
Zhao Xian was a little confused, but said thank you, "Thank you for the gift, Princess."
The original owner of this body also had a hobby of playing chess? Oh no, she only knows how to play Gomoku.
The eldest princess turned to Lu Zhaoying and said, "It was the negligence of the servants in the manor that caused Miss Lu to be frightened. These rewards are my apologies to you."
The other three trays contained items for women, including hairpins, hair ornaments, beaded bracelets, bangles, and necklaces—items suitable for someone of Lu Zhaoying's age.
Lu Zhaoying quickly curtsied and said, "This humble woman thanks the Princess for her gift."
Zhao Xian understood that the Princess was giving her a slap followed by a sweet treat.
But if she doesn't hand over an item with peonies that satisfies the eldest princess, this matter may not be over yet.
"I have a request, and I hope Your Highness will grant it."
Tell me about it.
"I was just rushing to save Miss Lu and I broke out in a sweat. Although I changed my clothes, I feel a little dizzy and would like to return to my residence as soon as possible. I hope the Princess will allow me to go." I can't stay at this flower-viewing banquet any longer, so I'd better leave quickly.
"Madam Jiang, please drink some ginger soup when you return to the manor, lest you catch a cold." The Princess did not stop her and instead instructed Granny Chen, "Granny Chen, escort Madam Jiang."
Seeing this, Madam Lu took the opportunity to say goodbye, as her daughter had indeed fallen into the water.
"Yingying, let me see you off," Lin Liuniang said, stepping forward.
Princess Rongyang tried to stop her, but was met with a glare from the eldest princess.
After the group left, the large room fell silent.
“Aunt, she broke a gift from the Emperor. How can you let her off so easily?”
The eldest princess withdrew her hand from Princess Rongyang's grasp: "Did she break it?"
As the mistress of the Princess's residence, how could she not know where the imperial peony was planted?
"Rongyang, after all these years, haven't you gotten over it yet?"
Princess Rongyang pursed her lips and did not answer.
“My flower-viewing banquet is held every year, but this is the first time something has gone wrong. If it weren’t for Madam Jiang, the reputation of the flower-viewing banquet would be ruined. As your aunt, I can favor you, but Rongyang, remember this: this is a one-time exception.”
Princess Rongyang's expression changed drastically: "Aunt."
"I'm tired. Let's wrap up the flower-viewing banquet."
A note from the author:
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The plot here is uninteresting; I can't find my footing. Writing it separately would feel drawn out, so I've combined it into one chapter. Time to go write the later parts of the story that I'm more interested in!
Please add this to your favorites! [cheering emojis]
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