Chapter 12: A Leaf Boat with Light Paddles Startles a Wild Goose
Shi Jianli withdrew her gaze from the servants of the Yang family.
My aunt was talking about this matter ten days ago, but I didn’t expect the Yang family to cancel the engagement so soon.
However, it was none of her business and she wasn't very curious, so she just listened and let it go.
The flower viewing banquet was held at Princess Kunyi's residence, and Princess Kangning borrowed her residence to host the banquet.
Princess Kunyi loves flowers and has collected many precious flowers in her mansion. There are flowers to enjoy all year round, and in spring, the flowers are in full bloom, heralding the arrival of spring.
Princess Kunyi is the eldest sister of the current emperor. She has a son and a daughter, both of whom are married.
Princess Kangning is the emperor's fourth daughter, born to the empress. She is seventeen years old this year and is engaged to Yu Heming, the son of the Marquis of Jining.
The noble ladies who were invited to the banquet were all unmarried. They came to the banquet gracefully, with elegant clothes and beautiful hair, like spring flowers competing for beauty.
The servants walking around in the garden were all maids brought by Princess Kangning from the palace and servants from Princess Kunyi's mansion.
Small tables and soft rugs were placed next to the flowers, with tea, drinks, cakes and snacks on them for the ladies to sit and chat and enjoy the flowers.
After being brought into the garden by a maid, a noble lady she knew came to talk to Ming Yuelin.
Shi Jianli didn't like such a lively atmosphere. After greeting each other, she stood at the edge, listening to their conversation while looking at a bunch of white flowers with elegant shapes and many petals in the garden.
It is a white peony named "Yang Fei Emerging from the Bath". It is bowl-shaped, with a large flower head, a full and plump posture, and petals with a hint of red.
As she looked at it, Shi Jianli's mind drifted away. She thought about painting the peony on her dress and weaving it into a new style, which would look very nice.
There was a sound of greeting in her ears, and Shi Jianli looked over and saw a woman wearing a Yaohuang vertical collared, double-breasted long gown with a gold-woven cloud shoulder and peonies blooming on the hem of her skirt coming towards her.
The woman has a noble air, a beautiful figure, and proud eyes.
"Greetings, Princess." Shi Jianli followed the noble ladies in paying her respects.
"No need to be so polite." Princess Kangning raised her hand, looked at the noble ladies gathered around, and said in a sweet voice: "I invited you here to enjoy the flowers. You don't need to come with me. Go walk around."
"Yes, Princess."
After waving away the noble ladies, Princess Kangning glanced at the people still present and looked at Princess Zhenyi and Ming Yuelin, "Sister Zhenyi, Ming Qingqing, please walk with me."
After hearing what Princess Kangning said, the noble ladies went to other places in twos and threes. Mingyue Si said something to Mingyue Lin and also left with her friends.
Princess Zhenyi was the posthumous daughter of Prince Cheng, who died at the age of nineteen, and had a close relationship with Princess Kangning.
Ming Yuelin secretly glanced at Princess Kangning, wondering when did he become so close to her that she even called him by his nickname.
"Okay." Princess Zhenyi nodded with a smile and asked, "Why didn't the Fifth Princess come?"
"Why would I invite that annoying person to my flower viewing party?" Princess Kangning snorted. "Don't mention her. She can come if she wants."
In fact, she was given an invitation, but she refused it, which made Princess Corning very angry.
She glanced behind Ming Yuelin and said, "Ming Qingqing, don't you usually bring two sisters with you? Why is one missing now?"
Princess Kangning knew who Mingyuelin usually kept with him.
"Oh, my third sister is not feeling well, so I won't bring her along." Mingyue replied, "Princess, why do you call me by my nickname?"
Don't air your dirty laundry in public.
"I called you that because I thought it sounded nice. Your name is a little hard to pronounce."
"Okay, I'm honored that the princess remembered my nickname." Mingyuelin smiled at her with curved eyes, looking very bright. "Then can I also call the princess by her nickname?"
"You are so disrespectful. I am older than you. You can't call me a little girl." Princess Kangning pointed at her with her fan in annoyance, but she didn't look really unhappy.
She had long understood that this was a guy who was extremely good at climbing up the ladder, and he was willing to get close to her because of her unrestrained nature.
"Okay." Mingyuelin didn't feel any regret, it was just a joke.
Shi Jianli listened for a while, then pulled Mingyuelin's sleeve and said, "Sister Lin, I'm going somewhere else."
When she looked over, Shi Jianli bowed to the other two and said, "Princess, Princess, I'll take my leave."
Her father had long passed away, so she could only be called a commoner.
Princess Kangning didn't let her go. "No, you and Ming Qingqing are the most beautiful. What will I reward you with if you leave?"
It doesn't matter what kind of flowers you admire. A beauty is more beautiful than any flower. It's such a pity to see her go.
Unable to leave, and hearing these words, Shi Jianli was speechless, "Princess, you are so kind."
"I remember your last name is Shi, right?" She didn't like to go out with Mingyuelin on weekdays. Princess Kangning had only seen her once, a year ago. She thought she was pretty from afar, and she heard from others that her last name seemed to be Shi.
"Yes, Namiri."
"Which two words?"
Seeing her cheerful attitude, Shi Jianli replied in a gentle voice: "When the sun sets, the deep alley is deserted, and sometimes I see pear blossoms flying."
"I just happen to know this poem, it's quite nice. Do you know my name?" Princess Corning put the fan behind her back and asked with a smile.
"I don't know. Please tell me, Princess."
"Zhou Hong is shocked."
The Great Zhou Dynasty used the royal family's surname as its country name.
Shi Jianli thought for a moment, "But the boat is so light, and the oars are so powerful?"
"You read a lot of books." Princess Corning nodded and liked her even more.
"The princess has a beautiful name."
Princess Kangning smiled even more brightly after being praised by the beauty. "I heard you call Ming Qingqing your sister just now. How old are you?"
"Seventeen. I was born in January. I just had my birthday."
"Oh, I'm older than you, so I can call you by your nickname. What's your nickname?"
"Yaoyao, my aunt gave it to me." Shi Jianli was a little confused as to why this precious princess would be interested in her. "I was born in January, and my aunt said that spring is coming and pear blossoms are flying, so I named her Yaoyao."
"Nice to hear. Yaoyao, do you know my nickname?"
Shi Jianli shook her head in agreement, feeling that she was like a child with a strong desire to share.
"Pianpian, as graceful as a startled swan."
"It suits the princess's name very well, and it suits the princess as well."
Seeing Princess Kangning, who usually held her head high with pride, being so attentive to her sister Li, Mingyuelin finally understood why she also looked up to him.
She looks at faces, and will look at pretty girls a few more times. Sister Li has been looked at by her several times.
"You speak so nicely."
"Thank you, Princess."
Princess Kangning looked at Ming Yuelin again and said, "Ming Qingqing, you look very beautiful today."
"They all praised me, and you praised me too. I was almost flattered and didn't know what to do." Ming Yuelin put away the fan that was about to catch the butterflies. "The flowers seem to have come from a dream, and the clothes there are all beautiful."
"That's right. I asked someone to buy a few sets. They are much more innovative than those made by the embroiderers in the palace. I will ask you to go and see them some other day." The embroiderers were afraid of making mistakes, so the clothes they made were very conventional. She was tired of wearing them.
"OK."
"Let's go and see the flowers. The palace is too boring, so I organized this flower viewing banquet. I just wanted to go out and have some fun." Princess Kangning took Princess Zhenyi's hand and walked in front.
"I also find it boring staying in the mansion." Princess Zhenyi replied.
Shi Jianli and Mingyuelin followed them without saying a word.
Shi Jianli was admiring the precious flowers in the garden, trying her best to ignore the glances that were cast at her because of Princess Corning's special regard for her.
After walking for a while, there were fewer flowers and the surroundings were a little quieter. I caught a glimpse of quite a few people in a waterside pavilion not far away, and I could hear faint sounds of conversation.
Princess Kangning glanced back at them and explained, "Today, my brother, the Crown Prince, has also hosted a banquet for the young masters of various families. I'm sure there will be some of yours as well. After the flower viewing banquet is over, you can all go back together."
Shi Jianli saw the princes and noble children in gorgeous clothes standing calmly beside a cluster of tall and dense blue hydrangeas, letting them completely block her view.
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