Soon, some young noble ladies or young men from aristocratic families arrived one after another, and the shores of Wangyue Lake gradually became lively, with the sound of stringed instruments and laughter flowing in the twilight.
Some people were commenting on the hanging lanterns in the lantern riddle corridor, some were standing in front of the painted screen, appreciating them in groups of three or four, and some familiar ladies were chatting in low voices in the pavilion.
Suddenly, a clear sound of piano came from the water.
Everyone stopped talking and looked towards the center of the lake.
I saw an exquisite pleasure boat slowly approaching, with gauze fluttering on the boat, and a graceful figure playing the piano could be vaguely seen.
The clear sound was like the sound of broken jade startling a lantern, and then it was as gentle as the cry of an oriole. Finally, when the lingering sound faded away, the glass lamp suddenly lit up, making the person playing the piano on the boat look like a moon fairy, and everyone on the shore lost their souls.
Finally, the sound of the piano stopped and the pleasure boat just docked. The maids lifted the veil and saw Chu Qingluan, dressed in a moonlight skirt, walking out. Her eyebrows and eyes were picturesque, and the cinnabar mole on her forehead was like the finishing touch, which made her skin look white as snow and more dazzling than the pearls and jade in the garden.
"Greetings to Her Royal Highness the Princess!" Everyone saluted in unison.
This was Chu Qingluan's first public appearance since returning to Beijing.
Time seemed to have been particularly kind to her, and it did not leave many traces on her face, but it washed away the immaturity of a girl, and precipitated a more moving charm. She had a faint smile on her lips, which not only retained the royal dignity, but also had a bit of indifference from seeing through the world.
"Everyone, please stand up."
Chu Qingluan raised her hand for support and slowly walked to the steps and stood still.
"I am very pleased that you have come here today, but..." She paused and continued, "It seems that someone has misunderstood the purpose of this piano concert."
The scene suddenly became quiet, and several well-dressed young men unconsciously straightened their clothes.
"Recently, when I was sorting out old things, I accidentally found a few ancient songs that were lost in the previous dynasty. I thought that it is better to share the joy with others than to enjoy it alone, so I set up this banquet and invite you to enjoy it together."
She swept her eyes across the crowd, pausing briefly on a few talented ladies who were outstanding in playing the piano.
"Of course, if someone can solve some of these problems, I would be more than happy to help."
"As for the second thing..." She suddenly chuckled, looked around at everyone and said, "I want to give these girls who are waiting to get married a chance to see each other."
After that, the scene fell into silence.
Then, some people began to talk in low voices.
"What's going on? Didn't you say we were here just to serve as a foil? Why did you say they were arranging a date for us?"
"What should I do? I'm so nervous. I should have dressed up properly before going out..."
Some of the noble family members who originally wanted to marry the princess suddenly changed their expressions and said, "What the princess means is..."
Chu Qingluan's smile did not diminish: "What I mean is that the talented people present today can perform in the talent show over there, and there is also the Feihualing Arena. Those who are interested on both sides can take a boat on the lake to cruise around Wangyue Lake. Isn't that elegant?"
Everyone followed his gaze and looked over there, only then did they notice the arena that had been set up long ago, as well as the four treasures of the study that had been specially prepared, and several small boats decorated with flowers were quietly parked on the lakeshore.
"So Your Highness held this banquet because you are concerned about our lifelong events? I have been secretly guessing Your Highness' intentions before, and I am really ashamed." A girl in a goose yellow skirt stood up and saluted.
"Your Highness is so considerate of me, I am really touched, but... I wonder if Your Highness has any plans for his own life?"
The person who said this was a young man in brocade robes, who had come here with Princess Shang in mind.
Chu Qingluan took a sip of tea, her eyes moving with a bit of cunning: "I..." She deliberately dragged out her voice, "I have been following Fang Tai's medical acupuncture recently. If there is any gentleman who is not afraid of being pricked like a hedgehog, you can come and try it."
Everyone burst into laughter when they heard this.
The young man who asked the question had no choice but to retreat in embarrassment.
At this time, someone whispered to his companions: "The princess is so humorous, which makes our previous little thoughts seem particularly ridiculous."
"Yes, my mother even made me memorize the entire book of "The Women's Rings" so that I could show off my talent in front of the princess."
“…”
Not far away, Han Yuyao heard these words, and her impression of Chu Qingluan suddenly changed drastically.
"I originally thought that Her Royal Highness the Princess must be aloof and arrogant, but I didn't expect that she is so humorous." Han Yuyao said.
Gu Yanran was filled with jealousy when she heard Chu Qingluan's casual words change her friend's mind.
She tightened the medicine bag in her sleeve to hide the dark light in her eyes.
However, little did they know that there was a pair of eyes in the crowd that had been fixed on Chu Qingluan since the moment she appeared.
But every time Chu Qingluan looked back as if she had sensed something, that gaze disappeared again.
Chu Qingluan observed everyone present calmly, trying to find the thorny gaze in the crowd.
At this time, Xie Yunqi, wearing a crescent-shaped white brocade robe and holding a folding fan, stepped into the water pavilion.
"Princess, you used this trick of transplanting flowers and trees very cleverly. But do you really think it's appropriate for you to tease me like this?"
He was implicitly criticizing Chu Qingluan for pretending to obey his orders but actually going against his will and tricking him.
That’s right, the file manual of the young master from aristocratic family that Qin Jiuge had in his hand was written by Xie Yunqi.
The Xie family's resources are spread throughout the court, so investigations can be done with much less effort. However, Chu Qingluan does not have any available talent at the moment. If they want to find evidence against Zhou Ting, Zhang Chuan and others in a short period of time, Xie Yunqi has to take action.
But he had done so much, helping her deal with those court officials, investigating their files, working so hard, and now this happened, this princess does not plan to choose a husband. This banquet is a platform for everyone to see each other.
This operation not only preserves one's reputation, but also helps attract a group of young talents or wealthy ladies and win their hearts. Killing three birds with one stone.
How could Xie Yunqi not be angry?
The consequence of his anger is——
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
