If he hadn't mentioned it, they would have almost forgotten that such an event was held at the Biyuan Spring Appreciation Banquet.
It was only at this moment that Qingying realized that Lu Xingli's beloved was actually Wei Huaixu.
However, it's not surprising, as His Highness the Crown Prince is indeed a handsome and talented gentleman with a noble status. Countless noble ladies in the capital would like to marry him and become his Crown Princess.
“Miss Lu must have something to discuss with His Highness. The Crown Prince and I will excuse ourselves for now.”
"Why..." Wei Dongchen started to speak, but stopped when he met Qingying's clear eyes, and then changed his words to "Let's go see the kites."
After saying that, he took Qingying's sleeve and led her out of the pavilion.
They had barely left when Lu Xingli arrived.
The two of them looked towards the pavilion from a distance.
"When did Lu Xingli fall in love with His Highness the Crown Prince?" Qingying asked curiously.
Wei Dongchen shook his head and said, "I don't know when she fell in love with me, but I only found out about it by chance last year."
"Speaking of which, Your Highness is of marriageable age. Miss Lu is a perfect match for Your Highness in terms of age, appearance, and family background. I think the two of them are quite suitable."
"Since the death of the previous Duke of Lu, the Lu family has gradually declined. The current Duke of Lu is incompetent, and his son is not outstanding either. I'm afraid he is not up to the task. The Lu family may have a title, but it won't last long. Besides, Lu Xingli is only the second daughter of the main wife. Her appearance and talent are quite ordinary. The Emperor will not allow the Crown Prince to marry a useless person."
Qingying was quite puzzled: "Doesn't His Majesty dislike the Crown Prince?"
Wei Dongchen quickly covered her mouth and whispered a warning in her ear: "Discussing royal secrets? Don't you want your head?"
She frowned, pried his hand away, and said, "That's what everyone's saying."
"Even if His Majesty dislikes him, he is still the Crown Prince, the heir apparent of the country."
Qingying pursed her lips. "I understand."
Wei Dongchen adjusted the small bun on her head and said, "I'm doing this for your own good. Even I wouldn't dare to criticize the relationship between the Emperor and the Crown Prince."
They had known each other since childhood, and although they didn't interact much, Wei Dongchen considered her his childhood sweetheart.
Qingying wasn't one to gossip, so she turned her attention to the sky. "Hey, won't that kite fall down when it flies so high?"
Wei Dongchen looked in the direction she was pointing, put his hands on his hips, and raised his chin slightly: "The kite I made is of the best quality, how could it possibly fall down?"
However, no sooner had he finished speaking than the servant holding the spool shouted, "It's terrible, Your Highness! The thread has broken!"
When the two looked over, they only saw the beautiful, colorful butterfly kite swaying and falling, drifting further and further away with the wind until it became a black dot and disappeared.
Qingying didn't actually want to make fun of him to his face unless she really couldn't help it.
"Haha, Your Highness, it seems you spoke too soon."
He pointed at the servant and yelled, "What kind of work are you doing? You can't even keep an eye on a kite? Go and find it for me right now!"
"Yes, yes, yes." The servant threw down the spool of thread and hurriedly ran in the direction where the kite had fallen.
Wei Dongchen was so angry that the veins on his forehead bulged, but when he turned his head and saw the girl smiling with her eyes crinkling, as if starlight had fallen into the blue waves of her eyes, at that moment, he couldn't stay angry at all.
He said with a mix of helplessness and indulgence, "You little jinx."
The kite was eventually found, but it was badly damaged.
Wei Dongchen ordered it to be thrown away, but did not punish the servant.
After Lu Xingli left, they returned to the pavilion and saw a sachet embroidered with twin lotus flowers next to the chessboard on the table.
Qingying immediately recognized that these were not the sachets given to them by the female officials.
It was obvious without guessing that Lu Xingli had embroidered it herself, but she didn't reveal it.
However, some people are not so sensible.
Wei Dongchen picked up the sachet and said with a mischievous smile, "Such exquisite embroidery. How come it's not quite the same as the ones I received?"
Wei Huaixu snatched the sachet from his hand and said, "This is a young lady's heartfelt gift, not something for you to tease."
"What? Does the Crown Prince also have feelings for her?"
"No." He handed the sachet to the eunuch beside him and said, "Keep it for now. You can't refuse a sachet given by a young lady at the Spring Appreciation Banquet. I'll explain it to her personally later."
Wei Dongchen toyed with the teacup in his palm, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Your Highness has remained aloof from women all these years, but has he already taken a liking to a woman?"
Wei Huaixu glanced at Qingying, his eyelashes drooping slightly, and said indifferently, "No."
Qingying was enjoying her tea and snacks and didn't notice his expression.
She simply interjected at the opportune moment, "Young Master just mentioned that you received several sachets. May I see them?"
Wei Dongchen didn't hesitate at all. He beckoned to his personal attendant, who then took out a string of sachets from his small bag.
Yes, it's a string of them.
Like copper coins tied to a rope, the sachets were all tied together with ribbons and tassels, in various colors, but all the same style and embroidery, all of which were sachets given to them by the ladies-in-waiting that day.
"It seems the young master is quite popular with the noble ladies of the capital," Wei Huaixu said with a hint of teasing.
"The Crown Prince should be no less capable."
"How could I possibly compare to the dashing and debonair young master?"
Qingying found the exchange between the two quite amusing when Wei Huaixu suddenly turned to her and asked, "Which young man did Miss Liu give her sachet to this time?"
She blinked, her face innocent, and pulled a light green sachet from her sleeve.
Wei Dongchen took it and said with a smile, "Since you don't have anyone to give it to you anyway, you might as well give it to me."
Before Qingying could speak, Wei Huaixu asked, "You've already received so many sachets, why do you need this one?"
This was exactly what Qingying wanted to ask, so the two of them looked at Wei Dongchen at the same time.
He licked his lips, looking somewhat embarrassed: "I only accepted it because... she couldn't give it away."
"But these sachets don't necessarily have to be given away, do they? Could it be that you've already given away all your hairpins?"
"No," they both said in unison.
Then, without prior arrangement, they all took out their hairpins and placed them on the table.
The two identical silver hairpins were specially commissioned by the Grand Princess for the Spring Festival banquet.
Qingying immediately snatched her sachet back from Wei Dongchen's hand and said, "None of you gave any to anyone, so why do you want mine?"
Seeing this, Wei Dongchen did not insist, but simply tossed her his hairpin and said, "I have no use for such a girly thing, so I'll give it to you."
Qingying was about to refuse.
He seemed to have seen through her motives and continued, "At the Spring Appreciation Banquet, one cannot refuse sachets and hairpins given by others. It is an honor for you to receive them from me, so don't be ungrateful."
Having said all that, how could Qingying dare to refuse? So she had no choice but to accept it.
At this moment, Yu Yue came over, greeted everyone, and reported, "Miss, it's getting late. Madam is looking for you to return to the manor."
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