After bidding farewell to the two, Qingying boarded the carriage to return to her residence.
At night, after taking a bath, Qingying lay half-reclined on the chaise longue, surrounded by several maids who used clean handkerchiefs to gently wring out her hair.
Tongxia came out of the clean room, holding the clothes she had changed out of. She had only taken two steps when something suddenly fell and hit her feet.
She was startled, bent down to take a look, and found it was a silver hairpin.
"Young lady, how come you have a hairpin hidden in your clothes?"
Qingying looked over, frowned, and turned her gaze to another identical silver hairpin placed beside the dressing case on the other side.
"When did this happen to me?"
Tong Xia shook her head. "This servant does not know."
She was naturally unaware that only Yu Yue was attending to Qingying today. But if even she herself didn't know, others probably knew even less.
She rubbed her temples and said, "Today, besides the young master, the only person I'm closest to is the crown prince."
Tong Xia's eyes widened: "You mean this was a gift from His Highness the Crown Prince?"
She nodded.
"Good heavens!" another maid exclaimed in surprise, "Our young lady has actually been chosen by His Highness the Crown Prince!"
"Is the young lady going to be the Crown Princess?"
Qingying quickly stopped them: "Stop talking nonsense. It's just a silver hairpin. What can it prove? Just listen to what happened today. If I find out anyone is spreading rumors, I'll pull out their tongue and sell them to a brothel!"
All the maids inside knelt down, not daring to breathe.
Qingying stroked her hair, feeling it was almost dry, then stood up, waved lazily, and walked towards the inner room.
"You may all step back."
"Yes." The maids collected the used handkerchiefs and left one by one.
As the moon rose above the willow branches, Qingying, lying on her bed, was sleepless once again.
It was because of Wei Huai's preface.
Previously, she didn't know his identity and was only worried about his safety. Now, she is worried that he really is interested in her, just as the maid said.
Qingying wasn't confident that she had the charm to make the Crown Prince fall in love at first sight; rather, she was all too aware of her own worth.
Whether for the Liu family or the royal family, she would be a very good pawn.
If the Emperor and the Crown Prince's relationship is truly as hostile as rumors suggest, then she would undoubtedly be the best stepping stone for the Crown Prince to solidify his position. If their father-son relationship is harmonious, marrying her would be like adding wings to a tiger.
The Liu family may not want to curry favor with the royal family. After all, the Liu family's current status is already extraordinary. Liu Yu holds military power, and if she were to become the Crown Princess, she would attract too much attention and might arouse the emperor's suspicion.
But if the Crown Prince insists on marrying her, there is nothing she can do. Although her parents dote on her, they will not go against the royal family for her sake.
It wasn't that she was against marrying the Crown Prince, because she had known since childhood that she had no say in her own marriage and didn't care who she married. It was just that she really didn't want to get involved in those conflicts. Even if the Crown Prince successfully ascended the throne and she became Empress, she would still be imprisoned within those high walls, becoming the most noble caged bird in the world.
That's not what she wanted.
But unfortunately, her fate has never been in her own hands.
"Sigh..." she sighed, forcing herself to stop thinking about it. "Let's just take it one step at a time."
...
Two more days passed peacefully. Qingying was swinging on the swing under the flower trellis in the courtyard when Mujin, the maidservant of Madam Pan, suddenly delivered an invitation.
"A poetry gathering on the lake?!"
Mu Jin said, "Madam means that she wants the young lady to make more friends."
Since it was Madam Pan who wanted her to go, what reason did she have to refuse?
She handed the invitation to Yu Yue and said with a smile, "Please tell Mother that I will arrive as promised."
After Mu Jin left, she immediately stopped smiling and opened the invitation again to take a look.
"The Prince of Yongning is going to hold a poetry gathering on Moon Lake and even have a grass-fighting game. I really don't understand. Do these imperial relatives have nothing better to do than hold all sorts of ridiculous banquets all the time?"
Yu Yue said helplessly, "These noble ladies don't take the imperial examinations, nor do they care about family affairs. Aren't they just idle?"
Qingying's good mood was ruined, and she no longer had the interest to continue playing in the courtyard.
"Although grass fighting is boring, I am representing the face of the General's Mansion when I am out in public. I can't bring my common flowers and plants to compete with others. Quickly send a few people to invite the best gardeners in the capital."
"yes."
Upon receiving the order, Yu Yue immediately set about carrying it out.
...
The poetry gathering on the lake was obviously held on a painted boat.
The host of this poetry gathering, Princess Yongning, is the daughter of the late Prince Xian, and was raised by the Empress Dowager from a young age. Because of her father's illustrious military achievements, the Emperor, mindful of her father's kindness, bestowed upon her a mansion and a fief, treating her with the respect due to a princess. With the Empress Dowager's backing, no one dared to underestimate her.
Qingying arrived early; when she reached the Moon Lake, there were only a dozen or so people there.
Several familiar noble ladies saw her coming and warmly pulled her aside to talk to her.
"Sister Liu, your makeup is so beautiful today. Which brand of cosmetics did you use?"
Qingying replied perfunctorily, "My mother bought them all; I didn't know anything about them."
"The last time I saw Sister Liu was at Biyuan Garden. We barely exchanged a few words. I'm afraid she's already forgotten me."
Qingying flattered, "How could that be? Sister Xie is such a special woman, I can remember her after just one meeting."
"Half a month has passed since we last met. I heard that Sister Liu has found the best gardener to come to our door. I wonder what rare treasures she has brought today?"
Qingying smiled playfully: "You'll find out at the banquet. I'll keep you in suspense for now. But please don't laugh at me if the flowers and plants I bring aren't as special as yours."
"How could that be? The things Sister Liu brought must be the most special."
...
A group of people were exchanging pleasantries and flattering each other. Finally, Princess Yongning arrived, and the noble ladies were able to board the painted boat.
While they were all fawning over the princess, Qingying, who was at the very back, finally had a chance to catch her breath.
She rubbed her face, which was stiff from smiling, and said helplessly, "I used to despise these hypocrites the most, but I never thought that retribution would come so quickly."
Yu Yue, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but chuckle. "Miss, you're learning to be more tactful. It's no wonder that Madam has put in so much effort."
Indeed, based on her mediocre performance at the last spring banquet, Madam Pan specially invited an old nanny from the palace to teach her how to conduct herself in order to attend this poetry gathering. In just a few days, she was taught to speak appropriately to everyone.
Princess Yongning, being wealthy and powerful, chartered three pleasure boats and dismissed all other vessels. Only these three pleasure boats sailed on the vast lake. There were gaps between the boats, but bridges connected them, allowing them to shuttle back and forth freely.
On the painted boat, musicians played music, noble ladies and gentlemen sat in rows, and maids and servants served tea and water. The atmosphere was lively and bustling, with people coming and going, and wine cups clinking.
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