Chapter 23 She opened her eyes wide and looked up...
That night, she probed the nearly empty medicine jar with her finger. After withdrawing her finger, under the light, she could only see a thin layer of pale pink medicinal paste on her fingertip, almost transparent. Her heart suddenly pounded, and she felt extremely panicked, knowing that something terrible was about to happen.
Soon after, her symptoms returned. She thought the medicine was completely used up, so she could only clutch the medicine jar tightly, thinking that although it was just an empty jar, it had been imbued with Xiao Che's scent and should have a calming effect. However, it was ineffective.
It might have a slight calming effect, but her threshold has already been raised. Even if the medicine pot had been tainted by Xiao Che's aura, it has been away from him for too long, and the aura has long since dissipated, so it may no longer be effective.
Fortunately, she managed to scoop out the last bit of medicinal oil from the almost empty medicine jar, which helped her get through this ordeal.
This incident also reminded her that in order to maintain a normal life, she must contact Xiao Che again, or obtain objects that are imbued with Xiao Che's aura.
After what happened, her dreams and all that happened with Xiao Che... she no longer knew how to face Xiao Che.
Besides, Xiao Che had said when he last saw her that they would be like strangers from now on.
She didn't want to go near him again, especially for such an... embarrassing reason.
She would rather die than lose face in front of Xiao Che!
If Xiao Che were to see her in this disgraceful state, she would rather be dead!
So, although there seem to be two paths, there is actually no other choice.
She could only choose the latter.
But how can one obtain an object imbued with Xiao Che's aura?
Fortunately, she soon got her chance.
——
Even before the Wei people destroyed Qi, a custom had been passed down.
That is, when a boy turns sixteen, he must hold a flower-adorning ceremony at the beginning of summer every year.
The father adorning his son with flowers symbolizes his love for his son and also expresses his boundless expectations for him.
This is because the Wei clan had an earlier story called "The Four Ministers Wearing Flowers in Their Hair."①
Legend has it that in the early years there was a man from Wei named Rong Zhi who was serving as the governor of Jizhou. During a banquet with a friend, he discovered a peony with four flowers blooming on the same stem. At the time, he regarded it as an auspicious omen, so Rong Zhi broke off a branch and wore it in his hair. From then on, Rong Zhi's official career flourished, and he rose all the way to the position of prime minister. The people of Wei were filled with envy and followed suit, wearing flowers in their hair, hoping to rise to the top and achieve great things in the future.
The custom of wearing flowers in one's hair spread among the people of Wei from then on.
Emperor Yuan of Wei had three sons: Xiao Jue wore a peony hairpin, Xiao Yan wore a crabapple hairpin, and Xiao Che wore a peony hairpin.
After the flower-pinning ceremony, the three princes, as was customary, were to stand on a high platform and throw the flowers they had pinned in their hair in three different directions.
Xiao Jue's peonies were usually placed in Ziyun Pavilion, while Xiao Che's peonies were placed near Taiye Pavilion.
In previous years, Yan Jiarou would go to Ziyun Pavilion early to wait and pick up the peonies that Xiao Jue threw, because the people of Wei had a custom of throwing flowers to express their love.
If a man throws a flower and it lands in a woman's hand, it is an expression of his affection for her. Even if the woman picks up the flower later, it is considered a good omen, meaning that the two will have a good future together.
Yan Jiarou naturally wanted a good outcome with Xiao Jue, so every year during Xiao Jue's flower-adorning ceremony, she would go and pick up the peony he had thrown away.
But this year, she can't go.
She was going to Taiye Pavilion to collect Xiao Che's peonies—the medicinal oil had been used up, and the empty medicine jar could no longer soothe her; she needed to obtain something else imbued with Xiao Che's scent before her next attack.
The peony that Xiao Che threw at the flower-adorning ceremony was undoubtedly her best choice at the moment.
—Since that peony was thrown by Xiao Che, it must have been tainted with his scent.
If she finds that peony, she'll have an object imbued with Xiao Che's aura, and she can use it to soothe him when he has another attack.
Although fresh flowers will eventually wither, they should be able to survive for a few days if they are placed in water. Besides, even if they do not rot for a long time, the desolate scent on the flowers will gradually dissipate over time.
Essentially, there's no difference between the peony and the box of medicinal herbs. In short, I'll get my hands on it first, and then try to find other items imbued with Xiao Che's aura to make a living—that's the only plan I can make for now.
To get that peony, you don't need to put in any effort at all; just wait until the time comes and pick it up near Taiye Pavilion.
She wouldn't have to contact Xiao Che or worry about how to face him, which couldn't be more suitable for her.
But this matter must be carried out in secret, and no one can be told, otherwise even she herself will not be able to explain why she is doing this.
Could it be that she has attracted something unclean and thus contracted a strange illness, forcing her to rely on Xiao Che's belongings to soothe it?
Who would believe it if I told them? They'd probably think she was possessed... Although that's not entirely wrong, she really was possessed...
But... it's better to avoid trouble... She's just afraid that others will think she's gone mad. What if they lock her up and don't let her move around freely? I'm afraid that when the strange illness flares up, and there's no Xiao Che to comfort her, it will be hard for her not to go mad.
Moreover, if word got out and reached Xiao Che's ears, and he misinterpreted it as her feelings for him... she might as well be dead!
She would rather die than lose face in front of Xiao Che and be ridiculed by him!
——
The day of the hairpin ceremony arrived quickly.
Yan Jiarou arrived near Taiye Pavilion at the perfect time.
She had always thought that getting the peony that Xiao Che threw would be an easy task, until she went to Taiye Pavilion and witnessed the young ladies from noble families tearing at each other's hair for the peony.
Yan Jiarou: "…………"
There are other people... and more than one...
Yan Jiarou took a deep breath and immediately felt a headache coming on.
Oh no, I forgot that Xiao Che was, in a way, universally loved.
Although he was a member of the Lanling clan, he was, after all, a prince of noble birth. His bloodline destined him to be ineligible for the throne, but it also prevented him from being involved in the struggle for succession. For ordinary noble ladies, marrying him would not be a bad way out.
Moreover, he was a member of the Lanling clan, possessing such a handsome appearance and elegant demeanor, in addition to being proficient in all six arts of a gentleman.
He simply stands there, and all eyes are unconsciously drawn to him, for no other reason than that "everyone has a love of beauty."
Therefore, it is not an exaggeration to say that he is the dream man of women in the capital.
Aside from the noble ladies from top-tier aristocratic families who were solely focused on marrying the crown prince and never explicitly expressed their affection for him, other noble ladies from prominent families frequently fawned over him.
So it's not surprising that they would come here to pick up the peonies that Xiao Che threw.
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but slap her forehead in frustration—oh my god, how could she have forgotten about this!
She had previously picked peonies belonging to the Crown Prince, and this was her first time picking peonies for Xiao Che at Taiye Pavilion. She really had no experience... If she had known they were coming, she wouldn't have come.
She held her breath, wanting to leave without anyone noticing, so she slowly moved her toes, turned around, and tried to sneak away while they were engrossed in their argument...
Just as she turned around completely, a voice suddenly came from behind her: "Princess Qinghe?"
His tone was slightly raised, tinged with surprise, clearly indicating his astonishment at encountering her at Taiye Pavilion at this particular time.
Yan Jiarou: "…………"
As if struck by lightning, unable to move.
She turned around stiffly, met their gaze, and awkwardly waved, saying, "Everyone... is here."
The crowd bowed slightly and gave her a simple greeting.
One of the pretty women, dressed in a pale yellow, high-waisted dress and with her hair styled in a double-bun hairstyle, stepped forward and asked, "Why is the princess here?"
Yan Jiarou glanced at her and recognized her as Huo Chu, the daughter of the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies.
She swallowed hard and forced herself to make up a story: "I...I felt a bit tight in my chest, so I came to Taiye Pond to clear my head."
After she finished speaking, the young ladies from prominent families exchanged glances, their expressions quite subtle.
Finally, Wang Ruoying, the daughter of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, broke the delicate atmosphere by asking the question that everyone was wondering: "Isn't it said that the princess fell into the water when she was a child and was traumatized, so she never goes near the water?"
Yan Jiarou: "…………"
Her eyes flickered, a hint of embarrassment crossed her face, and she coughed to cover it up, but remained silent.
Everyone could tell from Yan Jiarou's reaction that she had been lying.
But why lie?
Another straightforward and simple-minded young lady named Du Miao, her eyes lit up as if she had suddenly thought of something, and she asked directly, "Princess, you wouldn't happen to be here to pick His Highness's peonies, would you?"
Yan Jiarou: "…………" Du Miao, you are really not good at all.
Upon hearing this, the expressions on the faces of the other young ladies from prominent families became increasingly subtle. No, it seems there's another one trying to steal the flowers.
Although the Princess Qinghe in front of us is nominally a princess, she only holds the title. The entire Wei Kingdom knows that she is not included in the imperial genealogy and has no blood relation with any of the princes.
To be frank, it's entirely possible that she might have feelings for Xiao Che.
But……
Wang Ruoying frowned and said, "Haven't the princess and the third prince always been at odds?"
This way of asking the question seems to confirm that she came here to pick up the peonies that Xiao Che threw.
And that is indeed the case...
Yan Jiarou was really at her wit's end. She didn't know how to answer. She was not good at lying, and she had finally managed to say one, but it was so clumsy that she was exposed on the spot. She wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
It is absolutely not advisable to make her lie again right now.
Since they were already convinced that she had come here to pick peonies, she decided to go all in and at least get the flowers back, otherwise she would just be making a fool of herself.
Thinking of this, she coughed, looked up to meet their gaze, took a deep breath, and said, "I'm here to retrieve the peony that Xiao Che threw... Naturally, I'm not on good terms with him, and my reason for wanting this flower is definitely not what you think... In short, I naturally have my own uses..."
The peony was currently in Wang Ruoying's hand. She gritted her teeth, stepped forward, and extended her hand to her: "Miss Wang, give it to me."
Although she knew that what she was doing was somewhat unfair, since everything is based on first come, first served, and she was undoubtedly the last one to arrive.
But she had no choice; she needed that peony more than any of them, and could only apologize.
Besides, even if they got that peony, so what? She knew Xiao Che didn't like any of them. Stripped of any specific meaning, it was just an ordinary peony.
Seeing that Wang Ruoying did not cooperate in handing over the peony, Yan Jiarou closed her eyes and, for the first time, used her status to exert pressure: "I am a princess. What, are you going to disobey my will?"
Wang Ruoying frowned as she sized her up. This imposter princess seemed to be behaving very strangely today.
My previous impression of her was that she was spoiled and naive, but that was only towards the princes. In front of outsiders, she was always low-key and never made things difficult for anyone. Why did she suddenly put on airs like a princess in front of them today?
To get that peony? That's really strange. If she doesn't like the Third Prince, what use would she have for that peony?
But since they refuse to give a reason, there must be something strange about it.
Could it be that they're trying to play a trick on the Third Prince again? Or perhaps they're ruining this peony to bring bad luck to the Third Prince?
They cherished it so much, yet she chose to treat it so cruelly.
We absolutely cannot give it to them.
This imposter princess originally held no real power; she only gained the Emperor's favor because her father had saved Consort Jiang. But now that Consort Jiang has passed away, Consort Jiang's favor will likely diminish considerably, so there's no need to take her seriously anymore.
However, since he held the title of princess, he still couldn't openly disrespect her.
She said she should obey whatever she said, and with that thought, she reached out and handed over the flowers.
The remaining young ladies from prominent families naturally thought the same way, so despite their resentment, they did not stop Wang Ruoying from handing her the peony in her hand.
Seeing that she gave it to her so readily, Yan Jiarou happily reached out to take it. However, Wang Ruoying looked down on this fake princess, but did not want to openly disobey her, so she deliberately did not let go and secretly exerted force, wanting to teach her a lesson.
Yan Jiarou couldn't pry her fingers open for a moment, so she increased the force.
Unexpectedly, Wang Ruoying suddenly let go of her hand, catching her off guard and causing her to lean back.
His hands struggled futilely in mid-air for a few moments, and just as he was about to fall to the ground, an arm suddenly appeared from the side.
The arm encircled her waist, and long, slender fingers rested loosely on her lower back.
Then, she fell into a familiar embrace.
The chest muscles are well-defined and slightly firm.
A faint fragrance lingered around her nose. She sniffed, and a strong scent suddenly rushed into her nasal cavity... It was agarwood!
She opened her eyes wide, looked up, and sure enough, it was Xiao Che!
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