Chapter 25 A convincing pretense: "Are they arguing inside?"...
Why aren't you saying anything?
What are you saying?
Banban slowly came to her senses. She quickly avoided looking at her cousin's face, but he was so close that she felt nervous, though she didn't know why. A surge of anger welled up inside her, so she shoved his chest away, saying, "You, you, you're too close to me."
"I can't breathe." She gently fanned her face with her hand, and when she turned her head, she saw that he had brought back the plate of peach slices intact, and it was now in Taxue Pavilion.
"Why aren't you eating, cousin? It's very sweet."
When you cut this peach open, even the flesh is pink, which shows just how sweet it is.
Banban couldn't help but examine the peach slices closely again. Clearly, not a single slice was missing. Where did she give them to Yang Jiang and Ying Yue?
Her cousin would wrongly accuse her!
Ying Zheng leaned back on the cushion as his cousin pushed him away, resting his head on one hand, his gaze lightly falling on the bamboo slips in his hands, "I can't bear to eat them."
Puzzled, she looked at the peach slices, then at her cousin.
She personally forked a piece of food and held it to his lips, saying, "It will spoil quickly if you don't eat it."
Ying Zheng stepped back slightly and glanced at the peach slices. He was truly helpless. He had originally planned to preserve the plate of peach slices with ice, but seeing this, he had no choice but to bite into them and eat them.
Banban found it novel and became addicted to feeding him, serving him piece by piece.
When the matter of Princess Liyang came up, Ying Zheng gently put down the scroll and said, "Since you have already comforted her, you don't need to concern yourself with this matter anymore."
Banban said sullenly, "Will the King be unhappy?"
He nodded slightly. "Although Lady Mi is present today, she is dressed in plain clothes."
Banban was puzzled. "But it's normal for her to wear mourning clothes after the death of a family member."
Ying Zheng rubbed his temples, his tone enigmatic, "As a king, one naturally hopes that his people will wholeheartedly support him." While Mi Liangren's actions were reasonable, wearing mourning clothes at the Hehuan Banquet—didn't she harbor resentment? She was using the occasion to mourn her loved ones and to embarrass the King of Qin in public at the banquet.
The King of Qin could pretend not to see her sadness and be understanding, but she could not be sad for too long, much less resent him, otherwise his understanding would vanish and he might even turn against her and hate her.
"Her father did not die, but was stripped of his throne and demoted to a commoner. He was allowed to continue living, but a large number of her relatives died while resisting the Qin army."
But at times like these, living is a hundred or even ten thousand times more painful than dying.
Banban sat on the small couch, thinking about what her cousin had said, and felt that it was so unreasonable.
Sure enough, before the night was even over, a royal decree was issued, demoting Mi Liang to a low-ranking servant, and Princess Liyang was taken away and placed in the care of Xia Ba Zi.
One autumn rain brings a chill, winter is just around the corner.
Princess Liyang ran through the alley, getting soaked, crying and begging not to leave her mother, but in the end she was taken away anyway.
For a whole month, she did not attend classes at Jingyin Palace.
Despite the fact that King Zhou's descendant, Mi Shaoshi, was bedridden, the Qin army did not stop its advance. On the day winter arrived, they officially launched an attack on Zhao.
The winter banquet was organized by Princess Yingyue.
There was not much tea available at this time, so the banquet was held at Shangqiu Villa, where plum blossoms were planted in abundance and were in full bloom in the dead of winter. People enjoyed warm wine and plum blossoms under the moon, and invited everyone to play music and sing.
Banban went to Yiying Palace to find Princess Yangman and went there together. When the two arrived at Shangqiu, the winter banquet was about to begin. Princess Youning was dancing gracefully and striking the chime bells. Her melodious voice traveled through the swirling snowflakes and flowed far and wide.
Ying Yue was overjoyed to see the two arrive, but she quickly realized that there was no one else behind Ji Xiaoniang. She immediately pulled her aside with a long face and said, "Where is my brother? Ji Chengyin, do you dare to play me?"
She helped her with her homework for a whole month!
Perhaps it was Yingyue's humble and submissive behavior this month that made Banban feel that the princesses weren't so scary. She immediately rolled her eyes at her and said, "What's the rush? My cousin is still in Chengkun Palace. He promised me that he would bring Meng Tian over. Please sit down."
"Oh, then I misunderstood you." Ying Yue's anger turned to laughter, and she happily pulled her to sit down together.
Yang Man gently touched her cheek, gazing absently at the plum blossoms filling the sky. "They're so beautiful, it's a pity they only bloom in winter. Those who have the leisure to appreciate flowers in winter are all noble families."
Yang Jiang chimed in, "Ordinary people only care about how much plums they can sell for this year. What does it matter to them whether the plum blossoms are beautiful or not? Are you saying this because you care about the common people?"
Yang Man laughed it off, not caring about the barb in Yang Jiang's words. "I feel sorry for myself," she said, raising her cup to the plum blossom before anyone could ask, and drinking it all in one gulp. "The king intends for me to marry the crown prince of Qi. After the following summer, we will hardly see each other again."
There was a moment of silence after these words were spoken.
Yang Jiang calmly put down her cup, seemingly lost in thought. "No wonder Aunt You Ning is so focused on this dance. You two have the best relationship."
Banban was filled with worry, wondering uncertainly if her cousin would take the throne and conquer the Qi Kingdom in the future, and bring Yang Man back.
She volunteered, "I will compose a song for Princess Yangman!"
These words abruptly pulled everyone out of the slightly heavy atmosphere. Yang Jiang even forced out a single word, "You?"
"How am I?" Banban had never sung a song since arriving in Qin, so no one knew she was good at singing. Oh, and no one knew that Ying Zheng could also compose some songs. His artistic talent was quite high. He not only loved listening to songs but also loved learning them. He could sing the songs she occasionally sang after only hearing them twice.
It just so happens that Banban's birthday is approaching. Today, she is wearing newly tailored clothes. She asked someone to pluck a sprig of plum blossom and held it in her palm. She danced freely, and the musicians played instruments to accompany her.
What is there in Zhongnan Mountain? There are plum trees.
When a gentleman arrives, he is dressed in brocade robes and a fox fur coat…
Upon hearing the words, Yang Man suddenly realized: "It's the 'Zhongnan' section from the Book of Songs."
Yingyue rested her chin on her hand and looked at Ji Xiaoniang as if she had just met her. Who would have thought that the girl who sang and danced was completely different from her usual dull and stupid self?
The elegance revealed in the outstretched arms, the long eyelashes behind the slightly lowered neck—at this moment, she was one with Merlin, her soft, gentle, and joyful voice easily drawing the listener into the lyrics.
"His face is as red as cinnabar, what a ruler he is!"
What is there in Zhongnan? There is Ji and Tang.
When a gentleman arrives, he wears embroidered robes and skirts.
"May your jade pendants gleam, and may you live a long and prosperous life..."
"This passage describes the beautiful figure of a gentleman in the plum grove," Yingyue comforted. "Sister-in-law, Lady Ji is wishing you a good husband. We have never met the Crown Prince of Qi, but to be the Crown Prince of a country, he must be no ordinary person!"
Yang Man's gloom vanished, and she nodded with a smile, "I know, thank you, Banban."
Ying Zheng arrived at an inopportune time. He and Meng Tian were about to arrive, and as the song was coming to an end, he only heard the last two lines: "I have come at an inopportune time."
Everyone was slightly surprised and quickly stood up to pay their respects.
Meng Tian stepped aside to avoid the greeting, and then bowed to the princesses with his hands clasped.
"Meng Tian!" Ying Yue's eyes lit up. She coughed twice and then smiled with feigned modesty. "I didn't expect you to come."
The princesses: "..." They acted so convincingly, but who couldn't tell?
There are actually some people who can't tell.
Meng Tian scratched the back of his head, blushing with embarrassment. "I apologize for disturbing you. It is not appropriate for a man like me to visit the princess's banquet. However, I have important matters to discuss with His Highness the Crown Prince."
Furthermore, the Crown Prince hadn't mentioned that the princesses had held a banquet before his arrival; otherwise, he certainly wouldn't have come. However, the Crown Prince probably didn't lie to him intentionally.
When Meng Tian arrived, Ying Yue's voice became noticeably sweeter, to the point that others found it cloying and couldn't quite describe it.
Ying Zheng told the others not to set up a separate table for him, and he sat down with Banban. After sitting down, he took advantage of the moment when the eunuch was pouring wine to lean closer to her and ask, "I haven't heard that song before?"
Banban whispered in his ear, "It's a new composition I made, but I haven't had a chance to sing it to my cousin yet."
Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng gave her a 'that kind of' look.
Banban chuckled, "I plan to sing it on my birthday."
"..." Don't other people hire someone to sing for their birthdays? Why did you come yourself? "Fine."
"My birthday this year happens to fall on my day off. Would you like to come out of the palace with me, cousin?"
"My mother cannot leave the palace."
"Huh?" Banban drawled, slightly troubled. "Does becoming queen mean I can't leave the palace at will?"
"..." Ying Zheng didn't know how to answer.
Before he could make up his mind, Banban changed her mind, "Then I'll have two birthday celebrations, one outside the palace and one inside."
Ying Zheng said, "How about we invite my aunt, uncle, and maternal grandmother to stay in the palace together at that time?"
"Okay, thank you, cousin." Banban nestled beside her cousin, beaming with joy.
She had originally planned to have a good time in Qin that night, but she never expected that Qin had a very strict curfew that started after sunset and lasted until sunrise.
Even after the curfew, anyone who lingered on the street without cause would be arrested and interrogated by the night patrol officers. Those who could not prove their identity would be taken away for forced labor.
The banquet was originally held for Meng Tian. With Meng Tian's arrival, Ying Yue naturally couldn't care less about the others. Gradually, everyone dispersed and sat around tables, chatting and drinking.
Not wanting to disturb the Crown Prince's conversation with his betrothed, Meng Tian sat alone to the side. Princess Yingyue always had a lot to say, but he didn't really want to talk to her... and couldn't join the conversation at all.
She always said things that he wasn't interested in and couldn't understand, so he didn't know what she was talking about.
She especially loved to stare at him, making him feel extremely uncomfortable, as if a thousand ants were crawling in his heart. Therefore, he didn't like being alone with her and wanted to run away whenever he saw her.
The banquet ended as night was approaching.
The two went to Ganquan Palace for a meal together.
In recent days, Banban and Ying Zheng have taken turns accompanying the Queen to play and talk, and she has regained much of her former beauty. Just then, the King of Qin came to visit.
Banban and Ying Zheng rose and bowed, just as they heard the Queen say, "Didn't Your Majesty go to Xia Ba Zi's place? What happened, were you kicked out?"
The King of Qin was somewhat embarrassed and couldn't save face. "I haven't eaten yet."
The queen snorted coldly, glanced at her maid and gestured for her to give the order, refusing to say anything else.
Banban glanced at Ying Zheng furtively, and both of the younger men felt quite awkward.
The Queen turned and went into the inner chamber. The King of Qin followed her in, and could vaguely see his conciliatory gestures through the gauze curtain. Banban wanted to leave, but Ying Zheng told her to finish her meal, "They won't be out for a while, so you can eat in peace."
Banban didn't understand, "Are they arguing inside?"
Ying Zheng: "..."
The other maids in the room covered their mouths and laughed.
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