Song Yaozhu calmly withdrew her gaze and closed the window.
"It's hot outside, so it's best not to open the windows."
Before long, several girls and young women whom Song Yaozhu didn't recognize boarded the pleasure boat. Song Yaozhu naturally knew that Yuwen Xian couldn't have invited only her, but when she realized there were so many people, she couldn't help but feel bored.
"This is Mrs. You, this is Miss Xu..." Song Yaozhu noted down everyone's names.
There were at least twenty female guests on the pleasure boat, and the cabin was filled with fragrance.
Song Yaozhu gently waved her silk fan, listening to the people talking with utter boredom. She regretted going out today; even just sitting in the house staring at Xie Liwei would have been more comfortable than this.
"Your Highness, this fan is so beautiful. I wonder which craftsman made it?" A young lady's eyes were drawn to the golden silk fan with butterflies dancing and peonies in her hand. Such an exquisite fan would be hard to find even in the best treasure store in the capital.
Song Yaozhu picked up the fan and looked at it. This fan was made by her and Xie Liwei together. It had a beige silk surface. Qin Mama thought it was too plain, so she took it and embroidered something on it.
"It was made by my nanny."
Logically, knowing that it was made by someone close to her, anyone with sense should have kept quiet. But this girl really loved the fan so much that she couldn't help but plead, "Is the Princess's nanny free? This fan is so beautiful, I really want one. Please ask her to make one for me, and I will reward her handsomely!"
If Song Yaozhu wanted to give her face, she naturally wouldn't refuse such a small favor, since it wasn't something she did herself.
Before she could even speak, someone suggested, "The Princess Consort would certainly not refuse such a small matter. Why don't you exchange this sword with her? I remember yours was also made by Duobaoge, and it's worth ten gold coins."
Wow, this girl must come from a distinguished family to be able to buy a fan for ten gold coins!
Song Yaozhu glanced at the woman who spoke. The woman, dressed in a light pink dress, was quite eye-catching. After a moment's thought, she realized that she was the woman who had struck up a conversation with Xie Liwei in the pavilion.
The woman appeared to be in her early twenties, with her hair styled in a girlish bun. She had an oval face, fair skin, bright eyes and white teeth, delicate eyebrows, and beautiful red lips; she was indeed a woman of striking beauty.
However, his words were full of malice, subtly putting Song Yaozhu in a difficult position.
Song Yaozhu placed the fan on the small table and looked intently at the woman.
"I am not worthy of a precious fan worth ten gold pieces. Moreover, the fact that Miss was able to buy it back for ten gold pieces shows that she truly loves it. How can I ask her to part with it?"
The young lady who had asked for the fan was already shameless, but now she was so embarrassed that her cheeks turned red, and she dared not speak again.
"I was being presumptuous, please forgive me, Your Highness."
Song Yaozhu picked up a fan and half-covered her cheek, saying softly, "I just said that this fan was made by the nanny, but that was just an excuse. This fan was made by me and the prince together. Silk winding is a delicate task, and the prince, being a clumsy man, spent three whole days winding the fan surface. As soon as I saw this fan, I thought of the prince, so I couldn't bear to part with it."
Hearing this, the unmarried young ladies present couldn't help but blush and exclaimed, "The prince treats the princess so well!"
The young woman looked on with envy: "Making a fan is a small matter; what's real is how much the prince cherishes his princess. Such small things best reflect a person's heart. My husband wouldn't even bother to make me a fan, let alone accompany me to buy a hairpin; he would complain that it would take up too much of his time."
After everyone said some nice things, Song Yaozhu glanced at the woman in the lotus root pink dress without leaving a trace. She saw that the woman had her head lowered and looked quite gloomy.
They really came for Xie Liwei!
"Alright, look how many fish we've caught. I'd like to have grilled fish for lunch," Yuwen Xian said, changing the subject.
Everyone ran outside the cabin as instructed, and Yuwen Xian then took the opportunity to explain: "The girl just now is the eldest daughter of Zhao Juemin's family. I don't know why she is still unmarried. I didn't know she admired Prince Xiaoyao."
Yuwen Xian may be young, but she is not ignorant. On the contrary, she is too good at reading people, which is why she stays out of the court.
Song Yaozhu nodded, "Your Highness kindly invited us to go boating, but someone had ulterior motives. Your Highness need not take it to heart."
"Now that I've become the host, I should make sure you have a good time. I never expected something like this to happen, so I'm naturally ashamed. I'll have someone keep a close eye on Miss Zhao to prevent her from offending the Princess again."
Song Yaozhu felt extremely relieved after hearing her words, and secretly thought to herself, "She is indeed a child I raised."
It was at this time that Yongle boarded the ship and learned about the matter from others.
"How dare Zhao Ying'e! She's shameless, doesn't she care about the other girls in the family?!" She used to be a master at chasing after Xie Liwei, so she naturally knew her rival in love very well.
Song Yaozhu then learned about Zhao Ying'e's past.
Actually, it wasn't a big deal. She was the same age as Xie Liwei. It was during the early years of the founding of the Great Chen Dynasty. Her grandfather was the Grand Tutor of the previous dynasty and had a high reputation. At the beginning of the new emperor's reign, in order to show his love for the people and benevolence, he left behind many officials from the previous dynasty, and her grandfather was one of them.
At a palace banquet, the emperor asked Xie Liwei to compose a poem in front of everyone, which drew praise. It was at this banquet that she fell in love with Xie Liwei at first sight.
There are plenty of girls who fall in love with Xie Liwei at first sight, so what makes her stand out?
This is because the late Empress had praised this woman many times for her quick wit, intelligence, virtue, and politeness. At that time, there were rumors that the Emperor was going to arrange a marriage for Xie Liwei, so she thought she was the best choice and has been obsessed with it ever since.
Song Yaozhu twirled her fan, her almond-shaped eyes wide open.
Is this still a legacy issue caused by her?
"Honestly, why did the Empress praise her? With her petty and narrow-minded attitude, she's so old and still hasn't married. Her family even dared to let her out of the house. I'm ashamed for her!"
Song Yaozhu tilted her head to look at her and said quietly, "If you talk about her like that, be careful that others won't talk about you like that in the future."
Yongle was stunned for a moment, then realized what he meant and roared, "Song Yaozhu! You actually cursed me to never get married!"
"I'm just telling you to watch your words. Whether you get married or not won't affect your daily social life. If you're ridiculed by others just because you're not married, don't you think this world is very unfair? Miss Zhao isn't unable to get married; she just doesn't want to marry someone casually and settle for a life of compromise. She's facing societal pressure, which is clearly commendable. How come you're the one making a fool of yourself?"
Yongle stared at Song Yaozhu with wide eyes, "You are completely different from what I imagined."
"Um?"
“That woman is clearly eyeing your man, but you're not jealous. Are you really not jealous, or…” She narrowed her eyes, tiptoed, and whispered in Song Yaozhu's ear, “Or is it that you don't actually care about Xie Liwei at all, which is why you don't care!”
In an instant, Song Yaozhu's heart trembled, as if something had been unexpectedly punctured, and she herself did not yet realize what it was.
That secret, indescribable thing hidden deep within her heart, seemed about to break through the clouds and see the light of day.
It made her feel uneasy.
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