QQ QQ QQ.
A knock on the door.
"Miss, the clothes you ordered from Yunshang Tower have arrived. Would you like to try them on?"
"What clothes?"
"Are you planning to wear the dress you're wearing to the Princess's residence for the Hundred Flowers Banquet tomorrow?"
A Hundred Flowers Banquet?
Chu Hongluan searched her memory and found that it was indeed true.
"Enter."
Bitao walked in carrying a sandalwood tray covered with a red cloth and placed it on the table.
Chu Hongluan pulled it open and was almost blinded by the glittering gold.
"This garment, with so many jewels and gold and silver sewn on it... must weigh about twenty pounds, right?"
"Yes! You specially ordered this from Yunshang Pavilion. You even drew the design yourself and had someone deliver it to you. You said you'd definitely outshine everyone else with this dress tomorrow!"
My damn taste.
Chu Hongluan suddenly remembered something and rushed to the bronze mirror—
...My damn taste.
"Bitao! Bring me a basin of water! I need to remove my makeup!"
The moonlight tonight is pale, a thin layer covering the green bricks and black tiles. The wind is also very gentle, as if afraid of disturbing the shimmering moonlight that fills the courtyard.
Early in the morning, just as dawn was breaking, Bitao knocked on Chu Hongluan's door.
"Miss, it's time to get up and do your hair."
"roll!"
With a thud, the pillow hit the door frame.
The area outside the door then became quiet.
When Chu Hongluan woke up again, it was already Chen Shi (7-9 AM).
She slowly got up, took the water that had been prepared in the room, and washed her face and rinsed her mouth. Listening intently, she heard a low sobbing sound coming from outside the door.
Upon opening the door, one could see the little maid, Bitao, sitting on the steps wiping away tears.
Why are you crying so early in the morning?
"The Hundred Flowers Banquet will begin in less than half an hour. You've only just gotten up and haven't even dressed up yet. How can you possibly make it in time?"
That's it?
Chu Hongluan slammed the door shut, turned around and went into the inner room. She casually picked out a red dress from the wardrobe and put it on. Then she opened her makeup box, took out a red jade hair crown, and stood her long hair up.
Shoes... why do I feel so awkward wearing these shoes?
Never mind, I can't just not wear it, or people will point fingers at me and call me indecent.
The entire process takes less than half an incense stick's time.
Chu Hongluan opened the door and clapped her hands: "Let's go, I'm all washed up."
Bitao's sobs caught in her throat.
"alright?"
"alright."
"What about the clothes you specially ordered from Yunshang Pavilion?"
"It's too heavy and cumbersome. I don't want to wear it."
"Then, then, then, then, getting ready?"
"It's too much trouble, it hurts my face to smear it, so I'll just leave it like this."
"That......"
"Stop hesitating! If you don't get up now, I'll really be late, and I'll hold you accountable!"
"Let's go! Let's go now! But, Miss..."
"What's wrong now?"
"This servant thinks that Miss looks even more beautiful today than Leng Qingqiu, the most beautiful woman in the capital."
Leng Qingqiu? That name sounds familiar.
However, she is the most beautiful woman in the capital, so it's normal for people to be familiar with her.
Chu Hongluan had been jostled along in the carriage all the way, finally arriving at that damned princess's mansion. Before Bitao could help her up, she had already lifted the curtain and jumped down.
Bitao helplessly chased after him, pulled out the invitation and handed it to the gatekeeper. The gatekeeper looked at the name on the invitation, then at Chu Hongluan.
Today is amazing! Even Miss Chu looks absolutely stunning.
After confirming the name on the invitation several times, the servant stammered, "Miss Chu has arrived at the Minister's residence!"
Inside the princess's residence, many young masters and ladies had already taken their seats.
Upon hearing the announcement, someone chuckled: "Miss Chu is here today too. I wonder which young master will fall victim to her poisonous hand this time."
"Boys should also take care of themselves when they go out."
"Why isn't Prince Mo here? Speaking of which... this Miss Chu is the future Princess Consort of Prince Mo! Hahahaha!"
"Minister Chu is incredibly unlucky to have such a daughter!"
"Yes, yes. When Minister Chu returned to the capital after successfully controlling the floods in Jiangnan, it was a great achievement, and it would have been easy for him to be promoted to the first rank. But then he had this daughter who cried and made a scene, threatening to kill herself, insisting on marrying Prince Mo and becoming his princess! Minister Chu had no choice but to beg the Emperor and use his hard-earned merit in controlling the floods to exchange Chu Hongluan for the position of Princess Mo."
"If you say Minister Chu is pitiful, then why isn't Prince Mo pitiful too? Prince Mo is so handsome and capable of governing the country with his literary skills and securing the nation with his martial prowess. He is the dream of every noble lady in Peking Opera! But now, because of Chu Hongluan, he has become a laughing stock. How innocent he is!"
The young masters and ladies whispered among themselves, some expressing pity for Minister Chu, others indignation on behalf of Prince Mo! But for Chu Hongluan herself, it was all schadenfreude, and undisguised sarcasm and mockery.
"They're here! They're here!"
Someone whispered.
Everyone turned their gaze toward the entrance, where a young woman in red gracefully arrived. She had phoenix eyes and willow-leaf eyebrows, and though she wore no makeup, she was still stunningly beautiful. Her figure was slender yet upright like a pine tree, and every gesture she made exuded a free and unrestrained elegance.
It's breathtakingly beautiful.
The servant led Chu Hongluan to her seat. With each step she took, those gazes followed her closely until she sat down, at which point a huge uproar broke out in the room!
"This is Chu Hongluan?! Chu Hongluan, the eldest daughter of the Chu family?!"
"How could that be! Everyone in the capital knows that Chu Hongluan is an illiterate fool, a complete idiot, always wearing heavy makeup and flirting with any handsome man she sees. How could she possibly be this—"
“It’s me.” Before he could speak, Chu Hongluan interrupted, “The Chu Hongluan you’re talking about, who’s always wearing heavy makeup, flirting with handsome men, and is a complete idiot with no brains—that’s me, no doubt about it.”
The man who had spoken blushed and stammered, "I...I didn't mean that..."
Chu Hongluan smiled indifferently, "What you said is not untrue."
She was open and honest, with bright eyes when she smiled. But as she sat there, the sarcastic remarks from the crowd seemed to get stuck in her throat, and she couldn't say them no matter what.
How could this be the same person?
At the head of the table, a young girl in a light yellow dress stared intently at Chu Hongluan with a lovesick grin.
What a beautiful woman...that chest, that waist, those legs...slurping...
Chu Hongluan, who was sitting at the table drinking alone, suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.
This feeling... it's so damn familiar.
Before Chu Hongluan could figure out where this feeling came from, she felt a shadow fall over her, and then a plate of extremely exquisite tea cakes was placed on her table.
A burly man, nine feet tall, stood respectfully before the table and said, "The princess has presented you with tea and cakes and invites you to take a seat at the same table as her."
Following the direction the burly man's gaze was pointing, Chu Hongluan looked into the distance and met a pair of extremely intense eyes.
The source of that familiar chilling feeling has been found.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com