novelaction Chapter 276 Flower Appreciation Banquet (Part )
Chapter 276 Flower Appreciation Banquet (Part )
Chapter 276 Flower Appreciation Banquet (Part )
After thanking her sisters-in-law, the Fourth Lady finally couldn't contain her curiosity and asked, "What were you guys talking about just now? It was so lively, I could hear the noise from far away outside the door!"
As soon as the words fell, the sisters-in-law looked at each other and then fell silent. Then, the Tenth Lady gently nodded towards the door, signaling the Fourth Lady to look in that direction.
The Fourth Lady looked in the direction she pointed, and what she saw was her own concubine having a cheerful and happy conversation with several princesses.
Seeing this scene, the Fourth Lady couldn't help but blurt out: "Our eldest princess?" Bu Erhe, who was standing by, nodded quickly, indicating that he confirmed what the Fourth Lady was thinking.
However, the Fourth Lady shook her head helplessly, sighed, and said, "Oh, I really don't want to criticize you, but how can you be so free? You even have the mind to talk about her. Don't you have enough worries every day?"
Facing the Fourth Lady's complaint, the Tenth Lady appeared quite calm, responding unhurriedly, "Uh... Fourth Sister-in-law, please don't be angry! We were just too bored, so we accidentally mentioned this."
Hearing this, the Fourth Lady was stunned for a moment, and then, as if something funny had happened, she couldn't help but roll her eyes and said unhappily, "Alright, alright, you're pretty good. That's a really strong excuse!"
At this moment, the other sisters-in-law, seeing the Fourth Lady's expression, grew even more curious. One of them couldn't wait to ask, "Tell us quickly, Fourth Lady, what's going on with your concubine's daughter? We can update the information we have!"
The Fourth Lady was a little reluctant to bring this up, but then she realized that even if she kept silent about it, it wouldn't be long before these well-informed sisters-in-law would find out about it. So, after a brief hesitation, she finally spoke...
It turns out that the illegitimate eldest princess of the Fourth Master's household isn't interested in the Fourth Lady's nephew, but instead has a soft spot for Yuanshou, Princess Kejing's son! Unfortunately, the Emperor's decree forbids marriages between close relatives, leaving the eldest princess in a difficult position. However, she's not one to give up easily, and lately has been racking her brains to figure out how to get what she wants.
Today, after hearing that this banquet was held specifically for the purpose of selecting a wife for Yuanshou, the eldest princess could no longer suppress her inner urge. Just as the fourth wife was about to leave, she started to make a fuss again, insisting on coming to the banquet with her.
The Fourth Lady was completely helpless with this concubine's daughter, muttering to herself, "What sin have I committed? This girl always loves to mess around, causing so much trouble. She seemed quite well-behaved and sensible when she was little, how could she become like this when she grew up?"
Let’s talk about Mrs. Li. Now she stays obediently in the backyard, focusing all her attention on her son Hongyun’s homework. At the same time, she is also thinking about how to win the favor of the Fourth Master again.
Ever since Yaliqi had decided to find her own husband, Li had suffered immensely. Every time Yaliqi disobeyed the rules and got into trouble, the Fourth Master, feeling sorry for his daughter, was reluctant to punish her, and in the end, it was Li, the mother, who suffered the most.
Recently, Li has been scolded by the Fourth Master many times because of Yaliqi, so now whenever she sees Yaliqi, she is like a mouse seeing a cat, and she wants to find a place to hide immediately.
Buerhe, who had listened to all of this, had a helpless expression on his face and secretly sighed in his heart: "Alas, another person who is ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth and overestimates her own abilities! No matter how much she tries, she will never be Yuanshou's wife!"
Fortunately, no word of this matter has leaked out to this day. You know, the choice of Yuanshou's wife is entirely hers. Otherwise, knowing Yaliqi well, she would have found out about this and would have pestered him endlessly.
Although a simple remark could have easily dispelled this entanglement, the problem was that she was, after all, the apple of Fourth Brother's eye. Even if he didn't want to see the monk's face, he had to see the Buddha's face. If he really refused to let Yaliqi in, it wouldn't take more than a day for the entire capital to spread rumors that Fourth Master had dared to disobey the Empress's order.
However, at this moment, rather than how to deal with possible trouble, she was more curious about the real reason why Yaliqi came to visit her today: "Yaliqi made this special trip today. Could it be that she wanted to prepare for a rainy day and eliminate those noble ladies who participated in the competition in advance?"
Upon hearing this, the Tenth Lady trembled with fear and retorted in astonishment, "That's impossible. There are quite a few noble ladies present today! Even if she had such an idea, how much trouble could she cause with so many people around? Besides, the Fourth Master's family has always had strict rules and etiquette. In my opinion, Yaliqi shouldn't do anything so outrageous!"
The Fourth Lady frowned slightly and replied thoughtfully, "That being said, things are unpredictable! After your reminder, even I have a faint sense of foreboding. Wutong, go and keep an eye on the eldest princess, and don't let anything really happen."
After saying this, the Fourth Lady urged the maidservant who followed her to go look for Yaliqi.
The Ninth Lady's face was filled with astonishment. She looked straight at the Fourth Lady and said in surprise, "Fourth Sister-in-law, why are you so nervous? Not to mention that Jingyi is watching us from the sidelines, even if Yaliqi really had some ulterior motives, could she possibly do something outrageous in front of Jingyi?"
Hearing Ninth Brother's wife mention Jingyi, Fourth Lady's heart finally settled a little. She'd been completely harassed by that Yaliqi. If it hadn't been for the embarrassing incident in front of her own residence on her way out this morning, she wouldn't have brought Yaliqi to this banquet. It had been a wonderful flower viewing feast, but now, due to her suspicion of Yaliqi, she had completely lost interest in admiring those gorgeous blossoms.
Meanwhile, while those inside the house were still anxiously discussing Yaliqi, the ladies outside had already dispersed into small groups, each immersing themselves in the breathtaking sea of peonies before them. Some, faced with the vibrant colors of the peonies, were inspired to recite beautiful and moving verses; others, brushes in hand, intently painted the vibrant garden on canvas; and some, unable to contain their excitement, sat down to gently play their zither, playing melodious and delightful music.
Although there were many well-informed people present who already knew the true intention behind this banquet, how could such a beautiful spring day be wasted? Moreover, with so many peonies competing for their beauty before them, it was unknown when they would have the opportunity to attend such a grand and magnificent flower viewing banquet again!
After all, not every family can be as wealthy as Prince Min! For a simple flower viewing banquet, thousands of pots of various peonies were prepared.
Just as everyone was immersed in a joyful, peaceful, and harmonious atmosphere, a sudden, sharp cry rang out from the crowd: "Ouch!" This cry was like a flash of lightning that split the sky, instantly capturing the attention of everyone present. Everyone's faces were filled with astonishment, and they hurriedly made way in the direction of the sound.
After all the onlookers had moved away, Jingyi and Jingan were surprised to find that someone had accidentally fallen to the ground. Moreover, the person had fallen in a rather awkward position, not only crushing several extremely valuable peonies, but also staining their own clothes, making them look extremely messy.
Seeing this, Jingyi almost subconsciously reached out her hand quickly, snatched the cloak from the maid's hand beside her, shook it hard, unfolded it, and gently covered the princess who was lying pitifully on the ground.
At the same time, another princess emerged from the crowd. She hurried over and, without a word, she and Jingyi carefully helped the fallen princess to her feet. Then, she softly comforted her, "Don't be afraid. It's okay. How are you feeling? Are you feeling unwell or injured? Do you need a doctor to see you?"
This series of caring questions, one after another like a string of cannonballs, made Jingyi, who was standing by, look at this kind-hearted princess with curiosity. She thought to herself: Well, this princess is quite suitable for my temperament.
At this moment, Jing'an spoke without hesitation, "Princess, why don't you come with me to the next room to change into some clean clothes? If you're injured, we can take this opportunity to help you clean up."
However, the princess who had just fallen seemed a little hesitant, her eyes fixed on the damaged peonies. She murmured worriedly, "But, these peonies..." Before she could finish, Jing'an quickly comforted her, "It's okay. The most important thing right now is to make sure you're safe. As for these flowers, even if they're unfortunately damaged, it's no big deal. After all, there are still many beautiful peonies in the garden. There's really no need to be upset over such a small thing."
Jing'an and the princess helped the victim into the small room next door, leaving the remaining noble ladies to talk about it and praise Princess Jing'an.