Flying eaves, bracket sets, glazed tiles, white jade steps, pavilions and towers, painted beams and carved rafters.
Flower walls and moon gates, artificial hills and bathing pools, all surrounded by lush flora, with chrysanthemums of every hue adorning the entire garden.
When Shen Xihe arrived, Hibiscus Garden was filled with laughter and the melodious strains of music. Young gentlemen and maidens gathered in familiar groups of three or five, though most were young maidens clustering together, while the gentlemen formed their own circles.
At a glance, talented scholars and beautiful ladies dazzled the eyes, too numerous to take in all at once.
"Zhaoning County Princess has arrived—" announced a eunuch, and the entire garden fell silent.
Indeed, many were curious about her. Since her entry into the city, she had sent the Marquis's son to the Dali Temple, thrown the Emperor's cousin out of the princely residence, discarded Prince Lie at the entrance of his mansion, and even sparked a rivalry between the Sixth Prince and the Crown Prince vying for her favor...
Each incident was earth-shattering. Never before had a young lady been so bold and audacious—not only daring to act but also leaving these noble scions to swallow their grievances in silence.
Yet she lived in seclusion, rejecting all invitations, so few had ever seen her true face.
Today, seeing her felt like the long-awaited unveiling after countless calls.
The young lady had a slender figure, wearing a pale white narrow-sleeved short jacket tinged with gray, over which was a moon-white half-sleeved coat embroidered with gold-thread floral patterns. Her long skirt was tied high at the chest, flowing elegantly to the ground, with a light purple shawl draped over her shoulders, bearing a subtle pattern of precious lotus flowers.
Her dark hair was styled in a double-knife bun, adorned with two symmetrical purple jade hairpins strung with beads, and at the center was a magnificent purple jade peony hair ornament accented with pearls. On both sides of her full, smooth forehead were peony-shaped sideburns, with a golden pearl Hua Dian at the center of her brow.
Her makeup was exquisite, understated yet luxurious.
The glow of jade could not capture her grace, nor could the radiance of the moon fully describe her ethereal beauty.
As she appeared, the garden's vibrant colors seemed to dim in comparison.
"Noble Consort," Shen Xihe walked directly to the group of palace consorts and titled ladies led by Noble Consort Rong.
"County Princess, you are too courteous," Noble Consort Rong said amiably, offering a slight gesture of support before introducing the young lady beside her. "This is Pingling. You are of similar age and should keep each other company."
Princess Pingling wore a fragrant concubine-colored upper garment and a primrose-colored multi-paneled long skirt, both exquisitely embroidered. On her head was a crown adorned with gold and silver pearls. Her striking beauty and delicate features were complemented by intelligent, sparkling eyes that seemed to hold a glimmer of water.
"I've long heard that Zhaoning County Princess is a beauty, and now that I've seen you, you are truly beyond compare," Princess Pingling said with a cheerful and open demeanor. "I am a year younger than you, so may I call you Sister Zhaoning?"
As she spoke, Princess Pingling first offered a greeting of equals to Shen Xihe.
"Princess," Shen Xihe replied with a faint smile, returning the courtesy.
"They say the customs in the northwest are rugged, but seeing Zhaoning County Princess today, her refined elegance is no less than that of renowned noble families," the Marchioness of Zhenbei, recalling past kindness, took the lead in praising Shen Xihe.
Naturally, many titled ladies and palace consorts echoed her sentiments. Their gazes held only admiration and goodwill toward Shen Xihe. As an intended imperial consort, her marriage would be decided by the Emperor's decree, and she would not have deep ties with them—forming a favorable connection was enough.
However, the palace consorts with sons regarded Shen Xihe with a mix of scrutiny and curiosity.
After Noble Consort Rong introduced Shen Xihe to the circle, she instructed Princess Pingling to take Shen Xihe to join the other young ladies for amusement.
Princess Pingling led Shen Xihe to a group of lavishly dressed young maidens, where Shen Xihe also encountered the gentle and beautiful Princess Anling, who was sixteen years old and harbored affection for Bu Shulin.
"What were you all discussing earlier?" Princess Pingling asked after they had exchanged greetings."We were speaking of household civet cats," Princess Anling replied with a smile.
Civet cats referred to domesticated felines. It had become fashionable among noble ladies and matrons to keep cats these days. Any household without one or two cats would find themselves unable to join conversations during social gatherings and risked being isolated.
"The County Princess hails from the northwest and has never known what a civet cat is," a voice interjected. "I've heard the northwest is barren, where the poor will eat anything. Stewed civet cats are supposedly common there."
Upon hearing this, many unconsciously frowned, feeling aversion toward Shen Xihe. As cat enthusiasts, they found the idea of stewing cats utterly cruel.
"Heard? From whom?Shen Xihe turned to Chen Jiaxu, the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Xuanping.
"I cannot recall the source, but the northwest is mostly inhabited by barbarians..."
"During the late emperor's reign, the Turks invaded dozens of times annually—twice or thrice monthly," Shen Xihe calmly interrupted. "The men of the northwest fought desperately to defend our borders. In the desolate wilderness, to stave off hunger, they dug out rodent burrows for food; to quench thirst, they drank snake blood. They shed blood and sacrificed lives so that you, Miss Chen, could reside peacefully in the capital and amuse yourself with civet cats. What right have you to label the northwest as barbaric?"
Shen Xihe's tone remained gentle, devoid of aggression, yet it rendered Chen Jiaxu speechless.
Her light-colored eyes glanced dismissively at Chen Jiaxu. "Without the ferocity of the northwestern men and women, you might now be lying in a Turkic chieftain's tent, barely clothed."
"You—!" Chen Jiaxu glared furiously at Shen Xihe.
Though Shen Xihe had used no vulgar words, her remarks were profoundly insulting.
"Which part of what I said was incorrect?" Shen Xihe raised an eyebrow in retort.
Chen Jiaxu seethed, her chest heaving, but she could muster no rebuttal.
"Does the County Princess imply that the peace of the realm is solely the achievement of the northwest?" another voice emerged, cool and clear. "While the stability of the northwest is indeed credited to its army, this prosperous peace is the collective contribution of both civil and military officials. The County Princess seems rather biased."
Shen Xihe shifted her gaze to Wang Yuhui, the daughter of the Wang family.
With hair piled high like clouds, bright eyes and gleaming teeth, her aura was as subtle as an orchid.
"Miss Wang," Shen Xihe turned to face her. "The integrity of noble families lies in their refinement, not in arrogance. Miss Chen insulted the northwest, so I spoke of the northwest. If you insist on dragging the peace of the entire realm into this, I would like to know what contributions the Wang family has made to this peace? Enough for you, Miss Wang, to disregard the etiquette of noble families, abruptly interrupt others, and condescendingly lecture me?"
Shen Xihe's words pierced like needles, striking deep into Wang Yuhui's heart.
As a noble lady, one ought to be cautious in speech and action. Interrupting rashly was a breach of etiquette, and she had indeed exaggerated, intentionally making Shen Xihe appear arrogant, as if she were elevating the northwest at the expense of the capital's officials.
"Now that Miss Wang has placed this lofty crown upon me, should I assume that all noble ladies of the capital share such conduct?" Shen Xihe scoffed. "Miss Wang, our upbringings differ. There is no need to force compatibility."
With that, Shen Xihe flicked her sleeve and departed.
She had always disliked dealing with women whose entire lives revolved around clinging to and depending on men. Today, she had only come for Bu Shulin's three thousand fine armors. Finally, she had found a reason to draw a clear line with these people.
Thinking she could escape to tranquility, Shen Xihe had just reached a secluded pavilion when a crisp call echoed from behind: "Zhaoning County Princess! Zhaoning County Princess!"She turned around and saw a lively young girl rushing toward her, lifting the hem of her skirt. The girl wore a goose-yellow half-sleeved jacket over a pomegranate-red bustier dress, her hair styled in hanging loops adorned with a butterfly-wing gold hairpin.
OpenNovel