Princess Zhaoyang has arrived!
On the lush green lawn of the peony garden, neatly arranged tables were laden with all kinds of delicacies and fresh fruits. Young noblewomen in elegant attire sat in order, chatting softly among themselves. At the announcement of the princess’s arrival, they quickly rose in unison to greet her. Princess Zhaoyang wore a simple yet refined palace gown. Though nearing forty, her slightly aloof features were still impeccably maintained. Her delicate willow-leaf eyebrows arched slightly, a clear sign that this princess was not one to be trifled with. Princess Ronghua followed obediently by her side, a stark contrast to the domineering demeanor she had displayed earlier in the courtyard. Walking alongside them was a stunningly beautiful young woman in brocade robes, her eyes brimming with curiosity as she glanced around at the noble ladies. Despite racking her memory, Ye Li couldn’t recall the girl’s identity and decided not to dwell on it.
"Rise and be seated," the princess said.
The ladies thanked her and took their seats once more.
Princess Zhaoyang then spoke, "Today’s gathering is a leisurely occasion for the young ladies of the capital. There’s no need for excessive formality—feel free to enjoy yourselves."
Though she said this, few dared to truly relax. Princess Ronghua, however, sat beside the princess, clinging to her arm and acting coquettishly. The usually cold princess softened slightly, clearly doting on her niece, as she had no children of her own.
"Who is that young lady beside the princess? She’s absolutely gorgeous," the noblewomen whispered among themselves, stealing discreet glances at the stunning girl. Some even cast subtle looks toward Ye Ying. Ye Ying’s smile was strained. The girl sat to Princess Zhaoyang’s right, indicating her status was no lower than Princess Ronghua’s. Moreover, her beauty far surpassed that of the princess. Ye Ying prided herself as the capital’s top beauty, but the brocade-clad girl’s refined and radiant charm—unlike Ye Ying’s delicate fragility—drew more attention. Beautiful women always noticed those who outshone them first.
"Haha, who is that girl? Ye Ying’s title as the capital’s most beautiful might not hold anymore," Murong Ting murmured behind her sleeve, stifling a laugh.
Hua Tianxiang glanced at her and replied softly, "She’s the niece of Princess Zhaoyang’s late husband."
"Princess Zhaoyang’s husband… Wasn’t he…?" Qin Zheng hesitated before adding, "A princess from Nanzhao?"
Princess Zhaoyang’s husband had been a hostage prince sent from Nanzhao to the Great Chu. It was said that the princess and her husband had been deeply in love, and she had refused to marry anyone else. The late emperor, helpless, had allowed his beloved sister to wed a hostage. Their marriage had been harmonious, but tragically, the prince passed away after just three years. Princess Zhaoyang had sworn before the late emperor never to remarry, vowing lifelong fidelity to her husband.
Hearing this, Ye Li also turned to Hua Tianxiang with curiosity. As the daughter of Duke Hua and niece of the current empress, Hua Tianxiang naturally knew things others didn’t. Glancing at the princess and the beautiful girl ahead, Hua Tianxiang shook her head. "That’s the youngest daughter of the current King of Nanzhao, known as the most beautiful woman in Nanzhao—Qixia Princess."
"They say Nanzhao is famed for its beauties. This Qixia Princess is truly extraordinary."Hua Tianxiang blinked her eyes, looking at Ye Li as if hesitating to speak. Ye Li raised an eyebrow and smiled, "What is it that you can't say?"
Hua Tianxiang chuckled, "Though this is our first meeting, I feel you're quite an interesting person. It's fine to tell you—this Qixia Princess... seems to be planning to stay in our Great Chu for good."
"Stay for good?" Murong Ting lost interest in the dance performance and turned to Hua Tianxiang in confusion. "This Qixia Princess looks about our age. If she's staying, doesn't that mean... doesn't that mean she intends to marry into Great Chu? A royal marriage alliance between two nations is a major event—how come there hasn't been the slightest rumor about it?" Hua Tianxiang coughed lightly, covering her lips as she whispered, "Qixia Princess came to Great Chu on her own. Do you remember last year when Li Wang Dianxia went on a diplomatic mission to Nanzhao...?"
"You mean—!" Murong Ting nearly lost control of her voice in shock. Qin Zheng pinched her discreetly, helping her regain composure. Noticing the glances from the neighboring tables, Murong Ting quickly assumed a dignified posture and calmly sipped the Hundred Flowers fruit wine before her. Once the others' attention had shifted away, she smiled apologetically at the other three. Hua Tianxiang and Qin Zheng, clearly familiar with her temperament, simply smiled indulgently. Frowning, Murong Ting looked at Ye Li and said, "Though I probably shouldn't say this, I still think breaking off the engagement with Prince Li might not be such a bad thing after all."
Ye Li took a sip of the mild fruit wine and smiled in agreement. "You're absolutely right."
"Guess who'll be the judges for this year's Hundred Flowers Festival?" Hua Tianxiang asked.
Ye Li only had a vague understanding of the festival's proceedings, viewing it merely as a social gathering for noble ladies in the capital. She shook her head indifferently, which made Hua Tianxiang poke her in exasperation. "This is your first time participating in the Hundred Flowers Festival—you should at least showcase your talents to avoid being looked down upon by those arrogant snobs."
Ye Li blinked and glanced at the gracefully dancing performers on stage. "You want me to sing or dance? That would scare people—I don't dance." Besides, she wasn't particularly eager to perform, and this era didn't have talent shows or celebrity contests anyway.
Qin Zheng explained softly, "Most noble ladies don't choose singing or dancing. But there are competitions for music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and composition. The top three winners each year receive a very precious prize."
"A prize?"
"Are you all participating?"
Murong Ting said sheepishly, "Except for me, Zheng'er and Tianxiang are both quite skilled. Zheng'er won first place in poetry, calligraphy, and painting two years ago. Tianxiang took first in chess and third in music last year. Last year's overall winner was your fourth sister, the future Princess Li—she won first in music and dance, and fifth in poetry."
Ye Li glanced at Ye Ying, who was chatting with someone at the next table, and smiled. "I knew about that. But I didn’t realize Zheng'er and Miss Hua were such rare talents."
Hua Tianxiang waved her hand dismissively. "Madam Ye was once the capital's top talent. This year, Zheng'er and I aren't participating. It's all up to you now."
Ye Li sighed. "I'm really not good at these things."
Qin Zheng took her hand and encouraged, "Ye Ying will definitely compete again this year. Li'er, you can't let her outshine you."Hua Tianxiang was also in high spirits. "That's right, Ye Li, you must avenge my defeat. Last year, I worked so hard but was still overshadowed by Ye Ying. It was so embarrassing."
Murong Ting didn’t miss the chance to join in, looking at her eagerly. "When it comes to martial arts, I can win first place every year, but unfortunately, no one competes with me. Li’er, you must work hard."
Ye Li was both amused and exasperated by these newly acquainted friends. She truly wasn’t skilled in these things. Although she had been taught by her mother since childhood and knew a little of everything, she couldn’t compare to those who had dedicated themselves to rigorous practice. Take Ye Ying’s dancing, for example—though she hadn’t seen it herself, it was said that Ye Ying had five or six dance instructors hired just for her. Every dance was meticulously choreographed, and Ye Ying had indeed put in tremendous effort. As for Ye Li, ever since her mother passed away and she regained memories of her past life, her interest in such things had plummeted by more than tenfold. Besides, Wang Shi wouldn’t bother hiring top-tier instructors for her.
"This year, I’m afraid you won’t have a choice but to participate," Murong Ting said between bites of the delicate pastries on the table. "The winners of the Hundred Flowers Festival have the right to challenge anyone present to a contest. Believe me, if you hadn’t stayed indoors all these years, you’d probably be the most challenged person every year. First, you were Prince Li’s fiancée, and now you’re the future Princess Ding. In the eyes of many, your life is enviably fortunate—they’d love nothing more than to see you humiliated."
"Better eat something now," Hua Tianxiang reminded her. "Once it officially starts, you probably won’t get another chance today."
Ye Li stared speechlessly at the pastries and dishes before her. So, after dawdling for over an hour, this so-called Hundred Flowers Festival still hadn’t begun?
－－－－－－Author's Note－－－－－－
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