Youthful Glory

While Emperor Chengkang and Ming Tingyuan were discussing matters in the imperial study, the three young ladies of Marquis Jing'an's residence also took their time to dress up and set out gracefully.

Shen Hua, as always, was dressed elegantly and delicately. Her light pink misty layered skirt accentuated her graceful and gentle beauty, perfectly blending in with the crowd of noble young ladies in the capital.

Ming Chu, on the other hand, wore a striking red dress. At first glance, it seemed similar to what she had worn on the day she returned to the residence, but upon closer inspection, one would notice that today's attire was far more refined. With four or five layers inside and out, the dress flowed in cascading folds as she walked—bright and bold in red, yet not overly eye-catching.

As for Ming Tan—

By the time they reached Chunzheng Street in front of the Pingguo Duke's residence, the carriage could hardly move forward. It was unclear just how many people the third young lady of the Zhang family had invited to her poetry gathering. The street was packed with carriages from various households, and the servants directing them to the stables were overwhelmed. Many passersby, seeing the lively scene at the Pingguo Duke's residence, craned their necks curiously to catch a glimpse.

Ming Chu, sharing a carriage with Ming Tan and Shen Hua, was in a foul mood. She wore a scowl the entire journey, unwilling to spend even a moment longer than necessary in their company.

Seeing the carriage stalled for so long, she couldn’t help but lift the curtain and ask impatiently, "Why aren’t we moving?"

"Young Miss, the way ahead is blocked. We can’t proceed."

Ming Chu: "Then tell them to move aside!"

The coachman: "..."

Ming Tan also lifted the curtain to glance outside before letting it fall again. She raised a delicate eyebrow and remarked, "Third Sister, are you asking Princess Feng Zhao to make way for you?"

Princess Feng Zhao?

The daughter of a prince?

Ming Chu fell silent.

Truth be told, Ming Tan wasn’t particularly fond of Princess Feng Zhao either. Two years ago, at the Golden Chrysanthemum Banquet, she had composed and performed a piece titled

In Harmony with Autumn

, which everyone praised as ethereal and exquisite, declaring her the undisputed Flower Queen.

Who would have thought that this princess, newly returned to the capital from Yuncheng, would suddenly show up to join the fun? She claimed it was all in good spirits and that everyone should vote freely, but when a minor family’s daughter didn’t choose her, the princess immediately turned sour-faced. After that, who dared offend her? When it came time to cast their chrysanthemum votes, everyone had no choice but to switch their selections.

To be fair, this princess lacked self-awareness. Thinking she had won the title of Flower Queen, she truly believed herself to be peerless in beauty and talent. In the two years since her return to the capital, she had made a habit of inserting herself into every high-profile event—flower-viewing banquets, poetry gatherings—her presence was a constant. Yet whenever she appeared, the previously relaxed and pleasant atmosphere would invariably turn awkward.

Perhaps because of the Flower Queen incident, Princess Feng Zhao didn’t care much for Ming Tan either. On the rare occasions they met, she would always find some way to provoke her.

Fortunately, Ming Tan wasn’t the type to endure such treatment. While she couldn’t openly disrespect royalty, she certainly knew how to talk.

This Princess Feng Zhao had grown up in the southwestern borderlands, and her manners were only slightly better than Ming Chu’s—though unlike Ming Chu, she had no martial skills to fall back on when words failed her.

Whenever the two clashed, Ming Tan would often expound on etiquette, citing ancient precedents until the princess was left speechless. Moreover, Ming Tan had many like-minded noble ladies by her side, and their coordinated verbal assaults were downright lethal.

Now that Princess Feng Zhao was also present, Ming Tan considered it best to avoid any interaction today. After all, she was here for Second Young Master Shu and didn’t need to leave an impression of being sharp-tongued.

However, what Ming Tan didn’t know was that when she lifted the curtain earlier to look around, her wish to "coincidentally" meet Second Young Master Shu had already been granted ahead of time.

Zhang Huaiyu had originally been worn down by his cousin’s persistence and agreed to invite Second Young Master Shu over for tea. But Zhang Huaiyu was hardly the type to sit quietly and sip tea. The moment he mentioned it to Shu, the latter sensed something amiss and pressed until the truth came out.However, Zhang Huaiyu had already agreed, and Shu Jingran, knowing the truth, had no choice but to help him save face in front of his cousin.

Shu Jingran had previously suffered from being pelted with fruits while riding through the streets during the parade, and the psychological scars had yet to fade. Now, he was to be surrounded by a crowd of young ladies, which made him feel tense and uncomfortable just thinking about it.

Thus, he proposed to Zhang Huaiyu that they invite talented scholars from the capital to join them for tea and poetry discussions, setting up a separate gathering in a neighboring garden. This way, the event would be both elegant and lively, and he wouldn’t have to endure the ordeal alone.

It was because of this suggestion that the grand scene of carriages and horses bustling outside the Pingguo Duke’s residence unfolded today.

“You’re really not going?” At the intersection of Chunzheng Street, Shu Jingran stopped and asked.

Jiang Xu cast a disinterested glance at the lively scene. “I have official business.”

Last night, while discussing affairs at the Right Minister’s residence, a sudden downpour had forced him to stay overnight. Today, Shu Jingran was heading to the Pingguo Duke’s residence for tea and poetry, while Jiang Xu had military affairs to attend to at the capital’s garrison. Since their paths aligned, they had set out together.

As Jiang Xu finished speaking and prepared to leave, Shu Jingran suddenly remarked with curiosity, “Isn’t that the carriage from the Marquis Jing’an’s residence?”

Jiang Xu followed his gaze.

His glance happened to catch sight of an ornately carved carriage bearing the Ming family’s insignia stopped in the middle of the road. The curtains were gently parted by a pair of jade-like hands, revealing a young woman inside with loosely tied dark hair and eyes as clear as spring water. With just a slight tilt of her head as she looked out, she resembled pear blossoms reflected in spring water—radiant and breathtakingly beautiful.

Even Shu Jingran was momentarily stunned. With his hands clasped behind his back, he chuckled softly. “This Fourth Miss Ming is truly a rare beauty.”

“Didn’t you say you didn’t want to marry?” Jiang Xu suddenly asked.

“Not wanting to marry doesn’t mean I don’t want to marry Fourth Miss Ming—it’s just that I’m not ready to marry yet,” Shu Jingran explained. “Besides, not wanting to marry doesn’t conflict with appreciating beauty.”

Jiang Xu gave him a glance, too indifferent to respond further, and soon disappeared into the crowd.

The Pingguo Duke’s residence was vast. Upon entering, sedan chairs were prepared for the delicate guests to avoid fatigue, but the young ladies, enchanted by the spring scenery, preferred to stroll and chat in small groups.

In the garden where the poetry gathering was held, artificial streams meandered around rockeries, while peonies and Chinese herbaceous peonies bloomed in full splendor, competing with camellias and azaleas for the season’s glory. Neatly arranged long tables stood by the flower beds, furnished with brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. The pavilion for resting was stocked with fruits, pastries, and fine tea.

Bai Minmin hadn’t eaten before leaving home. By the time Ming Tan’s group arrived, she was already in the pavilion enjoying candied pear with cheese. The crisp and slightly tart pears were cut into uniform pieces and placed on delicate porcelain plates, drizzled with sugarcane syrup and cheese, then dusted with powdered sugar—a sweet and tangy delicacy with a unique flavor.

Seeing that she had nearly finished the entire plate, Zhou Jingwan gently advised her to exercise some restraint.

Zhang Hanmiao, who had just escorted another young lady over, teased Bai Minmin upon seeing her. “If Sister Min likes this candied pear dish so much, I’ll have our chef prepare it for you at the Changguo Duke’s residence tomorrow. But remember, you’ll have to pay our chef properly for his services!”

Bai Minmin retorted, “No need for that! I’ll just eat my fill here at your Pingguo Duke’s residence before leaving!”

The surrounding ladies covered their lips with handkerchiefs, giggling softly.

Just then, a maid led Ming Tan and her two companions toward the group.

Shen Hua was gentle and graceful.

Ming Chu stood out in her vibrant red dress.Ming Tan was dressed in a light green short jacket with a silver-threaded, subtly embroidered pear blossom white long skirt. Her makeup was understated, yet it accentuated her picturesque features and delicate complexion. She wore minimal hair ornaments, only a silver-inlaid jade pear blossom hairpin swayed gently as she moved, exuding the youthful lightness of spring.

This outfit was the result of two full days of careful consideration. After all, she had recently called off her engagement, and regardless of the reason, it wouldn’t do to be too ostentatious. Yet, she still wanted to catch the attention of the Second Young Master Shu. If she couldn’t be showy, then she had to be distinctive in some way. Though her makeup appeared extremely subtle, it had taken considerable effort to achieve.

Just the fleeting looks of admiration from the crowd told Ming Tan that her two days of effort hadn’t been in vain.

“You’re finally here! A Tan, we’ve been waiting for you for quite a while.”

“After not seeing you for days, our little Miss Ming has grown even more radiant!”

“A Tan, would you like some tea? The fruit tea Hanmiao prepared is exceptionally sweet.”

……

Ming Tan was on good terms with many noble ladies, and as soon as she arrived, she was warmly greeted. Shen Hua often accompanied Ming Tan to various banquets. Though she struggled to fully integrate into this circle, her tact and talent allowed her to maintain a respectable facade. Moreover, she was quite popular among the young ladies of lesser noble birth. As soon as she appeared, many approached her for conversation and laughter.

Only Ming Chu, who had just arrived, was initially ignored until Ming Tan spoke up: “Oh, this is my third elder sister. She’s just returned to the capital from Yangxi Road.”

In noble families nowadays, both legitimate and illegitimate children were educated the same, though differences inevitably arose in marriage prospects due to maternal lineage. At least on the surface, however, no one openly discriminated against illegitimate daughters.

As the hostess, Zhang Hanmiao quickly followed Ming Tan’s lead and praised sweetly, “One look and it’s clear—Sister Chu must be a general’s daughter, with such a heroic air!”

Naturally.

Ming Chu humbly dismissed the praise with a faint “You flatter me,” yet her chin was slightly raised, and she didn’t even deign to look directly at Zhang Hanmiao, showing no trace of humility.

Zhang Hanmiao’s smile froze for a moment before she quickly masked it and shifted to other topics.

The other young ladies who had intended to offer compliments also fell silent at Ming Chu’s demeanor, casually switching to other conversations. Yet inwardly, they all thought the same:

She’s someone we neither know nor need to befriend. Does she even realize where she is, putting on such airs?

Ming Chu, unaware of the reason, assumed they were deliberately snubbing her on Ming Tan’s orders and grew resentful.

Equally resentful was Feng Zhao, the Princess Consort, who had entered the garden just moments after Ming Tan’s group. She hadn’t had her maid announce her, so no one had even noticed her presence!

After standing awkwardly for a while, she shot her maid a glance.

The maid hastily called out, “Princess Consort Feng Zhao has arrived!”

Only then did the crowd turn their attention, offering half-curtsies: “Greetings to the Princess Consort. May the Princess Consort enjoy golden peace.”

“No need for formalities.”

Feng Zhao’s heart was stifled with irritation. As she walked forward, she cast a cold glance at Ming Tan. Upon reaching the pavilion, she scrutinized Ming Tan from head to toe before suddenly smiling. “Fourth Miss Ming is as lovely as ever. It seems the broken engagement hasn’t affected you at all.”

The crowd fell silent.

To pick a fight so blatantly—Princess Consort Feng Zhao was truly one of a kind.

Yet Ming Tan outright ignored the latter half of the remark, smiling to reveal a pair of shallow, sweet dimples. “Thank you for the compliment, Princess Consort.”"..." Princess Feng Zhao continued, "Since the Marquis's residence is no longer in the capital, it will be difficult to see their young ladies again. By the way, the fifth young lady of the Marquis's household once borrowed a rare ancient book from me and hasn't returned it yet. I wonder where it is now. Fourth Young Lady, given that you were once betrothed to their household, you must have corresponded with the fifth young lady—"

"Ah, A Tan, what's wrong?" Bai Minmin suddenly supported Ming Tan, looking concerned.

Ming Tan: "It's nothing. Perhaps not having breakfast has made me a bit lightheaded."

Everyone quickly chimed in with words of concern, and Princess Feng Zhao's line of questioning was abruptly cut short.

Truth be told, Ming Tan had hundreds of retorts that could leave Feng Zhao speechless, but today she didn’t want to engage with her. She was still waiting for Second Young Master Shu.

After the flurry of solicitous inquiries, the topic was dropped. Zhang Hanmiao was about to begin the poetry gathering when Ming Chu, noticing the tension between Princess Feng Zhao and Ming Tan, suddenly interjected, "Has Fourth Sister not fully recovered from her recent chill after falling into the water?"

Falling into the water? What incident was this?

The crowd was stunned and confused. Even Ming Tan hadn’t expected Ming Chu to bring up the Lantern Festival drowning incident in such a setting.

The pavilion fell silent for a moment until Shen Hua suddenly spoke up: "The lotus pond in our estate is quite shallow. Fourth Sister couldn’t have caught a chill from it. Third Sister, there’s no need for excessive guilt—just be more careful when practicing with the whip in the future."