Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 23. Blooming Flowers Festival (4)
23. The Flower Festival (4)
"Eldest Princess Zhaoyang has arrived!"
On the lush green lawn of the Peony Garden, neatly arranged tables were laden with all sorts of exotic delicacies and fresh fruits. The beautifully dressed young ladies sat in an orderly manner, conversing in low voices. Hearing the announcement of the Eldest Princess’s arrival, they all promptly rose to their feet and curtsied. "Greetings, Eldest Princess."
Eldest Princess Zhaoyang was dressed in simple yet elegant court attire. Although approaching forty, her slightly aloof features were still remarkably well-preserved. Her pretty, willow-leaf eyebrows were slightly raised, clearly indicating this Eldest Princess was not of a gentle temperament. Commandery Princess Ronghua, demurely following beside the Eldest Princess, presented a stark contrast to her arrogant demeanor in the courtyard earlier. Accompanying her was a stunningly beautiful young maiden dressed in brocade, her eyes filled with amusement as she curiously surveyed the young ladies around her. However, no matter how Ye Li racked her brains, she could not ascertain the maiden’s identity, so she decided to dismiss the thought.
"At ease. Be seated."
The assembled ladies rose again to offer their thanks, then resumed their seats.
Only then did Eldest Princess Zhaoyang speak. "Today’s festival is an informal gathering for the young ladies of Capital City to enjoy their leisure. There’s no need for excessive formality; please feel free to relax and enjoy yourselves."
Although the Eldest Princess said so, very few truly dared to be at ease. It was Commandery Princess Ronghua, however, who sat beside the Eldest Princess, playfully clinging to her arm and acting coy. The Eldest Princess’s cool expression softened considerably, revealing the great affection she held for this little niece, as she herself was childless.
"Who is that young lady beside the Eldest Princess? She’s truly beautiful." The young ladies whispered discreetly, eyeing the gorgeous maiden next to the Eldest Princess with curiosity and sharing their opinions with their friends. A few even cast subtle, almost imperceptible glances towards Ye Ying. The smile on Ye Ying’s face was somewhat strained. The girl sat to the right of Eldest Princess Zhaoyang, her status evidently no less than that of Commandery Princess Ronghua, and her beauty far surpassed Commandery Princess Ronghua’s. Ye Ying prided herself on being the foremost beauty in Capital City. However, the brocade-clad maiden possessed an exquisite and radiant beauty, distinct from Ye Ying’s delicate and fragile charm, and thus drew more attention. Beautiful women always notice other women who are more beautiful than themselves first.
"Heh heh, who is that maiden? It seems Ye Ying’s title as the foremost beauty of Capital City is in jeopardy," Murong Ting chuckled, covering her mouth with her sleeve.
Hua Tianxiang glanced at her and smiled faintly. "She’s the niece of Princess Zhaoyang’s Prince Consort."
"Princess Zhaoyang’s Prince Consort... isn’t that..." Qin Zheng, also surprised, hesitated for a moment before asking, "Is she a Commandery Princess from the Nanzhao Kingdom?" Princess Zhaoyang’s Prince Consort had been a hostage prince sent from the Nanzhao Kingdom to the Great Chu. Legend had it that Princess Zhaoyang and the Prince Consort were deeply in love, and she had vowed to marry no one but him. Left with no choice, the late Emperor married his most beloved sister to this hostage prince. After their grand wedding, the Prince Consort and the Princess were deeply devoted to each other, their marriage harmonious. Who would have known that not even three years later, the Prince Consort would pass away from illness. In the presence of the late Emperor, the Eldest Princess then vowed never to remarry, dedicating her life to observing mourning rites for her Prince Consort. Hearing this, Ye Li also looked curiously at Hua Tianxiang. As the daughter of State Duke Hua and the niece of the current Empress, it was not surprising that Hua Tianxiang knew things others did not. Hua Tianxiang glanced at the Eldest Princess and the beautiful maiden before them, then shook her head and said, "That is the youngest daughter of the current King of Nanzhao, known as Princess Qixia, the foremost beauty of Nanzhao."
"I’ve heard Nanzhao is famed for its beauties. This Princess Qixia is indeed extraordinary."
Hua Tianxiang blinked, looking at Ye Li, who seemed to want to speak but then hesitated. Ye Li raised an eyebrow, smiled at her, and said, "Is there something you can’t say?"
Hua Tianxiang laughed. "Although this is our first meeting, I find you to be quite an interesting person. There’s no harm in telling you. This Princess Qixia... it’s said she might be staying in our Great Chu permanently."
Permanently? Murong Ting, no longer interested in the ongoing songs and dances, looked at Hua Tianxiang with a puzzled expression and said, "This Princess Qixia seems to be around our age. If she’s staying permanently, doesn’t that mean..." Does that mean Princess Qixia plans to marry into Great Chu? A marriage alliance between two kingdoms is a major event; how could there be no word of it outside? Hua Tianxiang coughed lightly and whispered, covering her lips, "Princess Qixia came to Great Chu of her own accord. Do you all remember, last year His Highness Prince Li was sent on a mission to Nanzhao..."
"You’re saying—!" Murong Ting was so shocked she almost lost control of her voice. Qin Zheng discreetly pinched her arm, helping her calm down. Noticing that people from the two adjacent tables were looking over, she quickly composed herself into a dignified posture and gracefully sipped the passion fruit wine before her. Seeing that the others’ attention had shifted away, Murong Ting smiled apologetically at her three companions. Hua Tianxiang and Qin Zheng, clearly familiar with her personality, both smiled, unconcerned. Murong Ting frowned, looked at Ye Li, and said, "Although it’s not really my place to say this, I still want to. Breaking off the engagement with Prince Li might truly not be a bad thing."
Ye Li took a sip of the light fruit wine in her cup and smiled in agreement. "You’re absolutely right."
"Who do you all think will be the judges for this year’s Flower Festival?" Hua Tianxiang asked.
Ye Li only had a general understanding of the Flower Festival’s proceedings, considering it merely a social gathering for the young ladies of Capital City. She shook her head indifferently, prompting Hua Tianxiang to poke her with a finger. "This is your first time attending the Flower Festival. You should at least go on stage and display some skill, lest those arrogant people look down on you."
Ye Li blinked, glancing at the graceful dancers in the center of the garden. "Are you suggesting I should go up there to sing and dance? I’d scare people; I can’t dance!" Besides, she wasn’t someone with a strong desire to perform, and it wasn’t as if there were celebrity talent shows in this era.
Qin Zheng quietly explained, "Most young ladies don’t choose singing or dancing. However, competitions in zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, as well as various forms of poetry and composition, are all part of the event. The top three winners selected each year receive a very precious prize."
A prize?
"Are you all participating?"
Murong Ting said, slightly embarrassed, "Aside from me, Zheng’er and Tianxiang are both very skilled. Two years ago, Zheng’er won first place in poetry, calligraphy, and painting. Last year, Tianxiang won first in chess and third in zither. Last year’s overall winner was your Fourth Sister, the future Princess Consort Li. She won first place in both zither and dance, and fifth in poetry composition."
Ye Li glanced at Ye Ying, who was seated at a table separated from theirs and conversing with someone, and said with a smile, "I knew about that. But I had no idea that Zheng’er and Miss Hua were such rarely seen talents."
Hua Tianxiang waved her hand. "Madam Ye was once Capital City’s Number One Talented Woman. This year, neither Zheng’er nor I will participate. Among us few, it’s all up to you."
Ye Li sighed helplessly. "I’m really not skilled in these things."
Qin Zheng took her hand and smiled. "Ye Ying will definitely participate this year. Li’er, you can’t let her outshine you."
Hua Tianxiang also chimed in excitedly, "Exactly! Ye Li, you must avenge me. I worked so hard last year, only to be outdone by Ye Ying. It was so humiliating."
Murong Ting didn’t miss the chance to join in, gazing at her eagerly. "If it were martial arts, I could win first place every year. Unfortunately, no one competes with me. Li’er, you have to try hard!"
Ye Li was caught between laughter and tears by these newly made friends. She truly wasn’t proficient in these arts. Although her mother had taught her since childhood, and she knew a little of everything, she was aware she would be far outmatched by those who had diligently specialized in and practiced these skills. Take Ye Ying’s dancing, for example. Although she hadn’t seen it, she’d heard that Ye Ying alone had five or six masters teaching her dance. Every dance was specially choreographed, and Ye Ying had indeed put tremendous effort into it. As for her, ever since regaining the memories of her past life after her mother’s death, her interest in these pursuits had plummeted by more than tenfold. Besides, Ms. Wang would never have hired such high-caliber tutors to instruct her.
"This year, I’m afraid you won’t be able to avoid participating," Murong Ting said, nibbling on an exquisite pastry from the table. "The winners of the Flower Festival competitions are entitled to challenge anyone present. Believe me, if you hadn’t stayed cooped up indoors all these years, you’d probably be the one challenged most often every year." She was formerly Prince Li’s fiancée and was now the future Princess Consort Ding. In the eyes of many, Ye Li’s good fortune was enviable, and they would likely be eager to see her make a fool of herself.
"You should eat something quickly," Hua Tianxiang reminded. "Once the festival officially begins, you probably won’t get another chance to eat." 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮
Ye Li stared speechlessly at the exquisite pastries and dishes before her. To think that after dawdling for over two hours, this so-called Flower Festival hasn’t even started yet!
