20demayo Chapter 398
Chapter 398
recently, many hybrid varieties of roses have been sent into the palace and transplanted in the imperial garden. the empress has taken to strolling through the garden every day after breakfast to admire the flowers.
the office of music and dance has arranged for dancers and singers to perform daily in the imperial garden for her majesty’s entertainment.
today, however, was different. old marchioness yunyang had been invited to the palace to escape the summer heat, bringing her family along from yunyang county.
the second princess twirled in front of her full-length mirror, dressed in a soft pink gown. her hair was styled in double buns adorned with pink and white roses, from which hung golden bells that chimed melodiously with her every movement.
“why is there a red bump on my forehead?” she exclaimed in dismay.
of all times! today was the day she was supposed to meet the grandson of old marchioness yunyang!
how could she have a blemish on her face? what if fifth young master shi minded it?
the servants attending to the second princess had recently been replaced by the emperor, and those now serving her in yanqing palace were personally selected by jiang xinyue.
fu liu strained her eyes to see the barely noticeable pimple on the princess’s forehead, barely resisting the urge to roll her eyes.
she offered a practiced smile and said, “you are a princess, and this marriage was requested by old marchioness yunyang herself. you are a noble branch of the imperial family descending to marry into the shi household. why should you care what he likes? just be yourself.”
the second princess was taken aback. “be myself?”
“exactly!”
fu liu nodded. “a second princess who is lively, bold, and unafraid to express her emotions—isn’t that charming? if fifth young master shi doesn’t appreciate you, it’s his loss. there are countless fine young men in great yan. you don’t have to settle for him. the empress said it herself: men’s flaws are indulged by us. as long as you don’t indulge him, he won’t dare to cause trouble.”
“the empress said that?”
a breeze swept through the window, gently ringing the golden bells by her ears. it was as if a sudden clarity had dawned on the second princess.
her eyes sparkled. “you’re right. i should be myself.”
in the imperial garden—
to welcome old marchioness yunyang and the women of the jing and jiang families, the emperor had instructed the imperial household department to invite the most popular opera troupe in the capital, the rongsheng opera troupe.
but when their eyes met and quickly darted away, both felt their hearts racing, flustered and unsure.
their hearts were beating far too fast!
“what’s the point of young people listening to opera with us?”
jiang xinyue, intending to give the two some time alone, addressed the second princess. “my younger siblings, along with the ladies and gentlemen from old marchioness yunyang’s family, aren’t familiar with the palace. why don’t you take them for a stroll? i’ll keep the marchioness company.”
as the empress, her youth was often forgotten by others—and sometimes even by herself.
before her transmigration, she had been nearing thirty, so even in great yan, she carried a maturity and composure beyond her years.
the second princess, recalling fu liu’s words, straightened her back and replied gracefully, “as you wish, mother.”
of course, the second princess didn’t need to guide them personally; servants were on hand to lead the young ladies and gentlemen.
jiang junze, who was about the same age as the second princess, had attended countless palace banquets with his mother and knew of the princess’s past animosity toward jiang xinyue. he couldn’t bring himself to like her.
the two glared at each other, their expressions almost comically confrontational.
jiang xinyan kicked jiang junze under the table, shaking her head when he looked at her.
reluctantly, he averted his gaze.
aside from the jiang, jing, and yunyang families, several other officials’ families were present. the young men, full of vigor and confidence, naturally attracted the attention of the young ladies.
beautiful girls, in turn, caught the eyes of the young men. while this was ostensibly a meeting between the second princess and fifth young master shi, it felt more like an unofficial matchmaking event.
third yan of the piaoqi general’s family and jiang erlang of the jiang family were undoubtedly the most sought-after bachelors, with every family instructing their daughters to win their favor.
jiang junze, being slightly younger, was less popular than third yan.
it was june, and the palace was in full bloom, with flowers everywhere, artificial hills, flowing streams, and lush greenery.
amidst the beauty of the season, the young men and women couldn’t help but feel their hearts stir.
third yan, having dodged one admirer after another, made his way to jiang xinyan’s side.