"Who is this woman wearing flowers in her hair, that she actually invited me to meet at Mingyu Tower?"
As Hai Ling finished speaking, a fleeting glint of light flashed in Shen Ruoxuan's eyes, which quickly disappeared. The people in the side hall didn't notice because their attention wasn't on him. Shi Mei shook her head, and even Fu Yue shook her head. They really had never heard of this word before.
"have no idea."
Shen Ruoxuan raised an eyebrow and said calmly, "Master, since we don't know her, there's no need for us to see her."
Shi Mei, standing to the side, nodded in agreement: "Yes, Miss. There's no need to see strangers, lest someone try to sabotage you behind your back."
Hai Ling didn't speak, but frowned. A faint mist settled over her beautiful and elegant face. Who wanted to see her? If she didn't go to see them, she would seem petty. Could it be that she was too afraid to see them after being invited? How could she stay in Bei Lu after that? If this got out, she would be ridiculed for being so paranoid that she wouldn't even dare to accept a proper invitation.
"Alright, let's go to Mingyu Tower. I want to see who wants to see me."
"master?"
Shen Ruoxuan called out, and Shi Mei, who was standing to the side, was also a little worried. Mainly, she didn't know who this person wearing the flower was, and she felt uneasy about going to the appointment rashly.
However, no one can change the young lady's mind once she makes a decision, and Shi Mei knew this very well, so she looked at Shen Ruoxuan and said, "Since the young lady is going, there is no way to stop her. Shi Lan and I will take good care of her."
"It's alright, you can go back now."
Hai Ling waved for Shen Ruoxuan to go back, then got up and prepared to go to Mingyu Tower. Fu Yue had already taken a fox fur cloak and put it on her.
It just snowed outside, it's very cold, and the ground is slippery, so be careful.
"Fuyue, have the steward prepare a carriage."
“Yes, Miss,” Fu Yue went ahead to instruct the steward to prepare the carriage. Shen Ruoxuan stepped down from the main hall, his expression shifting, his eyes deep and unfathomable. He looked up at the sky and sighed heavily in his heart.
She eventually received the news and came to Beilu. This "flower-adorned person"—others might not know, but how could he not know? She was his younger sister, Princess Jingyue. Jingyue had loved poetry since childhood and had given herself the courtesy name "flower-adorned person." Moreover, many people knew that the person Jingyue loved was Xi Lengyue, the Demon Lord of the Cold Demon Palace. However, he never expected that she would receive the news that Xi Lengyue was actually Ye Lingfeng, the Emperor of Beilu. That's probably why she encountered trouble.
She sent an invitation to Hailing today, simply because she had received news that Ye Lingfeng liked Hailing, which is why she invited her to meet.
Who knows what might happen when these two women meet? Moreover, as Jingyue's brother, Shen Ruoxuan hopes that Jingyue won't get involved in Ye Lingfeng and Hailing's relationship. They both like each other, but it's unclear why Hailing is now acting against Ye Lingfeng. However, Ye Lingfeng is a man who never compromises once he's made up his mind. Besides, he's a fickle and cold-hearted person who doesn't easily fall in love. Since he likes Hailing, he probably won't change his mind easily. And Hailing is indeed a woman worthy of a man's wholehearted devotion.
Although his younger sister Jingyue was proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and deserved the title of the most beautiful woman in the world, she was not on the same level as Hailing.
Putting everything else aside, just consider Hailing's wisdom and resourcefulness, which Jingyue can't match. As for her beauty, Hailing is more than just beautiful; she also possesses a noble elegance and an innate air of superiority. Furthermore, she is not only skilled in medicine but also exceptionally adept in martial arts. Just look at the lion cub she keeps; the lion is docile and obedient in her hands, seemingly daring not to be arrogant at all. Even though I often spend time with her, I still can't fathom just how powerful she is, let alone her younger sister, Jingyue.
Shen Ruoxuan was anxious as he thought about the two women meeting soon. A dark glint flashed in his eyes as he made a plan. Yes, he had to stop Jingyue from seeing Hailing and make her return to Nanling Kingdom immediately. Shen Ruoxuan quickly left the Ji residence and headed towards Mingyu Tower.
At this moment, Hailing led Fuyue, Shimei, and Shilan onto the carriage in front of the Ji residence and headed towards Mingyu Tower.
The main street was bustling with people, and the cobblestone road was incredibly smooth.
Luxurious carriages passed by on the street from time to time. The snow had melted, and the road was wet. The horses' hooves splashed water everywhere, and many people exclaimed in surprise from time to time.
Because it was shortly after the New Year, many shops were not yet open, but many teahouses and taverns were open, and the area in front of them was bustling with activity.
Mingyu Tower was also bustling with activity, with rows of carriages parked in the open space in front of the gate.
As soon as the carriage from the Ji residence came to a stop, a waiter came over, bowing respectfully and saying repeatedly, "Sir, you've arrived! Please come in, please come in."
Fuyue was the first to jump down from the carriage, followed by her two maids, Shimei and Shilan.
Fuyue lifted the carriage curtain, and the two maids, Shimei and Shilan, reached out to help Hailing down from the carriage.
Today, Hailing wore a deep crimson dress with light jade tassels at the waist, and a white fox fur cloak over it. Her already outstanding face was made even more beautiful and ethereal by the white dress, exuding a refined and elegant aura. Her delicate features and serene expression revealed an air of nobility. The waiter at Mingyu Tower stared at her, his mouth agape, speechless. After years of working as a waiter, he felt it was all worth it today, seeing two stunning beauties, each more beautiful than the last, each more captivating than the last.
When Fu Yue saw the waiter's stunned expression, she couldn't help but scold him.
"What are you looking at? Look again and I'll gouge your eyes out."
How could this street waiter possibly look at their young lady? He kept staring at her, almost drooling. This waiter was disgusting. But the young lady was indeed beautiful; any man would probably want to marry such a stunning beauty.
The waiter snapped out of his daze and quickly lowered his head, saying, "Please come in, Miss. Please come in, Miss."
The waiter was seriously thinking, when did such a great beauty appear in the capital of Beilu? Could the master in front of him be the Miss Ji who has been making headlines recently, and the one the emperor likes? Rumor has it that this Miss Ji will either become an empress or a concubine in the palace. My goodness, he really hit the jackpot. He actually got to entertain an empress and a concubine today. What a blessing this is! The waiter's mind was filled with wild fantasies.
Hai Ling and the others ignored him. Fu Yue took out the invitation and handed it to the waiter: "Which room is this 'flower-wearing person' in?"
Xiao Er finally came to his senses. Upon seeing the post, he knew who the young lady from the Ji family was looking for—it turned out to be that beautiful female guest.
The female guest was not only mysterious but also very wealthy and extravagant. No one except him could see what she looked like. Her face was covered by a veil, which she only removed after entering the private room. At that moment, he almost stopped breathing.
The waiter was deep in thought when Fu Yue, annoyed, asked, "Does this person even exist?"
Could it be that someone was so bored that they deliberately did this? Or perhaps it was done by someone with ulterior motives? Fu Yue thought to herself, and then glared at the waiter.
"Tell me, is the person behind this post male or female, ugly or handsome?"
The waiter was somewhat flustered by Fu Yue's barrage of questions, but he quickly recovered and replied.
"Miss Ji, please come in. That guest is a woman, very beautiful. She has booked a private room on the second floor. Please come up with me, Miss Ji."
Hai Ling nodded, and the group followed the waiter inside. In the lobby on the first floor of Mingyulou, many people were drinking tea and chatting. As soon as they saw the group of people who entered Mingyulou, they all widened their eyes. Those who were drinking tea, chatting, or making noise all stopped what they were doing and stared blankly at the group of women who walked in.
The woman at the head of the group wore a red brocade dress with a white fox fur cloak. She was pure and ethereal, like a snow lotus on the Tianshan Mountains. Her skin was whiter than the snow of Beilu, transparent and crystal clear. Her face was veiled with a faint coolness, elegant and aloof, which made her look even more ethereal. Who was she?
For a moment, no one in the hall spoke, only staring at Hailing and the others, until they followed the waiter upstairs to the second floor, and then the sounds of conversation resumed downstairs.
Some of them recognized Hailin and exclaimed in surprise.
"Do you know? This girl is Miss Ji, the most beautiful woman in our Northern Lu."
"So it's Miss Ji, you are indeed beautiful."
“Beautiful. Not only are the women of the Ji family beautiful, but the men are also handsome.”