After the carriage had been traveling for a while, Qiu Lanxi heard the lively sounds of people outside. They had probably reached a bustling area. The sounds gradually subsided before the carriage stopped.
Knowing they had arrived, Qiu Lanxi put her veil back on. Yan Qingli glanced at her, put down his book, got off the carriage, and handed her his hand.
Qiu Lanxi handed her her hand. With her there, even if the veil obstructed her view, she wasn't afraid of tripping. This trust made Yan Qingli's eyebrows twitch slightly, but she quickly looked away calmly.
Chapter 4
Today is the Lantern Festival in Daning. The riverbanks where the carriages are parked are already covered with all kinds of beautiful lanterns, and the riverbanks are illuminated as if it were daytime.
This scene gave Qiu Lanxi a rare moment of disorientation, as if she hadn't yet traveled through time.
The city she lived in in her previous life was an ancient city with a thriving tourism industry. Every night it was just as lively, with many tourists dressed in ancient costumes and Hanfu strolling around, making people forget which dynasty they were in.
Unfortunately, she can never go back.
Just like how she used to be jostled by the crowds while walking through them, now the plainclothes guards quietly cleared a space for them in the crowd.
As she walked hand in hand with Yan Qingli, seemingly intimate, it was nothing more than a fleeting illusion.
"Are you unhappy?" Yan Qingli suddenly asked as they walked.
Qiu Lanxi paused for a moment before saying, "It's just that the scenery touched my heart."
She was in low spirits, and her voice sounded slightly hoarse, drawing people into her world as if they could empathize with her.
Yan Qingli did not follow up with further questions or words of comfort, which made Qiu Lanxi feel a little regretful. After all, if she had taken the initiative to speak, she would have undoubtedly fallen to a lower level.
After walking for a while, Yan Qingli finally ended her aimless wandering and stopped in front of a vendor, gesturing for the vendor to take the lamp down.
Qiu Lanxi glanced at it; the lantern was composed of seven fairies, and the floating light and shadow made the fairies look as if they were really dancing. It was full of the craftsman's ingenuity. What was even more remarkable was that it was only limited to the size of a handheld lantern, making it like the "Pit Boat" of the lantern world.
How much would that cost?
This was the only thought that popped into Qiu Lanxi's mind, as she had no appreciation for art.
Yan Qingli calmly accepted the lantern from the stall owner. Compared to Qiu Lanxi's amazement at the craftsman's skill, she seemed to have seen even more admirable craftsmanship, so her expression remained unchanged throughout.
After glancing at the lanterns a few times, Yan Qingli said, "Carry them for me."
Qiu Lanxi paused for a moment, took the lamp, and pondered it. The other person didn't seem to like the lamp, so why buy it?
She blinked slightly and smiled at Yan Qingli: "Thank you, Your Highness."
Yan Qingli lifted her eyelids to look at her, her face softened slightly by the light of the lanterns: "Why thank me?"
Qiu Lanxi smiled gently: "It is my great fortune to be able to share Your Highness's burdens."
After saying that, she looked down at the lanterns swaying slightly in the air and couldn't help but reach out to touch the skirt that was as white as star gauze, but before she could touch it, Yan Qingli grabbed her wrist.
“This lamp looks nice, but it gets extremely hot inside.” Yan Qingli said and then let go of her hand. Qiu Lanxi suddenly realized what was happening and, seeing that the other person had already walked forward, quickly followed and handed her hand back.
Yan Qingli always held hands with people in a rather strange way. Qiu Lanxi was either having her wrist grabbed or her knuckles pinched and played with. Taking advantage of the cover of her wide sleeves, she could do almost whatever she wanted in the dark corners.
She tried to analyze in her mind what Yan Qingli's behavior meant, but she stumbled because of his sudden stop. If Yan Qingli hadn't caught her quickly, she would have been embarrassed.
Before Yan Qingli could reprimand her, a voice suddenly rang out: "Why is Your Highness here?"
Qiu Lanxi looked over at the sound and saw a handsome young man leading a group of women toward her. The women were wearing veils, making it impossible to see their faces.
The young man glanced at Qiu Lanxi, who was still being supported by Yan Qingli. Clearly, she was not a maid. A hint of interest appeared in his eyes. "Your Highness is in quite a mood."
Even though the incident at the princess's residence happened not long ago, everyone who needed to know already knew, so it was hard to tell whether the other party's words were sarcastic or mocking.
"Likewise." Yan Qingli glanced at the woman beside him who was definitely not a princess and sneered.
Qiu Lanxi then realized who the other person was. These days, Yan Qingli seemed to be afraid that she would be bored, so her maid Chun Su had told her a lot about the 'local customs and culture' of the capital.
The seventh prince, Prince Jin, was born to Consort Rong. His mother was a favored concubine who enjoyed a long-lasting and prominent position in the palace. Because of his mother's status, the seventh prince was able to frequently appear in front of the emperor and was said to be a strong contender for the throne.
"Greetings, Your Highness Shaoguang... and this young lady." Seemingly unsure of how to address her, the woman beside Prince Jin paused before continuing.
The Prince of Jin's wife was three years older than him, yet her voice sounded like that of a young girl who had just come of age.
Yan Qingli raised an eyebrow before recognizing the person: "So it's Princess Danxiang."
Princess Danxiang curtsied slightly toward Yan Qingli, her voice sweet: "I never expected to meet Your Highness here. It's been so many days. I wonder how Your Highness is doing?"
Qiu Lanxi's eyelashes trembled slightly, concealing her gossipy expression.
The hesitant tone suggested a secret affair with the princess, but Yan Qingli addressed her as "County Princess" rather than "Madam," indicating that she was unmarried.
She is unmarried, yet she appears next to a married man, and she also seems to have a past relationship with Yan Qingli. This complicated relationship is truly intriguing.
Qiu Lanxi's imagination runs wild, heading towards countless melodramatic plots.
"Such a beautiful day, I'll take you out for a walk," Yan Qingli said casually.
Princess Danxiang was startled and looked up in astonishment.
Unlike Prince Jin, she obviously couldn't have known about what was discovered in front of the princess's residence today. So, although she had also witnessed the scene just now, she didn't think much of it. Only now did she finally look at Qiu Lanxi.
Meeting the other person's gaze, Qiu Lanxi lowered her eyes and smiled shyly.
Princess Danxiang's eyes narrowed slightly, then she frowned and turned her gaze to Prince Jin. His handsome face made her blush slightly, and the discomfort she felt in her heart disappeared instantly.
After watching the spectacle, Prince Jin slowly spoke up, "I have a restaurant by the river that offers a panoramic view of the beautiful scenery. Would you do me the honor of coming with me to admire the lanterns?"
"In that case... I'm sorry to bother you." Yan Qingli hesitated for a moment before agreeing, then changed the subject, "Qingqing is dressed lightly, it would be good for her to have a cup of hot tea and rest for a while."
The moment she opened her mouth, she spoke as if the restaurant were her own property, acting as if she were the guest of honor. Looking at the smile on her face, Prince Jin couldn't help but take a deep breath. Using his things to curry favor—had she even asked him beforehand?!
Jin Wang suppressed his inner rage, and the smile on his face faded somewhat.
Princess Shaoguang's favor with the Ning Dynasty has always made the princes feel inferior. Some people try to curry favor with her, while others resent it. Therefore, Prince Jin's trip was naturally to watch the show.
If people initially thought Princess Shaoguang was just giving herself a way out when she made those remarks in Xunyan Lane, then her public statements at the Princess's residence were enough to make them realize that she was serious, which is why they found them absurd.
But when such a thing happened to Princess Shaoguang, it seemed completely unsurprising.
Therefore, many people couldn't help but think of Princess Shaoguang's former close friends, marveling at her aloofness and indifference, and wondering how many of them were her lovers, or perhaps all of them.
Soon, the group arrived at the restaurant, which was surrounded by numerous guards, making the restaurant seem rather deserted despite the lively atmosphere.
Yan Qingli led Qiu Lanxi up the stairs to the second floor. After a few steps, they saw that there were already quite a few people sitting upstairs.
"Seventh Brother, you're late," someone said immediately upon seeing Prince Jin's figure. However, upon seeing Yan Qingli behind him, the smile on their face immediately faded. "Royal Sister?"
There weren't many people present, but they were all prominent figures. They bowed to the two men, exchanged pleasantries, and then took their seats.
Yan Qingli glanced at Prince Jin with a half-smile before choosing a seat by the window. She reached out and picked up Qiu Lanxi's veiled hat, handing it to a maid. Qiu Lanxi blinked, and only after being pulled to sit down did she raise her eyes and glance around.
That single glance silenced the entire room.
The beautiful woman sitting by the window is like God's most perfect masterpiece. Just one glance makes you feel as if you are walking on clouds, and even walking feels like floating.
The ancient book "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River" perfectly describes the beauty of the goddess, and even in this context, it doesn't seem like she's unworthy of the title.
Such a woman of unparalleled beauty...
Jin Wang, who had come to see the joke, suddenly realized that perhaps he was the joke.
Princess Danxiang's smile became somewhat forced. In the past, she frequented the princess's residence and was favored by Princess Shaoguang. Although they had grown distant later, she still felt special. At this moment, she couldn't help but look at her with a bit of condescension. After all, no matter what, the other party was just a plaything.
But at this moment, she was no longer sure if anyone would really be willing to treat a woman of such color as just a plaything.
How could there be someone in this world with such an almost demonic appearance?!
Almost all the young men's gazes drifted over. Yan Qingli paused for a moment, then picked up the teacup and said softly, "Try this tea to soothe your throat."
Qiu Lanxi subconsciously raised her hand to take it, but the other person slightly raised her hand and moved it away, leaving her with empty air. She was very good at reading people's expressions, and seeing this, she immediately reached out to support the other person's arm, smiled and took a sip, and looked up at her: "Good tea."
With Yan Qingli's wide sleeves covering her, no one saw her reckless behavior. However, everyone knew that Princess Shaoguang had personally handed her the teacup. Only then did they realize what was happening and turn their gazes away, trying their best to keep their eyes from wandering over.
The beauty smiled like a flower, her lips becoming even more delicate from the tea. Yan Qingli glanced at her, then calmly lowered her sleeves, seemingly unaffected. Her drooping black hair vaguely revealed her ears, which only Princess Danxiang noticed, as white as jade and as red as rouge.
Jin Wang looked at Qiu Lanxi: "How is this tea?"
Yan Qingli glanced at him and continued, "It's just something to soothe the throat, why bother with it?"
"Of course, it can't compare to the Emperor's tea," Prince Jin said with a smile, offering a compliment.
"Seventh Brother is joking," Yan Qingli said calmly, then fell silent. For some reason, Prince Jin also remained silent, letting the atmosphere grow cold.
After a short while, someone impatiently asked, "I've heard that Princess Danxiang is unparalleled in both sword and dance. I wonder if I, Your Highness, would have the honor of being ranked first?"
The speaker was Prince Fu, the first son of the emperor. He was born with a disability and walked with a limp, which meant he was destined to be ineligible for the throne. The emperor pitied him and thus he developed an extremely arrogant personality.
Love and desire give life, hatred and desire kill. This is the saying about Prince Fu. Because he has no chance of the throne, he is arrogant and domineering in his words and deeds regardless of the occasion. Everyone present knows that Prince Fu once favored Princess Danxiang, but no one expected that he would deliberately make things difficult for Prince Jin and Princess Shaoguang without any regard for their feelings.
A county princess performing a dance in public, while not necessarily a sign of self-degradation, would inevitably draw some disdain from others. After all, the private room was not only occupied by a few princes, but also by young masters from aristocratic families.
It is an honor to dance for elders, but nowadays everyone is the same age. Apart from concubines, what respectable girl would do such a thing? If word gets out, no one except those from humble families would want her as their principal wife.
Princess Danxiang was aware of these things. The people of Daning were open-minded. Getting close to men might only lead to some gossip, but dancing together would immediately define one's character.
For some reason, her first reaction was not to ask the Prince of Jin for help, but instead she subconsciously looked at Yan Qingli.
Yan Qingli ignored her, picked up a pastry, and smiled faintly at Qiu Lanxi: "Try this pastry."
It was as if he only had eyes for Qiulan Creek and was completely oblivious to the commotion around him.
Chapter 5
Princess Danxiang's subconscious action immediately made everyone look at her with meaningful eyes, and when they thought of the recent rumors in the capital, their gossipy hearts were aroused.
Everyone present knew that Princess Danxiang had lost both her father and mother at a young age, and there were rumors that she had caused the deaths of her parents. No one was willing to take care of her, but Princess Shaoguang took pity on her and took her into the palace for a short stay. Although her status was not as high as that of her companion, she was regarded more highly afterward. After moving into her aunt's house, she was not at all living under someone else's roof. Her food, clothing and daily necessities were even better than those of her own children.
If it weren't for this, she wouldn't have had the chance to meet Prince Fu, let alone for him to fall deeply in love with her.
However, neither Prince Fu nor Princess Shaoguang were people they could afford to offend, so no one spoke up to take sides, lest they become the ones who suffered.
Only Prince Jin, as the host, had a grim expression. Princess Danxiang was someone he had brought in, and Prince Fu was deliberately making things difficult for him. He would not let it go unpunished, after all, she was a prince whose future was not a threat. He didn't care if he offended her.
But this doesn't mean that Prince Jin can just stand by and watch Princess Danxiang bypass him and ask for help from someone else. Wouldn't that mean he's less than a woman?!
Once his temper flared up, Prince Jin, who was about to speak, immediately changed his sitting posture, picked up his teacup, and completely ignored the situation as if he were an outsider.
Yan Qingli's attitude had already explained everything. Princess Danxiang's eyes dimmed, and she finally remembered Prince Jin. However, his indifferent attitude crushed her last hope.
Princess Danxiang's face immediately stiffened, and she had no choice but to stand up and say, "I have made a fool of myself."