Luna de Luzhou

Capítulo 61

Knowing how to read people's expressions and keeping a low profile, his reputation gradually spread throughout the capital.

However, Shen Meichu, the daughter of the old Hanlin scholar, was still just a young lady with some talent.

It truly gained fame during the Yaohuang Peony Festival in Kyoto in spring. Every year at that time, Zhangjiayuan, Tangdifang, Changshouji East Street, and Guo Ling's Residence would be filled with people and carriages going to see the peonies. Curtains and carriages, accompanied by singing and music.

Although the peonies of Kyoto are in full bloom during their season, they cannot compare to those of Luoyang.

That year, as was customary, peonies from Luoyang were sent to the capital. Large swathes of transplanted peonies were displayed along the banks of the Luoqing Pond, surrounded by cultivated peonies presented by princes and ministers as a backdrop. The peonies from Shen Hanlin's household happened to be placed next to the Yao Huang peonies, known for their thousand-petaled yellow flowers from Luoyang.

Speaking of the Yao Huang peony from Luoyang, it was an extremely famous variety at the time. Among the various types of Yao Huang peonies, the Yao Huang stands out. Considering that this term later came to describe a flower as beautiful and enchanting, one can easily imagine its delicate charm. That year, the Luoyang Yao Huang lived up to its reputation, its tender pale yellow color just beginning to bloom.

Swaying gracefully, layer upon layer of petals surround the deep chestnut yellow blossoms—large or small, intricate or sparse, yet all are dazzling flowers that bring immense joy and surprise.

Unfortunately, everyone's attention was not on it, but on a pure white peony placed next to it.

The people of the capital are not so easily fooled. Even ordinary citizens have seen countless rare and unusual things during major festivals in the capital since childhood. Every year during the peony festival, even the rarest and most precious varieties can often be seen.

However, no one has ever seen a peony like this.

Peonies, the flowers of wealth and honor, are considered the king of flowers. Their petals should be large and eye-catching, their posture commanding and elegant, their blossoms dignified and noble. Crimson is the most prized, followed by Yao Huang and Wei Zi. White peonies are merely a common variety.

Because of her young age, she didn't see the peonies herself; she only learned about the scene from the old nanny. In the overwhelming field of peonies, beside the precious Yao Huang peonies, stood only a single white peony, so small and so ordinary white, surely thought to go unnoticed. Yet, it captured everyone's attention.

The peonies we see, no matter how beautiful, are just one type of flower on a single plant. This white peony plant only has a dozen or so flowers, not many. A skilled florist can even cultivate more than thirty large flowers on a single peony tree—

But no one has ever seen nearly twenty completely different flowers on the same plant.

Thirteen petals, twenty petals, large petals, small petals, fully rolled leaves, half rolled leaves, flat petals, tightly bound petals, fully open petals, half open petals—all kinds of flowers you've seen or haven't seen, can imagine or can't imagine, bloom on this one flowering tree.

This is simply a divine object!

Some people even tried to break through the guards' obstruction and protection to pinch the flower to see if it was made of paper or cloth!

That year's peony festival was the largest, most spectacular, and most eye-catching event since the beginning of the dynasty. Villagers came from far and wide, and everyone who heard the news traveled from afar. Some arrived late, and by the time they were past their prime, they were so anxious they fainted on the spot. Even the emperor and empress dowager visited the flowers multiple times, almost as if they wanted to move them to the palace.

People in Beijing love to have fun, but if they had heard beforehand that such a flower could cause such a sensation, they would never have believed it.

Those who reacted quickly inquired around upon returning home, discovering the flowers belonged to the Hanlin family. Various groups then rushed to the old Hanlin's residence to demand the gardener who had grown them. The old Hanlin, always engrossed in his studies, paid no attention to such matters. He casually instructed his steward to bring the gardener up so the officials could discuss it amongst themselves, then dismissed them. Fortunately, everyone understood his character and didn't take it to heart, each excitedly taking the gardener to a convenient spot to question him thoroughly.

But after a series of polite questions, it was as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over their heads—this flower was not planted by a gardener, but was grown by the young lady of the manor in her spare time!

Shen Meichu's reputation spread throughout the streets and alleys of the capital after that.

Before, Shen Meichu was merely an outstanding young woman confined to her chambers, known only to a small circle of women. This time, however, everyone from the emperor to the common people knows of this exceptionally talented woman.

Although cultivating flowers and plants is not as lofty as studying, but rather the work of a craftsman, as a pastime, it is a dazzling skill that surpasses even the famous Yao Huang peonies of Luoyang, cultivating white peonies that no one in the country has ever seen before.

The key point is that she was not a craftswoman who made a living from this, but a young girl in her boudoir. Yet, the things she did as a pastime were so extraordinary that they were considered elegant by people.

If this action made Kyoto aware of the name Shen Meichu, then her subsequent actions would ensure that Kyoto would never forget this name.