Ye Zhen came a little late today. Originally, she wanted to go to the Hundred Gardens earlier. In addition to choosing a reading partner for Ming Yu, she also wanted to talk to the ladies in the capital. After leaving for so many years, the circle she was familiar with must be different.
"There are a lot of people here today." Jin Shanshan walked beside Ye Zhen. Today, she did not take Ye Mu Cheng out. She came to help her niece choose a reading partner.
Ming Yu missed little Mu Cheng. When she saw that her aunt did not bring her cousin, her little mouth was raised high.
"Maybe everyone wants to come and enjoy the plum blossoms." Ye Zhen said with a smile. The number of people who came to the Hundred Flower Garden today surprised her. Ye Zhen smiled and said.
Jin Shanshan saw several young girls hiding and peeping at them. A sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth. "I'm afraid that some people have ulterior motives."
The sister-in-law and the sister-in-law whispered a few words that only they could hear and were soon interrupted.
Hearing the arrival of the Empress, everyone knelt down to greet her.
"Greetings to the Empress, Your Royal Highness, Your Royal Highness." At the forefront were Old Madam Wei and Old Madam Wu, who used to be close to Old Madam Lu. These people had watched Ye Zhen grow up. Now, they were all white-haired. Time and tide wait for no man.
Ye Zhen's beautiful face carried a shallow smile. "Everyone is excused. Today, I just invited everyone to enjoy the plum blossoms together. There is no need to stand on ceremony."
Today, she was wearing a light purple collared coat embroidered with Xinyi flowers and a pink gauze flowery skirt. Her hair was simply combed with a green silk hairpin, and a jade phoenix hairpin was inserted diagonally into her hair. It was obviously just a simple outfit, but it made people feel that she was as dazzling as the spring sun. Her beauty and elegance made everyone else pale in comparison.
Almost everyone had heard of Lu Yaoyao's beauty, but not many people had seen it with their own eyes. Today, it was really amazing.
No wonder the emperor remained in love with her for so many years. No wonder Lu Yaoyao became the devil in the heart of every woman in the palace.
Ye Zhen was escorted into the lobby. This was the largest courtyard in the Hundred Gardens. It was built a few years ago to facilitate the banquet.
"Everyone, take your seats." Ye Zhen said with a smile and asked the palace servants to bring brocades to the old ladies.
Ming Xi and Ming Yu stood obediently by Ye Zhen's side, accepting everyone's observation generously.
"Today's weather happens to be good. I heard that the plum blossoms in the Hundred Flower Gardens are blooming well this year, so I wanted to come and enjoy it. Thinking that I have been away from the palace for many days, I have not met you many often. Taking advantage of today's opportunity, I invite everyone to come and get together." Ye Zhen said with a smile, not mentioning the matter of selecting a reading partner.
Countess Chen, who was standing behind Old Madame Wei, said with a smile, "It has been many years since we last met, but Lady Chen is still as elegant as ever, while we are already old. The heavens are so unfair."
These words were the thoughts of many people. In the past, they had come to the palace to pay their respects to the Empress during festivals and knew that the Empress was beautiful. However, after so many years, why hadn't there been any change? Instead, she had become even more dazzling, and people didn't dare to look directly at her.
"Isn't that so? Your Highness's natural beauty is truly blessed by the heavens." Someone else tried to curry favor.
Behind her, a group of people flattered her, praising her beauty.
Naturally, Ye Zhen couldn't say that she could maintain her appearance as she did at the age of fifteen because of her spiritual spring. She smiled faintly, "Don't speak as if this Empress is very old. This Empress is still young."
Her brisk tone made everyone relax. What they feared the most was that the Empress was strict and solemn.
Old Madame Wei looked at Ming Xi and Ming Yu next to her, "Your Highness, I heard that the Prince and the Princess are twins?"
"Yes, the difference is only half an hour." Ye Zhen said with a smile.
"One looks like the Emperor, and the other looks like the Empress." Old Madame Wei sighed.
"His Royal Highness is really as exquisite as jade. In the future, he will definitely be like the Emperor …"
"The Princess is really as delicate as jade. She will definitely be as beautiful as the Empress in the future …"
Listening to the flattery of the crowd, Ye Zhen smiled lightly. She was used to hearing these words before. They said one thing, but what they thought in their hearts was another. She never took it to heart.
"I heard that all the granddaughters of Old Madame Wei's family are as beautiful as pearls and jade. You are the lucky one." Old Madame Wei was the mother of Guang Cheng. The Wei family was an aristocratic family with strict family education. Their daughters had a very good reputation after marriage. She wanted to meet the Wei family's little girl.
Old Madame Wei said with a smile, "Your Highness is overpraising me. The granddaughters of this official's wife are very naughty."
Behind her, Miss Chen's face turned ugly when she heard this.
"I heard that there are two girls of the same age as Ming Yu?" Ye Zhen asked with a smile. She naturally knew that Old Madame Wei's words were polite. Since this banquet was held today, how could she not first understand which family had girls of the right age and how their family education was?
Old Madame Wei nodded, "The third girl is two years older than the Princess, and the fourth girl is the same age as the Princess. Today, this official's wife brought them together. I was afraid that they would be naughty and offend you, so I let them stay outside by themselves."
Ye Zhen chuckled, "Let them come in and take Ming Yu to play. Ming Yu is a restless person. If we let her accompany us to enjoy the plum blossoms, she will certainly make a fuss in a short time."
"Mother, I don't want to see the plum blossoms. I've seen them." Ming Yu was really worried that she would be taken to the plum blossom forest. She had already seen it with her uncle last time.
"I'm not wrong about you." Ye Zhen tapped her forehead angrily.
Naturally, Ye Zhen did not only see the two little girls of the Wei family. There were a total of eleven girls of the same age as Ming Yu. They were all from aristocratic families that Ye Zhen knew. Some of them were not prominent, but they had a good reputation. Ye Zhen did not care about family background. As long as she could get along well with Ming Yu, she felt that it was okay.
Before coming to the Hundred Flowers Garden, Ye Zhen had told Ming Yu that she was going to choose a study companion for her today. She had to choose carefully and remember who got along well with her.
More than a dozen little girls walked in. All of them had been taught at home. Everyone bowed their heads and respectfully knelt down to salute Ye Zhen. Their voices were tender and crisp, making people feel comfortable listening to them.
"Get up, raise your heads and let this consort have a look." Ye Zhen said with a smile, her clear eyes looking at the two girls standing in front of her.
The two little girls standing in the front, one tall and one short, were the granddaughters of Old Madame Wei. The smaller one was beautiful and lovely. Her bright clothes made her look like a budding peony. The taller girl looked more quiet and well-behaved, with only a pair of intelligent and bright eyes. Unlike her sister, she was dressed plainly, not so flamboyant and bright.
Ye Zhen remembered that the third girl seemed to be the eldest daughter of Guang Cheng. She lost her mother when she was a child and grew up with Old Madame Wei. The younger one was the second wife of Guang Cheng, the daughter of Miss Chen.
Ye Zhen retracted her gaze and looked at the other little girls. She had a plan in her heart, but the most important thing was for Ming Yu to choose for herself.
...
(Nine-headed Bird Academy)
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
