For those of you who have read the novel "Legendary Daughter: First-grade Concubine", you can skip this chapter. This extra chapter mainly talks about the first encounter between A Xue and Qing Wan, and the portrait that he regards as a treasure. If you are not interested in this chapter,
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【Extra painting of unpainted parts】
The Qionghua Banquet is a disguised blind date banquet that is popular among the children of aristocratic families and famous ladies in the capital.
Every time when the flowers are in full bloom, some children from aristocratic families will organize various forms of flower appreciation gatherings and invite some unmarried young ladies of the right age to participate. After they see each other, they can invite matchmakers to come to their homes to discuss marriage. It can be regarded as a kind of
A relatively open blind date activity, deeply loved by unmarried men and women.
However, the Qionghua Banquet held at Prince Heng's Mansion was different from the flower-viewing party spontaneously organized by the people.
The Qionghua Banquet was held in the Flower Garden Villa of Prince Heng's Mansion, and was hosted by Princess Heng herself.
Princess Hengqin is said to be courteous, respectful, dignified and virtuous, with both virtue and appearance, and is a model of a garrison woman.
Legend has it that the princess has very high requirements for the participants. Those who are lucky enough to be selected by her to participate in the Qionghua Banquet are all famous ladies and children of aristocratic families. Even princesses and princes will be invited to attend.
The seats at the Qionghua Banquet were arranged according to the order of status. Ji Lanjin was the prince, so he was naturally arranged to sit in the front row. On his right were the second and fifth princes, and on his left sat Mu Liuting.
.
Since Qing Wan came with the two of them, they temporarily ordered the maid to set up a low table between the two of them.
In fact, the entire banquet was located on two sides.
Taking the main seat where Princess Heng sat as the boundary, the male guests were on the right and the female guests were on the left. Qingyuan thought that it was inconvenient for a woman to sit alone among all the men, but she thought that her second sister would not want to be with her.
She sat together. In addition to the fact that the other female guests were looking at her eagerly, Qing Yuan thought, it would be better to sit together with these two people, at least, she could have some peace and quiet.
Today, the emperor has a total of seven princes, of whom a total of five are adults. Among them, the eldest prince, the third prince and the fourth prince have all married the main concubine or the concubine respectively. The only ones who are not married yet are the second prince and the fifth prince who are present.
Prince.
Next to him, the fifth prince couldn't help but raise his eyebrows when he saw Ji Lanjin and Mu Liuting sitting down, and said with a bit of provocation: "The Ninth Prince and Prince Chengjun came a little late today?"
Qingwan subconsciously looked at Ji Lanjin, but saw that the other party's expression was still indifferent. After hearing the fifth prince's words, he didn't even raise his eyebrows. Instead, Mu Liuting smiled and answered: "It's not that you don't know, you
Uncle Ninth doesn’t like to join in the fun, but it took me a lot of effort to convince him to participate.”
When the fifth prince saw that Ji Lanjin ignored him, a trace of anger flashed in his eyes, but he soon opened his lips again and said: "That's right, Uncle Ninth cares about national affairs, how can he care about the trivial matter of a girl here?"
Are you interested?"
Mu Liuting shook his head as if in disapproval, and said with his usual frivolous tone: "The right way is that marrying a wife and having children is a major event in life. He also said that there are three ways to be unfilial and have no offspring. After all, your ninth uncle is a man.
How can a man not take his own marriage to heart? Two princes, don't you think so?" With one word, the man brought the second prince next to him in.
The second prince smiled and said: "What Prince Chengjun said makes sense."
The fifth prince sneered, with a trace of disdain flashing in his eyes: "You are right, but Uncle Jiu is so beautiful. I'm afraid no woman in the world can catch Uncle Jiu's eyes."
"What the fifth prince said is different." Mu Liuting shook the fan in his hand, and Qingwan didn't know if the other party was really that enthusiastic. She heard the guy raise his eyebrows and said: "The so-called marrying a wife and marrying a virtuous man, is it beautiful?
What does it have to do with it? Besides, your Uncle Ninth is not that kind of shallow and despicable person." As he spoke, his eyes glanced at Qing Wan who was sitting in the middle.
Qing Wan saw the other party's unreasonable look and couldn't help but frowned.
She didn't know whether Ji Lanjin liked beautiful women, but she knew that he definitely didn't like her like this.
Besides, what he said just now was clearly saying that the fifth prince had little knowledge. Is he really not afraid of offending others?
Thinking of this, Qing Wan couldn't help but twitch the corner of her mouth. No wonder the world said that this man was a wild man and his words were wild. It was really not wrong at all.
If she had to say it, she would have to add another sentence: she is daring and does not know whether to live or die.
Just as he was talking, the guy's eyes suddenly lit up, he stopped shaking the fan in his hand, looked at a certain direction in the palace with a smile, and said, "Axue is here."
Then they saw a crimson figure walking out slowly at the entrance of the garden, with long silver-white hair that was very dazzling. When she saw that person, the little guy in her arms actually jumped out of her arms.
.
She saw the little thing jump into the man's arms all of a sudden, and she had no time to stop him.
Seeing the sudden little thing, Ji Chenxue was obviously startled. Her eyes slowly swept across the crowd, and finally landed between Mu Liuting and Ji Lanjin. Soon she started walking again, heading towards
Walked over to their side.
This prince, Prince Heng, completely inherited his mother's beauty, exquisite unofficialness, handsome face, and his head full of white hair, which gave him an indescribable charm.
Compared with someone else, it's not much different.
Mu Liuting picked up the fan that had just been forgotten, shook it again, and said with a hint of pride on his face: "Look, I told you that Axue will be very happy to see us."
"Prince Heng, you are happy to see our ninth uncle." Next to him, the fifth prince's voice sounded again, with a sarcastic smile on his face. The sinister tone made Qingwan frown unconsciously, and subconsciously said it again
He turned around to see the reaction of the man next to him.
It's a pity that the face he faced was still as gentle and cold as jade.
It seemed like nothing really could cause his mood swings.
From a distance, Qingwan saw a flash of joy on Princess Heng's face, and tears seemed to flash in her eyes.
It is said that Prince Heng's hair turned gray overnight for some unknown reason some time ago, and he has been locking himself in the courtyard since then, unwilling to step out of the courtyard.
It seems that Prince Heng has really locked himself in the courtyard for too long. So much so that just walking out of the courtyard can make a dignified and steady woman so excited.
Prince Na Heng held Yin Diao and walked straight to Ji Lanjin. As if like a child who had done something wrong, he cautiously called out: "Ah Jin."
Opposite him, the man in white, who looked like a god and was unparalleled, seemed not to hear. He picked up the wine cup in front of him and drank quietly and gracefully. It was as if everything that happened around him had nothing to do with him and was not of his concern.
Inside.
Ji Chenxue was ignored, and her voice could not help but contain a bit of grievance. Her eyes were red, as if she was about to shed tears. She frowned at the man in front of her, and called out again in a low voice, "Ah Jin"
!”
The man opposite was still sitting motionless.
Qingwan didn't know what the relationship between the two was, but she felt a little unbearable when he looked like that. She couldn't help but stand up, smiled apologetically at the other person, and said, "I'm sorry, my little mink has offended the prince."
"Is this yours?" Ji Chenxue raised her head, looked at the silver mink in her hand, and then at the green wand in front of her, and then said with a puzzled expression: "Who are you? Why has this prince never
I’ve seen you.”
Qing Wan took the silver mink from the opponent's hand, bowed down, and replied in a neither humble nor overbearing manner: "My dearest son, Qing Wan, a civilian girl. My father is an ordinary businessman. This is the first time for a civilian girl to attend the Qionghua Banquet.
Only this prince has never seen a common girl."
"Aren't you the daughter of an official family?" A trace of surprise flashed in Ji Chenxue's eyes.
"No." Qing Wan shook her head, not showing any signs of inferiority or cowardice because of her identity.
"Then why are you able to appear here?" In my memory, the standard for selecting concubines is that they must be ladies of the family, or at least the children of fifth-rank officials. Why did they make an exception this time and invite a businessman's daughter?
"Ah Jin and I brought her here." Beside, Mu Liuting helped clarify the confusion.
"Are you Ah Jin's friend?" Ji Chenxue was stunned, and couldn't help but look at Qing Wan with a somewhat probing look.
This was not the first time that Qingwan was looked at with such eyes today. It seemed that anyone who heard that she was with those two people would want to look at her from head to toe, from the outside to the inside, and study her carefully.
Qingwan secretly glanced at the man next to her, suppressed the panic in her heart and said: "The daughter of the common people has never seen the Ninth Prince before. She only had a chance encounter with the Crown Prince Chengjun. The Crown Prince did not dislike it, so that's why
Invite the women of the country to attend the Qionghua Banquet."
As soon as Ji Chenxue heard that Mu Liuting had brought him here, the expression on his face became normal, and he nodded and said: "I see, since you are Xiaoting's friend, then you can stay!"
"Ahem... I'm your cousin." Someone nearby protested rather dissatisfied with his title.
Ji Chenxue snorted coldly, raised her chin arrogantly, and said disapprovingly: "My mother-in-law said that I should have been born before you, but it was because you were born prematurely that you were half a month older than me.
That’s all.”
"That's also older than you."
"I don't admit it..."
Seeing the two people arguing over such a thing, Qing Wan couldn't help but feel stunned. She stared at the two people blankly, not knowing how to react for a moment.
Don't these two people need to worry about the occasion? In front of so many noble ladies, they don't know how to restrain themselves.
Don't they know that their behavior is really childish?
"Ah Jin, he bullied me." In the end, Ji Chenxue was naturally defeated. Unwilling and pitiful, she looked to someone on Qingwan's right for help.
"That's enough!" Someone finally reacted, put down the wine glass in his hand, raised his phoenix eyes lightly, with cold eyes, glanced at the two childish guys without anger, and reminded in a faint voice: "Qionghua
It’s time for the party to begin.”
"Xue'er, come and sit next to Concubine Mother." Upon seeing this, Princess Hengqin, who had been paying attention to this side, hurriedly waved to Ji Chenxue.
Someone refused childishly: "No, I want to sit with Ah Jin." As he said that, he looked left and right next to Ji Lanjin, and after looking for a long time, he saw that there was something left next to Qing Wan.
After half a seat, he finally sat down next to her.
Qing Wan's face turned dark immediately.
Does Prince Heng, Prince Heng, want to be so careless in doing things? He doesn't care about etiquette and rules, he still has his own reputation to abide by.
He just took her place so grandly, what should she do? She couldn't be shameless and huddle with him, right? Qingwan's face turned blue and white, and she couldn't stand or sit for a while.
In the end, Ji Lanjin looked at someone with a cold face and said, "Have you had enough trouble?"
After being stared at by the other party, which was actually not a glare, the certain person immediately became honest. He stood up from his position with a low eyebrow, looked at the man next to him cautiously and flatteringly, and said: "Ajin, don't be angry.
I will go and sit next to my mother-in-law."
As soon as the other party left, Qingwan felt that silence finally returned to her ears.
At the same time, the Qionghua Banquet also officially began.
It is similar to all flower parties, it is nothing more than a talent show. The only difference is that the performance of Qionghua Banquet adopts the method of male and female cooperation.
As for who will be paired with whom, as well as the content and order of the performances, they will be decided by drawing lots.
In this society, this can be considered a relatively open form.
Everyone is full of expectations before drawing lots, hoping that they will be able to perform with the person they admire. Even if they cannot, they will choose to show their chosen talents in the best possible condition, hoping to win the attention of their sweetheart.
This is also one of the reasons why the Qionghua Banquet is the most anticipated and attracts the most attention.
Qing Wan originally thought that since she did not present the invitation letter and was not at the arranged seat, she would not be included in the performance. Who would have thought that the maid in charge of drawing lots finally handed the lot box to her and stated that this was
It was what Princess Hengqin meant. She said that there were one less female family member than male family members present today, and she hoped that she could play with everyone, which would be considered a favor to the princess.
Even though the host ordered her to do it, Qing Wan couldn't refuse, so she had to take out the last piece of paper left in it. She found that it was a poem written on it. However, it only had the first sentence, so the person who held the second sentence must have
It is the person who wants to perform with him. At the same time, there is a picture character and a number written under the poem. This must be the title and sequence of the performance he will perform today.
I was the last one to draw lots, and everyone else must have read the poem on the lot and the title below the poem. I saw that some people were smiling happily, while others were frowning.
Presumably those who are happy must have drawn on their strengths, and those who are looking sad must have drawn on content that they are not good at.
When everyone got a piece of poetry in their hands, they heard Princess Heng say: "From now on, the ladies from each house will read out the first half of the poetry in their hands according to their seats, and then the male will read it out.
The second half of the poem. Then start performing according to the order and requirements of the poem!"
I saw a woman sitting at the head of the first row opposite, who seemed to be a princess. She stood up and read the poem in her hand: "Guan Guan Jiu Jiu, in the River Island." Her voice was clear and melodious, like a child.
The spring water tinkled.
As soon as the other party's voice fell, Mu Liuting stood up and said with a frivolous and wanton look: "My fair lady, a gentleman is so bold."
When Qing Wan saw the woman opposite Mu Liuting standing up, she couldn't help but frown, and glared in the direction of someone reluctantly, while the person next to her who was being stared at seemed to be checking.
As if unaware, he opened the corners of his lips and blinked at the woman. For a moment, the girl's face became even more ugly.
Qingwan was staring at the two people, and when she felt excited, a voice behind her suddenly sounded cheerful and lively, with a hint of a good show: "That person is Princess Yunqing, she has been in a relationship with Xiaoting since she was a child.
, I really look forward to what it will be like when these two perform together."
Qingwan was stunned for a moment, then turned around and saw Ji Chenxue, who was originally sitting next to Princess Heng, ran to their side again at some point and was standing behind her, explaining and looking at her.
The poetry in front of Ji Lanjin looked like she wanted to pick it up and read it.
Before the guy finished speaking, he saw another girl standing up across from him, and Wu Nong's soft voice said: "Jianjia is green, white dew is frost." As soon as the guy read a sentence, someone stood up and said: "
The so-called beauty is on the side of the water."
"If you see a beautiful woman, you will never forget her." "If you don't see her for a day, you will miss her like crazy."
"Red beans grow in the south. How many branches will they grow when spring comes?" "I hope you will pick more of them. This is the most loved thing."
"The stars last night, the wind, the west side of the painting building and the east side of Guitang." "There are no colorful phoenixes flying in the body, but there is a clear understanding in the heart."
"..."
For a moment, female voices and male voices sounded one after another in the garden of Prince Heng's Mansion, which was indescribably charming and beautiful.
This Princess Hengqin is really a wonderful person, she actually chose some love poems that are classified as eternal masterpieces.
When it was Qing Wan's turn, she couldn't help but be stunned. Only when everyone's eyes were focused on her, she slowly unfolded the paper sign in her hand, and saw eight words written on it in beautiful small regular script:
"The bond between life and death is broad, tell me about it with Zicheng."
"You are actually paired with Ah Jin." In my ears, Ji Chenxue's voice sounded again. It was not loud or small, but it was enough for the whole audience to hear. However, he saw that he was holding the original text in front of Ji Lanjin.
The second half of the poem: Hold your hand and grow old together with me.??
Qingwan couldn't help but feel in a trance, and someone's clear and pleasant voice couldn't help but ring in her ears: After drinking this glass of wine, from now on, you and I will be of one mind and we will play the piano and play the piano for a hundred years.
Those words are in my ears, even if a lifetime has passed, I still remember them clearly.
But, in the end, who held whose hand, and who made a hundred-year agreement with whom?
It seems that it has nothing to do with her anymore.
Holding the poem in her hand tightly, Qingwan couldn't help but smile bitterly. Is this a deliberate trick from God? There were so many people here, but she and he were paired together, and she and he chose such a poem, which was full of joy for her.
A satirical verse.?
There is a broad agreement between life and death, and it is said to the child. Hold the child's hand and grow old together with the child.
She thought that in her lifetime, she and he would never reach that point.
When people around her heard that she and Ji Lanjin were in a group, they all showed envy and jealousy. But she didn't show the slightest joy, but looked like she wanted to cry.
Ji Chenxue saw her reaction in his eyes and felt that this woman was extremely strange. At the end, he couldn't help but asked in confusion: "Why, you don't seem happy to be in a group with Ah Jin?"
Qing Wan retracted her thoughts, forced a smile and said, "How could it be? Qing Wan is afraid of dragging down the prince."
Ji Chenxue showed a clear expression, and looked at her with a touch of disgust in her eyes. After a while, she curled her lips and said: "That's right, you are not a very smart woman at first glance, and it is inevitable that you will be held back. But.
, none of the women here today are worthy of Ah Jin. Don’t worry, with Ah Jin here, even if you really know nothing, you will definitely be the leader of this show.
.”
Qing Wan did not feel unhappy because of the offense in the other person's words. Indeed, in front of that man, there were probably few who would not feel ashamed.
"Inherit the prince's good words." Qing Wan nodded at Ji Chenxue without being humble or overbearing.
The latter glanced at her but didn't say anything more.
All the groupings had been settled, and the performance began soon. Unexpectedly, the first couple to take the stage were Princess Yunqing and Mu Liuting.
Princess Yunqing came down from her position holding a soft sword and warned Mu Liuting across from her: "Don't embarrass me."
Mu Liuting held a jade flute and winked at the other party: "Don't worry, I can throw away anything, but I won't lose face."
Qing Wan twitched the corners of her lips disapprovingly, and then heard a cold sneer from behind: "It's not that this guy doesn't know how to be embarrassed, it's that he doesn't know what shame is."
Qing Wan immediately looked at the other person and felt that he was a confidant.
Qingwan originally thought that Princess Yunqing was going to perform a sword dance, but when the flute in Mu Liuting's hand sounded, she realized that what she was about to perform was a sword dance.
When the sword light rises, the whistle sound is melodious; when the sword light falls, the whistle sound is gentle. The sword light is continuous and the flute sound is vague; the sword energy is like a rainbow, and the flute sound is heroic. In short, no matter whether the sword force is urgent or slow, the flute sound can always accompany it.
Whether the sound of the flute is high or low, the power of the sword will always be as expected.
This performance is nothing short of wonderful.
Qing Wan watched in the audience and couldn't help but secretly dumbfounded. The two people seemed to be at odds with each other, but she didn't expect that they worked together perfectly.
"Miss."
When Qing Wan and the maid behind her were looking up, a voice unexpectedly called her from behind. It was Qing Rao's maid, Xiang Man. She looked at Qing Wan with the usual arrogance and disdain in her eyes, and said coldly: "Big
Miss, the second young lady wants to tell you something." As he said that, he pointed to the open space not far away.
Qing Wan turned around and saw Qing Rao in a pink embroidered gold peony cloud and a floor-length skirt standing under a tree not far away, wearing a gold walking stick inlaid with green emerald gems on her head. From a distance.
Looking at it, it looks dignified and luxurious.
For this Qionghua Banquet, the mother and daughter must have put a lot of thought into it. This dress really has a ladylike temperament, not inferior to those officials' ladies.
Seeing Qing Wan sitting still, Xiang Man couldn't help but urge her, with a hint of impatience in her tone: "The eldest lady should hurry over with the slave. The second lady will have to perform later, otherwise it will delay the second lady's time."
After the performance, Madam started blaming her... I'm afraid it's hard for the eldest lady and the slave to explain." There was obviously a hint of threat in her words, which made Qing Wan, including the two maids behind her, frown.
brow.
Zi Su wanted to say something, but when she thought about it, if the young lady had a conflict with the second lady at this time, no matter whether it was right or wrong, if Qian investigated it later, it would be her young lady who would be blamed in the end. She couldn't help but endure the words that came to her lips.
Go back. She pursed her pink lips tightly and just looked at Qing Wan worriedly.
A trace of anger clearly flashed in Lu Yi's eyes. She was sent here by the old lady, so she acted with less scruples. Just as she was about to speak, she saw someone speaking earlier than her: "This maid really doesn't understand." Rules. How do you, the eldest lady, behave like this? How can you be so useless? A slave like this, who has no respect, is stupid and coquettish, should have been dragged down and beaten to death with sticks."
Although the words were said in a calm and indifferent tone, it sent a chill down the backs of those who heard it.
As soon as Xiangman raised his head, he met Ji Chenxue's clear but unconcealed murderous eyes. He felt his mind buzzing. Thinking back to what the other party had just said, his expression immediately changed and his legs went weak, "Pa—" -" He knelt down in front of the other party and said: "Your Majesty, spare your life."
Ji Chenxue curled her lips and said with a look of disgust on her face: "What do you want me to do? You are not a maid in my house." Then, her eyes faintly swept over the purple and green leaves behind Qing Wan, and continued to look away. Lip, "You two maids are so useless. You don't even know how to protect your master. What's the point of coming here?"
When he said this, both of them lowered their heads in unison. Especially Zi Su, who felt extremely ashamed in her heart.
Xiangman trembled slightly, her eyes already full of tears due to fear. At this moment, seeing that Ji Chenxue was unwilling to pay attention to her, she had to turn to Qingwan for help, kowtowed to him and said, "I know this." I'm wrong. Please forgive me this time, miss. I won't dare to do it next time. Please spare my life, miss."
Many people in the garden had noticed the movement here, and all of them turned their attention from the stage to them.
Qingwan knew that the other party didn't really want to apologize to her, but she didn't want to let some unrelated outsiders see the joke in someone else's place, so she said, "Didn't you say Qingrao is looking for me?"
Na Xiangman was stunned for a moment, and then realized that Qingwan didn't intend to argue with her. In the end, he was just an unpopular loser, but he had the second lady and his wife supporting him. Although Prince Heng, the crown prince, He stepped forward to speak for her, but it was only for a while. He couldn't protect her all the time. When he returned to the house, he had to look at the faces of the second young lady and his wife. Thinking about it, she didn't have the guts to do anything to herself. Thinking of this, she immediately relaxed. With one breath, most of the fear was gone immediately, and I felt even more disdain for Qing Wan. However, because I was in front of Ji Chenxue, I didn't dare to show it too much, but just quickly got up from the ground and said: "Slave servant Now take the eldest lady there."
Next to him, Ji Chenxue saw this and couldn't help but curled her lips even more forcefully. Her tone was quite contemptuous and she said with a hatred of iron and steel: "No wonder even a girl dares to climb on top and boss you around. You have such a temperament, really. It’s not unjust to be bullied to death.”
Qingwan knew that he was complaining for her, so she couldn't help but get up and said to him: "The prince's kindness is appreciated. Qingwan appreciates it. However, it is someone else's place after all, and there are so many guests here, so the prince must be there." I don’t want to ruin everything that the princess has painstakingly prepared because of a maid. If it ruins the interest of so many people again, it will be Qingwan’s fault. Even if the second sister comes to me, Qingwan will just go there. .”
Ji Chenxue knew that she didn't want others to watch the excitement, so she glanced at her slightly, and then fell on the little guy in her arms. Without waiting for the other person's consent, she took the little thing out of her arms. She came out, then sat down in her original position and said: "Since I know my prince's good intentions and I have helped you, I will borrow this little thing from my prince for a while. I will treat it as a woman like you who is ignorant." Apologize."
Qingwan couldn't help but twitch the corner of her mouth. He meant well, but there was no reason why others had to suffer, right?
However, I care that the other party is the prince after all, and this is the other party's territory. Even if the other party's words and actions are unreasonable, I have to let it go.
"Qing Wan will come back as soon as you go." After greeting her in a low voice, she turned around and walked towards the pink figure outside the crowd.
In fact, she didn't know who she was confessing to with her sentence just now. Originally, she was brought in by Mu Liuting, so she should tell him even if she left her seat temporarily. But she was performing on the stage now, so she said
It's pointless not to say it. And whether she leaves or stays doesn't seem to have much to do with other people.
Over there, Qingrao saw Qingwan approaching and couldn't help but frown. He looked at the other person rudely and said, "Why are you here? Didn't you mean..."
"Second sister, are you talking about the loss of the post given to me by Prince Heng's Mansion?" Qingwan smiled gently and completed what the other party had not finished saying: "After my sister left, I went to see my mother. Who knew the post would be lost again?"
They were found. I heard that the third sister took the post and asked Nanny Xu to sell it. Poor Nanny Xu was beaten twenty times and sent to the village outside. At that age, she was pampered by her mother.
I don’t know if I can bear it.”
After hearing her words, Qingrao's face suddenly became a little complicated, her eyes flickered slightly, and she suppressed the unspeakable feeling in her heart and said: "How did you know the Ninth Prince and the Crown Prince Chengjun?"
"The second sister was joking, how could I possibly know them? We just happened to meet them at the door and came in together. It's not really acquaintance." Qing Wan replied with a slight smile, the expression on her face was both false and true.
It was hard to tell the truth for a while. In fact, as early as when Xiangman came to look for her, she had already guessed that Qingrao suddenly left the table to look for her, which must be related to those two people. Normally, her second sister would have wished she didn't know each other.
Why did he specifically call her aside in front of everyone? Presumably it was to attract the attention of the two people over there.
"It just happened to happen that you would sit with them?" Qingrao narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at her, obviously not believing what she said.
Qing Wan smiled brightly and said calmly: "It's just that Prince Chengjun is a nice person. When he saw that there was no room to sit across from him, he asked the maid to sit with them. Otherwise, how could the second sister think that I would know them?
"
Although Qingrao was dubious about her words, she couldn't think of anything to refute for a moment. As a eldest sister, she rarely even went out to the yard on weekdays, so it was indeed unlikely that she would have the opportunity to meet those two people. What's more, what about those two people?
Did she just want to meet him casually? Could it be true that she just happened to meet him at the door as she said?
Thinking of this, a flash of disappointment flashed in his eyes. I originally thought that I might be able to get to know those two people through her. But now it seems that this is not possible, so I said: "Since the prince thinks highly of you and invites you to sit with him, you can
Sit tight, don't have any thoughts that you shouldn't have, remember the rules that grandma taught you, and be careful to lose the face of Qingfu."
Who is it that has the wrong thoughts?
Qing Wan sneered in her heart, but with a smile on her face she said: "Sister knows of course, there is no need for the second sister to remind her." She deliberately emphasized the word "sister", and saw the expression of the person opposite her change as she wished.
"I'm doing it for your own good." Qingrao's eyes flashed with disgust. The thing she hates most in her life is the existence of her partner. It seems that she is always reminded that she is just the daughter of a stepmother. After all, her identity is not as good as hers.
She, the legitimate daughter-in-law, is very precious.
She has hated her since she was a child, and it is also because of this relationship.
"Then thank you, second sister." Qingwan curled her lips calmly. After all, she had lived under the same roof for so long, so she had some understanding of this second sister. She knew what kind of words she could best choose.
A soft thorn in the opponent's mind.
Qingrao's face couldn't help but become a little more ugly, and even the face of the maid behind her added a bit of hatred. She opened her mouth, but she didn't say what she wanted to say.
Qingwan naturally noticed it, and when she turned around, her eyes deliberately stayed on the other person's face for a moment, and asked calmly: "Xiangman, do you know why I didn't punish you in front of so many people just now?
?”
"My slave, I don't know." Xiangman said she didn't know, but she was thinking in her heart that it was not because she was afraid of offending the second lady that she didn't dare to do anything to her.
But I saw Qing Wan suddenly smiled. Although it was extremely normal, it made people feel strange for no reason, "I don't punish you, not because I am worried that my second sister or my wife will cause trouble for me. For you, a little maid, I
I don’t think they can commit the crime.”
Hearing this, Xiangman couldn't help but open her eyes in surprise, and the look in her eyes couldn't help but reveal a bit more emotion that even she couldn't explain herself.
Qing Wan smiled and continued: "I won't punish you, but I don't want to lose the Qing family's face in front of so many people. So many people have seen the Qing family's jokes for nothing. But you said,
If the master and his wife knew what happened today, what would they do? You have aroused the hatred of Prince Heng. In front of many rich young men, he said that you are stupid, arrogant and a bully who does not understand dignity.
What about the evil slave? You said, if because of you, others say that our Qing family has no rules and the master and his wife are helpless? What do you think the wife will do with you? Well, tell me, will the wife keep you again?
"
When Xiangman heard this, her pupils opened wider and wider. On the day of April and May, she felt like she was in an ice cellar, and her body couldn't stop shivering.
He turned around and wanted to ask Qingrao for help, but saw that Qingrao's face couldn't help but become serious after listening to Qingwan's words, and he couldn't help but look at Xiangman with a trace of hatred and disgust in his eyes.
Today, because of this idiot, my impression in that person's eyes has also been reduced, right?
Xiangman suddenly realized what kind of mistake she had made. The eldest lady was not not punishing her, but was waiting to go back and hand her over to the eldest lady for punishment!
Now, in front of so many people, she has disgraced the Qing family, lost the face of the second young lady, and even made Prince Heng unhappy. How could Madam keep her?
Beating her to death would probably be an easy task.
Thinking of this, Xiangman suddenly felt as if all his strength had been drained from his body, without any trace of his usual arrogant and domineering momentum.
Seeing such a person, Qing Wan's mouth could not help but gradually widen. Then he looked at her again, turned around, and said to the two girls behind him: "Let's go back!"
As I said before, she is no longer the same person as before, how could she let others bully her without fighting back?
She will find out those people who don't take her seriously and want to bully her again, one by one, and take them back bit by bit.
No one can escape.
Qingrao only felt that the Qingwan in front of her was extremely strange, which made her feel a little frightened for no reason. However, when the other party turned around and was about to leave, she couldn't help but speak again, and said provocatively: "I heard that eldest sister will be here soon."
You have to perform, but you just don’t know what your big sister is going to perform? If you have any difficulties, you might as well speak up and let your sister help you think of a solution. Don’t wait until you get on stage and find out that you can’t do it... but it will be too late.
"
Qing Wan paused for a moment, turned around, and glanced at her, her eyes dark and incomprehensible. Just when Qing Rao thought she wouldn't answer, she heard the other party slowly say: "
I'm sorry for bothering my second sister, it's just a painting, and I don't need help from anyone else." Then he stopped looking at her reaction and strode towards the most eye-catching position in the crowd.
Qingrao couldn't help grinding his teeth as he watched her leave. Her fingers under her sleeves were clenched tightly, her eyes full of hatred. Then she thought that her eldest sister had always lived in simplicity and had been forgotten in the yard since she was a child.
, she had never hired any master to teach her chess, calligraphy and painting. She wanted to see what she planned to draw and display today.
Thinking of this, a gloomy smile couldn't help but flash in his eyes.
Qingrao was the fourth one to take the stage, and the person she was collaborating with was the Fifth Prince. Qingrao's draw was dance, while the Fifth Prince's draw was poetry. They seemed to be two unrelated talents, but in fact they were not.
.The combination of these two talents requires that the man must compose a poem on the spot based on the woman's dance, and it must be completed before the dance ends.
This is quite a test of one's talent.
Qian intended to train her daughter to be a lady, and hired famous teachers to teach her music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and dance since she was a child. Among her many talents, Qingrao was especially good at dancing. She danced in a colorful and feathery dress, which was erratic and moving.
Counting Zhou Zheng, he also attracted many princes and grandsons in the venue.
Just as the other party was about to stop dancing, the boy behind the fifth prince took a piece of plain paper from the master, with faint traces of wet ink showing through.
But I saw the young man took the plain paper and walked straight to the stage, reciting aloud: "There is a beautiful woman in the southern country, dancing with a light green waist. At the end of the autumn, the flying sleeves are flying in the clouds and rain. She is as graceful as an orchid, a green orchid, and graceful as a flying dragon."
The more beautiful the stream is, the more beautiful Wu Ji stops. The slowness cannot be exhausted, and the graceful curves are towards the end. The lotus flowers are low and break through the waves, and the messy snow lingers in the wind. When the ear falls, the ruffles flow, and the train is repaired to trace the sky. But the sorrow cannot be caught.
, fly away to chase Jinghong."
When Qing Wan heard this, she couldn't help but show a hint of surprise. She didn't expect that the fifth prince was actually quite talented.?
Regardless of whether this poem was written by the other person himself, given this situation and such a short period of time, this poem is the most appropriate way to describe the dance in front of him.
After Qingrao, there were Yin Liusu, the second daughter of the president of the Taiyuan Hospital, and Zhou Zixuan, the eldest son of Prince Duanjun.
Although Yin Liusu was born as a concubine, she was gentle and pleasant, had a fresh and refined temperament, and behaved in an elegant manner, which was not inferior to her sister next to her who was a legitimate daughter. This was also the first time Qingwan saw these two.
A hero and heroine who will soon set off a wave of discussion in the capital.
The man is gentle and elegant, with a beautiful appearance, and the woman is gentle and beautiful, quiet and pleasant. Standing together, they really look like a perfect couple.
The two of them collaborated on qin calligraphy. The sound of the qin was ethereal and elegant, as pure as the sounds of nature. The calligraphy was lush and thick, and the pen moved like a dragon.
I heard someone next to me smacking my lips and saying, "I never expected that this Taiyuan Hospital could actually produce such a beautiful daughter. A little concubine could actually have such a musical skill." After a pause, he continued:
"It's just that it's still a little bit worse than Ah Jin."
Qingwan turned sideways suspiciously, and then noticed that in the corner of the small piece of paper held by someone, under the eight-character poem, there was also a small Chinese character "Qin" written on it.
This is what Ji Lanjin will collaborate with herself to show later.
By the time it was Qing Wan's turn, more than half of the performance had passed.
Then she heard Ji Chenxue wave to a woman dressed as a maid on the main seat and say: "Xiangliu, go get the white jade piano that belongs to me."
What he called was the maid beside the princess. The maid took the order and left, and after a while she brought a piano over. The whole body of the piano was crystal white, delicate and transparent, and it looked like the finest warm white jade.
Made.
It has a grease-like luster, a refined interior, and is thick and warm. The front of the instrument is engraved with a picture of a phoenix flying to the sky, with a leering posture that is lifelike.
Someone here has quickly removed the fruit plate and wine cup in front of Ji Lanjin. The maid placed the white jade piano on the desk in front of Ji Lanjin, and heard Ji Chenxue say in a flattering voice: "My phoenix
Although Wu Wu is not as good as your Jiutian, I can't find anything better for the moment, so just make do with it. I haven't heard you play the piano for a long time, Ah Jin, and it's really thanks to my mother and concubine."
There were some knowledgeable and distinguished people in the audience, but when they saw the white jade piano, they all showed expressions of yearning and wonder.
From this, we can see the value of this piano, and I am afraid that even if you have money, you may not be able to buy it.
On the stage, the servants had prepared pens, inks, paper and inkstones. Mu Liuting turned sideways, glanced at the poem sign in her hand, then waved the fan in her hand and said, "You want to paint? I don't know that Miss Qingwan plans to paint people.
Or painting something?”
On the other side, Ji Chenxue heard this and came over, curled her lips and said, "I think I'll lend her this fan of yours to draw, so that she won't be unable to draw anything when she goes on stage."
Qing Wan Shi Ran stood up, nodded to the two of them and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Shi Zi, but no need, Qing Wan has already thought about what to draw." After saying that, she stood up and walked towards the center of the venue where there were pen and ink drawing papers.
.
Qing Wan stared at her plain white paper and was lost in thought for a while, then she heard a sudden burst of music from the piano slowly rising from the audience, gradually spreading out like a tidal wave. It was just a starting tune, and it already contained countless sounds.
When you first hear it, you just feel that the body of the piano is graceful and continuous, melodious, and it sounds indescribably good. Listening further, you can find that there is actually a subtlety hidden inside, and the fingering techniques are ever-changing.
The body of the piano is endless, curling into the ears. Sometimes it is soothing like a flowing spring, sometimes it is rapid like a waterfall, sometimes it is crisp and clear like beads falling on a jade plate, and sometimes it is low like a whisper.
When Qing Wan came back to her senses, she realized that half of the music had passed, and she had to complete the entire piece before the music ended.
Thinking of this, I couldn't help but calm down, picked up the pen and started drawing on the paper.
Everyone was sitting far away and had no idea what she was painting. Of course, most people were attracted by the sound of the piano. Except for a few people who were interested in her, everyone didn't care about what she was painting.
It wasn't until the sound of the piano gradually faded away, and the lingering sound was faint, that it seemed to have passed away, but then I saw the slender figure in white, calmly put down the pen in his hand, and slowly straightened up. A medium-pitched voice sounded in the field.
: "Qingwan has been painted."
It was this sound that brought everyone back to their senses from the dreamlike sound of the piano just now.
At the signal of Princess Hengqin, the two maids hurriedly stepped forward and helped Qingwan unfold the painting.
Just now, everyone was silent in the sound of the piano and didn't care what she drew. This time, when they saw the maids slowly unfolding the scroll, they couldn't help but be surprised.
On the three-foot-long scroll, there are only a few strokes at the top of the scroll, but the charm of the Qionghua is vividly sketched, which is no less impressive than the real scene at the top of the tree.
The most surprising thing is not the viburnum flowers, but the seemingly familiar faces under the viburnum tree.
She actually painted everyone present into the painting in a short period of time. This kind of memory and this skill must put even the most famous painter in the capital to shame.
Especially in the center of the figure, that plain white figure, that cool demeanor, that ten fingers playing, calm and detached expression, there is probably no other person in the world who can draw such a vivid image, such a resemblance.
Among all the people, the most surprised ones were Qingrao and Ji Chenxue. The former's eyes widened and he looked at the paintings on the stage in disbelief, as well as the figure slowly walking back to his seat, his eyes full of excitement.
Reluctance and hatred, "How is this possible?" That woman, how could she be able to paint and be so good at it? Even I knew that I couldn't paint even one-tenth of it.
First she knew how to make incense, and now she knew how to paint. How many other things was she hiding?
"Miss, we were all deceived by her!" Behind her, Xiangman said bitterly. After speaking, she carefully observed Qingrao's face. She had not forgotten that she had just made him unhappy. If
If you stop being cautious in your words and deeds, it may really be a dead end.
Although the eldest lady said that the madam would not let her go, if she could ask the second lady to intercede for her, maybe the madam would consider sparing her life.
As a result, Qingrao gave her a cold and gloomy look: "Shut up!" Of course she knew that she had been deceived. Not only her, but the entire Qing family was probably deceived by her.
Both she and her mother thought that if she was banished to a small courtyard and left alone, she would not be able to make any waves. Even with her status as the legitimate daughter of the Qing family, she would be nothing more than a useless waste.
Thinking that she had secretly learned this without telling everyone, she was determined not to let her stay in the Qing family anymore.
No one can climb on top of her, no one can. She is the most noble daughter of the Qing family.
"Damn woman, how dare you lie to me."
On the other side, as soon as Qing Wan returned to her position, she was faced with someone who was furious.
Qing Wan's expression was indifferent, she met someone's gaze with an innocent expression and said, "What did I lie to the prince about?"
"Didn't you say you can't draw?" Someone jumped up and down behind her and accused angrily.
Qingwan raised her eyebrows and said with a faint smile: "When did I say that I can't draw anymore? I just said that I was afraid of hindering the Ninth Prince."
"You obviously..."
Just when Ji Chenxue was about to refute, she suddenly remembered that the other party seemed to have indeed said that. Her face turned red for a moment, and she couldn't say it for a moment, nor did she say it. Finally, she snorted coldly and said: "You
This woman is so thoughtful. If you know how to do it, you will do it, and if you don’t do it, you won’t do it. Why are you pretending to be melancholy? You have even deceived me."
"You like to judge people by their appearance, so why are you blaming others?" Beside him, Mu Liuting shook his fan and said sarcastically.
Although he was also surprised that Qing Wan actually had such great painting skills, but he had already seen the other person's extraordinary qualities before when he was in Zui Xian Ming, so this time he didn't feel that it was out of the ordinary. After saying that, he looked at Qing Wan with a smile.
Wan said: "I am willing to give you a thousand pieces of gold. I wonder if I can ask Miss Qing Wan to paint a painting for me?"
Qing Wan nodded and said, "The prince made a serious statement. If the prince does not give up, Qing Wan will paint for the prince for free."
Mu Liuting put away the fan in his hand, held it in his hand, and said with a smile: "That's it, it's settled. In two days, I will find an opportunity to invite Miss Qingwan to come to my house to paint."
"No!" Qing Wan shook her head and refused: "Qing Wan is in her daughter's house. It may be inconvenient to enter and leave the prince's house in such a grand manner. Why don't the prince come to Zuixian Ming? After tomorrow, I will go there to meet Master Li.
Learn how to make incense. Then I will find an opportunity to talk to the master. Is it okay for the prince to think about it?"
Although she intends to improve her status in the Qing family by getting to know the people around her so that she can fight against the people in the Qing family in the future, she does not want to be too conspicuous. It should be noted that the most important thing for a woman in this era is her reputation.
If your reputation is ruined, you will be in trouble.
Mu Liuting also felt that what the other party said was reasonable, and couldn't help but nodded, "As long as the girl doesn't feel inconvenienced, I will cooperate. However, a person as stubborn as Master Li is actually willing to accept you as his apprentice. I think the girl must be able to control it."
Xiang also has unique insights."
Qing Wan pulled her lips implicitly and said softly: "Master Meng doesn't give up, but Qing Wan does know that there is a kind of fragrance that is more suitable for the Crown Prince than the one he is wearing now. I will make it someday so that the Crown Prince can wear it.
Try." After thinking for a while, he added: "It's better not to wear the incense on the prince's body in the future. Although it can temporarily calm the mind and nourish the mind, it will not be beneficial to the body if it is worn for a long time."
As soon as these words came out, a strange light suddenly flashed in Mu Liuting's eyes, and even Ji Lanjin looked at her with a slightly different look.
"I want it too." Next to him, a guy who was unwilling to be left out also shouted, asking Qingwan to be treated fairly.
Qingwan turned around, looked at the other party calmly and said, "I wonder what Prince Heng wants?"
Someone proudly raised his smooth jade chin and said, "I want painting, and that incense you just mentioned."
Qingwan couldn't help but twitch the corner of her mouth, feeling that the other party was really a child. Beside her, Mu Liuting rolled her eyes coldly and said: "What, are you willing to go out? I didn't hear what Qingwan said, you want to go out?"
Do you have to go to Zuixianming to ask her to paint?"
When Ji Chenxue heard this, she immediately darkened her face. But she quickly raised her chin again and said, "Why bother? After the banquet is over, let her stay and finish painting for me before leaving."
Qingwan wanted to say something but didn't say it. Finally, she looked at Ji Chenxue and said, "Is the prince worried about this white hair?"
Hearing this, Ji Ji Chenxue couldn't help but her eyes lit up. She looked at her with hope and said, "Do you have a way? If you can find a way to help me turn this damn white hair back to its original appearance,
This prince will definitely be richly rewarded."
"There is a way." Qingwan carefully recalled the method of making hair dye in her mind, then raised her head and looked at the man behind her and said: "However, I think the white hair of the prince is very beautiful! It is unique in the crown jewels of Beijing.
.But if the prince doesn’t like it, Qing Wan can also turn him black.”
Before Ji Chenxue could answer, he saw the maid over there with Qing Wan's painting. Mu Liuting stared at the painting and admired it again. Finally, he said: "How can such a good painting not have an inscription? It's a pity that I waited.
Ordinary people, you don't have to insult this good painting, why not ask our Ninth Prince to write it?" Then he motioned to the maid to bring the painting to Ji Lanjin.
Qingwan was startled, frowned subconsciously, and turned around to see the man's reaction.
Unexpectedly, Ji Lanjin did not refuse. She glanced at the painting with her eyes as pale as water, and then wrote a few words in the blank space, "Thousands of trees in the east compete with each other, but this flower is unique in the world."
Wandering and swaying, her grace is charming, her strength is like an iron painting, and her charm is like a silver hook.
Everyone who saw his inscription showed a thoughtful expression.
I don’t know whether it is the flower, the painting, or the person who painted the inscription that is unique in the world.
Qing Wan stared at those words in a daze. They say you can tell people by looking at their characters. Ji Lanjin's characters are meaningful and elegant, steep yet free and easy. The virtual and real characters in the brushstrokes complement each other, so there is a subtle quality of sheerness in the agility, and they can be retracted and retracted freely.
, the escapement is moderate, and there is a kind of elegance and magnanimity between the lines.
?Qingwan couldn't connect the person who wrote such words with the man who served her the poisoned wine.
In a daze, the maid had already taught the maid to collect the drawing paper and handed it to Qing Wan. Seeing that his master was lost in thought, Zi Su helped him take it and put it away for his master.
Over there, Qingwan slowly came back to her senses and saw Mu Liuting looking at her eagerly and saying, "You really have a way to make Axue's hair black."
Qing Wan nodded, "It's not difficult to make your hair black from the outside, but the key lies in conditioning. The biggest factor in the occurrence of gray hair is stress in life and too much pressure. When a person's pressure exceeds the maximum limit
And when it cannot bear the load, it will accelerate the generation of gray hair. I wonder what Shi Ziye is worried about? You need to relax your mind. Otherwise, Qingyuan’s hair dye can only be used for a while, and it won’t be long before the white hair becomes white.
Once the hair regenerates, it will have to be dyed again. By then, I'm afraid even the prince himself will find it troublesome."
As he spoke, his eyes seemed to drift in the direction of Ji Lanjin.
Watching the interaction between these two people earlier, I felt that their relationship was unusual. Coupled with the fifth prince's previous words, Qingwan had a vague idea in his mind.
Seeing her expression, Mu Liuting couldn't help but have a hint of interest in his eyes. He raised his eyebrows evilly and said, "Axue's black hair turned white because of excessive practice. What do you think Ajin did?
"
"You mean, his hair is the result of practicing martial arts..." Qing Wan couldn't help but feel surprised.
She had indeed heard that some people became obsessed with their thoughts due to over-practicing, and their hair turned gray. However, she had never thought about this before.
Perhaps it was because of preconceived notions that the other person's gray hair was caused by depression in his heart.
"Otherwise, what do you think?" Mu Liuting's eyes sparkled with mischief.
She thought...
Mu Liuting stared at her for a long time, with a hint of teasing in his eyes, as if he wanted to see through her. After a long time, he slowly continued: "Axue has regarded Ajin as a role model since she was a child.
Everything is aimed at Ah Jin, but for so many years, the only thing that can compare with him is his appearance. Now his hair is ruined because of practicing kung fu, so he cares so much about it and locks himself up every day.
Inside the house, I don’t even want to leave the door.”
"Then why is the Ninth Prince..." so cold to the other party?
Judging from the way the two looked just now, they clearly looked like a pair of angry enemies. One was eager to seek peace, but the other ignored them.
Listening to her question, you can tell what she is thinking in her heart. The smile on Mu Liuting's face couldn't help but deepen: "Ah Jin once advised him not to be too hasty, but he didn't listen and went crazy. This
His hair turned gray overnight. Ah Jin was also angry with him, so she deliberately ignored him."
"So that's it."
She thought there was some bloody homosexuality going on between these two people.
"That's indeed the case." Mu Liuting nodded seriously at first, then with a narrowed look in his eyes, he looked at her with a mischievous smile, and said in a penetrating tone: "Can you tell me now, what were you thinking just now?"
"Huh?" Qing Wan couldn't help but feel embarrassed, and immediately felt like she had been seen through. Her face was burning and red like cooked shrimps.
After the Qionghua Banquet was over, Qing Wan was left alone, and she naturally complied with someone's unreasonable request to paint for him.
Originally, there were ready-made pens, inks, paper and inkstones in the garden, but a certain kid-minded guy didn't want them, so he had to ask the other person to go to the study room. Not only that, he also made many requests during the process.
Qingwan only treated the other party as a child, and she did whatever the other party asked for. The portrait could have been drawn in a quarter of an hour, but it took more than half an hour to draw it.
And that painting, after that, was regarded as a treasure by someone.