"Don't say that, it's not easy for Princess Dongxia to come to Xichu, if we talk about her behind our backs like this, I'm afraid it will make others think that we bullied her." Su Xiran spoke, "The emperor still cares a lot about this harmony. ”

"Xiran, you're just too sensible." It was the prime minister's daughter Mo Ningyao who spoke, and she has always been good friends with Su Xiran.

"Ningyao, your clothes today are really good-looking." Su Xiran pulled away from the topic.

"I was almost broken by Mo Xuxu." Mo Xuxu is a concubine, Mo Ningyao can't look at her, and Mo Xuxu will not appreciate the chrysanthemum banquet in the future.

"Don't mention her, you must not be angry, if you are angry, the gain will outweigh the loss. It's just a concubine, so why bother with it? ”

As soon as Su Xiran finished saying this, he heard the palace people report: "The eldest prince has arrived, the second prince has arrived, and the fourth princess has arrived." ”

Everyone hurriedly got up and saluted, and as soon as Wen Miqing sat down, he asked, "What were you talking about just now?" ”

"It's nothing, I just think this year's chrysanthemums are particularly beautiful." Su Xiran replied.

"Miss Su has a big heart, and she is still in the mood to enjoy the flowers here?" Wen Miqing said.

Su Xiran smiled and said nothing, and the fifth prince Wen Zhiqian and the sixth princess Wen Yunxi also came at this time, and everyone stood up and saluted again. Wen Zhiqian and Wen Yunxi kept a low profile, and after sitting down, they sat quietly and didn't say anything.

"Fifth brother, is Concubine Niangniang's illness better?" Wen Zhiyan asked.

Wen Zhiyan replied: "It's much better, the queen originally wanted to invite the mother concubine to enjoy the chrysanthemum banquet, but the mother concubine has not recovered yet, so she can only stay in the palace." ”

"Last time, because Concubine Shu was sick, you and Sixth Sister didn't go to see Princess Wanyang, but it can be regarded as luck, we almost didn't die of anger." Wen Miqing had already expressed her dissatisfaction with Lianzhi in her words, "Her pomp is really big." ”

Wen Zhiqian and Wen Yunxi didn't answer Wen Miqing's words, Wen Miqing turned his back angrily, and he couldn't say a word to the two.

Concubine Shu's father is the prince of the dynasty, although he has no real power, but his prestige still exists, and the emperor of Chu respects the prince very much, so the emperor of Chu is also good to Concubine Shu and her children. On weekdays, no one dares to go to Wen Zhiqian and Wen Yunxi for trouble.

However, the young ladies of the family who were invited here today all understood what Wen Miqing meant, and it seemed that the fourth princess was very dissatisfied with this Dongxia princess.

"Princess Dongxia has arrived." Following the voice of the palace people, Lianzhi walked into the garden.

At that moment, all the people subconsciously looked at Lianzhi. Dressed in a moon-white palace dress, embellished with a little bit of tender yellow, it is generous and noble. The makeup on the face is very light and stunning, and the hair accessories are simple and just right. This dress will neither dominate nor make people look down on it.

As the lotus stopped, the corners of the skirt swayed, hidden between pots of chrysanthemums, which was particularly beautiful, and it was really swaying.

Su Xiran couldn't help but clench the hem of her clothes, she didn't expect this Dongxia princess to be so good-looking.

"Princess Wanyang is here." Wen Zhiyan smiled and spoke.

Lianzhi walked to his seat: "Yes, the queen mother is kindly invited, how can this princess not come?" ”

Lianzhi's position happened to be next to Wen Yunxi, and as soon as she sat down, she heard Wen Miqing's words: "Princess Wanyang is really good-looking today, she must have put a lot of thought into this chrysanthemum feast, right?" ”

"It's natural to spend on thoughts, but it's not as good as finding a princess. After all, this princess has only been preparing for a morning, and I heard that Princess Miqing has been preparing for several days. In the past few days, Wen Miqing has sent a lot of clothes and jewelry to her, just for today's chrysanthemum feast.

"Why didn't Princess Wanyang wear the step shake that the third brother gave you today?"

"This princess is not like Princess Miqing, she can't wait to wear any good things on her body."

Listening to Wen Miqing and Lianzhi's words, the other women of the family didn't dare to say a word, for fear of catching fire.

"The Queen Mother has arrived."

Luo Xuanran walked into the garden, everyone got up and saluted, and she Shi Shiran sat down on the main seat: "Why does this palace think you are so quiet today, it can be noisy in previous years." ”

"Isn't there one more person this year?" Wen Miqing replied.

Luo Xuanran glanced at Lianzhi: "Miqing, what nonsense?" Princess Wanyang is going to marry the crown prince, and she is the future crown princess, so she is naturally from Xichu. ”

Lianzhi didn't answer, these two sang and harmonized, she didn't bother to care.

The palace maid sent dishes of dim sum, several of which were made of chrysanthemums, which could be regarded as suitable for the occasion.

"This palace specially asked the imperial dining room to study a few dim sum dishes that are different from previous years, you all try them." Luo Xuanran said.

Lianzhi picked a piece of dim sum and tasted it, it was really good.

"Princess Wanyang, how does it taste?" Luo Xuanran asked, "In Dongxia, you may not have eaten such exquisite dim sum, right?" ”

Lian Zhi put the remaining half of the dim sum back on the plate: "Listening to the meaning of the queen mother, it seems that she has brought the most exquisite dim sum in the whole of Western Chu." It's good-looking, but the taste is relatively average, and the dim sum in Dongxia is all about the taste, which is really not the same. ”

Wen Yunxi almost laughed out loud, Luo Xuanran glared at her, and Wen Yunxi immediately sat up straight: "Queen Mother, Erchen tasted this snack today, it seems to be sweeter, Princess Wanyang may not like to eat too sweet snacks." ”

Anyway, the matter is over. Luo Xuanran asked: "Today's chrysanthemum feast, looking at the chrysanthemums in full bloom in the garden, my mood is much more comfortable." I heard that all the young ladies have attainments in piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, so why don't you take chrysanthemums as the theme today, and show your strengths to the young ladies, how about it? ”

This should be the highlight of the chrysanthemum banquet every year, if the performance is good, you can be praised by the queen, and there will be light on your face in the next year. In previous years, Su Xiran was praised the most by the queen, and it was precisely because of this that Su Xiran was called a talented woman.

When Lianzhi first came in, he was still curious about why there was such a large open space in the middle, which was originally to leave a venue for these noble ladies to perform.

Playing the piano, painting, poetry, dancing...... Lianzhi watched these noble ladies perform on stage one by one, their eyes almost fell on the eldest prince and the second prince, it is not difficult to see that their purpose is to attract the love of the two princes. As for the fifth prince, he had no plans to choose a concubine, so those nobles ignored him, but did as Wen Zhiqian wanted.

Wen Zhiqian is an idle prince, and he likes piano, chess, calligraphy and painting the most on weekdays, and the performance of these high-ranking ladies is indeed not very good in his eyes.

Lianzhi admired the eldest prince and the second prince at this time, and he could still smile openly in such a gaze.

However, as time went by, the level of the woman who came to the stage to perform in the back was obviously higher, and that Mo Ningyao's dance was good, and even the queen nodded with a smile and rewarded her with a pair of bracelets.

Su Xiran was about to go on stage, what she was going to perform today was painting, and just as she got up, a petite woman also stood up: "Queen Mother, I have heard that Miss Su's painting skills are excellent, and the courtiers want to compete with Miss Su." ”

The queen laughed when she heard the woman's words: "It turned out to be the daughter of Ping Bohou, I don't see you go out on weekdays, and you didn't perform on stage last year, but I forgot about you, why do you want to compete with Miss Su?" ”

Pingbohou is hereditary, the first two Pingbohou have a tendency to decline, but this Pingbohou can be said to be able to turn the tide, now Pingbohou Mansion is the emperor's henchman, Ji Wanyi is the daughter of Pingbohou, the queen naturally wants to give three points of face.

Ji Wanyi said bluntly: "Last year, the courtiers looked at Miss Su's paintings weakly, but they couldn't draw well, so they couldn't compete with Miss Su." This year is different, the courtiers have been preparing for a long time. ”

Su Xiran smiled at Ji Wanyi and said, "Miss Ji, today is just to show your strengths, not to compete." ”

"Miss Su, do you look down on me, or do you take me for a fool? What do you say just to show your strengths, even the queen mother is rewarded for her good performance, why is it not a competition? Isn't everyone here to get the queen's appreciation? ”