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墨書 Inktalez
San Chun understood that this girl must be Feng Yi's sister.
She used to be a very gentle and kind girl, treating others well, and the only person she might have offended was Feng Yi. Of course, she did not remember how she used to be; all of this was what she heard from the maids in Ju Mansion. The maids had a good opinion of her, except for the incident of eloping with Zheng Lan, she was still a well-behaved girl most of the time.
"You shameless wretch," the girl cursed her, but her smile was radiant, as if she were chatting with a close friend.
San Chun touched her nose; it was indeed her fault, and there was no need to engage in a war of words with this Girl, so she turned her gaze elsewhere.
At that moment, a Eunuch came out from the inner hall and announced loudly, "Empress Hua has arrived."
Empress Hua is the wife of Yan Xiaowang, who had taken care of the current Prince of Yan Shuqing when he was young. Later, after Uncle Qi ascended to the throne, she was specially honored as Empress Dowager Hua.
Now that Yan Wang had not yet married, everything in the harem was managed by Empress Dowager Hua, and this matchmaking event must have been her idea.
When Empress Hua took her seat, she scanned the room and smiled, "Today so many lovely girls have come, making this grand hall much more colorful."
The girls laughed softly, all saying that Empress Dowager Hua was witty.
Seeing that the atmosphere in the hall was pleasant, Empress Hua continued, "Since you are all like flowers, I shall grant each of you a silk flower. Those whose names are called may come forward to receive it."
Everyone knew this was an opportunity for Empress Dowager Hua to observe each girl's appearance, so they all focused intently, preparing to present their best selves.
A Eunuch brought forward two baskets; one contained red flowers and the other pink flowers. Each flower was made of delicate silk and looked stunningly beautiful. As each Noble Lady stepped forward, Empress Dowager Hua would select one flower from either basket to gift them—red flowers for those she found pleasing and pink flowers for those she did not. As for what constituted pleasing or unpleasing, no one knew.
Having learned some court etiquette from Yan Ping during her time in Chu State, when it was her turn, San Chun knelt respectfully and stood gracefully before Empress Dowager Hua, allowing her to observe.
Empress Hua asked, "You are Daughter of Ju Rong Ju Dan?"
"Reporting to Empress Dowager Hua, indeed I am."
Unlike other Noble Ladies, Empress Hua stared at her for a long time, her gaze somewhat peculiar. She paused briefly between the Red Flower Basket and the Pink Flower Basket, seemingly hesitant, before making up her mind and picking a red flower for her, smiling as she said, "Make sure to wear it well when you go back."
San Chun bowed in gratitude, having thought she would receive a pink flower, especially since her reputation had suffered greatly after eloping with someone.
After distributing the silk flowers, Empress Hua instructed the ladies to perform their talents, and it was Eagerly's turn to take the stage, eager to steal the spotlight.
Empress Hua watched for a while and praised them repeatedly; whether she truly found it good or not remained unknown.
After watching two or three Noble Ladies perform, Empress Dowager Hua chatted with everyone for a few moments before claiming fatigue and preparing to return to the palace. As soon as she left, discussions erupted in the hall. Those who received red flowers were all smiles, while most of those who received pink flowers felt discontented.
It was unlikely that they would truly be chosen by the king, but at least it was a form of recognition—an acknowledgment from someone in power regarding their beauty and family background. Even if marriage discussions arose later, it would still be a form of capital.
Feng Yi's sister also received a red flower. Seeing San Chun fiddling with hers, she couldn't help but glare at her a few times. San Chun paid no mind and looked at the flowers in others' hands. To her surprise, she noticed that more than half of the ladies in the hall were watching her—with jealousy, curiosity, envy, and sarcasm… their gazes held different meanings.
She suddenly felt a jolt in her heart and thought to herself that something might happen to her.
Her premonitions were often accurate when it came to bad news. Just as she was pondering what it could be, a Eunuch announced loudly, "The king has ordered that Daughter of the Ju Family be summoned for an audience."
Even now, San Chun still struggled to adapt to this name. It wasn't until they called it out a second time that she suddenly realized it was referring to her. She quickly stood up and responded, "Yes."
A palace maid came over to guide her toward the Inner Palace. She felt anxious inside, unsure of what kind of king she would face or what this meeting might signify.
The palace was filled with many White Plums; along the way were blooming ancient trees. After yesterday's rain, the White Plum Blossoms appeared even more vibrant. The delicate white petals were blown down by the wind, landing on her head and shoulders with a refreshing coolness. A fragrant aroma wafted toward her—delicate and fresh—making her feel as if she were in an otherworldly realm.
After walking for a while, she came upon a long and mottled stone staircase shaded by dense foliage. White petals scattered at the corners of the steps resembled pure white borders embroidered on Silk Satin.
It was unclear whether this place had been uninhabited for a long time or if it was simply cold due to Winter Day; walking through it gave off an eerie feeling. Nevertheless, she liked this place very much; whether it was the White Plums or the tranquility here, she found great pleasure in it.
She asked the palace maid, "Where is this place?"
"The King's sleeping quarters."
She found it somewhat amusing; surely this King had a peculiar habit to have his sleeping quarters located in such a remote area.
Upon entering, she realized that this King not only had an illness but a rather severe one. She was surprised to see a coffin in the main hall, painted black and made of high-quality golden silk nanmu wood.
A normal person would never place a coffin in their sleeping quarters, and damn it, why did this coffin look somewhat familiar?
Staring at the coffin, she suddenly felt a headache coming on. She asked the palace maid, "Is this the King's coffin?" She had heard that some people prepare their coffins while still alive, with most of the interior left empty.
"No."
"Whose coffin is this?"
"I do not know." The palace maid replied coldly, leaving her there to wait for Yan Wang before bowing and departing.
San Chun circled the coffin three times, growing increasingly uneasy as it looked more familiar, and the more she looked, the more her scalp tingled.
With this object present, what was once a spacious and bright area suddenly felt filled with an eerie atmosphere. Especially since it seemed like the body dug up from Horse Riding Slope's grave?
Not daring to look any longer, she turned her gaze elsewhere. There was a bed, made of an unknown type of wood, dark as well, matching the color of the coffin.
The bed was surrounded by two layers of curtains, with only the inner layer of gauze drawn down. The wandering moonlight softly entered, gently spreading over the brocade quilt in muted colors. In front of the bed stood a screen, half-open with three panels. Instead of landscapes, it depicted two men—sometimes enjoying candlelit night strolls, sometimes engaging in poetry and painting exchanges. One scene showed a leisurely tea brewing while sitting and playing the guqin; one man looked exactly like her, while the other also appeared quite familiar.
She stared at the two men for a long time, pondering where she had seen the other one before when she suddenly heard someone behind her say, "Dan Mei, have you been waiting long?"
She turned around and saw a person standing behind her, dressed in comfortable casual clothes. He was the stunning man she had encountered at the restaurant, and he was also the other figure depicted on the screen. She never expected his identity to be the renowned Yan Wang.
"Greetings, Your Majesty." She performed a light bow, gracefully kneeling.
"Dan Mei, there's no need for such formality." Yan Wang supported her, a faint smile on his face.
Looking closely at him, he seemed to lack the radiant charm he had during their first meeting. He appeared somewhat haggard, whether from lack of sleep or some hidden concern was unclear.
Qi scrutinized her for a long time before suddenly lowering his gaze and softly asking, "Dan Mei, would you be willing to marry me?" His voice was ethereal; if one did not see him, they might think someone was speaking nonsense.
She was somewhat startled. "What does Your Majesty mean by this?"
"Nothing much; I simply cannot find anyone suitable to marry."
He sighed lightly, his expression somewhat helpless. Empress Hua had organized this banquet without his consent. After much thought, he realized he did not want to marry anyone else, and only Ju Dan, who resembled that person, seemed like someone he wouldn't dislike. Thus, he ordered her to be summoned.
San Chun had no idea what was going through his mind and couldn't tell if he was sleepwalking. What suitor would use such a reason?
After seeing that coffin and recalling the terrifying tales about sleepwalking, she shuddered and dared not respond.
Clearly, many people knew before she arrived that she was the most likely candidate. Even more evidently, Yan Wang's decree had not yet been issued at that time. This made her recall something she had heard recently: someone said that the current Yan Wang favored the former Crown Prince Yan Dan the most because of him; he had never been willing to marry. There was also a maid in Ju Mansion who joked, "Once our girl returns, it will be different; if Yan Wang wants to marry, he will surely consider our girl first."
The reason for this potential marriage must also be because she resembled Yan Dan. It felt as if a knife had been lodged in her mind; no matter how she turned it, it hurt. Because of her resemblance to Yan Dan, she became exceptionally sought after—both in front of Ji Xun and Zhong Xue—but this feeling was truly awful, making her want to tie up everyone she liked and beat them all.
She bowed again. "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty, but I already have someone I care for."
"Oh right, I almost forgot. How is Zheng Lan?"
"Very good."
San Chun wanted to leave, but Yan Wang seemed lost in thought, holding onto her endlessly, and she was different from before.
She had no idea what she used to be like, nor did she know what was real or fake about him. She could only follow his topics of conversation while her eyes wandered aimlessly around.
Uncle Qi's gaze never left her for a moment. The previous person only resembled her in appearance, but their personalities were completely different. Now, it seemed that even their personalities were identical, especially the way she pouted just now and her wide-eyed look of shock. Clearly, she wasn't scared at all, yet she exaggerated her expressions, giving him the illusion that the person he loved had returned.
However, there was still one thing missing: a smile. If her smile could also be infectious, breaking through the darkness with sunlight pouring in from the clouds, warm and natural, then he would be a hundred percent certain it was truly her in front of him.
But... could that be possible?
San Chun didn't know how long she had been in the palace. Yan Wang kept pulling her into conversation, and every time she tried to excuse herself, he firmly held her back.
In fact, talking to him wasn't that unbearable; he wasn't forcing her. She could endure it. But the one thing she couldn't tolerate was the urgent need to relieve herself; she really needed to go to the restroom.
If she had known she would meet him, she wouldn't have drunk so much water earlier.
However, saying something like that in front of a king was quite inappropriate, especially since she was a woman.
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