Princess Anyang, leading the ladies into the pavilion, asked them to sit down. “Wait here for a moment. We will visit the Flower Tower when the servants finished the trifles.”
The ladies smiled while taking the seat. “Please make yourselves at home. I am so happy to receive you today.”
Hearing Anyang’s words while seeing the servants carrying the peonies out of the manor, Lu Mingyue, being strongly encouraged, even intended to help them, which greatly amused the ladies.
Hong Zong, who didn’t want her lady to be ridiculed by others, whispered to Lu Mingyue when the tea and refreshments were served, “My lady, please take some refreshments first.”
Given the delicate food and the excellent tea, whose fragrance was lingering in her mouth after taking a sip, Lu Mingyue diverted her attention to the food set on the table before she gasped in admiration.
Xianxian couldn’t help laughing. “You’re fortunate to be here today, otherwise, you must be laughed at by other n.o.ble ladies.”
After swallowing a mouthful of water, Lu Mingyue snorted casually. “Princess Anyang has asked us to make ourselves at home here. This is just what I will do at home...” She turned to look at Xianxian and snickered. “You just pretended to follow Princess Anyang’s order, but covertly opposed her, didn’t you? ”
Xianxian, as smart as she was, was actually speechless, which greatly entertained An Rushuang and Princess Anyang. The small pavilion was suddenly filled with laughter.
The Flower Tower is not so far from the manor, but it still took a long time for the servants to carry the flowers, who didn’t finish their jobs until noon.
When the luxurious carriage reached the downtown after setting out from the back door of the manor, a lot of citizens were attracted by the aroma floating from within.
Since the carriage drove very slowly, a lot people followed it out of curiosity to see where they headed for.
Merely after a quarter, there came the shout of a maiden, “Ladies, we have arrived at the Flower Tower.”
As the carriage came to a stop gradually, Au Rushuang poked her head through the window after lifting the curtain. The Flower Tower, a white hexagon building reaching straightly to the sky, had a thick and solid column painted in red on each side.
With the stools and tables made of stone located within, there was a huge flower bed in the center where set flowers in various colors, the peonies being the most beautiful. Beside the big flower bed lay several small ones. Though they could only accommodate several flowers, their unique layout created a perfect visual effect by making you feel all the flowers were blooming within the tower itself. It’s really a feast for the eyes.
Even before they got off the carriage, the fragrance, not strong but elegant and mild enough, had floated into their noses.
The citizens had already gathered around here to enjoy peonies, the national flower usually planted within manors. There were rare chances for the common people to have a sight of their gorgeous style.
No matter what happened, this was the result Princess Anyang wanted.
An Rushuang thought, her corner of lips slightly curling up, a wisp of satisfaction skimming across her eyes.
The citizens crowding around the Flower Tower couldn’t help fixing their eyes on the luxurious carriage pulled by two strong horses. With the black painting and red ceiling, only a person of n.o.ble status could sit within.
“Such a display of splendor and gorgeous peonies, there must be a drop-dead lady in the carriage!”
A young man cladded in purple robe with a fan in his hand stepped out of the Changting Pavilion upon hearing the news.
Another man standing beside him laughed and said, “Zeyan, you must have made a wrong guess. Maybe it is a handsome man just like you. I have never met a courageous lady till now in the Nanqi Kingdom. You know, those aristocrats won’t let their daughters show up in public.”
“Peiyuan, let’s make a bet.” Zeyan snickered while looking at his friend.
“Bet on what?” Peiyuan asked.
“It’s a man or woman in the carriage!” Zeyan’s snicker became a big laugh.
“Of course it’s a man.” Peiyuan answered.
Zeyan clapped his hands. “Okay. I bet it’s a woman. The wager... what about the Duan inkstand with a carved cat made in the year of Qinglong?”
Upon seeing the maid having laid the low stool before the carriage, he urged Peiyuan while staring at him expectantly, “Peiyuan, are you afraid to bet?”
Peiyuan scoffed. As a pract.i.tioner of martial arts, he had never been interested in the stationery like inkstand. “Deal then. What if you lose?”
The citizens around the tower had begun to acclaim for the mysterious person in the carriage. “If I lose, I will do whatever you asked,” Zeyan said in a hurry.
“If... if you lose, you must propose marriage to my parents and marry my little sister, will you?”
Zeyan couldn’t help chuckling. “No problem, you have my word.” Though saying so, he was sure that with such aroma in the carriage, it must be a woman. Maybe more than one given the violent shake of the carriage.
As for Peiyuan’s little sister, this guy kept mentioning her to him at the military camp, annoying him so much. That girl must be ugly, or Peiyuan would not be so worried about her marriage.
When Zeyan was lost in thought, several ladies have already got off the carriage. Following the acclaim of the crowd, he fixed his eyes on the ladies. Even though they all had delicate appearances, Zeyan was sure that they were merely some personal maids. How could the ignorant commoners know who was the real n.o.ble lady?
Just as he expected, there was still a maid waiting at the door.
Within a moment, a small part of the red dress was revealed through the open door, followed which, a small pair of red cloth shoes made from top-level silk, as well as a snow-white hand popped out.
The maid at the door caught the hand immediately, but the person in the carriage pushed her away instead, who ignored the stool directly and jumped onto the carpet already laid on the ground.
Arch eyebrows coupled with eyes in the shape of almond, a glamorous smile hanging at the corner of her lips, eyes filled with vigor and vitality, she was just a beauty walking out of the burning fire, who was n.o.body but Lu Mingyue.