Zhao Pei slept so soundly that night, and when she woke up, it was already noon. A maid was waiting at the door. When she saw Zhao Pei got up, she hurried in with a smile and helped her wash and dress. Zhao Pei looked around, but did not see Han Zhen. She could not help but ask, "Where is the woman who was with me?"
The maid smiled and replied, "The young lady got up early and is now strolling in the garden."
Zhao Pei heard her voice was pleasant and festive, and her eyes were narrowed into a line when she smiled, but they were bright. "What's your name?"
"I am Chu Xia, the prince has ordered me to serve the lady and the young lady." Chu Xia replied crisply, and then smiled and turned around holding a pile of clothes: "Please change your clothes, madam."
Zhao Pei looked at the clothes that had fallen so high and reached out to look through them. There were many styles of long skirts, short shawls, and cardigans, but the colors were all red, scarlet, crimson, imperial red, madder red, pink, bright red... Zhao Pei couldn't help but smile bitterly: "Are there only red clothes?"
Chu Xia's face suddenly looked a little embarrassed, and she murmured back, "It was the prince who said that Madam likes red clothes, so I took the initiative... I will change it now." Zhao Pei quickly pulled her over and smiled, "It's okay, I like it very much. I was just overwhelmed by the choices." After that, she took out a lighter-colored long skirt, "This one is very good."
Hanzhen was jogging in the garden when she saw a man in dark green clothes standing by the rockery. She looked closely and saw that it was Xiao Jian whom she had met last night. Without thinking, she ran up to him and said hello: "Good morning."
Xiao Jian withdrew his gaze from the pond. Seeing that she was dressed in women's clothes, he was stunned for a moment and then smiled elegantly: "I was thinking that the girl would look very good in women's clothes."
Hanzhen smiled awkwardly, but didn't know what to say, so she tried to find a topic to talk about: "What were you looking at just now?"
"Fallen flowers." He uttered these two words softly, his eyes misty with mist but smiling so elegantly. Han Zhen's heart trembled for no reason, and then she looked over and saw the pink and white petals floating slowly in the clear water, sad and beautiful.
Han Zhen forced herself to smile, but she didn't know what to say in response. Just as she was feeling awkward, she saw someone walking towards her from afar. Chu Xia bowed and said, "My Lord, Miss, the Lord is in the hall, please come over." They looked at each other and walked side by side. They had a perfect understanding.
Zhao Pei and Xiao Lun were already sitting in the hall, chatting and laughing. The smile on her face was like a peach blossom against a light red dress. Han Zhen looked at her for a long time without reacting. It turned out that changing clothes would change one's mood. If she had known this, she would have forced her to wear red clothes. That pale white color had dimmed the years.
Seeing her, Xiao Lun smiled and said, "Hanzhen is here, come and sit down."
Hanzhen nodded and sat down next to Zhaopei, very politely. Just as she sat down, she saw a few more people coming. The one walking in front was a young man who looked about 18 or 19 years old. He had a heroic look between his eyebrows. The noble and elegant way he raised his hands and raised his hands made it clear that he was Xiao Lun's second son Xiao Que. There were also three women behind him, all of whom were beautiful and pretty.
Zhao Pei thought that these were probably Xiao Lun's concubines, but for some reason she felt inexplicably stunned the moment she saw them, as if something was wrong.
Xiao Lun smiled and said, "Que'er, meet this lady." He did not mention Zhao Pei's identity. It was a bit abrupt for the Seventh Princess to suddenly appear in the Sixth Prince's palace. Xiao Que looked up at Zhao Pei and was stunned for a long time without answering.
Her eyes were filled with astonishment and surprise. Zhao Pei frowned slightly. Why did almost everyone in the mansion look at her like this the first time they saw her? Xiao Lun coughed twice: "Que'er, why don't you call someone?"
"Hello, Madam." Xiao Que came back to his senses and said shyly, "I am indeed rude." The respectful voice was like the jingling of jade rings, pleasing to the ears and the heart. Zhao Pei returned the greeting and turned to Xiao Lun and teased him softly, "Your two sons are so polite and have such aloof temperaments, how come they are nothing like you?"
"Are you secretly scolding me for not knowing my limits?" Xiao Lun raised his eyebrows, but was not annoyed. While they were talking and laughing, someone announced that "the Madam is here." Zhao Pei quickly stopped laughing and sat up straight. Xiao Lun glanced at her and saw that she had immediately drawn a line between them, so he smiled helplessly.
She was wearing a light red gauze dress, embroidered with intricate and delicate lotus patterns. She had bright eyes, white teeth, and eyebrows that were lightly drawn. She was elegant and graceful, and her every move was filled with fragrance. Those eyebrows, eyes, nose, lips, clothes, and expression... ..
Zhao Pei was speechless, and the teacup in her hand almost fell down. The whole place fell silent, not because of how beautiful she was, but because... Zhao Pei finally understood why everyone was so surprised and stunned when they saw her. It turned out that she looked 80% similar to that woman, or that woman looked 80% similar to herself.
Another flash of thought, she looked at the other concubines present again. Another round of blows, that nose, those eyes, those lips, that look, can actually spell out another her... . Suddenly, a pain in her heart, Zhao Pei looked at the corner of Xiao Lun's clothes beside her with the corner of her eyes, and she didn't even have the courage to look at his expression. Liu Zhen, Liu Zhen, what virtue do I have... .
Wan Zhi just heard that there was a distinguished guest in the mansion, so she dressed up and put on the prince's favorite red dress. But she regretted it immediately when she saw who came. She never thought that it was her... The person she was most grateful to in this life was also the person she hated the most.
The hall was strangely quiet. Wan Zhi was stunned and stared at Zhao Pei, and Zhao Pei also stared at her. The real and fake two met in public today. There was nothing but embarrassment and confusion, nothing but indifference.
Hanzhen looked around the place and suddenly felt that it was extremely lively. The doubts in her mind were immediately solved.
Wan Zhi came back to her senses and smiled gently: "My concubine greets the Madam." She bowed gracefully as if nothing had happened.
Zhao Pei nodded awkwardly, but could not utter a word. It was Xiao Lun who spoke first: "I'll trouble you to take good care of the guest while he is here."
"I will do my best." Wan Zhi smiled gently and virtuously.
Zhao Pei was still in a daze, Xiao Lun smiled at her and said, "It's a rare opportunity for you to come here, how about going to see Yangzhou City?" Zhao Pei nodded without thinking, but the different expressions of everyone were circling in her mind. (To be continued)