When the Qiqiao Festival came, Zhao Pei had been hiding in her room for half a month and refused to come out. However, the emperor specifically asked Zhao Pei to enter the palace to attend the Qiqiao Banquet.
Zhao Pei stayed in bed and refused to change her clothes and wash up. You must be kidding, those people will definitely go to the royal banquet, and she doesn't want to see any of them. Zhao Jie sat on the bed and watched helplessly as she refused to get up. He smiled and shook his head: "Pepe, do you still remember playing hide-and-seek with us when we were little?"
Zhao Pei covered her head tightly with the quilt and said sullenly, "I don't remember anything!"
"Everyone ran to the dark, but you were still standing in the hall, covering your eyes. I asked you why you didn't run away, and you said you couldn't see me, so I couldn't see you either."
Zhao Pei was silent for a long time, but she finally lifted the quilt and looked at him: "Brother, I understand what you mean... I have grown up, and I won't play hide-and-seek like that anymore." Zhao Jie smiled faintly and gently stroked her head: "Silly sister."
As night falls, the Qiqiao Festival banquet officially begins.
Zhao Pei sat down and looked around, only to find that there were many young men and women. She thought for a moment and suddenly understood why Zhao Li could not attend because of her young age. But she didn't understand why she was specifically asked to come. Could it be that Xiao Lun really said something to the emperor? Then how should she deal with it now
I was thinking to myself when suddenly someone shouted, "The Emperor has arrived!"
When he caught a glimpse of the bright yellow color, before he could see his face clearly, he bowed down with the crowd and shouted, "Long live the emperor!" He heard the slightly hoarse voice say lightly, "Stand up." Then he stood up and sat back down.
She looked up and saw the emperor in a golden dragon robe. Although he was already fifty years old, his eyes were detached, deep, cold and calm. Although Zhao Pei had heard that the emperor was a great devotee of Buddhism, she didn't know that he always had Buddhist beads in his hands. Just like... a senior monk who had been in the service for many years. Zhao Pei thought to herself.
Feeling someone was watching her, she turned her head subconsciously and was stunned. Xiao Lun was sitting not far away, watching her with a faint smile. Zhao Pei saw his eyes were dark and she couldn't understand his emotions. Thinking of what happened that day, she couldn't help feeling embarrassed and turned her head away in anger.
Her eyes turned to the emperor, and she saw the jade-like man in white clothes sitting on the side, smiling and talking to him. He was so graceful, with a spirit as wind and a body as thin as bamboo. His eyes seemed to see through the world, with a unique pride, and the elegance and kingly aura were naturally noble and casual. She suddenly remembered the words that made her body cold under the warm light that day, and her heart palpitated again.
Just then, his eyes wandered over to her, and she looked at him blankly, and nodded in surprise but gently. Zhao Pei hurriedly pulled her thoughts back and looked away, feeling uneasy as if she had been caught as a thief. She reached out and took the teacup on the table and drank it all in one gulp to cover up her distraction. However, she did not hear Zhao Jie's reminder, and spurted out all the tea with a "puff". She fanned herself with her tongue, frowned, and complained in a low voice: "It's so hot!"
Zhao Jie shook his head helplessly and handed him a glass of cold water: "I told you to be careful but you didn't. I really don't know what's going on in this little head."
Zhao Pei looked around secretly, as if to see if her unusual behavior had attracted anyone's attention. Unfortunately, everyone looked at her, even the emperor and Xiao Tong stopped talking and looked at her silently. Her face turned red instantly. It was really embarrassing to do that in such an occasion. She smiled awkwardly to apologize, but she really wanted to dig a hole and crawl into it.
When everyone turned their eyes away and continued with what they were doing, there was still one person who was silently looking at her, his eyes as deep as the sea, full of meaning. He was playing with the luminous cup in his hand as if nothing had happened, his eyes never left her as if he was thinking about something. Finally, the corners of his mouth rose slightly and he smiled knowingly.
Zhao Pei had not come here voluntarily, and she was in such an awkward situation just now, so naturally she could not raise her temper. On the stage, there were several beautiful women in elegant clothes dancing to the music, like charming flowers and enchanting clouds and moon, which aroused rounds of applause.
"Is this sister General Xu's daughter?" A girl in blue sitting next to her suddenly approached. Zhao Pei looked at her. She was only 28 years old but already very graceful and pretty. She smiled and said, "Yes. May I know, sister?"
She smiled and said, "My name is Zhao Qiuyue, you can just call me Qiuyue. We have met before, do you remember?"
Zhao Pei thought for a moment and replied shyly, "I really can't remember."
"Sister, you are a forgetful person. During the Mid-Autumn Festival last year, we were at..."
Before Zhao Qiuyue finished speaking, she suddenly heard a cheerful voice: "Which young lady would be so kind as to play a song with me to entertain my father?"
When Zhao Pei heard Xiao Lun's voice, she looked up at the stage and saw him standing in the wind, with an outstanding figure. At this moment, his eyes, shining like stars, were fixed on her.
She pouted and ate the cakes on the table, ignoring him. You can do whatever you want, I am not in the mood to accompany you. Seeing that she ignored him, he felt a little embarrassed, but still smiled and said, "Miss Qiuyue? Can you do me a favor?"
Zhao Qiuyue, who was sitting next to Zhao Pei, suddenly heard King Shaoling calling her by name. Although she was a little surprised, she was more surprised and nervous. He looked at Zhao Qiuyue gently and raised his eyebrows slightly: "Miss, do you not want to answer my call?"
“Of course not... I’m very willing to..." Qiuyue murmured as she stood up, her face already flushed.
Zhao Pei looked at Qiuyue and understood what was going on. She wanted to see what tricks Xiao Lun was up to. Was he really trying to attract women like this
Xiao Lun smiled faintly and struck the square xiang in his hand. (A square piece of iron. Arranged from small to large, it produces different scales when struck. It is like the kind that children play with now... I forgot its scientific name... It is the evolution of the square xiang, which originated in the Southern Liang Dynasty.) Qiuyue sat elegantly in front of the guqin, and her wrist flicked lightly, producing clear music. Zhao Pei listened quietly and saw that the two of them exchanged glances. The man was proud and his eyes were shining, while the woman was shy and delicate, a perfect match for a beautiful woman and a talented man.
Zhao Pei held her chin up and looked at the two of them. She felt a little strange in her heart. Xiao Lun, you are so good. You said something just now, but you turned against Zhao Qiuyue the next moment. I don't have to waste my time on the argument. However, she was still a little annoyed by the sudden excitement.
Xiao Lun had been watching her expression silently, and seeing some unspeakable feelings, he couldn't help but smile more and more. Zhao Pei listened for a while, and suddenly felt bored, so she turned her head to look elsewhere. This look made her heart tighten. In her sight, there was a beautiful woman in her twenties with infinite charm. She was wearing a water cloud pattern emerald green thousand-fold wide-sleeved dress, with a flowing cloud bun gently tied up, and a transparent jade hairpin inserted diagonally. She was beautiful and elegant like a gardenia, and her eyes were clear and bright. Her whole body revealed a kind of gorgeousness and tranquility, she was really a vanilla beauty. She smiled and chatted with the man in white beside her.
The man's eyes were full of tenderness and warmth, as if the only one in the world was the woman in front of him. The man was modest and the woman was beautiful, like a pair of gods and men in the world. Looking at this pair of lovers made in heaven, Zhao Pei felt a dull pain in his heart, a little hurt, a little envy, a little helplessness, and a little understanding. That must be his princess, Yao Yunshang... That's right, compared to her, Zhao Pei was just an inconspicuous and crude girl, how could she win his attention
It was a way of comforting myself, but it also caused me to feel endless heartache. It seemed that I was so insignificant and insignificant that I could never get his attention for long. (To be continued)