However, going out is not something you can avoid just because you want to.
Within seven or eight days, Ye Jun received an invitation from a wealthy financial sponsor.
Huai'an came with a smile and said, "The emperor heard that the orchids in the imperial garden are in great bloom, so he asked Xiurong to go with him to take a look."
"Thank you for taking the trouble, sir. I will change my clothes right away." Ye Jun smiled.
Bai Zhu sent the people out and asked quietly, "Did the emperor only call us, Xiurong, or did he call others as well?"
"Of course, only Ming Xiurong was named. No one else has such good fortune." Huai'an chuckled.
After hearing this, Bai Zhu felt a little relieved.
Wait until Ye Jun changes clothes and comes out, then tell her.
"It's better to have fewer people. I don't want to be the star that's surrounded by others." Ye Jun said.
After tidying up his clothes, he got into the sedan chair and was driven out.
Since it was Ning Chen who asked her out, it was natural that Ning Chen arrived first.
But unexpectedly, when Ye Jun arrived, he found Zhang Cairen and Cui Baolin were there.
Huai'an had clearly said just now that he had only called her, but it seemed that these two had come here on their own following the scent.
This made Ye Jun feel somewhat unhappy.
It was supposed to be a banquet for a beautiful lady, but it turned into a meal at the vegetable market.
When they arrived at the place, Ye Jun came down and first bowed to Ning Chen politely, and then accepted the greetings from Zhang and Cui.
"This dress is beautiful. Does it look like Suzhou embroidery?" Ning Chen looked her up and down.
The misty blue pleated Ruyi skirt was very eye-catching, and she wore a plain-colored blouse on the outside, which gave her a calm yet lively look.
Ye Jun smiled and said, "The Emperor invited me to see the flowers. I didn't want to be outdone by the flowers, so I dressed up carefully. It's just..."
He paused in the middle of his words and glanced at the two people behind him.
"I didn't expect that the emperor invited more than just me. I finally won the flower competition, but I didn't expect there would be a beauty as well."
Zhang was quick to react and lowered her head, "Ming Xiurong, you are joking. How can a woman with my appearance of a weak and frail figure be considered a beauty? Xiurong is the beauty of a flower and the moon."
"Really? I see that Zhang Cairen is so bright and beautiful. If you hadn't told me, I would have really thought that she was here to compete with me in beauty. Don't you think so, Cui Baolin?"
Ye Jun smiled faintly, then changed the subject and brought Cui in as well.
Suddenly, she pretended to be surprised and said, "Oh, I didn't notice that Cui Baolin is also very beautiful today."
At last, he gave Ning Chen a reproachful look.
"Since Your Majesty already has a beautiful lady by his side, why did you ask me to come? I just said I would dress up carefully, but now I am embarrassed to compare myself with my two sisters."
Although he knew that she was making trouble on purpose, Ning Chen really enjoyed watching her acting like a little troublemaker.
Originally, Zhang and Cui came up on their own, so I didn't intend to take them with me, so I just went down the ladder.
"Even if you are modest, if you were not beautiful, countless women in the world would cry. All right, both of you step aside. I will go for a walk with Ming Xiurong."
"Yes, I'll take my leave." Zhang Cairen was still the most efficient.
After all, she just wanted to show off her face and didn't intend to do anything real.
It’s not like I haven’t tried to snatch people away before, but the past is too painful to recall, so I’d better not make the same mistake again.
Cui Baolin was a little unwilling, but seeing that the emperor's eyes seemed to be fixed on Ye Jun, and Zhang left so quickly, she had no choice but to leave as well.
As the two walked along, Cui couldn't help herself.
"The talented lady has been in the palace for some time, but when she saw Ming Xiurong, she was so timid that she didn't dare to say a word."
Zhang turned around and glanced at her calmly, "If you are brave, why bother to follow me? The emperor is still there, hurry up and get close to him."
Cui Baolin was speechless after being rebuked. He tugged at his handkerchief angrily and led his maid away through the side path.
Only then did Zhang raise her eyes and look into the garden.
From a distance, one could see the emperor holding Ye Jun's hand, the two walking together, looking very intimate.
Looking away, Zhang Cairen really didn't know when he would be able to make a breakthrough.
Maybe she made the wrong choice by standing with Concubine Shu from the beginning.
But at that time, only Concubine Shu could seek refuge.
But it’s different now. There is no one available around the Queen. What if she turns to the Queen
After all, the Empress has more say than concubines.
Relying on concubines is too risky.
Look at Li Wanrong today. She used to depend on the favored Sun, but later Sun died and Li failed to curry favor with someone else in time, so she lives a miserable life now.
Even though she is a sixth-rank official, her expenses are not as good as those of a talented person like her.
Even Concubine Wende, who was once so favored, could be overthrown, let alone Concubine Shu, who was brainless and unfavored.
But the Queen is the Empress and will never be deposed easily.
The more he weighed the pros and cons, the more determined Zhang Cairen became.
She really wanted to stand out and didn't want to miss any chance.
No one knew what Zhang was thinking. At this moment, Ye Jun was being coaxed by Ning Chen to put flowers on her hair.
"Your Majesty, why are you acting like a child? Your concubine has a head full of pearls and jade, where can I wear this flower?"
Ye Jun felt helpless and even a little disgusted.
Because the flower in Ning Chen's hand was Barbie pink, she didn't want to put it on.
But the emperor was determined.
"This flower has a beautiful shape, and it suits you very well."
Now that things had come to this, there was no room for refusal. I could only stand there and let him put the hairpin on.
However, Ning Chen looked around and couldn't find a suitable place to start, so he finally pinned the flower above Ye Jun's left ear.
Ye Jun took a deep breath and tried her best not to associate her angelic face with the word matchmaker.
But I just couldn't laugh.
Ning Chen found it very funny to see her trying to compromise like this.
In fact, Ning Chen just wanted to make trouble for her on purpose.
What fun.
If Ye Jun knew what the dog emperor was thinking, he would definitely curse and say, "What a joke!"
However, based on the principle of giving someone a taste of their own medicine, Ye Jun held back.
She turned around and picked a similar flower, and insisted on giving it to Ning Chen as well.
"Such a beautiful flower cannot be enjoyed by me alone. There are men in other countries who wear flowers in their hair. I have only seen them in storybooks, but I have never seen the real thing. Your Majesty, please be kind and let me have a look too."
This coquettish and noisy girl approached Ning Chen and pinned him down when he was not paying attention.
Next, the accompanying servants saw the emperor and Ming Xiurong, each wearing a big red flower on their heads, standing there and looking at each other.
In the end, it was Ye Jun who laughed first.
She even bent over and held her stomach while laughing in a very ungraceful manner.
Ning Chen gritted his teeth, wishing he could fight with her.
He quickly took off the one on his head, and then thought the one on Ye Jun's head was an eyesore, so he took it off as well.
After doing all this, he walked forward with a stern face.
Knowing that the man was somewhat embarrassed and a little angry, even though Ye Jun couldn't stop laughing, he still quickly followed him.