It finally happened. Yun Shang squinted as she thought of an idea.
She took a sip of the fruit tea and said, "Sister, it seems you know everything about all the young masters of noble origin in the Imperial City." She paused and lowered her head a little. Then she whispered to Hua Jing, "I stayed at Ning'guo Temple to serve Buddha for a long time. It hasn't been long since I returned. I know nothing about those young masters. I rely on Your Majesty and mother to pick a good husband for me. I think Your Majesty and mother would not treat me unkindly."
Emperor Ning's face darkened at the words uttered by Yun Shang. Everyone knew that Princess Hua Jing was married. Her husband was the Emperor's son-in-law. But knowing everything about all young masters of noble origin? That was tantamount to subtle criticism on Hua Jing's immoral behavior as a woman.
But Hua Jing seemed to be ignorant about all this. She smiled, "Shang'er, you'd better take a look first."
Yun Shang didn't reply as she felt someone staring at her. The feeling was so strong that she could not ignore it. Yun Shang turned around and saw Prince Jing watching her. There was a touch of curiosity and even coldness in his gaze, which surprised Yun Shang a little.
Fortunately, the Empress initiated a conversation. "It was reported that Prince Jing encountered an assassination on his way back. It's a blessing of Buddha that you are not hurt. Extremists are so desperate."
"An assassination? Where did it happen?" Emperor Ning asked eagerly.
Prince Jing moved his gaze away from Yun Shang, and said with a smile, "Mt. Qingfeng."
"Mt. Qingfeng?" On hearing this, Hua Jing shouted, "Shang'er would have passed by Mt. Qingfeng today on her way back to the Imperial Palace from Ning'guo Temple, right? Were you hurt?"
Yun Shang burst into a gentle smile, "Maybe I passed through at a different time. I did not face any incident on the way. It was quite safe all the way to the Imperial City."
"That's good." Hua Jing patted her chest with relief.
"Let's not talk about these dull matters. The dancing and singing shouldn't be suspended." The Empress smiled, and clapped her hands as a sign. Music began playing again, and the guests indulged in drinking, eating, and toasting.
Yun Shang lingered for a while. Since the party had carried on for hours, and guests had begun getting drunk, she left the hall with Qin Yi.
"Your Imperial Highness, Prince Jing was staring at you just now, wasn't he?" Qin Yi who followed Yun Shang, said unexpectedly.
Yun Shang stopped, and frowned, "You also felt that, right?"
Qin Yi was getting worried. "Your Imperial Highness, do you think Prince Jing knows something about the incident this afternoon?"
"Impossible." Yun Shang shook her head. She frowned as she spoke. "I ensured that we followed Prince Jing's procession. After their encounter, they would not go back. Even if they did go back and spotted something unusual, they would not be able to guess that it is I who stopped my assassination in the name of Prince Jing."
Qin Yi pondered for a little while, and then nodded, "Maybe we are worrying for no reason."
The two women talked while walking on a path leading to Qingxin Palace. Despite the gloomy night, Yun Shang caught a glimpse of two figures in the pavilion by the lakeside. One person was standing while the other was sitting. The person sitting in the pavilion looked familiar. Yun Shang stopped to take a look. Just as Qin Yi opened her mouth to ask why they had stopped, Yun Shang put her hand over the maid's mouth. Then she pulled Qin Yi behind a tree and whispered in her ear, "Did Lady Shu attend the celebration banquet tonight? "
Qin Yi thought for a while, and then shook her head, "I didn't see Lady Shu today."
"What's she doing over there, at this hour?" Yun Shang murmured. She stopped talking, hoping to be able to overhear the conversation between the two people in the pavilion. She heard a stranger, perhaps a court maid speak, "My lady, we'd better go back. Today is the celebration banquet for the Prince. Both His Majesty and the Empress are here. He will definitely not come."
"He?" The more Yun Shang thought about the mysterious 'he', the more convinced she became that this could be the person who had been advising and helping Lady Shu.
"I haven't seen him in a long time. I just want to see him." There was a touch of disappointment and sadness in Lady Shu's voice. After a long silence, she sighed in defeat, "All right, let's leave. At least we are back in the Imperial City. We should stay for a while. There will eventually be an opportunity. Let's go back. If we are caught lingering here we will get in trouble."
With those words, Lady Shu stood up, and wrapped her cloak tighter around herself. Then she turned and left the pavilion.
Watching the two figures disappear, Yun Shang squinted as she spoke, "Long time no see? Back in the Imperial City?" Yun Shang murmured these words over and over again as if in serious contemplation. "Wouldn't it be... him?"
"What did you say, Your Imperial Highness?" Since she had only caught some ambiguous words spoken by Yun Shang, Qin Yi had no idea what The Princess was talking about.
"It's all right. Let us go back, too." A grin emerged at the corner of Yun Shang's mouth. She walked out from behind the tree, and headed towards Qingxin Palace. For the first time, she had found something interesting about the Imperial Palace, something that she would never have known before her rebirth. She pondered over how many such things had she missed in her last life.
As soon as the celebration banquet finished, the court became engaged in preparations for Yun Shang's Coming-of-age Ceremony. As Yun Shang had prayed for rain for the people several years ago resulting in her high reputation among the populace as Princess Hui Guo, Emperor Ning issued an order to host a grand ceremony for her. Though the Empress played a chief role in preparing for the ceremony, Yun Shang, for whom the ceremony was being held, was also quite busy.
She had to give measurements for her clothes, select embroidered patterns for her ceremony garments, and learn courtesies and etiquette from senior maids. She was seldom free from such activities.
"There are so many complicated and dull etiquettes in the court. I was free from such etiquette in Ning'guo Temple. I got so accustomed to being free that I'm clumsy when I go to court. I'm sorry to make mother worry about me." Yun Shang said to Empress Yuan Zhen. Although she seemed apologetic, she was smiling brilliantly. She wondered why Empress Yuan Zhen had come to her. It would certainly not be to inquire about some insignificant information for the Ceremony.
Empress Yuan Zhen said with a grin, "It's the Coming-of-age Ceremony for a girl. The more complicated, the more ceremonious. Well, it's tradition that girls should show their talents to the guests on their Coming-of-age Ceremony. Many noble members and senior officials will attend the Imperial banquet after the Ceremony, and I have also invited their sons who are all currently at marriageable age. It's an opportunity for Shang'er. It's very possible that you'll meet your husband on that day."
Yun Shang was caught by surprise. She said after a pause, "But, mother, I have spent all my years at Ning'guo Temple. I only learned some characters from Master Wu Na. It is barely enough for me to transcribe some Buddhist scriptures. I know nothing else..."
"The Four Arts, embroidering, or anything alike would count. You don't have to be too conventional." Empress Yuan Zhen flashed her most graceful smile.
Yun Shang lowered her head. Her eyes were bathed in tears. "But, I know nothing at all. Nobody in the Temple would teach me about the Four Arts. Not even embroidering."
Empress Yuan Zhen breathed out a slight sigh. She said after a while of silence, "It would be a stain on your reputation if you showed no talent. I have an idea. You should find a painting, and I will tell Jing'er to make the embroidering according to it. And you shall tell everybody on your Coming-of-age Ceremony that it's your work..."
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