Distinguished guest?

Could the distinguished guest Chāngpíng Gōngzhǔ be referring to, was the King Yan?

Ling Jingshu frowned subconsciously.

The boat was full of women, and the two handsome male favorites beside Chāngpíng Gōngzhǔ were nominally eunuchs, not serious men. But it was different for King Yan. If he also came to the banquet with Chāngpíng Gōngzhǔ, wouldn’t it be an affront to the ladies of noble families on the boat?

Jiang Shi and Ling Jingyan looked at each other, their hearts sinking slightly.

“Who is the distinguished guest that Her Royal Highness the Princess is talking about?” The lively and innocent Jiang Rongyue asked the question that everyone was curious about. Everyone pricked up their ears to listen.

Chāngpíng Gōngzhǔ smiled charmingly: “I also invited Anya to be my guest today.”

It turned out to be Anya Gōngzhǔ.

Ling Jingshu breathed a sigh of relief.

“Anya usually lives in the palace. She is quiet and rarely leaves the palace.” Chāngpíng Gōngzhǔ said with a smile, “Yesterday when I went to the palace to pay my respects to my Royal Mother, I saw Anya and specially invited her to be my guest. I thought she would not want to come, but she agreed immediately. I was also very happy.”

“Everyone, don’t feel constrained. When Anya comes later, just speak and act as usual.”

Everyone agreed with a smile.

After waiting for about a cup of tea, Anya Gōngzhǔ arrived.

Anya Gōngzhǔ was only twelve years old this year. She had not yet developed her body and was thinner than other girls of the same age. She still looked childish. Chāngpíng Gōngzhǔ and Anya Gōngzhǔ were more than ten years apart in age. They did not normally interact much, and they did not have much deep feelings for each other.

However, in front of outsiders, you always had to act more intimate.

“Anya, you are finally here.” Chāngpíng Gōngzhǔ stood up to greet her with a smile, holding Princess Anya’s hand, looking quite intimate: “I was just talking about you!”

Anya Gōngzhǔ smiled shyly and replied softly, “I went to pay my respects to my Royal Mother today. All the concubines were there. Although I wanted to leave, I couldn’t open my mouth. I feel really sorry for making my sister and everyone wait for so long.”

As he said this, he smiled apologetically at everyone.

Everyone said they didn’t dare.

Then, Chāngpíng Gōngzhǔ introduced everyone on the boat to Anya Gōngzhǔ one by one. Anya Gōngzhǔ smiled and greeted everyone, showing her fine, pearly teeth.

When those eyes were smiling, they were like a spring breeze. They looked very much like the imperial physician Wei.

“I am Ling Jingshu, a commoner, and I am honored to meet Anya Gōngzhǔ.” Ling Jingshu and Jiang Ling Jingyan stood up and saluted together.

Anya Gōngzhǔ’s clear and gentle voice rang out: “Quickly, no need to be polite. Today, we are all guests invited by my Royal Sister. It is fate that we are taking a boat trip to the lake to appreciate the lotus. If we always stick to these etiquette rules, it will be boring. Let’s sit down and talk together!”

She didn’t act like a princess at all and was very easy-going and amiable.

Ling Jingshu and others thanked her and sat down again.

Ling Jingshu had never had a good impression of the royal family. Not to mention the overbearing King Yan and his sister, the powerful Empress Xu was her mortal enemy who had sentenced her to death in her previous life, and the high-ranking Crown Princess had a prejudice against her.

Even if the Imperial Grandson claimed to like her, had he ever truly understood and respected her? It was like a child who saw a new and interesting toy and wanted to take the thing he liked for himself.

Anya Gōngzhǔ was easy to like.

…

Anya Gōngzhǔ and Chāngpíng Gōngzhǔ sat at the top, and the rest of the ladies sat in pairs. Although there was no deliberate distinction, in general, the higher the birth, the closer the seat was to the two princesses. Given Ling Jingshu and Ling Jingyan’s status, they could only sit at the bottom.

After the greetings, Chāngpíng Gōngzhǔ ordered the boat to sail.

The rowers were all maids from the princess’s mansion. The maids were not as strong as the boatmen, but boating on the lake was a slow process.

Eating fresh fruits, feeling the gentle breeze, and seeing beautiful lotus flowers everywhere was really very pleasant.

Princess Changping suggested, “Everyone here is the most outstanding lady in the capital. You are all proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Let’s play a song to liven up the fun while we cruise on the lake today.”

As for musical instruments such as the zither, flute, and pipe, they had been prepared on the ship.

Su Ying smiled and said, “When it comes to zither skills, how dare we show off in front of Her Highness? I’ll be bold and ask Her Highness to play a piece first so that the sisters who have never heard of Her Highness’ zither skills can open their ears.”

This flattery hit the mark.

Everyone agreed: “Yes, we have heard that Your Highness is a great musician. Today we can finally hear your wonderful music.”

Ling Jingshu wanted to get close to Chāngpíng Gōngzhǔ, and her words were particularly pleasant: “Sister Su has heard Her Highness play the zither. This blessing is really enviable.”

Chāngpíng Gōngzhǔ had always been proud of her musical skills and was very happy to be in the spotlight. She accepted the offer amid everyone’s praises.

The palace maid beside her had already cleverly moved the zither in front of Chāngpíng Gōngzhǔ.

Chāngpíng Gōngzhǔ was good at playing the zither, and there were many famous zithers in the palace. The one prepared on the boat was a guqin, the sound of which was elegant and pleasant. Chāngpíng Gōngzhǔ’s skill in playing the guqin was indeed superb, and it was not all exaggerated by everyone.

After playing a song, the crowd’s praises continued.

Chāngpíng Gōngzhǔ’s eyes flashed with satisfaction, and she said to Anya Gōngzhǔ, “Anya, you come and play a song too.”

Anya Gōngzhǔ declined with some embarrassment: “Sister, you know me too. I have been weak since I was young, and I have no talent for music, chess, calligraphy, or painting. I usually practice to relieve my boredom. But today, there are so many people here, and you played so beautifully; how can I not be embarrassed to follow you? Royal Sister, please forgive me this time!”

Princess Anya had a bitter face and spoke pitifully.

Chāngpíng Gōngzhǔ laughed in silence: “Forget it! If you don’t want to play the zither, I won’t force you. However, according to the rules of our usual banquets, you must be punished separately.”

With a turn of her eyes, she already had an idea: “I will punish you by making you pick a lotus by yourself. Most of the lotus flowers in this pond are pink. You have to pick a white one.”

This punishment was quite elegant and interesting.

Anya Gōngzhǔ was still a child at heart; she smiled and nodded when she heard that. She tilted her head and looked carefully at the lotus pond, looking for white lotus flowers.

At this time, a clear and pleasant girl’s voice sounded: “Your Highness, I am not good at playing the zither either. Why don’t I pick lotus flowers with Anya Gōngzhǔ?”

The person who spoke was Ling Jingshu.

Ling Jingyan looked at Ling Jingshu in astonishment, muttering to herself. Was Ah Shu really not good at playing the zither, or was she trying to get close to Anya Gōngzhǔ?

Whether it was playing the zither or picking lotus, it was all for fun.

Chāngpíng Gōngzhǔ smiled happily and said, “That’s fine too. Come over and pick lotus with Anya.”

Ling Jingshu did not refuse. She stood up with a smile and walked to Anya Gōngzhǔ’s side.

As for the others, some were preparing music for the zither, while others were playing the flute and the xiao, making the scene quite lively.

(End of this chapter)