The Delicate Beauty Favored Above All in the Imperial Harem
The Delicate Beauty Favored Above All in the Imperial Harem Chapter 27

Chapter 27: The Flower Viewing Banquet

In early October, the Princess’s residence hosted a grand flower viewing banquet. This time, not only was Ning Zhaorou invited—nearly every young lady from a notable family in the capital was as well.

The banquet was lively and bustling. Ning Zhaorou rose early to prepare.

Since she wasn’t the only one invited this time, she couldn’t be sure whether she’d get to see His Majesty again. But it was always wise to be ready early, just in case.

During her last visit to the Princess’s residence, she had received many fine gifts—fabrics and elegant jewelry. Among them was a bolt of shimmering peach-blush silk brocade. Ning Zhaorou had it tailored into a new dress. Yin Mingyu had forbidden her from binding her chest anymore, so she had someone take her new measurements before the dress was made.

Perhaps the Princess’s gifts were too eye-catching, for even Madam Wu couldn’t pretend not to notice. Outwardly, she maintained her dignity as the Marchioness of the Anping household, and generously ordered many new outfits for Ning Zhaorou as well, missing no detail. Such a display of goodwill made Ning Zhaorou more cautious—she paid close attention to Madam Wu’s behavior. Yet everything appeared as usual, with no trace of suspicion.

Shuangwu pinned jade-and-pearl hair ornaments into Ning Zhaorou’s bun, then dotted a delicate flower between her brows. Looking at her in the mirror, she couldn’t help but smile.

“Today, no one will be more beautiful than you, my lady.”

Ning Zhaorou reached up and lightly touched the colored-glass earrings hanging from her ears, her mind briefly drifting. Then her gaze dropped to her chest, which was now more noticeably full than usual. She pressed her hand gently against it—then quickly pulled it back.

She thought to herself: If she saw His Majesty again today, she couldn’t act as stiff and wooden as last time.

Several carriages had already stopped in front of the Princess’s residence. From them descended elegantly dressed ladies and young beauties. Since it was the Princess who hosted the banquet, all the guests were women. The expansive garden was filled with soft chatter and the gentle laughter of maidens gathered in small groups.

Ning Zhaorou and Ning Wanqing appeared at the end of a path. Their faces were not unfamiliar—both were strikingly beautiful, and easily caught attention.

“Second Miss Ning is here.”

“Yes, from the Anping Marquis household.”

It was strange. In the past, when Ning Zhaorou appeared among others, few would approach her so eagerly. But today was different. As soon as she stepped into view, the surrounding murmurs grew louder, filled with laughter and curiosity. Some girls even stepped forward, trying to strike up a conversation.

Ning Wanqing, watching Ning Zhaorou overwhelmed by all the attention, gave a cold snort in her heart and—with a chilly expression—walked off to a quieter area by herself.

Ning Zhaorou struggled to deal with all these people, but she understood why they came. With the Princess’s favor backing her, befriending her was certainly safer than offending her.

“You’re about to be surrounded and turned into a flower yourself, Second Miss Ning,” a warm voice said as An Yunwei approached with a smile. She spoke gently but with quiet authority, subtly parting the crowd and rescuing Ning Zhaorou from the center of attention.

Among the young ladies, An Yunwei held considerable influence. She was skilled in dealing with people and knew exactly what to say. As soon as she finished, the girls around them laughed lightly and began to disperse.

But An Yunwei’s gaze lingered on Ning Zhaorou. When Ning Zhaorou finally met her eyes, An Yunwei gave a slow, graceful smile.

“You look especially lovely today, Second Miss Ning. If I’m not mistaken, that’s Liuguang Brocade, isn’t it? A tribute item, no less. And to think the Princess gave it to you—it seems you’re quite adept at winning favor.”

Though the words sounded like praise, Ning Zhaorou’s brows furrowed ever so slightly.

She didn’t respond. Instead, she offered a light nod in greeting and glanced around her surroundings.

She already had an idea of how large the Princess’s garden was from her last visit. However, the western garden she had gone to before was tightly shut this time, with no one allowed to enter. From afar, she could just barely make out a glimpse of the intricately carved wooden pavilion rising from the lake.

All around the garden bloomed vibrant autumn chrysanthemums, flourishing cotton roses, and clusters of colorful camellias, dotting the scenery like living ornaments. Many guests paused now and then to admire them closely.

Ning Zhaorou’s mind wasn’t on the flowers. She would occasionally glance toward the western garden, then lower her head again in silence, pretending to admire the blossoms.

If Yin Mingyu were here, he would have seen right through her little tricks and teasingly pulled her into his arms for a playful squeeze.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t here—and so, naturally, couldn’t witness her subtle glances.

Suddenly, a commotion rose up ahead. Ning Zhaorou lifted her head and overheard someone saying that the eldest princess and third princess had arrived.

At the appearance of the princesses, all conversation stopped as the ladies prepared to offer their greetings.

Ning Zhaorou noticed An Yunwei stepping forward a few paces, the smile on her face deepening ever so slightly.

The two princesses didn’t resemble each other much, but both carried the typical arrogance of royal offspring. They waved off the formal bows, telling the ladies not to stand on ceremony.

Palace attendants led them to their seats.

Not long after, the Grand Princess herself appeared.

The moment she stepped out, two young children bowed in greeting. She responded mildly, “Since you’ve come to enjoy the flowers, don’t go causing trouble. Aunt knows you’re both good children, but if you ruin my banquet, you’ll be in for it.”

The children nodded repeatedly in obedience.

Then the Grand Princess turned to a palace maid at her side and instructed her to bring Ning Zhaorou over.

Before long, Ning Zhaorou arrived before her.

The Grand Princess had a chair placed beside her and looked at her with a pleased smile. She nodded and said warmly, “I knew this dress would look stunning on you. Just look—more beautiful than the flowers in my garden. I’m starting to wonder if I should even bother looking at the flowers today.”

Ning Zhaorou flushed with embarrassment from the compliment. Pressing her fingers lightly into her palm, she quietly replied, “Your Highness flatters me too much.”

On the other side, the eldest and third princesses also turned to glance at her. The eldest didn’t initially recognize her, but once her identity was mentioned, she remembered clearly—wasn’t this the girl who had once gotten into a scuffle with the second princess on Mount Eming?

The sight of Ning Zhaorou sitting and chatting so comfortably with the Grand Princess stirred strange feelings among the others. It was clear she had caught the Grand Princess’s eye. In the past, the second miss of the Ning family was hardly someone people paid much attention to. While she wasn’t disliked, no one went out of their way to speak with her either.

From afar, An Yunwei watched Ning Zhaorou seated inside the hall, saying something that made the Grand Princess laugh out loud.

She drew in a breath, then slowly exhaled.

In the past, the one everyone noticed in a crowd was always her—An Yunwei. Who was Ning Zhaorou to compare?

But it didn’t really matter. Ning Zhaorou’s background meant she would never be able to marry into a truly powerful household. She, on the other hand, was different. Her ambitions were higher than anyone else’s.

With that thought, the curve of An Yunwei’s lips slowly flattened. Her hand brushed lightly over the petals of a flower as she composed herself once more.

@ apricity[Translator]

Immerse yourself in a captivating tale brought to life through my natural and fluid translation—where every emotion, twist, and character shines as vividly as in the original work! ^_^

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