After Ning Wang’s wedding, some officials presented a memorial to the Emperor, suggesting that he be given a position in the court. However, the Emperor, sympathetic to the newlywed Ning Wang and reluctant to separate him from his bride, rejected the request.
Meanwhile, Yun Wangui, the newly appointed Minister of Revenue, was so busy that he barely had time to catch his breath. Liu Qiongzhi managed the family’s businesses, and Yun Zhaobai had his own responsibilities. As such, in the entire Yun family, only Fuyi alone remained idle. She spent her days either on leisure outings with her fellow idlers or relaxing at the family’s estate in the suburbs of the city, enjoying a carefree life without any responsibilities.
“Tomorrow is the Flower Festival. Her Majesty the Empress is hosting a banquet at the imperial villa outside the capital, and you must attend,” Liu Qiongzhi announced as she entered the room, only to find her daughter lounging on a soft couch, reading a storybook. She sighed and called for the servants to tidy up. “The servants diligently clean this place every day, and yet you manage to turn it into a mess. Even a doghouse isn’t half a messy.”
Fuyi quickly set down her book, moved the snacks from the couch to the table, and flashed an ingratiating smile at Liu Qiongzhi while pouring her tea. “Mother, have some tea.”
Seeing Fuyi’s loose hair and untidy appearance, Liu Qiongzhi sighed again. She was always worried whenever her daughter was out, fearing she’d cause trouble, yet she found it just as exasperating when the girl stayed home all day. “You can’t even be bothered to comb your hair properly. You’re getting more and more unpresentable.”
“My hair bun pulls too tight and makes my scalp hurt,” Fuyi whined, clinging to Liu Qiongzhi’s arm. “But don’t worry, Mother. Whenever I go out, I dress up beautifully and make sure not to lose the face of our Yun family.”
“I don’t know if the Yun family still has a face to lose or not, but yours has certainly been long gone.” Liu Qiongzhi chuckled in frustration, giving Fuyi a light tap on the forehead. But seeing the red mark that appeared, she felt heartache and gently rubbed it. “You mustn’t miss the Flower Festival banquet tomorrow. It’s a special event hosted by the Empress herself.”
“Your daughter understands, Mother.” Fuyi leaned against Liu Qiongzhi’s shoulder. “I’ll stick with Lin Xiaowu and the others tomorrow and won’t cause any trouble.”
Liu Qiongzhi didn’t look convinced. She knew all too well that when a child promised not to cause trouble, it usually meant there was more trouble on the horizon for the parents.
“Let’s hope so.” Liu Qiongzhi found herself feeling surprisingly serene. Was this the so-called strength that comes from being a mother?
…
Before dawn the next day, Fuyi was roused by Qiushuang to wash up and change clothes. She spent a long time gazing at her reflection in the bronze mirror, muttering, “Dear Qiushuang, what kind of hairstyle are you giving me today?”
“Miss, please don’t move.” Qiushuang deftly gathered a lock of Fuyi’s hair. “This servant has been keeping an eye on trends, and it seems that the cross bun is the newest fad among the boudoir young ladies in the capital. Apparently, this style makes the face look smaller.”
“But since you have such striking features, I’m doing your hair in the flying immortal style.”
“That’s only because you don’t do the cross bun well,” Xiayu grumbled quietly as she brought in a tray of milk. “Do you know, Miss? Qiushuang has been using my head for practice, and I’m nearly bald from it.”
Fuyi burst into laughter at that and turned to comfort Qiushuang, who was blushing bright red. “Don’t worry, Qiushuang. Everyone else can wear cross buns, but with you styling my hair in a flying immortal style, your miss will definitely stand out.”
“Miss, you are absolutely right,” Xiayu joined in with a grin. “No matter what hairstyle you wear, you’ll look beautiful.”
Fuyi picked up two bracelets from her jewelry box and slipped one onto each of Qiushuang’s and Xiayu’s wrists. “Well, you’re both right. I wouldn’t know how to live without the two of you.”
“Miss, you’re teasing us again.” Qiushuang tried to keep a straight face but finally couldn’t hold back her laughter. “Thank you, Miss, for the gift.”
Miss’ reputation was not good, but to her, Miss was always the best person in the world, and those who spoke ill of her simply had no eyes.
…
The Flower Festival was a significant celebration for the Great Long Dynasty. On this day, the Empress herself would conduct a ceremony to honor the Flower Goddess, praying for her blessings so that flowers, fruits, and crops would bloom abundantly, ensuring a bountiful harvest in the autumn.
During the previous emperor’s reign, there was no empress, and the most favored Noble Consort lacked popularity, so the Flower Festival ritual each year was conducted by the Ministry of Rites and the Grand Eldest Princess, who held the highest rank among the female members of the imperial family.1
It took nearly two hours to travel from the inner city to the imperial villa on the outskirts of the capital. The Yun family’s carriage followed the Empress’s procession out of the city, which started before dawn.
Upon arrival at the imperial villa, the ceremony began with offerings to the Flower Goddess, then the Empress led the planting of flowers and plowing of the fields. Only then was the ritual considered complete.
After the ceremony, the Empress and the titled madams2 gathered to admire the flowers and chat leisurely. Meanwhile, the unmarried young ladies roamed the palace grounds in groups, appreciating the scenery.
“So sleepy~” Lin Xiaowu mumbled as she clung to Fuyi’s side, sharing a piece of the flower cake she had brought. “Is the Flower Festival in Chongzhou the same as in the capital?”
“Not quite,” Fuyi replied, taking a bite of the cake. “In Chongzhou, during the Flower Festival, the young women would throw red silk ribbons onto the Flower Goddess tree. The higher the silk lands, the more favored they are by the goddess.”
“What about you…?”
“I tied a stone to my ribbon and threw it to the highest branch. That makes me the Flower Goddess’s favorite, of course.” Fuyi said proudly, hands on her hips. “I just wanted to be closer to the goddess. What’s wrong with that?”
“That’s so like you,” Lin Xiaowu burst out laughing, nearly toppling into the nearby pond if Fuyi hadn’t grabbed her just in time.
From the bridge, the Empress observed the scene and smiled at her entourage, “The Lin family’s girl and the Yun family’s girl seem to share a deep bond.”
Among the madams accompanying the Empress was Lin Xiaowu’s mother, Anping Junzhu, who wore an embarrassed expression at the comment. It was no secret in the capital that her daughter and the Yun family’s girl were of similar character—both were notorious idlers with a penchant for stirring up trouble.
“Seeing these girls brings such joy,” the Empress remarked to a nearby attendant. “Invite the two of them over, so they can join us old aunts and have a chat.”
The madams were all perplexed—there was no shortage of refined and well-mannered young ladies in the capital, so how could the Empress have taken a liking to these two notorious troublemakers?
No, no, that’s absolutely impossible.
“This subject daughter greets Her Majesty the Empress.” The summoned Fuyi approached the Empress just as a butterfly flitted by, landing on the peony near the Empress’s temple. Her face suddenly brightened with awe and admiration as she bowed and exclaimed, “As expected of Your Majesty! I’ve heard that on the day of the Flower Festival, butterflies are the messengers of the Flower Goddess. Seeing one enchanted by your phoenix grace shows just how much favor the Flower Goddess bestows upon you.”
The madams glanced at Liu Qiongzhi, who remained silent, then back at Fuyi, who wore an expression of pure reverence and admiration, and inwardly clenched their teeth.
What a glib tongue! Such shameless flattery!
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Author’s Note:
The Madams: “Flattery and sweet words? Ha, there’s no way the Empress would fall for that!”
Empress (touched): “Ah, Fuyi, such a sincere child she is.”
Translator’s note:
Hello everyone, I’m happy to announce that AerialRain now has gotten additional helps, which allow us to take two more projects! Let us introduce you to His Secret Guard and Marrying the Short-Lived Villain, both having historical settings. We are still adjusting our schedules here, so the two new titles will have irregular schedule for the time being. Hope you all enjoy them!
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- In each generation, the highest ranking imperial princess is called Grand Eldest Princess (大长公主), usually conferred by the reigning emperor to one of his sisters.
- Titled Madam: Women who were granted titles by the imperial courts. Generally wives or mothers of high-ranking officials and female members of collateral imperial clans. Like male counterparts, female titles also come with ranks and stipends.