Chapter 659: Chapter 658: Sign Me Up
Zhu Pucheng rubbed his eyes, looked at the figure, and then looked at Shen Yuncong. He thought he understood.
So elegant and otherworldly, so graceful and composed, so calm and serene?
The coexistence of elegance and composure was not due to a lack of vocabulary in his mind. It was because this girl’s presence truly combined these qualities completely but harmoniously, making it hard to look away, yet extraordinarily pleasant.
He gave Shen Yuncong a thumbs up and said enviously, "Yuncong, where did you find such a beauty? This is truly a gem of the mortal world. If one could have such a beauty as a concubine, life would indeed be more complete! In the future, with a lovely wife and beautiful concubines by your side, you would enjoy the happiness of Qi people!"
Shen Yuncong frowned, concubine?
He felt that Zhu Pucheng had some misunderstanding?
Such a unique lady, how could she be relegated to being a concubine? Of course, she should be the main wife!
However, he didn’t say much to Zhu Pucheng; his eyes were fixed on Xia Wenjin, unblinking.
As if sensing his gaze, Xia Wenjin glanced over, and although it was just a fleeting look, it made Shen Yuncong extremely excited!
He decided that as soon as the flower appreciation gathering ended, he would send someone to propose marriage!
Not sure who the other party is?
No problem, he would find out soon enough!
The Linfeng Water Pavilion offers a broad view, and the area is quite extensive. The carved beams and corridor, meandering waters. Over a hundred people were coming from all directions, yet it didn’t seem crowded. Beneath the flower trees, by the railings, beside the pools, in the pavilion, one could often see a corner of a garment revealing itself. Many people sought a place to comfortably and pleasingly to the eye, either sitting or standing. At a glance, only about twenty people could be seen, while the remaining eighty percent were concealed by flower trees or blooms, half-hidden, forming an extremely beautiful scene.
The Seventeenth Princess stood in the pavilion, her colorful sleeves fluttering. Behind her were a group of palace maids and eunuchs. The Seventeenth Princess enthusiastically said, "Today, with a hundred flowers as a foil, we are casting a brick to attract jade. Everyone, don’t hold back your talents!"
This was the main event today, showcasing talents.
How did the name of the talented Shuang Yan come about?
Naturally, because they made a stunning impression at a certain gathering, establishing their name as talented women, combined with their noble birth and beautiful looks, they quickly became outstanding figures among the Capital City’s young ladies.
If one stayed hidden in their boudoir, they would remain unknown, so such gatherings often included opportunities to showcase talents. Those young ladies would pick their strengths to display, partly for fun and partly to let their talents spread.
Of course, showcasing talents was entirely voluntary, so later someone would go to sign up, and those who didn’t could find a place to quietly enjoy!
This time Duan Yan didn’t sign up.
In fact, the status of the talented Shuang Yan in the circle of Capital City’s young ladies was already at the forefront, and they didn’t need another talent showcase activity to gain recognition of their excellence.
In the western corner, Zhao Keyan’s personal maid received accurate information and hurried over to report to her mistress. Zhao Keyan said calmly, "Since the other young ladies didn’t sign up, we won’t either!"
The maid said, "Yes!"
Zhao Keyan unintentionally asked, "Did you get the guest list?"
The maid was clever and immediately replied, "To report to you, Miss, we didn’t get the list, but I’ve inquired and know most of the esteemed guests’ names."
Grand Tutor Zhao was already over sixty, but Zhao Keyan was the only daughter he had at the age of fifty, and she was indeed extremely pampered.
Zhao Keyan glanced at the maid but didn’t speak.
Yet the maid understood and immediately started counting on her fingers, "The three young masters of the Capital City, except for Mr. Ming who is stationed outside, there’s also..."
Zhao Keyan’s eyes moved slightly, and she said, "You mean, Shen Yuncong and Young Master Yuxuan are both here?"
The maid said, "Only Shen Yuncong is here. I heard that Young Master Xuan would also come to support his aunt! But he hasn’t arrived yet!"
Zhao Keyan lowered her brow, and the light in her eyes was hidden.
The maid continued to report the names she had gathered, but Zhao Keyan was clearly distracted.
The maid had a truly good memory, reciting dozens of names in one breath.
Zhao Keyan suddenly interrupted her, "Go register me. I want to perform a dance called... ’Jing Hong’!"
The maid was taken aback, but she immediately agreed and went to register right away.
Zhao Keyan’s expression was obscure and unclear.
The nanny beside her understood and said, "Miss’s dance will surely amaze everyone."
Zhao Keyan pursed her lips, also swallowing her subtle thoughts, and gracefully said, "I’m not yet familiar with this dance, but since the Seventeenth Princess is hosting the flower appreciation gathering, of course, we should support her!"
Over there, Xia Wenjin, Nanny Zhou, and two others were also together, and Nanny Zhou was quietly introducing the general process of such gatherings to Xia Wenjin, but she didn’t ask whether Xia Wenjin wanted to sign up.
Considering the registration was voluntary, Nanny Zhou felt relieved again.
The young lady grew up in a mountain stronghold, and she certainly hadn’t learned the piano, chess, calligraphy, and painting that these young ladies know. As for the intricate dances requiring careful practice, she certainly hadn’t learned those either.
If everyone were forced to perform a program, her young lady would inevitably embarrass herself.
Nanny Zhou’s distraction was noticeable to Xia Wenjin. Nanny Zhou seemed to weigh every word for fear of touching a fragile string in her heart. She could guess what Nanny Zhou was thinking and found it amusing in her heart.
The young ladies and noble sons prepared briefly, and the main event began.
The one in charge of coordinating the whole event was the legitimate daughter of the Duke An Ding Mansion, Yi Zixuan. She stood smiling on the main stage, as upright as a lotus, her voice exceptionally crisp, boldly saying, "Today’s flower appreciation gathering, as the Seventeenth Princess said, aims to let everyone fully enjoy themselves. So, the talent displays will be evaluated, and there will be rewards for the top three! So, even though our program is about to start, those who’ve changed their minds can still register now!"
Previously, no mention of evaluation was made regarding the talent showcase, and everyone found it novel, creating a slight eagerness in their hearts. Without evaluation, there was no distinction between good and bad, but if one ranked among the top three, it would be the icing on the cake for one’s reputation.
Quite a few people were eager to showcase their talents, with several sending maids or servants to add their names and performance items.
The first to go up was a girl in a green outfit, about fifteen or sixteen years old, with a delicate appearance. She chose to play the zither.
This girl’s zither skills were quite good, but in front of those who had received the same quality education and practiced hard, among the young ladies from distinguished families and the young gentlemen from scholarly families, her zither skills were only competent but not exquisite.
Since she was the first one, everyone still gave a lot of applause.
There were also performances of singing, calligraphy, and painting, with the atmosphere gradually becoming lively.
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