An honored guest?

Surely the honored guest Princess Changping spoke of couldn’t be Prince Yan!

Ling Jingshu’s brow furrowed instinctively.

Everyone seated on this boat was a woman; the two handsome favorites at Princess Changping’s side held the nominal status of attendants and didn’t really count as proper men. Prince Yan was a different matter entirely — if he too were to come and join Princess Changping’s gathering… wouldn’t that be a gross intrusion upon all the well-bred young ladies aboard?

Jiang Shi and Ling Jingyan exchanged glances, both their hearts sinking slightly.

“I wonder who the honored guest Your Highness mentioned might be?” Jiang Rongyue, lively and ingenuous, asked the very question on everyone’s mind. As one, the group leaned in to listen.

Princess Changping smiled with great charm and poise. “I’ve also invited Anya to join us as a guest today.”

So it was Princess Anya.

Ling Jingshu let out a breath of relief.

“Anya usually stays in the palace, and she’s rather quiet by nature, so she rarely leaves.” Princess Changping said with a smile. “Yesterday, when I went into the palace to pay my respects to Mother, I happened to see Anya and made a point of inviting her along. I assumed she’d refuse, but to my surprise she agreed right away. It made me quite happy too.”

“There’s no need for any of you to feel constrained, either. Once Anya arrives, just behave and speak as you normally would.”

Everyone hastened to agree with smiles.

After waiting about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Princess Anya arrived.

Princess Anya was only twelve this year, her figure not yet fully developed, slighter even than girls her own age, and she still bore a thoroughly childlike face. With more than a decade between Princess Changping and Princess Anya in age, the two didn’t see each other often in ordinary times, nor could their bond be called especially deep.

Still, in front of others, some show of warmth was only proper.

“Anya, you’re here at last.” Princess Changping rose with a beaming smile to welcome her, taking Princess Anya’s hand with an air of great intimacy. “I was just talking about you a moment ago!”

Princess Anya smiled with a touch of shyness and answered softly in her delicate voice. “I went to pay my respects to Mother today, and all the consorts and concubines were there. Even though I wanted to leave, it wasn’t easy to bring it up. I feel truly sorry for keeping you and everyone else waiting so long, Sister.”

With that, she offered the group an apologetic smile.

Everyone hastily protested that no apology was needed.

Princess Changping then went on to introduce everyone aboard the boat to Princess Anya, one by one. Princess Anya exchanged smiling greetings with everyone, a flash of fine, pearl-white teeth showing as she did.

When those eyes held a smile, they put one at ease, like a breath of spring wind — remarkably similar to Imperial Physician Wei.

“This commoner, Ling Jingshu, greets Princess Anya.” Ling Jingshu rose together with Jiang Shi and Ling Jingyan to offer their bows.

Princess Anya’s clear, gentle voice rang out. “Please, there’s no need for such formality. We’re all guests my sister has invited today. Boating together on the lake to view the lotuses — that’s a kind of fate in itself, really. If we cling too strictly to all this etiquette, it loses all its charm. Come, let’s sit and talk together.”

She put on not the slightest air of a princess, and was thoroughly easygoing and amiable.

Ling Jingshu and the others expressed their thanks and sat back down.

Ling Jingshu had never harbored any goodwill toward members of the imperial family. The domineering, overbearing siblings Prince Yan and Princess Changping went without saying; the all-powerful Empress Xu was the mortal enemy who, in her previous life, had ordered her death; and the lofty Crown Princess Consort held a prejudice against her.

Even the Crown Grandson, who claimed to like her — when had he ever truly understood or respected her? He was like a child who’d spotted some novel, fascinating toy, simply wanting to claim for himself the thing that caught his fancy.

This Princess Anya, however, was someone who easily inspired goodwill.

Princess Anya and Princess Changping sat at the head of the gathering, while the other young ladies all sat together in pairs. Though no one had deliberately arranged it this way, on the whole, the higher one’s birth, the closer one’s seat to the two princesses. Given the standing of Ling Jingshu and Ling Jingyan, they could only settle for seats near the bottom.

After the round of greetings, Princess Changping gave the order to set off.

Those responsible for rowing were all maidservants from the princess’s mansion. The maids couldn’t match boatmen for strength, but fortunately, touring the lake was meant to be a leisurely affair anyway.

Eating fresh fruit, enjoying the gentle breeze, with lovely, captivating lotus blossoms wherever the eye fell — it was truly a delightful outing.

Princess Changping proposed further, “Everyone here is among the finest, most accomplished young ladies in the capital — the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting are all child’s play to you. Since we’re touring the lake today, let’s all take turns playing a piece to liven things up.”

As for instruments like the zither, the vertical flute, or the transverse flute, these had, of course, already been prepared aboard the boat.

Su Ying said with a smile, “When it comes to the zither, how could any of us dare make fools of ourselves in front of Your Highness. Let me be so bold as to ask Your Highness to play a piece first, so that those of us who’ve never heard your playing might have the chance to broaden our ears.”

This flattery struck right at its mark.

Everyone naturally chimed in at once. “Yes, indeed, we’ve long heard of Your Highness’s exquisite skill with the zither — today we’ll finally get to witness it ourselves.”

Ling Jingshu, intent on drawing closer to Princess Changping, made sure her own words landed especially sweetly. “To think Sister Su has actually heard Your Highness play before — such good fortune is truly something the rest of us envy.”

Princess Changping had always taken pride in her skill with the zither and was more than glad to take the spotlight, and amid the chorus of praise, she readily agreed.

A maidservant nearby had already quick-wittedly brought the zither and set it before Princess Changping.

Princess Changping was indeed skilled at the zither, and her mansion held no shortage of famous old instruments. The one prepared aboard the boat was a guqin, its tone elegant and pleasing to the ear. Her playing genuinely deserved to be called exquisite — it wasn’t merely flattery talking.

By the time she finished playing one piece, praise from the group rang out without pause.

A flash of pride crossed Princess Changping’s eyes, and she said to Princess Anya, “Anya, why don’t you play a piece too.”

Princess Anya demurred with some difficulty. “Sister knows how I am. I’ve been frail since childhood, and I have no talent at all for music, chess, calligraphy, or painting — practicing now and then just to pass the time is one thing, but with so many people here today, and with Sister’s brilliant performance just now, how could I possibly bear to embarrass myself? Do spare me this once, Sister!”

Princess Anya pulled a woeful little face, speaking in the most pitiable tone.

Princess Changping let out a helpless laugh. “All right then! If you don’t want to play, I won’t force you. But according to the usual rules of our gatherings, you’ll still have to be punished some other way.”

Her fine eyes turned thoughtful, and an idea came to her at once. “As punishment, you’ll have to pluck a lotus flower with your own hands. Most of the lotuses filling this pond are pink, so you’ll need to pick a white one.”

This punishment was, in its own way, rather elegant and amusing.

Princess Anya, still very much a child at heart, laughed and nodded at this, turning her head to scan the lotus pond earnestly in search of a white bloom.

Just then, a clear, pleasant girl’s voice rang out. “Your Highness, I’m not skilled at the zither either — why don’t I join Princess Anya in gathering lotuses as well?”

It was none other than Ling Jingshu who had spoken.

Ling Jingyan shot Ling Jingshu a faintly startled glance, muttering inwardly to herself without end. Was A’Shu genuinely unskilled at the zither, or was this a deliberate move to get closer to Princess Anya?

Whether playing the zither or gathering lotuses, it was all meant in fun anyway.

Princess Changping smiled, pleased. “That works well enough — go on and join Anya in gathering lotuses.”

Ling Jingshu didn’t decline, rising with a smile and moving to stand at Princess Anya’s side.

As for everyone else, some prepared pieces for the zither, others took up the flute or the vertical flute, the whole scene lively and full of bustle.