Hearing Jiang Si’s request, the palace maid looked towards Xian Imperial Consort and Zhuang Imperial Consort.
Zhuang Imperial Consort smiled faintly, without any extra reaction.
Xian Imperial Consort nodded in permission.
She wanted to see what trick this girl was going to play.
Soon, two palace maids each carried a glass vase with plum branches inserted.
The transparent glass vases had wide bellies and narrow mouths, with plum branches extending over three inches above the vase opening, bearing a few sparse flower buds.
Among the sea of blooming plum blossoms, finding two branches with only buds was no easy task.
“Your Highnesses,” the two palace maids stood side by side, bowing to Xian Imperial Consort and Zhuang Imperial Consort in unison.
Xian Imperial Consort lifted her chin towards Jiang Si’s direction and said coolly, “Take them to Miss Jiang.”
The two palace maids brought the vases to Jiang Si, curtseying slightly to her with expressionless faces.
For palace maids accustomed to nobles, an Earl’s daughter naturally didn’t count for much, especially one who had no promising future.
A magic trick?
They had seen countless flower appreciation banquets, big and small, but never had they seen a noble lady showcase her talents by performing magic tricks.
What kind of trick? Was she going to make the plum branches disappear?
No matter what, they felt it was undignified and quite ridiculous.
The two palace maids thought this way, but their faces revealed nothing as they presented the vases to Jiang Si with unwavering gazes.
Jiang Si smiled and said, “The two sisters can hold them.”
The two palace maids stood still, holding the vases.
Jiang Si stepped forward, closing the distance between her and one of the maids.
She raised her hand, her delicate finger gently tapping on one of the buds on the plum branch.
The bud was small and tightly closed, looking thin and frail.
Seeing her action, the ladies became even more puzzled. Regardless of their disdain, their curiosity was now piqued. They all watched intently, some even unconsciously standing on tiptoe.
“Miss Jiang, what magic trick are you going to perform exactly?” Xian Imperial Consort asked.
Jiang Si smiled slightly: “It’s not a magic trick. It’s just that with plum blossoms all over the garden and the blooming season almost over, these two branches have yet to bloom. I find it a pity and want to encourage them not to be lazy, to bloom early.”
What? Encourage unopened plum blossoms to bloom.
Not only did the noble ladies who heard this show a look of disbelief, but even the Xian Imperial Consort’s eyes flashed with surprise, and she unconsciously exchanged a glance with the Zhuang Imperial Consort.
Zhuang Imperial Consort was equally slightly surprised.
If this Miss Jiang could make the unopened plum blossoms bloom, it wouldn’t be an undignified trick, but an elegant and marvelous feat.
But how could this be possible?
She had read extensively, even many miscellaneous books, but had never heard of such a method in the world.
While the two Imperial Consorts exchanged glances, the noble ladies couldn’t help but start discussing in low voices.
“Could Miss Jiang be delusional?”
“Who knows? I heard earlier that Miss Jiang was pushed into this by Miss Chen. She probably doesn’t have any presentable talents and was forced into this.”
“Even if forced, she shouldn’t just give up entirely. Saying such boastful things, won’t it be even more embarrassing later?”
Chen Huifu’s lips curled higher and higher.
She had pushed Jiang Si onto the stage, wanting Jiang Si’s talent display to pale in comparison to Kou Lingbo’s brilliant dance performance. She never expected the other party to be so self-destructive.
Make unopened plum blossoms bloom? Haha, that Jiang girl must be an idiot.
Ji Fanghua, sitting beside Xian Imperial Consort, frowned slightly as she watched the young lady in the center. But when the young lady’s beautiful eyes swept over, meeting hers for an instant, the other’s composed and calm demeanor inexplicably put her at ease.
Ji Fanghua couldn’t help but reveal a smile.
Jiang Si curved her lips in response, then withdrew her gaze.
Yu Jin’s gaze had been following the person in the center, clearly observing her every move and expression. Now seeing Jiang Si exchanging glances with someone else, he immediately felt gloomy.
He was sitting right here, yet A’Si didn’t look at him but at another woman instead.
Who was that tactless woman?
Yu Jin carefully examined Ji Fanghua.
She looked unfamiliar, but being able to sit beside Xian Imperial Consort, she must have some background.
Noticing Yu Jin’s gaze, Ji Fanghua turned her eyes and nodded slightly to him as a greeting, but felt somewhat strange: why was her cousin looking at her for no reason?
Oh no, could it be that he had taken a liking to her?
This was too frightening!
Ji Fanghua’s heart raced, her face immediately darkened, and she rolled her eyes at Yu Jin.
Yu Jin was stunned, then became furious: this woman not only exchanged glances with A’Si but dared to provoke him!
A low voice came: “Seventh brother, do you think Miss Jiang can make the unopened plum blossoms bloom?”
Yu Jin came to his senses, meeting Prince Shu’s slightly bright eyes, and immediately his alarm bells rang. He said expressionlessly, “How would I know?”
Prince Shu laughed: “Hehe, I’m very curious too.”
So the seventh brother had taken a liking to the young lady from the Anguo Duke Manor.
Come to think of it, the Anguo Duke Manor was the seventh brother’s maternal family. If the seventh brother married a young lady from the Anguo Duke Manor, then the Anguo Duke Manor would wholeheartedly support the seventh brother, and the Xian Imperial Consort, who had a distant relationship with the seventh brother, might also change, not putting all her heart on the fourth brother.
Thinking this way, the seventh brother was quite scheming.
Prince Shu turned these thoughts in his mind, his gaze falling on the young lady in the center.
Although the position of Princess Shu was out of reach for this exceptionally beautiful Miss Jiang, as a normal man, he naturally wanted to look at a beauty a few more times.
The reactions and discussions of everyone did not affect Jiang Si.
She lowered her eyes to look at the plum branches in the glass vase, her gaze gentle: “Don’t be lazy, it’s time to bloom.”
After speaking, her jade-like fingertip brushed over a flower bud.
Under the gaze of countless eyes, the tightly closed bud, following the young lady’s fair hand’s touch, actually began to tremble its petals bit by bit, slowly blooming.
Her delicate hand gently brushed over each bud, and the touched buds seemed to have received nectar and jade dew, slowly opening. Soon, the branches were full of bright red plum blossoms.
This marvelous sight seemed to strike everyone present like lightning. For a moment, there was complete silence, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Only the sound of flowers blooming, though non-existent, seemed to murmur in everyone’s heart.
Such a beautiful sight indeed.
Everyone present had attended many flower appreciation banquets and seen many rare flowers and plants. It could be said that no matter how unusual the flora or how beautiful the scenery, they couldn’t be moved.
But this was the first time they had seen how flowers bloom bit by bit.
It was so magical, so… heart-stirring.
Before everyone could come back to their senses, the two plum branches were already in full bloom.
The deep red plums and the young lady are even more beautiful than the flowers.
Prince Shu couldn’t help but stand up.
Jiang Si bowed to Xian Imperial Consort and Zhuang Imperial Consort, saying in a clear voice: “Your humble servant is not talented, I humbly offer these two plum branches to the two Imperial Consorts, wishing both Imperial Consorts eternal youth and longevity.”
Xian Imperial Consort slowly came back to her senses, unable to describe her feelings for a moment. She nodded to the palace maids: “Bring them here.”
The two palace maids quickly presented the glass vases with plum blossoms to the two Imperial Consorts.
Xian Imperial Consort looked carefully again and again, sighing inwardly: It’s truly remarkable, being able to make fresh flowers bloom is unheard of.