Chapter 324 – The Youthful Spring Garment
The Flower Festival, the birthday of the blossoms.
Young maidens donned vibrant attire, adorned with floral designs on their brows, gliding gracefully like lotuses, surrounded by maidservants as they paid homage to the Flower Goddess.
In the words of the audience in the live stream, it was a day filled with dog abuse vibes.
“As spring approaches, all things are brimming with life. What a lovely day for the young men and women to profess their feelings, while the single dogs continue to shed tears!”
Jiang Pengji perched atop a tree trunk, where an Elegant Gathering unfolded in the distance. Under the warm spring sun, the radiant and energetic maidens emitted an indescribable beauty that not only captured Jiang Pengji’s attention but also attracted the gaze of several young nobles.
Below, Big White chewed on the sprouting wild grass, munching a bite only to spit it out, then moved on to attack another patch of tender grass.
With a smirk, she pointed her toe to poke Big White’s mane, who disdainfully took a couple of steps back.
Jiang Pengji spoke to Big White with a grin, “You’re not that young anymore, should I find you a partner? Maybe have a few little ones?”
Big White shot a sideways glance, making a sound that seemed to mock her.
While she couldn’t understand horse language, the little angels in the live stream appeared to have learned this foreign tongue, providing friendly translations.
[Night Grief]: Big White’s true feelings—Oh, foolish owner, when was the last time you washed your feet?
[My Territory, My Word]: No way, Big White is clearly saying, ‘A single dog dares to mock this king? What a commoner!’
[The Red Hare Among People]: That young girl has an incredible market, I just noticed some unfamiliar horses trying to flirt with Big White not long ago.
Jiang Pengji rolled her eyes secretly, realizing that a living person like her was somehow less attractive than a horse!
She leaned against the tree, closing her eyes for a little rest. The geography made Langya’s climate warm and humid, and the pear blossoms, which had only just begun to bloom in March, were now heavy with flowers. With a gentle spring breeze, petals occasionally drifted down.
Resting her head against the tree trunk, she propped her legs up.
One hand lay casually on her knee while the other held the wooden clogs she had removed, her feet clad in pure white socks.
Half-hidden among the clusters of pear blossoms, one would hardly notice that someone was lounging there.
A cool breeze brushed by, sending petals swirling.
Faintly, low voices of conversation drifted into Jiang Pengji’s ears.
“Fifth Miss, did you really decide to confide your feelings to your father?”
The girl’s voice was sweet, but overly so, creating a nauseating effect.
“Father is an enlightened man; if I tell him, he will help me make a decision.” The girl, called Fifth Miss, sounded hesitant and dejected. “But Brother Ci has someone in his heart. Father doesn’t approve and wants me to take this Flower Festival to seek someone I like.”
The overly sweet girl pouted in dissatisfaction, “How can it be like this… Do you even know who he likes?”
Fifth Miss expressed some worry, “I don’t know. I asked Father, but he wouldn’t say; he just said that when the time comes, we’ll naturally find out.”
The girl tilted her head, thought for a moment, and replied firmly, “Then it must not be a decent person.”
Fifth Miss was puzzled, “Why do you say that?”
“You wouldn’t understand. Young Master Wei is already twenty-one; if he truly liked someone, he wouldn’t be dragging it out like this. Unless the woman’s identity is unsuitable, like… someone from that kind of place, he wouldn’t dare to marry her back. You must know, no matchmaker in all of Langya County dares to offer him a proposal; he’s practically a tough case now. If he drags it out any longer, what about heirs?”
Fifth Miss took a moment to grasp what the other meant, her face reddening with indignation.
“Brother Ci is not that kind of old-fashioned guy; even if he does like a courtesan, he wouldn’t be so hung up on face.”
To sacrifice his dignity for the person he likes? That’s not something Wei Ci would do!
Fifth Miss was not ready to accept anyone slandering Wei Ci.
“Then he must be fond of a married woman.” The girl interjected before Fifth Miss could respond, “All the matchmakers in Langya County avoid Young Master Wei like the plague. No one is willing to match him, and his marriage prospects are bleak. Now, with someone as stunning as you interested in him, he should naturally respond with joy. How could he use the excuse of having someone in his heart to refuse?”
Fifth Miss felt angry, “You can’t say that! He’s a man of integrity; how could he covet others’ wives and concubines?”
The girl pouted back, “You defend him so fiercely; he doesn’t even look your way. You rush over, but he hasn’t given you a good face. What’s so great about Wei Ci? He’s a disaster for wife and children, a calamity for the entire clan…”
“Foolish opinion!” Fifth Miss was fuming, her chest rising and falling violently, her little face flushed with anger. “How can you judge him by just his birth chart? Look at how he treats people, respecting his teachers, being kind to peers, and lenient with juniors! Just because of some eight-character astrology, you determine his worth? There are plenty of people born with the same chart as the Emperor, yet only one is the Emperor, while others are just common folk!”
“Hmph, right, right, right! I’m foolish and can’t compare to your learned Miss Zhu Wuzhi.” The girl, provoked, fired back, hitting an un-named sore spot, “You’re so knowledgeable and understanding, yet you’re still pining after a man no one wants. Isn’t that just splendid?”
“You—” Fifth Miss’s eyes widened in shock, her fingers trembling with rage.
“No matter how inadequate Zixiao is, he’s still not a destitute girl from a lowly family, offered as a substitute wife by a stepmother.”
The argument between the two girls grew louder, severely interrupting Jiang Pengji’s quality of sleep, prompting her to jump down from the pear tree and cut in.
The two turned to look at her, noticing a young boy in fine clothes, smiling brightly, wearing only socks on his feet while holding his clogs in his hand.
The girl was startled by her sudden appearance, recalling their earlier conversation, her face turning pale.
Fifth Miss still seemed puzzled, asking, “Substitute wife?”
“Maybe you should be more cautious from now on. Distancing yourself from those who enjoy using vicious words to gauge intentions is likely a better choice.” Jiang Pengji took a couple of steps forward, seeing right through the girl’s true nature, with a half-smile, “When someone belittles Zixiao, it’s not genuine disdain, they merely seek to plan for themselves.”
“Eh?” Fifth Miss was taken aback.
“They want to marry her off to a man old enough to be her father as a substitute wife. She isn’t willing and is looking for a better way out. Zixiao is scorned, but his status isn’t high, nor does he hold much weight in the family. The two match? She may think so.”
Jiang Pengji saw the girl’s face go pale, trembling, her words slicing through the hidden insecurities within.
“If I hear any rumors out there that slander Zixiao or that lady’s name…”
Jiang Pengji’s expression suddenly turned icy, “Guess who might be the source?”
Fifth Miss was a naïve young maiden, but with an open-minded father, her perspective was broad. However, she had no inkling of insidious schemes that defame someone’s reputation.
