YNRHPCYC Chapter 95

The Winter Hundred Flowers Festival was a folk holiday that came from a foreign land. It was said that this festival originated from a legend.

A princess in a certain country was born on the 12th of the twelfth lunar month. On that day, there appeared a miracle of hundreds of flowers blooming in the palace, and the fragrance assailed everyone’s nostrils. Therefore, people designated this day as the Winter Hundred Flowers Festival. Every year on this day, a beautiful girl would be selected as the Flower Fairy.

Though it’s just a legend, the common people enjoy the festivity, so this day is always very lively each year. The girl who was selected as the Flower Fairy would be praised in the capital for a long time.

As early as ten years ago, the Hundred Flowers Festival in the capital was run by wealthy businessmen surnamed Zhou. The Xingjia Restaurant of the Zhou family was in the central area of Yu Fu Street. Usually, it did wine business. On this day, the restaurant would be decorated with flowers, and it would also be called the Hundred Flowers Tower.

In previous years on this day, Yu Fu Street would be surrounded on the left and right in a way that not one drop could trickle through[footnote]fig. (of crowds, traffic, etc) impenetrable[/footnote]. Today, perhaps it was because of the caravan, it was not so crowded.

When Wen Chan and Liang Yanbei walked over, there were already many girls standing in the open air on the second floor of the Hundred Flowers Tower.

The Hundred Flowers Fairy was selected by the people themselves. On this day, many people prepare their flowers in advance and then bring them to the scene to sell. The flowers were more expensive than usual. Both men, women, and children could buy them. After buying them, they would give them to the one they thought was the Hundred Flowers Fairy. In the end, the girl with the most flowers would become the Hundred Flowers Fairy elected by everyone.

In fact, it was a way of entertainment for the people, and it was also a good opportunity for courtship.

Girls from ordinary families would take a basket and put the flowers they received into the basket, while girls from wealthy families would have their maids around them collect them for them.

It was said that the girl who finally won the title of Flower Fairy would receive silver taels as a reward from the wealthy businessman Zhou. So, many girls from ordinary families would dress up and come to participate in this event.

Wen Chan remembered that Lu Yi’s younger sister Lu Jiexiang had been selected as the Flower Fairy for several consecutive years.

It was no wonder that Lu Jiexiang was born so beautiful. After Jiang Yueying was sentenced to death, Lu Jiexiang entered the palace as the queen. Her stunning face overwhelmed all the concubines in the harem, and the seventh prince Wen Yuchi she gave birth to also had a very outstanding appearance.

However, Lu Jiexiang is still young now, so she probably won’t come to participate in this.

Wen Chan glanced around and saw that there were people selling flowers everywhere. He picked one and walked to an old woman who was selling flowers. He looked at the flowers in the large wicker basket and asked, “How much for these flowers?”

The flowers in the basket were all Pericallis hybrida[footnote][/footnote], multicolored and very gorgeous.

When the old woman saw that there was business, she hurriedly said, smiling, “Young Master, ten cents a flower, what color do you like?”

Liang Yanbei stopped by his side and pretended to ask inadvertently, “Young master, after buying the flowers, who do you want to give it to?”

Wen Chan pursed a smile, ignored him, and continued, “So many flowers…… I don’t know which one to pick.”

The old woman was very experienced and continued, “It depends on who the young master is giving it to. If it is Young Lady Zhao, she likes red, so this red one is best. If it is Young Lady Qiao, then you should give her a yellow one. If it is Young Lady He, this purple one is the best……”

“You know a lot.” Wen Chan said in surprise.

The old woman smiled, “I’ve embarrassed myself in front of the young master. Of course, I have to work harder to make a living.”

He thought for a while and said, “Then give me that red one.”

He gestured to Shu Hua beside him to pay the money. However, the silver banknotes that Shu Hua had just withdrawn from the bank were all large-denomination silver banknotes. The old woman couldn’t even exchange the silver ingot in Ah Fu’s hand for change, and she was afraid that Wen Chan would change his mind and not want the flower. So she stamped her feet anxiously.

Seeing that she looked pitiful, Wen Chan took another purple flower, turned to Liang Yanbei, and said, “You should have some change on you, right?”

Liang Yanbei pursed his mouth all of a sudden, and muttered, “The young master didn’t even tell me why you bought the flowers, and you are asking me to pay……” While talking, he reached into his sleeve and took out a small piece of broken silver.

He snatched the silver and said, “Since I’m here, what else can I do with flowers? You’re asking even though you already know the answer.”

After buying these two bunches of flowers, the two of them continued to walk in. Liang Yanbei followed closely behind Wen Chan and asked indirectly, “Young master, you don’t really believe what the old woman said, do you? I don’t think it’s credible. How could they know what color flowers those maiden ladies like.”

“That’s not necessarily true.” Wen Chan answered very seriously, “The common people’s eyes see much more than we do. It’s possible that Young Lady Zhao likes red flowers and the He family’s Young Lady likes purple flowers.”

Liang Yanbei was anxious, “Zhao Pingshi snatched the lantern from you during the Lantern Festival. Why on earth do you want to give her flowers?”

Wen Chan pretended to think for a while and said, “I have long forgotten about the lantern snatching. Besides, it is normal for a family’s Young Lady to like beautiful things. In fact, I was planning to give the lantern to her at that time.”

“Wait.” Liang Yanbei stopped him, “Zhao Pingshi is arrogant and domineering. What’s so good about her? Do you still want to give her the lantern?”

“It’s all old things. Why bring it up now?” He said.

“Tell me clearly, Young Master. You don’t like a girl like Zhao Pingshi, do you?” Liang Yanbei didn’t overlook, nor spare[footnote]unwilling to forgive / to treat severely without listening to excuses[/footnote], his eyes floating onto the flower in his hand several times.

“You have to ask me this on the street?” Wen Chan asked back, “If I tell you now, what will happen if I ruin the reputation of the girl?”

Liang Yanbei curled his lips and suddenly stretched out his hand to pull out the flowers in Wen Chan’s hand, “It just so happens that I also like red flowers. So why don’t the young master give it to me.”

As he said that, he was about to put the flowers into his arms.

Wen Chan didn’t want to give the flowers away, he just wanted to buy them for himself for fun. After hearing Liang Yanbei’s question, he wanted to tease Liang Yanbei. Who would have imagined he would suddenly grab the flowers?

So he wanted to grab it while between laughter and tears, “Don’t spoil the flowers for no reason!”

Liang Yanbei squirmed a bit, “How would I spoil it? In my hands, it will just be destroyed? Young Master, what you said made me deeply hurt.”

“If you want to take it, take it well. Why do you want to stuff it in your clothes?” Wen Chan pulled at his clothes helplessly, “Don’t bend the flowers.”

Liang Yanbei calmed down a little after hearing this held it in his hand easily, and thought in his heart: I am already being kind to them by not burying them in the ground.

“Your Ninth Royal Highness.” A tender cry came from behind, and the two turned around at the same time and saw Zhao Pingshi standing not far away at some point.

She was dressed very delicately today, with willow eyebrows and red lips, and a dress in light pink color. She was also very eye-catching standing in the crowd, but her face was a little ugly at this time.

He didn’t know if it was because of what Liang Yanbei said just then.

Wen Chan cast a look at Liang Yanbei: Look, you’ve been caught red-handed making up stories about people behind their backs, right?

However, the person making up stories was very open-minded. He shook the two flowers in his hand and asked with a smile, “I wonder what noble errand brought Young Lady Zhao here?”

“She called me, not you.” Wen Chan said in a low voice.

Liang Yanbei turned his head and said, smiling tenderly, “Calling you is like calling me.”

Zhao Pingshi, “……”

She walked over a few steps, “Your Ninth Royal Highness, I’m sorry for offending you during the Lantern Festival. I hope Your Highness won’t take it to heart.”

This call of “Your Ninth Royal Highness” echoed, but it did not cause any commotion because of Wen Chan’s identity. The reason was that Wen Chan liked to go out of the palace to play from time to time, and people in the capital were used to it. When the two of them appeared just now, many people recognized his identity and quietly stayed away.

It also saved Wen Chan a lot of trouble.

When Zhao Pingshi spoke, the expression on her face was pitiful. She was followed by several maidservants, all carrying a basket in their hands, and some of the baskets were already filled with red flowers.

Wen Chan smiled faintly and said, “Young Lady Zhao, I have long forgotten about this matter. So you don’t have to worry about it anymore.”

Zhao Pingshi was the best at acting, and Wen Chan didn’t believe her expressions and words at all.

Liang Yanbei also said, “Yes, Young Lady Zhao, His Highness has already stopped asking about your crime. So why are you still mentioning it?”

Zhao Pingshi sensed his slight hostility and was confused. She only said to Wen Chan, “Then can His Highness agree to let me go with you guys? More people means more fun.”

“No way.” Liang Yanbei refused almost immediately, and Wen Chan and Zhao Pingshi looked at him at the same time, both with surprised eyes.

He paused and said, “Young Lady Zhao, you are an unmarried lady. Walking with two men like us will inevitably provoke criticism. I am also worried that someone will deliberately discredit your reputation.”

Unexpectedly, Zhao Pingshi directly retorted, “Why should I be scared when Young Master Liang isn’t?”

“What do you mean by that?” Liang Yanbei asked suspiciously.

“Young Master Liang, don’t tell me you don’t know that everyone else says that you admire His Ninth Highness, but you can’t court him? Every time you see Your Royal Highness, you have to stick to him. People have long made up several stories. I think you should restrain yourself a little bit.” Zhao Pingshi’s voice was slightly cold.

She didn’t deliberately lower her voice, so some people around heard it and stopped to watch the show.

The world was not short of people who liked to join in the fun. After a while, a small group of people gathered around.

Liang Yanbei was not angry or annoyed when he heard this, and said with a smile, “Why should I restrain myself? I think this is good.”

Then he said, “They are not wrong.”

Everyone was shocked, even Wen Chan was shocked. He did not expect him to say such a shocking thing. He hurriedly pulled his sleeve and pulled him away, shouting at him in a low voice, “What nonsense are you talking about? Perhaps you didn’t take your medicine before going out!”

Liang Yanbei obediently let himself be pulled away, “I’m not talking nonsense……”

Wen Chan said angrily, “You just want to see me being chased and chopped by Madam Liang with a knife.”

“My mother would never do that.” He said, “Your Highness, you worry too much.”

That’s hard to say. If he talks nonsense in the street today, it may spread all over the capital tomorrow. At that time, if Liang Jun gets impulsive and gathers a group of people to go to the emperor to complain about him, it will be bad.

“Liang Yanbei, I beg you to immediately shut your mouth.” Wen Chan said, “You just want to kill me.”

Liang Yanbei said, “Who let Your Highness make me angry first? When I get angry, my mouth doesn’t listen to me.”

“Ah Fu!” Wen Chan shouted, “Bring out the cakes you bought.”

Ah Fu hurriedly handed the bird cage to Shu Hua and took out the cakes to offer. Wen Chan took them and stuffed them into Liang Yanbei’s arms, “Eat! And shut up.”

Liang Yanbei happily took the cakes, threw the flowers onto the ground casually, and it was stepped on by the crowd.

The two walked for a while, and after they were completely separated from the discussion, they stopped at the bottom of the Hundred Flowers Tower. When they looked up, the whole tower was full of blooming flowers, which made the girl in the open air on the second floor more beautiful.

Wen Chan raised his head and looked up. Just as he was about to speak, he was beaten to the punch by someone.

“Young Master.” Someone pulled his cloak.

He turned around and saw a man in a royal blue brocade fur coat standing beside him. He had long black hair and wore a black jade crown with white hair. He had thick eyebrows, black eyes, and a smile on his face.

It turned out to be a very handsome young man.

He raised his hand, handed over a bouquet of flowers, and smiled at Wen Chan, “Will you accept my flowers?”

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