35 Chapter 34

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Upon reaching the palace gate, a servant of Princess Xiang have come to guide Xiuying, Qi Lan and Kang Hou to the palace of the princess to prepare for their performance. Qi Lan and Kang Hou have arrived earlier than Xiuying and are leisurely drinking tea and eating desserts when the latter arrived.

"Yingying you're finally here!" Princess Xiang walk towards Xiuying when she saw her at the entrance and engulf the lady in a big tight hug before walking towards the two misses who are eating desserts.

"Yingjie I'm so nervous can we really do this?" Qi Lan was afraid that she'll make a mistake during their performance.

"We've been practicing almost non-stop, we'll be alright." Kang Hou reassured Qi Lan who is the youngest in their group.

"Hou Jie is correct and you practiced so hard that your brother have been nagging me to let you rest." Xiuying reminded Qi Lan.

Princess Xiang nodded, agreeing to what Kang Hou and Xiuying said.

"Princess it is time to change your clothes." One of the princess's palace servants informed Princess Xiang.

"Alright, cheer up Lan'er! Come on you three we need to prepare now..." The princess started to walk towards her inner chamber followed by her friends and their maidservants.

While the four are preparing, Qi Chen and Xi Hui together with Qi Ming have arrived at the garden where the banquet is being held. The garden is abundant with different flowers that most can only be found in the palace. The scenery almost made the ladies and madam squeal in delight. They can't help but stop in every few minutes to admire the beautiful landscape. Although Qi Chen's family aren't part of nobility they were invited as their children are friends with Princess Xiang and Jun Wang aside from being secretly part of the king's intelligence group.

Qi Fan and Long Guanting immediately sees the family of three, Guanting just ignored them as he doesn't care anymore and he is busy discreetly searching for someone in the crowd as he talks with his friends. Qi Fan sneered, seeing her husband is busy she walk towards the group of young ladies who are talking about the engagement of the two figures known in the kingdom as one of the power couples, who they admire. Princess Xiang and Young Master Ji are known to be a couple since they were both thirteen years old and even after six years their relationship became more stable. The emperor gave them the chance to annul the engagement in case they aren't comfortable with each other but were declined.

"Oh my! Young Master Qi Ming is here!" One of the misses exclaimed upon seeing the young man. Qi Ming is wearing a dark green hanfu with a simple black hairpin on his hair though his attire is simple his handsome face showing an alluring faint smile captures the heart of most of the maidens. He is known as the right hand of Jun Wang and known as a master in martial arts despite his age.

"He is so handsome unfortunately have that kind of sister is a stain on his reputation." The group of young ladies heard someone, those who were sensible enough not to make trouble didn't have time to identify who spoke as the others started to change the discussion. "That's true..." a lady wearing an extravagant pink hanfu seconded.

"Eh since he is here does that mean that Xiuying is here as well?!"

"There's a part of the celebration where selected young ladies will perform I just hope she won't be pick or her brother will be ashamed!"

"Stop we might be heard by someone she knows, our family businesses might suffer if she feel bad."

"Eh! We were just stating the fact that is known by everyone. If her family did that then it is unbecoming of them."

The other ladies nodded in agreement while the conversation heated up, no one noticed Qi Fan returning back to her husband side with a smirk on her face. Long Guanting who were busy didn't notice Qi Fan's action from the beginning.