Chapter 17：

While Emperor Cheng Kang and Ming Tingyuan were discussing matters in the imperial study, the three young ladies of Jing'an Hou's Mansion also packed up carefully and went out slowly.

Shen Hua was dressed gracefully and gracefully as always, and her light pink dress made her graceful and graceful, and she was able to fit into a large group of noble ladies in Beijing.

Mingchu is wearing a sassy red dress. At first glance, she looks similar to the day she returned home, but if you look closely, you will find that her current dress is much more delicate. There are four or five layers inside and outside. When walking, she gradually layers. The red is bright and flamboyant but not too eye-catching.

As for Mingtan—

When they arrived at Chunzheng Street in front of the Duke's Mansion of Pingguo, it was difficult for carriages and horses to move forward. I don't know how many people this Miss Zhang Jiasan invited to hold a poetry meeting. The servants who went to the stables were a bit too busy, and many passers-by saw that Pingguo's mansion was so lively today, and they also looked here.

Ming Chu and Ming Tan Shen Hua took the same ride together, their hearts were filled with boredom, their faces were stinky all the way, and they didn't want to stay with them for a moment.

Seeing the car stopped for a while, she couldn't help but lift the curtain, and asked impatiently, "Why don't you leave?"

"Miss San, the front is blocked, so I can't walk."

Mingchu: "Just let them move it!"

Driver: "..."

Ming Tan also raised the curtain of the car and looked out twice, and then the curtain fell, his eyebrows raised lightly: "The third sister wants Princess Fengzhao to make way for you?"

Princess Fengzhao?

Prince's daughter?

Mingchu was silent.

In fact, Ming Tan didn't like the Princess Fengzhao quite much. At the Golden Chrysanthemum Banquet the year before last, she composed and played "And Qiuyi" by herself. There is no objection.

Who would have thought that this princess who returned from Yuncheng to the capital suddenly came to join in the fun, saying that she was just having fun and everyone can do whatever they want, but if a daughter of a small family didn't choose her, she would immediately lose face, who would dare to offend her? When voting for chrysanthemums, they had to re-election one after another.

Speaking of which, this princess is quite unaware, thinking that if she wins the Flower Master, she is truly a crown of beauty and talent. In the past two years in Guijing, she has been everywhere to join in the fun and show off. She can often be seen at flower viewing feasts, but when she appears, It can always make the original relaxed and comfortable atmosphere very subtle.

Probably because of the flower master, Princess Fengzhao didn't like Ming Tan very much, and when she met occasionally, she would always make trouble for her.

Fortunately, Ming Tan is not someone who can take anger. Although she can't offend the clan and royals, she can speak up.

This Princess Fengzhao grew up in the southwestern border, and the rules are only a little better than Mingchu's, not as good as Mingchu's martial arts, but he can fight.

When the two faced each other, Ming Tan would often talk about etiquette and cite the past and the present to the point where she couldn't speak, and there were many such noble women around Ming Tan, and the singing and harmony were even more terrible.

This time Princess Fengzhao is also here, Ming Tan thought, it is best not to contact her today, after all, she is here for Second Young Master Shu, so there is no need to give people the impression of being sharp-tongued.

However, Ming Tan didn't know that when she lifted the curtain to look around, her goal of meeting the Second Young Master Shu had already been achieved ahead of time.

Originally Zhang Huaiyu couldn't stand his cousin teasing him, so he agreed to invite Shu Er to come and taste tea. But Zhang Huaiyu is not a person who can drink tea peacefully, just as he mentioned it to Shu Er, Shu Er knew something was wrong and asked the truth.

But Zhang Huaiyu agreed, and Shu Jingran knew the truth, so he had to help him save face in front of his cousin.

Shu Jingran was parading around the street with a horse before, and his whole body hurt from being thrown by those melons and fruits. The shadow in his heart has not yet dissipated, and he will be watched by a group of ladies.

So he suggested to Zhang Huaiyu that it is better to invite talented people in Beijing to taste tea and discuss poetry together, and have a garden next to his cousin's poetry meeting.

It was also because of this proposal that there was such a spectacular scene of cars and horses in front of the Pingguo Palace today.

"Are you really not going?" Shu Jingran stopped at the corner of Chunzheng Street and asked.

Jiang Xushu glanced at the bustling scene indifferently: "There is business."

Last night, he was discussing matters in the right minister's mansion, and it rained suddenly late at night, so he was stayed in the mansion for a while. Today, Shu Jingran was going to come to Pingguo Mansion to taste tea and discuss poetry, and he was going to the Gyeonggi Camp to handle military affairs, they went in the same direction, so they went out together.

After Jiang Xu finished speaking, he started to walk away, Shu Jingran looked not far away, and suddenly said strangely: "Isn't that the carriage of Jing'an Houfu?"

Jiang Xu followed the voice and glanced over.

With this glance, he just caught a glimpse of a carved carriage with the logo of the Ming Dynasty parked in the middle of the road. Gently tilting your head and looking out, it's like spring water reflecting pear blossoms, bright and moving, not easy to see.

Shu Jingran stared blankly for a moment, then smiled lightly with his hands behind his back: "This Fourth Miss of the Ming family can be considered a rare beauty."

"Aren't you unwilling to marry?" Jiang Xu asked suddenly.

"I don't want to marry, it's not because I don't want to marry this fourth lady of the Ming family, but because I don't want to marry a wife for the time being." Shu Jingran explained, "Besides, my reluctance to marry has nothing to do with appreciating beautiful women."

Jiang Xu glanced at him, didn't bother to pay attention, and quickly disappeared into the crowd.

The government of Pingguo is huge. When I entered the mansion, I was afraid that the delicate guests would be tired, so I prepared soft sedan chairs to welcome them. It's just that the spring is just right, and the girls are willing to chat and laugh in twos and go forward on their own.

In the Poetry Garden, there are rockery and flowing water, peonies and peonies are in full bloom, and camellias and azaleas are competing for spring. There are several long tables arranged neatly beside the flowers, with pens, ink, paper and inkstones on them. The rest place in the gazebo is equipped with fruit snacks and high-quality tea.

Bai Minmin didn't have a meal when she went out. When Ming Tan and his party arrived, she was eating green pears in sugar cheese in the kiosk. The green pears were crisp and astringent. They were cut into small pieces and placed on delicate porcelain plates. Sweet and delicious, do not have a flavor.

Seeing that she almost ate up a plate of green pears, Zhou Jingwan politely persuaded her to restrain herself a little.

Zhang Hanmiao just attracted a lady over, and when she met Bai Minmin, she did not forget to joke: "If elder sister Min likes this dish of sugared green pears, I will ask the cook to cook it in the Duke Chang's mansion tomorrow, but it can be agreed, Sister Min still has to pay our cook according to the rules!"

Bai Minmin: "That's not necessary, I just want to rely on your Pingguo mansion to eat enough before going out!"

All the girls around covered their lips with handkerchiefs and giggled lightly.

Just at this time, the little maid led Ming Tan and the three of them to this side.

Shen Hua is soft and pleasant.

The bright red dress is bright.

Ming Tan was wearing a light green short jacket and a white long skirt embroidered with pear blossoms in silver silk. Her makeup was light, but it matched her picturesque facial features and delicate skin. There were very few hairpins in her hair, only a jade-carved pear blossom inlaid with silver The steps are swaying slightly, showing the lightness of a girly spring when walking.

Ming Tan decided on this outfit after two full days of consideration. After all, she just divorced not long ago, no matter the reason, it is inconvenient to flaunt it. But she still wants to attract Shu Er's eyes, she can't be ostentatious, it has to be special, don't look at her very light makeup, it also took a lot of effort to portray it.

Just looking at the involuntary flash of amazement in everyone's eyes, Ming Tan knew that the painstaking efforts of these two days were not in vain.

"Why did you come here? Ah Tan, we have been waiting for you for a long time."

"I haven't seen you for a few days, but our young lady of the Ming family is getting more and more fresh!"

"A Tan, do you want tea? This fruit tea from Hanmiaobei is extremely sweet."

…

Ming Tan made good friends with many noble ladies, and everyone greeted him as soon as he came. Shen Hua and Ming Tan often go to various houses for banquets. Although it is difficult to integrate into this circle, she is considerate and talented. At least on the surface, everyone can maintain a decent appearance, and she is also very popular with ladies from common clans. As soon as he appeared, many people came forward to talk and laugh.

Only when Chu Chuchu appeared and no one paid any attention, it was Ming Tan who introduced him: "By the way, this is my third sister. She just returned to Beijing from Yangxi Road not long ago."

Nowadays, the concubine and the concubine of the noble family are all taught the same way, only in the matter of marriage and marriage because of the family background of the mother's family, there must be differences. So at least on the bright side, everyone has no prejudice against concubine girls.

As the host, Zhang Hanmiao hurriedly praised Ming Tan Huatou in a charming voice: "You can tell at the first sight that Sister Chu must be a tiger girl in the general family, she is quite heroic!"

That's natural.

Mingchu humbly said "Thank you", but his chin slightly raised, and he didn't look at Zhang Hanmiao directly, but he didn't see any humility.

The smile on Zhang Hanmiao's face froze for a moment, then quickly covered it up and turned to other topics.

Seeing Mingchu like this, the other ladies who wanted to boast also stopped talking, and chatted about other things as if nothing had happened, only thinking in their hearts: People who are unfamiliar and don’t need to make friends, have they figured out what kind of boundary this is? , What kind of score is it?

Mingchu still didn't know why, thinking that they were deliberately neglected by Mingtan's instruction, and was not angry for a while.

Also upset was Princess Fengzhao, who fell behind Ming Tan and his party but leaned a little. She obviously entered the garden one by one, and she didn't let the servant girl make a sound, so everyone didn't see her at all!

After standing there for a while, she gave the maid a look.

The maid hurriedly shouted: "Princess Fengzhao is here!"

Only then did everyone look sideways, half-blessing: "See Princess, Princess Jin'an."

"You don't have to be polite."

Feng Zhao was panicked, and walked forward while looking at Ming Tan coldly. When she walked to the pavilion, she looked at Ming Tan from top to bottom, and suddenly smiled: "The fourth lady of the Ming family is still so good-looking, the matter of retiring the engagement It doesn't seem to have any effect."

Everyone is silent.

Finding faults is so straightforward, and she is the only one in Princess Fengzhao.

But Mingtan ignored the second half of the sentence, and smiled a pair of shallow and sweet dimples: "Thank you princess for your compliment."

"..." Princess Fengzhao said again, "Linghou's mansion is not in Shangjing, so it will be difficult to see the ladies in their mansion again in the future. By the way, the fifth lady of Linghou's mansion borrowed a book from the princess earlier. The rare ancient book has not been returned, and I don’t know where it is now, Fourth Miss, you have a marriage contract with the Linghou Mansion, and you should have a letter with Fifth Miss—"

"Hey, what's wrong with you, Ah Tan?" Bai Minmin suddenly supported Ming Tan, worried.

Ming Tan: "It's nothing, it may be because I haven't had breakfast and I feel a little dizzy."

Everyone was busy with each other and cared for each other, but Princess Fengzhao's words became inexplicably cold.

In fact, if she wanted to reply, Mingtan had hundreds of sentences that could make Feng Zhao speechless, but today she didn't want to get entangled with Feng Zhao, she was still waiting for Second Master Shu.

After a while of inquiring about the cold and warmth, the topic has been brought to light. Zhang Hanmiao was about to start the poetry meeting, but he could clearly see that Princess Fengzhao and Ming Tan were not on good terms, so he suddenly interjected: "Could it be that the fourth younger sister fell into the water and caught the cold before, and she still returned?" Not good?"

overboard? What fell into the water?

Everyone was stunned and dazed, even Ming Tan never thought that Ming Chu would bring up the matter of Shangyuan falling into the water on such an occasion.

There was a moment of silence in the pavilion, but Shen Hua suddenly said: "The lotus pond in the mansion is still shallow, the fourth younger sister will not catch the cold, and the third younger sister doesn't need to blame herself too much, just be more careful in the future."