newbobooks Chapter 884: Stand Up for Her
Chapter 884: Stand Up for Her
"Big birthday boy, get up quickly."
On October 17th, just after dawn, she was gently awakened from her warm bed by her mother. After washing up and eating a few snacks, she was pressed in front of the dressing table.
Jing Qiurong also specially changed into a festive crimson brocade robe today. Her eyes were full of tenderness and respect, and she personally directed the maids to dress up her daughter.
She was usually very busy, and the triplets kept her busy so that she could not take care of anything else. But today, she put aside all her affairs and took a break to squeeze into her daughter's bedroom.
"This good-looking."
"This one is more suitable."
The other sisters handed over a pearl flower, then took out two boxes of lip balm to compare colors, and kept giving suggestions.
The room was filled with warmth and fragrance. Besides my mother, there were also seven or eight sisters who had stayed in the house last night, making the attic, which seemed very spacious, very crowded.
As a member of the mansion, Ling'er naturally regarded herself as the master, running around, serving tea and water, and never leaving the house.
Mingyue, Jinjieer, Mingzhu, Yanjieer, and the beautiful sisters Jiaojiao and Chuchu all stayed in the same courtyard last night. Now they are all gathered here, talking and commenting with smiles.
Little pudding sister Yan always likes to stick to this group of sisters since she returned to the city. Although she is only two years younger than Mingzhu, she is more lively and likes to play with the childish Xiaoyu.
Looking at Yan Jie'er's lively appearance, Jing Chunxi couldn't help but have the idea of asking Xiaoyu to accompany her, but then he changed his mind and worried that Xiaoyu would be unwilling to do so, so he had to put it aside for the time being.
Ling'er was like a busy little bee, pacing the room, muttering, "Isn't this rouge too light? Will something else steal the show? Sister Chunxi, look at this hairpin..."
Jing Chunxi collapsed in front of the dressing table and wailed. She really wanted to run away. "Help me! I'm just celebrating my birthday, not going to a concubine selection! Look at them, mother, they want to throw all the makeup boxes on my head!"
Mingyue came over holding the heavy Phoenix hairpin. Jing Chunxi wanted to struggle again, "Don't move! This is my grandmother's most precious treasure. If I wear it, I'm sure those girls will be jealous until next year~"
Sister Jin and Sister Yan started arguing over who should paint their nails first.
Sister Jin: "I came here first! I've already mixed it into a rose color!"
Sister Yan jumped up and down, raising her hands. "I've just developed this Impatiens juice! I even added gold powder to it!"
Jing Chunxi withdrew his hands in fear: "Please spare me, the last time I got stained, I didn't dare to raise my hands to see anyone for ten days!"
Jiaojiao ran after her with the rouge pen in hand, "Just a little bit! Really just a little bit! Chuchu, help me hold her down——"
Chuchu smiled and hugged Jing Chunxi's waist: "Sister, be good, just sip some lip balm~"
Jing Qiurong couldn't bear it anymore and knocked on the dressing table with her jade comb.
"Everyone, be quiet! Look at what you've done to our birthday girl..." Suddenly, like a magic trick, he pulled out a gold and jade forehead ornament. "But this one must be worn. Mother wore this at her coming-of-age ceremony!"
Jing Chunxi looked up at the sky in despair: "My head is almost more magnificent than the peonies in the imperial garden..." She suddenly jumped up and said, "Wait! Hold the rouge pen away! I'll do it myself... Ouch!"
After all the commotion, the dressing was finally completed. When Chunxi reluctantly stood before the bronze mirror, he suddenly froze.
The girl in the mirror had a beautiful face, her hair adorned with clouds and a delicate complexion. Her hairpins trembled softly at her ears like the wings of a phoenix. Her rouge perfectly accentuated her delicate cheeks, and her silk dress accentuated her graceful figure. Most captivating of all, her eyes revealed the spirit of a young girl, yet also the elegance of a princess.
Mingzhu exclaimed in amazement: "Look! Just now she was howling like she was being dragged to the execution ground, now she's so beautiful that my heart is beating!"
Jing Chunxi blushed as she tugged at the hem of her skirt. "It's just that the collar almost broke my neck..." She secretly glanced at the mirror again and muttered softly, "But it does look pretty good, huh?"
Suddenly there was a noise in the front yard.
Ling Er clings to the attic windowsill and exclaims, "It seems that... the carriage from the Yongchang Marquis's Mansion has arrived! Wow, there's also a carriage from the Shangshu Mansion behind it—"
"Don't worry, don't ruin your makeup. Mother and your aunt will go first, and you will follow." After saying that, she rushed down.
Jing Chunxi led the group of sisters, like stars surrounding the moon, to greet them at the Chuihua Gate. She was dressed in a crimson brocade dress embellished with hundreds of golden butterflies and a phoenix hairpin in her hair, her movements graceful and elegant, her face a polite and friendly smile as she greeted each guest.
"The princess is so beautiful."
"The princess is even better than the sun, moon, and stars. We are far inferior to her."
"Congratulations on Princess Anping's birthday. May this day be with you year after year."
...
The ladies presented their carefully prepared birthday gifts one after another, and the maids and servants took over the gift lists and gifts. The sounds of greetings, congratulations and laughter were intertwined, and the scene was festive and lively.
"Let's go and enjoy the flowers first. After the banquet, we will have a barbecue and watch the lanterns in the evening."
When most of the guests had arrived, Jing Qiurong and Princess Hongjun smiled and invited the ladies to move to the carefully maintained garden of the mansion to appreciate the various famous chrysanthemums in full bloom in autumn.
The ladies were invited to take a pleasure boat to the edge of the rippling lake, feed the plump and cheerful koi in the water, and admire the autumn lotus that was still graceful even though the season was almost over.
"Sister Xi, are we late?"
Princess Anyang arrived not too late and separated from her two younger brothers at the door.
She was a distinguished person, so she was naturally welcomed to Jing Chunxi's side as soon as she entered the room. She took Chunxi's hand affectionately and said many thoughtful words of blessing, which showed that they had a close relationship.
However, the princess was lively and soon attracted by the younger and more playful girls such as Yan Jie'er and Xiao Yu. They ran to the lake together to watch the fish playing.
Just when the atmosphere was harmonious and cheerful, a discordant voice was heard.
Hua Linghua, the eldest daughter of the Grand Marshal's Mansion, held a round fan in her hand, half covering her face, and whispered and laughed with two noble ladies beside her. However, her words were always full of sarcasm towards Jing Chunxi.
She first pretended to sigh, "Princess Anping really turned a disaster into a blessing. She is so prosperous now. It's really enviable."
Then he pointedly implied that she was the best at understanding Princess Anyang's thoughts and knew how to flatter her.
Seeing that Jing Chunxi did not respond immediately, she became more and more proud, and her words to the two sisters became more and more harsh. She even mocked Jing Chunxi for disregarding his biological father for power, fame and fortune, and being willing to be a "suck-up" of his stepfather. Her words were vulgar and full of malice.
Jing Chunxi's face, which had been smiling slightly, suddenly calmed down. She glanced at Hua Linghua with a cold gaze. She did not raise her voice, but her tone was clear and cold, with unquestionable majesty: "Miss Hua, today is my birthday. I invited you all here to enjoy it, not to listen to you making irresponsible remarks or speaking ill of me.
Don't let others suffer, don't ask others to do good. I, Jing Chunxi, have my own decisions to make, and it's not your turn as an outsider to comment.
A loving father and a filial son, the joy of family, isn't this something Miss Hua's family taught? Or is it that Miss Hua uses this kind of speculation about others and rude words to show off her 'nobility'?"
Her words were clear and to the point. She pointed out Hua Linghua's impoliteness and also implicitly mocked her family education. Hua Linghua was so choked that her face turned pale and blue. The two sisters beside her also fell silent and looked embarrassed.
As luck would have it, their conversation was overheard by Xu Zize, who had just entered the garden with a gift. He had obviously heard Hua Linghua's last few unpleasant remarks, and his brows immediately furrowed, his face darkening.
Hua Linghua caught sight of the eldest prince and was immediately panicked. She quickly straightened her clothes and adjusted her expression, instantly putting on a pitiful and aggrieved look. She took small steps, wanting to approach and explain, and called softly, "Your Highness..."
Unexpectedly, Xu Zize didn't even spare her a second glance. He turned around and coldly said to his trusted guards, Qingfeng and Luying, "Young Miss Hua's words and actions are inappropriate and unruly. She's been uttering foul language, offending the birthday girl, and disrupting the banquet. Go, tell Governor Hua to take her back to the palace and discipline her properly."
He then glanced at the two silent noble ladies beside Hua Linghua, his tone still indifferent: "Since you two are involved in her quarrels and causing trouble, there is no need for you to stay. Please return home together."
Upon hearing this, the three of them turned pale. The two noble ladies were so frightened that they immediately knelt on the ground, repeatedly apologizing for their crimes, but they did not dare to blame Hua Linghua, the culprit who had started the trouble.
Hua Linghua herself was completely stunned, as if struck by lightning. She had always been proud of her family background and beauty, and she believed that she was the only choice for the future Crown Prince's consort. She had never imagined that she would be so harshly rebuked and ruthlessly expelled in public by her admirer.
This public humiliation not only made her lose face today, but also made her offend the royal family in the future, not to mention being selected into the Eastern Palace. In the future, all the high-ranking nobles in the capital will want to find a suitable husband of equal status.
The huge fear and despair instantly overwhelmed her, making her almost unable to stand, and she even forgot to kneel down and apologize.