Lu Wushuang was dressed in purple cotton, satin, and a flesh-coloured flying butterfly brocade. She wore a small hairpin with a golden penchant and a large peony* flower pinned near her sideburns, which made her appear beautiful and graceful.
*T/N : Peonies – Ancient China's national flower
Ye Zhen had never seen Lu Wushuang until she was reborn. Back then Ye Zhen was the first and most important maiden in the capital and Lu Wushuang was a nobody. During that time, she never paid attention to Lu Wushuang, the latter had not caught her interest.
After all, Lu Wushuang was only a daughter of a merchant, therefore she never step foot inside the Ye mansion nor Ye Zhen's abode.
How could such a girl compare with the eldest daughter of a famous family like the Ye?
But a mere merchant's daughter had indeed defeated Ye Zhen.
"Grandmother, please get up. Today, the palace is excited to see and bask in the glory of the flowers. Everyone should behave as usual. Please, do not bow before me." Lu Wushuang personally lifted Madam Lu up her feet without batting an eye to Ye Zhen as she did so.
Old Madam Lu's face was about bloom with laughter at this remark, she then replied, "The Wang Fei has a high status. How can an elderly woman such as myself not know of propriety?"
"Grandma, please don't speak of it." Lu Wushuang chuckled and gestured to the imperial secretary behind her.
"Please give my grandma a seat, and everyone as well, do sit down. I heard the excitement here from a distance, I wonder what it is all about?"
Hearing this, Ye Zhen looked at Mister Shan, who was standing behind the crowd, and suddenly saw in Mister Shan's eyes a hint of hatred.
She was stunned by this for a moment. When she glanced back at him to see his expression more clearly, he was already sporting a look of calmness.
Was she wrong? Why did Mister Shan give such a look towards Lu Wushuang?
"Your imperial Highness, just now, Princess Liu Hua was betting with Mister Shan that his new student, our third sister will never be admitted to the Women's College because she is one of us, just from a merchant's family. Mister Shan said that even if third sister only learned thousands of characters classic, she could still be admitted to the college nonetheless."
Fourth Miss Lu gestured anxiously in front of Lu Wushuang, she immediately stood up for she had wanted to take the opportunity to step on the foot on the princess as she spoke.
When Lu Wushuang heard of Fourth Miss Lu's words, her eyes flashed with a ray of disgust. She looked faintly at Princess Liu Hua and then at the accusing Fourth Miss Lu.
"Now who still dares to say that the Lu family are just mere merchants? The emperor has sealed grandfather as the marquis of Anyang. Have you forgotten all about it?"
Fourth Miss Lu did not please but angered Lu Wushuang, the former's face changed slightly and she cast her head to look at the ground.
Ye Zhen looked at Lu Wushuang and sneered at her in her heart. No one knew just how much Lu Wushuang disliked being known as a daughter of a merchant more than anything else.
Back when her soul was still roaming in the palace, she witnessed Lu Wushuang executing her maid-in-waiting all because she accidentally uttered the word "merchant" once.
Princess Liu Hua looked pale.
She was jealous that Lu Wushuang managed to gain the sole favor of the emperor. But now even her mother has lost the trust of the emperor which her mother had held before.
She now, does not dare to be in such a situation with Lu Wushuang. For Lu Wushuang could crush her with only the tips of her fingers.
Lu Wushuang looked scornfully at the Princess Liu Hua, and then turned her eyes back towards them, "Grandma, is this my third sister?"
"To answer the Wang Fei, this is the third miss who had lived at the Border town since her childhood. The little girl's name is Yao Yao.�� Old Madam Lu quickly took Ye Zhen's hand as she said this.
"Third Sister, come here quickly and let me have a look at you." Lu Wushuang looked at the appearance of Ye Zhen, she was dark-skinned and thin, but possessed a gentle smile on her face.
Ye Zhen headed towards her, her face lowered to the ground as she walked. She did not do anything to alert them to her hatred, she kept those feelings hidden with all her strength.
By doing this, she knew that to all the onlookers she appeared timid and cowardly.
Those who had expected much from her would be a little disappointed.
In this situation, in such a small familiar crowd, she managed to unexpectedly look at Mister Shan's eyes, it seemed to her that there was nothing in Mister Shan's eyes, just his irises staring back at her…
"Well, she looks like third aunt. Have you grown accustomed to living in capital?" Lu Wushuang took Ye Zhen's hand while eyeing her up and down once again, the hard ridges of the callous hands of Ye Zhen touched the soft, pampered palms of the Wang Fei.
Ye Zhen answered in a low voice, "I'm used to it now, your Imperial Highness. Grandmother is very kind to me."
Lu Wushuang gave a soft smile and said, "I like what I see in you. We, daughters of the Lu family have never lost to anyone else. You have to strive to gain more courage and take the entrance examination to college, relying on your own strength."
By saying this, Lu Wushuang had meant that as imperial concubine, she will not help Ye Zhen enter the women's college, that she will not use her influence merely for her sister's benefit.
It was a good thing saying this in front of the many, so whenever Ye Zhen succeeds in entering the college in the future, people would say that it was all her doing, a fruit of her hard work.
Lu Wushuang nodded with a smile and asked her to go back to Madam Lu, "I heard that this year's King Chrysanthemum has bloomed exceptionally well. I can't help but feel pride that once again, the palace had lived up to its name."
Madam Wu laughed, "The Wang Fei never disappoints. Only she is worthy of the praises as beautiful as the Chrysanthemum King."
"Oh, Madam Wu, you flatter me too much!" Lu Wushuang nodded her thanks, and announced, "Everyone, please enjoy the flowers of this palace!"
Miss Lu and Miss Lu came and surrounded the old lady. Ye Zhen was pushed aside by them.
While looking at Lu Wushuang leaving being followed by her entourage and a flock of people surrounding her, Ye Zhen's footsteps slowly stopped. She was not interested in enjoying the flowers. She had other things to do.
The bamboo shed now housed no other people, even Mister Shan, and Princess Liu Hua had gone elsewhere to admire the flowers.
Ye Zhen glanced at the crowd in the distance and turned to the other direction.
After walking for some time, she slowed down her pace. As she neared a familiar road, the memory of that fateful year slowly crept in her mind…
If she hadn't run away and lost her way back then, she wouldn't have left so many things behind and she wouldn't have lost her heart as well.
The grove is just ahead, Ye Zhen thought as she took careful steps. It was as if she saw a young boy and a little girl snuggling up to each other there, seeing this, her memory came rushing like a flood that burst from its enclosure, and flooded her mind.
It was so fast and painful that she couldn't hold down nor control the distress she felt. She remembered that time when she was seven years old, there was a flower show hosted by the Ye family.
She had come quite early with her grandmother. There were so many people at that time, and her grandmother and mother were busy entertaining guests.
Therefore, she had wandered around by herself, until she had lost her way in the forest and met young Mo Rongzhan who had fallen into the well.
At that time, Mo Rongzhan was still blind. He had fallen into the well and could not get out. His servants were all gone too.
In order to save him, Ye Zhen ran to find many roots and tied them together one by one!
For it was only through the tying method which her father had taught her would she be able to save him and pull him out of the well. The connected vines which were as strong as ropes, she diligently tied to a nearby tree, helped the young prince come up from the well.
One could see but got lost, and the other could not walk out of the woods for he was blind, so they had to stay for a while waiting for someone else to find them.
"I have only little food with me but I'll share with you its half." The seven-year-old Ye Zhen had found two cakes from the pockets of her gown and had handed one to Mo Rongzhan.
"Is your hand hurt?" He had asked her, even if he couldn't see, his other senses made up for it.
His sense of smell, for one, was particularly keen, and Young Mo Rongzhan was able to smell the blood from Ye Zhen's wound. His face that had been indifferent suddenly looked somewhat distressed.
Her lips pouted, Ye Zhen replied in a low voice, "I was scratched by the root of a tree and it hurts." she had complained at the injustice of it all.