bayedsolid Chapter 122 Testing
Chapter 122 Testing
Chu Caiwei stayed in Queen Li Qianwan's Kunning Palace for a whole morning, chatting and laughing with Li Qianwan. At noon, after the two of them enjoyed a sumptuous lunch together, Chu Caiwei slowly stood up and said goodbye to Li Qianwan and left.
After leaving Kunning Palace, she walked towards the Clothing Bureau with light steps. Along the way, the sun was shining and the breeze was blowing, but Chu Caiwei felt as if a heavy burden was pressing down on her heart. After a while, she arrived at the door of the Clothing Bureau and successfully found the nanny who was responsible for managing the dancers' dresses.
Chu Caiwei politely explained her purpose to the nanny, saying that she needed a few sets of dresses for the banquet dancers. The nanny did not dare to neglect her and quickly took out a few exquisite dance dresses from the closet and handed them to her. The moment she took the dance dress, Chu Caiwei's eyes involuntarily fell on the jade bracelet on her wrist.
This jade bracelet is crystal clear, warm and smooth, and you can tell at a glance that it is worth a lot of money. It was originally worn by Queen Li Qianwan in her boudoir, but now it is worn by Chu Caiwei. Chu Caiwei stared at the jade bracelet quietly, revealing an indescribable complex emotion in her eyes.
If it were in the past, she would have been ecstatic and deeply moved to receive such a precious gift. However, at this moment, facing this jade bracelet and the deep meaning behind it, she only felt her heart as calm as dead water. After having seen the sea, all other waters are but puddles; after having experienced too many things, Chu Caiwei has long seen through the vicissitudes of life and understands that the so-called glory and wealth are nothing but passing clouds.
"Haha!" Chu Caiwei suddenly laughed softly, with a hint of self-mockery and helplessness in her laughter. How could these material possessions warm a soul that had been dead for a long time? They were nothing but illusions that would eventually disappear with the passage of time.
Chu Caiwei walked into the East Palace with light steps, and saw Li Jingshu sitting on a chair as soon as she entered. She hurriedly stepped forward, performed a standard court ceremony, and shouted, "Crown Princess!"
Li Jingshu was originally thinking with her head down, but when she heard the voice, she suddenly raised her head with a hint of surprise on her face. However, she quickly regained her composure, raised the corners of her mouth slightly, and said with a bit of arrogance: "Oh? It turns out to be the Eighth Princess, how come you have time to come to my place today?"
Chu Caiwei lowered her head and replied softly, "Crown Princess, I heard that the peonies in the East Palace garden are in full bloom, so I came here specially to see them."
Li Jingshu sneered and thought: This Chu Caiwei really doesn't take me seriously. She dared to come to the East Palace casually. But since she said so, it's not good to drive her away directly. After all, we are all members of the royal family, and we still have to save face.
So, Li Jingshu stood up pretending to be enthusiastic, and said to Chu Caiwei with a smile: "In that case, I'll take you to the garden. Speaking of which, we sisters haven't enjoyed flowers and chatted together for a long time." After that, she turned and walked towards the door, motioning Chu Caiwei to follow.
In the garden of the East Palace, hundreds of flowers are in full bloom, and the scenery is breathtaking, but no one is interested in appreciating the beauty at this moment. Chu Caiwei stood quietly among the flowers. Facing Li Jingshu's contempt and disdain, she did not show any dissatisfaction or anger, but instead showed extraordinary calmness and composure.
Chu Caiwei just smiled and said softly, "What happened in the past was due to my ignorance, frivolity and willfulness when I was young. Now I understand what is right and wrong. Only when my brother Crown Prince ascends to the supreme throne, can my mother, the Li family and I truly break free from the shackles of others and regain our freedom." Her words revealed firm determination and maturity.
Li Jingshu stared at the once arrogant woman in front of her with wide eyes, looking at her in astonishment, unable to believe that she could say such words. However, before she could come to her senses, Chu Caiwei lowered her voice again and continued, "The Crown Princess's most urgent task is to establish a good image in front of the Emperor and win his favor, so that you can help the Crown Prince and achieve great things together!" Her eyes were sincere and sincere, without any false pretense.
Li Jingshu's eyes flickered slightly, as if she was in a state of confusion. She took a deep breath, and then slowly let go of her long-standing prejudice and estrangement towards Chu Caiwei. She asked in a soft but firm voice: "The Eighth Princess came to see me today. Is there something important to discuss?"
Chu Caiwei smiled and waved her hand, signaling the maid Meixiang beside her to present several gorgeous dancers' dresses to Li Jingshu. Meixiang carefully held up the exquisite clothes and walked to Li Jingshu to show them to her.
Chu Caiwei continued, "These are the dresses that the dancers will wear at the palace banquet. The Queen Mother specifically ordered you to come and pick out two suitable dance dresses."
Li Jingshu raised her eyebrows and asked with a hint of doubt: "It's just the dancer's dress. It won't have much impact on the entire banquet, right?"
Chu Caiwei raised the corner of her mouth slightly, and outlined a sly smile: "Crown Princess, you don't know, this time the emperor hosted a banquet to entertain the ministers, and most of the ministers praised the performances of these dancers. If their dresses could be more colorful, although it is insignificant, but if it is spread by interested people, praising the Crown Princess for her unique vision, outstanding aesthetics, and ability to assist the Queen in handling palace affairs, wouldn't it become a beautiful story!"
Li Jingshu listened to what Chu Caiwei said and agreed with it, and began to carefully pick up the dance dress. She reached out and gently picked up a dazzling purple dance dress, and a flash of surprise flashed in her eyes. She couldn't help but exclaimed: "This dress has a unique style and the tailoring is even more ingenious! Such a wonderful work of art, I have never seen it in Shangjing City before!"
Seeing this, Mika who was standing by came forward hastily and said with a flattering look on her face: "Your Highness has really good taste! This is the latest model this year!" Her words were full of flattery and fawning.
Li Jingshu smiled slightly, without saying much, and continued to concentrate on choosing. After a moment, her eyes were attracted by another piece of clothing, which was a tight military uniform short top, and a pair of green silk crotchless pants with flowing belts. Li Jingshu took it in her hand and examined it carefully, then turned to Chu Caiwei and said, "This dress is also good!"
Chu Caiwei frowned slightly when she heard this, but it disappeared in an instant, replaced by a faint smile. She praised softly: "The Crown Princess really has a unique vision! These two sets of dresses are very different in style, but each has its own merits. Wearing them will definitely make the dancers look more beautiful and shine on the stage!"
Li Jingshu looked at the two dresses in front of her with confused eyes, and murmured to herself: "These two dresses seem to have been seen in a dream!" Her voice seemed to come from the underworld, with a hint of ethereality and weirdness.
After Chu Caiwei returned to the princess's mansion, night fell and the entire mansion was shrouded in darkness. However, at this moment, under the eaves of the princess's mansion gate, an exquisite lotus lantern suddenly lit up and hung high in the air. The lotus lantern emitted a faint and warm light, like a bright pearl, illuminating the surrounding space.
As the lotus lantern was lit, a mysterious atmosphere spread. The breeze blew the petals of the lotus lantern, making a slight rustling sound. This quiet night seemed to be no longer peaceful because of the appearance of the lotus lantern...