Splash Screen

Although Lingbo was full of anxiety, when she arrived at Baixi Street, the timing turned out to be just right. Han Yueqi had the sharpest eyes; glancing over, she leaned against the second-floor railing and laughed, "Oh, what a handsome young gentleman!"

Lingbo brought Pei Zhao upstairs and was surprised to find the Shen siblings both present, each wearing equally gloomy expressions. Shen Yunze, who had placed high in the imperial examinations, had always been proud of his appearance, but standing next to Pei Zhao, he was completely overshadowed, his face darkening instantly.

Shen Biwei was even more childish. When Pei Zhao came up, Lingbo intended for him to sit by her side, but Shen Biwei slammed her lantern down and said with a cold face, "This seat is taken."

Pei Zhao was not angry at all. Smiling genially, he said, "Ah, you must be Miss Shen. This general pays his respects."

Shen Biwei looked as though she wanted to throw him out the second-story window, and naturally offered no pleasant expression. Looking Pei Zhao up and down, she recognized that his garments were made from the very fabric produced by Lingbo's household, which made her dislike him even more. Pei Zhao, however, seemed exceedingly easy to get along with.

Lingbo couldn't be bothered with their antics and kept her eyes fixed on the street below. Catching sight of the Wei family approaching in the distance, she immediately stood up and said, "Look, isn't that Madam Wei?" At the same time, she exchanged a knowing glance with Han Yueqi.

Han Yueqi, understanding instantly, instructed Lady Han, "Go, invite Madam Wei upstairs for tea."

Since Lu Wenying had broken ties with the Wei family and no longer dominated Madam Wei, Han Yueqi effortlessly intercepted the entire Wei family. Naturally, Cui Jingyu came along as a bonus. Remembering how closely he had been associating with He Qingyi lately, Lingbo silently cursed him as a scoundrel.

Yet this scoundrel remained a valiant and noble young marquis even today. On the night of the Lantern Festival, he had rarely donned a bright crimson brocade robe, edged in dark black—a combination both solemn and vibrant. Embroidered with golden and silver pythons, it appeared to be an imperial bestowal. Majestic and handsome, he made Wei Yushan look like a mere child by comparison.

Madam Wei had improved greatly of late, and the noblewomen from Yanglin City whom she brought along were also somewhat more presentable. Everyone exchanged polite pleasantries with Han Yueqi. The group settled down upstairs, each accompanied by their respective husbands, sitting in pairs. Watching Cui Jingyu and Qinglan occupy opposite ends of the railing, Lingbo felt a growing sense of regret.

Han Yueqi was still more composed than Lingbo. After casting a couple of glances at Cui Jingyu and noticing that he still couldn't resist casting a deep, brooding look at Qinglan, she understood the situation immediately.

"The Marquis is in high spirits today," she began, praising Cui Jingyu first. "Fortunately, even the military camps grant leave during the Lantern Festival so you could come out to enjoy the lanterns; otherwise, countless young ladies would have been left waiting in vain."

"I have to inspect the camps later and will be returning shortly," Cui Jingyu replied coldly, completely ignoring her subtext.

Han Yueqi had no choice but to tease Madam Wei, asking why Marquis Wei was so heartless as to require camp inspections even on the night of the Lantern Festival. Madam Wei earnestly defended him, explaining that lanterns posed a fire hazard and that the young commanders might linger too long at the festival without returning, making supervision necessary.

Meanwhile, Cui Jingyu found himself momentarily unoccupied, standing coldly by the railing and watching the street below. Pei Zhao, possessing a mischievous streak, deliberately provoked him. "Look, if we set up three crossbows—one on the opposite city wall and two on this building—wouldn't the entire street be completely secured?"

Cui Jingyu had no leisure for discussing military strategy at the moment. He cast a cold glance at Pei Zhao and said, "Showing off your feathers?"

Pei Zhao merely smiled without a word, looking thoroughly pleased as he invited everyone to admire his attire, wearing it as a badge of honor.

Watching from the side, Ye Lingbo grew somewhat impatient. She thought to herself that at this rate, when would Qinglan and Cui Jingyu ever get a chance to speak? Still, she respected Han Yueqi's methods and managed to restrain herself.

However, when the He family members arrived upstairs, her patience finally ran out.

Madam He truly had a difficult lot; tragic is the heart of every parent under heaven. He Qingyi had suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Lu Wenying. Not only had she been upstaged at the premier Plum Blossom Banquet, but her subsequent imperial commission—where the Grand Princess requested embroidery samples from her—had also been sabotaged by Lu Wenying. What mother wouldn't be anxious? Therefore, the moment she saw even a glimmer of hope in Cui Jingyu, she resolved to give it her all. Knowing full well this was Han Yueqi's domain, she had no choice but to bite the bullet, bring He Qingyi forward to socialize, and pay her respects to Marquis Cui.

That scoundrel Cui Jingyu was truly exasperating; he actually engaged in serious conversation with them, answering every question.

Han Yueqi possessed a more upright character, subscribing to the philosophy of victors and vanquished. Even on her own turf, she would not intentionally humiliate Madam He and He Qingyi. Lingbo, unlike Lu Wenying who exclusively targeted young women, decided to drop a few heavy hints of her own upon witnessing this scene.

"Sister Qingyi's outfit is truly lovely today," she praised He Qingyi. "After all, one should wear lighter colors for the Lantern Festival. Is this shade called 'Willows Greeting the Moon'? How elegant."

When it came to needlework and garments, He Qingyi was of the highest caliber. Knowing she possessed a clear and refined beauty, she never engaged in vulgar competition for attention. Her attire was both exquisite and cleverly designed—evoking the classic poetic verse, *'The moon rises above the willow treetops; we meet after dusk'*—a subtle nod to the festival's traditional lore woven entirely into intricate details.

Yet, when Lingbo pointed it out, her intention was not malicious.

He Qingyi, mindful of propriety, replied in a soft voice with reciprocal praise, "Thank you. Sister Qinglan's moonlight gown is equally stunning. Is it heavy brocade? Heavy brocade is also known as Flower City Brocade; 'At dawn, looking where the red is damp, Flower City is heavy with brocade,'—such a wonderful literary allusion."

Lingbo's strategy could truly be described as quiet and imperceptible, soaking things in like a gentle spring rain.

Of everyone in the room, only Han Yueqi fully grasped Lingbo's arrangement and immediately chimed in, "In that case, is there a story behind General Pei's attire as well?"

The company had already been glancing at Pei Zhao from time to time. Attractive people always commanded that kind of attention; sitting there, gazes would inevitably linger upon them, devoid of romantic intent and driven purely by instinct. Even He Qingyi could not be an exception. Hearing this, everyone turned their eyes toward him in unison.

It was then that Lingbo burst into a smile.

"I actually don't know the story behind this one," she said with a beaming smile, "but what a coincidence—General Pei's outfit looks precisely like a matching pair with my sister's."

The entire company immediately began to stir and jeer. The Lantern Festival was traditionally a time when restrictions were lifted; once a year, matrons cast aside their usual decorum, and young ladies were not required to be overly rigid. Han Yueqi took the lead, pushing Qinglan forward without hesitation. Although Qinglan resisted, struggling against the tide, how could she withstand the collective force of all the matrons? In the end, she was nudged over. On the other side, Pei Zhao was held firmly in place by Lingbo to prevent his escape. The two of them were pushed together—both clad entirely in white, the one exceptionally fair and dainty, the other striking and handsome—resembling two blossoming trees under the moonlight. Everyone broke into praises: "Truly a match made in heaven."

Amidst the uproarious teasing, Lingbo calmly watched Cui Jingyu standing at the fringes of the crowd, his face as dark as ink.

Love invariably gave birth to jealousy; it simply wouldn't do for him to be the only one capable of exasperating others without ever tasting it himself.

Qinglan, naturally dignified and observant of propriety, flushed deeply when teased in such a manner. Unable to break away, she only appeared all the more charming. It was little wonder she had been the champion of the Flower Festival four years prior; matrons always took the greatest delight in teasing young women of such temperament. Someone thick-skinned like Lingbo would have offered no sport at all.

The matrons teased, Qinglan blushed with embarrassment, and Pei Zhao—being such a dashing young general—served as the perfect foil. It felt precisely like young maidens watching a theatrical performance and suddenly whimsically matchmaking the handsome young general from the stage with one another. The scene was lively beyond measure.

The only drawback was that while Cui Jingyu had been riled to the point of a darkened complexion, young General Pei, who had been pushed into the center by Lingbo, did not look particularly pleased either.