The young lady is delicate and soft, yet she criticizes the powerful minister for bowing and scrapin

"You two young ladies have been frightened." Princess Rong, with the composure and tolerance of a mistress, looked at the two girls with affection.

Qi Yunli bowed and said, "Thank you, Your Highness, for upholding justice for us. I was just too frightened to call for help."

Her hands were still trembling slightly, clearly she had been extremely flustered in the courtyard.

The jade hairpin in her hair swayed gently, and her already fair cheeks appeared even paler now.

She stood there, her eyes misty with tears, like a frightened fawn, helpless, afraid, and vulnerable. Anyone who saw her would feel pity for her.

Princess Rong's eyes softened as she looked at her, and she raised her hand to support her gently.

"It's alright, it was just an accident. It's understandable that you two were frightened today."

Only with Wei Jun's arrival were the two ladies allowed to stand up. Seeing the Princess's affection for Qi Yunli, a surge of anger rose in their hearts.

It's truly a case of losing both wife and army, a case of trying to steal a chicken but losing the rice instead.

The servants helped the two frightened girls back to the flower banquet to admire the flowers. Before leaving, Princess Rong subtly hinted to the female relatives present that what had happened today should not be made public.

The women nodded in agreement and then returned to the front hall of the flower-viewing banquet as if nothing had happened.

The farce was finally resolved. Prince Rong smiled kindly and said to Wei Jun:

"Nian'an has arrived today, why didn't you come to see me first?"

Wei Jun withdrew his gaze from the corner of his eye at someone's retreating figure:

"Your Highness, please forgive me. Today's theme is a flower appreciation banquet, and I cannot directly disturb you. I can only come in with the other guests so that I can catch up with Jingran, whom I grew up with."

Su Jingran was the illegitimate son of Prince Rong and had been close to Wei Jun since childhood; while Feng Ran, the legitimate son of Prince Rong, looked down on Wei Jun when he was young and distanced himself from him.

"Jingran is away on military campaigns, and you have not seen each other for a long time, so it is only right that you catch up. However, Fengran is also here today, and you three brothers of the same age can also have a good chat about matters of the court. Officials in the court should help each other."

Wei Jun nodded in agreement.

The bonds that were not formed in childhood are even harder to reconnect with in adulthood.

For families like theirs, childhood friendships are pure, harmless, and genuine, free from any ulterior motives.

As we grow older, too many things become intertwined, making it impossible to return to the innocent and genuine friendships of the past.

Princess Rong interjected at the opportune moment, "The flower viewing banquet has only just begun. Nian'an and Shuran haven't seen each other in a long time, have they? You two were very close when you were little. She's in the front hall hoping to chat with Brother Nian'an about the stories in the storybooks!"

Like Su Jingran, Su Shuran was close to Wei Jun. As a child, she loved reading storybooks and knew many stories, so her playmates all enjoyed playing with her.

Wei Jun agreed: "Since Your Majesty says so, Nian'an will naturally be more than happy to accept it."

Upon hearing this, Prince Rong and his wife laughed heartily. They chatted with Wei Jun all the way to the front hall, where they pulled together Prince Rong's eldest daughter, Su Shuran.

"Greetings, Princess." Wei Jun's expression revealed little emotion.

Su Shuran's cheeks flushed slightly as she curtsied and said, "Brother Nian'an."

Princess Rong remarked with emotion, "The last time you two met was last year when Nian'an came of age, wasn't it? Since then, Nian'an has become even more outstanding."

Prince Rong affirmed, "Of course. Nian'an is outstanding in both appearance and talent. She just returned from the border, escorting military supplies all the way. She delivered the supplies safely in just two months and then returned to the capital. She is truly the first person to do so! She has relieved His Majesty's worries."

Su Shuran listened, her ears turning crimson: "Brother Nian'an is like the sun, moon, and stars, the brightest, the most distant, and the one we look up to."

"Your Highness is too kind. Your Highness is of noble status and cannot be easily looked up to by others. Your very existence is something that cannot be easily attained," Wei Jun praised.

Prince Rong and Princess Rong exchanged a glance and left with smiles, so that the two younger ones could have a proper chat without any restraint, and not just say polite words in front of their elders.

It seems there's a possibility between these two.

Princess Rong quietly reassured Prince Rong, saying, "No matter how proud and arrogant the son of the Marquis of Dingyuan may be, he will only choose from the daughters of the two princes. Shuran is much more familiar with Nian'an than the daughters of the Sheng Prince's family, so Your Highness can rest assured."

Besides, I didn't blame the young lady from the Marquis of Dingyuan's mansion just now; I even subtly warned the Second Madam and helped Nian'an warn the people from the second and third branches of the family. He's a perceptive person; he'll surely understand my intentions.

Prince Rong stroked his beard: "My beloved consort is absolutely right. Besides, we risked a complete falling out with the Vice Minister of Revenue this time, so Wei Jun should know our sincerity."

Qi Yunli mingled in the crowd, watching Wei Jun in the center from afar. She stood behind the flower stand, her gaze secretly falling on the two figures chatting through the layers of crabapple blossoms.

Wei Jun and Su Shuran, the eldest daughter of Prince Rong, stood facing each other. Su Shuran wore a lotus-colored brocade dress embroidered with lotus scrolls. Her appearance was beautiful and her temperament was gentle. She was a model that noble ladies in the capital all wanted to emulate.

The two stood there, one handsome and upright, the other dignified and graceful. The fragrance of flowers and the scenery around them became mere backdrops to their presence.

No matter how you look at it, the two are such a perfect match.

People around him frequently turned their heads to look, and many exclamations of admiration rang out in his ears.

It turns out he hadn't shown up at the banquet all day because he was busy with his wedding.

The eldest daughter of Prince Rong, of noble birth, was a perfect match for him, the eldest son of the Marquis of Dingyuan.

A small sense of pleasure welled up in Qi Yunli's heart. This way, he no longer had the extra thought to pay attention to her movements.

One wonders if her carefully prepared, easily slippery veil has won over Shen Junshan's heart.

Qi Yunli slowly moved to another spot, her gaze seemingly wandering over the various flowers and plants at the flower viewing banquet.

"Miss Qi," Shen Junshan called softly from the shadows.

"Young Master Shen." Qi Yunli was slightly surprised. "What a coincidence, we've met again."

"Unfortunately. I just heard that a thief was captured in the backyard of the Rong Prince's mansion. I was worried about your safety, so I searched everywhere and finally found you." Shen Junshan's tone was full of concern.

Qi Yunli smiled faintly: "I'm fine, thank you for your concern, young master."

"What happened to that thief afterward? You suffered such a misfortune, young lady," Shen Junshan said with pity, looking at the gentle and kind-hearted girl before him.

Qi Yunli tugged at her handkerchief: "Princess Rong has already dealt with the thieves. She was just a little frightened, but I'm fine."

Shen Junshan breathed a sigh of relief, then steered the conversation toward rare and precious flowers and plants.

He came from a poor background and had never seen such things before, so he spoke with some surprise. Qi Yunli had stayed at the Marquis of Dingyuan's residence for a year, and since she came from a merchant family that was once quite wealthy, she knew a lot about these rare and precious flowers and plants.

She patiently and meticulously explained to Shen Junshan the varieties, their growing environment, the difficulty of cultivation, and the symbolism they represented.

"Which flower does Miss Qi like best?"

"……plum bossom."

"Most noble ladies in the capital favor peonies, roses, or other rare and hard-to-find flowers, but Miss Qi is a refreshing exception."

Wei Jun seemed distracted during his conversation, his gaze casually sweeping over the people in the front hall.

Suddenly, he caught sight of a shy couple talking in the crowd.