After the beginning of spring, the winter snow melted and everything came back to life.

  Spring is warm and flowers bloom, the grass is long and the birds fly.

  The spring came earlier in Beijing than in Qingzhou. It was as if all the flowers in the courtyard bloomed overnight.

  Xie Zhen received an invitation from the Crown Prince’s estate, inviting her and Xie Xun come to the house in early March to enjoy the flowers.

  It was just like Ling Xiangyun had said. They had just arrived at the capital, so they’d better know more people.

  Moreover, Xie Zhen was originally a lively girl. She easily participated in these banquets. When she was in Qingzhou, she was famous for her eloquence. She was able to get along with everyone.

  Of course, Qingzhou could not be compared with the Beijing City.

  The people in the capital were more prestigious than Qingzhou. They thought that they were superior and there was a sense of superiority to them everywhere.

  Among them were Xie Ying and Xie Yin.

  Xie Zhen think it was funny. Did the two of them think she could do nothing by replacing her cloth with a rough cloth?

  Before returning to the capital, Madame Leng had made several new sets of clothes for her and Xie Xunjian. They were all in the spring, summer, autumn and winter. They were all the most fashionable colors and materials.

  Xie Zhen’s view was unique. The styles and designs she had people make were all unique. Even if they were placed in the capital, it would attract people’s eyes.

  Xie Xun ran over to find her, stammering, “Elder sister …”


  “Yeah?” Xie Zhen said, looking up from a pink velvet necklace.

  “I can’t go and enjoy the flowers,” Xie Xun said after a long moment.

  Then she stopped and turned to her sister. “Why?”


  Xie Xun pursed her lips. “There’s a lot of people.”


  “Oh,” she said, looking distressed. “But if you don’t go, I’ll be alone. I’ll be very lonely.”


  Xie Xun didn’t understand what she was saying and blinked her eyes.

  Xie Zhen put down the necklace, and asked:“Do you like Third Sis or Fourth Sis?”


  Xie Xun shook her head honestly.

  She was simple, but there were something she understood.

  It was too easy for you to know whether a person liked you or not.

  She could tell from their expression and actions that Xie Ying and Xie Yin didn’t like they two sisters. She could tell it the first day at home.

  Xie Zhen was delighted， said: “Yes, third sister and fourth sister don’t like us either.”


  Some of the things she’d forgotten when she was a child, some of them she remembered as clearly as the old man had taught her a lesson because she destroyed his flowers.

  Xie Ying hadn’t liked her ever since she was young and hadn’t been able to deal with her. When she was a child, she couldn’t understand why, and her attempts to get close to her had all ended in failure.

  Xie Ying was a strong person. She wants to be the best child in her elders’ eyes, but there was Xie Zhen ahead.

  Xie Zhen was smart enough to remember everything she’d read, so Grandpa liked her best.

  In addition to the Old Lady and the First Wife’s instigation, from a very young age, Xie Ying had never been fond of Xie Zhen.

  Then she bullied her, pushed her into the snow, and tricked her into rain.

  Xie Zhen came to realize that Xie Ying was not the good sister she thought she was, so she never touched her again, until now.

  Xie Zhen told Xie Xun:“The more people don’t want us to get along, the better we’re going to be. Will you come with me?”


  Xie Xun nodded vigorously, then wrapped her arms around her neck and rubbed against her. “I’ll listen to sister.”


  Xie Zhen was taken by surprise., she let out a pitiful whimper as she was pushed down on the couch by Xie Xun.

  She said, “Did you steal something to eat again?”


  “Why are you heavier again?”


  Xie Xun loudly retorted, “No!”


  On the first day of the third month, the carriages of the crown prince’s residence were ready at the gate of Duke Dingguo’s Mansion.

  There were two carriages, one with third girl and fourth girl, one with fifth girl, sixth girl and seventh girl.

  There were seven girls in the Mansion, the first two of whom had been married, and the remaining five who were to be married.

  The sixth girl, Xie Jing, did not like to talk much and was often forgotten. She was the daughter of the fourth branch.

  Xie Ying and Xie Yin had already tidied themselves up a long time ago. Wearing their new clothes and bright makeup, they boarded the carriage.

  Before getting into the carriage, Xie Ying held onto the pomegranate pattern silver hairpin and looked at the carriage behind her. She asked Xie Jing, “Are the fifth sister and seventh sister still not out yet?”


  Xie Jing nodded.

  She didn’t say anything, but the smile on her lips grew wider.

  Xie Jing only felt that it was strange, but she didn’t take it to heart.

  She sat in the carriage and waited for a while, until the flowery bird’s drapery was lifted. When she looked up, she was momentarily stunned.

  Xie Zhen’s onyx pendant on top of her head swayed slightly as she moved, making her look even more snow-white in the bright sun outside the window.

  She smiled at her, her cheeks a shallow pear that added to her immediate intimacy. “Sixth Sister’s waiting a long time.”


  Even though Xie Jing had seen her twice, she couldn’t help but be impressed by her beauty.

  She hadn’t cleaned herself up properly before. She was a natural ornament at that time.

  Now she sat in the sun with her hair down, dressed in a cherry-colored crepe blouse, a colorful lily dress, a pendant between her eyebrows, and a gold scented pouch on her waist. She looked like a lotus flower in the rain, making one want to pick her up and bring her home, put her in a vase, watered her daily, and cared for her carefully.

  She had been carefully dressed, and every part of her was exquisite.

  Xie Jing lowered her head to take a look. The needlepoint patterns on the lotus flower pattern dress were embroidered so vividly that even if a dragonfly came, they would still want to rest on it for a while.

  Before Xie Jing could say anything, another person came up from outside. It was Xie Xun.

  She was young and didn’t need to be dressed up properly. She only had a jade hairpin with a butterfly tattoo on it.

  She wore a white silk dress with a flowery silver bell attached to a jasper jade jade pendant, which tinkled with the sound of her movements. She wore a white silk dress with a flowery yellow brocade dress, and on her waist, in addition to her scented bag, hung two flower pattern silver bells beneath the jasper jade pendants.

  When she saw Xie Jing, her pretty apple turned red. “Sixth Sister.”


  Xie Jing was stunned by these two sisters. After staring blankly for a long time, she finally replied, “Seventh Sister.”


  Then she looked at Xie Zhen, “Fifth Sister.”


  Xie Zhen let down the curtain and told the driver to start.

  It was a long way to go from the Duke Dingguo’s Mansion to the crown prince’s residence, and the road was extremely boring. Xie Zhen and Xie Xun sat side by side, their heads facing each other as they talked.

  Xie Zhen suddenly remembered something and asked Xie Jing, “Where are the third sister and fourth sister?”


  Xie Jing almost immediately replied, “Third Sister and Fourth Sister came out early, so they left first.”


  She nodded and said nothing more.

  An hour later, the carriage stopped in front of the crown prince’s residence.

  The maidservant led them to the backyard. She said that the Crown Princess and Princess He Yi had arrived, and the other girls were there as well.

  Xie Zhen thought she was late, but the maid said, “The Crown Princess and Princess He Yi are entertaining the girls, so they are the first to be here. So there’s no need to worry, just come with me.”


  She was relieved.

  It was located in the southeast corner of the backyard, where there was a peony garden. Inside, there were all sorts of peony flowers that the Crown Princess had carefully cultivated.

  There were arbors and flower racks, as well as rockery and water, and various kinds of chess and calligraphy that girls loved.

  By the time Xie Zhen, Xie Xun and Xie Jing arrived, the garden seemed to be a paradise, the music was sweet and the laughter was melodious.

  The maidservant went up and informed the two playing chess in the pavilion, “The Empress, the Princess, the fifth miss, sixth miss and seventh miss of Xie Family have arrived.”


  Ling Xiangwu turned her head to look outside.

  With just a glance, she was stunned.

  The two ladies of the Xie Family were really one in a million.

  The younger one hadn’t fully grown yet. She was still young and delicate, but the bigger one was a peerless beauty.

  She looked like she was fourteen or fifteen years old. Her figure was slender and incomparably graceful.

  Her skirt was embroidered with a dark golden lotus pattern, and a faint fragrance of lotus flowers wafted out from her fragrance bag. As she approached, the smell of lotus flowers could be heard.

  It seemed that Ling Xiangyun wasn’t lying. No one in Chang’an City would be able to find such a good color.

  When she and Xie Xun came in, everyone’s eyes were on them, Xie Jing almost as a foil.

  Xie Ying and Xie Yin stared at them, both shocked and furious at the same time.

  Xie Zhen stepped forward, and gestured to Ling Xiangwu and Princess Yi, said: “Greetings to the Empress, and to the Princess.”


  Ling Xiangxu helped them up and asked them to get up.

  Ling Xiangyun stood behind the princess consort and smiled brightly at them.

  At last, Princess He Yi woke up from her daze and almost drooled.

  She was about the same age of Xie Zhen, and she was cute in appearance, but a bit wild and tricky in character.

  Today, for some reason, Xie Zhen and Xie Xun got her out of the way and soon joined the two of them.

  As soon as she asked about Xie Zhen birthday, she realized she was only half a year older than him and immediately became closer to Xie Zhen.

  Princess He Yi stopped playing chess with Crown Princess and dragged Xie Zhen to the side to admire the peonies. The two of them were familiar with each other at first sight, and there were even some words that could not be said.

  In just half a day, she had developed into a close friend of hers.

  Seeing this, the handkerchief in Xie Ying’s hand was about to shatter. “She really is capable …”


  Xie Yin was jealous as well. She thought to herself, “Isn’t it just a handsome face?”


  Why should the Princess treat her differently?

  On the other side, Princess He Yi took her to sit under the purple vine flower caravan as they untied the white jade pendant on her waist. “This is for you. We will be good sisters from now on.”


  “Keep it properly. If you dare to lose it, I’ll settle the score with you.”


  Xie Zhen could only take it. She didn’t have anything to give her, so she just took off the bursa and said, “Then this is for you.”


  Princess He Yi’s eyes lit up as she happily accepted it. “I’ve taken a fancy to this sachet of yours. What spice does it contain?”


  “Smells good.”


  The spice in the scented bag was made by Xie Zhen, she said like she was counting their treasures: “There are lotus flowers, osmanthus, Mao Xiang and Du Heng.”


  He Yi happily accepted it.

  Xie Zhen laughed at her,and said:” The Princess doesn’t have such things?”


  “Why do you feel like you’ve never seen it before… ”


  He Yi exclaimed and interrupted her, “Don’t call me Princess from now on. You can call me Yao An.”


  Today’s Imperial surname is Yan, Yan Yao’an.

  Xie Zhen called her Yao’an, complimenting her on her good name.

  Noon was lunch at the Crown Prince’s house, and Princess He Yi was a brute one and she wouldn’t let Xie Zhen leave.

  By the end of the term, she would have refused to let her go if her servant hadn’t reported that the Sixth Prince had come to pick her up.