Chapter Twenty-One: Resemblance

The Crown Princess seemed to have gained some understanding. "So the lady who dropped the flower from the city tower that day was the County Lady. Truly rare. I heard that Lord Ke wore that peony to the Golden Throne Hall to offer thanks, and even received praise from His Majesty."

"The elegance of the Wei and Jin dynasties, the charm of a famed scholar—this crimson peony perfectly suits the top scholar."

Jing Hu had no idea about this and turned to Ke Mingxu with genuine delight. "Brother Ke, you are truly remarkable."

Ke Mingxu merely smiled faintly without replying. Today he wore a moon-white robe embroidered with subtle wave patterns. At his waist hung a small seal and a pouch—naturally, not the one she had made.

His hair was neatly tied with a white jade hairpin, immaculate and impeccable, much like his character.

She watched him for a while, then smiled and linked arms with the Crown Princess. "If Your Royal Highness ever hears anyone gossiping about this matter and doesn’t know who dropped the flower that day, please tell them it was me."

She glanced at Ke Mingxu. "Let me bask in Brother Ke’s glow as well."

Princess Zhenjing, who had remained silent, suddenly smiled. "Jing Hu, since you won't be taking the top scholar’s exam, what use is it to bask in such glory?"

Her tone was nonchalant, the kind often employed by those in high positions.

Jing Hu often spoke this way about other matters, but whenever it concerned Ke Mingxu, she felt somehow diminished.

She had no choice but to say, "Is Brother Ke only good at reading books? I think he’s handsome too. If I can share some of his fortune, wouldn’t I look better as well?"

Princess Zhenjing found it amusing. "Jing Hu, is your appearance really not good? I heard you often visit the Mansion of the Duke of Dingguo and are especially close to the eighth young lady there."

"Have you ever met her fifth sister, Lady Xu Peirou, the Lady of Huaiyi? At your age, she’s barely any better than you."

"But," she pondered, "she always dresses simply. If judged by appearance alone, you resemble the fifth young lady of the Duke of Hengguo’s Mansion more."

Both women Princess Zhenjing mentioned were noble ladies from Yanjing, whom she had naturally met.

She had heard the emperor praise them once: "The twin beauties of the capital, like the flowers of early spring, like the moon of late autumn."

Upon hearing this, her mother had taken her side. "It’s just that our Hu’er is still young. Otherwise, such titles would never belong to those two."

She herself felt rather ordinary and didn’t think she was at a disadvantage. Once she matured, she wouldn’t worry about gaining renown throughout the capital.

The one likened to the spring flowers was the Zhao family’s fifth young lady; the Lady of Huaiyi was compared to the autumn moon. Princess Zhenjing said she resembled the Zhao family’s young lady more, leaving her unsure whether to feel happy or worried.

Ke Mingxu might have once liked the Lady of Huaiyi; after much thought, she considered this nearly certain.

She didn’t want to be anyone’s substitute, bearing a face similar to someone he once loved and loving him in return. Even if he didn’t care about her appearance, she would still feel saddened.

Unlike the Lady of Huaiyi in reality, but what if he only loved that kind of look?

Princess Zhenjing, noticing her daydreaming, gently tapped her. "What are you staring off into space about? Have you never met them?"

"Today is unlucky — she just got married and is a new bride, so she didn’t come to the palace. Next time, if we meet, I’ll introduce you."

Jing Hu waved her hand and couldn’t help but watch Ke Mingxu’s expression.

When the Lady of Huaiyi was mentioned, his face remained calm but he looked at her as if puzzled by her absent-mindedness, a hint of concern in his eyes.

Her heart settled. "I have met the Lady of Huaiyi and the Zhao family’s fifth young lady, though I don’t know them well. If there’s a chance, I’ll ask Sister Zhenjing to introduce me."

They had all stood there for quite some time before the Crown Prince finally reacted. "The weather is so hot today. Although this spot is shaded, standing too long might cause heatstroke."

"Jia-niang, take the younger sisters inside the hall to sit and talk. Mingxu and I have some matters to attend to, so we won’t accompany you."

Naturally, they all bowed to him.

He took a few steps, then turned back to remind Jia-niang, "Your health is weak; remember to drink some mulberry leaf tea to relieve the heat."

Such thoughtful care.

Jing Hu didn’t care if the Crown Princess felt shy and immediately glanced at her. As expected, the princess bowed again with a gentle smile, remaining where she was until he walked away, then led Jing Hu and the others into the main hall of the Eastern Palace.

This was fine; it allowed her to watch Ke Mingxu a bit longer.

What Jing Hu didn’t know was that when she boldly glanced at the Crown Princess, Ke Mingxu had also turned back to look at her.

Once they had all gone, Jing Hu turned around and began to miss him. She wanted to see him to ask some questions, but she knew this wasn’t a suitable place for a quiet conversation.

She would have to wait for another opportunity to spend time alone with him.

The Crown Princess and Princess Zhenjing walked ahead, while Jing Hu and Zhenning followed behind. Zhenning kept making playful faces at her along the way.

Jing Hu raised a small fist at her, threatening to hit her. They had played like this since childhood, so Zhenning wasn’t offended.

Zhenning tugged at her sleeve and whispered, "Jingling, do you like Lord Ke?"

She wasn’t really afraid of being found out, but seeing how familiar Princess Zhenjing was with the Lady of Huaiyi, she didn’t want her to know. It was a small girl’s pride.

She quickly made a shushing gesture. "How dare you ask? You weren’t far from me just now, so why did you sneak behind the Crown Princess and Princess Zhenjing?"

Zhenning smiled. "You were talking so animatedly with Lord Ke. If I went over, he would have to entertain me. We wouldn’t get many words in, and if people started blaming me, what would I do?"

It made sense, so Jing Hu pinched her cheek lightly, taking advantage of her.

When they were about to enter the hall, she lowered her voice. "This isn’t the place to talk. When there’s a chance, I’ll tell you everything you want to know."

Princess Zhenning knew this and had only been teasing Jing Hu. Yet, despite her honesty, Zhenning felt a bit uneasy, as if she had accidentally uncovered someone else’s secret.

Before them lay the Chunhe Hall of the Eastern Palace, but within this imperial city, every palace was much the same.