Marriage of the Di Daughter

Chapter 80 Part 4: Trick

I don’t know why they call apricot blossom as fruit wine and not flower wine…

Talking about blossoms, recently I’m in love with cold brewed tea. It’s also very easy to make, just put the leaves or blossoms in a glass tumbler and leave it overnight. Very refreshing to drink especially in hot weather. Normal tea is okay, I guess it’s common. So far I especially love White Peony Tea cold brew, it smells sweet and so so refreshing. I just tried peach blossom cold brew but don’t care much about it. Perhaps due to it being flowers, the petals sort of fall all over the place and it’s quite erm… . Currently brewing apple blossom in the fridge to taste tomorrow ^^

Everytime Zhou Yan Bang saw Jiang Li, he appreciated the beauty of Jiang Li even more. She was different from the noble ladies in Yanjing, the more she alienated him, Zhou Yan Bang became even more unwilling. Zhou Yan bang knew that after the examination, Jiang second miss’s reputation had turned for the better and many sons from noble families started to eye Jiang Li. Furthermore, now, when Hong Xiao Emperor gave the rewards, Zhou Yan Bang also clearly sensed that many of the young noble sons in the surrounding were unable to take their eyes off Jiang Li.

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Talented, gentle, born beautiful and pure, family background wasn’t weak as the daughter of the chief assistant, and now even received His Majesty’s favor. In the circle of the noble young ladies in Yanjing, she could be considered as one of the best young ladies. 

Inside, Zhou Yan Bang felt anxiety grasping his heart and scratching his liver, afraid that him being like this would drive Jiang Li away. But his marriage with Jiang You Yao was already set at the end of winter next year. If there was no accident, he would miss Jiang Li.   

Zhou Yan Bang was very unreconciled. 

As he repeatedly looked at Jiang Li, naturally he didn’t discover that his action had fallen into another person’s eyes. This person was no one else but Shen Ruyun. 

Shen Ruyun saw that she could finally meet her sweetheart and felt happy. However, her joy soon disappeared as if flushed with water. Although she was in the same place as Zhou Yan Bang, from the beginning, he had never looked towards her, but in Jiang You Yao’s direction. 

Shen Ruyun was heart broken. She loved Zhou Yan Bang but her status didn’t match him before. Now that she was the sister of the top scorer, and her brother was the court official, she could stand together with Zhou Yan Bang. But Zhou Yan Bang was already engaged. 

Supposed that this was just a marriage, then it’s fine. But Shen Ruyun could clearly see that Zhou Yan Bang looked at Jiang You Yao with love in his eyes. That meant that Jiang You Yao was in Zhou Yan Bang’s heart. 

In a split second, She Ruyun’s heart fell to the bottom. Aside from feeling heartbroken, she also felt unwilling and jealous. She wished for twists and turns to come up in the marriage between Zhou Yan Bang and Jiang You Yao, so this marriage could not be completed well. 

Jiang Li ate the dishes and felt as if she was chewing wax. Due to seeing Shen Yurong and Princess Yongning these two people, she felt nauseous and was unable to eat the meal. But the palace feast still had to go on and she could only restrain her discomfort and reluctantly continue. 

This palace feast actually lasted for a long time. Each of the officials exchanged cups of wine and discussed officialdom. The madams chatted about daily affairs, exchanging interesting stories about each other’s homes. The young ladies and the young sons were separated by a long curtain, stealthily and occasionally peeked at each other. If they weren’t careful and happened to meet the other person’s gaze, they quickly retracted their sights and pretended there was nothing. In fact, they secretly remembered the movements and looks of the other party, planning to make discreet inquiries when they returned to their residences. 

Actually each has their own shape, all living things have their own unique appearance. 

Between Cheng Wang and Hong Xiao Emperor, there’s respect between brothers. But the turbulent undercurrent hidden beneath the surface was not known to anyone. As before, the Empress Dowager was serene, Liu taifei1 and the empress chatted, Li pin2 gently sat on one side, from time to time poured wine for the emperor. This was not something that she should do, but she did this naturally and familiarly.  

There’s apricot blossom wine in the white jade slender porcelain bottle on the table. Because the female members couldn’t stand alcohol, the drink prepared in the night palace feast was sweet, fermented fruit wine, not intoxicating at all. A cup of tea was in front of Jiang Li, she didn’t touch the wine cup at all. Following the matter during mother Shen’s birthday, Jiang Li often recalled and felt if she didn’t drink that cup of wine in front of her at that time, probably the scene would be different now. 

Drinking would make things go wrong, since then, she had never touched a drop of alcohol. Especially in such a big situation as the palace feast. She even more didn’t want to make a tiny bit of mistake. 

Jiang Yu’e didn’t know this and seemed very fond of the sweet taste of the fermented fruit wine. She drank until she looked tipsy, her face turned bright red, unlike the sweet and charming expression on ordinary days. 

At this time, Ji Shuran smiled and was heard asking: “Why doesn’t Li-er taste the apricot blossom wine?”

Jiang Li lifted her eyes and saw Ji Shuran picked up the wine cup in front of Jiang Li naturally, then poured it to the brim. She smiled, put it in front of Jiang Li and said: “The palace’s apricot blossom wine and the one that our residence brewed are not the same, the flavor is purer and sweeter, also not intoxicating. There’s also benefits in drinking more for girls.”  

Jiang Li glanced at Ji Shuran. Ji Shuran’s smile was gentle and soft, but unknown why, Jiang Li suddenly had an uneasy feeling. A voice seemed to be saying in her mind, reminding her that she absolutely must not drink this cup of wine. 

Jiang Li believed her own intuition and said: “Many thanks mother, but I don’t have the capacity for alcohol.” 

“How can this be considered as wine, it’s in fact just sweet sugar water.” Ji Shuran laughed and said: “I noticed Li-er didn’t eat much tonight. It’s easy to be tired and listless in summer, drinking a bit of the apricot blossom wine would dissolve the heat.”