The Reborn Noble Girl is Hard to Find | Chapter 30: Whose Prime of Life
The palace night banquet was scheduled for the evening, but it was still daytime. Therefore, the empress invited the young ladies to appreciate plum blossoms to pass the time. Currently, it was winter, and admiring plum blossoms in the snow was indeed an elegant activity.
Han Yan walked behind Deng Chan, following the group of ladies. The familiar ladies naturally engaged in conversation together. Even those who were not acquainted exchanged a few words and soon became familiar.
At gatherings like this, the relationships between the ladies were purposeful. A family might have a daughter of marriageable age, while another might have a son ready for marriage. After inquiring about each other’s backgrounds, it might lead to a good match.
While men discussed politics over drinks, women’s politics took place in the gossip-filled corners. Marriage was indeed the biggest political affair for women.
Han Yan pondered over these thoughts. She caught a glimpse of Concubine Zhou and her daughter, Zhou Yushan, surrounded by a finely dressed young girl, seemingly flattering her. The young girl’s attire was exceptional, and her demeanor exuded pride, indicating her prestigious background.
Han Yan felt Zhou Yushan’s gaze and turned to see a provocative smile on her lips. Han Yan shook her head, no longer paying her any attention, feeling that Zhou Yushan was foolish for flattering a wealthy girl. However, this flattery seemed to be inherited from her mother, as Han Yan observed Concubine Zhou engaging with the other ladies.
Indeed, Concubine Zhou was adept at socializing and quickly dispelled any discomfort among the ladies, even gaining acceptance. For Han Yan, this was not a good thing. She needed to think of a way to stop it.
Seeing Han Yan lost in thought, Deng Chan nudged her, “What are you daydreaming about? Look at these plum blossoms, aren’t they beautiful?”
Han Yan snapped out of her reverie and followed Deng Chan’s gaze to see a plum blossom in full bloom. She took a deep breath, feeling intoxicated by its fragrance.
This was the royal garden, with miles of land covered in snow-white plum blossoms. As the wind blew, some petals fell like snowflakes, creating a scene reminiscent of a fairyland.
The other ladies were also captivated by the beauty of the scenery. The empress had arranged small tables and chairs in the garden, where exquisite snacks and fruit tea were served. Enjoying the plum blossoms and chatting here was indeed a joyous occasion.
Han Yan sat beside Deng Shi, who was a kind and affectionate woman. Meanwhile, Jilan and Shuhong, along with other maids, were helping out in another part of the garden, arranging fresh fruit preserves. Zhou Yushan sat beside the finely dressed young girl, her gaze occasionally sweeping over here. It was evident that she was scheming something.
Han Yan knew she couldn’t stop this. From the beginning, Zhou Yushan had not come with good intentions. Moreover, Han Yan had made her suffer a significant loss earlier. With Zhou Yushan’s vindictive nature, she would surely seek revenge.
After chatting for a while, Zhou Yushan suddenly stood up and walked over to Han Yan, saying, “Little sister Yan, I want to go to the restroom. Will you accompany me?”
Han Yan immediately sensed that Zhou Yushan had some malicious intent, instinctively refusing, “Let a palace maid accompany you. I’m not familiar with the way.”
However, Zhou Yushan persisted, looking at her cautiously, “I… I’m afraid. We’re sisters, Yan’er, you don’t dislike me, do you?”
With the situation at this point, rejecting her would imply that she didn’t consider Zhou Yushan a sister, which would be seen by everyone present. What else could she say?
Deng Chan also sensed that something was amiss and stood up, saying, “I’ll accompany you both.”
Han Yan shook her head, “No need, I’ll accompany Sister Yushan. We’ll be back soon.”
This had nothing to do with Deng Chan. Han Yan thought to herself that they were in the palace after all, and Zhou Yushan wouldn’t dare to openly harm her. She just needed to stay vigilant. Her gaze swept over the finely dressed young girl who had been staring at them. Who exactly was she?
The palace maid led the way, with Han Yan and Zhou Yushan following behind. Zhou Yushan maintained a smile on her face, while Han Yan remained cautious, holding onto a wooden hairpin hidden in her sleeve.
This hairpin was given to her by Zhuang Hanming on her tenth birthday. Although the pattern on it was rough, it showed the maker’s meticulousness. At first, she was touched and reluctant to use it, especially as a daughter of an official family, wearing a wooden hairpin wasn’t appropriate. She kept it in a box as a keepsake. When she sorted through her belongings after being reborn, she found the hairpin shining like new, indicating the excellent wood used by Zhuang Hanming.
She repurposed it as a self-defense tool, sharpening one end to a point and removing any rough edges. Although it wouldn’t be of much use in a real crisis, it provided some comfort.
Now that Zhou Yushan seemed to have ill intentions, she had to be cautious. However, Zhou Yushan didn’t make any suspicious moves during their walk. Han Yan felt puzzled and pushed the door open, calling out, “Sister Yushan?”
All she heard in response was the chilly wind.
Han Yan’s heart skipped a beat as she suddenly realized something. Hurrying to the palace maid’s position, she found it empty. Standing there for a moment, she couldn’t help but smile bitterly. She had been guarding against Zhou Yushan’s possible actions or provocations, never expecting her to resort to this method.
Had they really been abandoned here?
This was Han Yan’s first time in the palace, so she didn’t know the layout. But now she realized that the palace maid had only led them through secluded paths without encountering any eunuchs or palace maids, which was highly irregular.
Many places in the palace were taboo, some even restricted areas. Standing here alone, with no one around, Han Yan couldn’t help but suspect if this was one of those places.
