As early as when Li Tingwang was picking out a peony silk flower, Yao Huang had her eye on the pale yellow silk flower he eventually chose, because she had always favored such colors.
But the silk flowers outside the Peony Garden were sold far too expensively; the same quality in a regular shop would be half the price. The garden owner's stall made its money off tourists, and the female family members who were willing to spend a tael of silver to admire the peonies in Jinxiu Garden naturally wouldn't care about a price difference of a few mace. As long as the peony silk flowers looked beautiful, the young madams and ladies were willing to buy them.
Then, did Lord Zhao look at the peony on her head because it truly looked beautiful on her?
The old woman selling the silk flowers still had her arm around Yao Huang's shoulders. Yao Huang swept her gaze over the female guests who were gradually gathering. Thinking about how the silk flower on her head was paid for by Li Tingwang, Yao Huang pulled the old woman behind the stall and quickly negotiated, "I'll help you attract business here for a quarter of an hour, but you must give me half a tael of silver as wages. What do you think?"
The old woman subconsciously frowned.
Yao Huang smiled. While making a motion to take off the silk flower, she said, "Actually, I don't really like this silk flower. My brother insisted on wasting silver to buy it for me..."
Seeing this, the old woman quickly covered the beauty's hand and coaxed, "Alright, alright, we'll do as you say. And if you are willing to help me watch the stall for half a day, I can give you an extra two taels of silver!"
Peony silk flowers sold well this season, but the beauty before her could definitely help her attract more business. For every extra silk flower sold, she would make an extra four mace of silver in profit; she would be making a killing.
Yao Huang smiled and said, "That won't do. I'm also anxious to enter the garden to admire the flowers. I can only help you for a quarter of an hour at most."
She just didn't want to take advantage of Li Tingwang's half tael of silver, but she had never thought of relying on her beauty to do business and earn wages.
The old woman agreed and began to hawk her wares even more loudly.
Yao Huang shot a glance at her brother and Li Tingwang, gesturing for them to wait to the side. At this time, Yao Lin also saw Lord Zhao on horseback and enthusiastically ran over to greet him. Since he went, Li Tingwang naturally had to go too. Anyway, they weren't far from the silk flower stall, and if Yao Huang encountered any trouble, they could rush over in time.
"What a coincidence! Are you also here to admire the peonies, My Lord?"
Looking at Lord Zhao who was dismounting from his horse, Yao Lin spoke in pleasant surprise. Although Lord Zhao was too pedantic, he had treated them to a banquet worth fifty taels of silver and had lent him such a fine steed. Yao Lin wanted to make friends with him, if Lord Zhao didn't mind.
Zhao Sui nodded, his peripheral vision sweeping over Li Tingwang's shoulder.
He usually had official duties and was only free on his rest days.
On that rest day at the end of February, he wanted to see Miss Yao. Because he didn't know where Miss Yao would go, and directly inquiring about the Yao family's residence and rashly seeking her out would be against propriety, Zhao Sui had stayed at the Prince's Estate.
But the feeling of being physically in the estate while his heart was outside was not pleasant. Coupled with the fact that Zhao Sui needed to confirm whether Miss Yao was interested in him, Zhao Sui thought of Li Tingwang.
The young man obviously adored Miss Yao. For two rest days, Li Tingwang had been with the Yao siblings, so on the next rest day...
Martial arts students would be given time off at dusk the day before their rest day. Zhao Sui arranged for a guard to keep an eye on Li Tingwang. From the guard, he learned that Li Tingwang had run to Jinxiu Garden to buy three flower tickets for today, and after buying them, he went to the Yao family who lived in Changshou Alley. Zhao Sui thus obtained two pieces of information at the same time: one was that the Yao family lived in Changshou Alley, and the other was that Miss Yao would go to Jinxiu Garden today.
Even if he was keeping an eye on a young man's whereabouts, this action was not what a gentleman would do. Therefore, Zhao Sui did not respond to Yao Lin's "what a coincidence" and only said, "Stealing a moment of leisure from a busy schedule. I've made a fool of myself before you."
Yao Lin: "Indeed, why would grown men admire peonies? Especially us men who practice martial arts; we should just keep playing polo."
Zhao Sui: "Why didn't you go play polo?"
Yao Lin pointed to his sister over by the silk flower stall: "My sister likes admiring flowers, so we accompanied her here."
Li Tingwang: "We still need to delay here for a moment, so we won't disturb Your Lordship's elegant mood."
Zhao Sui: "Mhm, I will go buy a ticket. If fate permits, we will meet again in the garden."
Letting his accompanying guard Zhang Yue go find a place to tie the horse, Zhao Sui walked alone towards the shed selling flower tickets opposite the main gate of Jinxiu Garden. Some people liked to buy tickets in advance, while others liked to buy them after arriving here.
Li Tingwang noticed that there was a long queue in front of the shed. There were young masters and misses from ordinary wealthy merchant families, as well as servant boys lining up to buy flower tickets for the next few days on behalf of their masters.
He pulled Yao Lin back to the front of the silk flower stall, but they were blocked a distance away by the tide of female guests and their accompanying family members. They could only watch from afar as Yao Huang, with a smile as beautiful as a flower, helped the old stall owner attract customers.
Yao Lin: "Could my sister be thinking of working here to earn money?"
Li Tingwang didn't know Yao Huang's plans either, so he simply went to the nearby beverage stall and bought three servings of peony flower tea served in bamboo tubes.
Yao Lin: "How much was it?"
Li Tingwang said unhappily, "Just drink it since I'm treating you. Why ask so much?"
Yao Lin: "Alright, alright, you're the generous one. But isn't there anything else? I don't like drinking tea."
Li Tingwang: "..."
When Yao Lin, who didn't like tea, finished a bamboo tube of tea because he had nothing else to do, Yao Huang also ran over from behind the stall. Smiling, she extended her clenched right fist towards Li Tingwang: "Catch."
Li Tingwang subconsciously reached out his hand and asked, "What?"
As Yao Huang's fist opened above his palm, two small one-tael silver ingots and half a tael of broken silver fell into his hand.
Yao Huang: "It's fine to come out and play together, but we can't always let you spend your money. This is the money for our siblings' flower tickets and the silver for the silk flower. Keep it well."
Li Tingwang frowned and immediately tried to stuff the silver back to Yao Huang.
Yao Huang dodged his hand and ran a few steps away. Shaking the flower tickets in her hand, she said, "If you don't accept the silver, I'll return the flower tickets to you. At worst, I'll just take the silver and go buy two more."
Li Tingwang knew that if Yao Huang said it, she could do it. Besides, she had brought the silver for the flower tickets out in advance, which meant she had made up her mind to give it to him long ago.
Li Tingwang suddenly felt defeated. He wanted to treat Yao Huang to admire the flowers, not...
Yao Huang: "Let's go. There will be more and more people later."
She walked towards the garden gate without looking sideways. Yao Lin tilted his head to look at the ticket shed and saw that it was almost Lord Zhao's turn. Just as Yao Lin was about to grab his sister, Li Tingwang from behind suddenly grabbed his shoulder and pushed him forward.
By the time Zhao Sui got the flower ticket, Yao Huang and the other two had already crossed the threshold of Jinxiu Garden.
He silently followed them.
Jinxiu Garden was a garden built by the owner after buying the houses of five commoner households and connecting them. The garden scenery mainly consisted of peonies, rockeries, and ponds, with peonies of various colors visible everywhere.
When the tourists who were crowded outside the garden dispersed into the spacious garden, it didn't look so crowded anymore.
Yao Huang concentrated on admiring the flowers, Li Tingwang was entirely focused on looking at her, and Yao Lin kept thinking about Lord Zhao, looking around. Not long after entering the garden, he spotted Lord Zhao, who had fallen behind by quite a distance. He waved his hand happily. After receiving Lord Zhao's response, he said to his sister and Li Tingwang, "Let's wait for Lord Zhao for a moment."
Yao Huang glanced back with little interest, then lowered her head again to admire the peony in front of her.
Li Tingwang really wanted to stomp heavily on Yao Lin's foot.
Zhao Sui quickly caught up with the three of them. Yao Lin took the initiative to walk beside him and chat, while Yao Huang continued to admire the flowers in front. Li Tingwang kept a distance of two or three steps behind her, guarding against her being bumped into by the wandering tourists.
Passing a patch of Zhao Pink peonies, the largest flower bed ahead was planted entirely with Yao Huang peonies. Surprisingly, there were two painters in their forties or fifties in front of the flower bed, painting specifically for the tourists.
Yao Huang loved a lively scene and squeezed in behind one of the painters to watch. Since she squeezed in, Li Tingwang immediately followed, and Yao Lin brought Lord Zhao along to squeeze in as well. Ultimately, all three men stood behind Yao Huang.
Yao Huang looked at the young girl in silk sitting on the stone stool, and then at the nearly finished painting on the paper. There was indeed a forty or fifty percent resemblance.
Li Tingwang asked, Do you want to be painted?
Yao Huang was somewhat tempted, but looking at a stack of paper beside the painter with pre-painted peony backgrounds, she shook her head and whispered, They are all the same.
It would be like her happily wearing a beautiful new skirt, only for a dozen girls to suddenly walk over from afar, all wearing the exact same thing.
Unexpectedly, the painter had sharp ears. He glanced back, his gaze pausing on Yao Huang's face. His displeased expression softened a bit as he explained, Of course, you can also pick a spot and I will paint the peonies from scratch, but that takes too long. The fee for that is five times the price of these half-finished ones.
A half-finished painting cost one tael of silver, which meant a completely new peony portrait would cost five taels!
Yao Huang turned around to leave.
A clear, gentle voice suddenly came from the side, If you don't mind, Miss, I can paint it for you.
Yao Huang had heard her brother chatting with him for quite a while, so she naturally recognized the voice. She looked at his pale tea-white brocade robe, feeling a mix of sweetness, surprise, and panic in her heart.
The sweetness was that such a handsome man was indeed trying to please her. The surprise was that someone with such high skills in ball games could also paint. The panic was that a dignified prince was actually willing to condescend for her. Did he already see her as a duck boiling in his pot, so certain that he would eventually have his way with her that he was willing to take some trouble to coax her into happiness first?
This man already knew her father's official position and had thoroughly investigated her background. If he truly intended to force her to be his concubine, Yao Huang would be helpless even if she tried to hide.
Rather than clash head-on and jeopardize her father's position, it would be better to test what he was really thinking first. He didn't seem to have the temperament of a profligate son; perhaps he could be reasoned with.
As these various thoughts flashed rapidly through her mind, Yao Huang looked up and smiled at him. You will paint for me? Did you bring a brush, My Lord?
Zhao Sui looked at the extra set of easel, paper, brushes, and pigments prepared by the painter, and took out a hundred-tael silver note, handing it to the painter.
The painter immediately invited him to help himself!
Zhao Sui signaled Yao Lin and Li Tingwang to carry the things.
His Highness the Prince of Hui was used to ordering his attendants around. However, since he was currently in the guise of Lord Zhao, ordering two martial arts students around also seemed reasonable.
Yao Lin went to move the things while marveling at his generosity, whereas Li Tingwang went to move them feeling aggrieved but unable to vent his frustration.
Zhao Sui invited Miss Yao to choose a scenic spot for the painting.
Yao Huang scanned this bed of Yao Huang peonies and asked the servant guarding the flowers if she could walk to the grass inside the flower bed and be painted with her back to the crowd.
At the same time, Zhao Sui handed a one-tael gold ingot to the servant.
The servant immediately agreed, but stipulated that only the young lady being painted and the gentleman painting could enter. Yao Lin and Li Tingwang could only wait on this side, because painting was an elegant affair; the depths of the flower bed could accommodate more elegance, but not more idle onlookers.
Yao Lin did not care at all, as long as his sister was happy.
Li Tingwang, on the other hand, could barely conceal his hostility towards Lord Zhao.
Zhao Sui did not meet Li Tingwang's eyes. For the first time, acting like a servant, he took the easel and other items, followed behind Miss Yao, carefully avoiding the peony bushes along the way, and finally arrived at a small patch of grass under a willow tree at the other end of the flower bed.
The spring breeze was gentle, and the floral scent was elegant. The noisy voices outside the flower bed only made this place seem exceptionally quiet and secluded.
