C18 At the Flower-boat Feast

Dugu Jingyu cried when she was sad, and fell asleep when she was tired of crying. It was not until midnight that she was woken up by Zhichun.

"Princess, Princess, the time is almost up. It's time to dress and attend the banquet."

Dugu Jingyu opened her eyes, and everything that had happened flashed through her mind. She remembered that she had attended Dugu Pingyang's banquet in front of Zhu Qing because she was angry.

After waking up, Dugu Jingyu had a glimmer of hope that Zhu Qing would not be so heartless to her.

"What did Prince Consort do after I left?"

Zhichun saw through Dugu Jingyu's thoughts with a single glance. She shook her head and replied, "Prince Consort also returned to his study and left the palace at six o'clock for the poetry meet."

The poetry gatherings of the Lantern Festival were all held at the Hai hour, brightly lit, and Dugu Jingyu sneered at Zhu Qing's act of not lying to the end.

"Heh ~ This poetry gathering is really early."

Zhichun naturally knew that Dugu Jingyu was very disappointed, and immediately changed the topic. "The flower boat feast is about to begin. This servant will dress the princess."

Zhichun was about to remove the hairpin that had fallen asleep on Dugu Jingyu's head, but Dugu Jingyu turned her head a little.

"No need, tell Aunt that I have a cold and can't attend the banquet."

Zhichun's face showed that she was in a difficult position. "This... I'm afraid that's not good. Princess Pingyang has already prepared a carriage and is waiting outside the mansion."

"It's fine. Do as I say."

"Yes."

Just as Zhichun was about to leave, she thought of something and immediately took out a red scroll from her sleeve.

"That's right, this talisman was found in the courtyard by this servant. I don't know if it was a request from the princess, but if it is a safety talisman that the princess requested, this servant will keep it in the temple hall."

Seeing the paper scroll, Dugu Jingyu knew that this was the Wish Talisman that 'Peace Temple' only allowed once a year. Dugu Jingyu unfolded the paper scroll.

One look at the handwriting and she knew that it was written by Zhu Qing. At this moment, Dugu Jingyu did not know whether she was happy or angry. Peace Temple's wish was the most effective.

"Princess, this servant will go back to Princess Pingyang now. This servant will leave first."

Dugu Pingyang grabbed Zhichun's wrist and laughed at herself, "Help me dress and attend the banquet."

"Yes."

A smile immediately appeared on Zhichun's face as she led Dugu Jingyu to the bronze mirror and carefully dressed herself. Looking at herself in the mirror, Dugu Jingyu's heart was numb with pain.

Dugu Jingyu's slender hand clenched the Wish Talisman tightly and spoke her mind: As long as you give it to me, I will accept it all. As long as you want, I will try my best.

Dugu Jingyu, who had finished dressing, sat in a carriage to the flower boat feast. Since veil was not allowed to be worn to the flower boat feast, Dugu Jingyu went there naked this time.

The street outside the carriage was lit by a faint light, and people came and went with a lantern in their hands.

Dugu Jingyu inadvertently sighed, "The current Lantern Festival is just this lively."

"That's right. Fortunately, Princess went out tonight. Otherwise, this servant wouldn't have been able to see such a scene."

Zhichun followed Dugu Jingyu closely, and a few years ago, Dugu Jingyu of the Lantern Festival did not leave her house, so Zhichun locked herself in the mansion as well, staring at the scene outside the carriage.

The carriage passed through the sea of people and stopped by a river guarded by heavy guards. Zhichun led Dugu Jingyu onto a huge ship surrounded by flowers and hanging red lanterns. The ship was two stories high and looked several times larger than a palace.

According to the rules, Zhichun stopped outside the ship, and Dugu Jingyu boarded the ship alone. As soon as she stepped onto the ship, her father-in-law, who was guarding the door, reported, "Princess Jingyu has arrived ~"

The lights were on and off, and there was dancing and dancing, and all sorts of people were gathered together, but there were hundreds of people in the boat, and it was not crowded at all.

"Greetings, Princess."

Everyone bowed slightly to Dugu Jingyu. After this initial bow, their statuses would be equal until they got off the ship.

"Yu, I didn't expect you to be the first to come."

Dugu Pingyang saw Dugu Jingyu abandon the man beside her after she boarded the ship and grab her to the center of the ship, showing Dugu Jingyu the results.

"I'm sure you won't find anything wrong with it. This time, I only invited a total of seventeen guests, but I prepared more than a hundred and twenty men on this flower boat. Every day, I prepared new tricks."

Since it was Dugu Jingyu's first time on a flower boat, she did not understand the reason behind it. "Do you have to stay that long?"

"Otherwise, why wouldn't this flower boat feast be called a flower house feast or a flower house feast? When the boat reaches the river, it will be impossible to leave even if you want to."

Dugu Jingyu sized up the ship that was going to stay for a long time. Many of the men's gazes were hooked around Dugu Jingyu, as if they were hoping to lean on her, which made Dugu Jingyu's scalp tingle.

Dugu Pingyang saw Dugu Jingyu's discomfort and laughed: "It's so fun to be here, believe me, you'll be so relaxed here. Go, if you find anyone pleasing to the eye, bring them into the house. I have arranged for your room to be in the first room at the bow of the ship."

Dugu Pingyang pushed Dugu Jingyu back into the crowd. Dugu Jingyu staggered and was caught by a group of men just as she was about to reach the bottom.

Dugu Jingyu didn't know whose arms she was lying in, but she felt her face being gently brushed by hands.

"Play with us."

"Princess, do you want to take us away?"

Dugu Jingyu was surrounded like a millet that had fallen into a chicken coop. Dugu Jingyu was dazzled by the men in front of her.

The men did not attack her either. Seeing that Dugu Jingyu had escaped, they continued to play their own games, having a great time.

Dugu Jingyu panted heavily on the chair at the bow of the ship. One after another, the other guests boarded the ship, and the eunuch's report came one after another.

"Ministry Lee has arrived ~"

"Princess Huanyu has arrived ~"

"Miss Situ has arrived ~"

Gradually, everyone arrived, and the laughter on the ship grew louder and louder. The ship also began to move slowly. Dugu Jingyu was naturally indifferent at the bow of the ship, admiring the scenery outside.

As the ship began to move, the guards at the riverside left, and many men and women with river lanterns ran to the riverside to put on lights. Dugu Jingyu revealed an envious smile as she looked at the men and women who were putting on lights and praying by the river.

As the ship moved further and further away, the men and women who were placing the lantern slowly left their sight. The ship sailed into the lake. As it was already late, the scenery outside the ship gradually became less interesting. However, there were sounds of excitement coming from inside the ship.

Suddenly, Dugu Jingyu's back was patted. She turned around and saw Dugu Pingyang's smiling face.

"Everyone was having fun, but Yu was nowhere to be seen. I guessed that my Yu was not used to this kind of situation. In order to make you more sociable, look who I brought to see you."

It was only then that Dugu Jingyu noticed a man standing behind Dugu Pingyang. Dugu Jingyu took a closer look and saw that it was Zhu Shuang.

Zhu Shuang looked at Dugu Jingyu with his usual gentleness and bowed elegantly. The moonlight shone on Zhu Shuang's body, making him look extraordinarily extraordinary.

A breeze lifted Zhu Shuang's white clothes, causing Dugu Jingyu to notice the jade pendant at his waist. It was the same one that he had given her when they first met.

"I didn't expect you to arrange for Young Master Zhu to be on the ship as well."

Dugu Pingyang pushed Zhu Shuang to Dugu Jingyu's side and said with a smile, "This is not thanks to you. If you hadn't used my identity to cause a ruckus in the Floating Immortal House, then Mrs. Qin wouldn't have arranged for Young Master Zhu to be placed in my room as a mysterious gift. You guys can go and play in the boat together. This time, the flower boat feast will require three velvet flowers to replace the lantern."

With that, Dugu Pingyang left with a smile on her face, leaving Dugu Jingyu and Zhu Shuang alone at the bow of the ship. Zhu Shuang leaned closer to Dugu Jingyu and tidied up her hair that had been blown about by the wind. He said gently, "I finally see Yu again."

Dugu Jingyu looked at Zhu Shuang and recalled Zhu Qing's blessing signature. After taking a deep breath, she naturally held Zhu Shuang's hand and interlocked her fingers with his. 'Zhu, this should be what you want to see, right?'

Zhu Shuang was stunned by Dugu Jingyu's sudden enthusiasm. Before he could say anything, he heard Dugu Jingyu say, "Let's go to the ship."

Zhu Shuang, who felt Dugu Jingyu's warmth, was flattered, and a gentle smile appeared on his face.

When the two of them arrived at the center of the ship once again, the scene had already become extremely lively.

"Come and win the velvet flowers, win the velvet flowers."

Dugu Jingyu's gaze was attracted by a man standing in front of a stall with a part of his chest exposed. He held a few different colored velvet flowers in his hand, and Dugu Jingyu guessed that they were the velvet flowers that Dugu Pingyang had mentioned.

The man blocked Dugu Jingyu's path and asked, "Does this lady want to win the velvet flowers in my hands?"

"How do I win?"

The man clapped his hands. Seven or eight men stood side by side in front of Dugu Jingyu, and the man said, "Later, I will let the young master beside the Lady blend in with them, and then I will use a cloth to cover everyone's upper bodies. As long as the Lady can find out who the young master beside the Lady is in her naked lower body, the velvet flowers in my hands will belong to the Lady."

The crowd on the side kept shouting "okay." Zhu Shuang's face was filled with reluctance, but after looking at Dugu Jingyu, he suppressed his emotions and put on an expression of resignation.

Zhu Shuang said in a low voice against his conscience, "This game is quite strange. Yu, why don't you give it a try?"

Dugu Jingyu frowned, she had no urge to play at all. At this moment, the atmosphere had already been brought to the highest point by the crowd. The man enticed her and said, "Madam, do you want to play?"

Dugu Jingyu rolled her eyes at the man, turned around and left the place. The man called out from behind, "Madam, don't go."

Dugu Jingyu looked at the other shops. Most of the ways to get velvet flowers were strange and bizarre, such as taking off clothes, performing the movements of the bedmates... In short, it was all ways that Dugu Jingyu was not used to.