Moonlit Calamity: The Dragon Girl's Life of Idleness is Broken

Chapter 295 Ling Han's Solitary Bloom

Princess Jiaxu bowed respectfully to Xiao Han and Prince Qi, who returned the bow to show their respect for their elders.

A maidservant brought over a gilded bronze hand warmer and hot tea, but Xiao Han and Prince Qi both waved their hands in refusal.

"How is your health lately, Your Majesty?" Prince Qi stepped forward and inquired with concern.

"Everything else is fine, it's just that I'm getting old and my sleep is becoming lighter."

......

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, other guests came in to offer their birthday wishes.

The Grand Princess said, "The wintersweet in Wanyi Garden is in full bloom right now; I guess everyone's gathered over there! Can'er went that way too, you two should go over there as well!"

Xiao Han nodded and replied, "Okay, then Fifth Brother and I will come to see you again in a little while."

The Grand Princess smiled and waved her hand, saying, "Go!"

After the two bowed and left the warm pavilion, they encountered Prince Rui and his wife at the door.

Xiao Han and Qi Wang called out in unison, "Second Brother, Second Sister-in-law."

Princess Rui nodded with a smile. "Fifth brother, seventh brother."

Prince Rui laughed and said, "Fifth Brother, Seventh Brother, you two arrived quite quickly."

Prince Qi: "Not fast, not fast... it's just a matter of one after the other."

"Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law," Xiao Han said, "you two go in first to wish our Imperial Aunt a happy birthday! Fifth Brother and I will go to the Plum Garden to wait for you. Sixth Brother is over there too."

Prince Rui nodded: "Alright, I didn't expect Sixth Brother to be the fastest. Let's go in first, see you later."

Prince Qi: "Yes, go quickly..."

Xiao Han nodded slightly.

Prince Rui led his wife toward the side hall's warm pavilion.

Xiao Han and Prince Qi then headed towards the plum garden.

As soon as you step through the moon gate of Wanyi Garden, you are filled with a cool and sweet fragrance. It is not as rich as gardenia and jasmine, nor as light as daisy, but it makes you feel comfortable and pleasant.

The plum tree's dark branches are almost devoid of leaves, while clusters of pale yellow blossoms adorn the branches, their simple elegance truly breathtaking.

The petals of the wintersweet are as thin as cicada wings, and if you look closely, you can see that there are still unmelted ice crystals in the center of the flower, which look just like amber wrapped with stars.

The courtyard is planted with many varieties of wintersweet, including plain-hearted plum, golden bell plum, and bell-mouth plum, most of which are yellow.

There are a few rare purple varieties of plum trees with the name "Purple Qi Comes from the East," and a few "Winter Green Plum" trees with green flowers.

Winter plum blossoms possess a tenacious spirit; they do not compete with other flowers for beauty, nor are they afraid of frost and snow. They bloom alone in the cold, making themselves a bright spot in the cold winter.

That cool and aloof quality makes one want to praise it.

A cold wind swept by, and the entire plum tree trembled, as if waving its branches to welcome its distinguished guest.

Xiao Han and Prince Qi walked along the path paved with bluestone slabs, passing through the plum blossom bushes, towards the warm pavilion.

On the right is a winding water channel that extends all the way to the fish pond in the center of the plum garden.

A layer of ice floats on the surface of the pool, with fallen petals resting on it.

The wintersweet trees were planted following the contours of the fishpond and rockery.

As you approach, you can hear rustling voices coming from the plum grove ahead, and you can vaguely see quite a few people standing there. Then, a melodious zither tune drifts over.

Prince Qi reached out and lightly touched a vibrant purple cloud in full bloom, as if teasing it.

"Wow... it's quite lively up ahead."

Xiao Han replied, "Indeed."

Prince Qi: "I wonder if my sixth brother is in the crowd or in the warm pavilion?"

A plum blossom in full bloom quietly stretched out its branches and lay across the middle of the path, just like a girl blocking the way.

Xiao Han raised his hand and gently brushed the petals aside, slightly turning his body to avoid them, without disturbing a single petal.

"I think Sixth Brother should be in the warm room!"

"Then let's go to the warm pavilion first."

The snow on the glazed tiles of Sijinxuan had not yet melted, and the underground heating in the warm pavilion was burning brightly. Prince Xuan was sitting at the table, pouring wine from a pot, when he looked up and saw Xiao Han and Prince Qi walking in.

King Xuan put down the wine pot and laughed, "Fifth Brother and Seventh Brother, you've finally arrived! Qiu Bai and I have already had several cups of this Mei Huan Zui."

Sitting opposite him was Fang Qiubai, the heir apparent of the Marquis of Ding'an. Upon seeing this, he stood up, cupped his hands, and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness Prince Qi, Your Highness Prince Qin."

Prince Qi waved his hand: "Qiu Bai, it's been a while, you've become more polite."

Fang Qiubai said, "These courtesies must not be neglected. Please, Your Highnesses, take a seat here." He gestured towards the table to welcome them.

Prince Qi and Xiao Han took off their outer cloaks and capes respectively and sat down at the table.

On the table were a teapot and cups, several plates of fruit and snacks, a small charcoal stove warming wine, and two small white porcelain wine jars with yellow plum blossom patterns and the words "Mei Huan Zui" written on them.

King Xuan poured a cup of wine for each of them and pushed it in front of them.

"Let's have a cup of warm wine to warm ourselves up first. This Mei Huan Zui wine, which has been stored for a year, tastes pretty good."

Xiao Han: "Thank you, Sixth Brother."

Prince Qi picked up his wine cup and asked, "It's quite lively outside the plum garden. Is some kind of event taking place again?"

Fang Qiubai replied, "They are playing the zither, appreciating the plum blossoms, and composing poems!"

To appreciate plum blossoms and compose poems?

If he remembers correctly, last year it was a guessing game involving bars!

Prince Qi took a sip of Mei Huan Zui: "What refined taste! Why don't you two go out and join them?"

King Xuan rested his chin on his hand and said, "Neither Qiu Bai nor I are cut out for poetry, and we're afraid of embarrassing ourselves in public. Isn't that why we're waiting for you and Seventh Brother to step in and keep things in order?"

To set the tone?

Let's just let him off the hook! He's not cut out for this.

It's a rare day to relax, so I don't want to think about anything that requires mental effort.

Prince Qi waved his hand: "Appreciating plum blossoms and playing the zither are fine, but let's leave poetry to Seventh Brother! He's the best at it."

Xiao Han remained silent. What did he mean by "he's good at it"?

He doesn't like getting involved in these kinds of things.

Let's stay in the warm pavilion and enjoy some wine and tea!

Fang Qiubai looked at Xiao Han: "Your Highness Prince Qin's poetry is indeed superb. This year's winter plum blossoms are even more beautiful than in previous years. I wonder if Your Highness has thought of any good words as you walked through the flowers?"

Fang Qiubai had an expectant look on his face.

Xiao Han: "..."

Good words?

He wasn't thinking of any lousy poetry!

He thought: What a pity that Chu Qing couldn't see such a beautiful view.

If Chu Qing could be by his side to watch it with him, that would be wonderful.

What is Chu Qing doing?

Where did Chu Qing wander off to?

Did Chu Qing manage to buy what she wanted?

I really envy Ziguang; she gets to go out with Chu Qing.

He really wanted to go too...

Prince Qi: "..."

If Prince Qi could hear his thoughts, he would exclaim, "Good heavens, it seems your brother is superfluous!"

Xiao Han shook his head and replied calmly, "I couldn't think of any good words or phrases for the time being."

“No wonder, we haven’t even had a sip of the wine yet! A few more drinks and inspiration will come.” Fang Qiubai smiled and raised his wine glass. “Come, let me toast the two princes.”

Xiao Han and Qi Wang both raised their wine cups.

As they were talking, another melodious zither tune drifted from the adjacent warm pavilion.

The adjacent warm pavilion was specially set up for the women. If they stayed outside for a long time, they could go inside to warm up, drink tea, and eat snacks.

The warm pavilion is also equipped with musical instruments, chess pieces, calligraphy, and paintings, allowing guests to showcase their talents.

The pavilion in the middle of the plum grove is enclosed by a screen, where a coal stove and charcoal brazier are placed for heating. Inside the pavilion, there are also tables and chairs, musical instruments, chess sets, and the Four Treasures of the Study, etc.

It is specially prepared for guests who are inspired after enjoying the beautiful scenery of the garden. They can compose a poem, paint a picture, or play a piece of music on the spot.

Of course, those who are sensitive to the cold can move to a warmer room to create their artwork.

The host family has taken great care in arranging these small details!