The Duke's Daughter is Reborn

As expected of a personal order from the Empress, the palace lady must have used her full skills, and the dress she tailored really brought out Yang Qi's beauty even more eye-catching.

The light blue satin was embroidered with peony branches, and every petal seemed to be soaked in morning dew, making Yang Qi look like the most delicate flower on a branch in spring.

When Yang Qi came out after changing her clothes, the Queen's eyes lit up and her fingertips gently stroked the peony embroidered on her cuffs. A Yuan always liked the light blue color, and the way she was dressed today would definitely make his eyes light up.

Thinking of this, the queen couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Yes, it seems that my vision is not bad."

Anyone could hear the love hidden in the queen's words.

Yang Qi felt a slight heat in her ears, and when she lowered her eyes she caught a glimpse of the twinkling light in the Queen's eyes - this undisguised protection and love reminded her of Xu's appearance.

As the Hundred Flowers Banquet approached, Yang Qi felt as if a stone was pressing down on her heart and was filled with worry, but the Queen Mother seemed to have no worries at all, which made Yang Qi admire her very much.

There were only a few days left until the Hundred Flowers Banquet, and Yang Qi felt as if a heavy piece of jade was weighing on his heart. His sorrow was surging so much that he couldn't even hold the pages of the book steadily.

But now it seemed that the Queen was still strolling leisurely in the garden, sorting out the banquet rules in front of the phoenix table, without any worry on her brow - such a calm demeanor made Yang Qi, looking at her own anxious appearance, feel a little admiration from the bottom of her heart.

"Your Majesty, you are too kind." Yang Qi was about to ask about the Kongyang Academy, but Rong Pei came in and reported: "Your Majesty, Concubine Hua and the Fifth Prince are waiting outside."

The temperature in the hall seemed to drop three inches.

The queen curled her lips slightly, her smile like a frosted lake in winter: "Let them in."

Just as Yang Qi was about to stand up and salute, Concubine Hua had already walked into the palace with the fifth prince.

Hua Fei was wearing a light pink Zhaifu today. The patterns embroidered with gold thread were dazzlingly bright in the sun, but there was a sense of depression between her eyebrows - the prince was in the limelight these days, and the queen's status also rose with him. Anyone who saw this would be upset.

However, when she thought about her son's future arrangements, Concubine Hua's expression improved a little.

"Empress." Concubine Hua bowed, her voice as sweet as honey. "The Emperor ordered yesterday that the affairs of the Hundred Flowers Banquet were complicated, so he ordered me to assist you." She paused, then added with a smile, "It just so happened that the Fifth Prince's confinement order was also lifted, so I brought him here as well."

These words sound respectful, but upon closer inspection they are full of thorns.

The Queen tapped the edge of the teacup three times with her fingertips, and the tea soup rippled in the celadon cup. "You look good today, Concubine Hua, but did you sleep well last night?"

Hua Fei was about to bow when she paused imperceptibly, then smiled again: "Thanks to the good fortune of the Queen, I have always been a light sleeper. But the Queen, are the preparations for the Hundred Flowers Banquet going smoothly?"

"Thanks to the helpful people in the greenhouse, there wasn't any trouble." The queen gently pushed the teacup onto the table, and the bottom of the cup hit the rosewood tabletop with a light "thump" sound.

Ever since Bai Qi and others got into trouble and fell from power, Yang Qi hasn't seen the Fifth Prince for a long time.

Thinking back carefully, the last time Yang Qi saw the Fifth Prince was at Yang Lan's coming-of-age banquet. At that time, the Fifth Prince was dressed in gorgeous clothes, looking very elegant, and showing his charm while chatting and laughing. Standing next to Yang Lan, he was just like a character in a painting.

Now it seems like a lifetime ago.

This time when I met the Fifth Prince, he was not as high-spirited as last time. Instead, he looked a little gloomy, which formed a sharp contrast with his high-spirited self when we met last time. It seemed that the house arrest during these days had a great impact on the Fifth Prince.

It makes sense. Ever since the Fifth Prince's right-hand men Bai Qi and Nian Chuan fell one after another, the Fifth Prince's party has been scattered or dead. Even a figure like Song Hongwen has begun to plan to move closer to the Crown Prince's camp.

After the Fifth Prince saluted the Empress, his eyes fell on Yang Qi who was standing beside him: "I didn't notice before that Miss Song San was here too."

Yuan Ruiyin's lips were curled up into a smile. Previously at the Duke Song's Mansion, he had not noticed the Third Miss Song who always stood aside without saying a word, but he did not expect that this person could win the Queen's favor without knowing it.

However, Song Yangqi is Gu's granddaughter after all. It was precisely because the third Miss Song was not yet born when Gu got into trouble, otherwise she would not have lived to this day.

"I am grateful for the Queen's kindness." Yang Qi knelt down and saluted. When she raised her eyes, she met Hua Fei's scrutinizing gaze. The look seemed to want to peel off her skin and bones to see what secrets were hidden inside.

"Yang Qi is fortunate to be able to study under the Empress, and I have benefited a lot from it." Pretending not to notice Concubine Hua's eyes, Yang Qi continued to reply.

The Queen pointed to the book on the table and said with a smile, "What a coincidence, when I first met Yang Qi, I felt that I had a good relationship with him."

Then he turned to Concubine Hua and said, "This child is very smart and has helped me solve many problems."

Before she finished speaking, the smile on Hua Fei's face deepened by three points: "After all, the Queen has a keen eye for talent."

"The Hundred Flowers Banquet concerns the dignity of the royal family, so it must be carefully planned." The Queen picked up the teacup and tapped the edge of the cup three times with her fingertips. "Take these flower pots for example - the flower room sent ten pots of green plums, saying that they were newly moved from Xizhimen, but I think the stems are too thin..."

Yang Qi understood, took out a plain brocade bag from her sleeve and poured out the remaining petals: "Reporting to the queen, I checked yesterday.

That batch of flowers was grafted last month. They have deep roots and thick petals. They will bloom for more than a month without any problem. "

She spread the petals in her palm. "Yao Huang likes shade, so it should be placed in the corridor on the east side of Zhuijin Pavilion. Wei Zi likes the sun, so it should be placed in Changchun Pavilion. The two places are far apart, so the calyx must be protected in a soft bag when transporting it."

The Queen nodded and chuckled: "Your thoughts are more meticulous than the stitches of an embroiderer." Then she suddenly turned to Concubine Hua and said, "What do you think, Concubine Hua?"

The smile on Concubine Hua's face froze for a moment, then blossomed again: "Your Majesty, you have thought it through. I am only here to help."

She paused, her eyes sweeping over the petals in Yang Qi's hand, "It's Third Miss Song who has become more clever now. She even does small things like this herself."

Yang Qi was about to reply when Concubine Hua suddenly changed the subject. Her fingertips lightly brushed over the Ministry of Rites regulations spread out on the table, and she said with a half-smile, "It's just that I heard that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has also asked about the seating arrangement for this Hundred Flowers Banquet?"

Seeing this, the queen smiled slightly, she slowly took the handkerchief beside her, pressed the corner of her lips gracefully, and then responded slowly: "Hua Fei has not left the palace for many days, I am afraid she is a little confused.

Thanks to the Emperor's trust, the Crown Prince was sent to Jiangnan to quell the rebellion. He has just returned to the Imperial City today, how can I discuss such trivial matters with him?

Besides, there are many officials and their families among the guests at this banquet, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is the heir to the throne, so he must be careful to avoid suspicion."