A life of leisure is worse than a life of flowers and splendour

The wandering was not in vain. Near the edge of the Imperial Garden, Du Shuangshuang's spiritual sense detected the Queen's palace, the Yikun Palace. As expected of the Queen's palace, the interior was lavishly decorated and furnished. Du Shuangshuang also found the location of the small warehouses. There were five warehouses filled to the brim with goods. Two people were guarding the warehouses outside. Because there was a separate small courtyard within the palace specifically for storing supplies, the security was not particularly strict, and the doors were locked. However, for Du Shuangshuang, who had been prepared, these were no problem.

The emperor's inner treasury should be under the management of the Imperial Household Department. Du Shuangshuang didn't find the exact location, but it should be in the front hall. However, there was a secret vault in a place he had passed by before. It should be known only to the emperor and people close to him. There were all kinds of top-quality treasures hidden in it, and there were quite a few of them, including some gold and silver. Du Shuangshuang was very satisfied and would find a chance to go there.

The three of them were walking by the lake. From a distance, Du Shuangshuang spotted Princess Yuancheng Bai Rushue walking towards her again. They stopped at the Guanhu Bridge on the lake. Two maids were walking towards them. Their side was the normal lakeshore, next to a bamboo forest. It was winter now, and the lake was covered with a thick layer of ice. They weren't going to play the lake jumping game again, were they? However, judging from the height, the fall wouldn't kill anyone, but it would definitely be painful. If it were him, he probably wouldn't fall. Oh, what's going on? Why do I think of these things when I see this person? Alas, what tricks is Princess Yuancheng going to play again? Du Shuangshuang took the initiative to leave the lake. There was no way. Although the previous experience didn't happen to him, his original body was still a little uncomfortable with the simultaneous appearance of Bai Rushue and the lake.

It's better to stay away. Du Shuangshuang walked to the bamboo forest by the lake, found a rock and sat down. When no one was paying attention, she picked up a small stone. The small stone flew towards Princess Yuancheng with a sharp force. With a scream, Princess Yuancheng fell directly onto the lake surface. It must feel great to fall on the thick ice. Don't you like playing the game of jumping into the lake? Let her do it.

Two maids walking towards them heard their princess's screams and quickly turned back. They saw Princess Yuancheng fall off the bridge, their faces instantly pale with fear. They both rushed back to where the princess was. Although the bridge was not high, the princess had chosen the highest point to stand. She certainly wouldn't die from the fall, but she might be crippled. A group of palace maids and eunuchs also rushed forward, and Princess Yuancheng was carried away.

He watched a group of people walk into the nearest palace, well, it was an unused palace, reserved for everyone to rest and change clothes. After doing good deeds, Du Shuangshuang kept his merit and fame to himself.

The banquet was about to begin, and the palace maids and eunuchs led everyone to the main hall where the banquet was held. Even before dark, most people had already arrived. There was no separate section for men and women; the men sat on the left side of the hall, and the women on the right.

Uncle Du, his cousin and grandfather sat together in a seat closer to the front. Uncle Du and his cousin sat behind grandfather, and each of them had a separate table.

Du Shuangshuang sat with her second aunt and cousin, with her second aunt in front and the two of them in the back.

After all the ministers and their wives had arrived, the princes and princesses and some favored women in the harem were welcomed. Finally, the emperor and Empress He walked in together with the empress dowager, and Su Yichen followed behind them. Du Shuangshuang was a little surprised. It seemed that this Young Master Su was even more extraordinary than she had imagined.

As soon as Su Yichen entered the hall, he looked around for Du Shuangshuang. He didn't feel relieved until he saw her figure. Then he glanced at her from time to time.

As expected of the emperor's harem, the concubines were all beauties, each with their own unique charm. The empress, though dignified and elegant, was also a beauty. The imperial family of the Great Xia Kingdom was all of good appearance, primarily due to the Situ family's consistent good appearance. With all the concubines being beauties, their descendants naturally wouldn't be bad either. Over generations, even the weakest genes gradually improved.

In the sea of colorful flowers, no matter how beautiful Du Shuangshuang was, she was not so conspicuous hidden in the background. In addition, she kept her head down when she saluted, so the emperor did not notice her.

After Du Shuangshuang prepared for the banquet for a while, she found an excuse to slip out and took away some treasures she had discovered.

The palace banquet on New Year's Eve was often an opportunity for the young men and women of each family to showcase their talents. After speeches by the Emperor and Empress, followed by various toasts, the banquet officially began, and it was everyone's turn to showcase their talents.

Some played the piano, some danced, others formed groups, combining music, singing, and dancing. Others painted, wrote, and composed poetry on the spot. In previous years, Du Wushuang would participate, just to get the Crown Prince to look at her more. However, Du Wushuang's talent was modest, her only real skill being her sword dance. But with her outfit and makeup, she transformed the sword dance into a dramatic performance, adding a lot of fun to the proceedings. This year, Du Shuangshuang didn't want to perform. She just wanted to quietly watch others perform and have fun, not spend the effort to please others.

Handsome men and beautiful women, and a talented brother, Du Shuangshuang found it very enjoyable to watch. Although they didn't intend to show it to her, she still liked it after seeing it. Needless to say, these people are really good at it, especially Chinese painting. Du Shuangshuang sighed, these hands are simply born for art, and they really can create beautiful works.

And what about writing, or calligraphy? How come the soft brush is so obedient when writing, the vertical lines are vertical and the horizontal lines are horizontal, the corners are just right, and what is written is called calligraphy? It is art, it is so beautiful.

Du Shuangshuang's eyes lit up as she watched.

However, Du Shuangshuang found the musical instruments, singing, and dancing quite ordinary. After all, she had experienced the abuse of all kinds of pop music and dance in the modern world, and these things seemed a bit old-fashioned to her. There were some classics, but they were relatively ordinary.

Du Shuangshuang still wanted to see others please her, but some people just didn't want to.

Someone said, "Why isn't Du Wushuang, the eldest daughter of General Zhenguo's mansion, here today? I wanted to see her perform a sword dance. It's really missing some fun."

Du Shuangshuang rolled her eyes after hearing this and took a closer look. Oh, it was her grandfather's old rival, Duyuan Hou Gu Jinsong. This old bastard and his whole family were stupid.

"Grandpa, you don't know that Du Wushuang hasn't gone out since his engagement was broken off. Even during the autumn hunt, he hid in the tent and didn't come out to see anyone." Gu Yuanfei, the granddaughter of Marquis Du Yuan, said.

"That's right. I haven't seen him since then. He even had to hide at the palace banquet. It seems he doesn't dare to come out and see people."

The constant discussions below also reached the emperor's ears.

"Huh? Du Wushuang isn't here? Didn't I tell him to come to the banquet to relax?" The emperor had spoken, and Du Shuangshuang could no longer pretend not to hear. The emperor had specifically asked her to come, so wouldn't it be disobeying the emperor's order if she didn't come?

Du Shuangshuang stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I am here. How could I not come if it is your grace?"

Everyone turned to look at Du Wushuang, and those who had been about to say something were instantly silenced. Everyone was familiar with Du Wushuang's voice, but it was often harsh and domineering. This time, it was so calm, gentle and beautiful, which was extremely rare. But no one had ever seen this face before. Gorgeous without being vulgar, alluring without being coquettish. She was so beautiful at such a young age. In two years, just looking at her would kill me.

The emperor's eyes lit up and he stared at Du Shuangshuang intently, "Are you Du Wushuang? How come I haven't seen you like this before?"

"Yes, I was a servant. I once had a lover and was willing to dress up for him. Now I have given up on him and have returned to my original appearance."

"Oh? Is that so? I wonder what performance Shuang'er has prepared for today?"

"Your Majesty, I have not prepared anything. Ever since I fell into the water, I have been ill. My health is very poor and I can no longer wield a sword."

"It doesn't matter if you can't dance with a sword. Shuang'er, you can perform anything you want. It's New Year's Eve after all. If you perform well, I will reward you."

This doesn't give me a chance to relax. Du Shuangshuang had no choice but to randomly choose a modern song that she liked. There was no one here to accompany her, so she asked the emperor for a guqin to accompany herself.

The melodious sound of a zither slowly drifted out, carrying a touch of sadness and deep affection. Alongside this beautiful melody, the ancient and charming song "Peach Blossom Promise" played leisurely. The graceful melody made one feel as if they were there, feeling the deep and sincere emotions.

【Peach Blossom Promise】

First sight is tenderness

oath

Wind blows and clouds roll

岁月间

Ask what year it is now

I wish

Obsession

Reincarnation through the years

At your fingertips

How many times have the flowers bloomed and fallen?

This life's entanglement

Tangled

Touched the heartstrings

Next life

I don't know if I can see you again

Leave a peach blossom

commemorate

Ending the fleeting fate

Between eyebrows

And my thoughts

One inch of soil, one year of trees

One flower, one tree, one desire

Love is a kind of

Love is lost

Forget the road ahead, forget the past

Forget my heart, forget you, forget the beginning

Piebald

Stay on the road of loving you

This life's entanglement

Tangled

Touched the heartstrings

Next life

I don't know if I can see you again

Leave a peach blossom

commemorate

Ending the fleeting fate

Between eyebrows

And my thoughts

One inch of soil, one year of trees

One flower, one tree, one desire

Love is a kind of

Love is lost

Forget the road ahead, forget the past

Forget my heart, forget you, forget the beginning

Piebald

Stay on the road of loving you

A sincere wish

The Road to the Afterlife

A thought of peach blossom leads to the transition of cause and effect

That thought

A few moments are repeating

Listening to the Rain: Wangtian Lake

It's hard to express love in this world

Memories of Banban stay on the road of loving you

Memories of Banban stay on the road of loving you

Memories of Banban stay on the road of loving you

As soon as the song started, everyone's eyes changed when they looked at Du Shuangshuang. In addition to the beauty of the song, more people felt the deep affection in the song. Du Shuangshuang wanted to say that it was unfair. She just picked a song at random and really didn't intend to express any longing or deep affection.

Du Shuangshuang resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the sympathetic looks. Which song isn't about love? It's intoxicating. Wasn't that what those girls sang before? It wasn't like she was the only one. Perhaps her own experiences had made those people identify with the storyline.

Even the eldest prince's canine eyes changed the way he looked at him. "Shuang'er actually has such talent. It's really good. Father must reward her." He thought to himself, he had never expected Du Wushuang to be so beautiful. It wouldn't be impossible to take her into the palace as a concubine or even a concubine. After all, she was so affectionate to him. If he didn't want her, he was afraid she would never be able to marry anyone else in this life.

Princess Yuancheng was in pain all over after falling on the ice. Although she had no broken bones, the imperial physician warned her not to get out of bed and that she needed to recuperate. However, she couldn't help but worry that the eldest prince had been bewitched by Du Wushuang. As soon as she was helped to the main hall by her maid, she heard the eldest prince's words and was so angry that she almost vomited blood.