A life of ups and downs is pure joy

"Eldest sister, those standing with Madam Zhang are the girls of the Lin family." Liu Rong saw a group of people approaching from a distance and reminded Liu Ji who was admiring the chrysanthemums.

"Miss Lin, which one is... Humph ~ Even if she is dressed so simply, it can't hide Zhang Yulan's beauty in the past. She looks just like her mother." Liu Ji was about to ask, but saw Lin Qinghuan's face that looked like the most beautiful woman in Kyoto, and she couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.

"Yes, Miss Lin is only thirteen years old now, but she has grown into such a beautiful and charming girl. It's rare." Liu Rong said.

"It's not surprising that she is Zhang Yulan's daughter. It seems that my Yu'er has good taste." Liu Ji couldn't help laughing as she looked at Liu Rong.

"Sister, do you want to go?" Liu Rong asked tentatively.

"No rush, let's enjoy the flowers first." Liu Ji glanced at Lin Qinghuan and raised a faint smile. Even if she is a good match for my son, she is probably too young now.

"Wow, are these all chrysanthemums? There are so many varieties, some of them don't even look like chrysanthemums." Lin Qingyi sighed as she looked.

"Well, I originally thought that men and women were separated, but I didn't expect that the customs of the people in Jinhan City are much more open than those in Luofeng." Seeing the men and women in this lively garden, Lin Qinghuan couldn't help but sigh.

"The difference is that women appreciate flowers while men have elegant conversations." Zhou Ying looked around and said with a smile.

"No, aunt, they also appreciate beauties." Lin Qinghuan looked at Lin Mo and Lin Qingwan with a malicious smile and continued.

"Come, your aunt will take you to pay homage to the imperial concubine first." Zhou Ying smiled and said.

"Which imperial concubine in the palace?" Lin Qingwan asked curiously.

"There is only one imperial concubine in the palace, the one that His Majesty loves the most." Zhou Ying covered her mouth with her hand and spoke in a low voice.

When they saw the beautiful lady in front of them, they wanted to sigh that Ning Junze looked so much like his biological mother. The old emperor had bad genes, especially when the mother and son stood together.

"Mother, these are all Yu Zhi's sisters, the daughters of Marquis Lin." After the girls from the Lin family finished their greetings, Ning Junze introduced them to his aloof mother.

"You should be Huan'er, right?" The imperial concubine looked directly at Lin Qinghuan and asked.

Lin Qinghuan was stunned for a moment.

"Your Majesty, I am Lin Qinghuan." She replied cautiously, mainly because this imperial concubine was too cold and aloof, and was reluctant to even give her a smile.

"You are beautiful, and look very much like your mother when she was a child." The imperial concubine casually inserted a small daisy in her hand into Lin Qinghuan's bun, "You can dress up a little more to cover up your sickly look." After saying that, the beauty actually raised a faint smile at the corner of her mouth, and Zhou Ying next to her was stunned.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for appreciating the flowers." Lin Qinghuan said as he touched the small flower on his forehead.

"Let's go enjoy the chrysanthemums and stop staying here." After the imperial concubine said this, several girls left with Zhou Ying.

"Huan'er~" Ning Junze caught up from behind, and Zhou Ying smiled when she saw this.

"What's the matter, fourth brother?" Lin Qinghuan looked at him strangely and asked.

"These pearl flowers are gifts from your mother to you sisters." Ning Junze handed over a wooden incense box, winked at them and went back.

The girls looked at each other, not knowing what was going on. They opened the box curiously and found a box of exquisite pearl hairpins.

"It's so beautiful." Lin Qingwan touched it gently and exclaimed.

"Oh, the imperial concubine really likes you guys." Zhou Ying sighed.

"Sister Mo, when can I take off this flower on my forehead?" Lin Qinghuan was always thinking about the chrysanthemum on her head. She looked so silly, after all, other people were wearing gold and silver.

"This... aunt?" Lin Mo didn't know what to do, so he could only turn around and ask Zhou Ying.

"The Imperial Concubine put it on you personally, so of course you have to wear it all the time. It's an honor." Zhou Ying reached out and adjusted Lin Qinghuan's bun, and said seriously.

"Does it seem strange that I behave like this?" she asked the sisters around her in distress.

"Huan'er is pretty, and she looks even better with flowers on her." Lin Qingyi said with a gentle smile. Lin Qingwan seemed to be absent-minded and looking for someone everywhere.

"Third sister, who are you looking for?" Lin Qinghuan couldn't help but ask.

"Ah? No, I was just looking around. There are so many noble people in Kyoto." Lin Qingwan looked at Lin Qinghuan awkwardly and spoke incoherently.

"It's true that there are a lot of people." Lin Qingyi muttered.

Xiao Yi was discussing something with the Crown Prince when Da Yuan stepped forward and whispered in his ear, "Master, the women of the Lin family have entered the garden, and the Imperial Concubine has gifted them with pearl flowers."

"Okay, got it." Xiao Yi signaled Da Yuan to leave.

"Hey, which master's house do these beautiful girls come from? I have never seen them before." A woman came over with a few female relatives and asked curiously.

"Madam Jia, these are my nieces, the daughters of Marquis Lin." The aunt stepped forward and said.

"Is she from the mansion of General Lin, the Grand Marshal of the Army? No wonder I've never seen her before. They're all so pretty!" Madam Jia Wu looked carefully up and down at Lin Mo and Lin Qingwan. When she saw Lin Qinghuan, she was stunned for a moment. "This girl looks very familiar."

"Huan'er is the daughter of my daughter Yulan." Zhou Ying stepped forward to introduce. Lin Qinghuan found that everyone was sighing that they looked exactly like Zhang Yulan, as if everyone knew their mother.

"Are these two children married?" Mrs. Jia looked at the older Lin Mo and Lin Qingwan and asked.

"General Lin stayed in Yinan for the sake of the people and had no time to worry about these two children." Zhou Ying said truthfully, and Mrs. Jia smiled happily.

"Mother, I know this sister Qingwan. She is the one who won the first prize in the Yaoqin Zhaozhiyin piano art competition this time." The girl in pink clothes who looked about the same age as Lin Qingyi said a little unhappily behind Mrs. Jia.

"In other words, the one who defeated you is Miss Lin?" Mrs. Jia turned around and asked.

"Fourth sister, is this what you have been busy with recently?" Lin Qinghuan looked at Lin Qingwan in surprise. She really wanted to be the best in piano wherever she went. She really admired her for this.

Lin Qingwan smiled and looked at Lin Qinghuan and nodded.

"My piano skills are not as good as others, so I have to admit defeat." The girl in pink said sincerely.

"I am a few years older than you and have practiced the piano for a few more years. It's amazing that I have been able to maintain the top position until now." Lin Qingwan stepped forward and said gently.

The girl in pink looked at Lin Qingwan, and her gloom disappeared and she smiled.

"Which girl from the Lin family is this?" Mrs. Jia looked at Lin Mo and then asked Zhou Ying.

"This is the second girl." Zhou Ying said with a smile.

"Well, Second Miss, you are as dignified and beautiful as the chrysanthemum today. You look very good in purple." Mrs. Jia praised.

Lin Mo smiled and bowed. Lin Qinghuan thought to herself that finally someone with discerning eyes noticed Sister Lin Mo. After chatting with them for a while, Madam Jia was busy going somewhere else. Before leaving, she glanced at Lin Mo a few more times. Zhou Ying told her that the lady just now was from the family of the Imperial Censor Jia Ying.

Just as they were chatting, the girl in pink came back.

"Sister Qingwan, the Crown Prince and Young Master Xiao are having a zither competition here. Sisters, please come with me to take a look."

"Is it that Young Master Xiao?" Lin Qingwan asked anxiously, then felt a little panicked and looked at her sisters uneasily.

"Yes, Mr. Xiao has always been the organizer of the piano competition." The girl in pink said with admiration.

"Sister Mo, can Brother Xiao also play the piano?" Lin Qinghuan asked Lin Mo quietly.

"Senior Brother should be able to do it, but they may not be talking about Senior Brother, but the eldest son of the Xiao Mansion." Lin Mo's voice was even lower.

"Oh." As long as it wasn't Xiao Yu, Lin Qinghuan had no interest at all. The least interested was Lin Qingyi. However, facing other people's invitations and Lin Qingwan who had always wanted to go, the girls had no choice but to go together. While chatting on the way, they learned that the girl in pink was called Jia Wei, the eldest daughter of the Jia family.

The girls walked through several winding corridors, flower bushes and small cobblestone roads, and came across a large courtyard. Unexpectedly, there was a different world inside. There were many guards at the door, and they guessed they were there to protect the prince. At the door, they could hear beautiful string and bamboo music. Lin Qingwan's face was full of anticipation.

After entering the courtyard, I found that it was a beautiful scene. Handsome men were drinking tea and chatting, and women were sitting and playing the piano. Because Lin Mutang was a first-rank official, they sat particularly close to the front. The most terrifying thing was that Lin Qinghuan had to sit at the outermost position. The other women had zithers and guzhengs on their tables, while she had fruits and snacks in front of her. The embarrassed Lin Qinghuan was about to dig a house out of her with her toes. She felt out of place.

Lin Qinghuan kept looking back to ask for help from the three female Bodhisattvas behind her, especially wanting Lin Qingwan to switch places with her. The sisters were so scared that they deliberately avoided looking at Lin Qinghuan.

"Miss Lin Wu, is the cushion uncomfortable?" The prince asked with concern as he looked at Lin Qinghuan who was constantly making small movements.

"No." Lin Qinghuan turned around and said awkwardly, and the next moment he met the eyes of the eldest son of the Xiao family opposite him. He looked so cold, like a big ice cube.

Sitting next to him was a girl who looked a few years younger than him. The girl kept looking at her strangely. Lin Qinghuan secretly looked at Xiao Yi for a while. She heard that he, Xiao Yu and the girl next to him were siblings, but Xiao Yu didn't seem to look like these two people. They were quite similar.

"Are you the Miss Lin who won the first prize in the piano competition? Why don't you have a zither in front of you?" Xiao Yu's sister Xiao Qiannan looked at Lin Qinghuan and asked.

"It's not me. I can't play the piano." Lin Qinghuan was sure that she was asking him, so he told the truth.

"Are there any young ladies in the boudoir who can't play the piano? And which Miss Lin won the first prize?" Xiao Qiannan asked.

"She's my third sister." Lin Qinghuan looked back at Lin Qingwan and muttered, "A young lady in the boudoir should be able to play the piano. The son of a general should be able to take the imperial examination, the son of a general should be able to fight, and the son of an emperor should be able to become the emperor." This girl from the Xiao family offended the three daughters of the Lin family with just one sentence.

Lin Mo shook his head at Lin Qinghuan, signaling her not to talk nonsense.

"Miss Lin San, why don't you come forward and play a song for us so we can enjoy it?" said the prince.

Lin Qingwan stood up gracefully and dignifiedly, walked to the side of the zither platform in the middle, and her fair fingers moved flexibly between the strings, while a pleasant melody rose leisurely. Except for the three sisters of the Lin family who did not understand music, the others should be professionals. From the micro-expressions on their faces, it can be analyzed that Lin Qingwan is an excellent zither player.

When the song ended, everyone present exclaimed in surprise. Lin Qingwan also stood up and bowed and returned to her seat. Before leaving, Lin Qinghuan noticed that she deliberately glanced at Xiao Yi. It seemed that this was the person who had made her distracted from the beginning today.

Next, they took turns to appreciate various musical instruments. Each beauty was beautiful and played the piano well. Compared with the daughter of the Lin family, she was really mediocre.

Finally, the banquet ended and Lin Qingwan got the Queen's zither. She held it in her arms lovingly, her little face flushed with excitement.

Xiao Qiannan ran up closely behind, but Lin Qinghuan didn't notice her. He stopped unconsciously and looked back to see who was coming, and bumped into the girl from the Xiao family.

"Oh, be careful, Huan'er, are you hurt?" Lin Qingyi looked at Xiao Qiannan with a reproachful look, and worriedly helped Lin Qinghuan, who was sitting on the ground.

"Why did you stop when you were fine? You are still so fragile." Xiao Qiannan got up and dusted off her body. The maid behind her quickly caught up with her.

"How could I have known that Miss Xiao's steps were so anxious? It scared me." Lin Qinghuan said as he rubbed his arm that was hurt by the collision.

"Let me take a look at your bracelet." Xiao Qiannan walked over and said to Lin Qinghuan.

"It's mine. I won't let you see it." That was the bracelet Xiao Yu gave her. Lin Qinghuan quickly covered it with her sleeve and hid her hand behind her back.

"Why does it look so familiar to me? Let me take a look." Xiao Qiannan anxiously reached out to pull Lin Qinghuan's arm.

Seeing this, Hong Qi stood in front of Lin Qinghuan, and she hid behind Hong Qi.

"You are so bold! My father is a first-rank military commander and the emperor's uncle. How dare you, a guard, block my way?" Xiao Qiannan shouted angrily at Hong Qi.

"My father is also a first-rank military marquis, how can I not stop you!" Lin Qinghuan shouted behind Hong Qi, unwilling to be outdone.

Xiao Yi, the prince and others also came over when they heard the quarrel.

"On one side is the daughter of the Grand Marshal, and on the other side is the legitimate daughter of the Grand Marshal Lin Hou. Yier, what do you think we should do? Hahahaha..." The prince watched them from the side and teased them, like an old man eating melons in the vegetable market.

"Let me see." Xiao Qiannan said to Lin Qinghuan anxiously.

"Nan'er, don't be rude." Xiao Yi stepped forward and grabbed Xiao Qiannan and said.

"Brother, I'm not being rude. I just feel that the bracelet on Miss Lin Wu's wrist looks familiar, and I want to take a look." Xiao Qiannan pouted and complained to Xiao Yi.

"Miss Lin Wu doesn't want to, and you're forcing her. This is rude." Xiao Yi said patiently, then turned to apologize to Lin Qinghuan, "My sister is willful and capricious, Miss Lin, please don't be angry."

"The little girl is just playing around, it's no big deal." Lin Qinghuan said and glanced at her third sister, as if to give Lin Qingwan some face.

"They don't even want me to take a look at a bracelet. The people in the Marquis' Mansion are too stingy." Xiao Qiannan stood behind Xiao Yi and stretched her head to say to Lin Qinghuan in dissatisfaction.

"I won't show you anything you say, humph!" Without waiting for Xiao Yi to speak, Lin Qinghuan turned around and left with a few sisters, and Hong Qi followed behind.

"Nan'er, you have become more and more rude due to being spoiled. You guys should send the young lady back. I will go back to teach you a lesson in the evening." Xiao Yi scolded Xiao Qiannan in a low voice who was still whining. He raised his eyes to look at Lin Qinghuan's back as she left in a rather arrogant manner. This yellow-haired girl was the one that his second brother was willing to protect even if it meant giving up his home.

"Huan'er, why don't you want to let Miss Xiao take a look at the bracelet? This way, it won't cause a commotion and attract everyone to come and see." Lin Qingwan couldn't help asking on the way back.

"She is so willful and capricious, and she is not my own sister. Why should I give in to her?" Lin Qinghuan could only explain it this way because she didn't want others to know that the bracelet was given to her by Brother Xiao.

"She is indeed a bit willful and capricious. According to military merit, my father is half a rank higher than General Xiao, and she even started to shout at us." Lin Qingyi said from the side.

"We can't just give honor to the Xiao Clan and lose the prestige of our Lin Mansion and not give in to her." Lin Qinghuan said arrogantly.

Not long after returning home, Nanny Gui came to call him anxiously, saying that big brother Lin Yuzhi asked Lin Qinghuan to go to the study.

Lin Qingyi and the other two looked at Lin Qinghuan worriedly and wanted to go with her, but Nanny Gui said that only the fifth girl should be called. Qinghuan was making trouble and the sisters did not step forward to stop her, so they should be punished and went back to their rooms to reflect on their mistakes.