Yearning for 27

  He Hui Chang Gong Zhu's speed was extremely fast, and she went to the palace the next day, bringing several small items from outside the palace and a roasted duck from Ju Fu De, as well as eight famous pastries from Lin Bao Zhai. She played a game of chess with her imperial brother, and the two siblings chatted happily together.

  On the third day, Empress Dowager gave Yang Lan a sweat-blooded horse and several exquisite Western trinkets, including a Western-style pendulum clock inlaid with various precious stones and an engraved gold pocket watch that could tell time.

  All of these were enthusiastically received by Yang Lan, who personally directed people to place the Western clock in her father's study. She herself had a pocket watch that was enough for her use, and she couldn't wait for the time when the small bird would jump out and sing a song.

  However, what made Yang Mei's eyes burn with envy was not the Western clock, but rather Yang Lan's precious horse. The horse kept flattering her sister, "Good sister, I'll let you ride my horse, how about that? Or else I can teach you!"

  Yang Lan proudly raised her chin, "No way, Sister Zhou Ying said she would teach me, are you going to teach me? You always say I'm stupid, I don't want to learn from you!" After finishing, she turned her head away, like a proud little princess.

  Yang Mei furrowed her brow, looking worried, scratching her ears and cheeks as she thought about what good thing could be used to exchange for her sister's precious horse to play with for a couple of days.

  Big brother Yang Hao was drinking tea leisurely on the side, smiling and watching his little brother hurry to eat scallions, without making a sound to help.

  Yang Mei ran over, leaned in close to Yang Lan and whispered: "I heard that Yue Lai Fu has new dishes again, and Ju Bao Zhai has new hairpins too. I saw a bangle the other day, and a bracelet that was quite nice, but unfortunately I didn't have enough money with me then, it's not good to take things without paying for them. How about brother takes you out to play tomorrow?"

  Yang Lan tilted her head, pretending to think, then secretly glanced at her older brother. Seeing that he had slightly nodded his chin, she reluctantly agreed: "Okay! Considering how good second brother has been to me, I'll let you play for two days! But if I see something I like, brother will have to pay up!" She smiled sweetly, with a sly and cunning expression.

  "No need to say! Little sister likes what, just speak out loud, brother pays the bill!" Yang Wei patted his chest generously, with a face full of justification.

  Yang Lan felt that she had already gotten a good deal from her brother, and immediately said excitedly: "Then you must teach me how to ride a horse tomorrow!"

  "It's settled then! Yang Wei was willing to do whatever it took as long as he could ride the Blood-Sweat Horse."

  Zhou Ying's efficiency was also very fast, and in less than three days, she posted a post, specially inviting Yang Lan to the horse farm for fun, while also inviting a group of county masters, dukes, and princesses. After all, she was the emperor's mother's natal family's girl, and still had some face-saving measures.

  Yang Lan got up early, put on a cyan lotus-colored embroidered jacket with a two-foot-wide rose-purple border and a large sleeve, tied with a lotus-colored horse-face skirt underneath, which was convenient for riding horses; she combed her hair into a low bun, tied it with a pink ribbon, inserted a gold-inlaid jade cicada hairpin, and hung small South Sea pearl earrings on her ears, looking extremely bright and lovely.

  Arriving at Song He Tang, San Guniang Mingyue looked at Yang Lan as if she was about to go out and asked with a smile: "Sixth sister, are you going out? You look very pretty today!"

  This is a true statement, Yang Lan's dressing style is mainly simple and elegant, because of her young age, she wears very little jewelry, at most one or two pieces are enough, and she doesn't wear powder on her face, just applies some fragrant cream to moisturize her skin. Youth is the capital, and youthfulness is the best decoration.

  Yang Lan is going out to play with friends today, and she's in a great mood. She smiled and nodded, "Yeah, I've made plans with my friends to go horseback riding, and Second Brother said he'll teach me!"

  Everyone in the palace knows that for Yang Lan, she wanted to learn horse riding and without saying a word, immediately snatched a precious horse from the emperor's hand, this jealousy is useless, can only be envious, who let them not have a powerful mother!

  Li Qianxue still sat in front of the old lady, serving tea and water with great care and filial piety. She smiled and asked, "Sister, where did you go horseback riding? I also learned to ride a horse at home for several years, but it's been a long time since I last rode a horse!"

  Several girls sat beside her, and upon hearing this, even the normally stoic Fourth Miss couldn't help but burst out laughing, almost choking on her tea. Her face was filled with undisguised mockery, before she quickly covered her mouth, looking embarrassed and remaining silent.

  Third sister kindly explained, "Elder cousin, Sixth sister is a princess, ranked third in the imperial hierarchy! The people she comes into contact with are only noble ladies and imperial princesses, not someone we can get close to!"

  After all, the Yang family is also a century-old aristocratic family, and they still have some heritage. The third daughter is very clear about this point, although she is jealous of her sister Liu, but she also understands that Yang Lan and herself are really two different kinds of people. Not anyone can enter the noble circle just because they want to, this common sense she still has.

  Li Qianxue's face immediately turned pale, biting her lip tightly, and her autumn water-like eyes were filled with crystal clear tears, making people look at her with great pity.

  "I, I... just want to go horseback riding, I've been cooped up at home mourning for a few years and it's really suffocating me, no other meaning intended." Li Qianshuo gazed at Yang Lan with yearning eyes, not blinking even once, conveying boundless longing and a hint of pleading.

  What a great opportunity to get to know you! It's a wonderful chance! If I don't seize it tightly, maybe I won't have another chance in the future. She had a hidden expectation in her heart.

  Yang Lan was somewhat embarrassed, not that she didn't want to bring her sisters along, but it was actually her first time going too! She looked at the other sisters and saw a hint of movement in their eyes. After thinking for a moment, she spoke truthfully: "It's not that I'm selfish and forgot about my sisters, this time it was initiated by Empress Dowager's natal family, Zhou Ying. Firstly, only my name was written on the invitation, secondly, the people going are Mingyu County Princess, Le'an Sixth Princess, Minghui County Princess, and Wenyu Duchess, none of whom are from noble families, they're all high-ranking ladies. If I were to bring you along without permission, it wouldn't matter for me, but I'm afraid that if they get annoyed, they might say something unpleasant, and you would be the ones to suffer!"

  This is the truth, without any concealment or deception. She only hopes that her sisters won't resent her.

  Fortunately, after a moment of contemplation, the third daughter of the Yang family was the first to speak up with a smile. "I did want to go, but I'm afraid my status is too low and it wouldn't be suitable. If we went and weren't treated well, that would be okay, but what if people said something unpleasant about us? That would be unbearable for me! Never mind, let's just have our older brothers take us horseback riding another day!" She then smiled at her sisters sitting nearby.