Wasn't he supposed to be beaten to death? Why did this powerful cousin love him so much?

Xie Jue thought for a moment, then stood up and took an eagle-feathered arrow. Unlike Xie Yao, he didn't gather his strength, nor was he as serious as Chen Jingyan. He simply raised his wrist lightly.

Everyone only saw a blur before their eyes, and with a soft thud, the arrow shaft was firmly planted in the center of the pot's mouth, even more precisely and neatly than Chen Jingyan's three arrows!

"Lord Xie is amazing!"

Everyone was amazed.

Even the servants and maids waiting in the corridor couldn't help but steal glances, their eyes filled with amazement.

No wonder people say that a young man, full of pride, rides the spring breeze and climbs the Purple Pavilion with high spirits. All men in the world admire him and wish to write a magnificent chapter like him.

Xie Jue withdrew his hand and laughed, "It's just a matter of practice makes perfect."

He didn't have much to do before, except for activities like pitch-pot to relax.

Chen Jingyan chuckled softly, his voice gentle and clear, without a trace of deliberate flattery: "Your composure, young master, is truly admirable. A few days ago, during a meeting in the Imperial Study, His Majesty frowned as he held the memorial concerning the northwest border defense, leaving all the civil and military officials at a loss. Only you, young master, with just a few words, pinpointed the crux of the matter with effortless ease."

Chen Jingyan said, "At that time, I thought that with such a temperament, let alone playing chess or pitch-pot, even in the face of a critical situation, he would probably remain calm and composed."

Xie Jue said calmly, "Your Highness flatters me."

As evening fell, a row of horn-shaped gauze lanterns were lit one after another under the eaves, their warm yellow glow spreading through the thin gauze and creating a hazy, soft light and shadow.

The lotus pond next to Qinfang Pavilion was also filled with paper lanterns, their light reflected on the water, breaking into shimmering golden rays.

The lamplight and the lotus flowers and green leaves standing gracefully in the pond overlap and blend together. The pink lotus flowers reflect the lamplight, and the green leaves set off the golden light. The water glistens and the lamplight sways. At a glance, it is truly beautiful and magnificent, as if the Milky Way has fallen into the lotus pond.

Each person held a river lantern they had personally chosen, carefully placing it onto the water with gentle movements, as if afraid of damaging the lantern paper.

One by one, the river lanterns were launched into the water, swaying gently and spreading out, merging with the existing lanterns in the pond to form a starry river, the flames flickering and the lantern shadows swaying.

Xie Yihua stood to the side, holding an elegant magnolia lantern in her hands. The lantern was embroidered with magnolia patterns, simple and elegant.

Xie Yihua lowered her eyes, looking at the lamp in her hand. A faint smile appeared on her lips, but a hint of darkness flashed in her eyes. Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at Jiang Sese at the edge of the crowd, a coldness in her eyes.

After a while, Xie Yihua finally placed the river lantern on the water.

Jiang Sese's river lantern was a simple fish-shaped lantern. After everyone around her had released their lanterns, Jiang Sese slowly raised her hand and placed the lantern on the water. The lantern floated on the blue waves and drifted away slowly with the current.

A sliver of light mingled into her shimmering eyes, its vibrant hue enveloping the gentle depths of her gaze, perfectly complementing the shimmering reflections of the lights on the pond's surface.

After releasing the river lanterns, the group strolled towards the pavilion by the lotus pond.

The pavilion was covered with azure gauze curtains on all four sides. The evening breeze blew through the curtains, causing the gauze to flutter lightly, which not only blocked the coolness of the night dew but also allowed the fragrance of lotus flowers from the pond to waft in.

The pavilion had already been tidied up, with a rosewood round table in the center. On the table was a small red clay stove, on which was simmering honey-infused lotus seed paste.

That milk is made from the tender lotus hearts of Xianghu Lake, freshly picked in July. The bitter core is removed, leaving only the lotus flesh. It is then cooked with the finest honey and warm, mellow milk over a low flame. The milk is cooked until it is neither burnt nor charred, but rather becomes as white as jade. It is then served in a small white-glazed bowl with subtle floral patterns.

Several kinds of delicate pastries were neatly arranged on the table, including rose shortbread, osmanthus cloud sugar cake, etc.

Several rattan couches covered with soft blue satin cushions were set up on the side, arranged in a staggered manner, allowing people to sit around them.

The noble ladies took their seats at their leisure, chatting and laughing about trivial matters from their private quarters.

Sun Mingwei spoke first with a smile, her tone full of envy: "If we're talking about the most fashionable thing among the young ladies in the capital lately, it has to be the Suzhou and Hangzhou embroiderer that Sister Zhiyin recently hired. I heard that the embroiderer is a direct disciple of the Suzhou needlework master, and her double-sided Suzhou embroidery is superb. Now, many young ladies from noble families in the capital are eagerly asking people to go to the Duke of Ying's mansion to ask for a copy, wishing they could also find such a skillful embroiderer."

As soon as she finished speaking, everyone looked at Chu Zhiyin with smiles. Chu Zhiyin smiled and said, "It's nothing, it was just a coincidence. I'll pick out two simpler ones and give one to each of you later."

Liu Yuying, who had been unable to contain herself any longer, quickly chimed in, "Speaking of which, the other day I had someone find a set of 'Moonlight Window Picking Greenery' stories from Jiangnan, and it's truly captivating!"

Wang Jingshu snorted and said, "It's just 'Picking Emeralds by the Moonlit Window,' I've read it too, is it really worth mentioning?"

Liu and Wang have never gotten along.

Seeing this, Li Wanru quickly smiled and smoothed things over, changing the subject to talk about a set of exquisite jewelry she had recently acquired. The slight grudge from before gradually dissipated amidst the sweet laughter and chatter of the group.

Chu Zhiyin took a spoonful of lotus seed pudding with a silver spoon, glanced at Xie Yihua, and smiled, "The other day, Mother said that it's best to avoid cold drinks on hot July nights, but this honey-brewed lotus seed pudding is the most nourishing. It's kind of you, Sister Xie, to think of all this."

Sun Mingwei held the small white porcelain bowl, scooped out half a spoonful to taste, and replied with a smile, "That's exactly right."

After eating two pieces of osmanthus cake, Xie Yujiao started counting the recent happenings in the capital on her fingers. Her charming and innocent words revealed the carefree nature of a young girl, which made everyone burst into laughter.

Xie Yihua sat quietly to the side, a gentle smile on her lips. She occasionally chimed in with a word or two, each sentence echoing the conversation of the others. However, when she lowered her eyes, she seemed absent-minded, but her peripheral vision would always inadvertently sweep towards Jiang Sese beside her.

Jiang Sese sat down next to the gauze curtain. The evening breeze lifted the light shadows of the green gauze, brushing against the hair at her temples, making her face even more radiant and captivating. Her eyebrows and eyes were full of deep, rich beauty, her red lips were naturally rosy, and her eyes were full of charm.

Outside the pavilion, the lotus pond is still illuminated by lanterns, their glow reflected in the shimmering water. Inside, the red clay stove is warm, the sweet aroma of fine cheese wafts through the air, and soft, gentle voices never cease.

Following Xie Yihua's peripheral vision, Chu Zhiyin suddenly turned her gaze to Jiang Sese, who was sitting quietly to the side, and said abruptly, "Just now, seeing how clever Miss Jiang was, able to make such exquisite perfume, she must have a lot of interesting stories hidden in her mind."

"We've been talking about such trivial matters of the ladies of the capital tonight, and it's getting a bit tiresome. I wonder if Miss Jiang has any fresh and interesting stories to tell us, so we can have some fun?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the laughter and chatter in the pavilion subsided somewhat.

All the noble ladies looked up at Jiang Sese, each with their own thoughts in their eyes.

Some people followed Chu Zhiyin to watch the excitement.

Some were also curious about what kind of decent story she could tell given her background.

Xie Yihua suppressed her smile and waited for Jiang Sese to be unable to answer and appear embarrassed in front of everyone.

Xie Yujiao raised her chin and sneered. This Jiang Sese is just pretty, how many words can she know?

What interesting stories can you tell?

I doubt he's even read many traditional storybooks.