Spring in the Hall of Paintings

Under the scorching sun, two horses, one white and one red, dashed through the air like sharp arrows. Both girls were skilled riders, proud and unwilling to concede. They urged their horses to gallop faster, and as they rounded a large tree, Guo Luoluo Jingxiu slightly pulled ahead. Yun Lan, however, remained calm, loosening the reins, letting the whip fall rhythmically on the horse’s rear—neither too hard nor too soft. She leaned forward, keeping her body low to reduce air resistance, allowing Xiaohong to run freely ahead.

Soon, to the spectators’ eyes, it seemed as if Yun Lan had vanished from the saddle, with only a red-maned horse galloping across the field, overtaking Guo Luoluo Jingxiu. All eyes were drawn to the dazzling red figure. Yinzhen, with a deep gaze, smiled, the corners of his lips curving into a graceful arc.

As they crossed the finish line, Yun Lan pulled the reins, and the red-maned horse lifted its front hooves high, giving a joyous and triumphant whinny. Yun Lan looked back at Guo Luoluo Jingxiu, who had just arrived, and smiled. “Sister Jingxiu, thank you for the challenge.”

Jingxiu’s gaze was complicated as she looked at Yun Lan for a while. A flash of admiration appeared in her clear eyes. She spoke honestly, “Tongjia Yun Lan, I lost this round. I apologize for my earlier disrespect toward the Tong family.”

Yun Lan urged her horse to move closer to Jingxiu, beaming with a light smile. She raised her hand in the air. “A worthy opponent, Jingxiu, if it weren’t for you, Xiaohong wouldn’t have had such a thrilling race. We are equals; we should continue to practice horsemanship together in the future and show the elegance of the Eight Banner noble ladies.”

‘Slap’ The hands of the two renowned young women met, and they exchanged smiles. A game without opponents is dull, and the onlookers admired the mutual respect between Guo Luoluo Jingxiu and Tongjia Yun Lan.

Jingxiu urged her horse to leave. As she passed Jing Yi, she stopped her horse, looking down from her height with an air of arrogance. “Although I lost to Tongjia Yun Lan today, I won’t always lose to her. Ma Jia Jing Yi, I’ll tell you this: you have no right to stand by his side. Recognize your own place, or you’ll end up embarrassing yourself, and then Tong Jia Yun Lan will have to help you.”

Jing Yi nervously twisted her handkerchief, biting her lip, her head lowered to hide the unwillingness in her eyes. Jingxiu sneered, “There’s no need for such actions. With your family background, you could marry a good match, but dreaming about him will only lead to endless troubles. No matter your talents or family, he’s not someone you can aspire to.”

“I… I… understand.” Jing Yi looked up, meeting Guo Luoluo Jingxiu’s gaze for the first time without fear. A shy smile tugged at her lips, and her small, delicate features resembled a modest, blooming orchid in a hidden valley. Her eyes, clear and full of sincerity, no longer showed the calculating look from before. The tall figure of the person she had once dreamed of slowly faded from her mind. In a soft voice, she said, “Sister Guo Luoluo, I know my place. I won’t seek him again.”

“You’re wise to understand.” For the first time, Guo Luoluo Jingxiu looked at Ma Jia Jing Yi seriously. The girl truly liked him and had done no wrong. There was something about him that naturally drew women to him. The person who would become his Fujin would be very happy.

“Jingxiu, we should go back now.” A young man appeared in the distance, riding a horse. He was handsome, with his sleeves and the edges of his clothes outlined in yellow, exuding an air of nobility. One could tell at a glance that he was of exceptional birth.

Guo Luoluo Jingxiu urged her horse to ride over to the young man, smiling lightly. “I kept Cousin waiting.”

“It’s no matter.” The young man gently patted Jingxiu’s shoulder in a pampering way. “Tomorrow, I’ll find you a fine horse, so you won’t lose to her again. Let’s go. The Eighth Brother and the others must be waiting.”

The young man’s gaze lingered on Yun Lan for a moment, raising his eyebrows with a smile before guiding Guo Luoluo Jingxiu away. Yun Lan turned her horse and headed in the direction where Yinzhen was. Unexpectedly, the Ninth Prince was also present at the racecourse. Was the Eighth Prince, Yinti, also here? And perhaps the Tenth Prince too?

Yun Lan didn’t want to attract the attention of those three doomed individuals. Although she had a slight hope for the blossoming of romantic affairs and a growing curiosity about the Eighth Prince, Yinti, Yun Lan was equally aware that Yinzhen would never allow his woman to harbor thoughts for another man, especially not for the Eighth Prince. They were destined to be lifelong rivals.

“What are you thinking about?”

Yun Lan, sitting on the rough ground, heard his voice and looked up at Yinzhen. She smiled shyly and softly said, “I don’t know when we’ll meet again after today.”

Yinzhen extended his hand to cover Yun Lan’s eyes, his voice deep and pleasant. “Yun Lan, grow a little faster, grow faster.”

His palm was warm, and Yun Lan’s heart raced, filled with sweetness. She opened her arms and embraced Yinzhen’s waist, his unique scent filling her nose. She whispered, “Yinzhen, I… I love you, only you.”

“I know.” Yinzhen took a pair of begonia hairpins from his chest and carefully inserted them into Yun Lan’s hair. He lowered his hand from her eyes and turned his gaze away to admire the scenery in the distance. His face stiffened slightly, feeling awkward. He had never given a woman hairpins before.

Yun Lan touched the hairpins in her hair, a blissful smile on her face. The feeling was pure, like the first love, and her heart was filled with sweetness. She had claimed Emperor Yongzheng’s first love, and in the future, she would claim his entire life.

Yun Lan stood up from the rough ground and stood before Yinzhen, her face slightly flushed as she hung the embroidered pouch around his waist. Yinzhen looked down at her, a smile growing deeper in his eyes.

“You have to wear it all the time. I embroidered it myself; I’ve been learning for a long time.”

Yun Lan playfully extended her finger, which had small pricks from the needlework. Yinzhen gently touched it with his finger. Yun Lan said, “In embroidery, I can never compare to Sixth Sister… she…”

“I’ll wear it forever.” Yinzhen held Yun Lan’s small hand and chuckled softly. “In my eyes, you are the best. No one has ever given me anything…”

“Fourth Prince, as long as you don’t mind, I’ll make you pouches, embroidered clothes, and many other things,” Yun Lan said as she leaned closer to Yinzhen’s chest and whispered, “Concubine De, she… she has it hard. Maybe she does it for your sake. The adopted son of Empress Tong is also a legitimate son.”

Yinzhen gripped Yun Lan’s wrist tightly, his expression unreadable. After a long pause, he slowly released her, gazing at her and giving a faint smile. “Clever girl.”

“Isn’t this good?” Yun Lan looked up at him, her gaze intense. “I just want to help you.”

Yinzhen gently tapped her forehead and said, “Not all mothers love their own children, and mothers are not what you imagine. However… an adopted son is still a legitimate son. That’s a new one.”

After the horse race, Yun Wei bid farewell to Ce Ling and walked over to Jing Yi, softly asking, “Cousin Jing Yi, are you all right?”

Jing Yi smiled through her tears and said, “The dream should end now, Sixth Sister. I should wake up.”

Yun Wei didn’t know which nobleman Jing Yi had set her heart on, but seeing her so heartbroken made her feel bad as well. She tried to comfort her, saying, “Cousin Jing Yi, hopeless longing is very painful. If both sides love each other, even with a lower status, they can still find happiness.”
“Sixth Sister, I won’t let myself marry into a poor family.” Jing Yi grabbed the reins and mounted her horse, wiping away the tears at the corner of her eyes. “You’re not me. You don’t understand. It may seem fine now, but what about in the future? When we sisters meet again, I won’t be lower than Yun Lan, even though I’m grateful she helped me out. No, she was just showing off.”
Yun Wei watched as Jing Yi rode off. High status doesn’t always mean happiness. For the chance to marry the Fourth Prince, proud Fourth Sister was willing to be a secondary concubine. From Jing Yi’s attitude, perhaps she had similar thoughts. Yun Wei shook her head helplessly. Everyone has their own fate, and she couldn’t control that.
Yun Wei looked up at the clouds in the sky, free and unrestrained, and smiled silently. The breeze lifted her veil, revealing her extraordinary beauty. Ce Ling turned to Tong Cheng Wu and asked, “Your sister… Cheng Wu, when is your sister entering the selection?”