Pampered Consort of the Fragrant Orchard Chapter 61.2

First Time Gathering (2)

Xia Yuan understood Du Xiao Li's meaning. Taking a leapt, she very quickly flew onto the horse and caught the person midair, holding her by the waist and slowly landing on the ground.

"Seventh princess, seventh princess." The horse in the back caught up. Not waiting for the horse to stop, she flew down from the horse, looking to the frightened person and saying: "Seventh princess, are you alright?" 

"Liu Xia, I'm fine." 

Du Xiao Li went up and looked at the two of them. The slightly older one, about 16 years old, should be the current dynasty's seventh princess, granted title Princess Changle, Han Ming Xiang. The other one looked about 15 years old, don't know which official family's miss. The two were both wearing riding clothes, appearing to have specially come to ride horses.

"Who are you all? How come you're here?" Seeing that Han Ming Xiang was fine, Ji Liu Xia looked to Du Xiao Li and Xia Yuan and asked.

"This subject, Du Xiao Li, greets Princess Changle." Du Xiao Li plainly bowed to Han Ming Xiang. 

"You recognize me?" Han Ming Xiang somewhat surprisingly looked to Du Xiao Li.

"Just now, heard this miss call you seventh princess." Du Xiao Li explained.

"Oh. You're from Prime Minister Du's family?" Han Ming Xiang asked.

"My father is precisely Du Yun Han." Du Xiao Li replied. 

"Awooo----" 

Silver and Gold ran back, and towards the disturbance they caused just now, the two wolves didn't seem concerned in the slightest. In fact, they were even rather happy.

"Seventh princess, be careful." Ji Liu Xia stood in front of Han Ming Xiang, vigilantly staring at Silver. Right now, she wasn't carrying a blade. Her only weapon was the whip in her hand. Don't know if it will be able to handle these two wolves. 

"Princess Changle fear not. Silver, Gold, go play farther away." Du Xiao Li shouted at Silver who was running over.

"Awoo---" Silver called out toward Du Xiao Li, then took Gold and ran away again.

"They're your pets?" Han Ming Xiang, seeing Silver running away, looked to Du Xiao Li in astonishment.

"Yes. Didn't expect that you all would be riding horses here, and startled your horses, asking princess and this miss to please forgive." Du Xiao Li said.

She really didn't expect that someone would come here to ride horses this early, and she further didn't expect that Silver would end up startling their horses. To have offended this princess, don't know what will happen. Thinking of the other party's identity, she couldn't help but sigh inwardly. 

Unexpectedly, Han Ming Xiang instead understandingly smiled, saying: "This is also our first time coming to ride horses this early, so it can't all be blamed on you. Previously, I'd already heard imperial brother say that the prime minister's children were about to enter the capital, but never thought that we'd meet this soon. This is Great General Ji's daughter, Ji Liu Xia."

"Greetings Miss Ji." Du Xiao Li nodded at Ji Liu Xia.

"Xiao Li, is that really your pet wolf?" Ji Liu Xia was also a rather simple-minded person. Since the other person didn't purposefully collide with them, they didn't need to continue clinging onto this issue.

"Yes. Silver, I've already raised for six years, Gold only came last year." Du Xiao Li said.

"Keeping the wolves at your side, aren't you afraid they might bite someone?" Han Ming Xiang asked.

"My family's Silver, if not provoked, under normal circumstances, he won't bite people. Just like earlier, they didn't bite you two either." Du Xiao Li said with a smile.

"Really won't bite people?" Han Ming Xiang looked to the two wolves scampering off in the distance, still feeling somewhat scared inside.

"If Princess Changle is scared, I'll let Xia Yuan take them back first." Du Xiao Li said. 

"Eh, No!" Han Ming Xiang stopped her, "I want to pet them, is that okay?" 

"Seventh princess...." Ji Liu Xia disapprovingly shouted.

"I've never seen a wolf before, and further never touched one before. I want to see what they feel like. It's fine." Han Ming Xiang said, "Besides, you don't want to pet?" 

"Keh, ke." Ji Liu Xia coughed twice. That glistening pair of eyes completely exposed her thoughts. 

"Can I?" Han Ming Xiang turned and asked Du Xiao Li.

"Then, in a bit, don't react too strongly. Else, Silver might get provoked and can't be controlled." Du Xiao Li said.

"Alright. We won't." Ji Liu Xia promised.

Du Xiao Li placed her right hand thumb and index finger into her mouth and blew once. Silver and Gold, who were currently playing in the distance, began running towards them. Coming to Du Xiao Li's side, they happily circled around her legs. 

Du Xiao Li first let Xia Yuan have Gold carried back, then crouched down and stroked Silver's head, talking to him. Once Silver calmed down, she said to Han Ming Xiang and Ji Liu Xia, "Alright, you can come pet him now." 

Han Ming Xiang and Ji Liu Xia crouched down, copying Du Xiao Li's appearance just now, as they stroked Silver's back. Seeing that he really didn't bite them, both happily began laughing.

At this time, Ying Ge came over from across the river and said to Du Xiao Li, "Miss, second miss sent someone over to call for you." 

"Aren't we going over there at chen-hour (7am-9am), why did they come this early?" Du Xiao Li stood up, while Han Ming Xiang and Ji Liu Xia both retracted their hands too.

"Second miss says that she wants to go to Feng Xue Lou a little earlier, so to let miss go over sooner." Ying Ge said.

"Later you're also going together with Du Ke Xin to Feng Xue Luo?" Han Ming Xiang asked.

Du Xiao Li turned to Han Ming Xiang and said, "Yes, second sister said that since I've just arrived in the capital, she wants to take me to go look around. Then this subject will withdraw first." 

"Since you're busy, just go back first then." Han Ming Xiang said.

Du Xiao Li bowed to her and let Ying Ge carry Silver across the riverbank. Afterwards, she returned again to carry herself across.

Before entering the gate, Du Xiao Li turned and waved her hand at the two, before finally returning to her own courtyard.

Han Ming Xiang and Ji Liu Xia watched Du Xiao Li go in, before finally returning to their horses, pulling the reins and slowly walking away.

"This Du Xiao Li seems different from Du Ke Xin." Ji Liu Xia said.

"She does rather give off that kind of very calm feeling, unlike Du Ki Xin, who's like a flowery butterfly flying everywhere all day." Han Ming Xiang said, "Being at her side, makes one can't help but relax."

Ji Liu Xia nodded in agreement, "I heard she grew up in a village in the past, perhaps this is the reason why she's different from Du Ke Xin." 

"Perhaps. Didn't she say just now that she'll be going to Feng Xue Luo's banquet? Let's also go." Han Ming Xiang said. 

"Ah? When we'd said we weren't going, I'd already had the invitation ripped." Ji Liu Xia somewhat embarrassingly said.

"I know you don't get along with Du Ke Xin, but I didn't expect that you would actually have the invitation card torn up too. Since it's torn, it's gone. Let's go, later, just follow me. Let's go back to your house first to change clothes." With that said, Han Ming Xiang cracked the whip, and the horse quickly ran forward.

They were both wearing riding clothes and needed to go back to change into ordinary clothes. 

"Jia*!" Ji Liu Xia also quickly followed after.

(*T/N: Sound used to spur the horse forward, similar meaning in telling the horse to go.)

By time Du Xiao Li returned to her courtyard, that servant girl that came to rush her had already left. Du Xiao Li went upstairs to change her clothes. Xia Yuan had her hair styled into a simple hairstyle, and then they headed to Du Ke Xin's courtyard without putting on any makeup. 

"Miss, third miss came." A servant girl brought Du Xiao Li into Du Ke Xin's room and said with a bow.

De Ke Xin was currently sitting before the dressing table. The servant girl had just fixed her up. She had her hair combed into the presently popular hairstyle, and on her forehead was a pink flower paste, setting off her fair white skin and making it appear more tender. She stood up. A long white dress wrapped around her body with a transparent muslin draped on the outside, fully displaying her exquisite and delicate figure. Worn on her neck was a cornelian necklace, and on her wrist, a cornelian bracelet. In addition to her refined facial features, she appeared very much pleasing to the eyes. As expected of one of the four beauties of the capital.  

The four beauties of the capital, one was the emperor's seventh younger sister, Princess Changle, Han Ming Xiang. One was Qing Wang Manor's junzhu*, Han Zi Yi. One was Prime Minister Du's daughter, Du Ke Xin, and one was Cabinet Minister Fu's granddaughter Fu Ya Lan. These four not only were beautiful, but also were all skilled in the four arts. Although each had their own expertise, their reputations were all similarly resounding.

(*T/N: junzhu are daughters of Wangs; translates similarily to princess but princess in imperial china specifically only refers to the daughters of the emperor.)

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