At 9:45 a.m., the gilded carriage pulled up before the vermilion gates of the Princess's Estate. Through the carriage curtains, Jiang Wan heard the commotion outside: the shrieks of a peacock were punctuated by the shouts of servants, "Careful with the fireworks!" Jiang Rou’s hands, clutching her handkerchief, suddenly tightened, causing the rouge-colored stain on the silk to bleed into a dark blotch. "Are you certain we should do this? If the Princess gets angry..."
"And what if she does?" Jiang Wan lifted the curtain. Sunlight hit the Feicui hairpin at her temple, casting a sharp, cold glint. "Do you intend to spend your whole life as her echo, sister?"
The Hundred Flower Banquet was held in the rear garden of the Princess's Estate. The Nine-Turn Bridge was blanketed with fresh flower petals, and the pillars of the corridors were hung with glass lanterns. Princess Jianing reclined in the carved pavilion, her Di Yi of crimson gold accentuating her snow-white skin. Her fingertips were teasing a parrot in its cage. "Little beast, if you don’t learn to speak soon, I shall pluck you clean!"
Chapter 59