Chapter 49: Birthday Party
49 Birthday Party
"Xia… do I have to wear all of these?" Jun Hua's eyes twitched as she glared at the mountain of jewelries on top of the table.
Xia put on a wry smile. "The princess gave you additional jewelries. Added with the one you brought, there are a lot of them…"
Jun Hua felt a headache coming. There's no way she would want to wear all of them on her head. Did they think that her neck was made of steel? These jewelries made of gold were heavy and she didn't want to use them at all. If possible, she wouldn't even wear any of them.
"Just pick a few then…"
Xia acknowledged it and chose from the jewelries given by Princess Hui. She didn't dare to use a lot of pieces since Jun Hua never wanted to wear so much in the first place. Without accessories, her beauty was already unparalleled. With additional accessories, it was like she was going to snatch the whole world's attention.
Jun Hua only wore two hairpins. One was given by Princess Hui and the other one was what she bought when she was going out as Jun Min. There were some bracelets from the princess that she wore too. She picked an exquisite blue dress and let Xiao Yun do her hair.
Xiao Yun was used to this chore so she was able to make Jun Hua's looks even more dignified. When she was done, she looked at herself in the mirror. The blue dress fitted her perfectly and with her dolling herself more than usual, she looked really beautiful. The dress she chose was simple. While it was not standing out too much, it was also not appearing too mild.
Xia sighed to herself. If Jun Hua were to dress up every day, no man would bear to look away. Even though Jun Hua was dressing so low-key, her exquisite stature and face would undoubtedly attract a lot of attentions. She silently hoped that the princess wouldn't accuse her Miss of stealing her spotlight.
Jun Hua was satisfied with the way she looked. Despite her hopes to appear low-key, that was quite an impossible with her having this kind of face and body. Jun Hua picked up her veil and wrapped it around her face. She wouldn't allow those guys to see her face so easily.
Finishing up with her appearance, Jun Hua went out to meet with Fan Lanying. Today, Fan Lanying also dressed exquisitely and appeared more beautiful than usual. She didn't wear a lot of hairpins but there were still a few of them. The color of her dress was yellow and it looked even grander than the one Jun Hua was wearing.
"You look very pretty," Jun Hua said with smile.
Fan Lanying sized up Jun Hua. "Even when you're trying to dress so simple, you still look very beautiful. I bet many girls will envy you."
"It's not like I can choose how I look," Jun Hua shrugged.
"Let's eat first. The party will only begin in an hour."
Jun Hua and Fan Lanying both sneaked out some food to eat. Waiting for the party to begin was long and it would be better to do it with a full stomach. The two of them soon returned to the hall where countless guests have arrived and started their conversation.
The girls who have undergone the training became the spotlight before the princess showed up. They have become more elegant and refined. Many nobles were praising them, saying appreciative words left and right.
Jun Hua looked around and soon found Chun Maora. It seemed that for an occasion like this, Lin Tang could not let the world know that his wife had been grounded for three weeks. Chun Maora looked thinner, but she certainly won't allow others to see her looking weak. She stayed by Lin San's side and praised her daughter to the heaven.
Concubine Sie didn't come, but Lin Yuan had many friends she could talk with. Since this was Princess Hui's birthday party, they only invited the official wives and not the concubines. After all, Princess Hui was merely a lady and she didn't need to associate with the concubines.
"Lanying, there's your mother."
Fan Lanying's eyes lit up. She quickly strode to where her mother was and started to talk with her. Jun Hua watched the scene from the side without any intention of going over. Seeing that the place would soon crowd out, Jun Hua decided to sit down in one corner and looked towards the other side of the palace.
Men and women were divided in the hall. Princess Hui also invited males, but they could not easily get in so the other princes are 'accompanying' them in other place. Later on, Princess Hui would make an appearance, but not for a long time.
Jun Hua turned her gaze and found that Fan Lanying was already walking towards her with her mother. Fan Lanying's mother was elegant and noble, very much unlike her. The only similarity they had was their face.
"Jun Hua greets Madam Fan."
Madam Fan, mother of Fan Lanying, sized up Jun Hua and smiled. "You are indeed as beautiful as the rumors said. Thank you for accompanying my daughter in her studies."
"It should be me thanking you," Jun Hua smiled. "Lanying has helped me a lot."
"What are you saying?" Fan Lanying laughed. "Of course I will help you, we are friends."
Madam Fan seemed satisfied with what she saw from both of them. She had been worried that because of her daughter's tomboy behavior, she won't have any friends. But after a while, she found out that her daughter had gained a new friend.
At first, she was discouraged when she heard that the other party was Jun Hua. The whole capital knew about her 'uselessness' and how she could not even do simple embroidery, painting, and others. But looking at the girl now, Madam Fan realized that even with her uselessness, she was a good friend for Fan Lanying. As long as they could be friends, why should she care about other matters?
"You're still young, learn as much as you can from the academy," Madam Fan advised. She didn't want this girl to always bear the name of being useless. This girl was still so young and she had a lot of potential.
Jun Hua nodded. She could feel Madam Fan's sincere concern for her. Although she would definitely learn a lot, she still answered Madam Fan politely. Then they heard the eunuch's announcement.
"The imperial family has arrived!"