Chapter 01: Elegance

I deliberately raised my head high, imitating his eyebrow-raising expression, and smiled as I glanced over, allowing him to scrutinize me from head to toe

I gazed blankly at the distant, hazy sky and let out a soft sigh

I stomped my foot and reached out to tickle him under his arm; my brother is particularly ticklish, so he hurriedly dodged and we ended up in a playful scuffle.

I bit my lip, and a heat surged up behind my ears, my cheeks faintly flushed

A gust of wind swept by, causing the delicate, scattered yellow osmanthus flowers to fall in a flurry beneath the corridor, their fragrance enveloping the air

Today is the first time I have paid my respects to my parents according to the etiquette of an adult woman

My coming-of-age ceremony was jointly presided over by the Empress and Princess Jinmin, with the Crown Princess leading the various court ladies to attend the ceremony. The female members of the prominent families in the capital also sent their invitations.

Brother tapped his feather fan and continued to recite, "The son of the Duke of Qi, the wife of the Duke of Wei, the sister of the Eastern Palace, the aunt of the Duke of Xing, Lord Tan..."

Jin'er and the others watched over the playful scuffles between my brother and me, retreating to the side and giggling uncontrollably

He let out a sound and circled around me, his slanted, soaring eyebrows raised high, his eyes filled with astonishment.

The tall candles cast my shadow upon the bright palace tiles, with cloud-like hair piled high, graceful and elegant.

Taking advantage of the moment when Aunt Xu grabbed me, my brother was finally able to pull away and ran off laughing.

After the rain last night, the morning breeze gently shook the osmanthus tree outside the corridor, causing its fragrant blossoms to fall like scattered fragments, covering the ground with delicate scents

The queen, adorned in splendid traditional attire, my biological aunt, gracefully descended from the phoenix throne, gazing at me with a smile

There are no eyes that are forever gentle and smiling

My mother smiled through her tears, gazing at me without blinking as I knelt before my ancestors, the queen, and my parents and elder brothers in the recitation of the officiant. Once the rites were completed, I slowly rose, lifted my face, and looked around.

I immediately glared at her, unsure whether to be angry or to laugh, and even Aunt Xu came to tease me

However, the elegance and charm of noble families are merely superficial

What is this talk of the Red Luan Star stirring, that I shall meet my destined partner... My beloved has gone to the royal tomb to observe mourning, and until the three-year period is completed, how can he return to marry me

Facing the gaze of the crowd, I slightly raised my face, lonely yet proud, unaccompanied yet dignified

I walked with my head down, yet my brother's words stirred my innermost feelings, and for a moment, my heart was filled with melancholy

The two characters "维私" had not yet been uttered, when I raised my hand and seized the feather fan, striking heavily.

Above the Ming Hall, I am dressed in five layers of intricate garments, the wide skirt trailing behind me as I walk slowly across the jade steps adorned with brocade. Before the portraits of the Wang family's ancestors, I hold my breath and kneel, my palms overlapping and raised to the level of my brows, bowing deeply in reverence.

Clearly it is me, yet it is also clearly no longer me

That is fine. I pretended to be indifferent, turned around and left, but secretly lowered my head to hide the blush that had risen again on my cheeks

This year's osmanthus flowers bloomed a bit earlier, and they are already beginning to wither now

My aunt inserted a royal eight-treasure glazed gold hairpin into my hair bun, fastening my bangs with a crescent-shaped ring adorned with eighteen large round pearls, revealing my smooth forehead

This August 13 marks my fifteenth birthday, as well as the day of my coming-of-age ceremony.

In private, we are also an ordinary pair of siblings, just like the boys and girls from common families, we can be mischievous and playful, quarreling endlessly over trivial matters; we can also be spoiled and willful, forever appearing as children who never grow up in front of our parents; ... we can also feel sadness and helplessness, hiding a small secret sentiment deep within our hearts ...

Every place I walk through slowly draws the bewildered gazes of many, causing the officiants to forget their ceremonial chants

The woman in the mirror styles her hair into a pair of flying fairy buns, adorned in a gown woven with silver phoenix patterns in jade color, and draped with a rose-colored gauze robe

Turning the corner of the west corridor, I immediately saw my elder brother, dressed in white with wide sleeves, his garments flowing gracefully as he approached

I turned back and glared, "Aunt Xu! You always favor him!"

Independent from the dazzling brilliance of the center, all radiance converges upon me

The remote imperial tomb, situated beyond the towering mountains, must be gradually entering the coolness of autumn by now

On the second morning, urged by Aunt Xu to get up early, I began to dress, apply powder, and groom myself before dawn

He laughed heartily and dodged, still mocking, "Lord Wei, Lord Wei, where is my little Awu's Lord Wei?"

In the eyes of the world, my brother is charming and elegant, while I am beautiful and noble, both of us being figures admired by all.

Aunt Xu covered her sleeve and chuckled softly, her posture elegant, and said gently, "The movement of the Red Luan star is a good omen; why is the princess upset?"

My mother personally styled my long hair, intricately arranging it into a high bun.

I pressed my lips together in silence, my eyes darting around, looking him up and down, curious to see what new tricks he had in store today

Dressed up, Xu Gu Gu and Jin Er, along with a group of maids, stared at me in astonishment, unable to speak for a long while

We have indeed been a pair of mischievous siblings, behaving this way since childhood

"Father is not the Duke of Qi, and you are not the Crown Prince." I glared at him with a hint of anger, "If you say such nonsense and Father hears it, just wait and see if he won't break your legs!"

Amidst the attention of the masses, he alone was absent

At this moment, everyone is so far away from me, leaving me standing here alone

For the first time in my life, I stand alone before the crowd, without my parents or elder brothers standing in front of me, opening their protective arms for me

I know that from this moment on, the past will never return

"Though it is not so, it is not far off either. Are you not the sister of the Eastern Palace?" Seeing my face flushed with embarrassment, that detestable person became even more pleased, grinning as he approached, "Yesterday, I divined for you, and the oracle indicated that my little Awu will encounter a good match this year with the auspicious star of love!"

Beneath the splendid brilliance, all were silent and still.

Three years, I do not know how long that time is

My mother, Princess Jinmin, is dressed in a golden robe woven with apricot yellow patterns, with a phoenix pendant swaying in front of her forehead, reflecting the crystalline tears in her eyes

With a charming smile and beautiful eyes that glimmer... what a splendid person to behold. He exudes a carefree demeanor, singing melodiously, his dark eyes revealing a peculiar mirth.

The lord is still in the front hall, so the princess should go and pay her respects to the princess first. The maid Jin'er said softly from the side, timely helping me out of a difficult situation

Aunt Xu was both amused and exasperated, "Please stop making a fuss, my little princess... The master has already returned to the residence, if this continues, I will be punished again!"