On Laba Festival, the accumulated snow had melted away.
The Minister’s residence held a grand family banquet to celebrate the coming-of-age ceremony of the Shen family’s legitimate daughter. The entire garden was filled with laughter and joy.
“Miss Shen has scored again!”
The cheers of the young ladies echoed once more.
A young girl standing on the opposite corridor looked toward Guanyuan Garden and asked, “Who is that girl shooting arrows?”
The speaker was none other than Shen Lian, Jing Miaoyi’s biological daughter, who had just been brought back to the residence.
She wore a light pink brocade shawl embroidered with orchid patterns and a white fur collar that wrapped snugly around her neck, framing her delicate face. The collar cleverly concealed the black birthmark on her left cheek, revealing only her slender, beautiful eyes. At a glance, she appeared quite lovely.
She cautiously glanced toward the crowd.
Her head maid, Chan Ling, replied, “Second Miss, that is the Eldest Miss.”
Shen Lian stared at Shen Wan, who was surrounded by admirers. With her exquisite features and dressed in a striking crimson crane-feather cloak, Shen Wan was the center of attention. Shen Lian couldn’t help but murmur, “She’s truly remarkable.”
And so beautiful…
If only she could have a flawless face like that.
Chan Ling spoke with pride, “The Eldest Miss is not only skilled in archery but also in horseback riding and shooting. She excels at pitch-pot and cuju, has studied the Four Books and Five Classics, and is adept at poetry and painting. Most impressively, she is also proficient in medicine.”
Proficient in medicine?
Shen Lian instinctively covered her face. Just then, the group of girls across the way moved elsewhere to play.
At the same time, a man’s voice came from behind her: “You must be Miss Shen.”
Shen Lian turned abruptly, her heart tightening with a sudden jolt.
Standing before her was a handsome man, tall and graceful like an immortal descended from the heavens. Shen Lian felt her heart flutter.
Beside her, Chan Ling tugged at her skirt and whispered a reminder, “It’s the Crown Prince. Hurry and pay your respects to His Highness.”
With that, Chan Ling bowed to Mo Junli, the Crown Prince of the Shang Kingdom. Shen Lian quickly lowered her head, mimicking Chan Ling’s gesture as she paid her respects to Mo Junli. She dared not raise her head, lest any trace of her birthmark be revealed. “G-greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
She secretly felt relieved that the maids in the residence had applied makeup to cover her birthmark that day. As long as she didn’t fully expose that area, nothing would seem amiss.
“Today is your coming-of-age ceremony. I specifically prepared a gift for you. See if you like it.”
Li Changfu presented a nine-tailed phoenix hairpin.
The phoenix crown on the hairpin was adorned with three delicate, small rubies, dazzling and beautiful. Shen Lian had never seen such a lovely hair accessory, and it was actually meant for her.
Chan Ling also furrowed her brow slightly, feeling puzzled.
“Miss Shen, quickly accept the gift and express your gratitude.”
Shen Lian snapped back to reality and took the nine-tailed phoenix hairpin from Li Changfu’s hands with both hands. “Th-thank you, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
“This nine-tailed phoenix hairpin was personally entrusted to me by Her Majesty the Empress to deliver to you, Miss Shen. After your coming-of-age ceremony, Her Majesty will summon your parents to the palace to discuss the marriage between you and me…”
Marriage… marriage…
Shen Lian felt as though her heart was about to leap out of her throat. Was she going to marry the Crown Prince??
“When the time comes, Her Majesty will bring you into the palace first to familiarize yourself with the palace environment and its rules. Don’t be afraid. I will be here for you.”
Shen Wan had left when she was only nine years old.
Now fifteen, the two had not seen each other for six years. When Mo Junli saw Shen Lian, he mistook her for Shen Wan at first glance.
Because Shen Lian’s appearance closely resembled Jing Miaoyi’s—fair and graceful, poised and dignified—matching the image of the Crown Princess he had in mind.
At that moment, cheerful laughter came from the opposite side: “Hahaha, Miss Qin, you’ve lost. You must drink as forfeit.”
Mo Junli glanced at the woman in the red cloak across the way and shook his head inwardly. Though she possessed striking beauty, she lacked the refined manners expected of a noble lady, standing without proper posture. Fortunately, his future Crown Princess was Shen Wan.
“Miss Shen, it’s the Crown Prince,” the noble ladies playing nearby suddenly noticed the Crown Prince walking from the opposite corridor into Guanyuan Garden.
Shen Wan followed the gaze of Qin Shuanglan, the second legitimate daughter of the Qin family.
There, she saw Shen Lian walking with her head lowered, trailing behind Mo Junli.
Soon, Mo Junli arrived beneath the eaves of Guanyuan Garden. Shen Lian paused behind him, keeping her head down. Using the furry collar around her neck to cover both sides of her cheeks, combined with skillful makeup, she effectively concealed the thick, dark birthmark on her left side. She appeared as a delicate beauty from the Jiangnan region, petite and dainty—the type that easily stirred a man’s protective instincts.
Then, Shen Wan’s eyes fell on the brocade box in Shen Lian’s hands.
On the box lay a strikingly conspicuous nine-tailed phoenix hairpin.
It had been personally commissioned by the Empress and gifted to her as a coming-of-age present, symbolizing her future status as Crown Princess.
In her past life, Shen Lian had not yet entered the Shen household at this time. Thus, Mo Junli had personally presented the nine-tailed phoenix hairpin to her. Now that it had fallen into Shen Lian’s hands, it was hardly surprising.
Since Shen Lian had been brought back to the Shen residence, the Shen family had yet to publicly announce the identity of their second daughter. Everyone still believed that the Shen household had only one legitimate eldest daughter: Shen Wan.
Mo Junli must have mistaken Shen Lian for her.
“Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince,” Shen Wan and the noble ladies in the garden chorused as they curtsied to Mo Junli.
“Why are you all amusing yourselves without including Shen Wan? Today’s family banquet is in her honor,” Mo Junli remarked.
The noble ladies all turned their eyes toward Shen Wan.
Even Shen Lian looked at Shen Wan, her cheeks flushing crimson in an instant.
Qin Shuanglan spoke up, “Your Highness, we have been playing with Miss Shen all along.”
As Qin Shuanglan finished speaking, Shen Wan rose gracefully and smiled, “Cousin Crown Prince, it’s been a long time.”
“Who are you?” Mo Junli disliked her addressing him as “cousin” and even more so her frivolous demeanor.
Shen Wan noticed the displeasure in Mo Junli’s eyes but pretended not to see it, replying with an unwavering smile, “Cousin Crown Prince, I am Shen Wan.”
“You are Shen Wan!” Mo Junli instinctively turned to look at Shen Lian behind him, then back at Shen Wan, before turning to Shen Lian again and asking, “Then who is she?”
Shen Lian’s heart pounded violently, her hands gripping the brocade box as if scorched by fire: “Y-Your Highness, I… I-I…”
“She is my twin sister, Shen Lian. Today, my sister and I are both celebrating our coming-of-age ceremony. My parents also intend to use today’s family banquet to announce to everyone the return of my Second Sister.”
“I’ve never heard that Miss Shen had a sister,” Qin Shuanglan blurted out candidly.
Shen Lian stood frozen in place, an unprecedented wave of embarrassment and panic creeping up from her feet. She could only lower her head even further, fearing that others might notice something amiss with her face.
Shen Wan observed Shen Lian’s reaction and inwardly sneered, yet she wore a warm smile on her face. She walked over to Shen Lian’s side, wrapped her arms around her, and said, “Let me introduce my sister, Shen Lian. She has been frail since childhood, and my parents feared she wouldn’t survive, so they sent her to a serene and picturesque estate to be raised by her wet nurse. Now that her health has greatly improved, my parents have brought her back to the manor. She is my own dear sister, so please don’t bully her.”
Mo Junli was dazzled by the two beauties of the Shen family.
Shen Wan’s beauty was striking, the kind that stood out in a crowd with an almost aggressive allure.
As for Shen Lian’s beauty…
He had only caught a glimpse of her eyes earlier, but he found them as picturesque as a painting—delicate, dreamy, and utterly captivating.
Perhaps due to preconceived notions, Mo Junli found himself more drawn to Shen Lian, the younger legitimate daughter of the Shen family.