The Enchanting Imperial Concubine (Book 1)

Chapter 20 - Picked Up A Title

In the following days, Ye Yun did not see the Emperor again.

Until the Lotus Appreciation Banquet, Chen Baolin attended twice and Yi Wanrong once.

Overall, the favored concubines seemed to share the spotlight.

This led everyone to dress up with great effort for the banquet, aiming to outshine each other.

Ye Yun, not wanting to be an exception, chose a begonia-red dress, styled her hair in double buns, and wore a set of ruby accessories.

The gold-threaded agate begonia hairpin from the Chu family that was brought from the Western Regions sparkled under the sunlight as she moved, capturing everyone's attention.

Today, she applied her own makeup. She drew her eyebrows with an upward curve, subtly enchanting, used red rouge to outline her eyes, and chose a highly saturated vermilion for her lips, resembling the captivating red spider lily.

It was truly mesmerizing.

Ye Yun arrived neither early nor late, glanced around, and sat at a corner position, with Wang Meiren on one side and the pavilion's railing on the other.

This positioning was meant to avoid any "good sisters" approaching.

"Wanrong, your outfit looks really beautiful," Wang Meiren said after receiving her greetings.

"I've always liked bright and vibrant colors and don't mind if others think I'm vulgar. A compliment from a beauty makes me happy."

Ye Yun was more willing to talk with her, mainly because Wang Meiren's eyes were clear and indifferent, appearing both intelligent and uncalculating.

Hearing this, Wang Meiren smiled. "Sister, you are naturally beautiful. Your grace is evident even if you wear coarse clothes. You would still look stunning."

"Oh, if you keep praising me, I'll start blushing," Ye Yun said, pretending to be shy.

Wang Meiren, understanding the hint, stopped her praise to avoid seeming insincere.

Soon after, the Emperor and Empress arrived together, walking hand in hand, appearing harmonious.

At least, the Empress's eyes were filled with affection.

Everyone stood to pay their respects, and Ning Chen immediately spotted Ye Yun.

It was simply impossible not to notice that striking red; when Ye Yun looked up, her particularly eye-catching makeup reminded Ning Chen of a red fox he had kept in his youth.

For some reason, it felt as if that fox had turned into a spirit and had come back to find him.

Ye Yun noticed the Emperor looking at her and responded with a confident smile.

This scene was observed by Fang Cairen, whose expression darkened slightly, curling her lips into a cold smile.

She gave a discreet signal to the maid beside her, who understood and quietly withdrew.

"Today, the Empress has hosted this banquet, and the lotus flowers are blooming even more splendidly, showing the Empress's grace."

Ning Chen had received some good news recently and was in a rare good mood, so he spoke a few kind words.

The Empress's face flushed slightly as she shyly replied, "The lotus flowers love the sun. It must be Your Majesty's dragon energy blessing them, making the flowers bloom."

"In my opinion, it's the fairy of the lotus flowers who, seeing the harmony between Your Majesty and the Empress, is pleased and has made the entire pond of lotus flowers bloom so beautifully!"