The Phoenix is Back - Chapter 139

Chapter 139 It’s Qixi Again
Two days later, on Qixi, the Emperor held a banquet in the Imperial Garden.

However, Xiao Xiwei was not on the list of people attending the banquet. However, she was also happy to be free. She had someone set a table in the courtyard and took out needles and threads. She watched as the girls in the courtyard threaded needles and begged.

Most of the girls beside Chu Xizhi were calm, unlike the few girls beside Xiao Xiwei. Except for Hong Yu, all of them were noisy. Upon hearing that the princess said that the person with the most needles gave a gold hairpin and the others were all rewarded with one tael of silver, everyone was eager to try.

Xiao Xiwei was very tired after she was pregnant, and Hongyu did not participate in the needle test. Xiao Xiwei handed over the overall situation to Hongyu. With Hong Yu watching and Ruo Su at the side, Xiao Xiwei was happy to sit in a chair and watch the girls wear needles with their heads lowered.

She still remembered that last year, Qixi was still thinking about how to avoid Chu Yanzhi’s request for a marriage. Who would have thought that Chu Xizhi would be the last one to ask for a marriage? It had been an entire year since she left New Year’s Eve, but when she recalled it, she felt as if it was still yesterday.

He stretched out his hand and took off the white jade lotus flower on his temples. Looking at the translucent white jade lotus flower, the scene of him inserting the white jade lotus flower into her temples seemed to appear in front of him again.

Xizhi.

“Alright, it’s time. Everyone, stop.” Hong Yu said.

The courtyard was immediately filled with sorrow and sighs.

“Sister Hong Yu, can’t you give me a little more time? I’ve only worn seven needles. I can’t believe the princess’s reward this time.”

‘”You’ve worn at least seven needles. Just now, when Sister Hong Yu shouted, my hand trembled so hard that I couldn’t even hold the needles. Let alone seven needles, I didn’t even put a single one in!”

As soon as the girl finished speaking, all the girls in the room began to laugh.

“Alright, alright, stop arguing.” Bi Yun interrupted the girls with a complacent expression and looked at Hong Yu anxiously. “Big sister, count quickly and see who wears the most clothes.”

“Look at Sister Biyun’s appearance. Sister Biyun must be wearing quite a lot of clothes this time.” A girl covered her mouth and smiled.

“That’s not true.” Bi Yun raised her eyebrows, her face filled with joy.

Xiao Xiwei looked at the girl in the courtyard and laughed jokingly. He couldn’t help but feel somewhat happy, and a smile appeared on his face.

Finally, Hongyu counted that Bi Yun wore thirteen needles, but she didn’t have the most. The most was a girl named Xiu’er in the needle and thread room.

When Bi Yun heard that she wasn’t wearing the most needles, her face collapsed. “I thought I was the one who wore the most …” At this point, she looked at the girl named Xiu’er with some complaint and said, “Why did you wear so many needles?”

Although Xiao Xiwei could get a gold hairpin for the person who wore the most needles in the needle test this time, it could be said that the color was not light, but she was smarter to think that there was the most favored girl beside the princess in the needle test this time. Moreover, before the needle could be worn, Bi Yun raised his sleeve and shouted that this gold hairpin belonged to her. Listen, how dare they compete with the trusted aides beside the princess? Therefore, when threading the needles, more or less water was put in. Otherwise, how could anyone not be able to pierce through a single needle? It was just that they did not expect that a Xiu’er would appear halfway through the process. This Xiu’er is only thirteen years old this year. She looks dry and fearful. She has been fighting in the needle and thread room. Who would have thought that she would actually win against Bi Yun today?

Seeing that the girl called Xiu’er was so frightened by Bi Yun’s words, she glanced at Bi Yun and said, “What’s wrong? You blamed someone else for being stupid.”

“My hands are stupid? My hands are stupid and I even wore thirteen pills. Unlike some people, I only wore four pills desperately.” Bi Yun harrumphed and looked at Zi Yan provocatively.

Looking at Bi Yun’s rogue appearance, Zi Yan rolled her eyes forcefully. “No matter how much you wear, it doesn’t matter. You’re still someone else’s loser.”

It was already amazing that she could wear four needles with a saber and a sword. If this girl Bi Yun insisted on comparing herself to her, she would have the ability to use a saber and a sword to compete with her!

Bi Yun was rendered speechless by this sentence.

Bi Yun angrily stomped his feet and turned around to call Xiao Xiwei in grievance, “Miss, look at Zi Yan.”

“What are you looking at? Are you going to lose?” Xiao Xiwei lowered his head and took a sip of tea. He smiled and said.

“Miss.” Bi Yun stamped her feet again in dissatisfaction.

“Biyun, don’t your feet hurt when you put so much effort into it?” Seeing that Xiao Xiwei did not help Bi Yun, Zi Yan could not help but tease.

The low laughter of the girls resounded in the courtyard, and even Xiao Xiwei couldn’t help but laugh.

Just as Bi Yun was about to stomp her feet, she suddenly remembered Zi Yan’s words and could only forcefully restrain herself. She looked at Xiao Xiwei with a dark face and said, “Miss, why are you laughing with them? I’m really embarrassed.”

Xiao Xi endured a smile, “If I knew that I would lose face, I wouldn’t have said so much back then! Besides, you weren’t the only one who lost. You’re not bad. Didn’t you get second place in the first place?”

“That’s right, that’s right. Biyun, think about me. I didn’t put a single needle in.” A girl walked over to Bi Yun and smiled as she tugged at the corner of her sleeve.

Hearing this, Bi Yun immediately felt better and went down the stairs, no longer snorting.

Seeing that Bi Yun was no longer making trouble, Xiao Xiwei smiled and waved to Xiu’er, who had been lowering her head and didn’t dare to snort, “Come here. Today, you won. This hairpin belongs to you.”

Xiu’er gave Xiao Xiwei a timid glance and finally walked to Xiao Xiwei step by step.

Xiao Xiwei glanced sideways at Ruo Su.

Ruo Su understood. He took out the gold hairpin Xiao Xiwei had prepared and handed it to Xiu’er. He smiled and said to her, “Take it.”

Looking at the golden hairpin in Ruo Su’s hand, the girl in the courtyard immediately stared straight into her eyes. Seeing the smile on the princess’ face, she did not show the slightest trace of anger. She could not help but secretly regret it in her heart. If they had known this was the case, they should have used all their strength to insert the needles, so that such a good hairpin would not have fallen into the hands of such a cowardly girl.

Ruo Su’s hand hanging by her leg loosened again and again. After a while, she seemed to have gathered enough courage to look up at Ruo Su and say, “Auntie, auntie, I… can I take this hairpin and exchange it for silver?”

Ruo Su frowned slightly. Obviously, she did not expect this little girl to make such a request.

Seeing that Ruo Su did not reply, Xiu’er hurriedly said, “Auntie, I don’t want more. I only want fifteen … no, ten taels, only ten taels of silver.”

The gold hairpin in Ruosu’s hand was exquisite in workmanship and brilliant in color. It was gold at a glance, and it was worth more than fifteen taels of silver no matter what. This Xiu’er didn’t know if she was stupid or what, but she actually wanted to exchange the hairpin for silver.

The girl below couldn’t help but speak in a timid whisper.

Ruo Su looked at the begging in Xiu’er’s eyes and covered her mouth with a light cough. She turned to Xiao Xiwei and said, “Princess, look …”

“Princess, please.” Xiu’er knelt down.

“Do you know how much this hairpin is worth?” Xiao Xiwei looked at Xiu’er and said.

Xiu’er shook her head and nodded.

“You nodded and shook your head. What do you mean?” Bi Yun couldn’t help but say.

Xiu’er gritted her teeth and said to Xiao Xiwei, “I don’t know how much this hairpin is worth, but this servant knows that this hairpin must be very valuable. It’s more valuable than … ten taels of silver.”

“It’s not just ten taels. Not to mention that my uncle hired the best goldsmith in Suzhou to forge this hairpin, the weight of this hairpin alone is more than ten taels of silver! How ignorant!” Bi Yun spat.

“Oh, I can’t see that you still know how to use the word’ignorant ‘. It seems like I’m really ignorant.” Zi Yan covered her mouth and smiled.

Bi Yun blushed and glared at Zi Yan, “Why are you choking with me today?”

“I’m happy.” Zi Yan curled her lips and smiled.

“Purple smoke.” Hong Yu, who had been silent all this while, glanced faintly at Zi Yan and Bi Yun, who were still quarreling.

Zi Yan and Bi Yun glared at each other at the same time, then turned their heads away and stopped talking.

“Since you know the value of this hairpin, why did you trade it for silver?” Ruo Su looked at Xiu’er and said.

Xiu’er knelt on the ground, her hands tugging at the clothes on her body, but she opened her mouth a few times and was speechless.

“Princess.” At this time, a woman from the needle and thread room walked out and knelt beside Xiu’er. “Princess, Xiu’er, this girl also has her reasons. Her father didn’t work every day and knew how to gamble. After losing money, he asked Xiu’er for it. A while ago, Xiu’er’s father had lost a lot. He was caught by the people in the gambling house and beaten up. He cried and asked Xiu’er for money. However, Xiu’er had given him all the money these years. How could there be any money left? That’s why … ”

“Young miss, since she wants to change the silver, then change the silver for her. Anyway, she won today.” After listening to the old woman’s words, Bi Yun could not help but plead for Xiu’er.

Xiao Xi smiled and said, “What, are you pretending to be a good person now?”

“Young miss, why did you bring this up! Didn’t I not know about this situation at that time?” Bi Yun smiled embarrassedly.

Xiao Xiwei smiled helplessly and turned to look at Hongyu. “Hong Yu, give her ten taels of silver.”

“Yes.” Hong Yu replied, then took out ten taels of silver and placed it in Xiu’er’s hand.

“Xiu’er, thank you, Princess.” The woman pushed Xiu’er, who was still in a daze, and said happily.

“Thank you, thank you, Princess.” Xiu’er stammered, unable to recover her senses for a while.

‘”Although I gave you the silver, I didn’t give it in vain. This time, I was begging for needles. The lottery was the golden whale, that’s the gold hairpin. I lent you the ten silver taels. When did I deduct ten silver taels from your monthly silver taels, then I will return the gold hairpin to you. Xiu’er, you can hear me clearly.” Xiao Xiwei looked at Xiu’er and said.

“Yes” Holding the silver in her hand, Xiu’er was filled with joy.

This is good. Daddy doesn’t need to be cut off by the people from the gambling house anymore.

Looking at Xiu’er’s thin and weak body, Xiao Xiwei sighed softly in his heart, “Alright, the liveliness is over. Hong Yu, give everyone one tael of silver.”

“Yes.” Hong Yu blessed herself and replied.

Hearing that there was silver hair, the courtyard boiled.

Hearing the laughter that filled the courtyard, Xiao Xi raised her head and looked at the lonely sky above her. She sighed faintly and said, “I wonder how the palace is now?”