Wang Chunming shot Yuelan a resentful glare. “Miss Long is quite skilled,” she sniffed. “Did you perform often in Kilin?” Her tone made it sound as though she was comparing Yuelan to a lowly street performer.

Yuelan returned the glare with a pleasant smile. “My mother died when I was a child and my father is the prime minister. As the only girl in the household, I occasionally would play for my father and his guests while they discussed business or matters of state. I also would play for foreign ministers visiting the country. Miss Wang played well. Do you perform often?”

“Of course not! How could I, the daughter of a prime minister, perform for random strangers?” Miss Wang snapped.

“I see...How unfortunate for you to be lacking in political experience,” Yuelan replied, her smile gentle and sympathetic. She was laughing inside at this girl who was trying so hard to bring her down. “I found it an honor to be able to assist my father with his work and help to improve relations between our country and other countries. It gave me experience to be able to assist my future husband, after all. I will be able to be a valuable asset instead of just a pretty decoration.”

Wang Chunming’s face turned bright red and she glared at Yuelan, then turned and went to join a couple of other girls, including the second princess.

Yuelan pulled a fan out of her sleeve and opened it, waving it softly in front of her as she returned to her seat next to Liling.

“Lan-lan, that was beautiful! You left Wang Chunming with nothing to retort!” Liling chuckled, keeping her voice down. “She wants to marry my eldest brother and become empress, so I wouldn’t be surprised if she keeps trying to challenge you. You must have experienced things like this a lot in Kilin…”

“Not really,” Yuelan admitted, smiling. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t know how to stand up for myself. Besides, I know what I’m capable of and what my qualifications are. There’s no reason for me to be intimidated by others who don’t even know me.”

Another girl approached Yuelan and Liling and saluted them. “Your Highness, Miss Long. I was wondering if perhaps Miss Long would be interested in a friendly painting competition?”

“Lan-lan, this is Miss Zhou Xiuya. Her father is the left prime minister,” Liling explained.

Yuelan returned Miss Zhou’s salute. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Zhou. I would be happy to compete with you, but I’m afraid my painting skill is very lacking.” She gave the other girl an apologetic smile. “A competition with me would prove an easy victory for you.”

“Your guzheng is so beautiful, though,” Zhou Xiuya replied. “Surely you were taught other feminine arts?”

“I was, but my guzheng is beautiful because that is what I worked on the most. I can appreciate paintings and visual arts and recite poems that I learned before, but unfortunately I cannot paint or create my own poems,” Yuelan explained.

“So Miss Long is afraid to embarrass herself?” Zhou Xiuya asked, arching an eyebrow.

Yuelan smiled a little more. “I am not afraid to embarrass myself, but I do think that trying to paint this beautiful scenery would do a disservice to the spirits of the trees that are blooming so beautifully for us to see.” She waved her fan in front of her a bit and nodded at Zhou Xiuya. “I am grateful that Miss Zhou wishes to compete with me, however. I saw one of the paintings you did earlier and it is quite beautiful. You have admirable skill.”

“Xiuya, do sit down,” Liling cut in. “We haven’t spoken in some time. I think you and Lan-lan would make good friends, so why don’t we just get to know each other better?”

Zhou Xiuya’s cheeks turned a little pink and she took a seat beside Yuelan. “Of course, Princess Liling.”

Liling beamed at the girl. “Excellent! Perhaps another time the three of us can get together. You and I can paint while Yuelan plays her guzheng and keeps us company.”

Yuelan smiled and nodded. “It would be my pleasure.”

Zhou Xiuya looked a little startled. “You don’t mind being treated like a mere entertainer?” she asked.

“But I’m not being treated that way,” Yuelan chuckled. “Playing the guzheng is something I enjoy doing, and part of the pleasure is having people listen. You enjoy painting, right? Isn’t part of that enjoyment having other people see your work?”

The left prime minister’s daughter tilted her head and thought about it for a moment before nodding. “You’re right. My father has displayed some of my nicer pieces in our home and I do like to see people enjoy what I’ve painted. I hadn’t thought of playing an instrument the same way though. Usually it’s something you should only do for your future husband…” Her cheeks turned a little pink again.

“That isn’t the case in Kilin. It’s normal for the wives and daughters of the upper classes and officials to play their instruments during business or political meetings. It helps to set the mood and keep tempers down so things go more smoothly,” Yuelan explained. She chose not to mention that sometimes things were switched, and it was the wife in charge of the business or in politics and the husband who handled the work of setting the mood and such. Gender equality didn’t seem to be something the people in Longuo thought about.

“Oh. That’s very...different…” Zhou Xiuya placed her hands in her lap and turned her eyes to the table as she pondered over the societal differences.

Yuelan left her to her thoughts and turned her attention back to the competitions that were taking place. “Liling, look over there at that painting. It’s very well done,” she said cheerfully.

Liling looked over and smiled. “That looks like it was painted by Wu Ying. She and her twin sister are the daughters of a first rank official, though I forget what he’s minister of,” the princess explained. “Her paintings and poems usually turn out very nicely.”

“Her sister, Wu Yan, is skilled in the flute,” Zhou Xiuya added. “And embroidery.”

“The girls dancing over there are quite good as well,” Yuelan observed, nodding her head to acknowledge the new information.

Zhou Xiuya looked pleased. “The one in pink is the daughter of a second rank official, Zhao Hanju. Our families are well acquainted. She is a very good dancer, but it isn’t a skill she’s allowed to show off except at gatherings like this where only women are present.”

“Of course it isn’t,” Liling added. “Doing so would damage her reputation.”

“Perhaps she’d like to join us when we get together?” Yuelan suggested. “If we met in my residence there wouldn’t be anyone to see her dancing who shouldn’t.”

“She might,” Xiuya agreed. “I can invite her to come with me. Her family won’t mind it.”

Liling chuckled. “Of course not. It would be a good opportunity for her, after all. She’ll get to spend time with a princess, the daughter of a prime minister, and the girl the emperor has declared his future daughter-in-law. All very good connections for her to make.”

Yuelan enjoyed the rest of the cherry blossom viewing and spent most of it chatting with Liling and Xiuya. She was challenged to a couple of other ‘friendly competitions,’ but only one of them was for the guzheng and that was the only one she accepted, politely turning down the challenges she knew she wasn’t capable of doing well in and praising the skills of the one who challenged her instead. When the shadows of the trees grew longer and signaled the coming of sunset the gathering ended and Yuelan headed for her carriage with her three maids and her guzheng to return home to the residence.