Beauties Should Play Together

"Would you trade plum wine for the grape wine you wanted, beauty?"

A lively, clear female voice came from nearby.

Su Luoqian turned to look, and found that the newcomer was none other than the current Crown Princess, Qin Shuning.

Qin Shuning was the youngest granddaughter of Qin Lian, the Grand General Who Guards the Nation. She had married the Crown Prince, Zhou Xuheng, nearly a year ago.

Su Luoqian knew little about Qin Shuning. After marrying Lu Jingsi, she had gone to the palace to pay her respects to the emperor and empress, and had caught a distant glimpse of her at a banquet.

At the time, she had only thought that the Crown Princess was graceful and lively, and that she and Crown Prince Zhou Xuheng seemed deeply in love.

Today, Qin Shuning wore a relatively simple dress, its skirts fluttering as she walked. Perhaps because she came from a military family, her features had a spirited air that ordinary women lacked.

When she came closer, Su Luoqian dipped into a curtsy. "Greetings, Crown Princess."

Smiling, Qin Shuning reached out to help her up. "We're outside the palace. There's no need for so much ceremony, none at all."

"I just heard that the Princess Consort of Cheng'an wanted to find grapes to make wine?"

Su Luoqian gave a slight nod. "I was only passing by and spoke on impulse when I saw how well the green plums on the mountain were growing."

Qin Shuning waved a hand and laughed heartily. "Oh, don't say that. I have grape wine ready to drink. If you make some plum wine, we can trade."

Neither her speech nor her manner resembled those of an ordinary young lady from a prominent family, and she did not put on airs like the people in the palace. Su Luoqian had a good impression of her, and the smile on her delicate face grew more sincere.

"There's still some plum wine at the manor that was made last year. It should taste just right now. If you don't mind, Crown Princess, I'll have someone send some to the Eastern Palace another day."

At the mention of plum wine, Qin Shuning's eyes curved with her smile. "Wonderful, wonderful..."

A maid at her side tugged gently on her sleeve and said in a troubled whisper, "Your Highness, His Highness the Crown Prince said you must drink less."

Qin Shuning's delicate brows drew together slightly, but she pretended not to hear. She stepped closer to Su Luoqian and took her hand. "Can you make wine? Would you teach me?"

Su Luoqian had watched her come down the mountain, and now she was leading her back up again. She could not help finding it amusing.

It was rather easy and comfortable being with the Crown Princess. She asked softly, "Didn't you just come down from Yuanfu Temple, Your Highness?"

Qin Shuning smiled, her eyes curving. "But then I ran into you, didn't I?"

"I like beauties best, especially beauties who can make wine."

Qin Shuning had been married to Zhou Xuheng for nearly a year without becoming pregnant. In recent months, whenever she paid her respects to the empress, she would be given a few reminders about it.

Today she had finally had a chance to leave the palace on the pretext of offering prayers, so naturally she did not want to return too early.

Su Luoqian smiled radiantly and praised her in all sincerity. "You're beautiful too, Crown Princess."

Her beauty was different from that of an ordinary gentle and graceful woman.

She paused, then suddenly winked at Qin Shuning, accepting her compliment. "Beauties should play together."

"Hahahahaha, you're right."

The two walked toward Yuanfu Temple as they talked, with Zelan and the other maids and servants following behind.

When they reached the temple gates, they could faintly hear the wooden fish being struck inside, and the air was filled with the gentle scent of sandalwood.

It was neither the first nor the fifteenth day of the lunar month, so there were not many people at the temple.

Qin Shuning had already visited, so she was only accompanying Su Luoqian now.

When the temple's abbot saw that Qin Shuning had returned, he hurried out to greet her. On seeing the Princess Consort of Cheng'an beside her, he quickly bowed his head in greeting.

Su Luoqian had come to pray that the truth behind the female corpse case would come to light and Lin Yonghong would be brought to justice, and also that her father and mother would be healthy and her elder brother safe wherever he went.

After she prayed in the hall, a monk led Su Luoqian to a corner of the main hall, where she donated money for incense and oil without batting an eye.

After all, she was a little greedy and had asked for so much. Sorry for the trouble, venerable Buddha.

By the time they came out of the hall, it was nearly noon, so the group stayed to eat a vegetarian meal in the dining hall.

That afternoon, Su Luoqian and Qin Shuning strolled down the mountain, and Su Luoqian told her how to make plum wine as they walked.

"First wash the green plums. Remember to remove the stems when you wash them, or the wine will taste bitter."

"After washing the plums, dry the water from their skins, then put them in a wide-mouthed jar that has been washed and dried. Add a layer of plums, then a layer of rock sugar. Finally, pour in baijiu. It's best if it covers the top layer of plums."

"Then seal it up and count the days until you open it. After about a year, the fruit and wine aromas will mingle, making it rich and mellow."

Qin Shuning listened intently, and by the end her mouth was watering. "Qianqian, may I call you that?"

Su Luoqian chuckled. "Of course."

"Qianqian, on our way back, could I stop by the manor first..." She was too embarrassed to say the rest.

It was mainly because Su Luoqian's description had made it sound so tempting.

Su Luoqian covered her lips, her eyes curving with her smile. "Of course."

She looked up at the sun. By the time they returned to Ankang Street from Mount Yuanfu, she reckoned it would be past the hour of the monkey.

Sure enough, when the carriage reached the gates of Prince Cheng'an's Manor, only a faint trace of sunlight remained on the horizon.

The moon was bright that night, and the deep blue sky hung low as Su Luoqian led Qin Shuning into the manor.

Pavilions and towers stood throughout the manor, amid green willows and red flowers in full bloom. There was an artificial lake in the main courtyard, with a waterside pavilion and a bridge over it. Drinking wine at the stone table there beneath the moon on a summer night had a charm all its own.

Now, two beautiful, slender figures sat at the table.

A jug of the plum wine Su Luoqian had spoken of stood before them.

Qin Shuning poured herself a cup and took a few small sips, narrowing her eyes in satisfaction and letting out a soft sigh.

The wine was a jade-green color and richly fragrant, truly of the finest quality.

"Qianqian, this plum wine really is exceptional."

Seeing how much she was enjoying herself, Su Luoqian beckoned Zelan over and instructed her to have the small kitchen prepare a few dishes and send them over.

"If you like it, Crown Princess, take some back to the Eastern Palace with you later."

Having finished her cup, Qin Shuning poured another for herself and one for Su Luoqian. "Prince Cheng'an is a little younger than the Crown Prince. If you don't mind, you may call me elder sister-in-law."

"Calling me Crown Princess is a little too formal."

Su Luoqian agreed with a slight smile, but did not touch the cup before her. "My condition makes it inconvenient, so I can't drink with you to your heart's content today, elder sister-in-law."

Qin Shuning understood what she meant and did not press her. "When I return later, I'll have someone send you some grape wine."

As they talked, servants came quietly across the bridge carrying trays, and one exquisite dish after another was set on the table.

It was just time for the evening meal.

Since Qin Shuning was already seated at the manor, there was no reason for Su Luoqian to let her drink on an empty stomach.

And so, beneath the clear moonlight, the two young women ate and chatted about interesting things related to tasting and making wine.