Not to mention men, even women would feel pity upon seeing it.

Moreover, she lowered her eyes and said pitifully, "I thought the Third Miss sincerely invited me to the banquet."

Some noble ladies who had never clashed with Shen Youying suddenly felt a pang of pity, and their expressions towards Zhou Zhenrong subtly changed. Ultimately, it was all just girlish sentimentality; where did this deep-seated hatred come from?

"Zhenrong has always been like this, sharp-tongued but kind-hearted. Miss Shen, come and sit down, it's sunny." Wang Junting, the eldest daughter of Prime Minister Wang, glanced lightly at her half-sister and tried to smooth things over.

In the capital city of Tokyo, the Wang and Shen families held equal status. Wang Yuanguang was the prime minister, and Shen Mingjiang was the privy councilor. One was a civil official, and the other a military one, and they checked and balanced each other, both being pillars of the court. Although the children of the two families rarely interacted due to their fathers' differing positions, they still maintained a certain level of courtesy.

The Shen family is now in dire straits; only a fool would kick a man when he's down. Wang Yunting, who prides himself on his integrity, would never do such a thing.

However, Zhou Zhenrong had intended to humiliate Shen Youying today, so naturally she hadn't prepared a seat for her. Wang Junting noticed the problem with a glance and then indifferently looked at his half-sister, Wang Baizhi.

Wang Baizhi bit her lip, feeling resentful, but dared not disobey her elder sister. She could only endure the humiliation and give up her seat, forcing a smile as she said, "Second Miss, please sit here."

“Zhaozhao, come and sit with me. Tell someone to add another seat.”

Before Shen Youying could react, Xie Qinglan got up and went over, pulling her wrist towards her seat. As they passed Zhou Zhenrong, she curled her lip and said sarcastically, "If you don't have enough chairs at home, tell me on Wednesday, and I'll have someone bring some from home."

Xie Qinglan's father was Xie Lianhong, a privy councilor. Xie Lianhong had some personal connections with Shen Mingjiang, and the Shen and Xie families also had many interactions. Therefore, Xie Qinglan was also very close to Shen Youying.

She was about to explode when Zhou Zhenrong started talking, but the others kept talking and wouldn't let her get a word in edgewise!

Zhou Zhenrong was first tricked by Shen Youying's feigned weakness, and now she was being rebuked by Xie Qinglan. Her face turned red with anger, but she couldn't retaliate. After gathering her courage for a while, she forced out a ferocious smile: "Perhaps the manager below is not doing his job carefully. I'll go and give him a talking-to." After saying that, she got up and stormed off.

Xie Qinglan gave a soft snort, let Shen Youying sit in her seat, and then instructed the servants to bring another stool for her to sit next to. She whispered in Shen Youying's ear, "How is your family? I wanted to visit you, but my father said that if I really cared about you, I wouldn't be allowed to see you." She puffed out her cheeks, "Fortunately, there's a flower viewing banquet on Wednesday. I thought you might come, so I accepted the invitation."

"Master Xie has already been punished by the Emperor for pleading for Father's sake. He must have his reasons for saying that," Shen Youying said softly. "Everything is fine at home, but I'm worried because I haven't been able to find out anything about Father's condition. That's why I came here to gather information." She looked at Xie Qinglan hesitantly: "Do you know anything..."

After the Shen family's downfall, Xie Lianhong was the only one who dared to speak out for them. However, the Emperor was furious because Qin Prefecture had been captured by the Western Xia in three consecutive cities. He not only confiscated the Shen family's property and imprisoned Shen Mingjiang, but also implicated Xie Lianhong, who had pleaded for them. Xie Lianhong was given twenty strokes of the cane and is now recuperating at home, refusing visitors.

Shen Youying hadn't expected Xie Qinglan to come.

"Of course I came after I found out." Xie Qinglan whispered in her ear, "I overheard it from my father's study. It seems that Uncle Shen's old illness has flared up and he is not feeling well, but my father managed to get someone to send him medicine, so he should be fine."

Seeing Shen Youying's worried face, she quickly comforted her, "Don't worry too much. Although my father is bedridden at home and refuses visitors, I have secretly observed that he has sent out several letters. I think he is still trying to find a solution for Uncle Shen."

The Xie family's information was probably accurate. Knowing that her father was alright, Shen Youying felt somewhat relieved and said gratefully, "How could you possibly eavesdrop in Master Xie's study? You probably knew you were coming to see me and deliberately let you hear, didn't you?"

Xie Qinglan pouted and snorted, "I brought the news, so you should be thanking me."

As the two whispered to each other, Zhou Zhenrong returned.

She glanced at Shen Youying and saw her huddled with Xie Qinglan, seemingly talking, a slight smile playing on her lips. Shen Youying had two shallow dimples on her cheeks, which shone brightly when she smiled, almost hurting Zhou Zhenrong's eyes.

Zhou Zhenrong boasted that her looks and family background were no less than Shen Youying's, but when the ladies and gentlemen of Dongjing talked about the noble ladies of Dongjing, Shen Youying always came out on top of her.

Whenever Shen Youying is present, she is always the most dazzling one.

Zhou Zhenrong harbored resentment in secret, but she endured it because of the Shen family's power and influence.

But now, no one protects or flatters her anymore.

Remembering her cousin's instructions, she glanced confidently at Shen Youying, her eyebrows immediately lifting in a triumphant air. Clearing her throat, she addressed the group of noble ladies in a loud voice: "A stream flows into this courtyard, its banks lined with peach trees, creating a beautiful scene. Just now, the gentlemen in the front courtyard suggested playing a game of 'floating wine cups on the stream,' with them sitting on the left and us on the right, composing poems on the theme of spring peach blossoms. What do you all think?"

Young people yearn for love, and spring is an exceptionally beautiful season, so naturally no one would refuse.

Shen Youying didn't want to be too out of place, so she kept quiet. Since she already knew about her father's condition, she could just wait for the banquet to end before leaving.

Led by Zhou Zhenrong, the group of noble ladies went to the stream.

This stream was man-made, with fresh water flowing into it. It is only about a foot deep and four or five feet wide. The bottom of the stream is covered with pebbles, and the water is crystal clear. Fallen leaves float and sink in the stream, creating a unique and charming scene.

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