Although that was the logical reasoning, Yinzhen did not want to wrong his young consort.

The young lady was indeed capable of doing these things, and she did them well, but he knew in his heart that she might not be happy doing them.

"Don't force yourself for my sake."

Tong Cheng'er smiled and shook her head: "I didn't force myself. I used to think that nothing was interesting, so I didn't like going out or attending these banquets. But now I can get some enjoyment from them. Besides, I really hope I can help you, and that would make me very happy."

She spoke from the bottom of her heart; there was no intention to comfort her.

Yinzhen could also hear the sincerity in her words, and besides that, he couldn't help but think about a few more things.

Although he didn't know how his young wife developed her love of staying at home, he knew it must be complicated, perhaps even related to the extraordinary encounter she had in the future. He didn't delve into the details, but he hoped his young wife could open up.

Judging from what the young mistress said, she seemed to have started to like him a little, though she herself might not even be aware of it.

Yinzhen felt a warm glow in his heart as he thought about it, and he was especially happy.

"Since you don't feel it's too much trouble, then I'll have to trouble you, Cheng'er. Thank you for your hard work."

Tong Cheng'er smiled and said, "It's not hard work."

Tong Cheng'er had invited ladies and young women from the inner quarters of the household, so it was inconvenient for Yinzhen to appear in person. Therefore, he accepted his subordinate's invitation to have dinner at Wangyue Tower in Jiangnan.

Not being in the capital, Tong Cheng'er didn't have to be bound by wearing a traditional Manchu dress for such a formal banquet. So, she had Rulan style her hair in a trendy yet conservative way and wore a ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) that was elegant yet not too stiff.

"Your Majesty, this outfit is so beautiful," Rulan exclaimed in admiration.

Tong Cheng'er looked in the mirror: "Really?"

She sees no difference at all.

I'm not just trying to comfort her, am I?

Rulan: My dear wife, why are you so insecure!

Tong Cheng'er herself may not feel it deeply, but the people around her who have served her since childhood feel it very deeply.

Since her marriage, she has lived a happy life, loved and pampered by others, and most importantly, she has Yinzhen who "nourishes" her from time to time.

She already had a good foundation and was a natural beauty; now, after being nurtured, she became even more delicate and charming.

Even if the change is subtle and not obvious, it will become apparent to anyone with eyes over time.

Tong Cheng'er finished dressing when Ru Xue came in and said, "Madam, everyone has arrived."

Tong Cheng'er nodded: "Okay, let's go."

Although it's a flower viewing party, the weather isn't so hot anymore, but it's still sunny outside, so Tong Cheng'er wouldn't just set up the venue outdoors.

Besides, everyone who came knew that this flower-viewing banquet was just an excuse.

When Tong Cheng'er appeared in the hall, everyone looked over upon hearing her voice and then stood up.

The Jiangnan region is wealthy, and the ambiguous relationships between wealthy merchants and officials' wives have contributed to the high social status of these merchants.

That's why Tong Cheng'er dared to invite the wives of officials and the wives of wealthy merchants to a banquet, because she had inquired and found that these people could meet on a regular basis.

She wouldn't dare do this in the capital, since some people look down on businessmen.

I feel like I can hardly breathe when I'm with businessmen.

Despite the stares of everyone, Tong Cheng'er calmly sat down on the sofa chair at the head of the table.

Before she could even sit down, a woman at the head of the group led everyone in bowing and greeting her.

Tong Cheng'er: "Get up quickly, everyone sit down and let's talk! I would like to thank all the ladies for gracing us with their presence at today's flower viewing banquet!"

People just listened to her words. She was not old, but her status was undeniable! She was a prince's wife, and it was said that His Majesty favored the Fourth Prince, and this Fourth Prince's wife herself came from a very good family.

They all wanted to attend even if they hadn't received an invitation, but once they did, there was no reason for them not to come.

The opportunity was rare, but offending people was another matter.

Throughout the banquet, Tong Cheng'er held the highest status. Many of the women present were wives of Yinzhen's subordinates, and these women were all shrewd and eloquent.

Tong Cheng'er felt as if she were a celestial being descended to earth after hearing this.

This made Tong Cheng'er realize that the noblewomen of the capital were no match for these merchant ladies when it came to flattery.

They praise people with witty remarks, exaggerating to the point of being incredibly believable—the kind of praise that you know is exaggerated, but you still can't help but want to believe.

More importantly, they dare to praise.

The noblewomen in the capital were still too proud to openly praise a junior like her, but the people from Jiangnan didn't have such concerns.

Tong Cheng'er was bombarded with compliments, but just as she was about to get carried away, they stopped her. Compliments are nice, but there's a limit; listening to too much of them can lead to a distorted self-image.

"The cooks in the kitchen are quite skilled; they've prepared some tea snacks and other desserts, such as Ruxue and Rulan. Have them sent over!"

Rulan and Ruxue quickly arranged for milk tea and Mongolian specialty foods.

Milk tea has proven to be incredibly delicious, and its Mongolian flavor is also very appealing to many.

In particular, Tong Cheng'er has specially made some improvements in the past two days, combining Mongolian flavors with local Jiangnan tastes, so that it can better adapt to the market. Tong Cheng'er understands this very well.

Even among the distinguished families from Jiangnan, the food and drinks were irresistible, and the temptation of milk tea was hard to resist.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!