Li Shiyue's aloofness was undisguised, especially after she was out of Xu Yunyang's sight, her disgust became even more obvious.

Chunling followed behind. Just from Li Shiyue's profile, based on her understanding of the young lady, she could tell how much the young lady disliked this Third Young Master.

Chunling withdrew her gaze. She didn't like them either; after all, the Second Madam and the Tenth Miss had bullied the young lady. She was a useless person, only good at protecting her mistress. Anyone who had bullied the young lady would be marked with a red X in her eyes.

The invitations to the various households were prepared several days later. Tomorrow was the formal banquet, and at dusk the sky was a deep orange-red, especially on the distant horizon, where large swaths of clouds appeared to be ablaze, dyeing half the sky red.

After dinner, before nightfall, the evening sky was already completely dyed crimson, as if it were about to burst into flames.

Li Shiyue leaned against the chair by the main room doorway. It was a newly delivered chaise lounge, which was more spacious than the previous one.

She could even put her legs up, lying there leisurely. The cool evening breeze gradually blew in, but it didn't bring the fiery red glow above her head, instead offering a touch of coolness.

Chunling ran quickly, stopping panting in front of Li Shiyue. Her lips moved, but she could barely speak, probably because she had been running so fast.

Li Shiyue picked up the cup beside her: "Have some water to calm down. What's making you so anxious?"

Chunling gulped down the drink in two gulps and finally found her voice: "Miss, the Earl has been sent back to Yunzhong County, and the Emperor has issued an edict that no one may enter the capital without a summons."

"No one may enter the capital without being summoned" is a phrase usually used by emperors to punish princes, and rarely applied to their subjects.

Li Shiyue asked in surprise, "Do you still know what you said?"

Chunling shook her head, hurriedly patting her chest: "I don't know about the other servants, but Changshun told me. He also said that the young master has returned, and that you should go to Songyuan, Miss."

Li Shiyue's brow twitched, she looked up at the clouds in the sky, and leaned back.

"It's getting late, I'll go ask my grandmother later."

Xu Yunci usually consulted with Old Madam Xu on matters of state, let alone the matter of the Earl of Yunyang. She tended to believe Xu Yunci's account that the Earl of Yunyang's imprisonment and involvement in the Huayuan County corruption case was due to him being dragged into it by someone else.

Moreover, the mastermind behind it all has already admitted it, and even his own hidden motives have been confessed.

It was truly a headache. Li Shiyue seemed to be thinking, "Let's go to Songyuan." But her legs and waist remained firmly seated, refusing to move.

Xu Yunci, who had been waiting for someone at Songyuan for a long time without success, toyed with the invitation she had just finished. The leather was made of light and elegant material, with only two roses blooming side by side in gold ink, and then embroidered with fine gold thread by a skilled embroiderer.

The two characters for "invitation" in the middle are small and delicate, clearly written by a woman.

He knew his younger siblings' handwriting better than anyone, but the handwriting on the invitation in his hand was completely unfamiliar.

His ten fingers were slender with prominent knuckles, yet they didn't appear out of place. He fiddled with the clearly visible light-colored booklet, a thin layer, the handwriting inside and the "invitation" on the cover obviously from the same hand.

The next morning, the Xu family was already bustling with activity. Xu Yunci could clearly feel it after the morning court session; the servants were hurrying around, all preparing for the banquet that was about to begin.

Today, Li Shiyue wore a light blue, high-waisted ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress). A wisp of crimson brocade draped over her shoulders and hidden beneath the ruqun. A light blue ribbon was tied around her slender waist, occasionally slipping into the hem of her skirt as she moved, only to flutter in the breeze.

Today, she wore a hibiscus-patterned jade and gold hairpin in her hair. She stood with Xu Lingzi. Her clothes were in light colors, but the feathers and satins on them were all luxurious items that ordinary people could not afford.

Xu Lingzi stood to her left, with a bright and friendly smile on her face. She was wearing a light blue long dress with a pink and white patterned jacket, and she also wore a pearl hairpin, which was quite unusual for her.

She smiled warmly at the guests, and today's event was also for her. Li Shiyue stood beside her, occasionally chiming in with a few words, but otherwise just watched obediently.

She listened and watched obediently, her clear eyes and attentive demeanor earning the favor of the elders passing by.

Of course, aside from those who dislike her. Some women made no attempt to hide their displeasure, their expressions changing drastically as they passed by her, while others, with better manners, would at least nod and greet her, showing no impropriety whatsoever.

In fact, Li Shiyue was not surprised. Feng Lanyin was the first, and it was inevitable that there would be a second and a third. After all, the capital city was under the emperor's nose and extremely prosperous. There would not be only a few families with young women.

What she didn't expect was that Fu Yuning had come with the Lady of Changping Marquis, and it wasn't the Pixiang Palace. Passersby would turn their heads, and it would be difficult not to attract attention.

As for the Fan family, only Madam Fan was present today; the second daughter of the Fan family was nowhere to be seen.

When Xu Lingzi saw Fu Yunning, she was puzzled. She met Li Shiyue's gaze. After all, Xu Lingzi had been by Li Shiyue's side when she wrote the invitation, and the two of them even worked together, one reading and the other writing.

The people have already arrived, and they came with Lady Changping. The Changping Marquis's residence has issued invitations, so it's not right to turn them away when they're already at the door.

As soon as Lady Changping entered, she saw the two sisters and walked over with a smile: "I saw the county princess and the sixth young lady at a glance. I saw the young master and several young men at the gate just now. Look at the Rongguo Duke's mansion, they are all very pleasing to the eye."

"Don't say I came early. With such a beautiful young lady, I'd rather stay longer than leave."

She was the daughter of a military general, and her personality was always straightforward; the power of her tongue was beyond the reach of ordinary people. Just by looking at Fu Yun Ning, one could tell how much her stepmother had manipulated her.

If it weren't for the Noble Consort of Pixiang Palace, who knows what kind of life this eldest daughter of the Fu family would have had. It's puzzling, really, that Lady Changping, despite her sharp tongue, always manages to have a harmonious relationship with him whenever they meet.

He had never been seen making things difficult for anyone, yet he harbored a deep-seated hatred for the eldest daughter born to the first wife, and no one knew why.

Someone dared to ask, but all they received was a cold laugh from the Lady of Changping, who never gave any reason.

According to Xu Lingzi, if Fu Yunning hadn't done anything, why would the Lady of Changping Marquis have gone to such lengths, disregarding her reputation?

"Madam, you praise us so highly, we should be embarrassed. Madam, you've come at just the right time. The ladies' seats are a bit further inside."

Xu Lingzi smiled generously, without the slightest hesitation.