Li Shiyue got up very early for her birthday banquet. Her eyes were wide awake as Lian Dong and Chun Ling dressed and styled her. Today's dress was brightly colored, different from the one she wore a few days ago. The cuffs and collar were embroidered with gold thread.

The hair bun is also more elaborate, with a pair of small crowns and hair clips inlaid with pink lotus, gold flowers and trees and jade at the front and back, and the space between them and the gold hairpins and tassels on both sides of the back of the head is filled with sparse gold ornaments.

Li Shiyue looked at herself in the bronze mirror, her lips, like cinnabar, were painted with lip rouge. As she stood up, the gold hairpin on her head made a slight clinking sound, but it did not shake.

The later someone arrives, the more distinguished they are. Almost all the families that are on good terms with the Xu family have arrived. Li Shiyue looked around the courtyard and saw that the other officials' families had also arrived.

"Guanqing Garden was bestowed upon Prince Xu by the Emperor. You have quite the nerve to hold your birthday banquet here."

The woman who spoke wore a pale yellow dress, her eyebrows slightly raised, and she looked at Li Shiyue with a defiant gaze. Seeing the questioning look in Li Shiyue's eyes, Feng Lanyin felt somewhat displeased.

“Feng Lanyin, the third daughter of the Feng family of the Minister of Revenue’s residence, you don’t remember me, do you?”

Li Shiyue finally understood why she looked so familiar; she had previously accompanied Madam Yang to the Ministry of Revenue to attend Madam Xiao's birthday celebration.

The woman standing before him, the third daughter of the Feng family, was the very person the Feng family had initially intended to marry into the Xu family. However, the Xu family had no interest, so the matter was dropped. She had indeed sent an invitation, so seeing Feng Lanyin was not surprising.

"Of course I remember, the Third Miss arrived quite early."

Feng Lanyin looked around and followed Li Shiyue's steps, her heart filled with indescribable feelings as she gazed at the corridor's layout. If she didn't arrange a marriage with the Xu family soon, she would truly have to become a concubine in Chonghua Palace.

Moreover, both of her concubines were already married, and she had no desire to become a concubine, a lower-class woman.

"I heard you organized your own birthday banquet. As expected, we don't share the same surname, so he doesn't seem to care much about you. But you should understand that even if you are a county princess personally appointed by the emperor, it's just compensation from the emperor to his daughter."

"Your birthday banquet was held at Guanqing Garden. Could it be that you shamelessly begged Prince Xu for it? But thinking about it, it makes sense. Since you can shamelessly live a life of dependence in the Xu family, it's not hard to guess how out of his mind Prince Xu would agree to it."

"You've never had a mother to teach you since you were little, so it's understandable that you've made mistakes. But Prince Xu has a reputation for integrity, so don't drag him down with you, or his future wife might cause you trouble."

Feng Lanyin looked disdainful. She didn't feel anything when she received the invitation, but when she saw that it was on Xu Yunci's private grounds, she felt so disgusted with Li Shiyue, who came from the Earl's Mansion.

Li Shiyue suppressed her anger and turned her head with a smile: "Where did Miss Feng hear these words? I am holding this event myself because I have been learning about official matters from my aunt for a long time, and I am taking this opportunity to practice today."

As for my cousin, he simply wanted my maternal grandmother to come out for a visit; it was a filial act, how could it be portrayed so negatively in your mouth? However, the Third Miss is quite right about one thing: my title of County Princess was bestowed upon me by the officials as compensation.”

"So what? I am the only county princess of a different surname in this dynasty. Even if the Third Miss doesn't like me, you can only endure it."

Li Shiyue turned to continue walking forward, but seeing the group of women who had been led over behind her, she really didn't want to argue with them anymore.

But Feng Lanyin refused to give up. She quickened her pace to catch up with Li Shiyue and walked with her. Seeing that Li Shiyue did not stop, she talked as she walked.

"Then I'll tell you the truth. No matter how shamelessly you pursue Prince Xu, Consort Fu intends to marry Princess Chunhui to the Duke's mansion as the princess's wife. If you don't give up your little schemes, the Emperor will only be a county princess if he wants to make amends in the future."

"But you've had a really tough time. Your mother left you when you were little, and your grandmother probably didn't like you either. She was probably driven away by you. The Marquis of Yunyang hasn't seen the Emperor for many years. He finally made it to the capital, but ended up in prison. Don't you think you're a jinx?"

Li Shiyue stopped in her tracks, noticing Feng Lanyin's smug expression, as if she thought she had touched a sore spot. Unfortunately for Feng Lanyin, Li Shiyue smiled slightly and said, "No matter what you say, it's just that you want to marry into the Xu family, but they don't want you. Why drag others into it?"

"Even if I shamelessly pursued my cousin, he still likes me. I'm so angry."

As soon as Li Shiyue finished speaking, Feng Lanyin in front of her looked surprised and pointed at Li Shiyue, unable to speak. After a long while, she was furious: "How can an unmarried girl say such things?"

"Yes, I still have a lot to learn from the Third Miss in this regard. After all, the Third Miss is much better at scolding people in this area, and she always picks on their sore spots. If I were to go after my cousin and say that, do you think that, given my cousin's protective nature towards his family, the Third Miss would be seen as a person he loves?"

"Sharp-tongued!" Feng Lanyin didn't expect that her initiative would be met with sarcasm and ridicule. She was so angry that she didn't wait for Li Shiyue and went to the backyard on her own.

Li Shiyue didn't take a step, but beckoned to the maid behind her: "Lead the way."

The maid nodded and replied "Yes," but before leaving, she glanced discreetly behind Li Shiyue and quickly turned to chase after Feng Lanyin, who was already in a frenzy.

Li Shiyue naturally noticed the maid's gaze, and turned around with a puzzled expression. For a moment, she felt as if she had been struck by lightning.

Especially Xu Yunci, who seemed calm on the surface but actually had a subtle smile on his lips, Xu Yunxu who gasped beside him, and Xu Yunyao who was silent and scratching his head, looking around.

Good heavens, is this going to kill her?

As Xu Yunci strode toward the shocked Li Shiyue, the two "abandoned" brothers simply moved closer.

Xu Yunxu raised her hand to cover her lips: "Yan Yan was so quiet and delicate before, but her mouth is so sharp, it's even comparable to Fifth Sister's."

Xu Yunyao crossed his arms thoughtfully: "I think that's quite right. That girl from the Feng family doesn't know how to talk at all. If you ask me, I'd say she'd just punch you with that mouth."

Xu Yunxu gave Xu Yunyao a deep look, then stepped back slightly: "With your personality, it's no wonder you can't find a wife."

After a moment of silence, Xu Yunxu realized he had spoken out of turn. After all, Old Madam Xu had previously intended to choose a husband for Li Shiyue from among the two of them, but now it seemed that Xu Yunci alone was enough.

Xu Yunyao remained calm and shook her head: "There's nothing I can't say. After all, we're just cousins, there's nothing else between us."