When Li Shiyue returned, the banquet was still bustling with activity, except that the Feng sisters were still nowhere to be seen.

She was still wearing the same jacket as before, but the inner skirt had been changed to a bodice and waist-cinching style, and the color was a bit lighter than the previous one, but it still made people want to take another look at her.

"Miss, Madam requests your presence."

Li Shiyue looked up and saw that it was the old nanny beside Madam Yang. Without thinking much, she said something to Xu Lingzi and followed the old nanny inside.

Lady Yang and the Crown Princess were seated in the main seats. When she saw her coming over, the Crown Princess quickened her pace and said, "Yan Yan, come here quickly."

Li Shiyue didn't need to look up to see her surroundings to feel the scrutinizing gazes from the matriarchs on both sides. Among them, she recognized several of the ladies sitting next to Madam Yang.

"I haven't seen Yan Yan for a few days, and she's grown up even more. I've been meaning to say this for a while now." The one who spoke was Madam Qin from the Grand Tutor's Mansion, who was also Qin Wanyin's birth mother.

Li Shiyue nodded and smiled, stood in the middle and curtsied before stepping forward and taking the hand extended by the Crown Princess, sitting down beside her.

"Ah, looking at it this way, it's still better to be a young lady. The Duchess is truly blessed. The Crown Princess and the Fifth Miss are your own daughters, and now you have the Princess of Yichang accompanying you. The sisters have a deep bond. You are truly blessed."

"Everyone knows you have four sons in your family, but when it comes to their behavior, none of them are as sensible as their mothers."

"Who says otherwise? I only have one child, and he still climbs on the roof and tears off the tiles every day, which makes me angry every day."

The ladies were talking about their own "scandalous affairs," but their faces were all rosy, so it wasn't necessarily all bad news.

Madam Qin smiled and looked at Li Shiyue: "I heard that you arranged the banquet yourself. Your aunt is really heartless."

These words were largely a joke, after all, the Rongguo Duke's Mansion and the Grand Commandant's Mansion had always had a close relationship, especially since Grand Tutor Qin was the tutor of the Crown Prince, and Xu Yunci was the Crown Prince's study companion, so the relationship between the two families was naturally different from that of others.

"How could that be? Although it's tiring, I only realized how difficult it was when I started doing it myself. But it wasn't that hard. My aunt felt sorry for me and allowed my fifth cousin to help me, otherwise I would have been in real trouble."

Li Shiyue spoke with a smile, not feeling embarrassed at all by being teased by her elders. Her generous and open manner was truly endearing.

Madam Qin's eyes were overflowing with affection as she nodded repeatedly at Madam Yang, saying, "This child is so good. You are so lucky to have her doted on like your own daughter."

"It's because Yan Yan is smart. Sometimes I just need to give her a few pointers and she understands. It doesn't take much effort at all."

Madam Yang smiled and agreed, then turned to look at Li Shiyue and sighed, "It's fortunate that I have a big heart. This child doesn't have to suffer after coming to the Duke's Mansion. Otherwise, how could I face my aunt?"

Madam Qin nodded: "You've put your heart into it. Yan Yan isn't the kind of child who doesn't know what's good for her. Just treat her like another child and she'll bring you a good husband when she gets married."

As she spoke, Madam Qin's expression became more regretful: "I only have one daughter, Awan. You know that the young men in the Qin family's collateral branches are not worth relying on. If I had a son, I would really like to go and propose marriage. I like such a good child as Yan Yan very much."

Madam Yang raised her hand, covered her lips with her sleeve and smiled faintly. Looking at Xu Lingyu and Li Shiyue chatting intimately beside her, she thought for a moment that it wouldn't be impossible for Li Shiyue to become her son's bride.

The thought startled Yang, and she awkwardly looked away. She still didn't think the eldest son's bride was a good match, but the younger son was possible, depending on Li Shiyue's own wishes. If the two children admitted their feelings for each other in front of their elders, then that would be fine.

If the two children have no intention of being intimate, she can only think about it and not say it aloud.

If Xu Yunci knew what her mother was thinking at this moment, she probably would have wanted to say it right now. Fortunately, she didn't know.

"The county princess has come of age, hasn't she?"

Li Shiyue looked at the lady who was speaking, and she seemed somewhat familiar with her. She nodded slightly and greeted her politely, "Madam Feng."

She was Feng Lanyin's mother, Madam Feng of the Minister's Mansion. She was not surprised by Li Shiyue's polite attitude, her tone as familiar as if she were speaking to her own junior.

“My lady is seventeen now, it’s time for her to get engaged. I wonder what the Rongguo Duke’s family thinks. If they don’t have anyone to choose from, I do have a young man here who is about the same age as the county princess.”

“He is my nephew from my maternal family. He is two years away from coming of age and will have to work hard for the imperial examination in the spring. As for my husband, he should settle down before establishing his career. Although my family’s official rank is not very high, they are still third-rank officials. I hope the county princess will not look down on him.”

The atmosphere instantly became quiet. The ladies who had just been praising Li Shiyue were now silent, making Madam Feng seem slightly embarrassed after she finished speaking.

Li Shiyue did not answer. She turned slightly to hide next to the Crown Princess, lowered her eyes, and pursed her lips. Her already red earlobes peeked out from the white downy hair on her neck.

"Although I am now teaching Yan Yan, we still need to listen to her maternal grandmother's opinion on her marriage. I also want to respect her own wishes and don't want to add any burden to the child." Although Madam Yang was smiling, she was sitting closest to Madam Qin, and it was obvious that Madam Yang was unhappy. However, she did not say it completely for the sake of the two families.

However, Madam Feng still didn't think so. Looking at Li Shiyue who was avoiding her gaze, she raised her eyebrows slightly and continued, "My nephew is handsome and dashing. The county princess will definitely like him when she sees him. Why don't I bring him to the Duke's mansion as a guest one day, so that the county princess can see him for herself? A daughter might like him after seeing her. Wouldn't it be better if our two families became even closer through marriage?"

A marriage that strengthens family ties?

Everyone listened with varying expressions, feeling that Madam Feng's words had a hidden meaning. However, seeing that Madam Yang and the Crown Princess's expressions changed one after another, they all tacitly pretended to be quails.

"Is Madam Feng drunk? What do you mean by 'marrying two families together'? When did our two families ever become related?"

Madam Yang's voice was gentle, and although she smiled, there was no smile in her eyes. She looked at Li Shiyue and said, "Yan Yan is now a member of the Xu family. Her marriage is none of the business of outsiders. There are good and bad things, and my mother and I will think about Yan Yan's best interests."

Compared to the affairs of our daughter, Madam Feng should keep a close eye on her own children. Constantly monitoring others will only annoy them.

This means that the Feng family is always trying to arrange a marriage with the Xu family, and it's really annoying that they've done it once or twice.

Besides, with the Xu family's status, they could easily find a suitable in-law or a partner for their child anywhere in the world. Why does the Feng family have to follow them around like they're blinded by greed? It's really annoying after a while.

Without even glancing at Madam Feng, whose expression was growing increasingly embarrassed, Madam Yang coughed.