Hearing such praise, Mrs. Li proudly raised her head, displaying her large double chin to everyone.

He Jiuniang smiled but said nothing, only thinking that Madam Li was quite cute.

What did she do wrong? She just likes to hear flattery.

For a moment, the atmosphere among the group became slightly awkward, especially for the person who had just shown goodwill towards He Jiuniang, who now wished she could disappear into the ground.

She thought He Jiu Niang was definitely more capable than Madam Li, and even secretly felt proud of her good judgment. She thought that if she could choose the right side, it would bring her husband many opportunities.

Who knew that Madam Lu was all bark and no bite? The clothes she was wearing were bought with all the money she had saved up. How could she possibly bear this?

Thinking about it this way, she felt a bit resentful towards He Jiuniang. If she didn't have money, she didn't have money. Why did she have to make herself look so glamorous? It made her offend Madam Li.

Just as she was thinking about how to salvage the situation, a group of maids came over, led by the beautiful young lady.

Biyu arrived with a group of maids, greeted everyone with a smile, and said, "Ladies and young ladies, almost everyone has arrived. Please follow us to your seats!"

After saying this, she bowed again and then said to He Jiuniang, "Madam Lu is new to the manor and must not be familiar with it yet. Please follow me."

The other maids simply walked up to the ladies and gestured for them to enter without saying anything. But Biyu deliberately went up to He Jiuniang and said something, which was clearly different from the others. While the others were alright, Madam Li was immediately displeased.

She was usually the center of attention, but today someone else took the spotlight, and it was a woman whose identity they didn't even know.

She sneered and said, "With so many of us here, how could Madam Lu possibly get lost? Madam Qian is so thoughtful!"

The prefect's surname was Qian, so his wife was called Madam Qian.

Madam Li's words were clearly sarcastic, but Biyu wasn't angry. She still smiled and explained, "This is Madam Lu's first time visiting our home. My lady specifically instructed me to take good care of her, and I dare not be negligent. The banquet is about to begin, ladies, please come with me."

Biyu's actions were already an attempt to smooth things over. After speaking, she led He Jiuniang forward first. Madam Li was very unhappy, but she didn't dare to cause trouble at the prefect's house. She snorted and followed.

"Sister Li, please don't be angry. In my opinion, Madam Lu isn't anything special. Otherwise, why wouldn't she dare to say anything? Isn't she afraid of being laughed at by us? The reason Madam Qian is taking such good care of her is simply because it's her first time here, and she's giving her extra attention. Madam Qian has always been gentle and kind, hasn't she?"

A lady nearby hurriedly stepped forward to comfort her, but her words inevitably turned into a comparison between one person and another. The other smart people around remained silent, after all, they had not yet figured out what kind of person this Madam Lu really was.

Madam Li was quite pleased. After all, her family had been in Jingzhou City for many years, and her husband was deeply trusted by Prince Chen. Even the prefect had to give him some face. She could walk sideways in Jingzhou City, so she had no need to be afraid of a newly arrived vixen!

Upon entering the small flower hall, we found it had been nicely decorated, with each person having their own small table set with tea and snacks.

Yes, there's also Lu Hei Ya (a type of braised duck) and some vegetarian side dishes.

Upon seeing this, almost everyone's eyes lit up, including He Jiuniang.

Of course, she was thinking: Has Lu Hei Ya (a type of braised duck) become a must-have dish for gatherings of wealthy ladies?

The others, including Madam Li, paid no attention to the infighting and were already eagerly taking their seats.

Taking advantage of everyone's inattention, he lowered his head and took a deep breath. The rich aroma instantly filled his nostrils, and everyone let out a satisfied sigh.

"As expected of Madam Qian, she can even buy Lu Hei Ya, which is sold in limited quantities in Jingzhou City. That's amazing! We usually can't even get our hands on it!"

"Yes, we usually have to ask people to queue up early to buy food at home. It's really enviable that Mrs. Qian was able to buy so much!"

"Oh my, I really love Lu Hei Ya (a type of braised duck). I don't have much of an appetite on this hot day, but I start drooling when I see Lu Hei Ya. I really got lucky today because of Mrs. Qian."

...

This was, after all, a gathering organized by the prefect's wife, and the prefect was a fourth-rank official, a very high position in this prefectural city. Everyone was vying to curry favor with him, so naturally no one dared to say anything sarcastic.

The prefect's wife smiled as she looked at everyone. She had organized the gathering today to show off her unlimited purchases of Lu Hei Ya (a type of braised duck). Seeing everyone's support, her smile became even more genuine.

She wanted to let these people know that she still had the most influence in the entire Jingzhou City, and that only she could buy unlimited quantities of Lu Hei Ya (a type of braised duck).

Of course, she wouldn't let anyone know that she had paid extra to get it.

"I'm glad everyone enjoys it. I organized this gathering today because my family booked an unlimited supply of Lu Black Duck a few days ago, so I invited everyone to come and try it. By the way, I'd like to introduce Mrs. Lu to everyone. Mrs. Lu and her family have just arrived in Jingzhou and are not very familiar with the city yet, so please take good care of them in the future!"

The prefect's wife smiled and glanced at He Jiuniang. She thought that although He Jiuniang was beautiful, she was not very talkative. She guessed that she was from a poor family and had little experience. She was a little nervous about attending such a high-class banquet.

He Jiuniang smiled politely at everyone and said, "I'll be relying on you ladies for your care from now on."

Everyone thought she was very polite, and the unpleasantness from the pavilion earlier was forgotten.

But Madam Li thought differently. She said somewhat unhappily, "Madam Qian, this Madam Lu doesn't say who she is. She knows our identities, but we don't know hers. Isn't this looking down on us?"

Hearing this, the prefect's wife was somewhat surprised. He Jiu Niang hadn't revealed her identity?

That's interesting.

She smiled and said, "It's better for Madam Lu to explain her own identity; after all, I'm an outsider."

Hmm, He Jiuniang suddenly found this prefect's wife interesting. It seemed that her relationship with Madam Li wasn't very good either; it was all just a facade.

The contents written in the notebook flashed through her mind again: This Madam Li, relying on her husband's real power, was usually arrogant and haughty. She even dared to show disrespect to the wife of the prefect, so it was understandable that the wife of the prefect disapproved.

Today, they are using her as an excuse to embarrass Madam Li.

Tsk, these ladies really do love scheming and backstabbing.

He Jiuniang shook her head, finding it quite amusing.

She smiled and said, "Ladies, you flatter me. My husband's position is not high, and our family has only just arrived in Jingzhou City. Our foundation is not yet stable, so we need your help!"