The beaded curtain trembled slightly, and Lian'er, dressed in green, entered.

After bowing to Mingzhuang, Lian'er said, "Ninth Miss, the flower-adorning banquet at the residence of Minister Pei of the Ministry of Rites will be held in a few days. Third Madam invites you to come and choose your clothes and jewelry with the other young ladies."

Lian'er spoke in a gentle voice, and despite the animosity between them, she did not side with her mistress. She still showed the proper politeness and respect to Shen Mingzhuang, the Ninth Miss.

Man Huan felt something was amiss. There were only a few days left; how could there be time to make clothes?

Thinking about the recent discord between the Third Madam and the Ninth Miss, Manhuan felt a little worried for her young mistress.

Shen Mingzhuang guessed that Madam Lin couldn't possibly have called her over just to pick out clothes and jewelry, otherwise she would have said so when they parted earlier. However, she couldn't avoid it either, so she simply got up and followed her to Yuehua Courtyard.

Mingzhuang knew that the flower-adorning banquet held at the residence of Minister Pei of the Ministry of Rites was an annual spring celebration, which had always been hosted by the Ministry of Rites, and in recent years it had been hosted by Madam Pei.

In Tianzhong Kingdom, people of all ages and genders are very enthusiastic about wearing flowers in their hair. They yearn for and are passionate about beautiful things. Shen Mingzhuang remembers a scene in the book where the emperor bestows flowers upon his officials. When the ministers attend court, they all wear flowers in their hair according to their official rank. Mingzhuang can't help but twitch his lips when he thinks of that scene.

The Flower-Wearing Festival should still be held at the Pei residence. Shen Mingzhuang's heart tightened. Does that mean he'll be seeing Pei Jingzhou, the affectionate second male lead from the book?

She remembered that according to the book's plot, Pei Jingzhou should still be immersed in the grief of learning of the original owner's death and had rejected many marriage proposals from his parents. Thinking of this second male lead who refused to marry only Shen Mingzhuang, she lowered her eyes and began to make plans in her heart.

If Pei Jingzhou can escape Jiang Wang's control, could the plot be reversed and he no longer have to be with that terrifying guy Jiang Wang?

Who says the second male lead can't be the male lead? Who becomes the male lead depends on the female lead's choice. You know, Pei Jingzhou is one of the most handsome men in the book. He's extremely talented and very devoted to the female lead. If she could marry Pei Jingzhou, wouldn't she be able to live a peaceful life for a few days?

She was truly smitten.

In the Moonlit Courtyard, Madam Lin sat in the flower hall, surrounded by several young girls in the prime of their youth. Apart from Shen Mingshu, the others were all born out of wedlock.

Shen Mingshu's expression was not good. After bowing, Shen Mingzhuang stood obediently to the side. She didn't want to provoke this little fool, Shen Mingshu.

“Mingzhuang, if you don’t come soon, the sisters will have already chosen all the nice fabrics.”

Shen Mingzhuang smiled and said, "Mingzhuang is the younger sister, so it's only right that the older sisters choose first."

What are these materials compared to her? She has plenty of treasures in her little storeroom. These materials were given to the concubine's daughters by Madam Lin, so naturally she wouldn't bring out anything of great quality. She really wouldn't even look at them.

However, Lin hadn't called her over to let her choose fabrics; she was there to stuff clothes into her hands.

"These leftover fabrics are no longer suitable. When I made clothes for your third sister, I made several extra sets. Since you two sisters are about the same age, just choose one to wear."

Upon hearing Lin's words, Shen Mingxi, Shen Ming'e, and the others looked at each other, somewhat envious of Shen Mingzhuang's good fortune. These were clothes made for Shen Mingshu, so they must be far superior to the clothes worn by the illegitimate daughters!

If one could wear a presentable dress to the flower-adorning banquet, one would certainly attract a lot of attention. For girls of marriageable age, this was simply an irresistible temptation.