After the servant went to the front to inquire and returned to report, everyone learned what had happened.

It turns out that Princess Nan'an's carriage collided with Princess Xian'an's carriage, and the matter is currently being investigated.

Shen Mingzhuang couldn't help but grumble to himself, "Who's so clueless? This flower-adorning banquet is already crowded. With this commotion, who knows how far the traffic jam will stretch?" Fortunately, there was tea and snacks in the carriage. Since everyone was sitting there anyway, the maid brewed some tea, and the three of them waited patiently.

Shen Mingxi took a sip of tea, and then, as if thinking of something, suddenly smiled at Shen Mingzhuang and asked, "When Ninth Sister was in Jiangzhou, I wonder what kind of pastimes she usually had?"

This question suddenly came up and left Mingzhuang somewhat puzzled.

She fell ill when she returned to Beijing and was bedridden for half a month. The sisters' impression of her was still mostly of the things she sent.

However, Shen Mingxi had never liked associating with her, and usually spent her time with Shen Mingshu or Shen Ming'e. Today, she suddenly started asking about her own affairs... This made her think of the scene she saw at Daci Temple that day.

She smiled and replied casually, "Jiangzhou has many ladies from prominent families. Their daily leisure activities are mostly related to music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. They are always exchanging poems and writing poems, or appreciating incense and tea."

Shen Mingxi listened carefully, and only after she finished did she realize, what difference did it make whether she said it or not? Aren't the young ladies of noble families in the capital just like this?

Shen Ming'e also felt that the words were ambiguous, and she pursed her lips, about to say something, when the coachman's voice came from the front: "Ladies, we can go now."

The maidservants hurriedly collected the teacups and teapots, fearing that the tea would spill onto the girls' skirts when the carriage started moving.

This interruption, however, deflected the topic.

Lord Pei is the Minister of Rites, and Shen Mingzhuang's uncle is the Vice Minister of Rites. The uncle is also Lord Pei's protégé. As a result, the two families usually have close ties, and the people of the Pei family are also more friendly to the guests of the Shen family.

Madam Pei, over fifty years old, wore a pine-green stand-up collar spring gown with a slightly lighter-colored lotus-patterned jacket, dressed elegantly and gracefully, and stood in front of the wide-open gate of the Pei residence to greet guests.

The two maids standing behind her also had flowers in their hair, and their manners were very proper, befitting people from the Ministry of Rites' residence.

Minister of Rites Pei was about ten years older than Madam Pei and looked much more weathered. When the two stood together, they didn't look like husband and wife, but rather like people from different generations.

Even Lord Pei himself joked that if it weren't for Madam Pei's admiration for his talent, he probably wouldn't have been able to marry such a virtuous wife. The two of them were considered a beautiful couple in the capital.

Zhao walked ahead, and when Madam Pei saw her, she took her hand warmly and said with a smile, "I'm busy at home today, and I'm afraid I won't be able to manage here. If you have time, you'd like to help me look after things a little, so that no one will gossip about me."

These words sounded like something only someone close to would say. Shen Mingzhuang secretly observed how the two interacted and got a sense of what was going on.

The Pei family is a family of upright officials, and Lord Pei is known for his integrity and has great prestige in the court. The Zhao family, the maternal family of the first wife, had some connections with the Zhou family, the maternal family of Lady Pei, and the two families can be said to be old friends.

As Madam Pei spoke, her gaze swept over the women of the Shen family, but the smile on her face froze for a moment when she saw Shen Mingzhuang, causing Shen Mingzhuang's heart to skip a beat.