wait
Although Dou Zhen was restless all day, she had overheard Yao Suran's seemingly unintentional but actually barbed words.
She had long harbored resentment towards the Yao sisters for their countless domineering and wicked acts. Now, she couldn't allow Yao Suran to publicly ridicule Lin Xu. So, she gently curled the corners of her lips and chuckled softly:
"Today, thanks to His Majesty's grace, all the officials are able to celebrate the Third Prince's wedding. My father and Lord Lin are also in the main hall to offer their congratulations. My sister-in-law is naturally thinking only of her family. I wonder if Miss Yao is also so considerate and worried about her own family?"
Yao Suran's composure, which she had just managed to maintain, changed again.
"Relatives..." Dou Zhen was clearly mocking her! Everyone knew the Yao family had lost favor. Her aunt used to be the head of the three imperial concubines, and her uncle held military power; how could they allow this little girl to ridicule them? But now her aunt had fallen out of favor, and her uncle was trapped in Cizhou, unable to return to the capital...
The Yao family was already beyond saving! Even someone as proud as her mother cried at home all day long. What was this Dou Zhen anyway?! Why did she have to bring up such a sore subject?!
The Dou family... From now on, Dou Huaisheng was so insignificant, not even worthy of carrying shoes for their Duke's mansion, yet he is now about to sit in the position of Minister!
Yao Suran gritted her teeth, and after a long while, she managed to force out a cold laugh: "I didn't know Miss Dou was so eloquent. Is this the origin of the so-called 'talented woman of the capital'? Is it based on who can make sarcastic remarks?"
Dou Zhen was immersed in poetry and books from a young age and was intelligent, but she was still a bit arrogant at heart. Moreover, she had always been carefully raised and protected by Bai Shi, so she had never had the experience of arguing with anyone.
Yao Suran was sharp-tongued, and even if Dou Zhen was in the right, she couldn't possibly win an argument with her. Lin Xu saw this and was about to speak up to stop her when she noticed Yao Su'an, who had been sitting quietly to the side, gently patting her sister's hand.
Yao Suran had been holding back her anger for a long time and was currently in a fit of rage. She originally wanted to retaliate against Dou Zhen a few more times, but when she saw the weariness in Yao Su'an's eyes, she suddenly realized her mistake.
Today, only the two sisters from the Yao family attended the banquet. Before they left, their mother gave them several careful instructions, telling them not to get into any conflicts with anyone.
Now, they can only keep a low profile.
Thinking of this, Yao Suran had no choice but to suppress her hatred.
Forget it, why should she bother arguing with these down-on-their-luck folks? It's her fault for being so foolish.
Now that she bears heavy responsibilities, her priority should be securing her marriage with Su'an. After all, with the beauty of both she and her sister, they are undoubtedly among the best in Mujing. If they can marry into a prestigious family, the Yao family's decline can be reversed.
Seeing that Yao Suran turned her head to the side and coldly drank her tea, Lin Xu and Dou Zhen stopped talking.
With so many people around today, and the Yao sisters always being prominent figures, if anything were to happen at their table, it would probably spread throughout the circle of noblewomen in Mujing in no time.
As it was a palace banquet, soon after the formal commencement of the feast, a troupe of Peking Opera performers and several graceful palace dancers emerged. Unfortunately, the noblewomen were all seated in the side hall, separated by a screen, and could only catch a glimpse of them vaguely.
Even so, when the jade flute softly sounded and the orchestral music rose up, it was as beautiful as celestial music, making one almost intoxicated by it.
Soon, after the music and dance ended, the palace doors opened again, and the head of the Imperial Kitchen shouted in a high-pitched voice, "The Imperial Banquet is open!" Instantly, palace servants brought out exquisitely prepared imperial dishes and respectfully served them to the guests at each table.
This was Lin Xu's first time attending a palace banquet. Even though she had lived a life of luxury in both her lives, she had never seen so many delicacies, including some dishes she had never even seen before...
The aroma wafted through the air as the steam rose. Palace maids poured each of them a glass of crystal-clear wine. Dou Zhen, who did not drink, picked up a shallow jade cup filled with osmanthus honey. Song Jiaoling, sitting nearby, seemed to hesitate for a moment before also picking up her own cup of osmanthus honey.
The Third Prince was the main character of the day, standing in front of the hall in a crimson robe with wide sleeves and a Liang crown on his head. Standing beside him was Miao Yiyun, who wore an exceptionally beautiful bright red robe with wide sleeves. Even through the screen, one could vaguely see the bright and intricate peony vine pattern embroidered on it, which was very beautiful.
The two of them stood there, their noble aura alone dazzling, yet they were also a perfect match, making it impossible to look away.
As the sound of the bells and chimes faded, everyone raised their glasses to celebrate with the two of them from afar.
Yao Suran's expression darkened further.
Thus, the banquet officially began, and the guests relaxed considerably, exchanging greetings and well wishes.
Lin Xu focused intently on savoring the dishes before her. The honey-braised duck, served on a glass plate, looked simple, but one bite revealed a crispy and flavorful texture with a subtle sweetness. She wondered how the imperial kitchen had prepared it; it suited her taste perfectly. She then tried the crab roe, sea cucumber, and shark fin soup, as well as the clear and translucent bird's nest soup. It was smooth and creamy, yet not at all greasy—simply refreshing and delightful.
After several busy days, she finally recovered completely and her appetite returned.
When she put down her chopsticks, she found that she seemed to be the only one at the table with a good appetite. Dou Zhen and Song Jiaoling only sipped the bird's nest soup, and Yao Su'an looked listless and barely touched her chopsticks.
Lin Xu couldn't help but chuckle. Indeed, on such an important occasion as today, everyone was extremely careful about their words and actions, let alone these high-society ladies who were usually very strict with themselves.
After a hearty meal and drinks, round after round of song and dance performances followed. Many ministers, their faces flushed, seemed somewhat tipsy. Quite a few had already gone to wash and rest.
She looked towards the front of the hall and saw that her father, unable to hold his liquor, was nowhere to be found at the banquet. Dou Huaisheng, dressed in a crimson gauze robe, was already flushed from drinking and was chatting and laughing happily with the ministers around him.
Lin Xu looked away, quickly drank some tea to rinse his mouth, washed his hands, and then used the excuse of washing his hands before getting up and leaving with Zhu Ling.
.
In midsummer, even the night breeze carries a hint of sultry heat. After spending a long time in the bustling hall, breathing in fresh air is undeniably refreshing.
Several beautiful maids stood guard on either side of the palace gate. Lin Xu turned aside, took Zhu Ling's hand, and slowly walked towards the corner of the corridor.
The glow of the glass lamps reflected on the vermilion pillars. In the distance, pavilions and towers intertwined. The majestic and solemn palace walls, which were magnificent during the day, were now mostly hidden in the moonlight, adding a touch of haziness. The eaves still turned up high, like birds about to take flight.
Several tall osmanthus trees stood along the corridor, their fragrance carried on the night breeze, quickly mingling with the sandalwood incense wafting from inside the hall and blending into the misty night.
She stood facing the wind for a short while, but her heart was inexplicably calm. She simply smelled the faint fragrance of osmanthus, and soon she caught a whiff of sweet, powdery scent wafting from not far away.
This is the only way back to the main hall from the washroom. Several noble ladies from wealthy families, having drunk too much during the banquet and worried about ruining their makeup, came out together to touch it up. Judging by the time, it's time to head back.
She waited for only a short while, and sure enough, she heard footsteps in the distance accompanied by low laughter.
Miss Song's voice was low and diffused in the air, mixed with a few wisps of laughter, making it particularly easy to recognize.
"...Just now at that table, you didn't see it, did you? Yao Suran was ridiculed, yet she didn't dare utter a sound. It was truly laughable..."
Another girl chimed in with a sweet voice, "It's hilarious! I've never seen her so humiliated. She wasn't like this when she was bullying people before... Did you see that? With just a few simple words from Miss Dou, Yao Suran was speechless. If her sister hadn't been holding her down, there would have been quite a show!"
The corridor was long and some distance from the outer side of the side hall. The night was hazy and there were hardly any people around. The group of people became more and more happy as they talked, and they laughed softly together.
"...When she used to bully our Miss Song, she never had such a miserable moment. She took a fancy to that fine brocade and made it impossible for anyone in the entire capital to buy it. And last year, the Prince Gong's son was clearly in love with our Miss Song, but Yao Suran insisted on ruining it. Back then, she was still so arrogant..."
Miss Song's voice turned colder, as if there was some hatred in her throat, and she let out a low hum.
Lin Xu stood under the osmanthus tree, listening to the whispers of the noble ladies, and gently clenched her handkerchief.
Historically, the rank of a Prince of the Second Rank was lower than that of a Prince of the First Rank, and their sons could not be granted the title of Heir Apparent. However, Prince Gong was the youngest son of the late Emperor, and he and the current Emperor were like brothers in their childhood, having been raised together by the late Empress Dowager. Emperor Su, mindful of their brotherly bond, made an exception and granted Prince Gong's eldest son the title of Heir Apparent, as a sign of imperial benevolence.
I've heard that the young master is over twenty but still unmarried, and with his handsome appearance, he's naturally a desirable marriage partner for many prominent families. The Song family, on the other hand, has a long and distinguished academic tradition; the second young lady's father, Song Zhihua, is a top scholar in the imperial examinations and a current Hanlin scholar, possessing exceptional talent.
There are even rumors that after the Third Prince enters the Empress's palace, Song Zhihua, who is close to the Third Prince, will probably be promoted to the position of Crown Prince's tutor, assisting the Crown Prince in learning state affairs.
Naturally, they were even more distinguished, and were poised to rise to the center of the court.
Lin Xu remembered the Song family from his previous life.
In his previous life, the Third Prince was made Crown Prince at a young age, and entered the Eastern Palace about a few months after leaving Zhiqiong Hall, around the sixteenth year of Yuanzhen. However, his marriage was still undecided at that time. Many noble ladies were vying for his hand, and the Emperor and Empress were most interested in the Xu State Duke's family and the Song Grand Scholar's family among the noble families, but they could not make a decision for a long time.
At that time, Lin Xu had almost no impression of Miao Yiyun, and the two had never met. Although Miao Ling was also a prince, he was not favored by the emperor and could not compare with other princes. He fell into poverty at an early age. Miao Yiyun was raised by the eldest princess since childhood. Later, on the eve of the Lin family's downfall, Miao Yiyun was granted the title of county princess.
Perhaps it was because the Yao family lost power midway through their lives that Miao Yiyun had a few opportunities to take advantage of them.
After Liang Zhengyuan's accident that day, Lin Xu was in a state of turmoil. Upon returning home, she was immediately pulled by Madam Bai to pay respects to the visiting ladies. At that time, she remained silent, quietly watching Madam Yao rack her brains to try and establish a relationship with Madam Jiang, but she couldn't help but have some thoughts running through her mind.
Aside from Jiang Heng's birth mother, Madam Jiang, the one who was subtly stirring up trouble by making unforgiving remarks about the Yao family during their tea time was clearly the seemingly dignified and composed Madam Song.
At that time, Lin Xu only secretly made a note of it, and then sent Zhao Qi and Zhi Yuan to secretly inquire about it. They were surprised to discover that the Song family was also a ruthless group!
Madam Song's daughter, the second eldest daughter of the family, was the most prominent noblewoman in Mujing, second only to the Yao sisters, and equally influential. In her previous life, she was very close to the Yao sisters, but always lived in Yao Suran's shadow.
In fact, Lin Xu's infamous reputation as a good-for-nothing in his previous life was also thanks to Miss Song's ingenious scheming.
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