Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and soon it was time for the palace banquet.
Jiang Yimian never expected that the person Lu Cijian said would come to pick her up would be Xie Yu.
Xie Yu was dressed in a magnificent palace gown today, with a pair of butterfly-shaped hairpins adorning her head. They swayed gently with her steps, the movement so subtle that it only accentuated her grandeur and nobility.
Every gesture she made exuded a royal aura, quite different from her usual self.
Jiang Yimian was momentarily stunned.
Xie Yu rarely acted like a princess, which often made Xie Yu forget her status. Today, her magnificent palace attire only made Xie Yu's aura seem even more imposing.
Fortunately, Jiang's parents had taken the two little ones to the academy and were not home at the moment; otherwise, they would have been terrified if they had seen Xie Yu.
As soon as Xie Yu entered the Jiang residence, he looked around as if he were looking for someone.
She looked for a long time but couldn't see that familiar figure, and she couldn't help but feel a little dissatisfied.
Since returning to Beijing, she has not seen Jiang Qingyuan again. They rarely interacted, so it was indeed difficult for them to meet.
I thought I would be able to see someone at the Jiang residence today, but it seems that my expectations were dashed.
He sighed helplessly, and when he looked up, he met Jiang Yimian's ambiguous smile.
She felt a little uncomfortable under that gaze, and coughed lightly before saying, "It's one thing for Lu Cijian not to go to the palace with you, but he even made me come to pick you up."
If this person weren't you, I definitely wouldn't have come.
She, the dignified and incomparably noble eldest princess of the Great Jin Dynasty, has never been ordered around by anyone. It's just that Lu Cijian has no sense of being a subject.
Seeing this, Jiang Yimian said with a smile, "My brother is not at the Jiang family today."
Since Jiang Qingyuan's visit to the Jiang family, although he would occasionally send people over with gifts, he never came back and stayed at the General's Mansion.
Xie Yu came to escort her to the palace today, which initially surprised her, but now she realizes that his true intentions were not what they seemed.
Xie Yu wasn't there to pick her up; he was clearly there for Jiang Qingyuan.
Xie Yu wasn't annoyed that her thoughts had been exposed. She just looked at the person in front of her wearing a smoky blue fringed wide-sleeved dress and said with satisfaction, "Lu Cijian has a good eye for fashion. This dress really suits you."
There are many people in the palace today; if you go, you'll surely arouse jealousy.
Jiang Yimian already had fair skin, and when she wasn't smiling, she naturally exuded a cool and aloof aura. Coupled with this exquisitely crafted wide-sleeved dress, she looked no different from a goddess from the heavens, as if she had stepped out of a painting.
Many people attended the palace banquet today, and those noble ladies from the capital must have put a lot of effort into their dresses and hair accessories. But in her opinion, none of the noble ladies at the palace banquet could compare to Jiang Yimian.
Jiang Yimian just smiled, completely unconcerned.
Today's palace banquet is for two reasons: first, to reward the officials who contributed to the Qingnan project, and second, to address the weapons counterfeiting case. Neither of these matters has much to do with her.
She'd treat going to the palace as just a trip; all she needed to do was finish one thing before the banquet ended.
The carriage quickly left the Jiang family's residence, traveling through the streets, and finally arrived at the palace gate half an hour later.
The guards at the palace gates let the carriage through as soon as they saw it was Princess Xie Yu's carriage.
Following Xie Yu, we left from the front hall, passed through the Imperial Garden, and finally arrived at Baohua Hall.
Xie Yu glanced at the situation inside the hall and, seeing that there were already quite a few people, said, "I need to pay my respects to the Empress Dowager first. It's been a long time since I've been to the palace, so I must go and see her. You go in first."
Jiang Yimian responded, not particularly surprised by this.
Although Xie Yu had his own residence outside the palace long ago, he was not yet married and would occasionally stay in the palace. He had a close relationship with the Empress Dowager and the Emperor.
Upon entering Baohua Hall, one sees many officials gathered together talking, and the same is true for the female relatives. Palace maids are coming and going, placing wine and various foods on the tables on both sides.
Jiang Yimian casually found a corner to sit down and looked around at the decorations inside the Baohua Hall.
It must be said, this is truly worthy of being the imperial palace.
Although Baohua Hall was just a place used for holding palace banquets on ordinary days, it was built with great exquisite craftsmanship.
Whether it's the carved windows on both sides or the tables and desks inside the hall, the craftsmanship is extremely exquisite, and the patterns on them are exactly the same, creating a harmonious whole.
Even the high beams are carved with intricate patterns, so lifelike that they truly resemble blooming flowers.
Jiang Yimian was casually looking around when suddenly someone appeared beside her.
Chen Feiyan looked at her with some surprise, and said happily, "Miss Jiang, it really is you! I thought I was seeing things."
Today's palace banquet is both grand and unpretentious, as it is to reward those who have made contributions to the Qingnan campaign. However, it is not unpretentious either, as every official can bring their female relatives, making it no different from previous banquets.
The officials who are able to attend the palace banquet today are all prominent figures in the capital, at least of the fourth rank or above.
Perhaps some people of lower rank managed to get in, but most of them were people who were quite successful in the officialdom.
But the presence of Jiang Yimian, a shopkeeper with no connections, genuinely surprised her.
Then, remembering the rumors that the person behind Baoxiangfang was not simple, his surprise gradually disappeared.
She sat down intimately next to Jiang Yimian and said with a smile, "I went to Baoxiangfang a few days ago but didn't see Miss Jiang. Yunniang said you went to other prefectures to do business."
I was thinking of inviting Miss Jiang to the Chen residence another day when I have the chance. My mother's headaches have almost completely subsided, thanks to the fragrant pills Miss Jiang made.
It's a pity my mother didn't come today, otherwise, I would definitely take you to see her.
My mother really wants to see you.
Jiang Yimian just smiled and said, "Miss Chen, you flatter me. Baoxiangfang's business has improved a lot thanks to you and Madam Chen."
If it weren't for the Chen family mother and daughter speaking up for Baoxiangfang at the banquet that day, it would have been difficult for Baoxiangfang's business to reach its current level.
Chen Feiyan simply waved her hand, propped her chin up, and looked at the crowd in the hall, saying somewhat boredly, "This palace banquet has nothing to do with us, but my mother insisted that I come."
I usually dislike attending these kinds of banquets, especially seeing all those people fawning over the powerful and belittling the weak; it's incredibly boring.
She hated listening to those people flattering her the most. They would repeat the same thing over and over again, as if they wanted everyone to know about the glory of the mansion. It was so annoying to watch.
Jiang Yimian just smiled and didn't say anything more.
Chen Feiyan, however, seemed to have found a kindred spirit and began to talk incessantly.
This incessant chatter finally stopped when several more noble ladies from the capital walked in through the door.
Chen Feiyan said with dissatisfaction, "Look, that annoying fellow is here again."
Jiang Yimian looked towards the entrance and immediately saw Xue Lingyu surrounded in the center.
Today, Xue Lingyu was dressed very simply. Her light blue double-breasted ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) stood out among the colorful flowers, making her look like a pure white flower untouched by the world.
In particular, the shyness she occasionally reveals is quite captivating.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
