When Du Yutong went out to greet them, some people stared wide-eyed in disbelief.
Even Cui Yudie stood there with her two personal maids watching.
The merchant's daughter, whom everyone talked about, was greeted with the warmth of a high-ranking official's daughter, who treated her like a long-lost relative.
That Yue Niang was indeed no ordinary person.
Everyone had different expressions, secretly wondering who Yue Niang really was.
You Xian'er, the daughter of the Minister of Works, curled her lip in disdain and said to her maids Mu Li and Mu Tao, "It's unbelievable that the daughter of the Dali Temple would go to curry favor with a merchant."
Muli glanced around and tugged at You Xian'er's sleeve, "Miss, please don't say such things. It wouldn't be good if someone with ulterior motives told Miss Du."
Mu Tao disagreed, saying, "Our young lady is telling the truth. No one knows about Yue Niang's family background; she might just be a wealthy merchant."
"Mutao, this isn't home. There are too many people around, so don't make things up without evidence."
Seeing the jealous look in her young mistress's eyes as she looked outside, Muli realized that Mutao's words were only adding fuel to the fire, so she quickly spoke up to stop her.
Muli glared at Mutao, who glared back and shut her mouth.
Muli tugged at You Xian'er's sleeve.
"Miss, Princess Yonghe is inviting everyone to the plum garden to admire the plum blossoms soon. Let's go back to the room and fix our makeup."
You Xian'er looked away. "Alright, let's go back to the room to wash up and change our clothes."
Yesterday, her father called her to his study and specifically instructed her to be mindful of her words, actions, and demeanor at the palace.
Although her father didn't explicitly say why, You Xian'er could guess a thing or two from his tense expression.
If we come to the imperial palace today, perhaps the emperor will arrive.
You Xian'er turned and left with her two maids.
Other noble ladies also seemed to want to go back to their rooms to wash up and rest before going to admire the plum blossoms, so they all headed towards the backyard.
People left the hall in twos and threes, leaving only Cui Yudie and her personal maid standing there without moving.
The maid, Liuzhi, said, "Miss, everyone else has gone back to prepare. Let's go back to our room and tidy up too."
"Yes, Master said that the Emperor might come to the Imperial Palace to admire the plum blossoms. Miss, you should also change into that bright red embroidered cloak later."
Liu Xu looked mysterious, and after speaking, she turned around warily to look behind her.
The fact that the Emperor might come to the imperial palace was a deduction made by the master, and this matter must not be known to the other young ladies.
She then lowered her voice and said, "Miss, whether we can stay in the Pepper Room depends on our luck in the next few days."
Cui Yudie was intelligent and naturally understood that her performance in the imperial palace this time was of paramount importance.
She was beautiful and talented, and hoped to meet the emperor in the palace.
Seeing the emperor's face would not only relieve his longing but also allow the emperor to get to know him.
She considered herself to be beautiful and in the prime of her life.
It is said that even heroes cannot resist the charms of a beautiful woman. The emperor, with his majestic bearing and elegant appearance, is still a man after all.
As long as he sees me, I will always have a place in his heart.
My fate has been reported, and the Emperor is aware of it.
Her father was a first-rank minister and the emperor's right-hand man. As long as she caught the emperor's eye, the Empress's palace would be a piece of cake.
She was destined to be an empress, a model for the nation, and therefore needed to be tolerant of others.
Unlike other young ladies who are oblivious to the world around them and only concerned with their own affairs, they cannot be like other young ladies.
Moon Lady is a skilled physician and a renowned female tycoon in the capital. It's a good deal to befriend someone like her.
Thinking of this, she said to the two maids, "Let's go over and say hello to Yue Niang."
As Jiang Shuyue stepped into the hallway, she saw Du Yutong running towards her with a smile.
She quickly extended her hand, "You've come at the perfect time, Yutong! I was just wondering where to look for you."
Du Yutong rushed over and hugged Jiang Shuyue's arm, looking up at her with a smile:
"I thought Sister Yue'er was held up by something and couldn't come. I heard that the plum blossoms in the garden are in full bloom. I was so disappointed that Sister Yue'er couldn't enjoy them."
"It's good that you're here. Come in and have lunch. Everyone will be heading to the plum garden soon."
Du Yutong clung to Jiang Shuyue's arm, chattering away like a cheerful little bird.
Jiang Shuyue looked at her with tender eyes and didn't interrupt her.
Qiuju and Zhuer exchanged a glance and nodded, then smiled at Du Yutong:
"It was Miss Du who was thinking of us. Miss was worried that we wouldn't make it for lunch, so she took me to have lunch at an inn by the roadside before we went up the mountain."
"Really? The princess has made very good arrangements. There are palace maids to serve you meals in the dining hall whether you go early or late. Please don't be shy, Sister Yue'er."
"Really, Qiuju and I have already eaten. Let's go inside and settle in," Jiang Shuyue said earnestly.
Du Yutong looked up and saw that the two of them had indeed lost much of their lipstick, as if they had eaten.
She said excitedly, "Sister Yue'er is staying next to me. When the palace maids were arranging the accommodations, I asked them to reserve a room for you."
"Cui Yudie greets Yue Niang, and Miss Du is also very kind."
As the two were talking, a beautiful young woman walked towards them and gave Jiang Shuyue a graceful bow.
The two maids behind the woman also bowed their heads in greeting.
The woman's eyes sparkled, and her every gesture exuded grace and poise.
Jiang Shuyue quickly glanced at the newcomer and returned the greeting, then couldn't help but praise, "As expected of the Right Prime Minister's daughter, Miss Cui is truly beautiful."
Although she didn't know Cui Yudie, ever since Master Huiyuan came to the capital and calculated whose fate was compatible with the Emperor...
She had heard of Cui Yudie's name quite a bit.
Looking at the pretty young girl, Jiang Shuyue thought to herself, "She really is a beauty in the making."
Cui Yudie smiled faintly, "You flatter me, Yue Niang. Among the noble families of the capital, who doesn't know that Yue Niang is the real beauty?"
"Yu Die has long admired the name of Yue Niang and has wanted to get to know her for a long time, but has never had the opportunity."
"Thanks to Her Highness the Princess, I was able to see the true face of Yue Niang today, and also had the opportunity to appreciate the plum blossoms with Miss Du. It is truly an honor."
Du Yudie and Cui Yudie were not strangers. She returned a sweet smile and said, "Miss Cui, you are too kind."
Du Yutong and Cui Yudie both have the character "Yu" in their names.
Compared to the other two, Du Yutong is slightly older, has a more casual demeanor and personality, and speaks directly, which makes her seem immature.
Cui Yudie, being slightly younger, was very proper and disciplined, as if it were ingrained in her very being.
She speaks with the smooth manner of a matriarch in a wealthy household, but upon closer inspection, the smile in her eyes is not as sincere as that of Du Yutong.
Jiang Shuyue made up her mind. The girl in front of her was quite shrewd and not someone she could befriend.
"Miss Cui, we're a little late. We need to go in and settle in first."
Jiang Shuyue smiled politely and respectfully.
As if sensing Jiang Shuyue's emotions, Du Yutong smiled slightly at Cui Yudie.
"Miss Cui, please go ahead. I need to take Sister Yue'er inside to wash her face and rest for a while."
"Okay, see you later."
Cui Yudie nodded slightly and stepped aside.
As Jiang Shuyue and the others walked into the hall, a familiar voice suddenly rang out from inside, "Sister Jiang is here."
Why does she address him that way?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
