Chapter 24: You've revealed yourself – are you Liu Jiao?!
Even in years of famine and disaster, the royal family still spent money like water. In order to hold the engagement banquet for Princess Xinyuehu and Li Du, they even specially went to a remote, mountainous village and spent three days gathering a large number of skilled craftsmen to quickly build a magnificent palace on the banks of the Xiaoqing River.
The engagement between Sang Ji and Liu Jiao was merely a secondary matter; the Crown Prince simply waved his hand and allowed the two to be engaged together.
The engagement banquet was mainly to celebrate Li Du and Xinyuehu.
On the high platform, Sang Ji stood tall and straight, sword in hand, beside Princess Xinyuehu, his face as cold as the moon.
Crescent Moon Fox sat on a high platform, radiant as a flower.
The Crown Prince was supposed to sit in the center of the engagement banquet, but he was preoccupied with other matters and left early to return to the capital.
Therefore, Princess Crescent Fox held the most prestigious position, sitting in the center, looking down upon those below the platform.
Liu Jiao is the only one who has not yet arrived.
Crescent Fox brushed aside the peony flower that had fallen beside her temple.
She was really looking forward to the start of the banquet:
We're just waiting for Liu Jiao to arrive so we can crush her.
She was overjoyed just thinking about that scene.
"Wow..." Liu Jiao peeked out cautiously from in front of the stone lion hall of the high palace, "It's finished so quickly?"
She wasn't unfamiliar with grand and wealthy families, but the fact that it was built in just three days still left her speechless.
The reason I arrived late was that I almost got lost, which is unbelievable.
As she marveled at the sight, she walked toward the banquet in the grand hall, only to be suddenly stopped by the guards at the door.
The guard glanced at her and wouldn't let her in.
Liu Jiao was stunned.
Aunt Sun, a fellow villager, called out to her that she had been stopped, so she explained:
"Young lady, although I admit you're pretty, this kind of banquet isn't something you can just attend because you're pretty. After all, you weren't invited."
Aunt Sun didn't recognize the person in front of her as Liu Jiao. She thought she was some ignorant girl who, relying on her beauty, had barged into a magnificent palace and mistakenly entered a wealthy household.
Liu Jiao was even more confused: "I was invited!"
Grandpa Zhang, standing next to Aunt Sun, joked:
"You'd better leave quickly, young lady! Everyone here is a villager from Caocun! I've met all the villagers from Caocun before, you're not from our village. Besides, judging from the Jiangnan pattern on your clothes, you're not from Huajing, are you?"
Liu Jiao nodded: "No."
“That’s right,” said Grandpa Zhang. “After all, all the princes and nobles from Beijing have arrived.”
Grandpa Zhang chuckled: "Since you're not a villager from Huajingcao Village, how could you have been invited?"
Liu Jiao: ?
What powerful logic—it makes so much sense!
No, wait!
Liu Jiao shook her head and replied seriously:
"Aunt Sun, Uncle Zhang, look carefully! It's me, Jiaojiao! Liu Jiao!"
She made a point of covering her entire forehead.
It imitates the look of someone with bangs.
Only then did it begin to resemble something familiar from the past.
"Huh?! You're Liu Jiao?!"
A gasp drew the attention of everyone at the banquet.
Seeing that everyone had been gathered around by him, Grandpa Zhang belatedly covered his mouth, feeling quite embarrassed.
"Oh, is it Miss Jiaojiao?"
Crescent Fox was the first to react, and a smile spread across her face.
She was already annoyed by the noisy villagers, and she was also looking forward to Liu Jiao's arrival, hoping that Liu Jiao would make her stand out. So she caught on to Liu Jiao's news as soon as she heard about her.
He immediately said, "Quick! Just sit next to me in a bit, don't be shy..."
As he spoke, his eyes gleamed as he looked over—
A beautiful woman with ethereal beauty, like a flower fairy, stood in the center below the high platform. She wore no makeup, her lips were naturally red, and she was pure and otherworldly, unlike anyone born in the mortal world.
The once lively and noisy banquet fell silent for a moment.
Then it became even noisier than before.
"Is she...is she also from the capital? I've never seen her before."
"Huajing is indeed Huajing. First, there was Princess Xin'an, and now this enchantingly beautiful girl has arrived... Big cities are just different!"
"Hey, I think this girl is even more beautiful than Princess Xin'an..."
"Now that you mention it... and I compare myself to her... well, the princess does indeed look a bit too ordinary..."
These words reached Crescent Fox's ears completely.
Her face stiffened, turned pale, and she panicked.
Seeing the princess looking over, and so many inquisitive and curious gazes, Liu Jiao felt very confused.
She looked around and greeted several acquaintances, but they ignored her.
Upon hearing the princess speak, she realized what was happening and immediately bowed.
"This humble woman, Liu Jiao, greets Your Highness."
She clasped her hands together and bent down.
Liu Jiao still remembered the etiquette Sang Ji had taught her, and although she did it hastily, she managed not to make any mistakes.
Crescent Fox's sarcastic remarks about Liu Jiao's appearance were stuck in her throat.
Caught between a rock and a hard place, unable to voice my grievances.
Is this Liu Jiao?
Why is she like this?
Crescent Fox choked.
Originally, she thought that Liu Jiao's presence would complement her own appearance.
But now—
People around her all said that she couldn't compare to Liu Jiao's looks.
Crescent Fox was at a loss for how to release her pent-up emotions.
So, Crescent Fox subconsciously looked at the two men beside her.
Sang Ji's expression remained calm; though he was staring at Liu Jiao, he showed no surprise.
The only consolation was that her fiancé, Li Du, didn't look at Liu Jiao at all, but instead drank alone in silence.
Crescent Fox did not allow Liu Jiao to rise.
She couldn't possibly give up on putting Liu Jiao down.
After a long while, Crescent Fox smiled and said, "Miss Jiaojiao, please rise."
The smile didn't reach his eyes.
Then, she turned to look at Sang Ji and suddenly said with a smile:
"She's quite beautiful, so I'll give her to you as your wife, Xiao Sangji."
She said it casually.
It was as if Liu Jiao was a commodity, given away casually.
Upon hearing this extremely disrespectful remark about Liu Jiao, the villagers who had been comparing her appearance to make the Crescent Fox look vulgar suddenly realized something and changed their tune in surprise: "She may be beautiful, but she's still not of high enough status."
What's the use of looking good?
There may be many beautiful women, but there is only one princess of the Dream Kingdom.
Liu Jiao's lower social status is something she can never match for Crescent Fox.
Crescent Fox was able to turn the tables on the enemy.
She calmly withdrew her gaze from Sang Ji and looked down at Liu Jiao from the high platform once more.
Seeing Liu Jiao standing alone in the main hall below the high platform, being ridiculed.
A calm smile, as always, bloomed on her face.
But just when she thought she had won...
A tall boy dressed in black blocked her view.
He stood in front of Liu Jiao.
The boy holds a sword.
It is Sang Ji.
With his back to Crescent Fox, he suddenly removed the black jade pendant he wore at his waist.
"Raise your hand," he gestured. "Here you go."
He placed the black jade pendant in Liu Jiao's palm.
None of the banquet attendees were aware of what was going on.
Only Crescent Fox's face turned pale, and his smile vanished completely.
Of everyone present, she was the only one who knew the significance of the black jade pendant.
This represents Sang Ji's identity, symbolizing the leader of the Imperial Guards and the heir of the Sang family.
The person who possesses the black jade pendant can enjoy all of Sang Ji's power.
They can freely deploy his elite troops and disrupt his meticulous plans at will.
He was the only one who could kill him.
With this jade pendant, Liu Jiao's status became extremely high.
Crescent Fox's eyes held a complex mix of emotions, including shock.
After handing it over to Liu Jiao—
Sang Ji turned around and looked back at Crescent Fox with a blank expression.
He returned to Crescent Fox's side as usual.
Crescent Fox's brows were furrowed tightly, and he remained silent all night.
Liu Jiao was able to get through this safely.
The wedding dates for Liu Jiao and Sang Ji, and Li Du and Xin Yuehu, were set at this banquet, on the eighth day of the seventh lunar month.
*
Chen Jiao suddenly appeared at Liu Jiao's door.
As the door was being pounded on, Liu Jiao was blowing on her pricked finger.
She was embroidering her wedding dress.
My eyes are bloodshot from staying up so late.
Chen Jiao came to find Liu Jiao because of Chen Chi.
Since Liu Jiao was betrothed to Sang Ji, Chen Chi has not returned to the Chen residence in Yangzhou City. Instead, he has been staying at the village chief's house in Cao Village for the past few days.
But I still haven't seen Liu Jiao.
He didn't even continue to study with the same reckless enthusiasm as before.
Liu Jiao has been so busy embroidering her wedding dress these past few days that she's almost forgotten Chen Chi is still in Caocun.
It was only when Chen Jiao came that she remembered.
Unexpectedly, as soon as she opened the door for Chen Jiao, their eyes met, and the noblewoman shoved her hard—
Liu Jiao stumbled and fell several times.
I managed to grab the corner of the table to avoid being knocked over.
"I want to take my brother back to the manor!" Chen Jiao shouted as soon as she stepped forward. "You shameless hussy Zang Huo, you won't let my brother go!"
Liu Jiao asked in confusion, "What? Why am I bothering your brother?"
Chen Jiaomei's eyes widened in disbelief:
"You must want to marry my brother!"
Liu Jiao asked, "Why do I want to marry him?"
Chen Jiao stomped her foot angrily: "Of course it's because you're greedy! You're greedy for his money and his looks!"
"Let me tell you, my brother is as pure as the breeze and as bright as the moon, he is the hope of the family, and even if things don't go well in the future, he will still marry a daughter of a wealthy and noble family!"
"You can't pull him down from this muddy spot! I absolutely won't allow it! Do you hear me!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Jiao exclaimed, "Huh?"
After Chen Jiao launched into a long tirade against the wall, I felt a surge of relief and my senses were flowing smoothly. When she turned her head, Liu Jiao was nowhere to be seen.
Liu Jiao was well aware of the dangers of getting angry.
As a health-conscious person who goes to bed early and gets up early, she covered her ears and ran away as soon as she saw Chen Jiao's anger directed at her.
He kept his bedroom door tightly shut, ignoring Chen Jiao's words.
But the speaker meant no harm, while the listener took it to heart.
Upon learning that his younger sister had rushed to Liu Jiao's door, Chen Chi—
But his arms hung limply, his fingers curled up, and his eyes were deep.
When Chen Jiao saw that no one was around, she angrily decided to go find Liu Jiao again—
My wrist was grabbed.
She turned back angrily, only to meet her brother's indifferent eyes.
Chen Jiao struggled, gritting her teeth and staring intently at Liu Jiao's bedroom: "Brother, don't stop me. There's something wrong with her. She has ulterior motives and wants to marry you..."
"She got married," Chen Chi said, leaving only the words, "on the eighth day of the seventh month, with Sang Ji."
Chen Jiao stood there, stunned.
It was as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over them.
Seeing that she was calm.
Chen loosened his grip on her wrist.
He glanced at her briefly, then stopped, his robes fluttering slightly. "Weren't you looking for me to return to the manor?"
Let's go.
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Author's Note: Tomorrow is my wedding night! [heart eyes][heart eyes][kiss]
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