The lingering sound of Prince Guangling's helpless cry in the Golden Palace spread throughout Kyoto.
Even Wan Jinlan, a girl in the boudoir, knew that Prince Guangling was almost killed by an assassin on his way to his fiefdom. She also knew that he was traveling back to Kyoto in response to the emperor's edict in the winter and caught a cold. He has not recovered yet and is extremely weak.
The incident of Prince Guangling seemed to have spread throughout the streets and alleys of Kyoto overnight.
April 27th is an auspicious day for marriage, and it is also the day when Prince Xiao Zheng of Guangling and Princess Kangning of Runan Palace get married.
Prince Guangling was frail and lacked energy, so Princess Guangling devoted herself to caring for him. The two had originally traveled to Beijing to arrange Xiao Zheng's marriage, but ultimately the arrangements fell under the jurisdiction of the palace and the Ministry of Rites.
To demonstrate his benevolence, the emperor ordered the Ministry of Rites to lavishly organize Xiao Zheng's wedding. The various aristocratic families in Kyoto also gave him face and attended the banquet with gifts.
Three girls came to the mansion today, Wan Jinlan, Wan Jinyu, and Wan Qiuyu.
Wan Qiuyu was not originally qualified to come, but she begged the old lady, saying that she had never seen the wedding of the children of the Kyoto royal family and wanted to come out to broaden her horizons. She promised that she would always pay attention to her behavior outside and not do anything to bring shame to the government office.
The mansion had been filled with happy events recently, and the old lady was in a very good mood. Seeing her sincere words, and thinking about the nanny who had taught her recently saying that she had behaved very well and had become a lady from a noble family, and considering that it was not her fault that she was abducted at such a young age, she agreed.
With the sound of drums and music, the Guangling Palace was filled with joy and happiness. The ladies who came to attend the wedding banquet gathered in groups of three or five.
Wan Qiuyu was wearing a green dress today, looking quite decent and generous. Wan Jinlan and Wan Jinyu were talking with a woman they knew well, and she sat quietly beside them. Seeing that she was keeping to herself, Wan Jinlan felt a little relieved.
Xiao Zheng, dressed in festive red clothes, walked into the threshold holding the red silk with Princess Kangning.
Prince Guangling sat at the top seat, looking sick, but at least he still had a smile on his face. Princess Guangling left Wan Jinlan speechless. She still didn't give Prince Guangling face today, with a tense expression, as if someone owed her a large sum of money.
Wan Jinyu whispered in Wan Jinlan's ear, "Since Princess Guangling came to the capital, I haven't seen her at any banquet. I heard that she is plain-looking and has a plump figure, but she still looks like a cool beauty."
Wan Jinlan twitched the corner of his mouth.
The aloof and beautiful Princess Guangling? That was because Wan Jinyu had never seen the Princess Guangling not give face to the Prince of Guangling in the Prince's Mansion and even dare to show her disdain in front of the guests.
She really didn't expect that Prince Guangling and his wife could lose so much weight. She remembered that last winter, Prince Guangling was a healthy fat man with a round belly that lifted up his robe; and the Princess of Guangling was a wealthy woman, who had nothing to do with beauty.
Now, one of them is so thin and sickly that it seems that she will not live long; the other one has the charm of a beauty after losing weight, and now she looks like no one cares about her and everyone owes her money, and she also has a bit of a cold beauty.
It's really incredible.
Wan Jinlan looked at Princess Guangling several more times.
I wonder if she knows that her only daughter was married off to Youzhou. Will she kill her aunt when she returns to Yangzhou?
Princess Guangling noticed her gaze and looked over sideways. Seeing that it was her, she snorted silently and rolled her eyes slightly, looking very disdainful, and turned her head away again.
Wan Jinlan: "..."
She didn't care. If she were the Princess of Guangling, she wouldn't like the relatives of the concubines in the mansion. But at the same time, she didn't like the Princess of Guangling either.
After the couple finished the formalities, the banquet began.
Young ladies like Wan Jinlan were arranged at several tables together, and the ladies were arranged according to their rank and in-laws.
Arranging seats for a banquet is also a meticulous job. Not only do you have to clearly know the status of the guests, but you also have to know the relationships between them.
For example, the Wang family, the queen's family, and the Chen family, the concubine Chen's family, who came today, were not seated at the same table.
As everyone knows, the Chen family and the Wang family belong to different factions. Not only do they attack each other in the court, but even in the imperial city, the children of the two families are not on good terms with each other.
Wan Jinlan had been taught a lot about relationships by the old lady recently. She was also asked to learn how to handle some of the related matters related to Shen Qing's preparations for her two brothers' weddings, such as how to write invitations, the menu for the banquet, and the arrangements for guests on the day of the banquet. She had to learn all of these carefully. After all, when she entered the Qi Wang Mansion in the future, she would also be responsible for the interpersonal relationships in the palace.
Most of the female guests at Wan Jinlan's table were daughters from noble and marquis families.
They all grew up in Kyoto and attended countless banquets of all sizes, so they can still talk to each other.
But there are always those who want to stir up trouble.
For example, Wang Minghui.
"Your name is Wan Qiuyu, right? I heard that you were adopted by a farming family. Your fair skin shows that your adoptive parents treated you very well. When you return to the mansion, don't forget the kindness of your adoptive parents in raising you."
Wan Qiuyu was just about to find her today when this person jumped out.
In her previous life, Wang Minghui was not given to Prince Duan as a princess, but was married off to another place by the Wang family.
After she entered the palace, the Wang family still existed, but it was far less powerful than it was now and had fallen into decline. Wang Minghui was able to enter the capital because she had followed her husband back to report on her work. She had met Wang Minghui at a palace banquet and had some impression of her.
Wan Qiuyu knew that Wang Minghui was deliberately testing her and looking for trouble, hoping to discredit the government office by attacking her.
She didn't care about the reputation of the mansion, but she did care about her own reputation. She just wanted to forget the days in the Good Dream Pavilion.
Wan Qiuyu lowered her brows and eyes, adopting the gentle demeanor of a lady from a noble family. "Miss Wang is right. The Gongfu has naturally repaid the kindness of our adoptive parents. Qiuyu is also extremely grateful."
Wang Minghui raised an eyebrow and said, "That's strange. You obviously grew up in a farming family, but you don't have the smell of a farmer..."
Wan Jinlan put down the cup calmly and looked up at Wang Minghui. "Wang Minghui, you grew up in the Wang family, but when you're out there, you're always noisier than a duck in a pond."
She wasn't helping Wan Qiuyu; she was doing it for the reputation of the mansion. The more Wang Minghui spoke, the more outrageous it became. It would only lead to suspicions about Wan Qiuyu's identity. It would be better to simply shut Wang Minghui up.
The ladies at the table covered their mouths with their handkerchiefs.
Wang Minghui looked around and saw a group of people gloating. She almost lost her composure and started cursing at Wan Jinlan.
You are the duck! Your whole family is ducks!
"What did I say? I think you are guilty!"
Wan Jinlan snorted, "I don't know who is feeling guilty. He hasn't left the house for several months."
Now not only the lady at the same table laughed, but those at the next table who heard it also covered their mouths with their handkerchiefs and laughed secretly.
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