Inside Huaijuxuan.
Some of the daughters of officials who were on good terms with Yu Qinglan heard that Zhu Jiayu had been invited to the Sishui Pavilion by a servant of Lord Song. Although they didn't know who this Lord Song was, it didn't stop them from trying to curry favor with Yu Qinglan. Seeing that Yu Qinglan had been looking thoughtful since her return, Fang Yun'er, the youngest daughter of a scholar from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, took a sip of tea and smiled faintly:
"In my opinion, this Miss Zhu is nothing more than a show-off. Although someone saw Lord Song's servant invite her to discuss literature and philosophy, this Lord Song... perhaps he is a character she made up to elevate her own status?"
She paused, glanced around at the expressions of the people around her, and seeing the thoughtful looks on their faces, she became even more serious, appearing extremely righteous and awe-inspiring.
"It's not her fault that she wants to make a name for herself in Yujing, but instead of choosing the right path, she chooses a crooked one. You can't blame us for looking down on her, can you? Anyway, I think that although she is good-looking, she is far inferior to Sister Yu in terms of temperament and literary talent."
After she finished speaking, she put down her teacup and quietly admired the tea leaves floating on the water. The tender green tea leaves had gradually unfurled after being steeped in boiling water, just like a woman who had finally grown from a naive child into a woman in the prime of her life after years of hard work.
She's sixteen this year, the age when it's time to arrange a marriage, but the matter remains unresolved. It's not that she's dissatisfied with the family background of the potential suitors; in fact, whether it's the matchmaker's recommendations or her parents' choices, she feels that everyone is a good match for her.
The only problem is that she doesn't like them.
No one knew that from the age of fourteen, she had someone in her heart, namely Yu Qinglan's own younger brother, Yu Qingbai.
However, her family background was too low to be eligible for marriage with the eldest son of the Yu family, so she thought she could try to win over Yu Qinglan.
Everyone knows that the young master of the Yu family usually listens to his elder sister the most. It is likely that if Yu Qinglan can speak up for her, her chances of marrying into the Yu family will be much greater.
Thinking of this, Fang Yun'er's smile became more genuine. She felt that her words would surely resonate with Yu Qinglan, and Yu Qinglan would definitely look at her with new respect.
After all, she could clearly see that Yu Qinglan's gaze towards Zhu Jiayu was anything but friendly.
To her surprise, after waiting for a while, she received not Yu Qinglan's praise, but rather her questioning:
"The person who sent the servant to invite her was not the one she fabricated, but the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, Lord Song Baopu. You know nothing, yet you spout nonsense here, ruining Zhu Jiayu's reputation. That's your own business, don't drag unrelated people into it."
Everyone here is a discerning person, and naturally understands that the "unrelated person" Yu Qinglan was referring to was herself.
Looking at Fang Yun'er again, her face was not as bright and radiant as before, alternating between pale and flushed. Even though she tried her best to restrain herself, it was easy to see that she felt extremely embarrassed. She must have used all her strength to suppress her grievances and anger and not get up to leave.
Seeing Yu Qinglan's merciless rebuttal to Fang Yun'er, the remaining people swallowed back what they wanted to say and dared not speak again.
Some of them might have family backgrounds no worse than Yu Qinglan's, but since Yu Qinglan had an aunt who was the Empress, no one was willing to easily offend her over such trivial matters.
Little did Yu Qinglan know that seeing them like this only made her more annoyed. However, in the moments of annoyance, she would think of Zhu Jiayu.
Recalling that person's radiant beauty and indifferent expression, from the moment she arrived at Huaijuxuan and was openly and subtly mocked for not being worthy of her position, to later when Song Jijiu sent a servant to invite her, subtly elevating her status, she always maintained that calm and composed demeanor.
Although she was from Suiping, she was far superior to the group of noble ladies around her who treated people differently based on their social status.
She finally felt bored and uninterested, got up and went to the front hall, found Xiao Wan, and said she had to take her leave first.
However, to outsiders, this became further evidence that she disliked Zhu Jiayu.
Come to think of it, how many genuine noble ladies in the capital city could possibly like Zhu Jiayu? Wouldn't that be beneath their dignity?
Zhu Jiayu was completely unaware of their inner thoughts. After leaving Sishui Pavilion, she returned to Huaijuxuan, but she was lost in thought the whole way and naturally did not notice the way the young ladies were looking at her.
She returned to Huaijuxuan, but instead of going back to the pavilion where she had spoken with Lin Yulou, she found another secluded spot and sat quietly.
She was thinking about the matter of Grand Tutor Xiao. Logically speaking, after the Ning family's family reunion banquet, she should have gone to the Xiao family with her aunt to visit, but what attitude should she adopt?
In her previous life, she had never met Grand Tutor Xiao. She had only heard that this old Grand Tutor was very good at judging people's character and could predict good or bad fortune and social status with his words. Some people also said that he was originally a Taoist priest on Wugeng Mountain. Later, he was given a great mission by heaven and was asked to go down the mountain, return to secular life, and assist a wise ruler. So he went to the side of the emperor who was still in the prince's residence at the time, and as a staff member, he helped him pacify the barbarians and seize the throne.
After thinking for a while, she still had no clue, so she could only put her mind at ease and quietly look at the morning glories of different colors in front of her.
The morning glory has only delicate vines, unlike trees with sturdy trunks that can grow lush branches and leaves, standing firm against wind and rain. It can only climb trees to reach better places and obtain the nourishment of sunlight and rain.
People often compare women to vine-like plants, such as lichen or dodder, and think that men are like towering trees, while women can only be the trees they depend on.
She thought that one day she would prove to the world that women could also become towering trees, sheltering others from wind and rain.
In this world, it is not only men who can govern the country, bring peace, and achieve great deeds.
She stood up and patted her dress.
Qinluo stood to the side, hesitant to speak.
After thinking for a while, she finally couldn't help but step forward and say, "Miss, you are now in Yujing, which is different from Suiping. Let's just let it go this time."
She looked around and, seeing no one passing by, realized it was a secluded path in the garden, a place ordinary visitors wouldn't find. Slightly relieved, she continued:
"Next time, you'd better remember your place. If you get caught, people will start gossiping about you behind your back."
Zhu Jiayu turned to look at her: "Okay, I remember. Thank you for reminding me today, Sister Qinluo."
She knew Qinluo meant well, so she didn't say anything more.
But she thought to herself, this won't last forever.
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