“So Father means he agrees.” Jiang Sheng reacted quickly. “Father is the best. Thank you, Father.”
She rushed over and took his reassuring hand in hers.
"Don't thank me so soon." Jiang Jizu became serious again. "The capital city is different from ordinary cities. There are many spies and informants there. Every word must be carefully considered to avoid people from having any ulterior motives and making a mountain out of a molehill."
"Have you learned the etiquette for those banquets? Will the ladies and young women from well-known families recognize you? You need to prepare the clothes and jewelry you will wear to the banquet. Since you are representing the Jiang family, you must act like a legitimate daughter of a prominent family."
"In the capital, you'll also encounter the concubines of the harem. Not only do you have to pay your respects, but you also need to know which powerful families they come from, who their children are, and what taboos you can't mention..."
Being a daughter of a prominent family is never an easy thing.
Jiang Sheng listened blankly, her mind almost a complete mess, but when she thought of her lonely and helpless fifth brother, she instantly snapped back to reality and gritted her teeth, saying, "Learn, learn everything."
Even the laziest person has moments of striving and hard work.
For Fifth Brother, none of this matters!
Jiang Sheng clenched her fists, determined to go all in, and returned to the Jiang family with her father that very day.
When the matter of attending the banquet was mentioned, Old Madam Jiang indeed disagreed, but as an enlightened elder, she reluctantly waved her hand in agreement after Jiang Sheng persisted for a few more minutes.
He simply instructed her, "Stay close to your second aunt. If anything unexpected happens, you can ask your cousin Siqing for help, remember?"
"I remember, Grandmother," Jiang Sheng replied crisply, then suddenly remembered something, "Isn't Xiaoyu going?"
It was no secret in Fengjing that General's wife, Lady Liao, had gone mad. With Old Madam Jiang getting old, the responsibility of hosting banquets and social gatherings fell on the second branch of the family.
As the legitimate daughter of the second wife, Jiang Chengyu should not be absent.
"Her..." Old Madam Jiang paused, "She can't be relied on."
So Jiang Chengyu still attended the Spring Festival banquet, but because his personality was not mature and steady enough, his grandmother removed him from the list of people seeking help.
Luckily she didn't know, otherwise she would definitely be furious.
Jiang Sheng covered her mouth and chuckled.
The Jiang family was very busy for the next few days.
They had to hire a tutor to teach them etiquette and manners, and they also had to force Jiang Sheng to memorize the lineage of the Fengjing aristocratic families, identify the portraits of the imperial concubines, and recognize the princes and princesses.
That's fine, but making clothes by order is the most troublesome thing.
Not long after the banquet, Jiang Sheng lost several pounds due to worry. Now, with studying and working hard, she has unknowingly lost even more weight.
The waist measurement is perfect; two days later, you can fit a finger inside.
The formal dress for the banquet was already ill-fitting before it was even cut. Taking new measurements meant rushing to finish the work again. The formal dress was different from ordinary clothes; even with ten embroiderers working at the same time, it would take three to five days to sew it.
Tan Yue was so anxious she was on the verge of a breakdown, pacing around frantically, "Miss, eat more, eat more! You can't lose weight."
The Jiang family's master chefs once again showcased their skills, bringing out a dazzling array of food to the table: pork, lamb, beef, chicken, birds—anything that flies in the sky, runs on the ground, or swims in the water—almost everything available on the market was brought over.
Jiang Sheng ate, but she had something weighing on her mind, and there were still marks on her palms from the instructor's beating. She didn't have the appetite she used to have.
"If all else fails, let's buy the girl some ready-made clothes." He Rui now works in Madam Jiang's courtyard and couldn't bear to see his beloved suffer, so he boldly suggested it.
Tan Yue glared, "How can that be? How many daughters of noble families wear ready-made clothes? Which family doesn't order their formal attire months in advance? Our Jiang family's daughters certainly can't be outdone."
After saying that, he looked at Jiang Sheng, who looked utterly hopeless, and pleaded, "Miss, please eat more, don't get any thinner. They say that sick people lose weight easily, could it be that you are sick?"
She vaguely felt that it made sense, and waved to call the imperial physician over.
He Rui stopped her, saying, "Sister Tan Yue, calm down. I don't think the girl is sick; she seems to have grown taller."
Oh right, I've grown taller.
Having endured too much hardship in the past, Jiang Sheng briefly surpassed her fourth and fifth brothers when she was eight years old, but then stagnated once again.
Now that the long banquet is gradually transitioning from childhood to adolescence, Wen Zhiyun is also growing up, and her younger sister has become the shortest one.
Even in the Jiang family, the two granddaughters, who are about the same age, are quite different in height. Jiang Chengyu is nearly five feet tall, while Jiang Sheng is less than four feet tall.
If I could really grow taller, that would be the best outcome.
Tan Yue finally let go of the mouth full of blisters, took a wooden ruler to measure Jiang Sheng's height, and made three sets of formal dresses in different sizes as a precaution.
In mid-May, a donation banquet ostensibly for enjoying the spring scenery was finally held at the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Imperial City.
The embroiderer brought over three sets of formal dresses, and Tan Yue took the opportunity to measure Jiang Sheng from head to toe. When the two sets were placed together, there was a difference as wide as double eyelids.
Although it's hard to notice, it's only been a few days, enough to make Tan Yue grin from ear to ear.
I tried on the dresses again, and the middle one fit me just right.
The entire Jiang family's main branch was thrown into chaos in preparation for this spring banquet.
After everything was finally settled, Tan Yue helped Jiang Sheng change into her formal attire, styled her hair into the elegant yet youthful "Jinghu" bun, and finally adorned her with custom-made pure gold ornaments.
It is said that Buddhas are adorned with gold, and people are made by their clothes.
In the past, Jiang Sheng always wore simple cotton clothes and tied her hair in ordinary double buns. She was afraid of losing her jewelry and never wore it. At most, she would tie a red hair tie. From a distance, you would only think that this child was healthy, strong and easy to raise.
But now, she wears a luxurious silk jacket, a brocade skirt embroidered with real gold thread, a long and rich necklace around her neck, and clear, flawless jade and agate on her wrists, which make a tinkling sound as she walks.
Her face was definitely made up, and her lips were pursed to a bright red. Paired with her luxurious attire, she really did look like a person who had undergone a dramatic transformation.
Madam Jiang was unusually shocked, Jiang Jizu frowned slightly, and the other maids and servants crowded around to watch.
Jiang Sheng flinched for a moment, but remembering what the headmistress had said, she straightened her back and walked out, trying her best to be dignified and curtsy, "Greetings, Father; greetings, Grandmother."
If the twelve years had not been lost, the eldest daughter of the Jiang family would look just like this.
Madam Jiang's eyes were slightly red as she stretched out her hands. "Good child, get up quickly. You've had a hard time these past few days."
Jiang Sheng shook her head, the hairpin in her hair jingling. She immediately steadied her head and dared not shake it.
Their cautious manner was quite amusing.
"Miss, the Second Madam and the Fourth Miss are already waiting outside," Tan Yue reported.
Jiang Jizong, a court official, was still in the Golden Palace at the moment, while Jiang Chengfeng was focused on preparing for the imperial examinations. Only a few female relatives from the Jiang family actually came over.
Jiang Sheng slowly walked to the gate, bid farewell to her father and grandmother with the utmost courtesy, and finally touched the ten thousand taels of silver notes in her bosom before resolutely stepping onto the carriage.
The driver outside pulled on the reins, shouting, "Giddy up!"
The boys in the distance all sighed, whether for their younger sister who was dressed up so beautifully they were unrecognizable, or for their younger brother who had secretly slipped away and was about to be reunited with them.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
