"What did Miss Jia do last night? Didn't you sleep? Why do you look so tired?"
The speaker was a girl in red, of average appearance, but she raised her chin high, looking down on people.
Those who don't know better might think her father and brothers are high-ranking officials in the Six Ministries, otherwise she wouldn't have such an arrogant demeanor.
The other girls looked at Baozhu upon hearing the sound; some were intrigued, some were indifferent, and some frowned and lowered their heads...
Baozhu was just secretly yawning; little did she know she was getting in someone else's way.
She was a little confused, blinked her big eyes twice, and asked, "Is Miss Wu talking about me?"
Miss Wu nodded, her tone becoming increasingly sarcastic.
"Yes, I'm just curious, why doesn't Miss Jia sleep at night? Would a proper young lady do something like stealing chickens or dogs?"
Baozhu finally realized the malice in her voice, and her face flushed with anger. She retorted, "I'm curious too. I didn't know Miss Wu before, let alone offended her. Why is Miss Wu being so aggressive?"
"The first thing they say is that they don't sleep at night and steal chickens and dogs. It's too offensive."
"Didn't your family hire a governess for you? Didn't you learn any manners? Why did your family let you out like this? Aren't you ashamed?"
Baozhu's tone wasn't particularly cold or harsh; it was mostly genuine confusion.
After all, there was no enmity between them, and for this Miss Wu to ruin her reputation so easily was really too much.
Miss Wu's face turned ugly as she was bombarded with questions, and she immediately regretted speaking too quickly and provoking Baozhu.
She initially thought he was an easy fool to bully, but to her surprise, he managed to stab her in the back with every single word.
Another girl in green, perhaps on good terms with Miss Wu, quickly chimed in, "Miss Jia has misunderstood. Sister Wu was just asking a few questions out of curiosity; she wasn't being aggressive at all."
“If Miss Jia doesn’t want to chat with us, fine, but it’s not right to bully her like this.”
Baozhu felt wronged and missed Jiayin a million times.
No wonder Sister Jiayin didn't want to play with these young ladies; they were just too wicked.
They're so sarcastic and sarcastic, they turn the tables on you! They're really good at it!
This sweet baby of hers really can't handle it!
Madam Jia and the others were drinking tea and chatting, making it quite lively.
They hadn't paid attention to what the girls were saying earlier.
But now that the girls are bickering, you can't help but pay attention.
Although Madam Jia disliked her sisters-in-law spoiling their nieces too much, she knew that no one should bully her own child.
After learning the whole story, she smiled and said, "We got up early to queue in front of the palace gate. Baozhu didn't get enough sleep, so she's bound to be tired. It's no wonder that Miss Wu misunderstood."
Miss Wu dared to bully Baozhu, but she didn't dare to confront Madam Jia.
After all, the new capital was too small, and the marriage ties between the families were intricate and complicated.
If Madam Jia leaves the palace and speaks ill of her to other ladies she knows, she'll probably never find a good husband.
At this moment, she quickly smiled awkwardly and ingratiatingly, replying, "I misunderstood. I was just joking with Baozhu, but it made Baozhu feel wronged."
Madam Jia smiled noncommittally, then turned to Madam Wu and asked, "Your daughter's manners are truly excellent. I wonder where you found a good governess? It must have taken a lot of effort. With such a clever tongue, she'll be a blessing to whichever family she marries into. At least she can keep her mother-in-law happy every day."
Girls from good families value speaking cautiously and remaining chaste.
Praising someone for their eloquence is a veiled insult implying they'll cause trouble through conversation!
Madam Wu, of course, understood Madam Jia's sarcasm. She glared at her daughter and then personally poured tea for Madam Jia, saying, "Madam Jia, please don't say that. This girl is spoiled rotten. I'll discipline her properly."
Seeing that things were going well, Madam Jia smiled and said, "Miss Wu is still young and unpredictable. Just teach her a few more things and she'll understand."
The other ladies joined in at the right time, and soon changed the subject, talking about which jewelry shop in the city had a new craftsman who made exquisite jewelry.
After being beaten and humiliated, Miss Wu lost her arrogance and dared not speak again, clutching her handkerchief.
Baozhu continued to hide behind her aunt, yawning repeatedly.
The other girls looked at each other, then lowered their heads to count the ants on the ground...
Just then, the Imperial Concubine finally made her appearance, surrounded by a group of noble ladies.
Everyone stood up, bowed, and exchanged polite greetings.
The Imperial Concubine was in a good mood. She wore a silver-red palace dress embroidered with intertwined apricot and pomegranate flowers, the long skirt trailing behind her. She wore a kingfisher feather headdress and walked gracefully, looking beautiful and noble.
The flattery from the crowd was so generous, it was like they were throwing money at it.
No matter how proud and reserved a noblewoman is on ordinary days, now, for the sake of her daughter's future and her son's and husband's future, she has transformed into the most enthusiastic and eloquent parrot, coaxing the imperial concubine to smile with joy.
Some women even dragged their daughters to the imperial concubine, hawking them like farmers selling cabbages at rock-bottom prices...
The noble ladies hadn't developed the thick skin of a mother; some blushed with embarrassment, some pulled their handkerchiefs away and refused to look up, but most smiled ingratiatingly, wanting to leave a good impression on the Imperial Concubine...
Baozhu remained standing behind her aunt, utterly dumbfounded by the commotion before her.
If they weren't in the palace, she would have suspected that these people had eaten some kind of mad herb...
After much commotion, the Imperial Concubine finally asked everyone to take their seats, and the scene quieted down.
Palace servants came forward one after another to serve tea and snacks, and the summer banquet officially began.
Perhaps someone was unwilling to give their daughter a chance to shine earlier, and quickly stood up to suggest, "Your Highness, the banquet is too quiet without anyone to entertain us. If you don't mind, how about my daughter performs a song?"
The Imperial Concubine naturally wouldn't refuse, and with a gentle smile, she replied, "Very well, I've long heard that Miss Lu is proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She's a rare talent. I'm truly fortunate to hear her speak today."
Madam Lu was overjoyed and immediately told her daughter to prepare.
Not to be outdone, the others also suggested that their daughters perform.
In no time, the banquet featured more than twenty performances to liven things up.
Just then, a eunuch guarding the gate suddenly announced loudly, "The Third Princess has arrived! Princess Kangle has arrived!"
Everyone instinctively looked over and saw two young women walking on the white marble bridge leading not far away, followed by two groups of palace servants, exuding an imposing aura.
A tall, beautiful, and proud young woman was none other than the Emperor's most beloved third princess.
The other girl was slightly shorter, with delicate features and a beautiful appearance. She was none other than Princess Kangle, the beloved daughter of the Li family and the Marquis of Xinting.
Baozhu excitedly stood up and was about to run over, but was grabbed by Madam Jia's sleeve.
Baozhu felt wronged and whispered, "Auntie, Sister Jiayin loves me the most. I want to go and be with her."
Madam Jia gritted her teeth in anger and scolded, "If you want to go over, you should wait a bit. There are so many people here, what are you trying to show off for? Are you afraid others won't know how close you are to the princess!"
Baozhu shrank back and quickly stood obediently behind her aunt, but she couldn't help peeking out, afraid that Jiayin would forget about her...
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