An hour after the carriage left the capital, it finally arrived at the Royal Garden.
At the entrance, the women who had come here were all sitting in carriages, waiting for the palace maids and imperial guards to check their identities.
The carriages lined up in a long queue. Finally, it was the turn of the carriage from the Marquis of Lin'an's residence, and Xuan Wenying led her two sisters out of the carriage.
After getting off the carriage, Chunhe handed the official letter stamped with the official seal to the palace maid.
The carriages were to be inspected by the Imperial Guards to determine whether they were carrying weapons.
At this moment, the second branch of the family also got off the carriage and had their identities checked by the palace maids.
The nanny took the invitation and, upon seeing the words "Lin'an Marquis's Residence," glanced at Lu Qiqi a few more times before inviting her inside.
The carriage was led away by the driver, and the group walked inside.
The women walking in front were all dressed in their finest attire, making them all look as beautiful as flowers in the lush green countryside.
As elders, Xuan Wenying and Ding Wanyue naturally went first, followed by the second branch of the family sisters, and finally Lu Qiqi and her sister.
Lu Yao ate her way through the carriage, so now that she was asked to walk, she didn't dare to go too fast.
Lu Qiqi didn't rush her, but took her hand and followed the second sister slowly.
Chen Siqi walked side by side with Chen Siyi, but her eyes were scanning the surroundings, trying to see if the person she admired was also there.
Chen Siyi knew what she was thinking and couldn't help but worry, "Sister, this spring banquet is mostly for women, and the male guests don't sit at the same table as the women, so there's no point in you looking here!"
Chen Siqi, unusually, didn't argue with her. She understood the situation, but her eyes still couldn't help but wander around.
Ding Wanyue walked ahead; she had sharp eyesight and quickly spotted the women of the Ningkang Marquis's residence.
She leaned closer to Xuan Wenying and said, "Sister-in-law, aren't those our in-laws over there? Why didn't we see Simin come with them?"
Upon hearing this, Xuan Wenying looked in the direction she was looking.
A few days ago, her daughter, Chen Simin, sent someone to the main house to announce the good news that she was pregnant.
However, she was not yet three months pregnant and it was inconvenient for her to return home to announce the good news. Xuan Wenying did not mention it to her family either; only the couple knew about it.
Xuan Wenying said, "Perhaps something has delayed us."
Ding Wanyue had originally thought that Chen Simin would marry into the Ningkang Marquis's mansion and become the heir's wife.
If she were to introduce her two sisters to the officials, it might help them make a good impression on the officials' families.
It's much more efficient than her following behind Xuan Wenying, squeezing into the crowd of officials' wives to chat and make friends.
But now, her previous plans have fallen through.
"Whose daughters are those two?"
"I don't think I've seen her before, but she's quite pretty."
"Following behind the wife of the Marquis of Lin'an's heir, she must be a young lady from the Marquis of Lin'an's household!"
As the group passed the sunshade, their shoes made soft, muffled sounds as they stepped on the wooden planks.
Hearing the praise, Chen Siqi was secretly pleased. She walked ahead with her head held high and her chest out, paying close attention to her posture.
"Is that Princess Kang Le? She looks like she's wearing Yun brocade."
"You have such good taste! Both sisters are wearing Yun brocade!"
Upon hearing this, Chen Siqi instantly understood that the words of praise were all directed at the two sisters behind her!
A hint of unease flashed across her face as she glanced at the person who had spoken, before regaining her composure and continuing to walk forward.
Lu Qiqi ignored the sounds around her.
She noticed that Lu Yao had eaten quite a lot of pastries on the way here and was now showing signs of bloating.
She held Lu Yao's hand and pinched the base of Lu Yao's thumb, "A Yao, if you're feeling unwell, we can go later."
Lu Yao shook her head, "No need, I feel much better."
Upon hearing this, Lu Qiqi rubbed her tiger's mouth again.
Although there were no restrictions on official rank for this spring banquet, since ancient times, the best seats have always been reserved for those in high positions of power.
Given the contributions the Marquis of Lin'an made to the Great Jin Dynasty, it's no surprise that they were given a good position.
The palace maid led everyone to the shaded area and then withdrew.
Lu Qiqi led Lu Yao to sit down and then realized that the location of the Marquis of Lin'an's residence was in the center, offering the best view.
Outside the sunshade was a large lawn, with several horses tethered on the left; the purpose of this spring banquet was to watch a polo match.
Lu Qiqi hadn't even settled in her seat when she heard the sound of drums, followed by the clatter of horses.
She looked up and saw men dressed in various colorful outfits riding on spirited horses.
They held polo mallets in their hands, and each of them wore a bright smile unique to teenagers.
At this moment, two palace maids entered the shaded area next door, and then carried a tray covered with a red cloth as they passed by the shaded area where Lu Qiqi was.
At this moment, Ding Wanyue spoke up, "I heard that the prize for the first round is a piece of black brocade."
When Yun Jin was mentioned, Chen Siyi glanced at Lu Yao, her expression revealing a complex mix of emotions.
Chen Siqi was jealous, and what she said was naturally unpleasant: "What's so great about it? It's just something to cover your body."
That's true, but when paired with that sarcastic tone, it makes people feel uncomfortable.
Ding Wanyue glared at her, which finally calmed her down.
The polo match has begun.
The polo players are divided into two teams, each operating independently.
The gong sounds, the competition begins, the incense used to measure time goes out, and the gong will sound again.
The scoring is based on planting flags, and the team with the most goals wins.
Lu Qiqi's mind was elsewhere. Song Yanqing told her that the Empress Dowager wanted to see her, and it was impossible for her not to be nervous.
Because they care about Song Yanqing, they naturally care about his family's opinions.
However, she wasn't anxious, since she and Song Yanqing shared the same feelings.
The two were indifferent to fame and fortune, and were not a pair of star-crossed lovers. If things really came to a head, they could pack their things and return to Luzhou Prefecture to live a carefree life in a manor villa.
Doesn't it smell good?
Among the polo players, there was no one Chen Siqi wanted to see, so she couldn't sit still and made an excuse to leave the sunshade.
As the match ended, a man dressed in a navy blue outfit raised his polo mallet high and shouted his victory.
Upon seeing this person, Ding Wanyue glanced at Lu Qiqi and said, "Isn't this Qu Silang from the Marquis of Anchang's residence? That imposter probably knew he would run into us, so he didn't dare to leave the residence, right?"
Upon hearing this, Xuan Wenying said calmly, "If you want all the officials' wives in the capital to come and laugh at you, then shout it out loud."
Ding Wanyue was not unaware of the situation, "Look at what my sister-in-law is saying."
That person stayed in my courtyard; I just felt cheated and disheartened.
Xuan Wenying knew her personality and didn't want to say anything more in front of the younger generation.
After all, the two are sisters-in-law, and living under the same roof, it would be best if they could get along peacefully.
After watching the game end, Ding Wanyue took her two daughters and headed towards the shaded area where many officials' wives lived. This was the purpose of their trip.
She has not forgotten.
After the three left, Lu Yao leaned closer to Lu Qiqi and said, "Sister, I have a stomachache and need to use the restroom."
The sound wasn't loud, but Xuan Wenying heard it and had Chunhe lead the people away.
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