Xiao Tao got off the carriage first and raised her hand to greet Su Jinyue as she came out of the carriage. "Miss, Madam and the others...seem to have gone in first."

"It's okay." Su Jinyue said, "We can just go in by ourselves."

The young ladies from aristocratic families who were talking about the carriage just now fell silent when they saw Su Jinyue's expression!

Facing the sun at this moment, Su Jinyue's fair and beautiful face seemed to be glowing, as if she had the ability to make everything around her fade away.

"Whose lady is this? Why haven't I seen her before?"

"I don't know either. I don't think I've seen her at any banquet before..."

When Su Jinyue arrived at the palace gate, Xiaotao handed the invitation to the leading eunuch.

The eunuch in front of the palace gate looked at the invitation again and again. He looked up at the carriage behind Su Jinyue, as if wondering whether Su Jinyue, the legitimate daughter of Ningyuan Marquis's Mansion, was a fake.

Finally, the eunuch closed the invitation in his hand and said to the young eunuch next to him: "This is Miss Su, the daughter of Ningyuan Marquis Mansion. You can bring her in."

"Yes, Eunuch Qian, Miss Su, please follow me." The little eunuch stretched out his hand towards Su Jinyue.

The several young ladies from aristocratic families who followed Su Jinyue to hand out invitations naturally heard what the eunuch said.

"She is the eldest daughter of the Ningyuan Marquis's Mansion? How could the carriage of the Ningyuan Marquis's Mansion be so shabby? Could she have sneaked in?"

There was a girl from an aristocratic family who knew about this. She pulled the person next to her and said in a low voice, "If you say she is the legitimate daughter of the Ningyuan Marquis's Mansion, then I will believe it."

"Why is this?" Several people nearby asked in confusion.

The girl from the noble family looked up at Su Jinyue's back and said to the others, "Her reputation is so bad, and you don't even know it!"

"This daughter of the Ningyuan Marquis was raised on the farm and has all the habits of a country girl. I heard that the Ningyuan Marquis was unwilling to take her back at first!"

Su Jinyue stopped, turned around and looked at them.

When those young ladies from aristocratic families saw Su Jinyue turn around, they all felt guilty for talking behind someone's back.

Only the girl from the aristocratic family looked at Su Jinyue with contempt, "What's wrong?"

Su Jinyue raised her voice and said, "So what if I'm from the countryside? My father and mother fought for the country. A hero doesn't care about his or her origin!"

"A hero doesn't care about his origins!" The girl from an aristocratic family mocked, "Don't flatter yourself. A country chicken can't fly to a tree!"

"Everyone knows that you are not liked by the people in Ningyuan Marquis' Mansion even after you returned there. Just because your sister became a concubine, you publicly threatened to cancel the engagement and made a big fuss about it!!"

"They are sisters and they are married to equal wives, so what? They should take care of each other, but she made things so ugly. It's really not like a lady from a noble family to do."

After hearing this, several wealthy girls nearby became somewhat displeased with Su Jinyue, and someone spoke up.

"If I had made such an embarrassing scene on my wedding day, I would have hanged myself with a white silk scarf when I got home. Yet, she came to the wedding banquet as if nothing had happened!"

Someone said sarcastically, "She is different from the ladies from the capital. She doesn't care about her reputation."

Su Jinyue curled her lips and said, "You all said so. If I don't confirm what you said, it will be a disgrace to the Marquis' Mansion."

Several rich daughters looked at Su Jinyue with disdain and looked down on her completely.

"I really don't know the rules very well. If I have offended you ladies, just think of it as me not knowing the rules."

"What are you..."

Su Jinyue stepped forward and took action!

In her previous life, she followed the rules and ended up with such a miserable end. She couldn't bear it in this life. If she didn't make these people afraid of her, they would really treat her as a clay figure!

Jiang Qiuse staggered after being hit. The noble lady next to her supported her and looked at Su Jinyue in disbelief, "How could you hit someone!"

Bang!!

A crisp and sharp slap landed on the face of the daughter next to her. Su Jinyue looked at her and said, "You said the most just now, so I'll give you a slap as well!"

"The daughter of Ningyuan Marquis's family has gone crazy!"

"How can you be a lady at a palace banquet?"

Su Jinyue kept moving, "You can all wrongly accuse me here, why can't I take action? Don't I have no rules?"

Jiang Qiuse covered her face in embarrassment, "I want to complain to His Majesty!"

They were about to flee, but were stopped by the newcomers. Ruan Liuzheng looked at the embarrassed people with a half-smile, "Oh, you guys are dressed quite uniquely today."

When Su Jinyue saw Ruan Liuzheng, she was stunned. It was really a case of enemies meeting on a narrow road.

Jiang Qiuse has always looked down on the women from generals' families. He thinks they are vulgar and is unwilling to make friends with them.

But one time, someone gossiped about Ruan Liuzheng and the others behind their backs, and the news got out. Ruan Liuzheng then came to their door with a gun in hand!

Ruan Liuzheng's father was a second-rank general who assisted the country. Although he had never been granted a title, his status was much higher than that of the Jiang family. Jiang Qiuse was so scared that he dared not speak carelessly anymore, but he still had a grudge with the general's mansion.

Jiang Qiuse saw the expression on Ruan Liuzheng's face freeze, "You...what do you want to do!"

Ruan Liuzheng heard everything the few people said just now clearly from not far away.

She stepped forward and sneered at Jiang Qiuse, not forgetting to taunt her, "By the way, Jiang Qiuse, I remember you have a few sisters in your family who are about the same age as you."

Jiang Qiuse looked at Ruan Liuzheng warily, "What do you want to say?"

"Nothing. After listening to what you just said, I just want to wish that when you marry a man of your dreams, your sisters can marry him as your equal wives on the same day."

Jiang Qiuse's eyes were red, "Ruan Liuzheng, why are you talking so viciously!!!"

Ruan Liuzheng turned around and gave Jiang Qiuse a nasty smile, "Unlike Miss Jiang, who always likes to be strict with others and lenient with herself."

Seeing that they couldn't win the argument, they didn't dare to do anything to Ruan Liuzheng, so after being beaten, they hurried away in embarrassment.

"Thank you Miss Ruan for helping me out."

Ruan Liuzheng glanced at her and didn't give Su Jinyue a good look, "I'm not helping you, and you won't be at a disadvantage even without my help."

"They are very vindictive, so you'd better wish you good luck." After saying that, Ruan Liuzheng turned around and left without looking back.

As soon as Su Jinyue stepped into the Imperial Garden, the fragrance of flowers and plants in the garden penetrated into her nostrils. Both sides of the road leading into the Imperial Garden were lined with flowers of various colors in full bloom.

Xiao Tao looked around curiously, "Miss, should we go find the Madam?"

"No need." Su Jinyue said, "We can just walk around by ourselves. Mother definitely doesn't want to see me now."

Seeing that there were many women from noble families in the pavilions in the distance, Su Jinyue didn't want to go over and bore herself, so she took Xiaotao through the path and onto the arch bridge. Seeing that there was no one near the rockery lake not far away, she walked towards that place.

Arriving at the lake, Su Jinyue stood under the shade of a tree, feeling good as she looked at the large lotus flowers blooming in the pond.

"Xiao Tao, look." Su Jinyue said, "The lotus pods in the pond are growing really well. If we pick them and use them as medicine or make them into pastries and medicinal foods, they will be great."

Xiao Tao looked at the plump and upright lotus pods in the lake and couldn't help smacking her lips, "Yes, Miss, if this were on the farm, I would definitely go down and pick some for you!"

Su Jinyue nodded in agreement, her tone somewhat regretful, "Well, what a pity, we are in the palace now, there will be no such good lotus pods later."

Hearing the strange noises from the side, the smile on Su Jinyue's face instantly disappeared, "Who's over there?"