After Princess Ruining finished speaking, she introduced the two ladies in the pavilion to Gu Yaoniang. The round-faced lady was named Wang Zhilan, and her father was Wang Chengxian, the Grand Counselor. The lady in red was named Xie Danqiu, and she was from the Xie family, a prominent family of scholars. She was a distant cousin of Wang Zhilan.
The Xie family? An impending marriage? Could it be...?
Gu Yaoniang glanced at Xie Danqiu. She saw that Xie Danqiu was radiant, and her eyes sparkled with the unrestrained and arrogant air of a noble lady. She didn't blush at all when the topic of her upcoming marriage was brought up.
She seemed indifferent, yet also extremely certain, saying nonchalantly, "It's just a marriage, isn't it? My father said the Qin family has no roots in the capital, and Qin Lang has to rely on our Xie family for everything. He wouldn't dare do anything to me. Besides..."
Xie Danqiu lowered her head, and her originally spirited face finally showed some girlish charm.
"Besides, Qin Lang told me that he likes my straightforward personality!"
"Oh dear, you're calling him Qin Lang now, aren't you ashamed, cousin!" Wang Zhilan teased from the side.
"You brat!" Xie Danqiu was a little embarrassed and annoyed, and made a move to hit Wang Zhilan, but Wang Zhilan quickly dodged to the side.
The waterside pavilion was noisy, and Gu Yaoniang felt that her mind was also noisy.
So Xie Danqiu really is Qin Yuxiu's fiancée!
Seeing that Yao Niang looked dazed and seemed somewhat unsettled, Princess Ruining asked with concern, "What's wrong?"
Gu Yaoniang forced a smile and asked, "Princess, is Lady Xie's fiancé Qin Yuxiu, the newly appointed top scholar?"
She knew she shouldn't ask or speak now, and that it would be best to pretend she and Qin Yuxiu were complete strangers, unaware of each other before or after. But she couldn't resist her curiosity and asked the question.
Princess Ruining was somewhat surprised, not expecting that Gu Yaoniang, having just arrived in the capital, actually knew the name of the newly appointed top scholar.
He nodded first, then seemed to suddenly realize something: "Speaking of which, Scholar Qin is from the same place as you, Qingzhou. You can be considered fellow townsmen."
Gu Yaoniang smiled bitterly to herself. It wasn't just that they were both from Qingzhou; their two families even shared the same courtyard wall!
She didn't know what she was feeling at that moment, she only heard herself numbly congratulating Xie Danqiu to Princess Ruining, saying that they were a perfect match made in heaven.
His eyes involuntarily followed Xie Danqiu's figure.
Both Xie Danqiu and I are slender, but Xie Danqiu is taller than me and is wearing red, which makes our faces look radiant.
Xie Danqiu's eyebrows were thicker than those of ordinary women, giving her a heroic air, and her every move exuded the haughty self-assurance of a noblewoman from a prominent family. Unlike herself, although she was not self-deprecating or timid, she ultimately lacked Xie Danqiu's confidence.
Gu Yaoniang knew she shouldn't compare herself to Xie Danqiu, but today, upon learning that Xie Danqiu was the woman who had "snatched" Qin Yuxiu, she couldn't help but feel indignant.
Princess Ruining noticed that Yaoniang was looking at Xie Danqiu with a mixture of sadness and joy on her face, so she tentatively asked, "Are Yaoniang and Qin Yuxiu old acquaintances?"
Gu Yaoniang felt a jolt in her heart! Had she really lost her composure like that? Even Princess Ruining had noticed!
She quickly composed herself, carefully choosing her words before saying, "It's quite a coincidence, you don't know, but our family and the Qin family live right next door, and my father and his father have been old friends for many years."
But that's not the case now. She added silently to herself.
Yao Niang knew that her family and the Qin family were neighbors, and her parents had been friends for many years, so she couldn't hide this matter from them. She simply told them herself.
Princess Ruining exclaimed in surprise, "Oh my! What a coincidence!"
At this moment, several more ladies arrived at the waterside pavilion. Princess Ruining saw that Xie Danqiu was talking to someone else, so she did not call her.
“A-Qiu is lively and doesn’t like to be confined. She was unwilling when the marriage was arranged,” Princess Ruining said to Yao Niang as if it were trivial conversation.
"But for some reason, after meeting Qin Yuxiu once, she was happy with the marriage."
She said Qin Yuxiu liked her carefree attitude and wouldn't restrict her. Uncle Xie also said that Qin Yuxiu needed something from the Xie family, so she wouldn't dare to treat A Qiu badly.
But I ultimately felt that Qin Yuxiu was no ordinary person. He was a top scholar from a poor family, yet my father went to great lengths to arrange a marriage for him, and after just one meeting, he persuaded Aqiu and Uncle Xie to stay.
Princess Ruining looked at Gu Yaoniang: "You knew him before, do you know him well?"
Yao Niang stammered, unsure how to begin. She was not only unsure how to answer Princess Ruining's question, but also surprised by the way Princess Ruining addressed her.
The princess actually called the emperor "Father," and Xie Danqiu's father "Uncle Xie"? Isn't the royal family supposed to be extremely strict about rules and regulations?
Princess Ruining saw that she did not answer, so she did not press the matter: "Never mind, you are just an ordinary young lady from a noble family, and he is ultimately a man and a woman. It is normal that you do not understand him."
Gu Yaoniang breathed a sigh of relief. From Princess Ruining's words, she realized that the Xie family was probably unaware of the marriage beforehand, but had simply accepted the Emperor's decree and acknowledged it.
She hesitated whether to speak or not, but finally smiled shyly and said, "Madam Xie has a good nature. No matter what, she will always be able to live a good life."
Princess Ruining was somewhat discouraged by Yao Niang's reserved manner and the worldly smoothness she possessed. However, she also knew that Yao Niang was someone she had only just met, so her caution was understandable.
Xie Danqiu was her close friend, and Yaoniang was a woman she greatly admired; she sincerely wanted to befriend her.
Princess Ruining, accompanied by Yaoniang, approached the women in the waterside pavilion and introduced them to her. Seeing Princess Ruining personally leading the group, everyone held Yaoniang in higher regard.
There was only one young woman dressed in an apricot-yellow shirt. Although her face was amiable, her eyes kept darting around Yao Niang. This made Yao Niang feel very uncomfortable.
She treated Princess Ruining with utmost humility and politeness, but when she spoke to Yaoniang, although her words were mostly the usual polite phrases, they always carried a hint of sarcasm.
Yao Niang simply ignored her and chatted with others instead.
There were very few people at today's flower banquet. The female guests were either members of the imperial family or noble ladies who were on good terms with Princess Ruining. Yao Niang, however, stood out from the crowd.
Seeing that Yao Niang was somewhat reserved, Princess Ruining often took her by her side. This made the other women think even more highly of Yao Niang.
There were also male guests at the flower banquet, who were arranged by Princess Ruining to be in a pavilion at the other end of the gallery.
Nowadays, society is not as strictly divided between men and women as it used to be. When nobles hold banquets, they often do not separate male and female guests, at most hanging a faint curtain between them.
Princess Ruining was naturally not one to stand on ceremony. She instructed the stewards to separate the male and female guests and place them in the waterside pavilion and the gazebo, simply to prevent those who arrived early from feeling awkward seeing the hall filled with people of the opposite sex.
It was past midday, and most of the guests had arrived. Princess Ruining then ordered her attendants to lead everyone to the scenic garden that had been prepared beforehand.
Jingyuan was the garden in Princess Ruining's residence, and it was usually maintained by a dedicated gardener.
Jingyuan drew a stream from the Jade Belt River, creating a picturesque scene of flowing water and lush greenery, making it a perfect place for banquets and drinking.
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