Chapter 51 I Can’t Be Selected Anyway
In the blink of an eye, it was the day of the banquet. Carriages came to Lu Garden one after another. The young ladies from various families who got out of the carriages were all dressed up to be so beautiful that they could make fish sink to the bottom of their pants and geese fall to the ground, and the moon and flowers blushed in shame. From head to toe, no flaw could be found in their jewelry or clothes.
Compared with the other young ladies who came with her, Jiang Lan's jewelry and clothes were probably the simplest.
The other people's jewelry were all custom-made, and the materials selected were top-grade jade, pearls and various colored gems. When they walked, the pearls swayed and the gold and jade shone brightly. The clothes were also newly cut, and the embroidery on them was made by embroiderers who worked day and night, stitch by stitch. They were inlaid with gold and silver threads and embedded with gems and pearls. When they walked in the sun, they sparkled and were very gorgeous.
The pair of butterfly hairpins on Jiang Lan's head were the ones she wore every day, and the pair of jade bracelets on her hands were also left to her by her biological mother, Xie.
Except for the day when she came of age, Zhang spent some money to ask Tanxiang to buy a hairpin for her from a street stall. She never bought her any more jewelry, and the materials for her clothes were all the ones left over by Jiang Yao.
Jiang Cheng had never paid attention to these things. If he had paid a little attention, he would have found that Jiang Lan only wore a few pieces of jewelry on her head all year round, and the clothes she wore were always so plain and some of them didn't fit her.
The dress that Jiang Lan was wearing today was also made for her by a tailor that Zhang had Tan Xiang hire from a small workshop outside. She didn't ask an embroiderer to embroider or bead it. Compared with other people's clothes, it looked plain, and the material was light green, not as brightly colored as other people's clothes. It seemed as if she was intentionally used as a supporting role.
On the other hand, Zhang was dressed very formally, surrounded by pearls and emeralds. The gold hairpin on her head was inlaid with a pearl the size of a pigeon egg, and decorated with five red and green sapphires. Each gem was round and full, and radiant.
This gold hairpin was specially made by Zhang at a jewelry store, and the dress she was wearing was also custom-made at Yunxiulou at a high price before Jiang Yao got married. It has intricate tailoring and exquisite embroidery.
Compared with Jiang Lan, it seemed like she was running for the position of princess.
Zhang had not originally planned to bring Jiang Lan with her, and she even whispered to Jiang Cheng that Jiang Lan's reputation had been bad before, and that if she went, it might upset the Queen.
Jiang Cheng also planned to let Jiang Lan stay in the mansion, but after the court was dismissed the next day, the Queen's granddaughter Shi came to tell her that the Queen wanted to meet the second Miss Jiang and asked Jiang Lan to attend the banquet that day.
Jiang Cheng was very surprised and kept thinking about this matter all the way. He didn't know whether it was good or bad, but since the Queen had spoken, he had to go. So after returning home, Jiang Cheng went to tell Zhang to bring Jiang Lan to the banquet.
Zhang felt strange. They had clearly agreed last night not to let Jiang Lan go, so why did he change his mind as soon as he came back from court today?
As soon as she asked, Jiang Cheng got angry and told her to stop asking so many questions and worry more about Jiang Lan. He said that other families were hiring tailors and embroiderers to make new clothes for their daughters, but she, as a mother, didn't care at all. If other girls were wearing new clothes, but Jiang Lan was the only one wearing old clothes, it would be really embarrassing in front of the Queen Mother.
Zhang also felt aggrieved. It was clearly he who had agreed not to let Jiang Lan go, so why was he blaming her now? But seeing Jiang Cheng's angry expression, she did not dare to argue. She asked Tan Xiang to go out and hire a tailor. She originally planned to choose a piece of fabric from the piled up in the warehouse to make clothes for Jiang Lan, but the colors looked a bit old.
After all, it was the Queen's banquet, so being too vague would not be acceptable. So he paid for a new piece of cloth, which was not expensive, and at least it would save face.
......
The Queen Mother had not arrived yet, but the ladies who had already arrived were sitting together in groups of two or three, chatting, and the young ladies were also gathered in groups of two or three to enjoy the scenery in the garden.
Zhang was invited by Madam Zheng to talk. Before leaving, she reminded Jiang Lan not to wander around casually and to be careful not to offend any nobles. So Jiang Lan took Qing'er and Gui'er to find a place with few people and cool off under the shade of a tree.
The others were admiring the flowers and watching the koi. Their brightly colored clothes were more dazzling than the flowers in the garden. The pearls and gems on their heads complemented each other and shone brightly in the sunset glow. The jade bracelets on their hands were crystal clear and brilliant, adding a touch of splendor to the already magnificent scenery in the garden.
"Why is your second daughter dressed so plainly today?" Mrs. Zheng looked in Jiang Lan's direction and asked curiously.
"She likes to dress like this on weekdays. Today she doesn't want to wear something brighter." Zhang sighed, looking helpless as if there was nothing she could do. Her words hinted that Jiang Lan dressed like this on purpose.
Mrs. Zheng looked around again and asked in a low voice, "Doesn't she want to be chosen?"
Zhang agreed, just wanting Madam Zheng to think so.
Madam Zheng then quietly asked, "So, is her affair with Marquis Jin'an true?"
Zhang sighed again and said in a worried tone, "This child likes to keep everything to herself. As a mother, I naturally hope that she can marry a good family and not be deceived by others."
She neither denied nor dispelled the rumors, and her words and actions hinted that Jiang Lan had her own ideas, and even she, as a mother, had no say in the matter. If she did anything immoral in the future, it would not be her fault as a mother, because it was all Jiang Lan's own idea.
Madam Zheng advised, "Children and grandchildren will have their own blessings. You are the stepmother after all, so you don't have to worry too much."
Zhang forced a smile. In her heart, she was very resistant to the title of stepmother. It seemed to constantly remind her of the past and the existence of Xie's original wife...
Here, Zheng Qian'er walked towards Jiang Lan with a maid and asked another maid to watch at the door.
After coming over, she first took a look at the jewelry on Jiang Lan's head and the clothes she was wearing. She felt a little surprised and asked Jiang Lan why she was dressed so simply today.
She herself was wearing a bright pink dress, looking as gorgeous as a peony. Standing next to Jiang Lan, who was wearing a light green dress, from a distance they looked like red flowers and green leaves.
Jiang Lan also looked at Zheng Qianer, who was dressed like a peony flower, and asked her why she was dressed so formally.
Zheng Qian'er looked at her with surprise and confusion, thinking she really knew nothing. She lowered her voice and asked, "Haven't you heard?" Seeing that Jiang Lan still looked "bewildered," she continued in a low voice, "Today, the Queen is going to choose princesses for Prince Fu and Prince An."
After she finished speaking, she thought Jiang Lan would be surprised, but Jiang Lan didn't react at all, as if she had just heard a trivial matter. Zheng Qian'er asked curiously, "Why aren't you surprised at all?"
Jiang Lan replied calmly, "I won't be selected anyway."
“.…..” Zheng Qianer didn’t expect to hear such a straightforward and frank answer, and was speechless for a moment.
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