.
On the day of the Fourth Prince's wedding, a long line of carriages and horses filled the gates of the Yongchang Marquis's residence. The guests, expecting to see a joke, were stunned to see the Yongding Marquis's carriage, with its red wheels and a canopy, pull up in front of the gates. When the Marquis's wife, Xu, alighted from the carriage with Jiang Songyi's hand, they dropped their eyes.
"Look at that cousin of the Jiang family!" a noblewoman whispered, pulling at her handkerchief. "She's dressed more festively than a bride, with her hair full of golden hair and a swaying golden steps that make you dizzy."
Everyone looked over and saw Jiang Yuyao, indeed, in a bright red dress embroidered with gold, with a golden phoenix hairpin fluttering in her hair, looking as if it might fly. Jiang Songyi, on the other hand, wore only a lilac-colored long dress embroidered with white magnolias, with two jade hairpins in her hair, which made her face look even more like the bright moon.
"The Marquis' wife has come in person." The Yongchang Earl's wife, her hands sweating as she clutched the wedding veil, forced a smile as she stepped forward. "It is a great honor to have such a distinguished guest here."
Xu handed over the gift list and said with a smile, "The Fourth Prince is very happy, so naturally he has to come and ask for a glass of wedding wine." After that, she took Jiang Songyi to the women's table, leaving Jiang Yuyao behind twisting her handkerchief - she heard all the discussions just now clearly.
The ladies at the banquet were whispering to each other: "What's going on in the Yongding Marquis's Mansion?"
"What else could it be?" The lady in the crimson jacket took a sip of tea. "Who would be happy about the wife becoming a concubine? Didn't you see how Miss Jiang is dressed? It's obvious that she's causing trouble for the bride."
"County Princess Jiaqing is quite prudent." Someone pointed at Jiang Songyi and said, "I heard that at the Peony Banquet that day, the Crown Prince personally poured her tea."
The discussion was interrupted by joy. As the bride, covered with a mandarin duck playing in the water veil, stepped over the brazier, Jiang Songyi caught a glimpse of Jiang Yuyao staring at the bright red wedding dress, her nails almost digging into her palms.
The late spring morning light shone obliquely on the vermilion lacquer gate of the Yongchang Marquis's mansion. As Jiang Songyi stepped down from the carriage on the bluestone slabs, the silver cranes on her skirt loomed in the mist. Her moon-white veil fluttered with her steps, like a fairy from Guanghan, formed from frost, stepping onto the clouds.
"Watch your step." Xu held her wrist lightly, her gilded armor faintly visible at the cuff. Suddenly, the sound of bells and bracelets jingled from behind. Jiang Yuyao, clutching the hem of her bright red skirt, leaped from the carriage shaft. The golden phoenix hairpins on her hair, shimmering in the morning sun, blinded her.
The wife of the Earl of Yongchang came to the steps, stared at the red dress that was in full bloom for a moment, and quickly put on a smile: "I hope the Marquis's wife is well, and the county lady lives long." When her eyes swept over Jiang Yuyao, the corners of her mouth twitched slightly.
The ladies who had arrived early in the courtyard all looked sideways. The wife of the Minister of Rites, fanning herself with a chuckle, said, "You're dressed like a bride, aren't you afraid of disturbing the host's joy?" Before she finished speaking, Jiang Yuyao deliberately stepped on the hem of her skirt, causing the golden peony to split open.
"Mother." Jiang Songyi was about to speak when Xu suddenly squeezed her hand. The gilded armor left a red mark on her palm. She immediately understood and lowered her eyes to follow Xu to the east wing. Jiang Yuyao's shrill voice came from behind: "Why is this teacup chipped?"
The wife of the Earl of Yongchang smiled and explained, "This is the official kiln of the previous dynasty."
"Official kiln?" Jiang Yuyao lightly touched the rim of the cup with her fingertips, and suddenly raised her hand to spill half of the cup, "You dare to display the items used by the remnants of the previous dynasty to entertain guests?" The amber tea splashed on the blue brick floor, startling the parrots in the corridor to flap their wings.
Mrs. Qi, who was just entering the room, sneered at this and said, "Miss Yuyao has a good eye. She even recognizes the official kilns of the previous dynasty." The young master of the Qi family, who was following behind her, paused for a moment at Jiang Songyi, then turned to the wife of the Earl of Yongchang and said, "I'll exchange the county lady for a cup of the newly arrived Rain Before Longjing tea from last month."
Jiang Yuyao's face turned red and white, and she suddenly grabbed the celadon teapot on the table: "If it's new tea, why is the tea soup so turbid?" When the spout of the teapot tilted, the scalding hot tea was about to splash towards Jiang Songyi.
"Be careful!" Xu yanked her daughter away, spilling the tea all over her peacock-patterned cloak. Amidst the exclamations of surprise from the entire courtyard, Jiang Yuyao suddenly stumbled back, struck in the waist by something, and fell into the flowers. The golden peony, entangled in its withered branches and fallen leaves, truly resembled a withered flower.
Qi Rui retracted the slingshot and straightened his sleeve as if nothing had happened: "My hand slipped."
The warm room was filled with the scent of agarwood. Xu took off her stained outer garment, revealing a plain brocade skirt underneath. When the wife of the Earl of Yongchang came in with the new dress, she saw her wiping Jiang Songyi's temples with a handkerchief. "Are they burned?"
"Mother." Jiang Songyi grasped the back of her red hand, and her wide, moon-white sleeves slipped down, revealing the hideous old scar on her wrist. Xu's pupils constricted, and she suddenly turned to the wife of the Earl of Yongchang and sneered, "Your family's hospitality is truly unique. The tea is so hot it could peel a skin off."
There was a sudden commotion outside, and Madam Qi entered, waving a brocade fan. "Second Miss Jiang insisted that the newly planted black chrysanthemums in my courtyard were dyed, and she's cutting them with scissors right now." She glanced at Jiang Songyi. "The county lady's dress is quite elegant, making some people look like clowns on the stage wearing phoenix robes."
As the sun set, Jiang Yuyao's red dress was stained with mud. She stared at the warm room and gritted her teeth. Why could Jiang Songyi enjoy the music and tea in there while she had to deal with these gossipy women?
"Second Miss." A maidservant from the Yongchang Earl's Mansion came over with a lacquer tray. "This is the cloud tea that Young Master Qi sent to the County Master. Madam said to give it to you." Before she finished speaking, the lacquer tray suddenly overturned. Jiang Yuyao picked up the tea stains on her skirt and screamed, "You blind slave! Do you know how precious this material is?"
The ladies in the corridor all looked sideways. The Duke of Ying shook her head and whispered to her daughter-in-law, "After all, he was raised outside. Even if he put on the dragon robe, he wouldn't look like a prince." These words drifted into Jiang Yuyao's ears on the spring breeze. She suddenly grabbed a pair of scissors and rushed to the flowers, cutting the entire garden of black chrysanthemums into pieces.
As dusk fell, the sound of Guangling San emanated from the warm room. Jiang Songyi stroked the qin while watching Qi Rui sketch a chrysanthemum painting on rice paper. Suddenly, Madam Xu spoke up, "I heard the Qi family caravan is heading south next month?"
"That's right." Madam Qi took a sip of tea. "If the county lady wants to go on a trip together, please do so."
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