Banquet Incident
The carriage bumped along the cobblestone path, a subtle tension filling the air. Su Qingxue deliberately kept the greatest possible distance from Su Qingyue, as if getting any closer would bring bad luck. She frequently adjusted her elaborate attire, each movement exuding a carefully calculated elegance.
"Your outfit, sister, is... quite unique," Su Qingxue finally couldn't help but say, her tone almost overflowing with sarcasm. "It's just a bit too plain; anyone who didn't know better would think our Prime Minister's residence was mistreating you."
Su Qingyue, who was observing the street scene through the gauze curtain, didn't turn around when she heard this: "Sister, you're overthinking it. Appropriate attire is enough; why be a peacock displaying its plumage?"
"You!" Su Qingxue was so angry that her face turned pale. Just as she was about to retort, the carriage suddenly stopped abruptly. She was caught off guard and fell forward. Her hair bun hit the carriage wall, and a gold hairpin fell to the ground with a jingling sound.
However, Su Qingyue was prepared in advance and steadily held onto the window frame with one hand, her body remaining completely still.
"What's going on?" Su Qingxue angrily rebuked the driver.
The coachman's panicked voice came from ahead: "Please forgive me, young lady, it was the carriage from the Yongchang Marquis's residence that suddenly stopped..."
Just as Su Qingxue was about to lash out, a thought suddenly struck her. She bent down to pick up her hair ornament and approached Su Qingyue with feigned concern: "Little sister, your hair is a bit messy. Let me help you fix it."
Before Su Qingyue could react, the sharp end of the hairpin in her hand "accidentally" grazed Su Qingyue's sleeve, tearing a hole in the moon-white sleeve with a ripping sound.
"Oh dear!" Su Qingxue exclaimed, "Why is my sister's fabric so fragile? What should we do?"
She thought to herself with smug satisfaction: Now let's see how you get into the palace!
Su Qingyue glanced down at the tear, but calmly took out needles and thread from her embroidery pouch. It was her specially made first-aid kit, which contained silver needles and various colored silk threads.
"It's alright," she said calmly. "I actually find these sleeves too large and restrictive."
To Su Qingxue's astonishment, Su Qingyue skillfully sewed up the tear, then embroidered several tiny plum blossoms with silver thread along the seam. In just a moment, the tear had transformed into a unique decoration, echoing the embroidery pattern on the skirt.
"You..." Su Qingxue was speechless.
"Thank you for the reminder, sister." Su Qingyue looked up, her eyes bright. "Indeed, the improved design looks much neater."
Su Qingxue was so angry she almost ground her teeth to powder, but she couldn't vent her anger inside the carriage, so she could only sit back down in her original seat with a huff.
Just then, a commotion arose outside the carriage. It turned out that the carriage of the Marquis of Yongchang's mansion had gotten stuck in a mud pit, blocking the entire road. Carriages from various mansions formed a long line, unable to move forward or backward.
"What should we do?" Su Qingxue anxiously looked out of the carriage. "If we're late..."
Su Qingyue noticed that the horses of the Yongchang Marquis's residence were restless; the more the coachman whipped them, the deeper the wheels sank. She frowned slightly; such brute force would only make the situation worse.
"Sister, please calm down," she suddenly spoke up. "I might have a way."
Before Su Qingxue could react, Su Qingyue had already lifted the curtain and gotten out of the carriage. She avoided the mud and went around to the pit to examine it carefully. Then she took out several silver needles from the first aid kit and precisely inserted them into several acupoints on the horse.
Strangely enough, the previously agitated horses gradually calmed down. She then instructed the driver to place some gravel under the wheels to adjust the angle of force distribution.
"Now, drive them away gently," she instructed.
The coachman did as instructed with some skepticism, and this time, the carriage easily drove out of the mud pit.
Lady Yongchang peeked out in surprise: "Who was that just now...?"
Her words trailed off when she saw Su Qingyue. The girl before her was dressed simply and had a cool and aloof demeanor. The composure and calmness she displayed in handling the crisis just now were completely out of character for her age.
"Su Qingyue of the Prime Minister's Residence greets Madam." Su Qingyue bowed respectfully, neither humble nor arrogant.
"So it was you." Lady Yongchang looked her over thoughtfully. "I've long heard of the Prime Minister's Third Miss's exceptional medical skills; seeing her today, I can confirm it's well-deserved."
This conversation naturally reached the ears of the other people in the carriages. For a moment, the women of each household were whispering among themselves, their gazes towards Su Qingyue filled with curiosity.
Su Qingxue saw everything clearly from inside the car, her nails digging deeply into her palms. She had intended to see Su Qingyue humiliated, but unexpectedly, Su Qingyue had stolen the spotlight!
The convoy resumed its journey and this time entered the palace gates without any hindrance.
As Su Qingxue got off the carriage, she deliberately walked ahead of Su Qingyue, trying to get there first. However, just as she was stepping onto the stairs, Su Qingyue suddenly whispered a reminder:
"Sister, be careful, the palace steps are slippery."
Su Qingxue subconsciously looked down and, sure enough, saw some water stains on the stone steps. If she had stepped on them rashly just now, she might have slipped and made a fool of herself. She broke out in a cold sweat, but unwilling to accept the favor, she could only snort coldly and slow her pace.
Inside the palace gates was a completely different world. Flying eaves and intricate brackets, resplendent in gold and jade, officials and their wives moved about, their jade pendants jingling. Su Qingyue calmly observed her surroundings, taking in everyone's attire and demeanor, quickly analyzing their social status and relationships.
"Oh, isn't this the Third Miss of the Prime Minister's Mansion?" a shrill voice suddenly rang out.
Su Qingyue turned around and saw a young girl in a peach-colored brocade dress walking gracefully towards her, followed by several noble ladies. This was Li Yanran, the daughter of the Minister of Personnel and Su Qingxue's close friend.
"I've heard that Miss Third is skilled in medicine?" Li Yanran asked, feigning innocence. "Could you take a look at me? I've been feeling tightness in my chest and shortness of breath lately."
These words, seemingly a request for advice, were in reality an attempt to place Su Qingyue in the lowly position of a physician. The noble ladies present covered their mouths and chuckled, waiting to see the spectacle unfold.
Su Qingyue smiled calmly: "Miss Li has a rosy complexion and a strong voice. In my opinion, it's not chest tightness, but rather that your belt is tied too tightly, affecting your breathing. I suggest you change into looser clothing."
Upon hearing this, the noble ladies subconsciously loosened their belts. Li Yanran's face flushed red; she had indeed tied her belt exceptionally tight today to accentuate her waist.
Seeing this, Su Qingxue quickly stepped forward to smooth things over: "Sister Yanran, please don't mind her, my third sister is just straightforward..."
"Sister, you've misunderstood," Su Qingyue interrupted her. "I'm just acting out of a doctor's compassion. If Miss Li doesn't believe me, she can continue to bear it. It wouldn't look good if she fainted at the banquet later."
Her tone was sincere, her eyes clear, and no one could find fault with her. Li Yanran was trembling with anger, but had no words to reply, and could only leave dejectedly.
After these exchanges, those who initially looked down on Su Qingyue became more cautious. This concubine's daughter from the Prime Minister's mansion seemed to be more complex than the rumors suggested.
Su Qingyue calmly walked to her seat, her skirt swaying gently, its unique moon-white gradient standing out against the dazzling lights of the room. She could feel gazes from all directions—curiosity, scrutiny, and... a special attention from somewhere high above.
She looked up and saw someone seemingly watching the banquet from a distant pavilion. Too far away to see their face clearly, but that gaze sent a shiver down her spine.
"Miss, that's the Guanyun Pavilion," Qingdai whispered, "It's said that Prince Rui and the Imperial Advisor are both up there today."
Su Qingyue's heart skipped a beat. Prince Rui, Xiao Jue, was renowned as the God of War; the Imperial Advisor, Pei Jin, was even more enigmatic. Why would these two be paying attention to this banquet for women?
She subtly withdrew her gaze, picked up her teacup, and took a small sip. Amidst the fragrant tea, her eyes grew even clearer.
Just as she had predicted, the palace banquet was full of traps, but also full of opportunities. And she was ready to meet all the challenges.
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