Palace banquet quota
The news of Qiuwen's recovery was like a pebble thrown into an ancient well, creating ripples beneath the calm surface of the Prime Minister's residence. The servants whispered among themselves, their voices filled with an unprecedented reverence.
"Third Miss is truly amazing! Zhang Mama's tuberculosis, which had been lingering for half a month, improved after just three doses of medicine!"
"More than that! I saw her set the bones for Little Li at the stable; with just a couple of snaps, his dislocated arm was back in place!"
These whispers drifted across the courtyards and eventually reached Wang's ears. She sat upright in a rosewood armchair inlaid with marble, her fingertips rhythmically tapping the table, producing a dull sound like the pendulum of a countdown clock.
"I underestimated her," Wang said calmly, but her eyes held a chilling edge. "I thought she was an ant I could crush with a flick of my wrist, but it turns out she's a rat that only bites."
Granny Qian stood bowing to the side and said cautiously, "Madam, the Palace Flower Banquet is in half a month. According to custom, all the young ladies are required to attend. What do you think about the Third Miss's situation..."
A glint flashed in Madam Wang's eyes, and a cold smile curved her lips: "Of course she should go. How could such a wonderful stage be without our Third Miss's role?"
Meanwhile, the dilapidated courtyard was bursting with life. Various herbs were drying on the windowsill, and a bittersweet fragrance filled the air. Su Qingyue was teaching Qingdai how to grind medicinal herbs, and sunlight streamed through the newly pasted window paper, casting a pale golden halo on her focused profile.
"Miss, do you think Madam will really let you attend the palace banquet?" Qingdai asked, unable to resist, as she pounded medicine. Since Qiuwen recovered from her illness, servants had been coming to Su Qingyue for treatment in droves, and this unspoken recognition made the little maid feel honored.
Su Qingyue continued sifting the ground medicine powder without stopping: "Whether I attend this palace banquet or not is no longer up to her alone."
She saw it clearly. If Lady Wang insisted on stopping her, it would only give others something to gossip about—to deny a concubine's daughter, who had just made a "merit," even the palace banquet seemed too harsh. But if she were allowed to go...
"My dear sister will definitely try every means to ruin my reputation at the palace banquet." Su Qingyue said calmly, as if she were talking about the weather today.
Sure enough, three days later, a maid from the Wang family brought news: Madam instructed that since the Third Miss was much better, she should prepare to attend the Hundred Flowers Banquet in half a month.
When the news arrived, Su Qingxue was trying on her newly tailored brocade dress embroidered with gold butterflies and flowers. Upon hearing the maid's report, she abruptly tore off a string of pearl necklaces from the East Sea. The round pearls clattered and tumbled to the ground, bouncing on the polished gold bricks.
"She doesn't deserve it!" Su Qingxue's beautiful face was twisted with rage. "A daughter born to a lowly servant dares to sit at the same table as me? Does she really think she's some kind of proper mistress!"
Cai Die quickly comforted her, "Miss, why get upset? The rules at the palace banquet are very strict. She's inexperienced and will only embarrass herself if she makes a fool of herself."
Su Qingxue calmed down, a malicious glint in her eyes: "You're right. I'll make sure she can never hold her head up high in front of the entire court!"
In the days that followed, the Prime Minister's residence appeared calm on the surface, but undercurrents were surging beneath.
Su Qingxue was busy learning court etiquette, choosing jewelry, and practicing her musical skills. Su Qingyue, on the other hand, didn't even have a decent dress.
"Miss, what should we do?" Qingdai rummaged through her chest and found only a worn-out moon-white embroidered plum blossom dress, the cuffs already frayed. "Wearing this to a palace banquet, I'm afraid you won't even be able to get through the palace gates."
Su Qingyue stroked the plum blossom embroidery on the hem of her skirt, then suddenly said, "Bring me the scissors."
"Miss!" Qingdai exclaimed, "This is already your best dress!"
"The best doesn't necessarily mean the most suitable," Su Qingyue said calmly. "Since we don't have luxurious clothes, let's find another way."
She asked Qingdai to find some plain-colored silk cloth and thread, and also to pick several kinds of plants with unusual colors from the courtyard. For the next few days, the two of them stayed indoors, and the strange fragrance of steaming flowers and herbs often wafted from the small courtyard.
Su Qingyue repeatedly soaked the moon-white silk cloth in dyes made from gardenia, cork tree bark, and other plants, obtaining a very special crescent white color that had a warmer luster than the original dead white. She then carefully removed the plum blossom pattern, twisted collected peacock feathers and kingfisher feathers into colored threads, and re-embroidered it using a unique needlework technique.
"Miss, this embroidery technique is so unique!" Qingdai exclaimed in amazement as she watched Su Qingyue's needlework. Under Su Qingyue's hands, the plum blossoms were no longer a rigid pattern, but seemed to be blooming on the branches, and one could even see the luster of the morning dew.
"This is the technique of using both solid and void stitches," Su Qingyue explained. "By varying the angles of the stitches, the embroidery can present different effects under different lighting conditions." This technique, which combines Suzhou embroidery and French embroidery, is unique in this era.
Just as the dress was about to be completed, trouble arrived as expected.
Early that morning, Su Qingxue suddenly barged in with several maids, ostensibly to "check on her sister's preparations."
"What are you busy with, Third Sister? Let your older sister see your dress." Su Qingxue said, her gaze already fixed on the nearly finished dress on the table.
Her initially mocking gaze suddenly froze when she saw the garment clearly.
The crescent-white background was as warm and smooth as jade, and the red plum blossoms blooming on it were lifelike. Most amazingly, the plum blossoms showed different colors as the angle changed, as if real flowers were swaying gracefully in the light.
This is definitely not the work of the embroiderers in the manor! Alarm bells rang in Su Qingxue's mind. If Su Qingyue were to wear this dress to the palace, wouldn't she steal all the limelight from her?
"This fabric..." She suddenly reached out and touched the hem of her skirt, her fingernail "accidentally" catching a loose thread, and she yanked it off!
With a "ripping" sound, a long tear appeared at the hem of her skirt.
Qingdai gasped, tears welling up instantly: "Young Miss! You!"
Su Qingxue feigned panic: "Oh dear, little sister, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it. This material is so flimsy! It seems you can't wear this."
She was secretly pleased with herself. Only five days until the palace banquet—let's see how you try to salvage this!
Su Qingyue stared at the torn hem of her skirt, her expression eerily calm. She looked up at Su Qingxue, her eyes as still as a deep well: "Sister is right, this fabric is indeed flimsy."
She slowly stepped forward, and to Su Qingxue's astonishment, picked up a pair of scissors and, with a "snip," cut the entire skirt at knee level along the tear!
"Are you crazy?" Su Qingxue exclaimed. A woman's dress not even reaching her ankles was already improper; this knee-length dress was utterly indecent!
Su Qingyue ignored them and took out the same color silk fabric that she had dyed before, cut it into wide strips, and sewed them layer by layer under the shortened skirt. She sewed extremely fast, with fine and unique stitches. She cleverly layered the strips of fabric into gradient layers, as if petals were blooming one by one.
"Since it's broken, let's change the style," Su Qingyue said calmly. "Speaking of which, I have to thank you for your suggestion, sister, it gave me a better idea."
In less than an hour, a tattered dress was transformed in her hands. The original long dress became a knee-length ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) with a gradient hem, swaying like flower petals with every movement, adding a touch of liveliness and playfulness to its original form. The tear marks were cleverly covered by embroidery, becoming a unique decoration instead.
Su Qingxue stared in disbelief, her face turning from red to white, and finally ashen. She never imagined that her disruptive act would actually benefit the other party!
"Let's go!" she said through gritted teeth, leading her people away in a disheveled state.
Qingdai stroked the altered dress, feeling both heartache and pride: "Miss, you are truly amazing! This dress is even more beautiful than before!"
Su Qingyue's gaze was distant: "Creating infinite possibilities within limited conditions is a fundamental quality of a physician." She recalled how, in modern laboratories, despite insufficient funding and rudimentary equipment, she was still able to make groundbreaking research. Resources are never the key to success or failure; mindset is.
On the eve of the palace banquet, Lady Wang sent someone to deliver a set of light red brocade dress, saying it was a formal dress prepared for Su Qingyue.
"A weasel paying New Year's greetings to a chicken," Qingdai muttered to herself.
Su Qingyue examined the garment and indeed found several small tears under the armpits and on the back, which would tear with the slightest movement when worn. Even more ingenious was the special fragrance used on the garment, which, when mixed with a certain commonly used incense at palace banquets, would attract bees and butterflies.
"You've really gone to a lot of trouble." Su Qingyue chuckled and casually tossed the expensive brocade robe aside.
The next morning, the area in front of the Prime Minister's residence was bustling with carriages and horses.
Su Qingxue wore a meticulously prepared brocade dress, adorned with pearls and jade, as vibrant as a peony. When she saw Su Qingyue, her pupils contracted sharply—
Su Qingyue wore a moon-white gradient dress with a simple updo, her hair tied up with a plain silver hairpin, and no other adornments. Yet, this simple attire stood out remarkably amidst the vibrant colors. The unique dress accentuated her cool and elegant demeanor, like a plum blossom, and as she walked, the skirt flowed like petals, creating a unique and graceful style.
"You..." Su Qingxue's fingertips trembled with anger.
Madam Wang's gaze swept over Su Qingyue with a gloomy expression, then quickly replaced it with a kind smile: "Is everyone here? Get in the car."
The carriage slowly started moving and headed towards the vermilion palace walls.
Su Qingyue leaned against the carriage wall, closing her eyes to rest. Her fingertips unconsciously traced the jade safety buckle in her sleeve, the cool and smooth touch calming her mind slightly.
This palace banquet was destined to be anything but peaceful. But she was no longer the Su Qingyue who could be slaughtered at will.
The real show has only just begun.
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