Inside the hall, rows of tables were arranged in a circle, with an empty space in the middle. Princess Cheng invited everyone to sit down, and Bai Nuo noticed that her seat was in the front row. She understood even more clearly that this summer banquet was specifically for her.
However, Bai Nuo searched around but couldn't find Madam Zheng. The Zheng family's carriages were all outside, but there were no members of the Zheng family in sight, which Bai Nuo found quite strange.
After everyone was seated, Princess Cheng smiled and said, "The main reason I invited everyone here today is to share the summer-cooling pearls bestowed upon us by the Emperor, and also to take this opportunity to gather with you all..."
Princess Cheng made a lot of polite remarks. After she finished speaking, Princess Ming asked with a smile, "Sister-in-law, you didn't invite us all here just to have a meal, did you?"
"Of course!" Princess Cheng smiled and glanced at Princess Ming. "My good-for-nothing daughter invited the young ladies from various families over for a gathering. She specifically asked to come here so that we could see their talents. So I granted her permission. We can eat and enjoy their talents at the same time. Later, we can go to the woods and get some fruit ourselves. Wouldn't that be quite fun?"
Upon hearing this, everyone present was indeed tempted. These people always looked at others and cared about their opinions no matter what they did. When had they ever had a truly carefree time?
This was true when she was a daughter at home, and it was still true after she got married. She was bound by rules every day and never had a moment to relax. Now that they heard about this new way of playing, everyone was willing to give it a try.
“This is completely meaningless!” Princess Ming spoke again, and everyone present fell silent.
She was a princess, and her status was more noble than everyone else present. If she found something interesting that others found interesting, no one dared to contradict her.
"Then what do you want?" Princess Cheng asked with a smile, not angry at being outmaneuvered by Princess Ming.
“Sister-in-law, how about this!” said Princess Ming. “Didn’t Lingyu say she would perform music, chess, calligraphy, painting, singing, and dancing for us? Why don’t we just let these young ladies have a competition?”
The ladies present exchanged bewildered glances. Wouldn't that mean all the fun was gone? They had just been able to go out and enjoy picking fruit, but after what Princess Ming said, they were all stuck inside the house again.
People have opinions, but they dare not speak them out.
Fortunately, Princess Ming knew that everyone had objections. "What I mean is, we will still go picking fruit as usual, but those little maids will come along too. We will pick the fruit, and they will have a competition. You mothers have served your children so much, but you have never been treated with filial piety by your own daughters, have you? This is a good opportunity for your daughters to show you some respect!"
"So how should these rules be set?" someone asked. Although they were a little bored, they were still happy to spend time with their daughters.
"Let's compete in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting first, then we'll compete in picking fruit. But we'll have to cooperate with our own daughters. Whoever picks more will have a better chance of winning. How about that?" Princess Ming asked.
Princess Cheng nodded. "That's a good idea, but what's the prize if we win? We can't just have someone compete and get nothing in return, can we?" Without a prize, who would want to participate? There would be no motivation, right?
"The prize is this bracelet in my hand!" Princess Ming took off the bracelet and placed it on the table.
Everyone looked up and was moved. Princess Cheng looked at Princess Ming and asked, "Wasn't this bracelet given to you by the Empress Dowager?"
The Empress gave this bracelet to Princess Ming when she was present. Princess Ming had begged for a long time to get her hands on the bracelet, and the Empress finally gave it to her after she had given up on her.
“Normally, I would be reluctant to part with this bracelet, but today, if an outstanding junior appears, I am willing to reluctantly part with it.”
Princess Ming immediately positioned herself as a generous woman who cherished outstanding juniors. Princess Cheng, however, was unwilling to let Princess Ming receive this title, as it would be detrimental to her reputation. So, she smiled and said, "How can I let you give away the things bestowed by the Empress Dowager so easily? Today, I'm hosting, so I'll naturally pay for the prizes. Doesn't Madam Hu own a Treasure Pavilion? Although I haven't been there, I've heard that its jewelry and food are extremely appealing. How about this: the first place winner gets a set of the best jewelry from the Treasure Pavilion, the second place winner gets a set of the best clothing, and the third place winner gets to try the food at the Treasure Pavilion. All expenses will be paid by me, Madam Hu."
Princess Cheng quickly shifted the blame to Bai Nuo with just a few words, so Bai Nuo had no choice but to stand up and say, "Of course! Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. In that case, I would also like to add a little something to the prize."
"What would you like to add?" Princess Cheng asked Bai Nuo with a smile.
Bai Nuo said, "The winner of the first prize will receive a set of our Treasure Pavilion's latest jewelry every month."
Bai Nuo was originally thinking about how to remove the stain on Hu Mingmei's reputation and restore Duobaoge's reputation, but she didn't expect the opportunity to come so quickly. Princess Cheng actually wanted to use the items in her shop as prizes, so she might as well add some.
None of the people here are of low status. Just imagine if a princess or an official's daughter wore their family's products every month, the rumors would simply disappear.
If there were a problem with the products, would people still come to buy from us every day? No.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
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