Arriving at Linjiang, Xiao Yunrou boarded the pleasure boat of the Zhenyuan Marquis Mansion. The Zhenyuan Marquis Mansion has been passed down for a hundred years, and the pleasure boat is much larger than that of ordinary families. It is also magnificent with carved beams and painted rafters. The furnishings inside are also exquisite but not extravagant, which is pleasing to the eyes.

Because we had booked a lake cruise early in the morning, servants came early to prepare. The cabin was filled with a faint fragrance. An ice bucket was placed next to the tables and chairs, fruits and snacks were placed on the table, and there was also a guzheng on the table.

Sitting by the window, Xiao Yunrou drank tea and looked at the mirror-like surface of the river rippling due to a breeze. The fish in the river jumped out of the water from time to time, stirring up circles of ripples and making the reflections in the water shake.

At this time, there were two or three pleasure boats parked on the shore. Seeing many servants busy in and out, I was afraid that the young masters and young ladies of the master's family were going to cruise the lake today. Xiao Yunrou noticed the signs of the pleasure boats and then looked away. She was not familiar with these families, so it was easy.

After a while, Xiao Yunya and Mu Yunlan got on the pleasure boat chatting and laughing.

"I think the pleasure boat in the Zhenyuan Marquis's Mansion is really nice. The Princess's Mansion doesn't have such a nice thing. You really enjoy it, being able to come here to cruise the lake from time to time."

The eldest princess and the current emperor are not born of the same mother, but the eldest daughter of the previous emperor, who is more than ten years older than the emperor. Because her biological mother's family was not in power, the previous emperor only found a son-in-law who was not outstanding for her. Therefore, she avoided the dispute over the throne in the late years of the previous emperor and was safely named the eldest princess. Although the emperor gave her honor, there was nothing more. The princess's mansion only had the family assets accumulated over the years. Those who knew the inside story knew that it was just a showpiece. However, after so many years, this unremarkable son-in-law was devoted to the eldest princess, which was also a good thing.

"How can I have so much time to go boating? I have to take care of so many things in the mansion every day. I can only take a break from my busy schedule and come out once in a while."

"When my sister was at home, she helped mother with the housework. Now it's my turn. Mother always says that you should take good care of the house after you get married. There is still a year before the wedding, and mother is afraid that I won't be able to learn how to manage it. If it weren't for your invitation today, mother would have pulled me to her side to teach me."

Xiao Yunya looked helpless which made Xiao Yunrou laugh, and Mu Yunlan also smiled charmingly.

"Chen Xiaoer got a pot of Eighteen Scholars' treasure a few days ago. I'll send you a link to take a look later."

Xiao Yunrou looked at Mu Yunlan in silence. She was the only one in the world who called her husband a waiter in a tavern. Fortunately, Mu Yunlan and Chen Xiaoer were childhood sweethearts. They had been engaged since they were young, and they liked each other. In addition, the relationship between the two families was very close. Otherwise, with Mu Yunlan's personality, she would have been disliked by her husband's family.

"You and Chen Zian are married, but you still call him Chen Xiaoer. Aren't you afraid of losing face in front of outsiders?"

"I've been calling him that for so many years, and it's hard to change it in a short time. Besides, you and Yun Ya are not strangers. I will still give him face in front of others."

Mu Yunlan had an expression that said, "How could I possibly make such a mistake if I'm so smart?" Xiao Yunrou was speechless. She quickly changed the subject and talked about the Eighteen Scholars.

"The Eighteen Scholars are about a meter tall. They are mostly buds now, but petals can be seen on some of them. The most important thing is that they are still the Eighteen Scholars in white pots. They are treasured by Chen Xiaoer. If the eunuchs want to take a look, they have to come and see them in person."

Mu Yunlan couldn't stop laughing when he talked about Chen Zian's appearance as a baby eighteenth scholar, and he even described the appearance of old man Chen blowing his beard and glaring vividly, which made Xiao Yunrou and her sister very happy.

After chatting and laughing for a while, Xiao Yunrou looked at the guzheng and suddenly felt like playing a piece. In the past two years, because she had to take care of the chores, she had not touched the guzheng, chess, calligraphy, or painting, except for writing a few words occasionally.

Although Xiao Yunrou was a little unfamiliar at first, she regained the feeling of playing before in a short while. After one song, her fingering was perfect and she played very smoothly. What's more, the song she played was very suitable for the scene, relaxing and comfortable, making people feel like they were in the scene. Not only Mu Yunlan and Xiao Yunya were fascinated by it, but even the other people in the pleasure boat who faintly heard the piano music began to secretly ask who was playing.

When the song ended, Xiao Yunrou was very satisfied with her own performance. She thought that she would play a song at home when she had nothing to do in the future, even for her two children to listen to.

Xiao Yunrou was about to get up and go back to her previous seat to continue talking to the two, but at this moment, the boat suddenly shook violently, as if it had been hit by something. The furnishings in the cabin fell to the ground, and Xiao Yunrou and the other two were caught off guard. They stumbled and slid down with the tilt of the boat. If Xiao Yunrou hadn't been quick to grab the handrail fixed to the boat, they would have been injured. Mu Yunlan and Xiao Yunya were not so lucky. Mu Yunlan's arm hit the corner of the table and a bruise appeared, and he also hit Xiao Yunya.

"What's going on?" Mu Yunlan was surprised and confused.

This is Linjiang, and there are many pleasure boats on the river. How could such a thing happen? Not to mention that the boatmen and helmsmen hired by the Marquis' Mansion are all very experienced. In this capital city full of nobles, if someone is offended because of a collision of pleasure boats, it will be a loss. Xiao Yunrou frowned and sent Hongzhuang to the bow to find out what happened.

At this time, at the bow of the boat, the guards of the marquis' mansion were pointing at the boatman on the painting boat that had hit them, and shouting at him angrily.

"How do you steer a boat?"

The guards looked very unhappy. In the cabin sat not only their own prince's wife, but also a princess and the prince's wife's sister. If their boat was not strong and only shook a little after being hit, who knows what kind of trouble would have happened.

"I'm sorry, it was a servant who bumped into me by mistake."

As soon as the guard finished speaking, a veiled woman walked out of the cabin opposite. The woman had a slim figure and a voice as gentle as water, which immediately calmed the guard's anger and made the crowd of onlookers feel good about her. Many people even wanted to know whose daughter she was.

When Hongzhuang walked to the bow, someone told her the whole story. She frowned and looked at the pleasure boat across the way, then carefully looked at the woman, who looked very familiar. When she heard the woman say that she wanted to personally apologize to the owner of her pleasure boat, her face suddenly changed, and she hurried into the cabin.

Hong Zhuang entered the cabin and whispered her guess. Xiao Yunrou's expression remained unchanged, but Xiao Yunya's face turned ugly.

"Are you sure?"

Hongzhuang nodded vigorously. She had also attended the banquet that day and was deeply impressed. Moreover, there was a clear sign on the pleasure boat, so she would never make a mistake.

"Sister, she must have recognized the sign of the Marquis' Mansion and bumped into us on purpose. It's been almost a year. She's really haunting us!"

Xiao Yunrou smiled gently and tidied up her sister's hairpin which had become a little messy due to the fall.

"Is this little idiot worth your anger?"

Mu Yunlan looked out of the window curiously, but he couldn't even see what the woman looked like.

"Who are you talking about?"

"That time at Mr. Mo's birthday banquet, she wanted to compete with my sister. I think her surname was Dou? I remember she was shameless enough to confront my brother-in-law at the door... Humph!"

Xiao Yunya was taught since childhood that she could not say the word "hookup", but Dou Jingshu hated her. She was frightened because of her and hated her even more.

Mu Yunlan thought about it, and said with a look of sudden enlightenment:

"Dou family? But the one from Jingzhou? I remember now! A few days ago I heard that they wanted to send Dou Jingshu to the Marquis' Mansion to be Pei Lingfeng's concubine. They also said that she was originally the future wife of the prince, but you snatched her away in the end, and now Dou Jingshu can't get married, so they just want to compromise and let her be a concubine. In short, they implied that the Zhenyuan Marquis' Mansion and the Xiao family used their power to oppress others. At that time, I thought you were about to give birth and it would be bad to hear these things, so I didn't tell you, but did you know about this?"

Xiao Yunrou really didn't know about this. Not to mention that the servants around her were afraid that she would keep it a secret because she was about to give birth, even Shen would not let the Dou family enter the gate of Zhenyuan Marquis Mansion.

"Madam, the young lady from the other house on the pleasure boat wants to come over in person to apologize." A guard reported outside the cabin.

"Come here?" A hint of disgust flashed across Xiao Yunrou's eyes.

"No need."

Xiao Yunrou didn't want to see Dou Jingshu, and she didn't have much kindness towards a woman who coveted her husband. If Pei Lingfeng wanted to take her into the mansion, she would be able to accept it even if she didn't like it, but she wouldn't be so nice if she shamelessly approached him. Not to mention that she and Pei Lingfeng had a good relationship now, and she didn't want anyone to ruin her life now.

"Madam, that young lady has been standing there and won't leave..."

After a while, the guard reported back again, his voice carrying a hint of embarrassment. Dou Jingshu was a daughter of an official family, and the guards did not dare to confront her head-on. The Dou family's pleasure boat was in the way, so the Marquis's pleasure boat could not leave. The anger that had originally subsided because of Dou Jingshu's initial apology rose again.

"What on earth does she want to do?" Xiao Yunya was impatient.

Not to mention Xiao Yunya, Xiao Yunrou and Mu Yunlan couldn't figure it out either. If Pei Lingfeng was here, he could still say that he wanted to see Xiangsi, but the news that he went to Jiangnan was known to the whole court, and Dou Jingshu in the capital naturally got the news. But Pei Lingfeng was not here, so her purpose of insisting on seeing Xiao Yunrou was worth pondering.

"I'm afraid she won't leave unless I go out. If that's the case, let's go take a look. This pleasure boat is blocking others."

Xiao Yunrou stood up calmly, and Xiao Yunya and Mu Yunlan followed her out. The three of them wanted to know what Dou Jingshu wanted to do.

When Xiao Yunrou and the other two arrived at the bow, except for Xiao Yunya who had not yet come out of the room and was wearing a veil, the looks of Xiao Yunrou and Mu Yunlan were eye-catching.

Xiao Yunrou was especially so. She wore a red gold lotus hairpin on the side of her hair. The hanging red gold tassels meandered down like a stream of water, trembling slightly, reflecting a dazzling light. The gorgeous and brilliant color made her skin look white as cream and her eyebrows as dark as ink.

Dou Jingshu on the opposite side saw that Xiao Yunrou attracted everyone's attention as soon as she appeared, and there was also the heroic Mu Yunlan on one side, and Xiao Yunya, who was stunning even with a veil on her face. There was uncontrollable jealousy and malicious light in her eyes.