On the day of the banquet, Nanny Su and others were busy preparing tea and snacks early in the morning, and asked the kitchen to prepare exquisite meals for the ladies to enjoy at noon.

Many stewards came to ask for instructions from Xiao Yunrou, but they were all turned away by Nanny Su. After sending the stewards away, she turned around to look at the main house and shook her head helplessly.

The night before, Xiao Yunrou was obsessed with Pei Lingfeng all night, and cooperated with him to do everything he wanted. When the sun rose, neither of them got up. Xiao Yunrou was tired, but Pei Lingfeng was satisfied and unwilling to get up.

His palms were caressing Xiao Yunrou's waist, while he lowered his head to her ear and whispered softly:

"When they come, just keep them company and talk to them. If they dare to take advantage of the fact that the prince is giving you a bad look, don't be polite, just teach them a lesson."

"Yeah, I know."

Xiao Yun smiled softly in Pei Lingfeng's arms, and was very happy that he was protecting her. Her skin was as white as snow, and her eyebrows and eyes became more beautiful because of her happiness, which made her indescribably charming.

Pei Lingfeng's eyes dimmed, and he lowered his head and bit her round earlobe, lingering on her lips and teeth until Xiao Yunrou's confused mind came back to her, and both of them were panting.

"Feng, no... Madam He and the others should be here soon."

Xiao Yunrou had a deep understanding of Pei Lingfeng's physical strength in this life. It seemed like he didn't rest until three o'clock last night, but he still had enough energy to torture her this morning. Did he think her body was made of iron?

Xiao Yunrou pushed Pei Lingfeng away somewhat shyly, and smoothed down her messy pajamas. Finally, Pei Lingfeng kissed her forehead tenderly, which ended this intimate moment that almost led to an accidental discharge of a weapon.

Pei Lingfeng had an appointment with a colleague today. Xiao Yunrou sent him to the door before returning to the house and asking about Lvyi, who was the manager of her yard after she got married.

"Is the little garden all tidied up?"

The weather in October is not very cold, but you will feel cold if you stay outside for a while.

"I just checked and everything has been arranged properly. There are charcoal basins in the four corners of the pavilion to ensure that you won't feel cold when drinking tea. Madam, don't worry." Lu Yi replied.

Xiao Yunrou nodded slightly and asked about the preparation of the dishes. After everything went as she expected, she went into the inner room to change her clothes and dress up.

She wore a purple coat with a pattern of broken crabapple branches, a floor-length skirt with crescent-shaped white brocade, a pair of bright black jade plum blossom hairpins and two small white jade hairpins in her hair, and around her neck she wore a ruby ​​necklace that Pei Lingfeng brought back from Jiangnan. Each piece was extraordinary, and exuded nobility and splendor in its dignified and elegant manner.

As soon as Lvyi had finished packing, she walked in to report that the guests were already at the door. Xiao Yunrou nodded, got up and went to Shen's yard.

Before she even reached Zhining Garden, Xiao Yunrou ran into the group of people invited today, the mother and daughter of the He family, Xiao Yunya and Meng Tian.

Everyone greeted each other in a brisk manner and soon came in front of Shen. Xiao Yunrou pushed the mother and daughter of the He family out because she had told Shen earlier that they were the guests that Pei Lingfeng wanted to invite. Even if Shen looked down on them, she had to give face to her son. At least this time Shen was kind to the mother and daughter of the He family.

A quarter of an hour later, Shen said she was going to the Buddhist temple to chant scriptures, and everyone left tactfully. The third wife, Zhuang, also left to join the tea party.

Walking all the way to the pavilion, Xiao Yunrou smiled and said:

"The weather is nice now, it's a clear and crisp autumn day, and the flowers in the garden are in full bloom, including a few early plum blossoms. Let's go to the small garden to chat and enjoy the scenery."

"I heard that the scenery of Zhenyuan Marquis's Mansion is one of the best in the capital, and there are many rare treasures. It seems that we can feast our eyes on it today."

Mrs. He looked at the exquisiteness of the Marquis' Mansion with eyes full of admiration and envy, and could not help but compliment it. He Huanhuan was also shocked. She thought that except for the Imperial Palace, her home was the most beautiful. She did not expect that after entering the Marquis' Mansion, just such a corridor would completely overshadow her proud house.

"Mrs. He, thank you for the compliment. This palace is the oldest palace in the past dynasty. It was awarded to the first marquis by the Emperor. It has been renovated continuously over the past hundred years to this extent."

Xiao Yunrou smiled and led everyone to the small garden, where they sat in the pavilion. Madam He and He Huanhuan began to look around. As far as the eye could see, the flowers in the garden were in all their glory, with not a trace of the decay that would come with the coming winter. The eaves in the distance were rising, and the trees were lush and green, giving the whole garden a vibrant look.

The maid served tea to everyone, and Xiao Yunya smiled and said:

"It's sunny today, but it will get colder in a few days. If we go out again, we will see snow all over the sky."

Xiao Yunya had elegant manners and her voice was as soothing as the sound of a spring. He Huanhuan looked over and carefully sized up the person who had spoken to Prince An at the last palace banquet.

When women look at each other, they will subconsciously compare them. Compared with Xiao Yunya, she is not as good-looking, elegant, or well-matched as Xiao Yunya. The only thing that is better than her is that her family has more money.

If the Xiao sisters knew this, they would only sneer. The Xiao family's ancestors were also dukes, and the title was lost until their father's generation. How could any other family compare to the wealth they have accumulated over the past hundred years? Just to mention the many shops in the capital, the farms in the suburbs, and the countless boxes of treasures in the Xiao family...

"Sister Rou's necklace is really unique. I don't think we've ever seen such a style in the capital. Where did you get it, Sister Rou?"

Xiao Yunrou lowered her eyes, her face soft.

"The prince picked this up while doing disaster relief work in Jiangnan. Most jewelry in Beijing is grand, but it's rare to see something this delicate."

Mrs. He took up the conversation and touched the golden swing with a magpie climbing a plum blossom on her head. Although the pattern was similar to the ones in the capital, the huge pigeon blood gem was rare in the capital.

"As for me, no matter what, you should be more generous. During these days in the capital, I saw that those hairpins are really not well organized. The gems on those hairpins are scattered and gathered together. They look good, but they are not as eye-catching as the pigeon blood on my hairpin."

It's a joke, isn't it?

The third wife was so happy that she almost couldn't hold back her expression. When she saw that Madam He's head was covered with pearls and jade, and they were all large as she said, she thought that no one else in the capital wore jewelry like this except Madam He.

"Mrs. He is quite knowledgeable about tidying up. Why don't we go out for a walk together someday? It will open our eyes and let us see how you, Mrs. He, choose jewelry."

The Third Madam obviously wanted to make fun of her, but Xiao Yunrou did not stop her. She had to admit that the nouveau riche temperament of Madam He and He Huanhuan was really something she could not commend.

"I remember that Fenghua Pavilion will have new goods on the 23rd. Let's go take a look then."

Xiao Yunrou looked at Meng Tian who had just spoken and said jokingly:

"In a little over a month you will be leaving the house, and then I will have to call you sister-in-law. I'm afraid this is the last time I'll hear you call me sister today."

Meng Tian blushed immediately, and Madam He also had some thoughts and asked curiously:

"Ms. Meng is getting married soon. Whose son is she getting married to?"

"It's the eldest son of the Su family."

Seeing that Mrs. He looked puzzled, the Third Lady explained.

"There is no official position in the Su family now, but Mr. Su of the Su family was once the emperor's teacher and my sister-in-law's maternal grandfather. My natal father also studied at Yunzhou Academy. He was taught by Su Gong and got the top grade in high school. My elder brother also studied in Yunzhou Academy. I entered the academy two years ago and am waiting for the exam next year to be awarded the title of Juren. Besides, the eldest son of the Su family is an outstanding person. I heard that he passed the exam at the age of fifteen, but I don't know why he didn't become an official in the court. "

Speaking of this, Zhuang was also a little confused. Although the Su family was indifferent to fame and fortune, why did they take the imperial examinations but not become officials?

The He family's mother and daughter were also very surprised when they heard this. The Su family seemed to be quite large, and scholars had always been highly respected, especially Mrs. He, who looked at Xiao Yunya with a fiery look in her eyes.

Xiao Yunrou's maternal grandfather was Xiao Yunya's maternal grandfather. She had found out that Xiao Yunya had not yet been engaged. If she got married, wouldn't her useless son be able to enter the Yunzhou Academy to study and pass the imperial examination? The He family would be a family of scholars and officials in the future, and their status was self-evident. And her daughter would be able to marry into a wealthy family.

"It's great that Miss Meng has such a good husband. Has Miss Xiao also arranged such a good marriage?"

Madam He asked tentatively. Xiao Yunya smiled faintly and drank a sip of tea before saying:

"No, I haven't. But I think that if I get married, regardless of family background, I will marry a man who is upright and capable, and who loves his wife like my brother-in-law or the men of the Su family, and who will not be swayed by others."

After what happened with Zheng Yiyang, Xiao Yunya was unwilling to make do again. Although Pei Lingfeng had a concubine, she had not been anywhere else except her sister's room in the past two years. In addition, according to the Su family's rules, she thought it would not be difficult to find someone who would truly care for her.

"Not being moved by others? Does this mean you don't want your husband to take a concubine?" Mrs. He frowned.

"Miss Xiao's words are against women's teachings. You should know that women should regard their husbands as their heaven, so how can they be so jealous?"

Mrs. He's words made the atmosphere in the room cold. Except for He Huanhuan, everyone else's smile disappeared from their faces.

"Why not?" After a long silence, Xiao Yunrou spoke lightly. This Mrs. He was really confused. When would it be her sister's turn to be taught a lesson by others?

"According to the ancestral teachings of the Su family, a man can take a concubine only if he is 40 and has no children. Moreover, the children born by the concubine must be registered under the name of the wife and raised by her. Ya'er is the legitimate daughter of the Xiao family, a century-old prestigious family. She doesn't care about her family background. If she wants to find someone who suits her, it won't be difficult. How can the daughter of the Xiao family be wronged?"

Mrs. He was embarrassed by Xiao Yunrou's words and looked unhappy. He Huanhuan looked at Xiao Yunya with deep jealousy and disdain in her eyes.

"Miss Xiao Er says that she doesn't care about one's family background, but in her heart, she must care more than anyone else, right? Otherwise, why would she be flirting with Prince An so late at night?"

Xiao Yunya was somewhat puzzled after hearing this. When had she ever flirted with Prince An? However, He Huanhuan only felt that Xiao Yunya was used to pretending, and she sneered.

"Since Miss Xiao has called off the engagement, she should just stay at home. She is shameless for showing up in public all day and trying to seduce Prince An in the palace."

He Huanhuan spoke happily, but she felt a little timid when she saw Xiao Yunrou's gloomy face. However, she didn't think she had said anything wrong, and raised her eyebrows and looked at Xiao Yunya with a righteous look.

"The Imperial Palace?" Xiao Yunya was stunned for a moment, and finally she thought of something and couldn't help but sneer.

"The Buddha said, if there are flowers in your heart, all you see are flowers, but if your heart is full of filth, all you see is filth."

Xiao Yunya smiled lightly, put down the teacup and said bluntly:

"I am the eldest daughter of the Xiao family. My words and deeds represent the reputation of the Xiao family. Miss He humiliated me in public. Did she think that the Xiao family and Xiao Yunya were soft persimmons? Moreover, my sister politely invited Mrs. He and Miss He to be her guests today. You said that I have no sense of shame. Are you saying that my Xiao family has a bad upbringing? And you are also saying that my children have become the people who have no sense of shame in your mouth?"

Xiao Yunya was a little angry, and seeing He Huanhuan's rage, she stood up, pointed at Xiao Yunya and shouted:

"Am I wrong? You should stay at home after breaking off the engagement. You dress up so beautifully. Do you think no one knows what you are thinking? You are a shameless bastard!"