The Fourth Prince's Consort chuckled lightly: "Don't be so serious or nervous. You're the main character today, and I'm the guest. I called you here to have a chat. You've just arrived in the capital and don't know many people. I'll introduce you to a few friends so you'll have some people to talk to in the capital."
Gu Qinlan smiled calmly: "Thank you, Fourth Prince's Consort."
So the Fourth Prince's wife introduced several ladies she knew to Gu Qinlan, and said, "The more I look at Linchuan, the closer I feel to her. If you have any fun things to do in the future, don't forget to invite her along."
The ladies readily agreed.
Gu Qinlan thanked the Fourth Prince's wife for her kindness once again, but remained indifferent to the other ladies.
Madam Zhao watched from the side, somewhat worried that Gu Qinlan wouldn't be able to handle the situation. Gu Qinlan smiled at her, indicating that she was fine.
Finally, when the banquet was about to begin, the Fourth Prince's Consort stood up and said, "Let's go, I'm quite hungry. Let's enjoy the delicacies of the Prince Duan's residence together."
The Fourth Prince's Consort gracefully took her seat at the head of the main table, followed by several maids who stood silently behind her like shadows.
After watching the Fourth Prince's Consort take her seat, Fuyu turned to Xiaoman and the maids and instructed them: "Remember, do not get close to the Fourth Prince's Consort. Be sure to keep a conspicuous distance from her and the maids around her."
Xiaoman accepted the order, nodded slightly, and then led the maids to the Fourth Prince's wife's dining table to serve the dishes.
Following Fuyu's instructions, they maintained a respectful distance from the Fourth Prince's wife and served the dishes one by one from opposite her.
The Fourth Prince's Consort's gaze was gentle, and a smile played on her lips as she said to Gu Qinlan beside her, "What? Am I some kind of ferocious beast? It seems that all the maids in your household are eager to keep at least ten steps away from me."
Gu Qinlan smiled lightly and replied, "Please don't misunderstand, Fourth Prince's Consort. They come from a remote place like Jindu and have never seen such a scene before. In order to avoid them being clumsy and offending the Fourth Prince's Consort, I specifically instructed them to stay away from you as much as possible."
Gu Qinlan's words were like a heavy blow, leaving the Fourth Prince's wife somewhat unprepared.
The Fourth Prince's wife was slightly taken aback, then chuckled dryly, "You're being too cautious. I'm not that fragile."
Gu Qinlan still smiled and said, "Better safe than sorry, so as not to spoil the atmosphere of the banquet."
The other guests exchanged subtle glances, wondering to themselves whether the Princess of Linchuan and the Fourth Prince's Consort were secretly vying for power.
As everyone was talking, the maids began to come forward one after another to distribute bowls and chopsticks.
Gu Qinlan suddenly said, "Fourth Prince's Consort, I recently had the good fortune to acquire a set of extremely exquisite cups and plates, which I have always cherished. Now that the Fourth Prince's Consort has graced us with her presence, I feel that this set of cups and plates has finally come in handy."
"Fuyu, go and fetch that set of white jade cups and plates."
Fuyu responded and hurriedly left her seat. She soon returned with the set of snow-white cups and plates.
This set of cups and plates is made of mutton fat jade and is exquisitely crafted. The edges of the bowls and plates are engraved with delicate patterns, making it exceptionally precious.
Gu Qinlan smiled and said, "This set of cups and plates truly complements the noble temperament of the Fourth Prince's Consort. Fuyu, hurry up and change them for the Fourth Prince's Consort."
Fuyu immediately stepped forward, removed the bowls and chopsticks from in front of the Fourth Prince's wife, and then, under everyone's gaze, carefully washed the white jade cups and plates twice with clean water before respectfully placing them in front of the Fourth Prince's wife.
The Fourth Prince's Consort narrowed her eyes slightly, gazing meaningfully at Gu Qinlan: "Princess of Linchuan, you are truly thoughtful."
Gu Qinlan replied with a smile, "You flatter me, Fourth Prince's Consort."
"Everyone must be hungry by now, so let's begin. Although the dishes are simple, they are mostly local specialties of Jindu, and I hope everyone will enjoy them."
She was confident in the banquet she had prepared because she had hired a master chef from the renowned Jin Du Yi Pin Ju restaurant to personally cook the food.
These renowned chefs were all hired by Zheng Dinglian at great expense, and their culinary skills were exceptional. As a result, the banquet was highly praised by all the guests, who thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
Only the Fourth Prince's Consort was unhappy, as Gu Qinlan cleverly thwarted all her plans.
She originally had two plans. One was to use the maids of the Prince Duan's mansion to create an accident, so that they would accidentally bump into her and she would fall. The other was to tamper with the food and then shift the blame onto Gu Qinlan.
However, Gu Qinlan instructed her maids to keep their distance from her, and even prepared a brand new set of tableware for herself, washing and replacing it in front of everyone. She also ate the same food as everyone else. This completely thwarted her plan.
To make matters worse, Gu Qinlan openly expressed her intention to take precautions, making the Fourth Prince's wife's every move a focus of attention, leaving her people with no opportunity to take advantage of her.
This Gu Qinlan, could she have discovered some secret? Otherwise, why would she be acting so cautiously?
However, the news of her pregnancy was never leaked, and even the Fourth Prince only learned of it a few days ago.
The Fourth Prince's wife was filled with intense disgust, and her loathing for Gu Qinlan was palpable.
Gu Qinlan looked at the Fourth Prince's wife's unpleasant face, but her vigilance remained undiminished.
As long as the Fourth Prince's Consort remains at the Prince Duan's residence, she cannot afford to be careless in the slightest.
Finally, the banquet ended, and Gu Qinlan invited the ladies to move to the opera house to enjoy a performance and sample fragrant tea. She had specially hired the most renowned opera troupe in the capital and invited a highly skilled tea master.
The Fourth Prince's Consort turned her head, her gaze lingering on the Zheng family's garden, and said with great interest, "Madam Zheng, I feel a little bloated. Would you be so kind as to accompany me for a short walk to aid my digestion?"
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