The Chrysanthemum Banquet of the 68th year of Ming Qi finally arrived.
Guangwen Hall was also different from before. Examinations had become a competition of talent. Any talented person could freely take the stage to challenge their classmates. This not only showed the youthful vitality, but also allowed people to see that the students at Guangwen Hall had their own strengths.
Therefore, both male and female students will be on the same stage, meaning that there will be no traditional male and female groups. If they like, women can challenge men in the areas of strategy and archery, which are their strengths, and men can challenge women in the areas of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, which are their strengths. However, this scenario is rare.
Early in the morning, the Shen Mansion was busy with flowers. In the west courtyard, Shuangjiang carefully put on the silver hairpin for Shen Miao and said with a smile: "Miss, it's done."
Shuangjiang was the best at combing hair. Before, Shen Yue had wanted to ask her to comb her hair, but Shuangjiang was the maid that Madam Shen personally appointed for Shen Miao. Shuangjiang was unwilling, and Shen Yue was helpless.
"This dress is really beautiful, young lady." Bai Lu smiled as she looked at it, but then hesitated a little: "It's just that the hair looks a little too plain."
Shen Miao's hair was thick and black, and Shuang Jiang had styled it into a delicate, flowing bun, giving it an elegant and unique look. Even after coming of age, Shen Miao wore her hair in a double bun, like a maid. With this new style, she looked much more mature. Her round, lovely face also seemed more delicate and graceful, finally possessing a touch of girlish charm.
There was only a silver hairpin stuck in her head, which looked quite pitiful.
Gu Yu couldn't help but reveal her anger. The Shen family was a wealthy and powerful family, yet Shen Miao didn't have a single piece of jewelry worth showing off today. The entire Shen family depended on Shen Xin for support, yet she had done something so cruel and heartless. Yet Shen Miao couldn't say anything. Why? Because they had all made jewelry for her, but it was just gaudy gold ornaments. If she wore it outside, she would definitely be laughed at.
Shen Miao only took one look at Guyu and guessed what she was thinking. She couldn't help but shake her head and laugh. In fact, from childhood, the second and third wives of the Shen family had racked their brains to cultivate her lame hobby, doing everything they could to convince her that the glittering gold was the best. This way, they could tell others that it wasn't the second and third wives who were deliberately embarrassing the eldest wife's daughter, but because they simply loved such glittering gold jewelry!
Seeing Shen Miao happily wearing those exaggerated jewelry, everyone came to the conclusion that the eldest daughter of the Shen family was greedy for money and vulgar.
Gold is good, but it is not meant to be worn on the body.
Gu Yu was afraid that Shen Miao would be sad, so he quickly changed the subject and said, "But that Li Niang is really good at making things. The girl's dress is really beautiful."
Perhaps out of pity for Shen Miao, the dress Li Niang sent was surprisingly exquisitely embroidered. As if to take into consideration her small size and the inevitable dullness of the lotus green color, large crabapple blossoms were embroidered on the hem of the skirt. They were lifelike, blooming brilliantly, and truly beautiful.
And Shen Miao actually wore it well, not looking uncomfortable at all.
Shuangjiang and Bailu looked at each other, and each saw the surprise in the other's eyes. Now Shen Miao was able to suppress even such a strong color, and no one knew what was going on.
“Let’s go.” Shen Miao stood up: “We can’t wait too long.”
As she left the yard, she saw that the garden was full of crabapples. She stopped, picked a small one, and put it into her bun, which was like the icing on the cake.
"The girl is so pretty." Guyu exclaimed.
Nanny Gui had just come out of the small kitchen, having prepared some snacks for Shen Miao from the carriage. When she came out with the basket, she saw Shen Miao and could not help but be surprised.
She had waited on Shen Miao for so many years, and she had been raised by her breasts. It could be said that she had watched Shen Miao grow up, but today she felt completely unfamiliar with her. Her aura was calm and steady, and paired with that noble lotus-green complexion, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call her a princess. She almost let go of the basket in her hand and just stood there stupidly.
Until Bai Lu smiled and said, "Madam Gui, what are you looking at?"
Nanny Gui was taken aback. As usual, she was about to say something nice, but suddenly she remembered that today was the Chrysanthemum Banquet. Shen Miao was so outstanding, wouldn't that overshadow Shen Yue and Shen Qing? She swallowed the compliment that was on the tip of her tongue, turned around and looked worried: "Young lady, the color of this dress is really too dark. You are so young, why wear such a color, it only hides your good complexion. How about going back and getting the peach-colored jacket embroidered with magpies and flowers? It makes you look more delicate. And this hairpin, I remember that the Second Madam gave you a lot of it. If this continues, no one will say that the young lady in the General's Mansion is still so simple."
Guyu curled her lips. The peach-colored jacket embroidered with magpies on branches was a gift from Ren Wanyun. The color was tacky, and with the gold and silver jewelry covering her head and face, she looked like a daughter of a wealthy country man. If she went to the Chrysanthemum Banquet today, she would definitely be ridiculed by everyone. Gui Ma Ma clearly had ill intentions. She was about to scold Shen Miao when she heard Shen Miao whisper, "Mingqi is now a country of peace and prosperity, and the people live and work in peace and contentment, but Your Majesty advocates frugality. Extravagance is the way of the world, so what's wrong with being simple? If anyone sees us, they will only say that my general's mansion is honest and upright, and the family tradition is upright, which is a good thing. As for clothes, don't worry about them." Shen Miao raised the corner of her mouth, "Today, we are here to appreciate the flowers and compete with each other in talent, but clothes have nothing to do with it."
Her words were gentle and affectionate, yet they held an undeniable authority. Gui Ma's mind was in a state of confusion. She wasn't afraid of Shen Miao getting angry, but when had Shen Miao ever spoken to her about such a long series of reasons? Shen Miao normally disliked schoolwork, and therefore had no brains. Now, with these long, elaborate paragraphs of reasoning, Gui Ma, an uneducated and unsophisticated person, was at a loss for words.
Bai Lu couldn't help but burst out laughing, then quickly fell silent and put on a serious expression, but she couldn't hide the joy in her eyes and eyebrows.
Gui Ma Ma was unable to refute, and was laughed at by the maids. She was annoyed, but she couldn't understand why she was always at a disadvantage every time she talked to Shen Miao during her return home. She was sharp-tongued, but Shen Miao's tone was very gentle. She was gentle, and every word she said left the person speechless.
Nanny Gui handed the basket to Guyu in a somewhat embarrassed manner: "These are snacks for the young lady on the way. We still have some distance to go to the Chrysanthemum Banquet, so don't let her go hungry." She said to Shen Miao: "This old servant will return to the courtyard to do her work first."
“Go ahead.” Shen Miao replied lightly.
After Nanny Gui left, Guyu and Bailu were both overjoyed. The more assertive Shen Miao became, the more she acted like a master, and those clueless people in the Shen residence wouldn't dare bully her.
When Fang reached the door, he saw two carriages parked there. The first one was ready to go, but the second one was empty.
Shen Qing's maid Chuntao was standing in front of the first carriage.
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