Chapter 47 Cannon Fodder
By the time the water flow reached everyone's sight, it had slowed down as the slope gradually flattened.
After receiving the order, the steward hurriedly asked the servants to place the dishes and drinks on the trays on the water in order.
There was a constant exclamation of surprise at the table.
It doesn't matter how good the dishes are, but just for the sake of elegance and novelty. After all, not everyone has the energy to prepare such a feast.
Even Wang Shaowei, the second son of the Qingyuan Marquisate, put aside his interest in conversation and looked upstream.
Fortunately, he was sitting close to the front, and the waiter next to him quickly brought out a plate of crab stuffed with oranges and placed it on the table in front of him.
Crab stuffed orange is made by stuffing crab meat and crab roe into an orange bowl and steaming it. It combines the fruity aroma with the freshness of crab and tastes excellent.
At first, the first few plates could only be served to the guests in the front, but as more trays were put into the water, the guests waiting eagerly at the back gradually got one or two plates each.
While enjoying the delicious food, everyone praised the Shen family for their hard work.
The maidservant who was waiting beside her said that this was the idea of the eldest lady of the Shen family, so those people praised Shen Jingshu again.
They all praised her as a talented woman who had won the emperor's approval, and she was so creative at the banquet.
Shen Jingshu sat in the first seat for female guests, and as she listened to the praises from the guests below, her smile became more genuine.
Red clothes are more beautiful than fire, and the demeanor is calm.
With such a beautiful scene, it seemed as if everyone had forgotten that she was just a concubine who was not even worthy of a grand wedding banquet.
That is what people usually call a concubine, but because of the other party's identity as a prince, it sounds a little nicer.
The Shen family girl is so high-profile that the men on her side almost all take an admiring and wait-and-see attitude.
But not all the young ladies bought her account.
A plump young lady at the table said as she enjoyed her meal, "If you didn't know, you'd think she was going to be the prince's wife. Why is she so proud?"
The slightly plump woman was wearing a light gold and pink floral jacket today. She didn't look as cautious as other young ladies, and her words were not very respectful to the host.
Being able to do this to the granddaughter of the Taifu Mansion, others might think that she was of noble birth or had something to rely on, but that was not the case.
The girl's name is Shi Zhongyu, which is the homonym of this name, and many people secretly laugh at her.
Although Shi Zhongyu's surname is Shi, she is just an unknown concubine's daughter from the second house of the General of Cavalry's Mansion.
However, it was the eldest son who was granted the title of general. As a concubine's daughter, why did Shi Zhongyu ridicule Shen Jingshu?
This has to start with Shi Qiuyue, the eldest daughter of the Shi family. It is said that Shi Qiuyue was the wife chosen by the Queen Mother for the Second Prince.
But she and Shen Jingshu were equally talented and beautiful, and were recognized as the two most beautiful girls in Beijing, so they were often compared with each other in the past.
So this time I am speaking up for my cousin in the mansion!
After Shi Zhongyu said this, everyone around him fell silent.
Several young ladies had already covered their faces with their sleeves to hide the corners of their mouths that were unconsciously breaking into smiles.
But no one responded to this for a long time.
Just when I thought the conversation was going to end in silence, someone lazily said, "Who said it wasn't? I sent the invitation to her house just to see her laugh. But my brother always praises her."
The one who answered was Wang Zhujun, the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Qingyuan. She was also a powerful person and was not afraid of anyone.
The reason why Wang Zhujun took up the conversation with this concubine's daughter of an obscure status was not because she had any friendship with this person, but simply because she disliked Shen Jingshu.
As for the brother she was referring to, it was Wang Shaowei sitting opposite her.
Although the two spoke quietly, their voices were loud enough for everyone around them to hear clearly.
The first one was Wang Zhujun's brother, who immediately gave him a glare, and the next were Shen Jingshu's male and female fans.
Someone responded, "Sister Jingshu, what's wrong with you? You're here at this banquet and you're still making sarcastic remarks. Which woman doesn't want to be the wife? But is this something she can decide?"
"Humph... Didn't you have a chance with Prince Xiao before? You chose to hedge your bets. Who can you blame?"
When Miss Shi said this, everyone present was shocked.
Several people had already put down their cups and listened attentively to this rare secret.
Shen Jingshu's smile finally couldn't be held back.
Although she didn't hear these words directly, there were many people who passed on the messages.
Everyone's eyes and ears were turned in this direction, it was hard not to know.
The banquet was filled with young ladies and gentlemen, with no elders present. Even Ruan, who usually supported her, had already left.
Shen Jingshu looked at Shen Shaoyu opposite her again. After all, even if the two of them had a bad relationship, if her reputation was blemish, it would also affect him, the eldest young master of the Shen family, right?
But Shen Shaoyu sat there eating slowly, seemingly indifferent to everything around him.
Shen Jingshu couldn't help but feel a surge of hatred in her heart.
It seemed like her brother had never stood on her side.
He was probably only thinking about his missing sister, not realizing that the person in front of him was the real one.
Thinking about this, Shen Jingshu became more certain of her goal, the goal told to her by the ruthless woman who was as cold and indifferent as she was.
The Queen and the Second Prince certainly played tricks on her, but as long as they could really reach the highest position, her patience today would be worth it.
As Shen Jingshu drank the fruit wine in her hand, she became more determined in her plan.
At this moment, there was a commotion at the gate of the courtyard, and suddenly someone announced loudly: "The Second Prince is here!"
Everyone looked up and saw the Second Prince, dressed in a red round-collared dragon robe, walking towards the courtyard where the Qushui Liushang banquet was set up, surrounded by guards.
Behind him, there followed Shen Xinian who hurried over and Ruan who looked very pleased.
The young lady who was arguing with Shi Zhongyu and Wang Zhujun during the banquet saw this scene, glared at the two of them fiercely, and her face was full of satisfaction.
Shen Jingshu, who was sitting in the first seat, obviously tightened her grip on the wine cup in her hand, but due to her usual etiquette, she did not show any extreme reaction.
It was not until the Second Prince came closer that he stood up and bowed with all the guests.
The Second Prince, surrounded by people, looked at Shen Jingshu, who was only a step away, with gentle eyes, and said to everyone, "No need to be so polite! Today, like all the other guests, I have come for Miss Jingshu's banquet. Please enjoy yourselves and drink and chat. Don't let my arrival ruin your mood."
Zhu Jingrui was born handsome, and his demeanor was as cool as the breeze and bright as the moon, which immediately aroused the amorous feelings of the young ladies present.
Even Shen Jingshu blushed slightly under his gaze.
Since the Second Prince was here, it was not convenient for Chen Xinian and Ruan to leave, and the Qushui Liushang banquet became much quieter for a while.
He just asked the palace maid to give him gifts, sat for a while and then left.
Just when everyone thought they could breathe a sigh of relief, someone came outside to report that the eldest son of Duke Chengguo's Mansion had arrived.
Everyone at the table looked at each other in confusion, as if they had seen a ghost.
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