Arriving late for the Empress's poetry gathering is a grave offense, punishable by varying degrees of severity.
If the Empress gets angry, the consequences will be more than the Zhao family can bear.
Today, Zhao Jingning prepared a set of blue, dark-patterned silver peony gauze dress with a fitted waist for Su Ruojin. The skirt was floor-length, tied at the waist with a silver ribbon, and a white jade pendant hung down, making her waist look even more slender.
Walking in the sunlight, the dark-patterned peonies shimmered faintly with the light, and with each step, the peonies on the skirt seemed to bloom on the hem.
Zhao Jingning originally wanted to get Su Ruojin a set of gold and gemstone jewelry, but Su Ruojin thought it was too heavy and refused.
Su Ruojin told Zhao Jingning that in such a crowded place, the more low-key you dress, the less attention you will receive, and the safer you will be.
Zhao Jingning was persuaded by her, but felt that since she was a princess, she shouldn't be too plain. In the end, she paired Su Ruojin with a seven-jeweled glass coral hairpin, a plum blossom white jade hairpin, and a gold hairpin inlaid with kingfisher feathers and pearls.
This way, it won't be particularly outstanding, nor will it disgrace the status of a princess.
Zhao Jingning herself was dressed as a maid, following Su Ruojin obediently.
Upon arriving at the palace gate, many daughters of noble families had to get out of their cars and queue up to enter the palace because the cars were so crowded together.
In fact, given Su Ruojin's status, she could have entered the palace directly simply by giving her name; there was no need for her to queue.
However, Su Ruojin felt that if she entered the palace early, out of courtesy, the Empress might summon her alone and they would inevitably have a chat.
She didn't know Empress Yunqi, and sitting there exchanging compliments and chatting would be somewhat awkward, so she preferred to queue outside.
At least I don't have to deal with anyone else, and I can chat with my cousin more freely.
Su Ruojin wants to be free, but someone doesn't want her to be.
Compared to the group of elegantly dressed noble ladies, Su Ruojin's attire was quite simple and unassuming.
However, combined with her appearance, she exuded a unique and noble air, attracting many noble ladies to frequently glance at her and secretly guess Su Ruojin's identity.
As more people saw her, some naturally became jealous. In addition, since she was a relatively unfamiliar face and no one could guess her identity, some troublemakers came knocking on her door.
"This lady looks unfamiliar. May I ask which family you belong to?" A girl dressed in a pink palace dress, about fifteen or sixteen years old, walked up to Su Ruojin with a hint of disdain in her eyes.
The noble ladies of Yuncheng all know each other, so if a new face has arrived, she certainly can't be from a high-ranking family.
Su Ruojin looked at the girl in front of her and replied calmly, "The daughter of the Zhao family."
The Zhao family?
Jia Yingying, the daughter of the Minister of Revenue, immediately realized upon hearing the name Zhao family that Su Ruojin was referring to was the Zhao family, the richest family in Yunqi.
How could a merchant's daughter be invited to the Empress's poetry gathering?
When Jia Yingying realized that the Third Prince's concubine came from the Zhao family, she understood that it must have been this concubine who had asked the Imperial Concubine for a favor.
I heard that Consort Zhao has an older sister in the Zhao family. Is she trying to use the poetry competition to climb the social ladder?
Thinking of this, the contempt in Jia Yingying's eyes intensified.
"So it's Miss Zhao. This must be your first time participating in the poetry competition. Have you prepared any good poems? Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot. Miss Zhao comes from a merchant family and usually only deals with money. How could she have the opportunity to study poetry and literature?"
At this point, Jia Yingying picked up her handkerchief, covered her mouth, and chuckled softly. The young ladies from prominent families watching nearby also laughed along.
Many of them had long been jealous of Su Ruojin's appearance, and now that someone was stepping forward to ridicule her, they were naturally happy to see it happen.
"However, Miss Zhao, don't be sad. Everyone knows you are the daughter of a merchant. Even if you don't come up with any good poems, no one will laugh at you. If you really can't come up with anything, I can give you some pointers so you won't embarrass yourself later, how about that?"
Su Ruojin glanced at Jia Yingying indifferently, "Who are you?"
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