Chapter 9: Spring Banquet, Slapping the Concubine's Sister
Spring Banquet three days later:
The secluded pavilion in the bamboo forest has a unique beauty after the spring rain, with mist and hazy spring rain.
The so-called Spring Banquet is ostensibly an excuse to bring everyone together to appreciate the spring flowers and sing songs of elegance.
In fact, this kind of banquet is more for the men and women of the royal families in Beijing to meet each other.
This banquet was organized by Concubine Li. Since the death of the former queen, the emperor has never appointed another empress. Concubine Li is the head of all the female relatives in the harem.
His son, Prince Ding'an, was also quite favored by the emperor, so it would not be an exaggeration to describe him as being in high spirits.
Because of this, there were so many people coming to this spring banquet.
Lu Qiaoxiao went to the money house to handle the transaction procedures between Qingshan and Yunmo money houses before taking a carriage to the palace.
When she arrived, the banquet was already packed.
Lu Xiuzhu was chatting with a few girls. When she looked around, she saw the woman in the sky-blue dress with water sleeves and exquisite butterfly patterns.
She looked Lu Qiaoxiao up and down with a bad look.
This bitch is such a vixen, with a vixen face and dressed so coquettishly, she really wants to seduce His Royal Highness Prince Ding'an.
"Oh, I thought it was some prostitute that broke in from somewhere. Turns out it's my good sister!"
"Who are you showing off to by dressing so gorgeously? It can't be the Second Young Master Pei, right?" Lu Xiuzhu walked over with her arms folded across her chest, glancing at her with her chin slightly raised.
As soon as these words were spoken, the people around burst into laughter and gathered around.
Everyone has heard that the eldest daughter of the Yong'an Marquis's family behaves in an absurd way and does not follow common sense.
After pursuing Pei Jinxuan, the son of the Minister of Revenue, to no avail, she rashly and publicly broke off the engagement, which angered the Minister of Revenue so much that he fell ill and missed the morning court for three days.
Now that the Pei family is quite favored by the emperor in the court, everyone naturally flatters the powerful and bullies the weak. Seeing Lu Qiaoxiao, this heartless soft persimmon, everyone wants to step on him.
The daughter of the Duke's Mansion burst out laughing: "Xiuzhu, is this your elder sister who pursued Master Pei relentlessly?"
"Oh my god, a few months ago, she shamelessly went to the Pei Mansion every day to pester the Second Young Master Pei, and yesterday she rushed to the Pei family to cancel the engagement."
"Your family must have been incredibly unlucky to have given birth to such a shameless daughter!"
"Yes, looking at her appearance, she is not dignified, not even as good as your second sister, Miss Qingyue."
Most of the people present were smart. Lu Qingyue had recently frequently participated in the games organized by Concubine Li. Everyone tacitly believed that Lu Qingyue had climbed up the ladder in the Pingyang Palace.
But even if she, Lu Qiaoxiao, is a legitimate daughter, who in the capital would dare to marry her once the incident of the broken engagement becomes public?
Waiting to die alone.
Lu Qiaoxiao's eyes turned cold. She clearly saw the smug look on Lu Qingyue's lips in the crowd.
This person is good at instigating things. The reason why Lu Xiuzhu is so hostile to her is definitely because of Lu Qingyue's instigation.
"Xiuzhu, don't talk about my elder sister like that. It's a spring banquet, and who doesn't want to dress up beautifully to go out?" Lu Qingyue hid in the crowd and spoke softly. Everyone consciously made way for her.
Lu Qiaoxiao glanced at Lu Qingyue with a half-smile and agreed, "Yes, Second Sister is right. This Spring Banquet is personally organized by the Imperial Concubine. If I don't dress up, wouldn't it be disrespectful to the Imperial Concubine?"
After these words were spoken, Lu Qingyue's expression changed slightly. This was not the effect she wanted to achieve.
Then, Lu Qiaoxiao's eyes fell on Lu Xiuzhu, who was bossing people around.
Lu Xiuzhu suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of nervousness in her heart.
This man was half a head taller than her, with a pair of eyes that shone with a sharp cold light. He gave people an invisible sense of oppression as he walked towards her.
Lu Qiaoxiao smiled at her, and the next moment, a clean and neat slap landed on Lu Xiuzhu's right cheek.
The porcelain-white and tender face suddenly turned red.
Lu Xiuzhu was beaten so hard that her eyes were dazed.
She—she actually dared to hit her—
Before I could react, I heard the voice of the person in front of me like a barrage of words.
"Xiuzhu, since your concubine is not here today, I will teach you how to speak."
"After all, this is a banquet hosted by the Imperial Concubine in the palace. You keep calling her a whore. Are you trying to slap Imperial Concubine Li in the face?"
Lu Qiaoxiao's voice was cold and high-pitched, instantly attracting the attention of everyone around him.
Pei Jinxuan also came today and was talking to the son of the Minister of Personnel when he suddenly saw a group of people gathered by the bamboo forest.
"Come on, Xuan, let's go and see what's going on. It looks like the daughter of Yong'an Marquis Mansion is over there."
Pei Jinxuan frowned. Lu Qiaoxiao was used to being alone and hated gathering in groups to curry favor with the powerful. How could she be willing to attend such an occasion?
He didn't want to join in the fun, but his steps still followed the crowd uncontrollably.
Tears welled up in Lu Xiuzhu's eyes. She covered half of her face and moaned in a trembling voice for a long time, unable to think of how to respond.
"This slap is for your disrespect for your sisters in public."
"Next time, it won't be as simple as a slap. I'll ask Daddy to use the family rules to teach you what it means to respect elders."
"What is the distinction between high and low?"
"What is it? We are a family. We prosper together and suffer together."
Lu Qiaoxiao's tone was gloomy. Although his words sounded arrogant and willful, they were also well-reasoned. The princes and nobles who were watching the excitement around him all gasped.
Is the legitimate daughter of the Yong'an Marquisate really so powerful?
In front of so many people, she just slapped her little sister so softly?
Didn’t I say before that this woman is a heartless, good-tempered soft persimmon?
Can a soft persimmon hit a stone like this?
Everyone knows that Lu Xiuzhu has a bad temper and is willful and unruly.
The legitimate daughter, who was usually known as a soft persimmon, actually gave Wanshi a show of force in front of everyone.
This is unheard of.
Lu Xiuzhu made a fool of herself in front of everyone and wanted to die, but she couldn't find the words to refute and had to suffer the loss in silence.
Her legs felt as if they were filled with lead and she stood there in the distance.
Only when the young lady of the Duke's Mansion pulled her away did she run away with tears in her eyes.
Lu Qiaoxiao stood there, scanning the people present one by one.
The few people who had sneered just now were now silent.
They were all afraid of being targeted by this crazy woman and losing face in front of everyone like Lu Xiuzhu.
"Ah Xuan, you old man are really fierce. You actually slapped the choking little pepper directly."
Zhao Bangze, the son of the Minister of Personnel, patted Pei Jinxuan on the shoulder and said with some sympathy.
"Luckily I pulled away in time, and I pulled away quickly enough. Otherwise, if I had married a shrew like this, the whole family would have been in turmoil!"
Pei Jinxuan had a gloomy face and said coldly, "Get lost."
He thought of the day when Lu Qiaoxiao told him to cancel the engagement with a cold face without any hesitation, and he felt a sense of irritation in his heart.
This woman has no heart.
It was obvious that she was passionate about him and pursued him relentlessly in the past.
Now several days have passed and she hasn't come to see him.
.
At this time, a magnificent carriage was heading towards the secluded pavilion in the bamboo forest.
"Sir, I just heard that the daughter of the Yong'an Marquis's family slapped her younger sister in front of everyone. It seems that it was because the third lady spoke rudely."
A Yao took the initiative to lift a corner of the curtain, but his young master did not respond.
His face was as quiet as a Buddhist, neither sad nor happy, and no emotion could be seen.
A Yao couldn't help but wonder: Who was it that was rushing to the palace before finishing discussing government affairs?
————
After the crowd dispersed, Lu Qiaoxiao sat on a rock by the small pond to keep watch, twisting a willow branch in his hand and moving it back and forth.
She came here today to make things go more smoothly on the eighth day of next month.
Unfortunately, Prince Ding'an had not arrived yet, but the uninvited guest arrived first.
A very restrained and subdued voice called out from behind: "Xiaoxiao."
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