The three people withdrew, and Heyue led the maid to stroll in the garden.
The afternoon banquet was held in the back garden, where the chrysanthemums of all colors were in full bloom. Heyue went over to take a look and was very satisfied.
By the afternoon, everyone who could come, from the Crown Princess and the First Prince's wife to the Ninth Prince's wife and the Fourteenth Prince's wife, had arrived. The Tenth Prince did not yet have a primary wife, so only his secondary wife came. The secondary wife, Lady Guoluo, was the Eighth Prince's wife's cousin and sat with her.
The table in the garden was set with various fruits and snacks, and clusters of chrysanthemums the size of bowls were blooming all around, which was quite a beautiful sight.
Heyue served tea to each of them, addressing them from eldest sister-in-law to tenth sister-in-law in a sweet voice, and they all seemed to like her very much.
Of course, only the Tenth Prince's concubine, Lady Guoluo, and the Fourteenth Prince's concubine, Lady Wanyan, did not look well.
All the women here are primary wives, except for Lady Luo, a secondary wife. She wasn't supposed to come, but her cousin brought her. She knew what was going on.
My cousin and the Thirteenth Prince's wife have always been very close. Isn't she just trying to ease the tension between me and her?
Lady Xiao Guoluo had always been favored in the household and had heard rumors about it. She knew that her master was very fond of this new thirteenth wife and had been absent-minded about her recently. Therefore, she couldn't stand her no matter how she looked at her. However, since her cousin-in-law was there, she could only force a smile.
Before coming, she was also curious, wondering what this Thirteenth Prince's wife looked like that could make her master so infatuated.
Now that I've seen her, I'm greatly disappointed. She's clearly just a little girl, and I don't know what the master likes about her.
Why is her cousin treating her so differently? She's even trying to matchmake her husband with this little girl, completely disregarding her own feelings as her cousin.
The fourteenth prince's wife, Wanyan, was in the most awkward position. She had not gotten along with the Heyue sisters before. Although their relationship had improved later, there was still a rift between them. Now that the other sister had become her sister-in-law, she felt extremely awkward. She had to toast the other sister, which made her feel like she had swallowed a fly. On the surface, she still had to smile and say congratulations.
Heyue didn't have many complicated feelings towards Wanyan. On the surface, she congratulated her in a friendly manner: "We are really destined to be together. Now that we are sisters-in-law, our relationship will be even closer."
Wanyan forced a smile, but in her heart she cursed Heyue, who was smiling broadly across from her, to the bone.
She really underestimated this girl.
Their ability to put on an act is truly masterful.
The Third Prince's wife and the Fourth Prince's wife sat together. Knowing that the Fourth Prince and the Thirteenth Prince had a good relationship, and that He Yue often visited the Fourth Prince's wife, having met her a few times before, she joked with the Fourth Prince's wife: "Our Thirteenth Prince's wife is the youngest among us, and such a lovely person. The Thirteenth Prince is truly blessed."
The others, upon hearing this, also burst into laughter. The First Princess covered her mouth and chuckled, saying, "Thirteenth Brother must cherish and pamper Thirteenth Sister-in-law."
The Fourth Princess took a sip of tea, smiled demurely, and remained silent.
Since that incident, Heyue and the Fourth Prince's wife have maintained their intimacy on the surface, but they both know in their hearts that they can never go back to the way things were.
Just now, when Yuejing was serving tea to the Fourth Prince's wife, he smiled happily, as if nothing had happened before, and the two of them were still as close as before. The Fourth Prince's wife couldn't help but sigh that such a young age could have such a mindset.
Thinking back on how I had taken advantage of her, I can't blame her for what she did. I miscalculated and treated her like a naive child, so it wasn't really her fault.
After all, the feelings they had once shared were genuine. He sighed inwardly, gave Heyue a kind smile, and joked with the Third Princess Consort, "Heyue has always been shy, so you mustn't bully her."
He Yue was surprised but understood immediately. She smiled sweetly at the Fourth Princess Consort and said, "With Fourth Sister-in-law here, I have nothing to fear."
Her playful appearance made everyone smile again.
The Third Princess shook her head and nodded at Heyue, chuckling, "This girl is really a clever little devil!"
The Crown Princess knew that the Crown Prince's cousin, Yiduli, and Heyue were cousins. The Crown Prince had met Heyue in previous years and had praised her highly. The Crown Prince also had a good relationship with the Thirteenth Prince, so he naturally came today as well.
He put his arm around Heyue's shoulder and said with a smile, "Our thirteenth sister-in-law is really adorable. I heard that your sister married Yiduli, so we are now family. We should visit each other more often and not just favor our fourth sister-in-law."
At this, the First, Third, and Ninth Princess Consorts looked rather displeased, each picking up their teacups and sipping their tea.
He Yue thought to herself, but smiled happily on the surface, her eyes curving into crescents as she bowed her head and said, "He Yue really has gotten a great deal, having so many sisters-in-law. I will have to ask all of you for guidance in the future."
Her innocent appearance made everyone laugh again. The First, Third, and Ninth Princesses also laughed and shook their heads.
He's just a child, after all.
Only the Fourth and Eighth Prince's wives smiled meaningfully, while the Fourteenth Prince's wife had a bitter expression on her face.
While changing her clothes, Heyue gave Hailan a suggestion.
Sitting on a chair in the side room, not long after, the Eighth Prince's wife arrived, accompanied by Lady Xiao Guoluo.
He Yue was surprised to see Xiao Guo Luo Shi also come, and stood up.
The maids retreated outside the door, and Heyue invited the two to sit down. Considering that Xiao Guoluo was present, Heyue did not want to be too intimate with the Eighth Prince's wife, so she asked her with her eyes.
The Eighth Prince's wife smiled at Heyue and explained the situation: "She is my cousin. I invited her here. She is not an outsider. It was my fault before. I thought you two should clear up the misunderstanding, so I brought her here. It is also a way for you to get to know each other."
Xiao Guoluo looked embarrassed and pursed her lips.
He Yue looked at Xiao Guo Luo Luo Shi, took her hand, and smiled kindly: "Please forgive me, Sister-in-law Xiao Shi."
Since her sister brought her along, Heyue knew that they had a good relationship and naturally did not want to make things difficult for her sister.
Xiao Guoluo was slightly surprised. She glanced at the Eighth Prince's wife, then forced a smile and said, "Sister-in-law, you are joking."
The Eighth Prince's wife patted Xiao Guoluo's shoulder: "You are my beloved cousin, and Heyue and I are as close as sisters. I didn't think things through properly back then, and I didn't do anything right. Please don't mind. And Wanyu, please forgive your sister."
Feeling guilty towards her cousin, the Eighth Prince's wife looked at her with earnest eyes.
Xiao Guo Luoluo's expression softened slightly. Her clear, watery eyes looked at the Eighth Prince's wife, and she smiled sincerely: "I know that my cousin has her own considerations. I was being petty. There's no need for you to apologize, sister." She then turned to Heyue and smiled slightly: "Sister-in-law, please don't take offense. What's past is past."
Heyue also noticed the difference between this little Guoluo woman and her older sister. Her older sister was straightforward and decisive, while the little Guoluo woman had the gentle and graceful charm of a girl from Jiangnan. She had two small dimples on her cheeks when she smiled. She was not much older than Heyue and was a likable girl.
"It's rare to have a sister I can talk to. I hope you'll give me lots of guidance in the future, Sister-in-law." Heyue winked playfully.
Xiao Guoluo also developed a slight liking for this generous, straightforward, and playful girl.
No wonder my cousin liked him. It's just strange that the other person has some of my cousin's traits. Maybe that's why I fell for him so easily.
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