Three days later, the family reunion banquet will be held.
The noble families who received the invitations came and were all very interested in the true daughter of the Marquis's family.
"I never expected that Shen Jinshu was not the daughter of the Marquis's family, but a fake who appeared out of nowhere."
I was stunned when I received the invitation. She always put on such a high and mighty act, but it turns out she's nothing special. These were the words of a noblewoman who usually disliked Shen Jinshu, her words tinged with schadenfreude.
“That’s right, now that their real daughter is back, what does she have to do with it?” The other noble ladies couldn’t help but chime in.
Shen Jinshu's brilliance was so overwhelming that they felt suffocated and lived in her shadow.
Now that they have the opportunity, they naturally want to kick a man when he's down.
Others present, some of whom knew a little about the situation, also spoke up to refute this, saying, "That's not right. If Marquis Chengen really cared so much about his biological daughter, why did he wait so long to organize the family reunion banquet?"
Moreover, I've heard that the Marquis's real daughter comes from the countryside and has a poor, shabby appearance. How can she compare to the refined and elegant Shen Jinshu?
"If I were the Marquis of Cheng'en, I would never have given up on such an outstanding daughter as Shen Jinshu."
The noblewoman who had spoken earlier scoffed coldly, unconcerned, "That's hard to say. No matter how good the relationship is, can it transcend blood ties? An adopted daughter is an adopted daughter. A pheasant with a phoenix tail can't become a phoenix."
"Shut up!"
A cold snort rang out, and everyone looked in the direction of the sound. They saw a woman dressed in palace attire, adorned with jewels and hairpins, exuding an air of elegance and nobility, coldly glaring at them. It was unclear how long she had been standing there listening.
Upon seeing the newcomer, the noble ladies shuddered and bowed respectfully, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness."
This seventh princess is Shen Jinshu's best friend and also the younger sister of Prince Li.
With this relationship in place, who would dare to speak ill of Shen Jinshu to her face?
Today is the family reunion banquet for the Marquis's true daughter. The arrival of the Seventh Princess is sure to bring bad news, and this banquet is likely to be ruined.
Everyone couldn't help but feel sorry for the real young lady they had never met before; it was her bad luck to have offended the Seventh Princess.
The Seventh Princess has always been domineering and only treats Shen Jinshu well, so they dare not offend her. "You all better watch your mouths. If I hear those words again, I will not forgive you."
Sister Jinshu is not only my closest confidante, but also the only sister-in-law I truly acknowledge. If I say she's a daughter of a noble family, then she is. What is that Song Zhiyu anyway?
After the Seventh Princess finished venting her anger, Shen Jinshu slowly walked over and said in a gentle voice, "Princess, thank you for your concern for Jinshu."
But my current identity originally belonged to my second sister, so it is only right that I return it to its rightful owner.
The Seventh Princess snorted coldly. She hadn't even met Song Zhiyu yet, but she was already very dissatisfied with her. "Hmph, don't think I don't know that you've been bullied by that woman all along. With me backing you up, Sister Jinshu doesn't need to be afraid of her."
Last time, it was Song Zhiyu who ruined the Emperor's reputation. She'll settle both old and new scores today.
*
On the other side, in a corner of the banquet.
Shen Feng patted Shen Jinshu's hand, his words carrying a hidden meaning, "Shu'er, I'm sorry you had to suffer. But I won't let her be so smug for long. What's rightfully yours can't be taken away from you."
Shu'er is also his biological daughter, but today, he can only make her suffer for the time being.
"My daughter is alright; your grand plan is more important, Father." Shen Jinshu smiled understandingly, her expression restrained yet pitiful.
Shen Feng felt extremely distressed. He truly loved his daughter Shen Jinshu and couldn't bear to see her sad and upset. "Don't worry, Father won't keep you waiting too long."
"Daughter believes in her father." Shen Jinshu nodded emphatically, her obedient and docile appearance making Shen Feng feel especially sorry for her.
But thinking of his own plans, he could only suppress his reluctance, for he had ultimately wronged the mother and daughter.
He agreed to Song Zhiyu's request to organize a family reunion banquet and publicly reveal her identity.
On one hand, besides being coerced by her into wanting her to save the three Shen brothers, on the other hand, he wanted to completely exploit Song Zhiyu.
In addition to members of prominent families in the capital, those invited today also include court officials who are of great use to Prince Li.
If he could use Song Zhiyu to win these people over, he could regain the trust of the Prince of Li, and Shu'er would have a greater chance of becoming the Princess Consort of Li.
“Father, but with Second Sister’s personality, I’m afraid she won’t work for us.” Shen Jinshu’s worries were not unfounded. She had clashed with Song Zhiyu many times and knew that Song Zhiyu was not someone they could manipulate.
"Marriage is a major life event, and it is arranged by parents and matchmakers. She has no choice but to agree."
"If she still insists on not obeying, then I won't mind using other means to force her to submit." Shen Feng didn't believe he couldn't handle a little girl.
At this time, Song Zhiyu was unaware of the father and daughter's conspiracy against her.
"Miss, you are so beautiful." Lu Bai stared at Song Zhiyu's face with adoration, her eyes practically glued to her.
Her young lady, even without makeup, seemed like a fairy descended from heaven; now, with a little bit of dressing up, she was even more stunning.
Her skin was as white as snow, and her eyes were like autumn water, glowing faintly in the sunlight. Her face was flawless, like a finely carved and polished jade. Every smile and frown was filled with captivating beauty and tenderness.
Her silky black hair cascaded over her shoulders, swaying gently in the breeze.
A gorgeous and exquisite flowing dress outlined her graceful figure, and a fine jade pendant was tied around her slender waist, swaying slowly with her light steps. As she moved, one could almost smell her faint fragrance, which was intoxicating.
"Let's go, don't waste time. Have all those people been arranged?"
When the topic turned to business, Lu Bai's expression became serious. "Everything is arranged, we're just waiting for them to make their move."
Lu Bai paused, then, remembering Shen Yanxi, continued, "The Fourth Young Master quietly returned to the Marquis's residence last night, and also brought those people from the Song family to the capital."
Those guys are currently squatting by the back door, just waiting for the family reunion banquet to begin so they can cause trouble.
They're trying to ruin her young lady; it's truly malicious.
If her young mistress hadn't been on guard, she probably would have fallen into their trap.
*
As soon as Song Zhiyu arrived at the main hall, she was met with a host of admiring glances.
From the moment she entered, everyone's eyes were on her, filled with shock, jealousy, and even disgust, but mostly with amazement.
They never expected that the newly found daughter of the Marquis of Chengen would be so beautiful.
What is most surprising is her outstanding temperament and demeanor, which are in no way inferior to the well-bred ladies of noble families, and are completely unlike the country bumpkins described by the people of the Marquis's mansion.
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