Song Zhiyu clearly noticed Mingzhu's constant, unfriendly gazes directed at her. Her narrow, phoenix-shaped eyes revealed a hint of smugness mixed with a touch of hostility.
She glanced helplessly at Pei Qingyan, realizing that her brother had quite a few admirers, which elicited a slightly puzzled smile from him.
That's fine, we'll deal with whatever comes our way.
Today's lakeside banquet will certainly not be peaceful.
Song Zhiyu pulled herself back to reality and continued chatting casually with Ye Linxi beside her.
“Where can you go after leaving the Marquis’s mansion? And what about Prince Xiao? He probably won’t let go easily.” Song Zhiyu knew a little about Ye Linxi’s situation.
Although she had only met Xiao Xun once, she could tell that he was the same kind of person as Zhou Xingzhi—crazy and obsessive, and he would never easily give up on the people or things he had decided on.
"The world is vast, there's always a place for me." As long as she's no longer confined by that person's side, she's fine with going anywhere.
Actually, what those people outside said wasn't wrong; at most, her status was only that of a concubine for Xiao Xun.
Xiao Xun shared the same idea: to keep her by his side, shower her with wealth and honor, and give her the kind of favoritism that would arouse jealousy.
Given her status, she should have been satisfied.
But she refused.
Ye Linxi didn't say the last sentence; her eyes were more determined than ever before, clearly indicating that she had made up her mind.
"If you need anything in the future, you can come to me." Seeing this, Song Zhiyu didn't ask any more questions or try to persuade her; she respected Ye Linxi's choice.
She had a good impression of Ye Linxi, and she wouldn't mind helping him if he was in trouble.
"Okay, I hope we'll have the chance to meet again in the future." Ye Linxi's eyes crinkled, and a sincere smile appeared on her face.
Although they only met twice, fate is always so wonderful.
*
As the two were talking, a sudden commotion arose outside. A loud, clear shout, accompanied by melodious string and wind instruments, rang out: "The Empress Dowager has arrived."
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound, and the first thing they saw was the Empress Dowager with a full head of silver hair and an elegant and noble appearance. She held a dragon-headed cane and slowly walked into the hall, exuding an imposing aura of authority.
Her sharp eyes swept over everyone present, seemingly just a fleeting glance, not worth mentioning, but they lingered on Shen Jinshu for a moment, and her expression softened.
Following closely behind the Empress Dowager into the banquet were several beautiful women dressed in gorgeous attire. Their hair was tied up in buns and adorned with pearl hairpins and jade ornaments inlaid with gemstones. They were dignified and elegant, and every move they made exuded the graceful demeanor of noble ladies from aristocratic families.
Behind them followed dozens of maids dressed in light green with their hair in double buns, each carrying a box that looked very valuable. They moved lightly and carefully, as if afraid of making the slightest mistake.
When the eldest princess passed by Song Zhiyu, she turned her head to give her a reassuring smile, exuding a comforting aura.
Although the eldest princess was also unclear about the Empress Dowager's purpose in coming, she was certain that with the Empress Dowager present, nothing would happen to Song Zhiyu.
The arrival of the Empress Dowager caused everyone present to gasp in surprise, and they quickly stood up to pay their respects.
They only knew that the Empress Dowager valued this lake tour banquet, but they never expected that she would come in person.
Consort Cheng and Consort Liang also arrived, so it seems the rumor is pretty much true.
Several noble ladies in the palace wanted to use this lake tour banquet to find suitable candidates for principal and secondary consorts for the princes of marriageable age.
As for how to choose, it all comes down to family background, appearance, and talent; all three are indispensable.
Aside from the Crown Prince, the most outstanding among the princes is Prince Li, who is currently enjoying great popularity in the court.
And coincidentally, the position of His Highness the Prince's principal wife is vacant.
They couldn't help but turn their gaze to Shen Jinshu. Seeing her calm and composed demeanor and graceful manners, they couldn't help but nod in approval. This was the demeanor that a prince's consort should have.
Although the Marquis of Chengen's mansion is now only a name, the protection of their ancestors still exists. As long as they don't make any big mistakes, they can live a peaceful life.
Not to mention that Marquis Chengen's disciple, Shen Rushan, recently performed a great service and received many rewards from His Majesty, so his future is limitless.
If Shen Yuzhou hadn't gotten into that mess back then, the Chengen Marquis's mansion wouldn't be in such a state of decline today.
Unfortunately, fate is cruel.
"Please don't be so formal, everyone. Please sit down." The Empress Dowager sat in the main seat, with Consort Cheng and the Eldest Princess on her left and right sides, respectively.
The Prince and several other princes sat not far away, while the officials who had come with them were on the other side, but the Crown Prince was nowhere to be seen.
Suddenly, Zhou Xingzhi's smiling eyes flashed through Song Zhiyu's mind, along with the obsession and deep affection hidden in the depths of his eyes, and she was momentarily lost in thought.
She shook her head, pulling her thoughts back.
Why did I suddenly think of him?
"Yes," the guests responded and took their seats. The sounds of string and bamboo instruments mingled, melodious and pleasant to the ear, but the atmosphere at the banquet was clearly much more tense than before.
Consort Cheng, her hands covered in nail guards, picked up the teacup, took a small sip, and then put it down listlessly.
Her long, narrow, alluring eyes, like those of a fox, glanced indifferently at the noblewoman below, and when she looked at Shen Jinshu, a hint of disdain flashed in her eyes.
"Your Majesty, it's a rare trip out of the palace, so please don't miss the auspicious time." The Empress Dowager naturally understood the meaning behind Consort Cheng's words. She had come for this very reason; otherwise, a small lakeside banquet wouldn't have warranted her personal presence.
The Empress Dowager gently tapped her chin, her breathing even, her hands moving constantly as she worked the yellow jade bracelet hanging between her thumb and forefinger.
"Where is Mingzhu, the daughter of the Ming family?" Consort Cheng suddenly spoke up, her face smiling, her delicate voice echoing in the spacious banquet hall.
"Your subject is here." Mingzhu hurriedly stood up and stepped forward, her expression a mixture of trepidation and joy, as if she hadn't expected Consort Cheng to remember her name.
Consort Cheng softened her voice slightly when she saw that Mingzhu was quite beautiful, "I heard that you play the pipa very well."
"It's acceptable, thank you for your praise, Your Highness. If Your Highness doesn't mind, I would like to perform a song for you." Mingzhu was overjoyed, unable to suppress the smile on her lips. She hadn't expected Consort Cheng to value her so much.
Could it be that Consort Cheng prefers her to become the Princess Consort of Prince Li?
Mingzhu curled her lips and secretly gave Shen Jinshu a smug look.
Even if Shen Jinshu and Prince Li were deeply in love, in the end they still had to pass the test of Consort Cheng.
Thinking about the Seventh Princess, Mingzhu suddenly understood something.
It now seems that Consort Cheng had long harbored resentment towards Shen Jinshu.
The position of princess is still up in the air, and it's uncertain who will ultimately win it. Why can't she fight for it herself?
"allow."
Consort Cheng could not possibly have missed Mingzhu's subtle actions; she was simply pleased to see such a scene unfold.
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