Xu Ruyan's joy over there left the unsuspecting group completely bewildered. Although Chen Xiao and Xi Xi had overheard the whole thing, they had no intention of telling anyone.
Although Xu Ruyu was also unaware of the situation, judging from Xu Ruyan's exaggerated behavior, she knew that Yuanyin must have promised him something for him to act like this... It was unbearable to watch.
Chen Xiao noticed Xu Ruyu's gaze and quickly changed the subject to divert his attention.
This was exactly what he wanted.
Xu Qiandi was speechless countless times. It was always one pair after another: on one side was His Majesty and his son, on the other side was Zhao Siyuan and his brother, and opposite them was the princess and his silly son.
Looking around, he and Qi Yanyun were the only ones being ignored.
Xi Xi was engrossed in eating the pastries in front of her and didn't pay any attention to Xiao Xu's gaze.
---
On the other side, outside the East Courtyard.
The Prime Minister's residence has only three courtyards. The main courtyard is where Xu Qian lives, the west courtyard is for the two young masters, and the east courtyard is where Xu Qian's wives and concubines live.
The steward, Ciwen, rushed to the gate of the east courtyard. Since he was a man and the east courtyard was full of women, he couldn't go in, so he sent one of his maids in to announce his arrival.
Before the maid went in, he repeatedly instructed her, "After you go in, you must tell the ladies that His Majesty and the Princess have arrived, as well as Lord Zhao and the Prime Minister's brother."
Steward Ciwen was an old hand in the Prime Minister's mansion, and he obviously knew about the relationship between Xu Qin and Xu Qian. Moreover, he also knew about the things between these brothers.
Of course, he also knew about Xu Qian's affair with the ladies, so he repeatedly instructed the maid to tell the ladies the whole story of these people's arrival.
The ladies aren't interested in the Prime Minister, but they are interested in His Majesty and the Princess!
Not to mention that Lord Zhao and Lord Zhao have also arrived. The ladies probably know more about these two than he does. Upon hearing about these people, they might give the Prime Minister some face!
It must be said that Xu Qian's prediction was extremely accurate.
After repeated insistence from the steward Ciwen, the maid finally stepped into the east courtyard.
This was the first time she had stepped into the East Courtyard after several years in the Prime Minister's residence. The reason was simple: the ladies never showed their faces and did not need servants to wait on them.
Xu Qian let them do as they pleased.
But he also knew that they often went out together, but the servants in the mansion had never seen their faces. In addition, they never went through the main courtyard, but always went out through the back gate of the east courtyard, which made them seem quite mysterious in the Prime Minister's mansion.
As the maid entered the east courtyard, she felt an abundance of vitality. Compared to the solemnity of the main courtyard and the desolation of the west courtyard, the east courtyard was truly unique.
She remembered the housekeeper's instructions and dared not delay, but her gaze still couldn't help but fall on her surroundings.
Several exquisitely crafted artificial hills were scattered about in a well-organized manner, covered with moss. Occasionally, a few thin streams of water would flow down from between the hills and fall into the small pond below, creating ripples.
The pond water was crystal clear, and several colorful fish swam freely in it, sometimes darting among the lotus leaves, and sometimes leaping out of the water, creating sparkling splashes.
She quickly glanced around at her surroundings, feasted her eyes, and then headed towards the main hall.
The main hall appears no different from ordinary sleeping quarters from the outside, but a closer look reveals a hidden world within. The corridor winds and twists, with exquisite patterns carved on the vermilion pillars, exuding a simple and elegant charm.
Under the corridor, there are also several stone benches and stone tables. The setting sun shines through the carved window lattices and casts dappled light and shadow on the ground.
It exudes tranquility and peace everywhere, like a secluded paradise far removed from the hustle and bustle of the world.
The maid was filled with admiration. She quickly walked to the main hall door, knocked gently, and then respectfully said, "Madam, Master invites you to the dining hall for your meal."
She didn't finish speaking, but waited until the door opened inside and a scent of grass and trees wafted in. She lowered her head and continued, "Master said that His Majesty and the Princess have arrived, along with Lord Zhao and Lord Zhao, and they invite the ladies to come and dine together."
After a while, a very pleasant voice rang out, "Alright, let us prepare for a moment."
Hearing that gentle and pleasant voice, the maid finally calmed down her slight fear. She had been wondering what kind of personalities the ladies had that made the Prime Minister so 'henpecked', but after hearing that voice, she finally dared to raise her head slightly and try to take a look at the lady in front of her.
That one glance left the maid stunned into silence.
The lady before me wore an elegant light-colored silk dress, the hem of which swayed gently in the breeze. Her long hair was loosely tied up with a simple jade hairpin, with a few strands playfully falling beside her ears, showing her carefree demeanor.
She met the maid's gaze, raised an eyebrow, and slowly asked, "What's wrong?"
The maid blushed instantly under her gaze, stammering for a long time before finally managing to stammer, "N-nothing... Madam, you are...so beautiful..."
Forgive her for not having read many books and not knowing how to compliment people, but she had never seen anyone with such a face.
She doesn't have the kind of face that's stunning at first glance, but she has a beauty that makes you want to look at her more and more, and the more you look, the more captivated you become.
She had seen the nobles in the dining hall, His Majesty and the Princess, as well as Lord Zhao, all of whom had extremely superior appearances and were very eye-catching at first glance. She was also amazed by their beauty several times.
But she was nothing like she was now, completely captivated by the lady. Fortunately, the lady was gentle and didn't mind her rudeness. Hearing her say that, she even smiled gently and didn't say anything to blame her.
The maid knew she had acted very inappropriately, apologized, and then hurriedly withdrew.
The Prime Minister's wife, Xu Jinshu, inside the hall, didn't care about all that. She simply tidied her hair and went to the side hall to inform the others about the matter.
Xu Jinshu quickly arrived at the side hall, and as she expected, it was indeed very lively inside, with all the women from the East Courtyard gathered there.
As soon as Xu Jinshu appeared, the lively noise stopped immediately. A woman approached in surprise, "Sister Jinshu, weren't you tidying up your flowers and plants? Why did you suddenly come here!"
As soon as he finished speaking, another woman slowly walked forward. "A-Shu, what brings you here? Is there something you need?"
Then the remaining two women stepped forward, looking at her and waiting for her to speak.
Clearly, the lively atmosphere in this side hall was all because of the first woman. She was the youngest among them, but there wasn't a huge age difference, only two or three years.
However, she has the most cheerful and lively personality, and a great attitude. She is optimistic and positive about everything and loves to take them out to play.
Xu Jinshu, on the other hand, forms the strongest contrast with her.
Xu Jinshu prefers quiet and enjoys tending to small flowers and plants, then leisurely reading for a while. When traveling, she also prefers scenic landscapes.
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