Cheng Yi nodded in agreement. Seeing that things were settled, Jiang Yuwei went to Qiu Yue's room.
“Qiuyue, you still need to stay in the courtyard and can’t go out. There are still people from the Lin family watching outside, so we can’t let our guard down. Although you’ve grown up and your appearance may have changed, there’s no doubt that some elderly people who experienced the events of that year will let you go.”
Qiuyue nodded nervously in agreement.
"Don't worry, Madam, I won't leave the manor. I'll stay here for now, where I'll have food and clothing, and I'll help with cleaning. They won't find me."
Jiang Yuwei smiled at Qiu Yue and comforted her:
"However, you don't need to worry too much. The young master will speed things up, and with so many more guards and traps in our manor now, you'll be fine."
Qiuyue nodded gratefully.
"I know, Madam, it's all my fault that you've been dragged into this."
Jiang Yuwei patted Qiu Yue on the shoulder.
"Don't say these things anymore. Live your life well. The Sun family's case will definitely be overturned."
Qiu Yue wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, looked at Jiang Yuwei firmly, and smiled:
"Yes, madam, I will be waiting for that day to come."
Jiang Yuwei checked Qiu Yue's pulse again and, seeing that he was alright, she felt relieved and left.
Jiang Yuwei then gave Aunt Zhou and Uncle Youcai a few more instructions, telling them to go to the shop on Jin Street tomorrow to set up the traps, and then prepare to open for a trial operation for a few days.
After explaining everything, Jiang Yuwei left with Xia Yue and Yun Qing.
After the three arrived at the Prince's Mansion, Jiang Yuwei went to the kitchen to check on their preparations. Seeing that they were preparing the food in an orderly manner, she did not go in to disturb them. Just as she left the kitchen, she saw the Prince strolling in the backyard.
Jiang Yuwei thought that the young master would need to attend tomorrow's banquet, so she quickly followed.
"Your Highness, please wait a moment. I have a few words I'd like to say to you."
Ning Zixuan stopped and turned to look at Jiang Yuwei, waiting for her to speak.
"You know there's a banquet at the manor tomorrow, right? Remember to come. Oh, and dress nicely."
Ning Zixuan frowned and looked at Jiang Yuwei, saying in a deep voice:
"You don't need to worry about me. Just listen to what my mother says and ignore it."
Jiang Yuwei naturally understood what Ning Zixuan meant, so she smiled and said:
"I find it quite enjoyable, after all, I am genuinely worried about your marriage. Since the Princess has approved of me and entrusted me with this task, I will definitely do my best. Of course, I also hope that you, Your Highness, can find a good match and find someone who can accompany you for a lifetime."
Ning Zixuan sighed almost imperceptibly.
"Whatever you want, do whatever you want."
After saying that, Ning Zixuan waved and left.
Seeing this, Jiang Yuwei hurriedly called out from behind:
Remember to dress nicely tomorrow!
After Ning Zixuan had walked away, Jiang Yuwei returned to her own courtyard to rest.
The next day,
Jiang Yuwei couldn't sleep well at night because she was thinking about the banquet at the mansion today. This was the first time she had ever properly organized a banquet.
Of course, the time when she hosted a banquet for Li Huarong alone doesn't count. Jiang Yuwei knew that the banquet would end badly, so she didn't pay much attention to it.
Jiang Yuwei first took a stroll around the front yard. Seeing that all the flowers that needed to be placed had been put up, and that the easels, desks, and other things that she had asked the maids to prepare had also been put up, she felt relieved.
He then went to the kitchen to check on the food preparation before instructing the head cook:
"Today we need to prepare both the dinner and afternoon tea, and we can't leave anything out. We also need to serve drinks and fruits as soon as the guests arrive. We can't stop serving them. Tell the staff to be quick and replace any empty plates with fresh ones. We also need to serve all the desserts."
As she spoke, Jiang Yuwei glanced into the kitchen a few more times and continued:
"I asked you to prepare more variety yesterday, is everything ready? Don't always serve the same kind of pastry, make several kinds and rotate them. If the manor doesn't have enough, go to Lianxinzhai and buy more."
The head maid nodded in agreement, and seeing that the preparations were almost complete, Jiang Yuwei went to the Princess's courtyard.
Upon entering the courtyard, I saw that the princess was dressed very formally and smiled:
"The princess's attire today is indeed very formal, and she exudes an air of nobility."
The princess glanced at Jiang Yuwei, noticing her simple attire, and secretly praised her. At present, Jiang Yuwei was just a general's wife, and if she dressed too extravagantly, she would inevitably be looked down upon.
Besides, she wasn't the main character at today's banquet at Prince Jing's residence, so she didn't need to dress as formally as she would for a royal banquet. With this attire, no one could find fault with her.
Having thought this through, the princess smiled faintly and spoke:
"Yuwei, you are dressed very well today. You are young and have a good foundation, so you look so good without having to dress up. I can't do that anymore. As I get older, I have to wear some expensive jewelry to complement myself."
Jiang Yuwei smiled and stepped forward to take the princess's arm.
"Your Highness, what are you saying? You don't look old at all, you're still in your prime. Let's hurry to the front yard, the guests will be arriving soon."
The princess smiled and nodded.
When the two arrived at the front yard, Aunt Lin and Madam Sun were already sitting there.
Jiang Yuwei noticed that Aunt Lin's attire was even more extravagant, with heavy makeup that didn't suit her age at all. It seemed that she was eager to assert her dominance in front of outsiders.
Sun Shi continued to wear the same few decent outfits in rotation, since she didn't have much money, and after being fined a month's allowance recently, she had no extra money to buy new clothes.
As for Xu Qianqian, Jiang Yuwei was afraid that she would cause trouble in front of so many guests today, so she asked a servant to guard her courtyard and forbade her to go out today.
As for Lian Yao, Jiang Yuwei specifically instructed her not to come out. Given her status, she certainly couldn't just show her face in the mansion today.
Even if Ning Chunlin spoils him, it won't work. Today is Ning Zixuan's big day, and these people can't be allowed to cause trouble.
After the princess was seated, the ladies and young women from various noble families soon arrived one after another with gifts.
Although it wasn't explicitly stated at today's banquet, everyone knew exactly what was going on.
The prince had just broken off his engagement with Li Huarong, and yet the princess was holding such a grand banquet at her residence, inviting mostly unmarried young women. With that, who wouldn't understand the princess's intentions?
Therefore, everyone who was invited was on high alert, wanting to make a good impression on the Princess and the Crown Prince, since the Crown Prince's background and appearance were quite popular among the noble ladies in the capital.
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