The scene of Yu Shu being led to the main seat by Jiang Miya was noticed by many.
For Country Furen's birthday banquet, all the furen and taitai who had women of suitable age in their fu had brought their daughters. Everyone knew what Country Furen was planning. Some came excitedly and some were unwilling.
For some people, it was a good thing that they couldn't even dream of to be able to hug the thick thigh that was Dongjing Wang Fu. The Jiang Family had controlled a large army to defend the northeast for several generations. They had wealth and power. If the family could have a wang fei, even if it was a different surname, it was enough for them to be proud. Princess Chang Shu had personally come out to take care of it. This clearly showed that the Emperor placed great importance on Prince Dongjing's marriage.
But these people definitely didn't include the Count's Rui Family.
While Country Furen was recuperating, it wasn't convenient for her to take her daughter out. Ren Rui shi, the married daughter, had brought her younger sister Rui Zizhu to the birthday. Other families might have brought their daughters to let Country Furen look at them, but Ren Rui shi knew very well that they were just here to go through the motions. The daughter of the Rui Family couldn't marry into the Jiang Family and Rui shi couldn't marry into the Jiang Family.
Everyone else was kept in the dark but Ren Rui shi had received Empress Rui's orders — the Jiang Family must not be too close.
Previously, Jiang Huaiying had privately stationed troops in Ning Dong City and had hundreds of thousands of garrisons. Thus, Emperor Zhao Qing summoned Lady Wei and her daughter to the capital. On one hand, it was to beat down King Dongjing's rebellious heart, and on the other, it was to restrain the Jiang family's wild ambitions.
Empress Rui helping Country Furen pick a daughter-in-law was just a way to appease the Jiang Family. It wasn't that Emperor Zhao Qing wanted the officials in Jing to be close to the Jiang Family. Quite the opposite, he didn't want to see such a situation.
Therefore, the daughter that married into the Jiang Family today would become an abandoned chess piece in the future.
The daughters of the Count of Zhong Yong Fu had always been precious, how could they be lost here?
Ren Rui shi watched coldly as Yu Shu was brought forward by the Jiang Family's little junzhu. "Ha, she really can't be missing anywhere." A jumping clown dared to try and get everything, she really didn't know the immensity of heaven and earth.
"Da jie?" Rui Zizhu, who was beside Madam Ren, heard her talking to herself and looked to the east, vaguely guessing who she was talking about.
"Zhu Zhu, when the banquet starts, don't wander around. If someone asks you a question, just smile and don't speak carelessly. Do you understand?" Madam Ren reminded her sister. She was afraid that Madam Wei would take a fancy to her outstanding appearance.
If Old Furen went to the palace to beg, even the Empress would not be able to refuse.
Rui Zizhu nodded obediently. She couldn't help but look at Yu Shu with some envy. She thought to herself, "I'm the daughter of the Earl's Mansion, but I don't have as much freedom as that female official. I can be friends with whoever I want, and I don't have to care about what other people think."
.....
Lady Wei and Princess Chang Shu sat on the seats of honor, and on both sides of the table were noblewomen. Jiang Miya wanted to pull Yu Shu to sit with her, but she tactfully refused. Jiang Miya couldn't force her and could only send her back to her seat before returning to Lady Wei's side.
If it was someone else, they would definitely be flattered to the point of not knowing what to do. However, Yu Shu felt that Jiang Miya was a little strange today. How should she put it? She seemed to be too enthusiastic towards her.
Yu Shu didn't think that she had that level of charisma. If they were to talk about friendship, it was just that after challenging the Cui Family's gambling house together, they progressed from dislike to friendship. They were far from being intimate.
Then there must be another reason for her special treatment just now. Wasn't there a saying that one who is unaccountably solicitous is hiding evil intentions?
Yu Shu was vigilant, so she didn't move closer to Lady Wei. She returned to her seat and pretended to be unaware of the curious gazes around her. She looked around and finally found Xue Jinxun's petite figure not far away.
The Xue family didn't have many people. The one who brought Xue Jinxun out today was Xue Rui's second aunt, Madam Xin. Although Madam Xin was the wife of the assistant minister and the daughter-in-law of the prime minister's residence, she didn't sit at the VIP seats. It was likely that Lady Wei had purposely arranged this.
Firstly, no one knew about Jiang Huaiying and Xue Rui's friendship. Secondly, Empress Rui and Noble Consort Xue were fighting in the palace. With Princess Chang Shu present, Second Madam Xue could only sit at the back.
Second Aunt Xue was arranged to sit in the same pavilion as her sister-in-law, Second Madam Xin. She didn't feel lonely and didn't forget that her niece was afraid of strangers. It just so happened that Xin Liu was present, so he pointed at her and asked Xue Jinxun,
"Does Sanniang know who this is?"
Xue Jinxun lowered her head and didn't speak. There were too many people here. She wanted to go home, but her older brother told her to obediently follow her second aunt and not cry. Her older brother also said that Older Sister Yu was also here and that she didn't need to be afraid.
Second Aunt Xue felt a bit awkward. Xin Liu embarrassedly answered, "Younger sister of the Xue family doesn't remember me? When we were young, we flew kites together. "
Ever since that case three years ago, Xue Jinxun had almost never appeared on such occasions. The young misses of the various families all privately said that she was the one who killed the Emperor's beloved daughter, the Tenth Princess. They avoided her like the plague, let alone taking the initiative to visit her to play. As a result, she didn't even have a good friend among her peers.
Hearing Xin Liu's words, Xue Jinxun quietly raised her head and glanced at her. She bit her lips and didn't say anything. Xin Liu was very bored. He rubbed his head and turned his head to whisper to Situ Qinglan.
Seeing Xue Jinxun's lonely appearance, the looks in the eyes of the people around her changed. Whether they were gloating or sympathizing, they just didn't show it.
Second Aunt Xue naturally knew what these people were thinking, but she couldn't do anything. That lass Jinxun had been like this for a day or two. Even her own mother couldn't do anything about it, so how could she worry about it?
Xue Jinxun sensitively noticed that everyone was looking at her. She was so nervous that her palms were sweating. She lowered her head even more. Her eyes were sore. She wanted to cry but was afraid of being seen.
Seeing this scene, Yu Shu was hesitant whether to go over or not. Now she didn't think much and got up and walked over there.
"Mrs. Xue, Aunt Xin, please excuse me."
It was the first time for Second Aunt Xue to see Yu Shu, but Second Mrs. Xin was familiar with her. Seeing Yu Shu greeting her, she hurriedly got up with a smile and said, "I just saw you go over there, so I didn't call you. Who's at your table? Why don't you sit here and don't leave?"
Yu Shu was arrogant but also looked down on people. Although Second Aunt Xin's status was not as high as that of Madame Yin and Deng, she was the mother of her best friend, Xin Liu, so she bowed to Second Aunt Xue as a junior. Second Aunt Xue was Xue Rui's aunt and also an elder.
"That's good. I'll ask someone to get some cups and chopsticks." Yu Shu sat down and waved for a maid to come over. There were many people at the banquet, so it was no big deal to change seats.
When Xue Jinxun heard Yu Shu's words, she was delighted. She looked up at her and saw Yu Shu secretly winking at her. The little bit of tears just now suddenly disappeared.
Her brother didn't lie to her. Sister Yu really came.
"Is this the female envoy who was given a title by the emperor?" Second Aunt Xue looked at Yu Shu. Second Aunt Xin pursed her lips and said with a smile, "That's her. Don't be an outsider. In fact, she also has to call you Second Aunt."
Second Aunt Xue didn't react, but Yu Shu took the initiative to say, "Mrs. Xue, you may not know this, but I and the eldest brother of the Xue family are close friends."
She had to mention her relationship with Xue Rui to cover up.
Second Aunt Xue nodded in a trance, "Oh, I seem to have heard of this."
Seeing Yu Shu sitting down, Xin Liu couldn't help but interrupt, "Lotus Room, I haven't seen you for many days. What are you busy with recently?"
Yu Shu smiled at her and Situ Qinglan, not noticing the latter's unnatural look, "I've been at the Celestial Commissioner's office during the day. I haven't been to the study for a while, so you can't see me."
She stayed in the Taishi Study for less than three months before she quit school and took office. She was not as leisurely as they were students, so she had no time to play with Xin Liu.
Xin Liu poked Situ Qinglan under the table, motioning her to speak. Situ Qinglan didn't want to ask why Yu Shu didn't come to celebrate her birthday in public.
At this time, the bell rang in the distance, and the banquet began.
.....
After three rounds of wine, according to the Jiang family's custom, the seafood delicacies were removed and replaced with fruit tea. The guests talked and smiled, and left the table to change seats. Enjoying the wine, they were much more comfortable than when they first came.
Princess Chang Shu's cheeks turned red after being persuaded by others to drink a few more cups, but she didn't forget the purpose of today. She cleared her throat, and when everyone looked at her, she suggested,
"We are old women, and we find it interesting to drink wine and listen to music. We don't care if those little girls can sit still. Don't just play with us, and we'll be restricting them. What do you think, Old Madame?"
Madame Wei nodded with a smile, "Princess is right."
Princess Chang Shu smiled, "Old Madame, give me an idea. Let's have some fun together."
Madame Wei was already prepared. She clapped her hands, and four maids walked out from behind the gauze cabinet. Each of them held a brocade box in their hands, and the shape was varied between round and square.
Under everyone's puzzled gaze, Madame Wei explained, "I have four riddles, and they are all in the boxes. There are also four riddles that have been dictated by these maids. If any young lady at the banquet is the first to guess my riddles, the item in the box will be given to her. Let me say this first, in these four boxes, one of them contains my Jiang family's heirloom. Whoever is fated to get it, I won't be stingy."
As soon as she finished, the crowd at the banquet became noisy, and there was a lot of discussion.
Princess Chang Shu smiled and clapped her hands, "That's great. You can't regret getting your Jiang family's heirloom."
As she said this, she had people spread the riddles in all directions, so that all the guests would know.
Jiang Miya's cold eyes swept over the eager faces around her, and she sneered inwardly, Do these mediocre women want to fish in troubled waters? Is it so easy to be my sister-in-law? Why don't they take a piss and look at themselves in the mirror? Which one of them is worthy of my Imperial Brother's finger?
She stood up and walked a few steps towards the railing, feeling the breeze on the lake. She looked in Yu Shu's direction and thought, "She's just a barely satisfactory candidate. I still need to think about how to convince her mother.
Yu Shu did not know that she had been targeted by Jiang Miya. When she heard that Madame Wei wanted them to guess riddles, she did not think much of it.
She heard Xin Liuer ask her, "Lotus Room, what is the Jiang family's heirloom? Do you know? "
She shook her head and smiled, "How would I know?"
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