On the second floor of the pavilion by the garden, Ning Wangfei, adorned in opulent attire and bejeweled ornaments, presented a picture of elegance and nobility.
Her gaze was fixed intently on the three figures in the garden below.
Upon closer inspection, her eyes were actually focused on Madam Zhao.
Madam Zhao wore a sapphire blue embroidered long dress, covered by a matching vest, and a pearl headdress.
She truly looked as simple and elegant as Fu An had described.
“Is it her?” Ning Wangfei’s voice seemed to be searching for itself.
To her ears, it sounded hoarse and jarring.
“Mother, it is her. Your daughter has seen clearly; she has aged!” Fu An said, looking at her mother with concern.
The Ning King’s mansion had been too peaceful for too long.
For a very long time, her father, the Ning King, had only had her mother as his wife.
Everyone assumed her father must have loved her mother deeply.
That was why he had forsaken the abundance of other flowers for her alone.
She had once believed this too.
But as she grew older, she gradually matured.
She realized things were not that way at all.
Her father did not harbor great affection for her mother.
In fact, as far back as she could remember, her father’s visits to her mother’s courtyard were few and far between.
He usually slept in rooms in the outer court.
Occasionally, her mother would complain a few words.
But almost everyone around her mother would advise her not to speak too much.
Lest she displease the King, leading him to take in a few concubines.
As long as her father was not in her mother’s courtyard, nor seeking other women,
They all considered him devoted to Taoism, and thus pure and abstinent.
Of course, her mother knew that her father’s heart had always held one person.
But strangely, her mother knew this,
Yet her father himself did not.
He would inexplicably sit in his study, lost in thought, on certain days.
He often felt his memories were distorted.
He seemed to have forgotten someone very important.
But he could rack his brains and still not recall who it was he had forgotten.
No one would tell him, as everyone believed they would never have the chance to meet again in this lifetime.
Therefore, no one was foolish enough to pierce that veil of misunderstanding.
However, in a dramatic turn of events, this veil was now to be personally pierced by her mother.
There was no other way—it was their grandfather’s wish.
“If your father knew about this, would he agree?” Ning Wangfei didn’t know how long she had been looking at the people below.
When her eyes could no longer bear it, she finally withdrew her gaze.
Staring blankly at the bat patterns on the window frame, her words were uttered unconsciously.
“Mother, you worry too much. Grandfather told you, he only wants to acknowledge that bastard.
He doesn’t want that woman’s daughter or her little slut of a daughter-in-law.” Princess Qionghua’s voice echoed from the stairs.
Princess Fu An turned back and reprimanded her, some what speechlessly:
“Qionghua, don’t speak like that. If someone overhears, they’ll think we have no upbringing.”
“Hmph, Eldest Sister, you scold me. Where do I lack upbringing? I simply hate them intensely.”
Princess Fu An understood her sister’s sentiments.
In truth, how could she not hate them herself?
She hated her own elder brother for being useless.
Constantly fooling around outside, sleeping with so many respectable women, yet not leaving a single heir.
In the end, he couldn't even protect his most vital asset.
He was castrated, rendered incapable of having children and continuing the Ning King’s lineage.
What was that but being crippled?
She also hated her own sister standing before her.
Listen to the words she just spoke; they were vulgar and unpleasant.
What was the difference from those common market women?
She possessed none of the grace of a princess of noble birth.
Princess Fu An’s look of disdain was too obvious, and Princess Qionghua, being sensitive, quickly noticed. She said to Ning Wangfei:
“Mother, look at Eldest Sister. Those bitches haven't even entered the gates, and she's already thinking of how to please them, abandoning her own sister.”
“Silence! Qionghua, your Eldest Sister is right. Sometimes you really speak without thinking.
Fu An, you should also speak a little less.
No matter how imperfect she is, she is still your sister.
She cannot be compared to those outsiders, those little sluts and bastards.”
Hearing her mother's words, Princess Fu An finally understood why Qionghua could curse so freely.
Wasn't this a family trait?
She lowered her head in acknowledgment and whispered a reminder: “The banquet downstairs is about to begin. Mother, prepare yourself and go down.
Don’t keep the guests waiting.”
Ning Wangfei dabbed at her non-existent tears with a handkerchief, rallying her spirits. "Alright, let's go down. This Consort is still the mistress of this mansion.
Let certain people see that this Ning King's mansion is not so easily entered."
Her eyes swept over the clusters and bunches of flowers below.
She had already devised a plan to humiliate that woman.
She sent Fu An ahead and kept Qionghua back, whispering a few words into her ear.
“Ha! Mother, this trick is brilliant. It's guaranteed to make her embarrass herself in front of everyone.
It will also teach her to recognize her own place.”
Princess Qionghua’s face lit up, and she happily went downstairs.
Grandfather had instructed them not to deal with them directly, so let them be humiliated.
In the garden, noble ladies and ladies of rank gathered in groups of three or five.
Some chatted idly, others admired the flowers.
Su Xiaoqi also spotted several familiar faces and exchanged nods.
Several acquaintances waved her over to chat.
Su Xiaoqi, with Madam Zhao and Shen Mingzhu in tow, gracefully introduced the mother and daughter to everyone.
“Lord Shen is a talented man from a young age. My husband thought highly of him from the start.
When he was in the Hanlin Academy, he often returned to tell me that Lord Shen would surely be promoted in the future.
Now, in just one year, he has already risen to the rank of Vice Minister, a third-rank official.”
The speaker was Madam Song Lanping, wife of Qin Yunpu, an academician in the Hanlin Academy.
She was the youngest daughter of Song Sanqing, the Grand Secretary.
She was exceptionally eloquent and possessed strong social skills.
It was just that her husband was truly too mediocre.
Otherwise, with her social graces and the influence of Grand Secretary Song, he wouldn't still be a scholar in the Hanlin Academy at thirty, earning his seniority.
Another lady, dressed in a dark red gown, chimed in: “Not only is Young Lord Shen talented, but Madam Shen is also remarkably clever.
The chili peppers you sent me earlier were delicious.
My mother-in-law especially loves them.”
This was Madam Xu, wife of Zhongli Qi, the academician in charge of the academy.
She was an old acquaintance of Su Xiaoqi.
This was because she was a distant cousin of Xu Shijie, a minister of the cabinet.
Following the matter of winter clothing for the northern borders, Su Xiaoqi had subsequently conducted several businesses involving grain and cotton with the Ministry of Revenue, managed by Xu Shijie.
This time, she had naturally not incurred any losses.
Therefore, Su Xiaoqi had a favorable impression of those from the Xu family.
Moreover, Shen Yun, due to his outstanding abilities in the Hanlin Academy, had been highly favored by the Emperor, which made him a target of jealousy.
Especially Qin Yunpu, who was petty and often made things difficult for Shen Yun or slandered him behind his back.
Shen Yun could handle it himself.
But Zhongli Qi often helped and supported him.
Having heard Shen Yun speak of this often, Su Xiaoqi was very grateful to him.
Knowing he was from Sichuan and enjoyed eating chili peppers, she had Shen Yun send them a lot of chili peppers.
The relationship between the two families thus gradually grew closer.
It was not surprising to Su Xiaoqi that Madam Xu would speak up for her in such a setting.
However, Su Xiaoqi could not accept Madam Qin’s words.
On the surface, they were praise, but in reality, they seemed intended to draw unwarranted attention to Shen Yun.
Everyone had their own subtle feelings.
People liked to be praised, not to hear others lavish praise on someone else in their presence.
Constant praise could easily make the praised person disliked.