That night when Xie Jingxing returned, Shen Miao told him about the invitation. Xie Jingxing informed her that if she didn’t want to go, she could decline. Although the Lu and Ye families were arrogant, they wouldn’t dare openly antagonize the Prince of Rui’s household. In other words, Shen Miao had the right to refuse.

Despite this, Shen Miao didn’t want to decline. Know your enemy as you know yourself, and you’ll win a hundred battles. She currently knew nothing about Da Liang’s political landscape and could use this opportunity to learn more. Setting aside the Ye family for now, she could also discern the Lu family’s intentions toward her.

Xie Jingxing naturally wouldn’t stop Shen Miao’s decision. After the couple discussed it, Shen Miao had someone respond to the invitation, saying she would attend on time.

Two days later, it was time for the Caixia Banquet.

Shen Miao woke up early, but by mealtime, Xie Jingxing had already left the mansion. Since returning to Da Liang, he seemed busy every day, leaving early in the morning and returning late at night, dust-covered from travel. The imperial city was not as peaceful as it appeared on the surface, and Shen Miao deeply agreed with this assessment.

Jingzhe combed Shen Miao’s hair. Since arriving at the Prince of Rui’s mansion, for convenience, she had continued using her maids. Speaking of which, there were very few women in the entire prince’s mansion, aside from the cooks and a few elderly female servants—the rest were all men. According to Uncle Tang, when Xie Jingxing returned to Da Liang two years ago and was granted the title of prince, he had caught several spies disguised as maids in his mansion. Perhaps feeling that more women meant more trouble, and that ill-intentioned people might exploit the situation, from then on, the prince’s mansion simply stopped adding more women.

Because of this, the prince’s mansion had become like an iron fortress. For all this time, outsiders looked on with jealous eyes yet could find no way in.

Guyu said, “This is Madam’s first banquet in Longye. You must dress beautifully. When others see Madam like this, they won’t have anything to say. Madam will surely bring honor to our Ming Qi.”

In Longye, Xie Jingxing was considered quite impressive. When Jingzhe and Guyu went out to buy things, they heard outsiders discussing how Shen Miao must have accumulated good karma in her previous life to marry the Prince of Rui in this one. This made Jingzhe and Guyu extremely indignant. What was wrong with their young lady? Even in Ming Qi’s capital, Dingjing, she was a top-tier young lady—not only intelligent but also kind-natured, with a bearing that even princesses couldn’t match. How could they say she had married above her station?

Unable to win arguments with others, it was better to let facts speak for themselves. Guyu thought that if Shen Miao could dazzle everyone this time, those people would stop gossiping.

“Why worry about such things?” Shen Miao laughed. “They say those things just to make themselves feel better, but it doesn’t affect us.”

“Madam, Guyu is right,” Jingzhe said while selecting hairpins from the jewelry box for Shen Miao. “We can’t lose face.”

As they were speaking, Uncle Tang knocked on the door outside. Shen Miao gestured for him to enter. Behind Uncle Tang followed a young girl who looked even younger than Shen Miao. She was slightly chubby, perhaps due to her youth, but very likable. Her eyes were smiling, her lips spread wide, and her skin was fair and round. In an instant, Shen Miao thought of Su Minglang… though this was a girl.

“Today Madam is going to the Caixia Banquet,” Uncle Tang smiled. “The young master instructed me to find someone familiar to guide you. This old servant has brought Miss Bajiao. Madam can take Miss Bajiao as a maid, and if you encounter people you don’t recognize, Miss Bajiao can explain.”

Shen Miao smiled, “Thank you, Uncle Tang.”

Uncle Tang waved his hands repeatedly, saying he didn’t dare accept thanks. He just smiled and said, “I originally thought Madam wouldn’t accept the invitation, but I didn’t expect Madam to accept it. Madam has great courage, this old servant admires that.” Ordinarily, when people arrive in a completely unfamiliar place, they usually feel somewhat timid. Not to mention noble young ladies—even those with more courage, when newly arrived and in an unfamiliar environment, would need considerable courage to attend an event full of strangers, especially knowing their intentions weren’t good.

“It’s just having tea and chatting,” Shen Miao said casually. “Where’s the need for courage?”

Uncle Tang nodded, “Indeed, indeed.” Yet the look he gave Shen Miao was even more approving. He gave a few more instructions before withdrawing.

Shen Miao looked at the Bajiao. Bajiao stood very properly, smiling at her. This demeanor appeared somewhat simple-minded, yet made people find her very adorable. Today, Shen Miao was going to the Caixia Banquet, and not having someone to guide her would indeed be difficult. If someone could explain things to her, it would save her much effort. Xie Jingxing had been thoughtful, so Shen Miao smiled slightly. Then, suddenly remembering something, she looked at Bajiao and asked, “I thought there were no maids in the prince’s mansion, you…”

Aside from the cooks and a few elderly female servants, there were only pageboys and guards in the prince’s mansion, no maids. Therefore, Jingzhe, Guyu, and the others Shen Miao brought had almost become the darlings of the prince’s mansion.

Bajiao smiled, “This servant is not a maid of the prince’s mansion. This servant belongs to the Moyu Army, specially assigned to accompany Madam.”

“Moyu Army?” Shen Miao was startled. She had heard Xie Jingxing mention it vaguely a few times. Back in Ming Qi, this army had helped Xie Jingxing with many tasks. It seemed to be a private force that Xie Jingxing maintained, apparently quite formidable. However, since Xie Jingxing dared to let them operate so openly, Emperor Yongle must not be completely unaware.

She asked, “Do you know martial arts?”

“This servant knows how to kill,” Bajiao replied with a smile. Hearing this, Jingzhe and Guyu both gasped in shock. Truly, appearances can be deceiving. This smiling girl, who looked like a grown-up female version of Su Minglang, was skilled at killing.

Shen Miao, however, was satisfied. She thought that Xie Jingxing was indeed clever and a bit mischievous. Assigning Bajiao to accompany her to the Caixia Banquet meant that, at least in terms of physical strength, she wouldn’t be at a disadvantage.

Shen Miao said, “In that case, you’ll come with me. Jingzhe, stay at the mansion and organize the storeroom with Bailu and Shuangjiang. Guyu, you and Bajiao will come with me.”

Jingzhe, who had almost finished preparations, was told she couldn’t go. She felt quite aggrieved and was rather displeased with Bajiao. Yet fearing that Bajiao might kill her in a fit of anger, she reluctantly instructed Bajiao to take good care of Shen Miao before leaving.

When everything was ready, Shen Miao boarded the carriage and headed toward the venue of the Caixia Banquet—the Lu Mansion.

This time, Shen Miao didn’t bring Mo Qing. The guards she brought were all from the Prince of Rui’s household. This was her deliberate consideration. Mo Qing was, after all, from Ming Qi. But bringing the Prince of Rui’s men would make the other side somewhat wary, not daring to act rashly. At most, they would just engage in verbal sparring, and Shen Miao was most adept at that.

Longye was different from Dingjing. Da Liang’s territory was closer to the east, with more sun-facing areas. Even in winter, it wasn’t as cold as Dingjing, let alone in summer. It was now May, which would still be spring in Dingjing, but in Longye, it was already early summer with a hint of heat.

As the carriage proceeded, Shen Miao and Guyu lifted the curtain slightly to peek outside. They saw that Longye’s streets were indeed bustling with vehicles and pedestrians, extremely lively, which made Shen Miao quite emotional.

No wonder the citizens of small countries being attacked would sometimes voluntarily open their city gates to welcome the invaders. If it could bring better days to the people, the name of the country was too distant a concern for common folk. Emperor Yongle was indeed a talented ruler.

After traveling for almost an hour, the carriage finally stopped. Bajiao lifted the curtain to look and said, “Madam, we’ve arrived at the Lu Mansion.”

Guyu and Bajiao helped Shen Miao down from the carriage. They saw that many carriages were already parked in front of the Lu Mansion, yet not a single person was there to welcome them. Guyu was stunned and said, “This… why isn’t anyone here to greet us? Did we come to the wrong place?”

Though she questioned if they had come to the wrong place, it didn’t look wrong, as the main gate of the Lu Mansion wasn’t closed. It seemed as if it had been deliberately left open for her.

Shen Miao scanned the entrance, already forming thoughts in her mind. She asked Guyu, “What time was written on the Caixia Banquet invitation?”

Guyu quickly took out the invitation from her sleeve, opened it, and said, “It’s the Hour of the Snake (9-11 AM). It’s not yet the Hour of the Snake.”

“I suspect only our invitation has this timing,” Shen Miao said calmly.

Guyu asked, “Madam, what does this mean?”

“There are carriages at the gate, and guests have already arrived. Even if they came early, there shouldn’t be so many. No one is here to welcome us, yet they left the gate for us, knowing we would come. If I’m not mistaken, everyone else’s invitation must have said the Hour of the Dragon (7-9 AM), while ours said the Hour of the Snake. They deliberately made us come late.” After saying this, she laughed inwardly. It seemed that whether in Ming Qi or Da Liang, these noble ladies’ tactics were always the same old tricks.

Bajiao continued to smile, but Guyu suddenly understood and then angrily said, “What benefit do they get from playing such tricks on the young miss? This is too much!”

“Benefit?” Shen Miao’s voice turned slightly cold. “There are many benefits. Entering without being welcomed is considered impolite—they would say the Shen family from Ming Qi is presumptuous and ill-mannered. Not entering would be disrespectful—accepting an invitation but leaving midway is being unfaithful. The reasons are all on their side. Once caught making mistakes, you start at a disadvantage, and later it’s just being ridiculed.”

Contending with others was also a form of learning. One couldn’t be caught making mistakes from the beginning, or else one would be at a disadvantage. Having contended with Madam Mei for so many years, she understood this point.

Bajiao asked, “Does Madam still want to go in?”

“Yes,” Shen Miao lifted her skirt, preparing to walk in.

“But Madam,” Guyu asked puzzledly, “Going in will also get you caught making mistakes, not going in is also wrong. If both entering and leaving are wrong, why still go in?”

“Then let others make even bigger mistakes,” Shen Miao smiled slightly. “That way, no one will care about your mistakes.”

Inside the Lu Mansion, the atmosphere in the hall was quite harmonious. As a very famous military general in Longye, the Lu family held an extremely high position, so their mansion was large and magnificent. Today’s Caixia Banquet was personally organized by Madam Lu, and compliments were constantly heard.

Madam Lu was in her early forties. Time had taken its toll on her; though she might have been a beautiful woman in her youth, in her older years, she appeared thin and harsh, lacking dignity and grace. Despite this, she still dressed very lavishly, as if doing so could add some splendor to her appearance.

But for women, once they age, wearing inappropriate bright clothes doesn’t make them look better; instead, it exposes the flaws of old age.

“Madam Lu is truly blessed,” a round-faced lady smiled and said. “Imperial Noble Consort Jing is favored by His Majesty in the palace, and she is still so filial to you. For this Caixia Banquet, His Majesty even specially sent gifts, showing how much Imperial Noble Consort Jing means to His Majesty.”

Madam Lu was pleased inwardly but still humbly said, “It’s all due to His Majesty’s generosity. He particularly cherishes Imperial Noble Consort Jing, allowing our entire family to benefit.”

“Madam, what are you saying?” another short lady laughed and said. “Imperial Noble Consort Jing has gained favor, and your second daughter has married a commander and is now pregnant with twins. We should all share in your good fortune.”

Madam Lu shook her head, with a troubled expression, “But there’s still the third and fourth child. These two give me headaches.”

The round-faced lady quickly exclaimed dramatically, “Madam still has to worry about them? The third young master is talented and handsome, with outstanding martial skills at such a young age. Who knows which young lady will be fortunate enough to marry him in the future? As for the fourth daughter, there’s no need to even mention her. She’s like a celestial being, skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Is there any need to worry about her?”

“You flatter me,” Madam Lu shook her head with a bitter smile. “The third child is fine. It’s not a bad thing for a young man to train for a few years. But the fourth daughter’s marriage can’t be delayed. It’s truly giving me a headache…”

“Mother, are you badmouthing me to the other ladies again?” a coquettish female voice suddenly rang out. Everyone turned to see a young maiden appear in the great hall. She appeared to be sixteen or seventeen, wearing a light purple embroidered butterfly cloud brocade skirt with birds, cherry-colored lotus plain colored armor, and a close-to-fragrance hairstyle with a butterfly-shaped pearl hairpin. The girl was naturally beautiful and charming, and having been raised in luxury, she had a natural air of a pampered young lady. With her ornate hairpins, she was radiant, like a butterfly fairy stepping through spring grass, quite eye-catching.

This was the Lu family’s fourth daughter, Imperial Noble Consort Jing’s fourth sister, Lu Wan’er.

Madam Lu fondly patted her head and said, “How could I dare to badmouth our Miss Wan’er?”

Lu Wan’er pouted, saying no more. She stood in the hall where other officials’ daughters were present, but compared to her, they seemed dull in comparison.

Lu Wan’er’s expression was arrogant. Looking around, she asked, “Why hasn’t that Ming Qi Shen family girl come yet?”

Her voice wasn’t low, and all the ladies in the hall heard it, immediately beginning to whisper among themselves.

Lu Wan’er referring to Shen Miao as “Ming Qi Shen family girl” instead of “Princess Consort of Rui” already explained many things. It was understandable; the Lu family’s fourth daughter was said to be destined to marry into the Prince of Rui’s mansion as the princess consort. Lu Wan’er was also quite satisfied with the Prince of Rui. Who would have thought that Shen Miao would appear out of nowhere? The Lu family was displeased, and Lu Wan’er was even more unwilling to accept it.

Today’s Caixia Banquet was not just about the banquet itself. Most of these ladies came to watch the drama, perhaps hoping to curry favor with Lu Wan’er. That Shen family girl might be glamorous now, but she had no roots or foundation in Longye. Who knew how far she could go? The Prince of Rui was in the prime of his life—how long would he spend his attention on one woman?

Generally speaking, that Shen family girl didn’t seem likely to have a good ending.

Madam Lu smiled and said, “Perhaps she was delayed by something on the way.”

“What airs she puts on,” Lu Wan’er said, displeased. “All the other ladies arrived on time, yet she alone is late. Are Ming Qi’s rules all dead?”

Just as she was speaking, a round-faced girl suddenly appeared from outside. No one knew when she had entered. The girl smiled and asked, “Excuse me, is this the Caixia Banquet?”

Madam Lu was startled, then smiled and said, “Yes, it is. Are you the Princess Consort of Rui?”

“This servant is not,” the smiling girl said. “The Princess Consort is here.” Saying this, she turned back and assisted a young lady in.

Whether it was because of the contrast with the round-faced maid or because the Princess Consort of Rui was imagined to be too inferior, when the young lady walked in, everyone was momentarily stunned.

She wore a lotus-blue butterfly hundred-flower misty phoenix-tail skirt, a smoky purple white magnolia gauze robe, and a tassel bun hairstyle. It wasn’t extravagantly luxurious, but not simple either. The noble young ladies of Longye loved dressing up, and her outfit was coordinated so well that it was quite tasteful. She wore only a single, inlaid flower phoenix-shaped, jeweled hair ornament, clean and neat, which made her appear noble and elegant.

This young lady had crescent eyebrows, clear almond eyes, a small straight nose, and red lips—very beautiful. She looked like a gentle person, yet with her chin slightly raised and her back straight, she walked in with a slight smile, each step making people’s hearts tremble. Unconsciously, it made people look at her with admiring gazes, as if she were some unattainable noble person.

Curiously enough, both the Princess Consort of Rui and Lu’s fourth daughter wore purple dresses today. Lu’s fourth daughter wore light purple, while the Princess Consort wore deep purple. Young girls wearing light purple appear gentle and lively, while deep purple might make them seem old and rigid. But today, Shen Miao’s purple outfit seemed tailor-made for her, giving her a noble and dignified air that commanded the room. In comparison, Lu’s fourth daughter’s outfit made her look like an actress performing at a formal occasion, somewhat inappropriate.

Lu Wan’er normally paid great attention to this and was accustomed to being the center of attention. She hadn’t expected someone else to steal her thunder today, especially since that someone was Shen Miao, who had taken her position as the Princess Consort of Rui.

Madam Lu’s eyes flashed, and she smiled, “The Princess Consort has finally arrived. The ladies have all been waiting just for you.”

Shen Miao smiled slightly and replied calmly, “I hadn’t expected the ladies to arrive so early. The invitation clearly stated the Hour of the Snake. I told His Highness, and he even suggested I leave early to avoid being late. I didn’t expect to still be late. It’s my fault. It’s all because of His Highness not reminding me properly. I should have left earlier, probably… the Hour of the Dragon would have been best.”

Madam Lu’s heart skipped a beat. She hadn’t expected Shen Miao to expose this so directly. Indeed, upon hearing this, the surrounding ladies looked at her differently.

Shen Miao was, after all, an outsider. Although those ladies would side with the Lu family over Shen Miao, using such childish, clumsy tricks appeared ridiculous in others’ eyes. Madam Lu felt some regret. She had originally wanted to give Shen Miao a warning but hadn’t intended to tamper with the invitation. However, Lu Wan’er had insisted on doing so, so she had to comply. Now, Shen Miao’s words fell on others’ ears, and these ladies’ invitations didn’t say the Hour of the Snake—they understood. The way they looked at the Lu family was somewhat amused.

If Shen Miao were to tell the Prince of Rui about this, such a shrewd person would immediately understand. If he became displeased with the Lu family because of this, Madam Lu felt this move had been somewhat ill-considered.

But Lu Wan’er couldn’t stand seeing Shen Miao doing well. She looked Shen Miao up and down and said, “How could the Princess Consort of Rui just enter without having someone announce her? Don’t say we neglected you.”

Entering a mansion without being announced was indeed somewhat impolite. Shen Miao looked at Lu Wan’er and smiled, “That’s exactly what I wanted to say. If your mansion is short of manpower, you shouldn’t force yourselves. Such a large gate with no guards watching it is quite dangerous.” She smiled gently, “I’ve had the Prince’s guards watch your gate to prevent strange people from sneaking in, which wouldn’t be good.”

Hearing this, Lu Wan’er and Madam Lu nearly coughed blood.

What was happening? They had intended to accuse Shen Miao of being impolite, and naturally, no people were guarding the Lu Mansion gate. But with Shen Miao’s words, it sounded as if the Lu family was so poor they couldn’t afford doorkeepers. And having the Prince of Rui’s guards watch the gate—what would the common people passing by think?

Shen Miao said warmly, “Madam needn’t thank me. If you need anything in the future, His Highness can send some men to your mansion as well.”

Sending men, who knew if they would be spies? The Prince of Rui might dare to send them, but they didn’t dare accept.

The surrounding ladies understood that this Princess Consort of Rui was not an easy pushover. The Lu family had arranged this to diminish Shen Miao’s prestige and catch her making mistakes. Once she made mistakes, they could say some ambiguous things, enough to make the Princess Consort of Rui feel insecure.

Who knew that until now, not only had she not been at a disadvantage, but she had also thoroughly outmaneuvered the Lu family.

Madam Lu forced a smile and said, “Please be seated first, Princess Consort.”

Yet she arranged a not very prominent seat for Shen Miao.

Shen Miao didn’t mind. She hadn’t come today to argue or fight. She was here to make a statement and to see things.

Bajiao quietly bent down to whisper in Shen Miao’s ear, “That round-faced lady is Madam Yuan, wife of the Privy Councillor, who is friendly with the Lu family. The short lady is Madam Wei, wife of the Minister of Revenue, a relative by marriage to the Ye family, and also on good terms with the Lu family… The lady in yellow clothes on the far left, her husband is the current Left Attendant, and her youngest son is someone you know—Young Master Ji.”

Ji Yushu’s mother? Shen Miao looked toward Madam Ji. Madam Ji appeared very dignified, seemingly completely different from Ji Yushu.

Shen Miao thought that these ladies were either wealthy or noble. No wonder they said the Lu family had significant influence in Longye, and Imperial Noble Consort Jing was so arrogant that she didn’t even respect Empress Xiande. Indeed, it was good to have powerful backing. Since all these great families were willing to give the Lu family face, clearly the Lu family had extensive and intricate connections with them.

If Emperor Yongle and Xie Jingxing wanted to completely suppress the Lu family, it wouldn’t be an easy task. The Lu family’s interests were tied to many other official families. If the Lu family fell, many great families with connections to them would suffer. For their survival, those great families wouldn’t stand by and watch the Lu family collapse.

As she was thinking, someone leisurely walked to her side and sat down next to her. Bajiao immediately stood straight, no longer explaining to Shen Miao. Shen Miao turned her head to see the beautiful, somewhat arrogant, and domineering fourth daughter of the Lu family sitting beside her.

Lu Wan’er said, “Princess Consort of Rui, may I ask you a presumptuous question?”

Shen Miao: “Please go ahead.”

“How long have you and the Prince of Rui known each other?” Lu Wan’er asked.

Shen Miao laughed inwardly, roughly understanding why this Lu Wan’er had come. Speaking of which, Xie Jingxing had spent his youth in Ming Qi, a fact that only Emperor Yongle and Xie Jingxing’s people should know. Others in Da Liang probably thought that Xie Jingxing had been traveling the world with his master all these years, his whereabouts quite mysterious.

So, she and Xie Jingxing “knowing” each other should date from when she returned to Dingjing from Xiaochun City and met Xie Jingxing at the tribute banquet. At most, it hadn’t been a full year.

She said, “Less than a year.”

Hearing this, Lu Wan’er smiled, with a sense of satisfaction and some contempt. Lu Wan’er said, “So it’s less than a year. In that case, I imagine the Princess Consort of Rui still has much to learn about the Prince of Rui.”

Shen Miao smiled, “The Fourth Miss seems to know His Highness very well?”

“Don’t take offense,” Lu Wan’er said. “I know your Shen family’s status in Ming Qi, but our Lu family in Longye is at least equal to your Shen family’s position in Dingjing, if not higher. The Prince of Rui is a good man. In Da Liang, almost every young lady wants to marry into the Prince of Rui’s mansion. However, an ordinary family background wouldn’t be worthy of him.”

Lu Wan’er looked at Shen Miao again and said, “Princess Consort, the Prince of Rui is a very ambitious man.”

“Since his return to Longye, he has set about making a great career in the court. Such a man won’t be confined by romantic sentiments. What can you do to help him? Now, of course, it’s sweet love, but in the future, when you’re no longer useful to him, he will still discard you like an old shoe.”

Shen Miao was surprised inwardly. She had originally thought Lu Wan’er was a naive and spoiled young lady, chasing after unattainable dreams. Yet hearing this speech, she discovered that Lu Wan’er saw the situation quite clearly. She had even articulated certain interest relationships.

“So?” Shen Miao asked.

“His Majesty intends for me to be the Prince of Rui’s equal wife, but a prince can’t have two princess consorts,” Lu Wan’er said, as if bestowing a favor. “So, you be the concubine, and I’ll be the wife.”