The third day of the seventh month was Jiang Youyao’s coming-of-age ceremony.

Starting from the evening before, the entire Jiang residence had been bustling with activity. Jiang Li, who had already been keeping a low profile these days, was naturally pushed even further to the back of everyone’s minds. By the morning of the ceremony, even the people in the kitchen had forgotten to send food to Fangfei Courtyard.

Tong’er went to the kitchen herself and only found some leftover pastries. As she brought them to Jiang Li, she said indignantly, “It’s just a coming-of-age ceremony. We’re all legitimate young ladies of the Jiang family, yet they show such blatant favoritism to this extent. It’s truly too excessive!”

Jiang Li picked up a piece of chestnut cake and took a bite, consoling her as she did, “Jiang Youyao has always been the precious pearl of the first branch. A coming-of-age ceremony is an important matter, and many distinguished guests have been coming and going recently. Naturally, they can’t afford to be negligent.”

“Miss, the way you speak, those who don’t know would think you’re an outsider,” Tong’er said. “Even if you don’t feel it yourself, this servant feels indignant on your behalf.” She continued, “The servants of Fangfei Courtyard, aside from a few still sweeping outside, have all disappeared. That Yun Shuang is just a maid after all, yet she constantly puts on airs and shows people her displeasure, acting as if she’s a young lady herself. That’s one thing, but that Xiang Qiao—she took so many of your jewelry pieces, and today not a trace of her can be seen. She’s probably gone to curry favor with Ji Shi again. Bah, truly an ungrateful wretch!” Tong’er had long harbored resentment toward Xiang Qiao and Yun Shuang, and today she finally couldn’t hold back, venting all her frustrations in one breath.

“Xiang Qiao was always Ji Shi’s person to begin with. These days she’s been wagging her tail and fawning before me only for money. Now that she’s emptied my jewelry boxes, she naturally has no reason to continue flattering me. As for Yun Shuang, I treated Xiang Qiao so well, but she gained no advantage from it, so naturally she resents me even more for being biased.” Jiang Li finished a piece of pastry and drank half a mouthful of tea to rinse her mouth.

Tong’er watched from the side. After returning to the Jiang residence, during those initial days, Ji Shuran hadn’t yet dared to openly mistreat Jiang Li, so the food and provisions were still passable. As a result, Jiang Li’s complexion had been nourished back to better health. Her features were naturally delicate and clear, and once her clothing and accessories were slightly better than before, the form of a budding beauty immediately became apparent.

Moreover, Tong’er couldn’t quite describe it, but she felt that Jiang Li’s every gesture and movement was especially captivating.

Seeing Tong’er frozen in place, Jiang Li asked, “What’s wrong?”

Only then did Tong’er come back to her senses and immediately asked, “Miss, today is Third Miss’s coming-of-age ceremony. They wouldn’t prevent you from attending the ceremony, would they?”

Up until now, not a single person had come to notify Jiang Li about attending the ceremony. If it were the real Second Miss Jiang, her heart would inevitably be filled with mixed feelings, she couldn’t help but overthink, and might even panic helplessly. After all, Second Miss Jiang once had a bad reputation. For someone like Old Madam Jiang who cherished her reputation so dearly, to prevent Jiang Li from causing trouble at the coming-of-age ceremony, it was indeed possible she might simply not allow Jiang Li to appear.

After all, Second Miss Jiang had a past of matricide and fratricide. Today, Marquis Ningyuan’s heir Zhou Yanbang would also appear. If Second Miss Jiang saw Zhou Yanbang and thought of how her marriage prospects had been stolen, should her emotions become agitated and she do something inappropriate, it wasn’t impossible.

Jiang Li smiled slightly. “They won’t.”

Tong’er asked, “Miss, why are you so certain?”

“Even if every single person in the Jiang residence doesn’t want me to attend Jiang Youyao’s coming-of-age ceremony, there’s one person who will definitely want me to attend, and that’s Ji Shi. To make me attend the ceremony, Ji Shi will surely try to persuade everyone and fight for this opportunity for me.”

Tong’er stared wide-eyed at Jiang Li.

“The stage has already been set. If I don’t make my appearance, how can they continue with their performance?” Jiang Li smiled gently. “It’s impossible.”

Just as she finished speaking, Xiang Qiao walked in from outside, all smiles, as if she had received the greatest joy under heaven. Seeing both Jiang Li and Tong’er sitting, she said, “Second Miss, please hurry and dress yourself up. Today is Third Miss’s coming-of-age ceremony, and distinguished guests have been arriving one after another. Madam and the others are all waiting for you.”

A perfectly calibrated expression of pleasant surprise floated across Jiang Li’s face as she said, “That’s truly wonderful.”

Indeed, truly wonderful—the performance was finally about to begin.

Many people had come to the Jiang residence today.

Jiang Yuanbai held a position of considerable standing at court. While court officials looked down on his tendency toward moderation in all matters and his habit of merely echoing the Emperor’s wishes, they couldn’t help but envy Jiang Yuanbai’s position in the Emperor’s heart.

That previous Grand Secretary, at the height of his power, could almost stand as an equal to Emperor Hongxiao. Later, wasn’t he still convicted and exiled? From the pinnacle of power to ruin took merely three short years. Yet Jiang Yuanbai had sat in the position of Grand Secretary for over ten years, and sat there steadily—naturally, he wasn’t as incompetent as he appeared.

Regardless, Jiang Yuanbai wielded tremendous influence at court, and scholars all sought to establish good relations with him. For his daughter’s coming-of-age ceremony, there would naturally be no shortage of observers.

The principal guest performing the ceremony for Jiang Youyao was Ji Shuran’s eldest sister, the current议郎’s wife, Ji Chen Shi. Ji Shuran had two elder sisters—one was Ji Chen Shi, and the other was in Emperor Hongxiao’s harem, the current Consort Li. The reason Ji Shuran now had status and voice in the Jiang family was not only because the Ji family, headed by the Deputy Censor-in-Chief, was becoming increasingly important at court, but also because consideration had to be given to Consort Li.

Emperor Hongxiao doted greatly on Consort Li.

In the main hall, quite a few madams had already arrived. They were all distinguished personages of the capital, discussing recent interesting matters. Even Madam Liu, wife of Chengde Lang Liu Yuanfeng, had come.

Although Liu Yuanfeng was at odds with the Ji family, on the surface he hadn’t directly fallen out with the Jiang family and could still be considered peaceful relations. Madam Liu had come to observe the ceremony today not truly to see Jiang Youyao, but rather to see how Jiang Li was living. Since Jiang Li returned to the capital, Madam Liu had not yet seen her once.

Ji Shuran sat among the various madams. She was born gentle and beautiful, skilled at maneuvering through social situations, and her speech was sophisticated and tactful on all sides. In no time at all, she was on warm terms with the distinguished guests—naturally, this was also because these distinguished guests wanted to curry favor with the Jiang family.

Jiang Yue’e and Jiang Yuyan had also arrived early. Jiang Yuyan wore purple robes, her clothing conventional and proper. Combined with her plain appearance, she was unremarkable. Jiang Yuyan was also accustomed to fading into the crowd, so she sat silently to one side, accompanying her mother Yang Shi.

Jiang Yue’e, however, was unwilling to be ordinary. Probably knowing that today Jiang Youyao was the protagonist and she couldn’t steal Jiang Youyao’s spotlight, yet unwilling to be as mediocre as Jiang Yuyan, she wore a set of goose-yellow lightweight blouse and skirt with her hair styled in a red bean bun, making her appear even more like a modest beauty from a humble family, delicate and touching. Her brows and eyes were filled with light, cheerful joy, and she also made every effort to find topics to discuss with some of the noble ladies, hoping to establish some connections.

Among the noble ladies, two people sat to the left in the hall. One was already middle-aged with wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. At first glance, she appeared much more aged than the surrounding madams, yet she was dressed extremely lavishly—though that lavishness was somewhat incongruous and didn’t quite suit her appearance.

Beside her also sat a young woman, approximately seventeen or eighteen years old, with features that could be considered pretty, except her face was thin and narrow with slightly prominent cheekbones, giving her a somewhat mean appearance. This woman’s clothing also flaunted extreme wealth, making her particularly eye-catching among the noble ladies. However, between her brows and eyes lurked impatience. She quietly asked the woman beside her, “Mother, why hasn’t Jiang Youyao come out yet?”

These two were none other than the mother and younger sister of the current Secretariat Drafter and last year’s top scholar Shen Yurun—Madam Shen and Shen Ruyun.