The Chrysanthemum Banquet was held at Yanbei Hall, not far from Prince Gong’s residence. This hall was personally established by the founding Emperor and Empress of Mingqi. The estate was originally an exquisite garden trimmed by the previous dynasty, covering thousands of acres with magnificent and refined architecture. Had it not been so far from the city center, the Emperor and Empress might have even converted it into a part of the palace.

However, this place, nestled against mountains and beside water, though distant, was an excellent spot for appreciating scenery. Especially in October, when various chrysanthemums bloomed in competition. With specialists managing the planting of rare chrysanthemum seeds, once in bloom, it was like being in a fairyland. Holding the validation here was considered quite elegant.

The carriage ride from the Shen household to Yanbei Hall took about an hour, so snacks and food were prepared in the carriage to prevent hunger.

Guyu opened the basket that Nanny Gui had provided and asked Shen Miao, “Miss, why not eat something? The journey is long, and food will give you strength.”

Shen Miao looked at the contents of the basket.

Iced sheep milk cheese, green onion rolls, spicy oil legs… at first glance, they were appetizing, with bright colors and enticing aromas.

Unfortunately, these foods all had strong flavors. Items like iced cheese and spicy oil legs would easily stain lip rouge, and one careless moment could soil her clothes. Nanny Gui had truly “thoughtfully” prepared these foods.

The struggle among women in the inner quarters typically involved setting traps, both openly and secretly. But in her previous life in the Mingqi imperial harem, Shen Miao had faced concubines competing for favor, where the level of intrigue was much higher. These petty tricks were beneath notice. She shook her head and had Guyu close the box, then asked Jingzhe, “That won’t be necessary. Jingzhe, do you have any?”

Jingzhe carefully took out a small cloth package from behind her. The package contained dainty pastries. Not trusting the Shen household kitchen, Shen Miao had Jingzhe bribe the household manager in charge of purchases to bring some pastries from outside. The manager thought Jingzhe was just being greedy and didn’t interfere, though she was surprised that a maid like Jingzhe would spend money on pastries from Guangfu Studio.

Guangfu Studio was one of the top pastry shops in the capital city of Dingjing, loved even by the imperial concubines. In her previous life, Shen Miao hadn’t been particularly interested in Guangfu Studio’s pastries, but Princess Wanyu had adored them, feeling unsatisfied if she went a day without them.

Now these pastries, only the size of Shen Miao’s fingertip and made in the shape of flowers, looked pitiful yet adorable. Shen Miao shared some with Guyu and Jingzhe. The two maids initially declined, but seeing Shen Miao’s insistence and unable to refuse, they carefully accepted. After one bite, they exclaimed with delight, “Miss, these pastries are truly delicious!”

Shen Miao smiled slightly. In truth, how delicious could pastries be? They were just made cute and exquisite, and young ladies always liked pretty things. When Princess Wanyu was sent to marry into the Xiongnu tribe, she had even spent a fortune to buy a pastry chef from Guangfu Studio, hoping that in the harsh, cold land of the Xiongnu, Wanyu could still enjoy her favorite pastries.

Who would have thought… who would have thought that halfway there, Wanyu would perish, and she hadn’t even seen the body.

Shen Miao closed her eyes briefly.

Wanyu’s marriage alliance had been instigated by Madam Mei, plotted by Chen Ruoqiu’s family, but the order had come from Fu Xiuyi. In this life, none of these people would escape. Those who caused Wanyu’s death—she would make them repay a thousandfold, a hundredfold!

Guyu was enjoying the pastries when she looked up and saw Shen Miao’s cold gaze, resembling a decisive noble lady in a high position. For a moment, Guyu seemed to see Shen Xin’s shadow in her. Shen Xin was a man who had killed and seen blood on the battlefield; when angered, there was ferocity in his bones. Shen Miao’s current gaze was identical to Shen Xin’s.

She almost choked on her pastry, managed to swallow it, and carefully asked, “Miss, are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

“No,” Shen Miao lowered her eyes, “just thinking about some things.”

Fu Xiuyi would also be present at today’s Chrysanthemum Banquet and validation. Not only Fu Xiuyi but also several of his brothers. Now there were nine princes, each with their own merits, naturally forming their own factions. Fu Xiuyi appeared the most harmless, maintaining good relations with the Crown Prince’s faction.

Who would have known that eventually, the Crown Prince would be deposed and Fu Xiuyi established as the heir apparent? She didn’t plan to help the Crown Prince. The royal family of Mingqi was the most heartless; they viewed these aristocratic families who had helped their ancestors establish the kingdom as old dogs. Although these hounds had once helped them catch rabbits, now that the rabbits were in their pockets, they feared the dogs might bite them. So they squeezed the last drop of blood from the dogs, then slaughtered and cooked them.

When the world lacked benevolence and the heir was unjust, why should anyone demand loyalty?

Better to watch the dogs fight each other. Shen Miao’s lips curved slightly.

…

Yanbei Hall was already filled with many noble families.

Although today’s validation didn’t separate males and females, the banquet hall still divided guests into men’s and women’s sections. In the men’s section, young men and their fathers were busy getting to know each other, as mutual support between noble families was natural. Moreover, these young men would one day take over from their fathers to shoulder the entire family, so making more friends was beneficial.

Women weren’t as frequent socializers as men. The women often chatted casually together, so the young ladies had fixed groups of friends. Three or five familiar ones gathered to chat idly, feeling both nervous and excited about today’s Chrysanthemum Banquet. Occasionally, they would glance over at the young men they admired on the other side.

Yi Peilan played with the fresh flowers on the small table and said, “Do you feel confident about today’s validation?”

“I don’t,” the young lady beside her smiled. “With so many people, with my average talents, I’m truly afraid. I just hope I won’t be selected to go up on stage. I don’t seek prominence, just to avoid embarrassment.”

Yi Peilan pursed her lips. “At least you should try. Remember that Prince Ding will be here today, and isn’t the Li family young master you admire also here? The Li family’s young master excels in literary composition and will certainly go on stage. Won’t you seize this opportunity to perform well?”

The young lady gave Yi Peilan a push, her face showing some shyness, “Stop talking nonsense.”

Hearing this, Jiang Xiaoxuan smiled and said, “That’s right, Bai Wei, don’t be afraid. If we’re talking about embarrassment, isn’t there still Shen family’s fifth daughter at the bottom? However you perform, you’ll be better than her.”

“Indeed,” Yi Peilan also laughed, shaking with mirth. “Every year at the validation, doesn’t Shen Five take responsibility for entertainment? It’s amazing she still has the face to come each year. Just thinking about her coming to perform her acts again this year makes me want to laugh. I wonder what kind of outfit she’ll wear, like that horrifying bright red paired with purple-red gold hairpins from last year?”

The young ladies giggled.

“That’s enough,” Feng Anning suddenly spoke up. “Is it that funny?”

Yi Peilan was stunned, then said, “Feng Anning, you’ve been acting strangely lately. What’s this? Have you become friends with that fool?”

Feng Anning’s face showed anger. Just as she was about to speak, they heard someone from another side say, “Look, the Shen family ladies have arrived.”