Princess Yongjia’s Flower Pinning Banquet was a grand event in the capital, and also the highest-ranking “matchmaking banquet” in the capital.

Since she was the current emperor’s own sister and his only blood sibling, she naturally received the emperor’s utmost trust. Therefore, many people were still accustomed to privately calling her Princess Imperial.

Princess Yongjia was more than ten years younger than the current emperor. When the emperor ascended the throne at twenty-one, Princess Imperial was only nine years old.

A few years later, when Princess Imperial was fourteen and about to choose a husband, the Empress Dowager passed away.

Princess Imperial observed mourning for three years. When she was seventeen, the current emperor personally chose a husband for her.

For over a hundred years in the Great Zhou, the selection of husbands for princesses had always changed with the times.

Initially, to win over meritorious officials, prince consorts were all selected from the sons of noble families.

As time passed, by the time the current emperor’s grandfather was in power, the noble sons had gradually declined, various family factions fought among themselves, and civil and military officials looked down on each other.

Thus, the selection of husbands for princesses gradually became institutionalized: first, sons from families of civil and military officials of second rank and above were prohibited from participating. Second, the selection of prince consorts was conducted through open selection hosted by the Ministry of Rites. Third, since the Great Zhou emphasized culture over military affairs and the borders were unstable, many princesses were sent to frontier tribes for political marriages.

Except for princesses going to the frontiers, the conditions for prince consort candidates were young men aged fourteen to eighteen. Priority was given to selection in the capital. If no suitable candidates were found in the capital, the selection范围 was expanded to the surrounding three provinces. Three people were first selected, then the emperor would examine them and determine one.

Where there are people, there are politics.

For princess consort selection, although the initial open selection was hosted by the Ministry of Rites, it was actually handled by eunuchs. These castrated men would do anything as long as someone dared to bribe them – even any random person could muddle through.

Princess Yongjia suffered greatly from this.

Princess Yongjia was the current emperor’s only sister, so he naturally wanted to keep her in the capital and grandly select a consort for his sister. After going back and forth, they finally chose one – a young man named Bu Ruiyang, who was from a collateral branch of some noble family. By his father’s generation, they had become wealthy merchants. Additionally, the handling eunuch praised him like a flower, the emperor had someone divine the fortune and it was very auspicious, so he approved it.

But on the wedding day, something was wrong. Bu Ruiyang, wearing his wedding robes, had a massive nosebleed on the spot, scaring all the guests present. At the critical moment, the eunuch knew how to speak, immediately flattering: “Seeing blood at a wedding is great fortune, very auspicious!”

The emperor thought about it and agreed, so he didn’t think deeply about it.

Who would have thought that just one month after the marriage, Princess Yongjia returned to the palace crying: Bu Ruiyang was actually a sickly ghost. He was already terribly ill when participating in the open selection, only managing to get through by bribing the eunuchs. After being sent to the bridal chamber, he was so weak he couldn’t even have conjugal relations, and died before even finishing the honeymoon.

At this time in the Great Zhou, the so-called feudal ethical codes had long ceased to matter among the common people. It was completely normal for widowed women to remarry – for example, Qin Feifei. But in imperial life, the regulations remained strict.

If the current emperor had spoken, no one would have said anything about Princess Yongjia remarrying.

However, the current emperor was superstitious.

He had someone divine the fortune, and the divination said: If the princess remarries, it will be unfavorable to the stability of the realm.

After thinking it over, the emperor didn’t dare let Princess Yongjia remarry.

Of course, the entire Bu family was naturally exterminated, and the eunuch who handled the selection didn’t fare well either. After a thorough investigation, over three hundred eunuchs were executed.

However, at this point, Princess Yongjia could only remain widowed in her magnificent and splendid grand princess residence. In a blink of an eye, over twenty years had passed.

During these years, having nothing else to do, she organized the Flower Pinning Banquet that all the noble ladies in the capital flocked to, lasting three days.

Every year in late spring or early summer, grand banquets were held, inviting the female family members of officials of third rank and above in the capital to participate. Any family with unmarried daughters could attend.

Princess Yongjia was the current emperor’s own sister and didn’t interfere in government affairs. The princes were also happy to get close to her and show support, and the nobles also wanted to curry favor with her. Therefore, although the invitations were for female family members, each time a large group of young men would come uninvited.

In any case, the princess never refused to let them visit, and could even be said to tacitly permit their visits.

Quite a few people in the capital had their marriages arranged at the Flower Pinning Banquet.

Twenty years had passed, and it had long become custom.

This morning, Dong Shi prepared early and went out with Qin Shuying, Qin Lulu, and Qin Yue.

Qin Wei was crying uncontrollably in Rongfu Courtyard.

She had just returned to the capital and encountered such a grand event, but now she could only watch helplessly as Qin Yue went while she herself couldn’t go. How could this not make her hate, how could this not make her cry?

Concubine Miao walked back and forth, very annoyed: “Wei’er, stop being angry! Dong Shi is doing this on purpose. You clearly know she has ill intentions, yet you still put the handle in her hands. You, oh you… what can I say!”

Qin Wei cried: “She’s doing it on purpose, deliberately! Concubine, I want to write to Father. If Father knew, he definitely wouldn’t spare her!”

Concubine Miao poked her forehead in exasperation: “Are you still going to fall for it? Could your father really make her go back? Can’t you see that she will be the one in charge of the Qin residence in the future! Instead of learning to curry favor with her, you still want to let her pin the label of being disrespectful to your legitimate mother on you? How did I give birth to such an unambitious thing!”

Concubine Miao and Qin Wei were both angry and annoyed, but Qin Yunyun was even more resentful than them.

Caiying had just cleaned up the porcelain cup that Qin Yunyun had smashed on the floor when Cai Luan quickly walked over. Whether intentionally or not, she stepped right on her hand.

Her palm was immediately pierced by ceramic shards, and the piercing pain made her cry out involuntarily. Cai Luan turned and scolded: “Can’t you see Miss is upset? What are you screaming about!”

Caiying looked up and indeed saw Qin Yunyun’s eyes faintly glowing red, glaring viciously at Caiying: “Jinx! What are you wailing about? Slap yourself twenty times!”

Caiying held back her tears, bit her lips, knelt on the ground, and slapped herself twenty times.

Qin Yunyun watched her slapping with satisfaction, even helping her count.

After Caiying finished her self-punishment, Qin Yunyun actually showed a sinister smile. She had actually derived inexplicable pleasure from watching Caiying being beaten.

Seeing this, Caiying felt chilled to the bone.

Sixth Miss had gone mad, Sixth Miss was possessed!

These days, Qin Yunyun would constantly punish her to slap herself, and every time she saw this scene, Qin Yunyun would get so excited her nostrils would flare.

Caiying thought of what happened at the Lu residence the day before yesterday – it was said that Second Miss returned to the Lu residence for revenge, and Third Miss went mad on the spot.

Could it be that Sixth Miss was also involved in Second Miss’s suspicious death?

So Second Miss was also haunting her?

Caiying stared with terrified eyes, looking fearfully at that Qin Yunyun with a twisted face.

Yes, it must be so!

Otherwise, how did Seventh Miss, who was so cunningly schemed against, inexplicably escape?

It must be that Second Miss haunted Sixth Miss, created a ghost wall, allowing Seventh Miss to escape while trapping Sixth Miss inside!

It must be so – Second Miss had come for revenge!