Yu Tang could understand looking down on others while fawning over those above, but that didn’t mean she wanted to maintain close relations with such families. Moreover, Pei Yan and Jiang Hua originally had conflicts—the two families just needed to maintain appearances for the sake of propriety.
Therefore, when Yu Tang went to the Jiang family to attend the wedding banquet, she remained indifferent.
As for Gu Xi, during this time she had followed Pei Tong to visit the Yang family and several of Pei You’s close friends from when he was alive. She couldn’t help but be somewhat tempted, wanting to both avoid offending the Pei family while establishing her own independence. Unfortunately, when she euphemistically mentioned this to her brother Gu Chang, not only was she severely scolded, but he also warned her, “Don’t make any rash moves during this period. I’m about to go to the Hanlin Academy. The Head of the Hanlin Academy is Pei Xuan’s teacher—right now we cannot do without the Pei family’s protection.”
Gu Xi was extremely depressed. She felt that Pei Tong lacked ambition. How was it that after her brother married his wife, he seemed like a completely different person too?
What she didn’t know was that because of the Sun Gao affair, Gu Chang had been ostracized by many people. To salvage his reputation, he could only rely on the strategy of “time reveals a person’s heart,” but for time to reveal one’s heart, he needed people to speak well of him and protect him. He and the Yin family were already natural allies—the Yin family would help him establish his reputation and virtue, but the premise for their help was that he could stand on his own. His performance during his tenure at the Hanlin Academy would be especially important.
Why would he not use the Pei family connection and instead struggle silently on his own?
Gu Chang could only repeatedly instruct Gu Xi.
Gu Xi felt she probably couldn’t help her brother much.
Last time when Pei Xuan returned home and the two families gathered for a meal, they hadn’t been invited over.
But since her brother placed such great hope in the Pei family, she didn’t want to pour cold water on it.
Gu Xi absentmindedly agreed with a few responses, but in her heart she never gave up the idea of establishing her own independence.
This time, she placed particular importance on the Jiang family banquet—Jiang Hua was a Grand Secretary with a powerful teacher like Zhang Ying. For his son’s wedding, the guests were all officials of the fourth rank and above, and among the female family members were many titled madams. This was the highest-caliber banquet she could attend. No matter what, she had to seize the opportunity to make an impression before these madams and ladies. But she also knew the rules of prominent families, so she had long ago sent people to find out what kind of clothes and jewelry Yu Tang, Second Madam, and Fifth Miss were planning to wear.
Following Pei Yan’s suggestion, Yu Tang chose the moon-white Shu embroidery jacket and wore pearl ornaments. However, those pearl ornaments—the large ones were like pigeon eggs, the small ones like lotus seeds—were lustrous and magnificent, extremely majestic. Seeing this, Gu Xi couldn’t help but say, “Dressed like this, Third Aunt will surely outshine everyone else.”
For a matriarch managing a household, what was needed wasn’t glamour but dignity.
Gu Xi’s words couldn’t bear close scrutiny.
Yu Tang smiled and glanced at her.
Today she wore a pale yellow Hangzhou silk plain jacket and lapis lazuli ornaments. She looked not only elegant and refined but also particularly suited to the slightly warm early summer weather in the capital—quite outstanding indeed.
Gu Xi also knew her outfit was presentable and could withstand scrutiny. Seeing Yu Tang smile at her, she returned the smile.
Yu Tang paid it no mind and urged Qing Yuan beside her, “Go see why Second Madam hasn’t arrived yet?”
Qing Yuan responded and left, but before she could exit the hall, she saw Second Madam wearing a sapphire blue jacket with precious vase and Eight Treasures patterns in Hangzhou silk and gold-inlaid jade ornaments, leading Fifth Miss who wore a jade-green jacket embroidered with dancing bees and butterflies and yellow topaz jewelry. They appeared before the two of them, one after the other.
“Oh my!” Fifth Miss saw Yu Tang and ran over, grasping her hand to examine her jewelry. “These pearls are so large! So beautiful!”
Second Madam was quite composed. She walked over unhurriedly and smiled, “What your Third Aunt is wearing are Eastern pearls—they’re larger than Southern pearls. I also have a pair. If you like them, in a few days I’ll have the jewelry shop make you a set to wear.”
The butterfly-and-flower hairpin Yu Tang wore today had an Eastern pearl the size of a pigeon egg in the center—it was new jewelry Pei Yan had recently made for her.
Hearing Second Madam say this, she didn’t take it too seriously and smiled, “I also have two unused ones. If you like them, come get them from my quarters later.”
Fifth Miss looked at Yu Tang’s hair flowers—exactly five pigeon-egg-sized Eastern pearls, no more, no less. Thinking that she was young, three hairpins would be enough for her. She said, “Third Aunt, just give me one pearl. I’ll have three pearl flowers made like Third Aunt’s.”
Yu Tang smiled sweetly and said, “I’ll introduce you to the jewelry craftsman as well.”
Fifth Miss enthusiastically agreed.
Gu Xi, however, bit her lip from the side.
She suddenly realized that although she hadn’t made any mistakes today, she had dressed herself like Fifth Miss—an insignificant junior in a prominent family, rather than a matriarch who could manage a household.
Would she still leave a deep impression when she went to the Jiang family banquet?
She should have worn the ruby ornament set that her sister-in-law Yin Shi had given her.
Gu Xi was hesitating about whether to change her clothes when a young servant came in to ask if they were ready—Pei Yan and the others were already preparing to leave.
Yu Tang and the others quickly agreed. Gu Xi had no opportunity to reconsider and could only board the sedan chairs prepared for the female family members along with Yu Tang and the others. They left the residence directly and went to the Jiang household together with Pei Yan and the others.
The Jiang family wedding banquet was particularly lively, with even more guests than when the eldest daughter-in-law was married.
The Jiang family had their reasons for doing this.
When the eldest daughter-in-law married in, her family had sent an enormous dowry. Among it, a portion was specifically designated to fund the eldest Jiang son’s studies, meaning that the eldest Jiang son had authority over it—this was equivalent to the Wu family giving a sum of money to the Jiang family.
Some things were better left unsaid once understood.
Jiang Hua had been relatively low-key when his eldest son married.
The younger son’s wedding being so ostentatious wasn’t because he particularly favored his younger son or was especially satisfied with the younger son’s marriage, but because he wanted to enter the Grand Secretariat and wanted to use this opportunity to befriend officials who were ordinarily difficult to interact with.
The Jiang family’s eldest daughter-in-law, Wu Shi, knew this, but she still felt somewhat unbalanced in her heart.
The youngest son’s luck was just too good, wasn’t it?
She suppressed her frustration while helping her brother-in-law prepare for the wedding. But at this time, her family brought her sister, who was as beautiful as a hibiscus flower, to attend the celebration and privately told her, “You should also look out for your sister. If she can marry into the capital, you’ll have each other for support.”
But if marrying into prominent families were so easy, why would her family have provided such a large dowry?
This made her extremely curious about Pei Yan’s wife.
Unfortunately, given Pei Yan’s status and position, his wife seemed to have a rather introverted nature. The few times she went out for social occasions were all related to family friends like the Li and Zhang families. She had specifically instructed her personal maid, “If Third Madam of the Pei family comes, remember to call me.”
She really wanted to know what was so extraordinary about this Yu Shi that she could defeat her own sister and marry into the Pei family.
Miss Wu came this time also hoping to find a good family to marry into. When she learned that people from the Pei family would be attending, the first person she thought of was Gu Xi.
Gu Xi was quite pleasant to talk to. Since she had come to the capital, should she visit Gu Xi?
This time, she had people watch for Gu Xi.
So when the Pei family’s female relatives arrived, they first attracted the attention of the Jiang family’s eldest daughter-in-law, followed by Miss Wu.
Yu Tang also paid considerable attention to the Jiang family’s eldest daughter-in-law.
When the two met, Yu Tang felt she was seeing Wei purple and Yao yellow peonies, while the eldest daughter-in-law of the Jiang family felt she was seeing a magnolia flower.
Wei purple and Yao yellow peonies were magnificently beautiful; magnolia flowers were crystallinely beautiful.
One thought: No wonder this Wu Shi could marry into the Jiang family. The other thought: No wonder this Yu Shi caught Pei Yan’s eye.
For a moment, the two looked at each other with calm composure. They politely greeted each other, and the eldest daughter-in-law of the Jiang family personally led them to sit with the other household matriarchs.
As for Miss Wu, she found an opportunity to send word to Gu Xi, and the two met in the guest room where Miss Wu was staying.
“How have you been lately?” Miss Wu took Gu Xi’s hand, somewhat embarrassed yet clearly intending to cultivate friendship. “I estimate I’ll be staying in the capital. What about you? Will you accompany your husband through the imperial examinations before deciding, or will you return to Lin’an with your family elders after a while?”
Gu Xi thought that Miss Wu’s so-called “staying in the capital” probably meant marrying into the capital. With the Wu family’s standards and ambitions, they certainly wouldn’t marry her to an ordinary family. Also intending to cultivate friendship, she smiled and said, “Then congratulations to you. As for whether I can stay in the capital, it’s still hard to say at the moment. I hope I can catch your wedding.”
Miss Wu blushed and changed the subject to ask about Gu Xi’s life after marriage.
When husband and wife are at odds, even neighbors look down on them.
This principle could also be applied to making friends.
Gu Xi naturally spoke of everything in the best light.
Miss Wu’s conversation gradually shifted to Yu Tang. “I didn’t expect her mother to be so low-key—she sent such a large dowry. In Lin’an City, it’s really unprecedented.”
Gu Xi didn’t particularly want to discuss this and said indifferently, “She’s an only daughter—it’s different from our situations.”
Miss Wu then recalled something her family had mentioned. “Do you know that her family’s business is coming to the capital? They say the Hangzhou Merchant Association vouched for her maternal family brother, and their family is being selected to craft the presentation boxes for next year’s Longevity Festival. This matter has caused quite a stir.”
“There’s such a thing!” Gu Xi couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows.
Miss Wu continued, “They say that this time neither the Peng family nor the Tao family spoke up. You know, both Fujian and Guangdong lacquerware are quite famous. Previously, the Peng and Tao families would each recommend one or two workshops, but this time they said nothing—it must be out of respect for your Pei family. Her family is going to prosper!”
Her last sentence was said with a somewhat sour tone.
Gu Xi said nothing, but her heart felt as uncomfortable as if she’d swallowed a fly. She restrained herself again and again to avoid saying anything disparaging about Yu Tang. But when she and Miss Wu emerged arm-in-arm from Miss Wu’s quarters and encountered Yin Shi, who was looking for her, she really couldn’t hold back anymore. When Miss Wu was pulled away by her family to greet other people, she complained about Yu Tang to Yin Shi.
Yin Shi listened with a slightly moved expression but remained noncommittal.
Gu Xi was frustrated and pushed her sister-in-law, who was several years younger than herself. “Tell me, isn’t she afraid that the Pei family will look down on her!”