On the fifth day of the first lunar month, Song Jue specifically came out of the capital to welcome Old Madam Song and her party back to the city.

Because they were returning from a long journey, the Earl’s manor had quite a few carriages and horses. Large and small combined, there were a total of seven or eight carriages—and this was after they had already reorganized their luggage at the villa. The streets were also bustling and crowded with people, so the carriages and horses moved especially slowly.

The restaurants and wine shops on both sides of Chonghou Road were already completely full. The elegant window seats required advance reservations to secure.

At this moment, Chen Mingyu and several noble young ladies of similar age surrounded a palace-dressed beauty like stars surrounding the moon. Smiling, she extended her slender jade hand to point outside and sighed: “Look at the grand style of the Changning Earl’s manor. Without being a century-old aristocratic family, it would be difficult to achieve such splendor.”

Seeing that everyone had focused their attention on that procession of carriages and horses, she covered her mouth and laughed again: “Now that such great joyous news has come from Her Ladyship the Imperial Consort in the palace, and with the Changning Earl’s manor also having Elder Song presiding, isn’t the Song family like cooking oil on a roaring fire, brocade upon flowers? Previously, when I saw the Song family sisters, I already felt ashamed of my own inferiority. Now I feel even more humble.”

Consort Song had already been reported near the New Year to be pregnant with a child of nearly four months. Although Emperor Jianzhang’s affection for her was mediocre, because the inner palace hadn’t seen any joyous events for many years, and Consort Song’s pregnancy proved he was still young and vigorous, he appeared especially pleased. Rewards flowed like water into Fengzao Palace.

Even the Eleventh Princess’s status rose with the tide. Recently, she had been frequenting the Empress’s Qingning Palace daily, accompanying the Empress in picking Buddhist prayer beads.

“Sister Chen is being too self-deprecating.” A young lady sitting by the window wearing a goose-yellow upper jacket with straight bangs immediately frowned and spoke in rebuttal: “If things were truly as good as you say, why haven’t they appeared at the major flower gatherings and elegant assemblies? Even at palace banquets in the palace, no Song family young ladies have been seen to be particularly outstanding.”

She snorted coldly, placing the brilliantly embroidered Suzhou double-sided embroidered handkerchief in her hand on the table, and laughed at the palace-dressed beauty: “Moreover, no matter how high her status, could it be higher than the Emperor’s daughters? When all is said and done, doesn’t it still depend on whether it suits the Ninth Princess’s wishes?”

Whenever there were young girls of similar age and comparable status, none liked being overshadowed by others. The more Chen Mingyu praised Song Chuyi, the more dissatisfied the others became with Song Chuyi.

Chen Mingyu, though mocked, showed no annoyance. The flower ornament on her forehead swayed in the wind, making her skin appear even more like congealed fat, snow-white skin and flower-like appearance. Combined with the bright red lip rouge painting cherry lips at her mouth, she looked like a crabapple blossom on a branch, fresh and vivid enough to captivate the eye.

She glanced at the Ninth Princess who had remained silent all along, then turned her head to look at the noble young lady who had just spoken: “She was too young at the time, so the Earl’s manor restricted her from going out. It was only after I encountered her in Tongzhou that I realized there could be such a young lady in the world with such spiritual beauty and grace concentrated in one person. If you all don’t believe me, just imagine the splendor of the Cui family women back then, and you can guess a thing or two. Sister Han, don’t be angry either. I heard your elder brother is traveling back with the Song family. Whether it’s as I say or not, you can just go home and ask your brother, won’t that settle it?”

Shen Huiyi, who had not spoken all along, suddenly gave a cold laugh from the side: “Whether it’s really as wonderful as the stories tell, won’t we see the truth this time? What are you all anxious about?”

The Ninth Princess, who had also remained silent, condescended to glance at them, lightly curving the corner of her mouth: “Huiyi is right. Isn’t your manor holding a Crabapple Gathering on the eighth? Just save an invitation for her.”

Shen Huiyi had been frequently visiting Grand Dowager Consort Zhuang recently, and thus had established some connection with the Ninth Princess. Seeing this, she laughed again with some ill intent: “Moreover, her father is now a criminal official. No matter how illustrious the family, with her father having such troubles, how could her face be glorious? Sister Chen really thinks too highly of her.”

Chen Mingyu smiled without speaking.

That very evening, the invitation arrived in Song Chuyi’s hands.

Ziyun looked at the invitation somewhat curiously: “Our family has never had any relationship with the Marquis of Jinxiang’s manor. Now, having merely traveled a stretch of road together with their young master, this invitation immediately arrives. The Marquis of Jinxiang’s manor is truly thorough in their affairs.”

But after the incident with Han Zhi, Song Chuyi’s instinct told her this invitation wasn’t so simple—the Han family had always conducted their affairs low-key, almost wishing that the aristocratic and noble families of the capital would forget about them. They had never been so ostentatious as to hold any flower gathering.

Moreover, this flower gathering was being held on the eighth, well before her return to the capital, so preparations should have already begun. Now to hastily send over an invitation, Song Chuyi couldn’t help but suspect Han Zhi’s hand in this.

After thinking, she turned around to instruct Ziyun: “Go to cousin’s place later and ask to see if she received this invitation.”

The cousin she mentioned wasn’t referring to Xiang Mingzi. Han Zhi had traveled the same road with them, so unless his brain was broken, he couldn’t possibly have left out Xiang Mingzi. She wanted Nanny Xu to make a trip to the Cui manor.

As expected, Ziyun seemed to understand. She set down the clothes she was currently scenting with incense and looked at Song Chuyi: “It’s already getting dark. Going out like this, wouldn’t it be a bit too conspicuous?”

Song Chuyi’s hand clutching her skirt relaxed somewhat. How had she forgotten that now they were no longer in Qingzhou, and coming and going was no longer so convenient?

After a moment of silence, she tossed the invitation aside, threw on a cloak, and headed toward Old Madam Song’s room.

Although the First Madam had been immersed in the capital for decades, her birth ultimately determined her insight. She simply didn’t know about some families’ complicated seven-twists-and-eight-turns relationships among relatives.

After thinking it over, she still felt she should consult Old Madam Song, this experienced titled lady.

Old Madam Song was very happy to see her. She reached out to pull her to sit beside her, then smiled and asked: “I heard you received several invitations as soon as you returned?”

The Song family’s young ladies actually didn’t go out much, but in recent years Old Madam Song had also perceived the drawbacks of raising girls in deep seclusion—for example, Song Chumi was easily deceived this way, and both Song Chubin and Song Chuxuan also appeared inadequate.

Going out to see and experience the world also had its benefits.

Song Chuyi took out the invitation to show Old Madam Song: “This is an invitation sent by Second Miss Han of the Marquis of Jinxiang’s manor. It’s just that, as Grandmother knows, the Marquis of Jinxiang’s manor is different from other aristocratic families. I’m afraid I might make a fool of myself.”

Old Madam Song had little interest in the exquisite and beautiful invitations made by young ladies. She casually flipped through it and set it aside, carefully explaining the Han family to Song Chuyi: “Originally, they also rose to prominence through military achievements, but later they didn’t marry into the imperial family. The wives they married were mostly from common families, as long as they were virtuous. After five generations, they received reduced hereditary titles. Now they’ve just been reduced to the rank of marquis in this generation. But this generation’s Marquis of Jinxiang is somewhat different. The wife he married is not from an ordinary family. Speaking of it, back then in the capital, it was a legend that everyone on the streets and in the alleys eagerly inquired about. This Marchioness of Jinxiang has an extraordinary background—she is a young lady from the Fan family of Yingyang. That year, two young ladies from the Fan family came to the capital to discuss marriage proposals. One fell in love at first sight with the Crown Prince, while the other captured the Marquis of Jinxiang…”