Princess Zhenzhen unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief, raised her hand to touch her face, and then felt somewhat embarrassed.

This was the first time in her life she had fallen for a man. No matter what, she didn’t want Third Miss Li to have any connection with the man who had caught her eye.

Jiang Shiran felt great satisfaction in her heart and said with a beaming smile, “Originally, I wasn’t planning to attend the flower-viewing banquet at the Marquis Liuxing’s residence, but suddenly I think it would be quite nice to go and watch the commotion.”

Princess Zhenzhen shook her head, “Ran Ran, why must you do this? Third Miss Li is helping me treat my face after all, and I’m grateful to her in my heart.”

Jiang Shiran sneered coldly, “Zhenzhen, if you want to be grateful, wait until she cures your face first. You know very well about my grievances with her. The incident at Fushan Society was my momentary impulse, I’ll admit that, but the matter of that bastard from Count Changchun’s residence getting beaten at Bichun Tavern is still being blamed on me. Why should I bear that?”

Princess Zhenzhen’s lips moved slightly, feeling that her friend’s words were somewhat unreasonable.

If it weren’t for the prior grudge between Fushan Society and Third Miss Li, how could others have blamed the Bichun Tavern incident on Jiang Shiran?

However, having been friends for over ten years, Princess Zhenzhen understood Jiang Shiran’s temperament and quietly swallowed her words.

Jiang Shiran leaned back, relaxing her posture against the soft cushion, “Anyway, I can’t stand the sight of her. When she’s having a bad time, I’m happy.”

So she was determined to attend the flower-viewing banquet at the Marquis Liuxing’s residence to watch the commotion.

Somehow, news of matchmakers visiting the Li family to propose marriage had spread. At the flower-viewing banquet hosted by Old Madam of Marquis Liuxing, one of the ladies brought up this matter.

“Speaking of the Li family in Xingzi Alley, they’re quite interesting indeed. The eldest and second daughters of the East and West residences haven’t shown themselves for quite some time, yet their third daughter continues to be a topic of constant discussion. I heard that yesterday, a matchmaker went to their house to propose marriage for Third Miss Li.”

This lady was known for her loose tongue. Usually, except for one or two close friends, others kept their distance from her. However, today everyone understands the purpose behind Old Madam of Marquis Liuxing hosting this flower-viewing banquet. She would surely be happy to hear about that Third Miss Li, so several ladies gave face and joined the conversation.

“That can’t be right. Third Miss Li from the Li family seems quite young still.” The lady who responded turned to ask the wife of Count Guchang, “Your residence has marriage ties with the Li family, doesn’t it?”

Count Guchang’s residence was indeed Li Jiǎo’s maternal grandmother’s family.

Lady Zhu, wife of Count Guchang, had a cold expression. “My younger sister-in-law has been gone for over ten years, but I know a little about that Third Miss Li. She just turned fourteen at the new year.”

“She’s not very old, then. Yet matchmakers are already coming to propose marriage?”

These families would quietly begin looking for suitable matches for their daughters quite early, but bringing it into the open for formal proposals would always wait until after the daughter’s coming-of-age ceremony.

Lady Wang, wife of the Supreme Court Minister, had always enjoyed stepping on the Li family in conversation due to her husband’s discord with Li Guangyan, the eldest master of the Li family’s East residence. Now, with no Li family members present, she became even more unbridled, saying sarcastically, “What’s wrong with being young? Should the Li family be unhappy that someone wants to propose marriage?”

The ladies from various families smiled knowingly.

Given Third Miss Li’s current reputation, she should be grateful to heaven and earth that anyone would come to propose marriage.

“I wonder which family proposed?” someone else asked curiously.

“It’s unclear which family proposed, but the matchmaker was driven away by the Li family,” said the lady who had first brought up this topic.

Everyone looked astonished.

“Why would they drive away a perfectly good matchmaker who came to propose marriage?”

When a daughter reaches marriageable age, every family has several matchmakers coming to propose. There are always one or two families that lack self-awareness and become annoying, but to avoid making enemies, at most they would politely decline. How could they directly throw the matchmaker out?

The ladies looked at each other, all thinking the same thing: the proposing family must have been too unsuitable, and the Li family would rather let their daughter remain an old maid for life than agree to such a marriage.

Old Madam of Marquis Liuxing raised her wine cup and smiled benevolently, “Alright, let’s drink wine and admire flowers. Let’s not discuss irrelevant matters.”

The ladies all raised their cups, “The plum garden of the Marquis’s residence is unparalleled in the capital. Today we’ve truly feasted our eyes, and we must thank Old Madam.”

At this moment, a maid in a silk jacket hurried over, her face pale as she whispered a few words in Old Madam of Marquis Liuxing’s ear. Old Madam immediately changed expression and stood up, saying, “Everyone, continue drinking. This old woman will go to freshen up.”

Just after Old Madam of Marquis Liuxing left, another maid whispered a few words in Lady Zhu of Count Guchang’s ear. Lady Zhu’s face turned pale as she stood up and forced a smile to the ladies beside her, “I’ll go freshen up.”

Once Lady Zhu of Count Guchang left, the ladies in the hall all sent their maids to investigate the situation.

Something must have happened in the plum grove, otherwise, Old Madam of Marquis Liuxing, as the host, wouldn’t have left so abruptly. And this matter was most likely related to Lady Zhu of Count Guchang.

These noble ladies, who appeared learned and reasonable in the world’s eyes, were now each showing excited expressions, their gossip fire burning fiercely, while also feeling somewhat worried about their granddaughters or daughters.

Those children were all strolling in the plum grove right now, and who knew what had happened.

Events happening under their very noses were impossible to cover up. Before long, the maids sent out to investigate returned one after another, bringing news of what had happened in the plum grove.

“What? The heir of Marquis Liuxing kicked Miss Du from Count Guchang’s residence into the lake?”

Gasps arose one after another as the ladies looked at each other in dismay.

That couldn’t be right. Although the heir of Marquis Liuxing was surely quite precious as an only son, he had never gained such a lawless reputation before.

If this were true, they wouldn’t dare marry their carefully raised daughters into this family.

No, hearing was not as reliable as seeing. They still needed to go see for themselves.

All the ladies couldn’t help but stand up. Though their hearts were as curious as cats with scratching claws, they still had to put on worried expressions. “Falling into water in the depths of winter is no trivial matter. Let’s go see how the two children are doing.”

By the lake behind the plum grove, Old Madam of Marquis Liuxing looked at her grandson’s nonchalant expression and trembled with rage, shouting sternly, “Beast! Kneel and apologize to Lady Zhu of Count Guchang!”

“If I have to kneel, then I’ll kneel.” Yang Houcheng muttered and quite readily knelt before Lady Zhu of Count Guchang, “Lady Zhu, I’m sorry. Zi Zhe and I were walking by the lake, and who knew we’d be so unlucky as to run into Miss Du and the others. I didn’t mean to kick your daughter into the lake. How could I possibly do such a thing!”

Du Feixue, who had just been rescued, had a face even whiter than her name suggested, her entire body shivering as she huddled in the cloak brought by her maid.

Lady Zhu of Count Guchang held Du Feixue in her arms, her face livid with anger, “Then how did my daughter fall in? I hope Young Master Yang can explain this clearly!”

Seeing the ladies approaching one after another, Old Madam of Marquis Liuxing fought off the urge to faint and said, “First, let’s get Miss Du into the warm pavilion!”