On the day of the palace banquet, before dawn, a mix of snow and sleet began falling, melting into icy water upon touching the ground.
Layers of greenish clouds blanketed the sky.
Old Madam Feng rose early and sent A-Fu to check on Jiang Si’s preparations at Begonia Court.
After about half an hour, Jiang Si arrived with A-Fu.
Old Madam Feng scrutinized her from head to toe, examining her hairstyle, attire, and even the patterns on her shoes before smiling and asking, “Did you sleep well last night?”
Jiang Si nodded slightly. “Yes.”
“You must observe palace etiquette. Don’t look at what shouldn’t be seen, don’t speak of what shouldn’t be spoken. Follow others’ lead. Most importantly, remember never to cause trouble…” Old Madam Feng instructed.
After the initial excitement of receiving the invitation, worry had set in.
Old Madam Feng belatedly recalled that her granddaughter wasn’t exactly docile—if she lost her temper and offended someone important in the palace, the consequences would be dire.
“Do you understand?”
Jiang Si lowered her eyes and nodded. “Yes.”
Old Madam Feng’s words caught in her throat.
She had talked herself hoarse, yet this girl barely spoke a word!
“Very well, go early then, and don’t forget your hand warmer.”
“Granddaughter takes her leave.”
Jiang Si curtseyed to Old Madam Feng and turned to leave. At the courtyard gate of Cixin Hall, she encountered Aunt Dou.
Seeing Aunt Dou, Jiang Si smiled and greeted her first.
Aunt Dou returned the greeting before entering Cixin Hall to pay respects to Old Madam Feng.
With Aunt Dou, Old Madam Feng was more relaxed, leaning against her cushion as she asked, “Did you meet Fourth Miss?”
“We happened to meet at the gate.”
“A-Wan, what do you think of Fourth Miss?” Old Madam Feng suddenly asked.
Dou Shuwan was Aunt Dou’s given name.
“Fourth Miss excels in every way. She’s quite exceptional.” Dou Shuwan chose her words carefully, remembering her brother’s warning.
Old Madam Feng smiled meaningfully. “You’re steady and reliable. Fourth Miss still has a child’s temperament. I hope you’ll get along well in the future.”
Dou Shuwan’s heart skipped a beat.
What did Aunt mean by that?
Though quiet, Dou Shuwan was perceptive. Recalling how the old madam had summoned Jiang Ancheng several times while she was present, she suddenly understood the old madam’s intention.
Could aunt be thinking of matching her with the eldest cousin—
The thought stirred up tremendous waves in Dou Shuwan’s heart.
Eldest cousin was a good man, but she didn’t want to be someone’s second wife. More importantly, she had never seen any special regard in his eyes.
The way he looked at her, or any woman, was no different from how he looked at men.
Though she had lost her mother and her family had declined, she didn’t want to spend her life with a husband who looked at her that way.
What joy could there be in such a life, even with boundless wealth and status?
With these thoughts, Dou Shuwan smiled and said, “As Fourth Miss’s elder, I will naturally get along well with her. That’s what elders should do.”
She dared not show her rejection too clearly—if aunt made her intentions explicit, there would be no escape.
Dou Shuwan understood clearly that regardless of her unwillingness, her fate currently lay in her aunt’s hands. Many things were beyond her control.
At this moment, she suddenly envied Jiang Si.
Since arriving at the Earl’s manor, she had heard much about Fourth Miss. Above all else, she envied Fourth Miss for having such a loving father and brothers.
Unlike her—not only was her brother unreliable, but when aunt sent for her from Jinsha, her father, who had remarried, had seemed almost eager to send her to the capital.
Dou Shuwan knew well that she could never return to that home in Jinsha.
Meanwhile, the deeply envied Jiang Si was riding in a carriage toward the palace.
Though spring had arrived, the weather remained bitterly cold. The carriage wheels made dry creaking sounds as they rolled across the ground.
A-Man lifted a corner of the curtain to peek outside.
“Miss, there are so many carriages outside.”
“Many people are attending the plum blossom viewing banquet, naturally there are many carriages.”
Seeing Jiang Si resting against the carriage wall with closed eyes, A-Man couldn’t help saying, “Miss, aren’t you curious about what the palace looks like? They say the floor tiles are made of gold. It’s a pity this servant can’t follow you into the Imperial Garden and must wait in the side hall of the inner city…”
Jiang Si listened to her little maid’s chatter with good humor.
“Fourth Sister—” A youth’s excited voice called out.
A-Man quickly pushed Jiang Si. “Miss, it’s Second Young Master.”
Jiang Si opened her eyes and looked outside.
Jiang Zhan had run over from somewhere, wearing his Imperial Guard uniform, looking vigorous and spirited.
“Fourth Sister, are you nervous?” Jiang Zhan asked with a smile, rubbing his reddened hands.
Jiang Si passed her hand warmer to Jiang Zhan, smiling. “I’m not nervous. Second Brother should return to his post quickly—it wouldn’t be good if someone saw you.”
Jiang Zhan looked oddly at the dainty hand warmer. “If someone saw a grown man like me carrying this, they’d laugh their teeth off.”
He returned the hand warmer and pulled out a paper package from his robes, passing it to Jiang Si. “Rose candy—they say eating something sweet brings good luck.”
Taking the package of rose candy, Jiang Si gave Jiang Zhan a brilliant smile. “Thank you, Second Brother. I’ll have good luck.”
She lowered the carriage curtain, and the carriage continued forward.
Jiang Zhan craned his neck to watch.
“Brother Jiang, was that your sister?” A hand clasped Jiang Zhan’s shoulder.
Jiang Zhan glanced at his fellow guard and said, “Yes, my sister.”
The young guard chuckled. “Would it be alright if I asked my parents to propose to your family?”
“Get lost!” Jiang Zhan glared at his colleague irritably.
“What’s wrong? It’s not like your sister could become a prince’s consort.” The young guard pouted.
If not for that fleeting glimpse of such beauty, he wouldn’t have had such thoughts—after all, the Earl of Dongping’s household wasn’t exactly a prestigious match.
Jiang Zhan walked back with a stern face. “Just don’t set your sights on my sister!”
He increasingly felt these looks-obsessed rascals couldn’t compare to Brother Yu Seven. He had already begun hoping for Fourth Sister and Brother Yu Seven to become a couple.
A-Man was left at the inner city gate while Jiang Si was led to the plum garden by a eunuch.
She wasn’t among the earliest arrivals—many noble ladies were already present when she reached the garden.
Jiang Si’s appearance caught the noble ladies by surprise, and they gathered in small groups to whisper among themselves.
“Which family is that newcomer in the light green cloak from? I’ve never seen her before?” Jiang Si’s beauty had caused anxiety among many noble ladies.
“Oh, that’s Fourth Miss of the Earl of Dongping’s household. I met her at the flower gathering at Marquis Yongchang’s mansion last year.”
“Earl of Dongping?” Upon hearing this background, many noble ladies’ eyes showed disdain.
Setting aside the Earl of Dongping’s status among the capital’s nobility, their household had recently gained quite a reputation—and not a favorable one.
How could a lady from such a family attend this kind of gathering?
“I wonder if they even checked the invitations properly. How did they let in any random cat or dog?” A young lady’s voice suddenly rang out, silencing the whispers.