Plum Blossom Banquet

"What a magnificent Garden!"

Zheng Shi led Lin Yunwan and Lin Yunjiao to the Prince Huan's Residence. They entered the mansion's Garden, passing screen walls, covered corridors, and round archways. From afar, they could hear a theatrical troupe singing in the Flower Garden.

Lin Yunjiao had never seen a place like this before; every step revealed a new scene, and it was more exquisite than anything else.

Aside from the Prince's Mansion, who else in the entire Jiangqian area would dare to decorate their home like this!

She continued to exclaim in surprise, "It's the Qu Family Troupe singing 'The Peony Pavilion'!"

This was her favorite excerpt from an opera; she never tired of listening to it.

But if we're talking about which folk art troupe performs the best, then it has to be the Qu Family Troupe!

She tugged at Zheng Shi's sleeve and whispered coquettishly, "Mother, my eldest uncle's mansion couldn't invite the Qu Family Troupe at the end of last year!"

She had been looking forward to it all New Year, and was pleasantly surprised to hear it at the Prince's mansion.

Zheng Shi glanced at her, squeezed her hand, and said softly, "Your Eldest Aunt, Third Aunt, and several of your sisters are all here. Don't make a fuss."

The other two branches of the Lin Residence also came together.

However, the Jiangqian Lin Clan had several other branches, which were not considered part of the Lin Residence and therefore did not come together.

Lin Yunjiao stuck out her tongue and whispered, "I'm just happy."

That's why he lost his composure.

Zheng Shi told her, "The happier you are, the more you should be mindful of your appearance!"

She said, "The royal family doesn't choose consorts based on family background, but rather on appearance and character. Things can't be the same outside as at home."

Lin Yunjiao blushed and said, "I know."

He immediately became much more restrained, and his eyes stopped wandering, but he still kept glancing around the Courtyard of Prince Huan's Residence out of the corner of his eye.

"Mother, if the Prince's mansion is like this, what must the Imperial Palace be like...?"

She really wanted to see for herself.

Zheng Shi also somewhat inexplicably excited. "Who knows!" She said, "It's a pity your father almost Presented Scholar the imperial examination; otherwise, if he had gone to the Palace Examination, we would have heard about it too."

Lin Yunjiao smiled, pursing her lips, and whispered, "Father may not see it, but I might! When I do see it, I will definitely tell Mother."

They coaxed Zheng Shi so much that her eyes narrowed into slits.

Several servants from the Lin Residence stood behind the mother and daughter.

Xiruo followed behind the servants, watching them whisper among themselves, and said to Lin Yunwan, "... I wonder what Madam and Second Miss are talking about."

Lin Yunwan smiled faintly, "You could have guessed it."

It wasn't just Zheng Shi and Lin Yunjiao; all the Jiangqian prominent families and officials' families we encountered when we entered were like this—it was just a matter of how well they hid it.

Xiruo understood as well.

The Prince is really a hot commodity!

Before even reaching the Flower Hall, a tall Opera Stage had been erected in the Garden, and the surrounding area was very well arranged. The women's seats were sheltered from the wind, and tables and chairs were arranged in a neat row.

The maid leading the way bowed her head and said very respectfully, "This is where you watch the opera. Nanny Wang and Madam are in the Flower Hall."

Lin Yunjiao, unfamiliar with the affairs of the Prince's Mansion, asked Zheng Shi, "Mother, who is Nanny Wang? And who is my Madam?"

Zheng Shi didn't understand either, but she could guess.

"Since the Prince is unmarried, the affairs of the Inner Residence must be managed by the palace maids. It must be Nanny Wang..."

She guessed correctly; this Nanny Wang was Qi Lingheng's wet nurse, and she had come with Jiangqian.

"The Madam must be the Fifth Madam of the Zhao family, the Prince's fifth maternal uncle's wife."

Zhao Jingyi's wife.

Lin Yunjiao whispered, "Then these two must be the Prince's legitimate elders in Jiangqian!"

Zheng Shi hummed in agreement and said, "It all depends on that Nanny Wang's status; she might be even closer than the Prince's maternal uncle's wife."

Then we should prioritize that Nanny Wang.

Lin Yunjiao nodded; she definitely wanted to show her face to Nanny Wang later. After all, she was a person from the palace!

Physician Lin Residence led the way to the Flower Hall to meet the head of the household.

As expected, it was Nanny Wang and Fifth Madam Zhao were jointly hosting today's banquet. The Flower Hall was filled with all kinds of plum blossoms, neatly trimmed and arranged in vases. It was truly a Plum Blossom Banquet.

There were so many people in the Lin family that Nanny Wang and Fifth Madam Zhao only briefly recognized the Madam's faces and didn't say anything to the young ladies.

Lin Yunjiao got anxious. Seeing her cousins ahead, she was afraid she wouldn't get a turn, so she stepped forward as well.

Greetings to Nanny Wang and Madam Zhao.

Lin Yunwan was standing too far back to say anything.

Xiruo lowered her head and whispered, "The second young lady is so impatiently trying to please..."

Lin Yunwan didn't take it to heart. In this kind of situation, who could Nanny Wang possibly see? Whether she stood out or not didn't matter; the Lin family would be grateful if Lin Yunjiao didn't cause trouble.

Fortunately, Zheng Shi was there to hold him down.

After saying "Hello, Miss" to Fifth Madam Zhao, Nanny Wang stopped looking at Lin Yunjiao.

Lin Yunjiao somewhat smug, but Zheng Shi pulled her aside to prevent her from drawing too much attention.

Soon a maidservant came over, smiling, and said, "Madam Young Madam, please follow me."

He led the Lin family to their seats.

Xiruo breathed a sigh of relief and said, "No trouble was caused."

Lin Yunwan found it somewhat amusing, "Madam is a bully at home, but she wouldn't dare cause trouble outside."

"The Second Miss is quite young, but she's also very perceptive."

Once outside, things weren't as unruly as they were inside the Lin Residence.

Xiruo paused for a moment, then said, "If the family hadn't separated, the Second Miss wouldn't have dared to throw a tantrum in front of the Eldest Branch and Third Branches."

Who says it isn't!

It was because they separated their households, and Lin Huabin doted on his wife and daughters too much, that they became used to being bosses around in the Lin Residence and acted with complete impunity!

The Lin clan family went to sit in front of the Opera Stage.

All Third Branch came; there were quite a few people there.

However, the identity of the Prince Huan's Residence and the Prince Huan Consort was so alluring that not only the Lin family but also the people in other mansions were drawn to it. The Madam brought their young wives and unmarried girls to broaden their horizons, and they would sit at several square tables.

Will the Prince come to the backyard?

"No way, His Prince has to entertain guests in the Front Courtyard, how could he possibly find the time to leave?"

The Madam were gossiping, but the young wives and girls dared not interrupt, only listening intently without making a sound.

I can't wait to see Prince Huan in person!

Lin Yunwan looked around and realized she wouldn't be seeing him today.

That's alright; when the Prince's mansion is bustling with activity and adorned with flowers, she doesn't need to join in the fun.

Have you heard about the Marquis of Wuding Marquis Residence in the Capital and the Di Daughter of the Lin Family Pure Stream?

Unable to see Prince Huan, the Madam began to talk about other interesting topics.

However, nothing is more captivating than the affairs of the Wuding Marquis Residence!

"I have heard about it, but I don't know the specifics of the situation. What have you heard?"

"Cough..."

The man deliberately lowered his voice and said, "The heir of the Heir Apparent of Wuding Marquis Residence destroyed his wife and seized his title because of his favoritism towards a concubine. Later, he repeated the same mistake, and the Di Daughter of the Lin clan was burned alive by a Concubine! It was tragic!"

A sigh of regret...

"Did the Pure Stream Lin Family ever produce a Grand Tutor?"

"Who do you think it is? It's none other than the Prince's teacher!"

There was a cacophony of noise coming from all directions...

Lin Yunwan's hand, gripping the teacup, tightened slightly.

I never expected that even after hiding so far away, I could still hear about my own affairs.

"How is the Wuding Marquis Residence doing now? Favoring a concubine over one's wife is a crime punishable by imprisonment!"

Lin Yunwan tilted her head and looked over curiously, eager to know what would happen next.