Why had she dragged this whole group over to serve as guests at the ceremony?
Naturally, it was because they couldn't come for free.
Every guest at the ceremony had to give the day's main character a welcoming gift. How generous the gift was depended on how close the two families were. Good relations meant a more generous gift; less friendly relations called for something more modest. Qi Shan's relationship with them certainly didn't fall into the first category, but they were all respectable people. How could they let their grudges with Qi Yuanliang implicate an innocent little girl? They wouldn't skimp on the gifts.
Most gifts were writing brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, or treasured books and calligraphy.
At the very least, they had to bring some small personal accessory.
Qi Miao greeted all the guests one by one, learning who they were.
The little girl had spent much of her life secluded in the inner quarters and had barely met any strangers, much less the important ministers under Shen Tang's command who were seated here.
She was a little intimidated, but Qi Shan was there to back her up.
"This is Jiang Xiandeng. He knows a little street-corner fortune-telling. If your fortunes take a turn for the worse someday, you can ask him to have a look."
"Those who stay close to vermilion are stained red, and those who stay close to ink are stained black." Jiang Sheng shot Qi Shan a glance, then spoke directly to Qi Miao. "Your uncle has several children around your age at home. If you ever get bored staying with your father, you can come over and play with them."
The implication was that Qi Miao should keep her distance from Qi Shan.
Qi Miao had never encountered this sort of situation before.