I Don't Want to Go

Kang Shilin stroked his beard and burst into laughter.

"If you, senior brother, think Sun Jiawang is reliable and doesn't have any malicious intentions, then help me buy him," Zhao Ruxi said.

She's currently short-staffed, and some people, captivated by her personal charm, have offered themselves up to her; naturally, she won't refuse.

After inspecting the house, the three of them walked out. Wu Zong said, "I know a few reliable middlemen. When are you free? I'd like to have them meet you."

Zhao Ruxi scratched her head, looking somewhat troubled. "I have to go to school at the academy in the morning and paint in the afternoon, so I'm only free around noon. Is it convenient for them to come to Beining?"

"Then I'll have them come over around noon tomorrow. We'll meet here at the house. I'll give you the keys now."

After the group left the house, Wu Zong locked the door and handed the key to Zhao Ruxi.

"Thank you very much, Senior Brother." Zhao Ruxi said with deep emotion.

Her luckiest thing was meeting her master, who also gave her such a wonderful senior brother.

Back at the Earl's residence, after dinner, she was teaching Zhao Jingtai to paint when she saw Lady Zhu leading several maids over, each carrying a box; following behind the maids were two unfamiliar women.

Zhao Ruxi looked at Lady Zhu, then at the box, and asked, "Mother, what are you doing?"

Zhao Jingtai, who was drawing, looked up with his chubby face, only to be slapped down by Zhao Ruxi: "Focus on your drawing, don't get distracted."

Lady Zhu was quite pleased to see her son being suppressed by her daughter and unable to move.

She first gave her daughter an approving look before saying, "Aren't you going to a banquet tomorrow? I had the embroiderers in the manor make you two outfits; try them on. If you need jewelry, you can go to the jewelry store tomorrow. I'll give you whatever you need."

Zhao Ruxi felt a headache coming on when she heard this. "Mother, can I not go tomorrow?"

She's so busy, she's like a spinning top, she really doesn't have time to attend any banquets.

Such banquets were eagerly anticipated by the young ladies of the capital, but in Zhao Ruxi's eyes, they were both pathetic and boring.

The young ladies looked forward to it because it was a place where they could display their beauty, talent, and character like a peacock spreading its tail feathers. But in Zhao Ruxi's eyes, this was like goods on a market stall, first wiped clean and shiny, then packaged in a box, waiting for customers to favor and choose them.

If a family takes a liking to them, they will consider the offer, assessing the family's background and the price they can afford. After negotiation and a series of sales processes, they are finally married.

After arriving at her husband's family home, she would spend the rest of her life watching her husband's mood, managing the household chores, bearing and raising children, and also caring for his concubines and illegitimate children, while competing with the concubines for the meager affection her husband had for her.

If the husband's family is not well-off, she has to use her dowry to support her husband and his concubines and illegitimate children.

In the original novel, Zhao Ruyu particularly looked forward to and enjoyed these banquets. At the banquets, she highlighted her beauty, temperament, and talent by belittling the original owner of the body, earning praise from the noble ladies. In the end, she finally gained the favor of the Wife of the Marquis of Pingnan, who arranged for her to marry her good-for-nothing son Fu Yunlang.

After the deaths of Marquis of Pingnan and Fu Yunkai, Fu Yunlang finally rose to power. Because of her status, Zhao Ruyu was often verbally abused and mistreated by her mother-in-law. If it weren't for the original author's decision to have the male lead be devoted to her and Wei Qiu becoming her strong support, her fate would have been uncertain.

While Zhao Ruxi was lost in thought, she heard Lady Zhu say, "The Princess of Zhennan specifically sent you an invitation; do you dare say you won't go?"

Zhao Ruxi: "..." She didn't dare.

It wasn't that she was afraid of Gao Xing the Princess of Zhennan, but rather that she was afraid of her mother, who was currently glaring at her.

The chubby boy, who hadn't been paying attention, secretly chuckled as he watched his wise and powerful older sister cower before their mother, who was about to erupt in anger.

After changing her clothes inside, Zhao Ruxi was subjected to a barrage of comments and criticisms from a group of women. She was then forced to bring out her jewelry box and adorn herself with pearls and jade. Zhao Ruxi looked utterly hopeless.

She'd rather spend half a day painting portraits at the Court of Judicial Review than be tormented like this by women.

"Take the dress back and alter it, but the jewelry is settled." Lady Zhu finally nodded in satisfaction.

Zhao Ruxi drew design sketches for Gathered Treasures Studio. Both Xiao Ruotong and Shopkeeper Wang Gathered Treasures Studio were extremely generous. They gave her a piece of the jewelry she designed, even the less valuable ones; and they only sold her the more valuable ones at cost price.

Zhao Ruxi thought that since she designed all these pieces of jewelry herself, buying them was a bargain. She could also put them in boxes and give them away as gifts in the future, which would be extremely cost-effective. Therefore, she spent most of the money she earned from drawing jewelry design sketches on jewelry.

During this time, she also gave one or two pieces of jewelry to the old lady and Lady Zhu, with each gift totaling between three and four hundred taels of silver. Considering Madam Xie and Xu Xue's pride, when she went to the Xu Family yesterday, the jewelry she brought was not very valuable, but it still amounted to several dozen taels of silver. Madam Xie was quite uneasy about this.

"The banquet is at the beginning of Shen (3-5 PM) tomorrow. After you leave the academy, go to the painting academy for a while and then come back. Explain the situation to your master and the others; they should understand," Lady Zhu instructed.

Zhao Ruxi frowned. "Shen Chu is going in to have tea and chat, right? When does the banquet start?"

"Do you intend to go back when it's time to eat? Who do we think we are to act so high and mighty? People will say we don't know our place," Madam Lady Zhu said sternly. "You must come back then. Otherwise, I'll send a letter to your master tomorrow morning and plead with him on your behalf."

Zhao Ruxi turned to look at Lady Zhu and said seriously, "It really won't work. This is official business; the Emperor has already issued an edict. Although this isn't a class organized by the Court of Judicial Review, Mister Kumu is studying it, and the Emperor knows that. Lord Zhang of the Court of Judicial Review is just waiting for my class to end so that they can start theirs sooner."

"How many murder cases are involved in that painting class run by the Court of Judicial Review? If I take leave just to attend a banquet, what will the Emperor and Lord Zhang think of me? What will my master and senior brother think of me? This kind of banquet may seem like a huge deal to you, but in the eyes of the Emperor and all the officials, it's nothing more than a pastime for women in the inner quarters to pass the time."

Lady Zhu opened her mouth, but could not refute it.

And that was indeed the case. She felt that receiving an invitation from the Prince of Zhennan's Residence was an immense honor, but what did it mean in the eyes of the Emperor and Lord Zhang?

"But... but we can't explain this to the Princess of Zhennan," she said.

"You can just tell her directly. There's nothing the Princess of Zhennan doesn't know about what's going on in the court. She'll understand. If I disregard such an important matter as the Court of Judicial Review just to attend the banquet, and the Emperor has a problem with her family, that would be truly offending her."