Seeing Eye to Eye
No sooner had the old princess finished speaking than Daya from the Princess of Zhennan's entourage rushed over and said to Zhao Ruxi, "Layperson Zhiwei, our old princess said you are a good friend of the County Princess of Qingyang, and both the old princess and the princess have invited you to sit at the head table over there."
Zhao Ruxi knew this was the old princess and the Princess of Zhennan rewarding her for her actions earlier. It was a public compliment.
She quickly waved her hand and said, "No, no, I am of low status and young, how could I possibly sit in the chair? Please thank the old princess and the princess for my kindness. I won't go."
Although it's an honor to have her, if she actually sat down on the chairman's seat, people would say she's arrogant and doesn't know her place. The best way to handle this is to decline the thanks.
The maid understood this principle, so she didn't insist. After exchanging a few polite words, she went back.
These seats were arranged according to each person's status and position. The people present were all of similar status to those in the Earl of Suiping's Residence, and none of them had much say in front of the Prince and Princess of Prince of Zhennan.
Seeing that both princesses were praising Zhao Ruxi and even asking her to sit at the head of the table, everyone immediately began to flatter the old lady of the Earl of Suiping's Residence and Lady Zhu, inquiring about Zhao Ruxi's age and marriage. This was a sign that they were interested in her.
After the banquet began, the old princess sent another dish to Zhao Ruxi. As a result, people from other tables came to inquire about Zhao Ruxi, Zhao Ruxi was immediately added to the shortlist of many noblewomen who were looking for wives for their sons.
After the meal, Zhao Ruxi's face was practically frozen from smiling as she dealt with the people who tried to strike up a conversation with her.
Once she reached the door and boarded the carriage, she collapsed onto it, too exhausted to move. "Emma, I'm never coming to a place like this again. It's too tiring."
Lady Zhu slapped her on the forehead. "Someone's here. Sit up, now!"
Zhao Ruxi had no choice but to sit up.
Before she could speak, someone outside the carriage window laughed, "Is that the carriage of the Earl of Suiping's Residence?"
Lady Zhu quickly rolled up the car window and greeted the person outside with a smile, "That's right. May I ask who you are...?"
"I am the second wife of the Cen Family. My son is currently studying painting with the Layperson Zhiwei. He is worried about Layperson Zhiwei and has asked me to keep an eye on him," the person outside said.
Upon hearing that it was Cen Song's mother, Zhao Ruxi wanted to go to the window to say a few polite words. However, the carriage window was not large and was blocked by Lady Zhu. She had no choice but to get up and lift the curtain to look outside. She saw a woman in her early forties with a maid and servants standing in front of the carriage talking to Lady Zhu.
The lady saw a little girl sticking her head out of the car door and quickly turned around to ask, "Are you Layperson Zhiwei?"
"Zhiwei greets Madam Cen." Zhao Ruxi tried to jump down from the carriage to pay her respects, but Madam Cen pressed her shoulder down. "No need to get down. I just came to tell you that I'm leaving soon. My son is very grateful for your and Mister Kumu's care. Next time, have him host a banquet for you to come to our mansion."
The Earl of Suiping's Residence dispatched three carriages tonight. The old lady was sitting alone in the first carriage. Hearing the commotion, she sent Liuli over to inquire, and Madam Cen the Second hurried over to pay her respects to the old lady again.
This time, Lady Zhu truly witnessed her daughter's connections.
Leaving aside today at the Prince of Zhennan's Residence, where her daughter's close relationship with the County Princess of Qingyang earned her the favor of the old princess and the Princess of Zhennan, let's just talk about how the Cen Family, because Cen Song is learning painting from Zhao Ruxi, has lowered themselves to greet them at their carriages—something she never dared to imagine before.
And among the ladies attending this banquet today, how many have husbands or sons who are currently or will soon be studying painting under Zhao Ruxi?
Before arriving, she was worried that they would be treated coldly, ignored, and ridiculed by people they had previously clashed with. But to her surprise, they benefited entirely from her daughter's fame. Not only were they not ridiculed, but they also became the object of many people's flattery.
When she got home, she didn't go back to the main house, but went to the old lady's house. She reminisced about her experiences and gains that night, and then told the old lady what Zhao Ruxi had told her and Zhao Yuanxun that night.
"Mother, perhaps I was really wrong." She sighed deeply. "Our Miss Xi is different from other families' daughters. We should treat her like a boy. Look how much she's changed in our family in such a short time since she came back! And I have a feeling that we don't need to arrange her marriage at all, or introduce her to this lady or that lady. We don't need to worry about her marriage; someone will take advantage of her talent, ability, and connections, and come to us on their own."
The old lady had attended several banquets over the years, but never before had she received such warm hospitality from the former princess and the Princess of Zhennan as she had tonight. The former princess had talked to her for quite a while, and the Princess of Zhennan had repeatedly sent her maids to inquire about her well-being. As a result, others looked at her with more respect. She was flattered and fawned over tonight, and she was deeply moved.
"Miss Xi is right. Don't use the same methods you used to arrange Ruyu and Ruzhu's marriages to arrange Miss Xi's marriage. She doesn't need them. Just sit at home and wait for someone with discerning eyes to come and propose. Just wait." The old lady said.
Upon hearing this, Lady Zhu breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhao Ruxi's words were inappropriate, but Lady Zhu doted on her child and always felt indebted to her daughter, so she was unwilling to force her, fearing that her daughter would become estranged from her. Anyway, Zhao Ruxi wasn't that old, so waiting a year or two wouldn't be a problem. Things will work out eventually, and maybe if left to chance for a year or two, the matter would be resolved smoothly.
She wasn't worried about her husband; men generally don't concern themselves with such things, leaving it to their mothers. What she was worried about was the old lady.
Unexpectedly, the old lady was so easy to talk to. She only went to the Prince of Zhennan's Residence once and agreed to Zhao Ruxi's request.
She didn't actually know that the old lady didn't need her to persuade her at all.
She is a mother, and she thinks only of her daughter. Therefore, she puts her daughter's interests and feelings before the interests of the Earl's Mansion.
The old lady is different. She would put the interests of the Earl of Suiping's Residence first. Otherwise, she wouldn't have suppressed the division of the family property for so many years.
Did Zhao Ruxi benefit more from staying in the Earl of Suiping's Residence's mansion long-term, or from marrying into the prestigious Earl of Suiping's Residence? Without a doubt, the old lady knew it was the former.
Once she's married, she belongs to another family. Any rewards she receives, money she earns, or honors and connections she gains are no longer relevant to the Earl of Suiping's Residence.
Look at Zhao Ruyu today. Even if she speaks politely and acts with grace, people will only talk about how great the young mistress of the Peng Family is, not how great the eldest daughter of the Earl of Suiping's Residence is. So there's a reason why people say that a married daughter is like water spilled from a bowl.