frightfiction Chapter 327 Attending the Banquet
Chapter 327 Attending the Banquet
After the Mid-Autumn Festival state banquet, the weather grew colder and colder, and there were fewer and fewer banquets in the capital. People were not keen to go out in such cold weather.
However, people in the capital city always need to get together from time to time to consolidate their "alliance".
Song Yaozhu received an invitation to the chrysanthemum appreciation banquet from the Empress Dowager. She thought that the Empress Dowager probably wanted to talk to her, so she had gifts prepared and prepared to attend the banquet.
Ever since the Dowager Consort moved into the Prince of Yan's residence, she has kept a low profile, fearing that the Emperor might take notice of them.
This year alone, including this one, the Dowager has held three banquets. The cost of three banquets is considerable; an ordinary family can only afford to hold one banquet a year.
As for the Prince of Xiaoyao's Mansion, although they have the financial resources, why should they put on a show of wealth when they can afford it? The laws of Da Chen didn't say that banquets were mandatory, so they would avoid holding one if possible!
Living a good life behind closed doors is better than anything else.
On the day of the banquet, Song Yaozhu went out with gifts, and Xie Liwei insisted on escorting her to the Prince of Yan's residence.
"I'll come pick you up a little after 3 PM."
"I know, you'd better hurry up and go to the yamen. You're always late. If this continues, you might not even keep this honorary position," Song Yaozhu teased him.
Xie Liwei shrugged indifferently, "If I really worked every day and made something of myself, I'd be in trouble with my job!"
As they spoke, Song Yaozhu had already arrived at the entrance of the Prince of Yan's residence.
Many ladies couldn't help but show envy when they saw that Xie Liwei had personally delivered her.
"Oh dear, the Princess and the Prince have such a good relationship. Even though it's such a short distance, the Prince still came to see you off in person!" A lady stepped forward to flatter her.
"Absolutely! Unlike my husband, who only buys me jewelry and accessories and doesn't know how to please me at all. A prince like him is much better, he's considerate and caring, a true husband!" another lady said, praising him openly but subtly showing off.
Song Yaozhu entered the Prince of Yan's residence amidst the flattery of these people. Everyone knew that she had a good relationship with the Dowager Consort, so even though she was young, they all gave way to her.
Song Yaozhu entered the flower hall with a smile. Inside, the Dowager Consort was already surrounded by people. Song Yaozhu saw the Dowager Consort holding the hand of a young woman and talking to her. Both of them had smiles on their faces and seemed very harmonious.
Song Yaozhu stepped forward to pay her respects, but the Empress Dowager did not let go of the woman's hand.
"So it's you. Please sit down!" The Empress Dowager waved her hand, not inviting her to sit beside her as she had done before.
The ladies who had attended both previous banquets couldn't help but have their own thoughts when they saw this scene.
What does the Dowager Consort mean by this?
Has the carefree princess fallen out of favor?
"This young lady is Miss Yue, and she recently married into the Gai family. The Dowager Consort has been getting close to Madam Yue these days, and I heard that the two are very compatible in Buddhism and Taoism. This young mistress of Gai has beautiful handwriting, and the Buddhist scriptures she copied are very much liked by the Dowager Consort." The lady who had previously flattered Song Yaozhu said to her in a low voice.
Song Yaozhu raised an eyebrow slightly and glanced at the lady beside her.
She naturally knew about the marriage alliance between the Yue family and the Gai family, but she really didn't know that the Empress Dowager had such a good relationship with the Yue family.
So, is today's banquet meant to publicly reveal his relationship with his in-laws?
Is she senile?
The Prince of Yan is still outside. She's being so high-profile. Isn't she afraid the Emperor will kill this old hag?
The Dowager Consort held onto Madam Gai's hand and spoke with her for a while before letting go. Madam Gai returned to her seat shyly, and only then did the Dowager Consort glance at the ladies and young women present with her kind gaze.
Her gaze left Song Yaozhu without lingering, as if she were not familiar with her at all. Song Yaozhu didn't seem to mind.
Her composure in the face of both honor and disgrace earned the admiration of the lady beside her.
Everyone knows that Song Yaozhu was able to gain a foothold in the capital's social circles because the Empress Dowager supported her. Now that the Empress Dowager is so cold to her, have the two of them fallen out?
Not only did she think this way, but all the other ladies present thought the same. But no one dared to say it out loud.
"Alright, you don't need to keep following this old woman around. We just got some new chrysanthemums, and they're in full bloom. Go out for a stroll!"
"With you here, we younger ones naturally have more to say to you!" one of the ladies said, seizing the opportunity. If she could gain the favor of the Dowager Consort, perhaps her husband could also rise in rank.
"It's just me and my grandson in my house, it's so quiet. It would be great if you could come and visit more often." The Dowager Consort didn't try to keep them; it was too noisy to have so many people in one room. "Go on, go on. It would be a waste for those flowers to have lived in this world if no one appreciated them."
After she finished speaking, she was helped up by the nanny beside her.
"I'll go too, to see those little creatures."
With her leading the way, the ladies who had come to the banquet finally got up and left.
Winter is just a few days away, and the weather is anything but warm. Rather than going out to enjoy the breeze and admire the flowers, many ladies would rather stay indoors drinking tea and chatting. But since the Imperial Concubine has already set off, how can they just sit there?
The group moved into the garden, with the Dowager Consort and Madam Gai leading the way.
They chatted and laughed, making quite a scene. It seemed that even the chill of autumn was softened by their cheerful conversation.
"Your Highness, look at this chrysanthemum, it's blooming so beautifully!"
The Dowager looked over and said, "Hmm, not bad. Since you think it's beautiful, you can take this pot back with you and look at it at your leisure."
Madam Gai thanked the Empress Dowager with a shy and timid expression.
Watching from behind, Song Yaozhu wondered if the two of them were overacting.
The Dowager is talking to someone else's daughter-in-law, not choosing a daughter-in-law for herself. Is it necessary to be so affectionate?
Thinking this, a lady beside her teased, "Oh dear, when this young mistress was still a girl, she was proficient in all the arts, unlike some people who can't do anything. I don't know why the Dowager Empress praised her back then!"
"Indeed, besides her pretty face, I don't know what else she has to offer. This Yue family's daughter is just different; look at her figure and demeanor..." The lady who spoke glanced at Song Yaozhu and saw that she was tall and straight, with her shoulders spread wide. Her demeanor was composed and generous. Compared to her, the young mistress of the Gai family seemed a bit petty.
The lady shut her mouth and stopped talking.
Song Yaozhu followed behind leisurely, not angry at all, as if she wasn't the one being neglected and gossiped about.
Song Yaozhu now understood that the Empress Dowager felt she was "disobedient" and wanted to use this opportunity to reprimand her.
Sigh, the Dowager Consort really doesn't know her place at all. They're business partners, not superiors and subordinates. With her acting like this, I might just want to get off the ship.