The golden glazed tiles gleamed in the sunlight, while a long line of carriages had formed outside the vermilion palace walls. At the side gate, the guards were diligently checking the invitation cards of the noble ladies.
Compared to the mansions of the royal relatives and aristocrats, the Song Mansion was further from the imperial palace. Their carriage arrived later than others, ending up at the very back of the queue.
Once the carriage stopped, Qi Huan lifted the curtain and peeked outside.
This was the home where Shu had lived for over a decade.
Red walls and golden tiles, magnificent and imposing - Shu's "grand villa" was truly beautiful!
Qi Huan's eyes curved into crescents as she lowered the curtain, quietly waiting for the carriage to move forward.
Based on her experience from watching palace dramas in her previous life, she had eaten and drunk her fill beforehand and used the restroom. Once inside the palace, she planned to stay nowhere else but by Madam Song's side, avoiding all sorts of trouble!
By the time she presented her invitation card and alighted from the carriage to walk, Li Shuchen had already arrived inside the palace.
After paying respects to the false emperor, he was on his way to the Palace of Benevolent Tranquility when he happened upon a "lost" noble lady.
The Cavalry General's third daughter, Wang Hongying, had accidentally stepped on a small stone and lost her balance, about to fall.
She let out the most melodious cry of surprise she could muster, but the expected heroic rescue did not occur.
She fell heavily to the ground, the back of her head hitting the floor, leaving her dazed.
For a moment, she even forgot to put on her most graceful expression.
In her stunned state, she looked like a bewildered goose.
Li Shuchen turned his wheelchair, passing by her without a glance, but she belatedly grabbed the hem of his robe.
"Your Highness Prince An, this subject has lost her maid and accidentally twisted her ankle... and hit her head. Could you help me up?"
Hearing this, Li Shuchen looked back, his voice emotionless with a hint of coldness: "Yan Wu."
"At your service!"
Yan Wu understood and crouched down.
Wang Hongying's face lit up with delight, secretly feeling triumphant.
Although Prince An didn't personally help her up, she could understand. After all, Prince An was disabled.
Rumors said Prince An shunned women, always cold towards them. Now that he was willing to let his personal guard help her, it must be because of her exceptional beauty!
However, in the next moment—
Yan Wu merely pulled his master's robe out of her grasp, without any intention of helping her up.
Not only that, he muttered, "The stone that tripped you has better acting skills than you do."
Wang Hongying: ......
Watching the master and servant walk away, she almost ground her silver teeth to dust.
When her maid, who had been hiding in the flower bushes, finally helped her up, not only did her foot hurt, but her head ached, and her heart, liver, and lungs all ached with anger!
At this moment, her close friend Liu Yiting was feeling similarly.
She and Song You'an were wearing the same outfit......
Song You'an's fair skin complemented the light pink robe, making her look like a budding rose, delicate and beautiful.
Without comparison, there would be no harm, but now she felt utterly outshined......
Liu Yiting, embarrassed and angry, said, "I heard your family has a sickly member, dragging the Song Mansion down to become a notorious declining household. So, Miss Song, where did you get the money to buy clothes from Huarong Pavilion?"
Her acidic tone made Song You'an flinch backward.
Then, Song You'an took a small step forward, her face flushed as she retorted angrily, "My second brother is not sickly! He has recovered! And our Song family is not a declining household! You should apologize to us!"
It was the first time they heard her speak without stuttering. Both Qi Huan and Madam Song were surprised and deliberately remained silent, letting her express herself.
Song You'an stared directly at Liu Yiting, her gaze defiant.
The confrontation between the two quickly attracted a group of familiar young ladies.
They were from families of similar status to Liu Yiting and Song You'an, all daughters of sixth-rank officials. Compared to the strict noble ladies of higher ranks, they were more lively and talkative.
"...Before, Liu Yiting always acted arrogant because her aunt was Prince Shun's concubine. Now that Prince Shun's household has fallen, why is she still so overbearing?" One of the young ladies who had been offended by her before muttered quietly.
"People should know their place."
"Her eyes are practically on top of her head; it's a wonder she can see anything clearly!"
......
The discussions were endless, but no one spoke up for Liu Yiting.
Her interpersonal relationships had been too poor in the past.
The more this situation persisted, the more unwilling she was to back down: "Am I wrong? The Song family is poor, how could Song You'an possibly afford clothes from Huarong Pavilion? She must have secretly copied them herself......"
Her words successfully shifted everyone's attention to Song You'an.
Suddenly being stared at by so many pairs of eyes, Song You'an shrank slightly.
In Liu Yiting's eyes, this looked like guilt, so she pressed on: "Miss Song, why are you looking down? Did I hit a sore spot? If you can't afford it, just wear ordinary clothes. Don't be too vain."
Liu Yiting raised her chin proudly. Just as she was about to walk away, she was stopped by a somewhat familiar voice.
"Wait." Qi Huan stepped forward to support her young cousin.
"I once heard the shopkeeper of Huarong Pavilion say that all their clothes have a flower embroidered on the cuff as a mark. Whether it's genuine or fake can be seen at a glance."
When she finished speaking, a flash of panic crossed Liu Yiting's eyes: "You're talking nonsense. I've never heard of this."
"There's a lot you haven't heard of. Ignorance requires more learning."
Qi Huan smiled gently, lifting Song You'an's wrist to reveal her cuff: "Look, this is the flower."
"Let's compare the flowers on the cuffs. Huarong Pavilion uses Su Embroidery, which is flat, even, harmonious, smooth, and consistent, slightly different from other embroidery methods."
All the young ladies present understood needlework and quickly saw the difference.
"Look at Liu Yiting's cuff, the flower is larger and the stitching is rougher. Hers is the fake!"
"That's right, how dare she turn the tables and falsely accuse Miss Song?"
Qi Huan also said: "Miss Liu, let me return your words to you—don't be too vain."
Liu Yiting was so ashamed she almost wanted to disappear into the ground. She lowered her head, full of resentment.
If her family hadn't been implicated by Prince Shun's household, if her father hadn't used all their money to smooth things over, how could she have become so poor that she couldn't even afford a custom-made outfit from Huarong Pavilion?
She ran to her mother to complain.
A glint flashed in Madam Liu's eyes: "You were in the wrong here. Come, let's go apologize to Miss Song together!"
Liu Yiting looked at her mother in disbelief: "Mother?"
"Either apologize to Miss Song or get slapped when we return home. Your choice."
Hearing her serious tone, Liu Yiting began to seriously consider her options.
Apologizing would lose face at the palace banquet, while being slapped would only lose face at home......
Without hesitation, she said: "I will never apologize."
Seeing her stubborn expression, Madam Liu had to explain in a low voice: "Your father intends to arrange a marriage between your brother and the Song family. Don't cause trouble at this crucial moment. When Song You'an marries into our family in the future, won't it be up to me how to deal with her?"
"But why does brother have to marry her?"
Madam Liu looked up, her gaze distant: "Matching social status is one aspect."
"On the other hand, the restaurant and milk tea shop on Phoenix Street are both Song family businesses. These two shops are thriving, bringing in heaps of money every day. The Song family is now the wealthiest among those of your father's rank......"
Understanding the implication of her words, Liu Yiting lowered her eyes to look at the flower on her cuff, her nails digging deep into her palm: "Fine, I'll go apologize to her."
Just as she stood up, the eunuch outside the hall called out in a high-pitched voice: "His Majesty arrives—"
