That night, when the news spread that Yun Ran had been invited to the Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet, the men of the Marquis of Changxin Manor were not surprised.
“Ranran is our manor’s only legitimate daughter, and she was lost outside for so many years. Now that she’s back, it’s only natural she draws attention.”
The Changxin Marquis wiped his most cherished treasured blade. “I was just thinking this morning about picking an auspicious day to hold a Washing Dust Banquet for Ranran, inviting all the prominent families. First, to let Ranran show her face among the elite of Changan.
Second, since Ranran is new to Changan, she could use the opportunity to make some friends, so she won’t feel lonely or bored. Now, with this invitation from the Empress, it saves us the trouble. Showing her face at the Palace Banquet is better than anything.”
Zheng Shi, however, didn’t agree after hearing this. “A Palace Banquet is a Palace Banquet, and a Washing Dust Banquet is a Washing Dust Banquet. The ceremonies that belong to our Ranran, not a single one can be missing!”
The Changxin Marquis was momentarily stifled, quickly saying, “That’s not what I meant…”
“Enough, I’ve already thought it through. For now, let Ranran follow Wan Niang to learn the rules. Once the Palace Banquet is over, we’ll throw a lively Washing Dust Banquet to formally introduce Ranran’s identity.”
Zheng Shi felt her arrangement was excellent, and without waiting for the Changxin Marquis to say more, she took the Roster and began selecting guests for the banquet on her own.
At the same time, in the Main House of the Marquis of Changxin Manor.
After hearing his wife’s affirmation and praise for his younger sister, Yun Yi secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Looking at his wife, his gaze was gentle. “Then I’ll trouble you, my dear, to guide my sister from now on.”
Li Wanrong, while combing her hair with a wooden comb, slanted a glance at Yun Yi. “Why do I feel like you and Mother are both afraid I’ll treat your sister badly? Do you both see me as some malicious, evil sister-in-law?”
“How could that be?” said Yun Yi. “Everyone knows my dear is the most virtuous and kind, compassionate to the poor and weak.”
Li Wanrong paid no heed to this flattery and curled her lips. “Then why did you secretly sigh in relief just now?”
Yun Yi’s expression stiffened slightly. “It’s just… I was afraid my sister, having grown up in the countryside, wouldn’t know the proper etiquette and might offend you, just like Sister-in-law…”
Yun Yi stopped himself in time.
Li Wanrong’s hand paused in her hair, but her face remained unchanged as she said slowly, “My sister and Sister-in-law are not the same kind of people. You all think I dislike Sister-in-law for her background… Yes, I admit, I do have some prejudice against merchants. But more importantly, Sister-in-law’s character is flawed. How she managed to snare Third Son, outsiders might not know, but don’t we, as family, know?”
Yun Yi didn’t want to discuss his brother’s private matters further and simply said, “Third Son said it was just a slip of the foot.”
“Heh, just a slip of the foot, and out of all those young men, she just happened to fall into Third Son’s arms? And not only that, their lips just happened to meet? Such nonsense might fool outsiders, but who would really believe it?”
In all her years, Li Wanrong had never seen a woman as brazen and shameless as Qian Sijin.
In the Third House, Qian Sijin lay in Third Son Yun Ze’s arms and muttered, “If it weren’t for my little sister today, I wouldn’t have gone out with her! You don’t know— if she hadn’t protected me today, I really would’ve been scared to death by those little Mouse. Poor little sister, such a well-behaved child, but now she’ll have to learn rules from that old-fashioned Teacher. What rotten luck.”
Yun Ze said, “Sister will be going to the palace for a banquet soon. Learning more etiquette can only help her.”
Qian Sijin snorted, “I know. But I just don’t like her getting too close to Big Sister-in-law.”
Yun Ze frowned. “Why?”
Qian Sijin muttered, “…One is influenced by those they’re close to. If she spends too much time with her, she’ll become just like her. How annoying would that be.”
“Big Sister-in-law is still an elder. It’s not right to speak ill of her behind her back.”
Yun Ze had great respect for his eldest sister-in-law.
“Hmph, who knows what she says about me behind my back?”
As she spoke, Qian Sijin pushed away the man’s hand that had crept to her waist. “Hands off! Otherwise, if word gets out, they’ll say I’m shamelessly seducing you, a toad lusting after swan meat.”
Yun Ze, unjustly blamed: “…”
After a moment, he pulled his slender-waisted wife back into his arms, rolled over, and pressed her down. “Then tonight, let me seduce Jin’er. Will Jin’er let her husband have a little more?”
“Pah, you shameless…”
“Ow, be gentle.”
The bed curtains swayed lightly, and the room was filled with laughter and noise.
Under the same moonlight, in the Listening Summer Pavilion, Yun Ran bit her pen and wrote down everything that happened today in a letter.
If Master and Senior Sister learned that she could go to the imperial palace, they would definitely be proud of her!
A completely unknown Shuiyue Temple suddenly producing a little Daoist Nun who could attend a palace banquet—maybe the incense offerings at the temple would flourish, too!
With this beautiful hope, Yun Ran happily sealed the letter and, with Qingling the maid’s assistance, drifted off into a sweet dream.
*
The next morning, Yun Ran kept to her usual routine— practicing martial arts, training, and doing her morning lessons.
Although Zheng Shi said she didn’t have to do these things anymore, Yun Ran felt that practicing martial arts was a good habit.
She had been weak as a child, and only by following her Master’s persistent training had she gained her current good health.
As for her morning and evening lessons, after so many years in the Daoist sect, even though she had returned home and left the order, the Ancestor’s protection and Daoist Teachings were already engraved in her heart.
Now, reciting scriptures and bowing in repentance were not for daily life, but for cultivating her heart.
When Zheng Shi learned of Yun Ran’s persistence, she also felt there was some sense in it.
After all, these things didn’t take up too much of her daughter’s time— she could treat it as cultivating a hobby.
Besides, among noble families, there were quite a few women who liked burning incense, reciting scriptures, and picking Buddha rice, though most were widows or elderly women.
But if her daughter liked it, she’d let her be.
So every day, after Yun Ran finished her morning lessons, she would first go to the Main House to learn etiquette from Li Wanrong.
After a midday nap, she would either drink tea and admire flowers with Zheng Shi and Qian Sijin, or catch cicadas and tease cats with her little nephew Azong.
If it was a rest day, her father and brothers would come to accompany her—teaching her horse stance, chess, and playing Double Six or Touhu with her.
During this period, Zheng Shi also took Yun Ran to the Guogong Mansion to visit the Zheng Family— her Maternal Grandfather, Maternal Grandmother, Maternal Uncle, Maternal Aunt, and Cousins.
With Zheng Shi and Fourth Young Master Yun accompanying her, Yun Ran’s visit to the Guogong Mansion went quite smoothly.
But compared to the complicated rules and large population of the Guogong Mansion, Yun Ran still preferred the atmosphere at home—
Simple, harmonious, more like what a family should be.
Unknowingly, the scorching summer passed amid the long, noisy chirping of cicadas.
With a drizzling cold rain, autumn arrived as promised.
On the morning of Mid-Autumn, Yun Ran was already busy.
Not only did she have to sit obediently in front of the mirror for her hair and makeup, she also had to undergo a surprise quiz from her eldest sister-in-law— what etiquette to use when meeting peers, how to address elders, the proper posture and wording when conversing with nobles… Everything had its rules.
Luckily, she had followed her eldest sister-in-law every day for the past days; if she’d tried to cram at the last minute, Yun Ran would surely have had a headache.
By mid-morning, Yun Ran was dressed up with the help of the maids.
“My lady, you look so beautiful.”
“That’s right, just like the Nine Heavens Fairy in the storybooks.”
Hearing the maids’ praise, Yun Ran stood before a person-tall Bronze Mirror and gazed at the reflection— a girl with a jade hairpin and snail-shaped bun, dressed in grand attire and heavy makeup.
She felt a bit dazed.
Is… is that really her?
Beautiful, yes, but like a Mohele Doll for sale in a shop— so beautiful it didn’t seem real.
She pursed her lips uneasily, and with the maids’ support, lifted her elaborate skirt and slowly walked toward the front hall.
When she arrived at the front hall, the Changxin Marquis and his wife were already seated, along with her brothers and sisters-in-law—
“Oh my, sister, you look so beautiful today!”
The moment she caught sight of her little sister-in-law, Qian Sijin couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.
Little nephew Azong’s mouth dropped open with a “Wow!” and he ran over on his short legs. “Little Aunt, you’re so pretty today! Like a fairy from the sky!”
Yun Ran wanted to squat down and hug her little nephew as usual, but her waist was bound too tightly and her head was covered in Zhucui that jingled and clinked.
She could only straighten her back and, smiling, patted Azong’s head. “Am I really that pretty? You’re not tricking your aunt, are you?”
“Liars are little dogs!”
Azong tilted his little head, his black eyes sparkling. “Auntie is really, really pretty—the prettiest young lady Azong has ever seen!”
“You little rascal, your mouth is even sweeter than your aunt’s.”
Yun Ran was amused, her eyes curving into crescents.
That smile was like a delicate doll gaining life, making her even more enchanting.
Sitting at the front of the hall, the Changxin Marquis was quite pleased at first with Yun Ran’s stunning appearance, thinking he could show her off at the Palace Banquet and let his colleagues see how clever and graceful his daughter was— not at all the dull and uncouth country girl they imagined.
But seeing his daughter’s painted brows and lips, her eyes curved in a gentle smile, he suddenly realized she was already a grown maiden, no longer the little girl he could show off as he pleased—
With a daughter like this, countless suitors would come calling!
The Changxin Marquis was immediately struck by a sense of crisis.
Yun Yi and his brothers realized it too.
Men understood men best, and they knew full well what the young noblemen of Changan were like—
Not a single one was good enough for their sister!
The four men exchanged glances in silence. The Changxin Marquis cleared his throat and looked at Zheng Shi. “Don’t you think Ranran has too much Zhucui in her hair?”
Zheng Shi was a bit surprised. “Does she?”
Fourth Young Master Yun nodded. “She does! And not just the Zhucui—sister’s Rouge is too red!”
Zheng Shi: “…?”
What did this brat know? This was the most popular Pomegranate Glow this year.
Yun Yi also nodded. “The Peach Blossom Powder is too thick—it’s lost its natural look.”
Li Wanrong: “…”
That was a box of Rouge Zhai’s Peach Blossom Powder—ten taels a box.
Yun Ze said, “The waist is cinched too tight— she looks like a cone. It’d be better to loosen it up a bit.”
Qian Sijin: “…?”
He always praised her in private for her slender waist, saying it was the most charming.
Hearing her father and brothers’ opinions, Yun Ran looked down at the outfit she’d spent nearly two hours dressing in and felt lost. “Is it really that bad?”
“A bunch of blockheads! Ignore them!”
Zheng Shi pursed her lips, took her daughter’s hand, and led her out. “The carriage is waiting outside. Let’s go.”
Yun Ran was whisked away before she could say anything.
The Changxin Marquis hurried after them. “Wait for me!”
In the hall, those not on the guest list remained.
Li Wanrong and Qian Sijin, for once in agreement, each shot their husbands a glance—
A bunch of tasteless men.
They turned away and, one on each side, took Azong to the kitchen to prepare the family feast.
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.