First-rank palace maid Su Jixiang

Chapter 414 The Princess's Flower Banquet

Yes, they are now following their husbands back to the capital to attend the Queen Mother's birthday celebration, so there is no need to conflict with the royal dignitaries in the capital.

Qu Wanning thought for a long time but couldn't figure out which palace the princess was from. She used to be a concubine in the palace, and she had seen almost all the daughters of the royal family. Even if she couldn't remember their names, she looked familiar. But this princess was really unfamiliar. She should be the new one conferred by the current emperor.

However, this unpleasant episode was quickly forgotten by Su Jixiang and Qu Wanning.

The Zhenxiufang in the capital city does have good things, but that doesn’t mean other showrooms don’t have clothes suitable for Su Jixiang.

They went to several famous fashion houses and finally picked out a few sets of clothes that everyone liked. They all had them modified according to Su Jixiang's body size and were waiting to be sent to the Zhenbei Marquis Mansion after the modifications were completed.

After all, the incident of His Majesty bestowing the imperial plaque had caused quite a stir, so when the embroidery workshop learned they were making clothes for the wife of the Marquis of Zhenbei, they were even more concerned. After all, the most popular figure in His Majesty's sight was the Marquis of Zhenbei, Wei Ling. These embroidery workshops, having long served the high-ranking officials in the capital, were extremely well-informed. They all knew that the Marquis of Zhenbei had been summoned directly by His Majesty on his return to the capital, and it was said that His Majesty had even personally come out of his study to greet him. No other military commander returning to the capital would receive such treatment.

This shows how important the Marquis of Zhenbei is in His Majesty's heart.

Therefore, they worked even harder for the Zhenbei Marquis Mansion, and soon the clothes were altered and sent directly to Su Jixiang.

A few days later, it was time for the hairpin flower banquet hosted by Princess Changping.

The Princess Changping is the elder sister of the current emperor. During the reign of the deposed emperor, she was only granted the title of County Lady. With the current emperor's ascension, her status naturally rose. Her husband served as an advisor to the Huainan King during his rebellion, acting as his stand-in and even shielding him from a knife. Because of this relationship, he has now been granted the title of Cheng'en County Prince. Although he doesn't hold a high position in the court, he is still someone who has a say in the affairs of the emperor.

Therefore, the invitation to the hairpin banquet sent by the eldest princess could not be refused.

The Changping Princess's Mansion is some distance away from the Zhenbei Marquis's Mansion. It was renovated after the current emperor confiscated the original Princess Ronghua's mansion.

Although it is located in the suburbs of Beijing, it covers a large area. There is an artificially dug lake inside, and pavilions and towers are all available by the lake. Various rare flowers and trees collected from all over the place are planted here, and many rare animals and birds are raised. The scenery of this house is different in each season, with birds singing and flowers blooming. It is a great sight among the mansions in the capital.

The eldest princess and the Prince of Cheng'en have a son and a daughter. The eldest son, Cheng Jianian, has been named the Crown Prince of Cheng'en and will inherit his son-in-law's title of Prince of Cheng'en in the future. The daughter, Cheng Jiayao, has just come of age and has been named Princess Anle.

It can be said that the eldest princess and her family are deeply favored by the emperor and have a very close relationship with the current emperor.

The Hairpin Flower Banquet was just a gimmick created by the Princess. All visiting guests had to choose a flower to wear on their heads after entering the Princess's mansion.

Wei Ling glanced at the tray the waiter brought. He had originally wanted to choose a peony in full bloom for Su Jixiang to wear, but Su Jixiang thought it was too luxurious and eye-catching, so he asked Wei Ling to choose a camellia for her. As for Wei Ling himself, he waved his hand, indicating that he did not want to wear flowers. The maid didn't want to embarrass Wei Ling and could only withdraw.

Today Su Jixiang was wearing a light red chest-length skirt. She had a tall and outstanding figure, and this chest-length skirt made her look even more graceful when she walked. The skirt was embellished with pearls and embroidered with silver silk threads, making it look noble and playful and lively.

Her hair was combed in a green water style, a fallen horse bun popular in the capital. A golden flower hairpin inlaid with rubies was used on the bun, which made Su Jixiang look naturally charming. In addition, Su Jixiang's facial features were already very beautiful, and this outfit made her even more beautiful that people could not take their eyes off her.

The red camellia that was just chosen also matched the ruby hairpin very well, making Su Jixiang look even more delicate.

When Wei Ling finished arranging the camellia for Su Jixiang, he couldn't wait to fix his eyes on his wife.

"Madam, if you have everything ready, please follow me. I will lead the way." The voice of the maidservant from the Princess's residence came from the side. Wei Ling reluctantly pulled Su Jixiang's hand and said, "Go." Then he said to Lu Shui and Gui Hua, "You two take good care of Madam."

Lushui and Guihua were both dressed appropriately today, wearing the same clothes. They responded quickly and then helped Su Jixiang leave with the maid from the Princess's Mansion.

Wei Ling watched Su Jixiang's back disappear from his sight before following the servant who came to lead him into the Princess's Mansion.

The male and female guests at the Hairpin Flower Banquet are separated. The female guests will be taken to the South Garden by the maids. Although there is a flower wall between the South Garden and the East Garden where the male guests are, and there are three moon-shaped arches in the middle that connect them, everyone is very conscious and does not walk around. Occasionally, they only look at the garden opposite through the flower windows on the flower wall.

As soon as Wei Ling entered the East Garden, he was surrounded by people. He was wearing a dark green round-necked robe today, with a dark golden belt tied around his waist. Even though there was nothing special about the decoration, he naturally exuded a noble temperament. Coupled with the murderous aura he had cultivated on the battlefield over the years, he looked like a sharp blade that could be unsheathed at any time.

Even if he was surrounded by a group of noblemen in gorgeous clothes and jade belts, he could be spotted at a glance.

"Look, that's the Marquis of Zhenbei!" In a flower hall in the East Garden, the princess pointed at Wei Ling standing in the crowd and said to a pretty girl beside her. "What do you think of him?"

The girl had a pretty face, with a hint of arrogance between her eyes and eyebrows. She was the princess who had snatched Su Jixiang's clothes from Zhenxiufang that day!

"Mother, no matter how good-looking he is, what does it matter?" Princess Anle looked at Wei Ling, who looked like a rare gem among the crowd, and a blush rose on her cheeks. "Hasn't he been granted a marriage?"

"As long as you like him, what's the big deal about him being granted a marriage? His wife is just a maid in the deposed emperor's palace! Your uncle arranged the marriage for him in a fit of rage! Now he regrets it to death!" The eldest princess said to her daughter with a smile, "Such a beautiful beast should belong to our royal family. As long as you like it, nothing else matters. That's what your uncle means!"

When Princess Anle heard this, her face turned even redder. Her beautiful big eyes looked straight at Wei Ling through the glass of the flower hall, and she looked at him carefully without blinking.