"Princely Heir, Sister Lin Xiang is already at the door." Xi Feng rushed over like the wind, about to pull the curtain, with one hand already grabbing it.
"Xi Feng, we’re all servants here, why make it difficult for each other? If I can’t take the Princely Heir away today, Madam will definitely scold . Then I will have to accuse you two fools," Lin Xiang said bluntly, holding onto the curtain firmly.
"Sister Lin Xiang, our Princely Heir is changing clothes," Gu Dao imdiately said ingratiatingly. Lin Xiang blushed upon hearing this, turned her back, but did not leave.
"Then I will just wait here for the Princely Heir. After all, if the Princely Heir doesn’t go, I will be scolded when I return," said Lin Xiang indignantly.
Gu Dao helplessly glanced at his own Princely Heir.
Zong Yunqian had already dressed himself, tied his own belt, and carelessly tied up his hair with a Jade Crown, then walked outside.
"Let’s go."
Lin Xiang stared, dumbfounded, at the approaching Zong Yunqian.
"Princely Heir, are you going out like this?" Lin Xiang looked at Zong Yunqian’s clothes and the crown on his head.
"What’s wrong? These are the clothes you all sent over," Zong Yunqian said, feeling nothing amiss, and turned around to show Lin Xiang.
Unable to help laughing and crying, Lin Xiang pulled Zong Yunqian back into the room, took off the Jade Crown, combed his hair again, and changed a couple of accessories on his belt, adding a narrow band woven from gold and red silk threads to the belt. Imdiately, Zong Yunqian appeared much more dignified.
"Sister Lin Xiang, you are really skilled. The clothes are the sa, but after your touch, our Princely Heir looks like a completely different person," Xi Feng sincerely praised.
"Let’s go—" Zong Yunqian then walked out as he still had things to attend to.
Lin Xiang’s face turned slightly red, but she glared fiercely at Gu Dao and Xi Feng.
"The Princely Heir has left, and you two are still standing here."
Gu Dao and Xi Feng imdiately ran out.
...
Inside the mansion of the Zong Sheng Aristocratic Family, ancient trees provided continuous shade. Even in the sweltering sumr, the entire mansion was enveloped in the coolness of the trees, making ice unnecessary.
The banquet was set up in the outer corridor of the inner courtyard, surrounded by pure white gauze. Furthermore, the garden also had pavilions specially arranged for the ladies from prominent families to play and rest.
Eldest Madam Zong had organized the banquet swiftly, naturally, there wasn’t enough ti to prepare more intricate details. However, so things were deeply ingrained in the heritage of the Aristocratic Gentry Clans, needing no external embellishnts. Even a bowl or a pair of chopsticks placed on the table had its own story.
Zong Yunqian didn’t take the route through the back garden but went directly to the main courtyard through a small path by the side gate. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw the Old Duchess of Duke of Zong sitting in the main seat, with his mother, Eldest Madam Zong, next to her, and six or seven noble ladies from other Aristocratic Families.
"Look, what did I tell you? Here he cos," the Old Duchess exclaid as soon as she saw soone approaching the entrance and waved towards Zong Yunqian at the door.
"Grandson pays respects to Grandmother," Zong Yunqian said, walking straight in and respectfully knelt to greet her.
"Oh, stand up, stand up. This isn’t so grand occasion; help him up quickly," Old Lady Zong said, her eyes smiling into slits, naturally knowing that her grandson was honoring her.
Nanny Zeng by Old Lady Zong’s side personally went to help Zong Yunqian up.
"Nanny Zeng, you are overdoing it. It’s only right for the Grandson to pay respects to Grandmother," Madam Zong followed, her eyes also filled with laughter, how could anyone not love such a boy?
"Princely Heir Zong’s filial piety is truly comndable," the surrounding ladies imdiately praised.
Zong Yunqian, helped by Nanny Zeng, approached his grandmother and then also greeted Eldest Madam Zong.
"Yunqian, et a few of the Noble Ladies," Old Lady Zong said, and the noble ladies dared not remain seated, hurriedly standing up.
"Please, sit down. You are the elders and that is fitting." Old Lady Zong smiled and waved her hand as she spoke.
"This is Madam Zong Zou of the Shiping Aristocratic Family, Madam Zhang of Hejian, Old Madam Tang of the Wuxing Aristocratic Family, and Old Madam Helin of the Liugui Aristocratic Clan."
Upon hearing this, Yunqian duly paid his respects one by one. The noble ladies, having witnessed Yunqian’s deanor and style, were already very satisfied. After all, he was a young master from an aristocratic gentry clan, with a temperant already quite remarkable, and even more so with his handso appearance.
"Old Lady Zong, the Princely Heir is truly a man of distinguished appearance, a figure of the dragon and phoenix," one praised.
"Yes, yes, he has the presence of the Duke of Qing in his younger days."
"Oh no, no, the child cannot stand such praise," she humbly dismissed.
Eldest Madam Zong gave her son a look and stepped forward first, with Yunqian slowly following behind.
"Follow to et so of the ladies from prominent families." Eldest Madam Zong did not trust this task to anyone else, thinking it safer to handle it herself, which was rely a walk around the garden.
The customs in Nanzheng had beco much more open; it was no longer necessary for the families of betrothed couples to avoid seeing each other before engagent, and it was common for n and won to sit together at social gatherings, even if they weren’t grand occasions.
It was quite popular to et and observe, especially for the ladies from aristocratic gentry clans, seeing each other in person was already a common occurrence.
"Mother, why don’t I go et them myself?" Yunqian protested. "What’s the point if you take there? It won’t show anything genuine."
"Nonsense, there’s no reason to let you go see them by yourself," Eldest Madam Zong scolded, frustrated yet affectionate, knowing her son’s mischievous ways from a young age. If he wasn’t personally involved, it would probably cause even more trouble later on.
"Mother, I would naturally run there myself; I’ll hide in a corner secretly so that these ladies don’t see . This way, I can understand what these ladies are truly like on ordinary days. Don’t you think?"
Eldest Madam Zong hesitated, finding so sense in his words. In her mont of hesitation, Yunqian imdiately turned and left.
"Mother, it’s settled then..."
"You co back here, co back..." Eldest Madam Zong called out twice, but Yunqian was already out of sight. Gu Dao and Xi Feng, who had co out with him, were utterly confused. How had the Princely Heir disappeared so suddenly?
"Don’t just stand there, go after him, bring him back, and don’t let him do anything inappropriate."
Gu Dao and Xi Feng imdiately chased after him, but instead of heading to the garden, he was striking out towards his own courtyard.
Of course, the Princely Heir was not going to et any noble ladies; they still had to leave the estate.
"Heir, wouldn’t going out like this..." Xi Feng was worried about being scolded and was sowhat anxious.
"What’s there to fear? We’ll just cross right over the treetops." Yunqian, well-practiced, had already climbed a tree and was swiftly crossing over several tall trees, about to leave the garden, when suddenly several voices talking approached below the tree.
"I heard that the Commandery Princess of Prince Duan went to Siyan Lake that day."
Yunqian wasn’t concerned with what was being said below, but as long as the people below the tree didn’t leave, he couldn’t either.
"How could that be? Princess Chao Ren was confined in the palace by the Empress Dowager; how could she possibly co out?" another asserted confidently.
"It wasn’t just who saw her; Miss Zhang, Miss Tang, and even Princess Helin saw her too."
"Are you sure?" the skeptic asked, still disbelieving. "You must have mistaken her for soone else. How could the Crown Prince possibly let her out?"
"What’s so impossible about her coming out?" Yunqian peered down from the tree. Prince Duan? That commandery princess? "That princess seems to be about our age, naturally, it’s all about the arrangents for future marriage..."
"What..."
"Sister Jin Shan, are you really unaware? Not only do clans like ours look down on that princess, even ordinary families in the court wouldn’t want her."
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