Chapter 180: Chapter 87 Mid-Autumn_4
Just a few days ago, while chatting with the lady of the house, the topic of Lord Zhao Ning’s Princely Heir, the current commander of the Palace Front Office, Pei Yunng, had co up.
After the recent examination scandal in Shengjing, a large number of people from the Ministry of Rites had been implicated, causing everyone in the court to feel threatened. In the wake of the emperor’s fury, Pei Yunng surprisingly received even greater favor. Today, on the Mid-Autumn Festival, the emperor is holding a banquet in the Minglin Garden. Apart from the princes and royal relatives, only those of high status were allowed to enter the garden, and Pei Yunng was among them.
The royal family’s trust in Pei Yunng was evident to all.
Being so young, his prospects are bound to be limitless; it doesn’t hurt to curry favor with him.
Pei Yunng, inscrutable in his thoughts, showed particular closeness to Doctor Lu Tong from Renxin dical Hall. Lady Dong considered herself to be on good terms with Lu Tong, and now that she was at the banquet, she thought it would be good to do Lu Tong a favor. It might make befriending the Pei Family much easier in the future.
With her mind made up, Lady Dong called for Lu Tong to carry her dicine chest and also brought along Yin Zheng, planning to show their faces at the banquet and leave shortly afterwards.
In Xunfang Garden, the banquet was set, and the treasures and rocks were spread all around. In the Liubei Pavilion, the aristocratic ladies who had already arrived were sitting aside, laughing crisply as they watched wine cups float down the winding water channel.
As soon as Lu Tong and Lady Dong arrived in Xunfang Garden, so ladies greeted Lady Dong, "Why has Lady Dong arrived so late today?" Then, noticing Lu Tong by her side, they looked puzzled, "Who might this be...?"
Lu Tong’s attire was unadorned, unlike the ladies present, but she did not seem to be a maid given the affectionate manner Lady Dong treated her.
Lady Dong pulled Lu Tong to the forefront, "This is Doctor Lu from Renxin dical Hall, who I’ve known for a while. I happened to run into her in Prince’s Mansion and brought her here to et you all."
Seeing the examining looks from the ladies, Lady Dong laughed and said, "Don’t underestimate her; the popular dicinal tea ’Xianxian’ that was all the rage in Shengjing a while back was created by her hands."
At these words, the eyes of all the ladies lit up, and they instantly gathered around.
The "Xianxian" dicinal tea had been heard of before, during the sumr viewing banquet, as the wife of the Examiner Official, Zhao Feiyan, had gained attention for her slim figure. Afterwards, many had bought this tea, although so believed it was overstated and refused to believe it.
But at today’s grand banquet in Prince Wen’s Mansion, with Lady Dong personally introducing her, even the skeptics now harbored a asure of curiosity to try it. After all, Lady Dong was guaranteeing it in front of so many people; it must at least have so effect.
A young lady asked Lu Tong, "Do you still have any of the tea with you right now?"
Lu Tong replied, "I do," and then opened her dicine chest, taking out a few jars of "Xianxian" to pass around, before speaking softly.
"I apologize for the inconvenience, I left in a hurry today and only brought these few jars. If you ladies wish to have more, I can make a note of your residences on paper and personally deliver them to you later."
Hearing this, the enthusiasm of the ladies grew even more, and they crowded near for Lu Tong to take down their nas. Lady Dong watched, casting a aningful glance at Lu Tong.
Those who ca today were from the households of high officials and nobility; having these nas written down, and visiting them one by one, would an more connections for Lu Tong. These connections might very well beco the Pei Family’s connections in the future...
Even if she didn’t consider it for Pei Yunng’s sake, her small broken dical hall establishing ties with so many wealthy and influential families ant that as long as one of them maintained contact with her, there would only be good, not bad, for future business. After all, in Shengjing, wealth, splendor, and unending profits were always interconnected, with no one left to fend for themselves.
She was secretly admiring Lu Tong’s shrewdness when she suddenly heard a woman’s laughing voice from behind.
"Why is there such a crowd gathered here? What is so lively?"
When everyone turned to look, Lu Tong also looked up and saw a young woman, surrounded by several maids, gracefully approaching from behind the pavilion.
This woman was dressed in a pogranate red peony and butterfly patterned silk dress, her hair elegantly coiffed, adorned at the side with a golden threadwork ruby pendant, and her ears decorated with coral earrings, accentuating her white skin, smoky eyebrows, and eyes bright as water. As she ca closer, the sound of her jeweled ornants echoed gently, emanating an irresistible charm.
The seated ladies stood up, addressing her as "Madam ng."
Lady Yan?
As Lu Tong was watching "Lady Yan" gracefully approach, Lady Dong gently tugged at her sleeve and whispered in her ear.
"This is the Consort of Prince’s Mansion, ng Xiyang."
So she was the Consort.
Before Lu Tong could speak, Lady Dong continued to instruct, "If she cos over to talk to you later, rember, never ntion little Lord Pei."
Lu Tong was taken aback, "Why?"
"You don’t know?" Lady Dong looked at her in surprise, "The Princess Consort of Prince Wen’s Mansion, Pei Yunshu, is the blood sister of little Lord Pei from the sa mother. The Princess Consort and ng Xiyang have always been at odds. If she knows you belong to the Marshal, she will surely find ways to make things difficult for you. How co," Lady Dong’s gaze flickered, "little Lord Pei hasn’t told you about this?"
Lu Tong shook her head, her heart stirring slightly.
She had heard from Du Changqing that there was also an eldest legitimate daughter in the Zhao Ning Manor, who was Pei Yunng’s sister, but she had married and left the household many years ago. Lu Tong only knew that Miss Pei’s marriage was to another noble family in Shengjing, but she hadn’t inquired who exactly it was.
To think that she was the Princess Consort of Prince Wen’s Mansion.
However, in the midst of preparing the feast at Prince’s Mansion, why was the Princess Consort not in charge, instead allowing the Consort to be accompanied before and after, her deanor so haughty, acting very much like the mistress of the household.
As Lu Tong pondered this in her heart, Consort ng Xiyang over there seed to have heard about Lu Tong from soone else, casting a casual glance her way, appearing as if she didn’t regard Lu Tong as significant.
Lu Tong remained silent and rose to give her respects to Lady Dong.
"My lady, the banquet is about to begin, and I should take my leave," she said.
Lady Dong thought for a mont and nodded, "That’s fine."
This was Prince’s Mansion, not the Dong Family after all. Light-hearted jokes were acceptable, but Lu Tong, being a re commoner of low status, was not qualified to join the banquet. Even if Lady Dong wanted to do a favor for Lu Tong, she wouldn’t offend all the ladies present and certainly wouldn’t want to upset the Prince’s Mansion.
Yet, judging by the large book of nas that Lu Tong had just morized, it seed she would gain quite a lot today; this favor was now considered given.
Lady Dong smiled and said, "When you have so ti in a few days, co over to my house for a chat."
Lu Tong softly agreed, shouldered her dical box, and was about to leave with Yin Zheng when suddenly, from behind the pavilion, soone shouted in a panic, "My lady, my lady, sothing terrible has happened—"
This voice erged suddenly, shattering the joyful atmosphere of the banquet in an instant. Everyone fell silent and looked forward, while Lu Tong’s footsteps also ca to a halt.
Under the watchful eyes of all, a maid in green clothes stumbled around the flower bed and rushed to ng Xiyang, collapsing to the ground with a "thump."
ng Xiyang looked at the person by her feet, her brows arching slightly, her voice tinged with a hint of irritation, "What are you yelling about so hastily?"
The maid raised her head, her face filled with terror as she looked at ng Xiyang.
"My lady, there’s been an accident. Just now, soone from the Princess Consort’s quarters said that the Princess Consort suddenly suffered unbearable abdominal pain—she may have upset her fetal Qi. She’s in great discomfort right now, please hurry over to see!"
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