Dowager Consort of Hengshan finished her scheme secretly, thus neither Wei Mengying nor Song Yixiao knew anything about it.

So when they received the invitation of the feast for Shangsi Festival, they began to make preparations as they did in last year. Wei Mengying did things against the Dowager Consort"s will on purpose. She thought, "You said that my daughter had disgraced herself being just two days in Marquis Boling"s mansion, so you asked her to stay in the house all the time? No way!"

Song Yixiao had no choice. She couldn"t and didn"t want to live in the prince"s mansion for a lifetime, especially after the Dowager Consort gave her the ultimatum! So marriage was a matter of urgency. But as a stepdaughter, her chances of being led by her mother to go out and socialize were slight.

Partic.i.p.ating in the feasts among ladies was the only method for her to remind people that there was a young lady open to marriage in Prince of Hengshan"s mansion, otherwise, no one would come to bring up a proposal of a marriage.

Not to mention this invitation was from Dou Roumei, Commandery Princess Qingjiang who was the eldest daughter of Jinguo Grand Princess.

Emperor Xianjia"s ascension was not easy, and he showed no mercy for his half-brothers and half-sisters. He either killed or imprisoned them or deprived their rank of n.o.bility. Almost none of them escaped from this. But he showed great kindness to his own two sisters.

For example, he ent.i.tled his niece to be Commandery Princess.

Thanked to Yuan Xue"e, Song Yixiao had met Dou Roumei when avoided summer heat last year. She provided a pair of sachets as gifts, and was praised for her excellent skills of embroidery showed on the sachets. That"s why she got an invitation this time.

She did not want to miss such a perfect opportunity.

When Song Yixiao was checking on her dress and accessories with Ms. Zhao and Jinxun, the servant girl of Lu Kou"er Guizhi came in suddenly. Guizhi asked, "My Commandery Princess heard that Lady Xue"e was concerned about Marquis Boling"s injury and won"t make it to the feast, so she sent me to ask you, would you like to go there with her?"

"It would be disrespectful for me to reject her kindness." Song Yixiao didn"t have a decent ident.i.ty. It was the help from Yuan Xue"e, the pure-blood daughter of a marquis, that made her accepted to others.

But there were still some n.o.ble ladies despised her.

Yuan Xue"e might save her from embarra.s.sment when they went out together. But if she went to this feast alone, n.o.body could save her. Being there with Lu Kou"er would absolutely make things easier.

But when Guizhi left, Song Yixiao showed a concerned face and said, "I"m afraid this feast of Commandery Princess would be troublesome."

"Ah?" Ms. Zhao and Jinxun were checking on the brocade dress for any flaws, they were surprised to hear that and asked, "Why did you say that?"

"For the past six years, Fourth Commandery was tepid to me, you know that." Song Yixiao pinched her eyebrows, "A sudden intimacy suggests no good."

Ms. Zhao knew that when Song Yixiao just returned to the prince"s mansion, Lu Kou"er took her to the Shaoyin Villa. Ms. Zhao then asked, "I remember that Fourth Commandery Princess had asked you to visit the place she lived, though you refused at first, but you promised to bring her together next time when you go to the marquis"s mansion. Maybe she wants to do you a favor in case you break your promise?"

"I may feel it the same way in the past!" Song Yixiao took the tea from Jinxun and blew away some heat. Then she put it down and said with a sneer, "But when I met the Dowager Consort the other day... Jinxun, do you remember what did the Dowager Consort said?"

Jinxun was startled. She thought for a while and then said surprisingly, "The Dowager Consort said that Marquis Boling"s mansion is now headed by the young man Marquis Yuan, thus girls like Fourth Commandery Princess should not pay visit there, in case of rumors."

"Since the Dowager Consort had said these words, I won"t take Fourth Commandery Princess there even if the Yuan Family invite me to their mansion again!" Song Yixiao touched her hair and narrowed her eyes, "I would have no idea about these before summoned by Dowager Consort to inquire. But Fourth Commandery Princess knew it. Then why did she ask me to bring her together when I am invited?"

She exhaled, "In fact, I was surprised since Fourth Commandery Princess asked me to send the message. Although she didn"t have a close relationship with Miss Yuan but they are cousins. Not to mention Miss Yuan"s personality made it more convenient for her to ask Miss Yuan to be the messenger. But she chose me, a n.o.body, rather than her cousin. It was so suspicious!"

She sneered, "Sure enough, she is waiting for me!"

After all, they had studied together for six years and lived in the same mansion but always kept a certain distance from each other. Discreet as Song Yixiao was, there would be little chance for her to accept the abrupt invitation. Even if she accepted it, Song Yixiao would be cautious as well.

But if Lu Kou"er needed Song Yixiao"s help before that, then the invitation would make sense. She wanted to do Song Yixiao a favor which would cost her very little but would make Song Yixiao more loyal to her.

If it wasn"t for the unintentional word from the Dowager Consort, Song Yixiao would still be kept in conspiracy now!

"They really are sisters!" Song Yixiao felt resentment whenever she recalled the past, "Cui Jianlian pretended to be friendly but doing evil things to me behind my back. And now Fourth Commandery Princess learned this from her cousin!"

She turned to her maid and said, "Jinxun, you must be cautious then, keep an close eye on all our stuff. Be careful about your own safety as well. You don"t have to worry about me. I am a lady anyway. Fourth Commandery Princess dares not to harm me in front of so many people, especially in the place of Commandery Princess."

Ms. Zhao was surprised, "You are still going there? You know Fourth Commandery Princess holds evil ideas over you, shouldn"t you avoid her?"

"I have no choice." Song Yixiao sighed, "Yuan Xue"e went home because of the serve injury of Marquis Yuan. She will not go out at all for a long time. Ms. Zhao, you can think about it. Yuan Xue"e is two years elder than me. She is sixteen now! And Marquis Yuan is back now. She will consider about marriage very soon. When she gets married, she can not cover me any longer. Even for the period when Marquis Yuan was outside, people didn"t forget her for the parties among young ladies, since she has a n.o.ble ident.i.ty. But I don"t have it."

Without Yuan Xue"e"s help, she had to fight for these invitations by herself.

Being absent for a few feasts, her status and slight influence in this circle would make her neglected by everyone!

By then, should her listen to her birth mother to depend herself on Yuan Xuepei, or go back to the Song Family to consider about marrying Liu Zhiyin?

Ms. Zhao understood and could not help but sighed.

The Shangsi Festival came very soon.

Song Yixiao got up before dawn and dressed up as she planned two days ago. Her black long hair was coiled up which made her pretty and charming. There were also flower-like hair accessories made by pearls, delicate hairpin, pearl earrings, necklace and bracelet with jewelry.

She chose to wear a rather light makeup.

She gave the only prominence on her lips. A tinge of blood-like rouge set as a foil to her black hair, pink cheek and white skin.

The clothes were in plain lines, flower pattern and wide sleeves. Both the collar and the sleeves were embroidered with one-inch-wide patterns of flowers and leaves. She wore a pinkish underwear inside which was embroidered with malus. For the lower part, the dress was in light cyan with a light purple belt and mutton-fat jade ring on her waist. Below the ring, there was a colorful ta.s.sel for decoration.

She checked herself in front of the mirror. Before she left, Jinxun put a dark green cape over her arms and said, "It is still cold in the morning and at night. You need to keep yourself warm."

The Hanxia Villa was in a remote area. Although Song Yixiao got up very early, Lu Kou"er and Lu Chai"er still got there before her.

"Sister Kou"er showed mercy to you to invite you together, but you keep her waiting for this long?" As soon as Song Yixiao got there, Lu Chai"er satirized with a sneer, "Maybe you just want to flex your muscle to us the first time we go out together."

Lu Kou"er said nothing about it. Song Yixiao apologized for her being late, then Lu Kou"er said slothful, "Enough, get on the carriage now. We can"t be late."

"My lady, they are way out of line!" After getting on the carriage, they followed behind the two sisters along the way. Jinxun said in greet rage, "They didn"t give us a specific time to meet. We have already gotten here early enough..."

"We have to lower our heads as those people support us." Song Yixiao felt nothing about their words, "They provide us with food and clothes, then it is reasonable to endure their rudeness sometimes."

Jinxun was speechless. She sighed after a long time, "Hope we can have a family of our own."

Song Yixiao said nothing but bit her lower lip very hard.

The royal landscape architecture set for the feast by Commandery Princess Qingjiang was outside of the town. They called it to be a royal landscape architecture, but just the Zhanchun Venue of it had already took the place of almost a whole mountain. It was said to reach two counties. Its walls stretched a hundred li and encircled innumerable pavilions and terraces. The luxury there was unimaginable.

"It took them over a decade to build it!" After getting off the carriage, Lu Kou"er took the lead, Lu Chai"er followed her and Song Yixiao was the last one. The three took their squires with them and stepped in with a welcome steward there.

Seeing Song Yixiao was amazed by the scenery and buildings along the way, Lu Chai"er couldn"t help showing off her rich experience and knowledge, "But the one who built it was unlucky. The late emperor died before the former owner moved in here. It remained idle for couple of years, then was finally given to Cousin Dou Roumei by the Emperor."

Before she finished her words, Lu Kou"er turned her head, gave her a stern glance and scolded in a low voice, "Stop talking about those old stories!" Then she glanced at the steward not far.

Everyone knew it that though Emperor Xianjia became the only winner, he resented those days before he ascended his throne, then he didn"t like talking about the past days. This had become a public tacit understanding among the n.o.bles, and they never talked about anything related to it.

Not until being reminded by her sister did Lu Chai"er realized herself had almost touched the taboo. She had lost her mind more or less when laughing at Song Yixiao. She felt frightened, lowered her head and didn"t dare to say anything.

"It seems like the former owner of the Zhanchun Venue was a favored prince or princess of the late emperor." Song Yixiao lowered her head and softened her eyesight as well. She kept a decent posture and sn.i.g.g.e.red, "It seems that Lu Chai"er has problem in hiding her ideas."

But her smile became bitter very soon. "As Ms. Bo told Ms. Zhao before, Lu Chai"er"s birth mother was just a concubine, and was disgraced after my mother"s arrival, thus she didn"t dare to provoke me usually. But she was completely different now. She satirized me before our departure, and mocked me to have little knowledge. She didn"t dare to do this unless she was firmly believed me and my mother would lose our happiness soon."

Lu Chai"er"s change in att.i.tude proved that things were more serious than she thought. She was afraid even Wei Mengying was in the scheme of those evil men.

"Since Lu Kou"er and Lu Chai"er have no such ability, it seems the Dowager Consort is the one behind this scheme." Song Yixiao took a deep breath and clenched her fists in her wide sleeves, "It seems I miscalculated Dowager Consort. I thought my mother"s compromise might buy us sometime, but she still can"t trust us!"

She looked at the n.o.ble people who were dressed in gorgeous clothes, stood in the high platform and crowed by many people, then she thought, "n.o.ble as Commandery Princess Qingjiang is, she cares about her image in front of the Emperor. She can"t ruin her annual feast of Shangsi Festival to embarra.s.s me. I am afraid that the Dowager Consort and the two girls of the Lu Family want to do harm to me with the power of someone else..."

"But since I have already realized your scheme, how could it be possible for me to stretch my neck and wait for you to slaughter me?"

Song Yixiao scanned the two girls of the Lu Family gently over and over again till they reached the bottom of the platform. She finally smiled but with a tinge of coldness, "For the sake of your support for me in the past six years, I will only protect myself this time and will not strike back. But if you dare to do this again..."

"Commandery Princess invites you three to come forward to the platform to have a conversation." The servant who reported their arrival stepped down, and interrupted her thought, "This way, please!"