In her past life, Mingxi would have felt just as uneasy as Madam Jiang, afraid of making a mistake and being laughed at by these noblewomen.
Every time she returned to Duke Gao’s household, the Duchess would seize upon such incidents to make things difficult for her.
She had cared too much about others’ opinions—too eager for their approval, too desperate for her family’s love. She had bent and broken herself to fit into a mold they would accept.
And in the end?
This time, she would just be herself. To h*ll with their opinions, their approval, and their so-called affection.
“Sister Xi, you’re here!”
Xiao Yan’s voice suddenly rang out from the hall entrance. Mingxi looked up to see her letting go of Liu Yunhua’s hand and rushing toward her. Grabbing her hand, Xiao Yan beamed, “I’ve missed you so much! I wanted to visit, but I never got the chance. I’m so happy to finally see you today!”
“Little County Princess?” Mingxi was surprised by Xiao Yan’s enthusiasm and momentarily froze.
Xiao Yan tugged on her hand. “Come on, my royal mother wants to meet you.”
Before Mingxi could react, Xiao Yan had already pulled her before Ning Wangfei. As soon as they arrived, Xiao Yan introduced her excitedly, “Mother, this is Sister Xi!”
Mingxi straightened her posture and respectfully saluted, “Mingxi greets Wangfei.”
The room fell silent, except for Duchesss Rong’s amused gaze.
Ning Qin Wangfei noticed her daughter still holding Mingxi’s hand, making the young lady appear uneasy. Gently patting her daughter’s hand, she stood up, took Mingxi’s hand, and spoke warmly, “Good child, that day, it was all thanks to you. Otherwise, my little troublemaker would have suffered greatly.”
Mingxi immediately understood what she was referring to and humbly replied, “I didn’t do much that day—Wangfei flatters me. If anything, I feel guilty for not doing more.”
Hearing this, Ning Qin Wangfei’s affection for Mingxi deepened. Even in that chaotic situation, Mingxi had not only protected Xiao Yan but also ensured her safety while going out to rescue Duan Wang. Such courage and decisiveness were rare even among men.
Not to mention, she was stunningly beautiful. The more Ning Qin Wangfei looked at her, the more she liked her.
She couldn’t openly discuss that incident, as Mingxi was already under too much scrutiny. So instead, she changed the topic, smiling warmly. “Come sit with me. Let’s chat. I feel a special fondness for you at first sight.”
Knowing Mingxi’s poor relationship with her birth mother, Ning Qin Wangfei didn’t even glance at Madam Jiang.
Madam Jiang stood awkwardly in the crowd, feeling humiliated. But she quickly straightened her posture—no matter how distant they were, Mingxi was still her daughter.
Duchess Rong chuckled from the side. “I knew it! The moment you saw her, you’d like her. She caught my eye right away too.”
Ning Qin Wangfei smiled at her younger sister and said, “If that’s the case, you should’ve brought her to the palace sooner so I could meet her earlier.”
Duchess Rong laughed, “With all the affairs of the palace, how could I trouble you so easily? But now that you’ve said this, I’ll bring Mingxi to visit you soon.”
“Now that we’ve met, there’s no need for you to bring her. I’ll take care of that myself.”
Xiao Yan looked between her mother and aunt, sensing something strange about their exchange. But she didn’t think too much about it and instead tugged at her mother’s sleeve, saying, “Ah, what’s so interesting about you two chatting? I want to take Sister Xi out to play!”
“Enough nonsense,”Ning Qin Wangfei chided, her expression turning stern. “The Empress will arrive soon. Sit properly.”
Xiao Yan: “…”
Liu Yunhua was now standing beside her mother, glancing over at Mingxi with a smile.
Mingxi had been held back by Ning Qin Wangfei, who chatted with her for quite some time before letting her go. When she returned, she noticed that quite a few people had surrounded Madam Jiang, engaging her in conversation.
Mingxi didn’t mind this and instead heard Liu Yunhua softly say, “Everyone’s playing in the imperial garden. You’ll see them shortly.”
Understanding her meaning, Mingxi nodded and replied, “You should return for now. We’ll talk more later.”
Liu Yunhua nodded and returned to sit beside her mother.
Sure enough, before long, Zhang Yaojun, Yao Yunyi, Gan Li, Xu Nanxi, Bai Shixi, and others entered the hall, each finding their own mothers and taking their seats.
When Xu Nanxi took her seat, she immediately noticed her mother’s unpleasant expression and couldn’t help but ask with concern, “Mother, what’s wrong?”
Duchess Wei suppressed her irritation and asked her daughter, “When did Duan Mingxi get involved with Ning Wang’s household?”
Xu Nanxi had no idea and shook her head. “I don’t know. Did something happen?”
Duchess Wei was in a foul mood, reflecting on the remarks her mother-in-law and husband had made earlier. For a moment, she even regretted not saying a few words to Madam Jiang and her daughter earlier.
But she was a duchess, and Madam Jiang was merely the wife of a Marquis. Shouldn’t they have come to greet her first?
The more she thought about it, the more frustrated she felt. But she had to suppress it, unwilling to let others notice, which left her expression looking rather odd.
Xu Nanxi was puzzled by her mother’s question. Mingxi had ties to Ning Wang’s household?
She truly didn’t know. However, as long as it wasn’t an antagonistic relationship, that was good. Offending others could be resolved, but offending Ning Wang’s household would be troublesome.
Soon, the four consorts arrived, and everyone rose to greet them.
After their arrival, the Empress also appeared, prompting another round of formal salutations.
Once the Empress was seated, she first engaged Ning Qin Wangfei in a warm and lively conversation, her tone amiable and filled with laughter. Then she turned her attention to the assembled noblewomen.
However, it was clear that Madam Jiang was overlooked by the Empress.
Madam Jiang felt a little humiliated but, glancing at her daughter who remained calm and composed, she suddenly felt a sense of reassurance.
With such a strong-willed daughter by her side, what was there to fear? No matter what happened, her daughter would handle it.
Comforted by this thought, Madam Jiang grew calm, and her expression became tranquil. Seeing her serenity, those who had been enjoying the spectacle found it rather dull.
Consort Shu, who was aware of the strained relationship between Mingxi and her biological mother, had been concerned that there might be a scene today. Seeing how things were proceeding, her impression of Madam Jiang improved slightly.
The seating arrangements at the banquet were carefully planned. Ning Qin Wangfei’s seat was second only to the four consorts and Qian Jieyu. Following that were the Empress’s maternal relatives, the Cao family, and the relatives of the four consorts. Next came the positions of the prince consorts.
The seated Jin Wangfei and Yu Wangfei naturally took precedence, with their natal families seated ahead as well. Then came the families of those who had been granted marriage but had yet to wed.
Although both Dingyuan Marquis and Fengcheng Marquis were Marquis families, the latter held actual authority. However, because Duan Wang was the elder brother of Kang Wang, Madam Jiang’s seat was ahead of Madam Fengcheng.
Wedged between the two was Xingqin Marquis Madam, whose daughter was engaged to become the future Qi Wangfei.
Xingqin Marquis Madam was clearly displeased. As a marchioness, she could accept being surpassed by Fengcheng Marquis Madam, but why should Dingyuan Marquis Madam, a Marquis wife, be seated ahead of her?
It was all because her daughter was engaged to Duan Wang. Did that warrant her being overshadowed?
Thus, Xingqin Marquis Madam only chatted with Fengcheng Marquis Madam and completely ignored Madam Jiang.
Madam Jiang: “…”
Her husband lacked competence, her eldest son lacked talent, and her family wasn’t successful. Only her daughter’s engagement to a royal household allowed her to endure being looked down upon.
Madam Jiang’s thoughts: Snobs.
It was infuriating!
