The Virtuous Wife

Chapter 70

As soon as they entered the Imperial Garden, everyone was shocked by the sea of ​​chrysanthemums in front of them. These large patches of chrysanthemums almost filled everyone's eyes! Jingyi sighed in her heart, after all, they are the royal family, and this move is generous, look at these chrysanthemums! Almost all the varieties of the Dayuan Dynasty are included, which is amazing.

In the hall in the distance, there are already many noble ladies and daughters. Everyone walked over and greeted them one by one. After a few words of greeting, many people entered the Imperial Garden one after another. For a while, this huge Imperial Garden seemed a little crowded.

"Sister Jingyi!" A soft voice came from behind, and Jingyi knew who it was without looking back.

She smiled and said, "Sister Cui is late today, and she will be punished later. Sister Wan'er is here too! Jingyi is polite." After speaking, she bowed to Liu Wan'er.

Wan'er hurriedly bowed and said, "Sister Jingyi, are you trying to embarrass me?"

Gu Yu chuckled and said, "Okay. It's rare that we're all together, so let's sit here and have a good chat." After saying that, he pulled the two to sit down. Gu Yu looked at Cui Xixi carefully, and then said, "Everyone says that the eldest daughter of the Cui family is as beautiful as a fairy. After seeing her today, I believe it."

Cui Xixi smiled and said, "Sister Gu is Jingyi's sister after all. We are really a family. Even our speaking styles are very similar."

After saying that, she glanced at Jingyi with a hint of meaning. Liu Wan'er knew that she was referring to what happened in the Hou Mansion that day, and she covered her lips with a handkerchief and chuckled.

Gu Yu was puzzled and looked at Jingyi.

Jingyi smiled and said, "Cousin, Sister Cui is disgusted by our inability to speak."

Cui Xixi glared at her and scolded her with a smile, "You are so sharp-tongued, you are really unforgiving! Forget it, I won't bother with you because you are young."

Several people were talking and laughing together, but Jingwei was the only one sitting aside, seeming a little restrained.

Jingyi gently pulled Jingwei's hand and said, "Sister, why don't you speak? You also know these sisters! Did you forget them all after sleeping all night?"

Jingwei listened to Jingyi's joke and smiled unnaturally: "I'm sorry to make you laugh. Jingwei is here to apologize to the three sisters."

Cui Xixi put away her smile and said politely, "Miss Su, don't be polite, please sit down."

Jingwei's face turned pale. Calling her Miss Su instead of Sister Jingwei clearly looked down on her as a concubine! Jingwei suppressed her anger and smiled, "If I remember correctly, doesn't Miss Cui have a younger sister? I think her name is Cui Moli?" The more you look down on illegitimate children, the more I will remind you that you also have a younger sister!

Cui Xixi's face was a little cold, "Miss Su is talking about my third sister, she is over there accompanying my mother and several ladies to talk. Speaking of which, my third sister also has a lot in common with Miss Su." After saying that, she chuckled.

They were not the only ones in the hall, and when Cui Xixi said this, her voice was deliberately raised, so everyone in the pavilion heard it clearly. I saw that the other people in the pavilion all covered their lips with handkerchiefs, chuckled, and looked at Su Jingwei with a slightly different look. Jingwei's face turned even paler. Cui Xixi was hinting that she was of low birth and didn't know how to advance or retreat!

Speaking of the noble ladies in the capital, who doesn't know that Cui Moli's aunt was born in a lowly family? She was just an embroiderer. Later, she won the favor of Duke Dingguo and was taken as a concubine. Later, this embroiderer actually added a trace of musk to the embroidery made by Zi Ji, the favorite concubine of Duke Dingguo, causing Zi Ji, who was just pregnant at the time, to miscarry. She was injured by the miscarriage, so that she only gave birth to a son for Duke Dingguo, but he was weak and sickly.

This matter was later found out by Zi Ji, and she reported it to Duke Dingguo. Duke Dingguo ordered her to be beaten to death on the spot! Poor her, she only left Cui Moli, who was still a baby at the time.

Cui Xixi mentioned this now to tell everyone that she, Su Jingwei, was born in a lowly family like Cui Moli, and her aunt was a person who did not follow the rules and was cruel and ruthless. This was to let the ladies present stay away from her. If the aunt was so unbearable, how good would the daughter she gave birth to be?

Jingwei looked at Cui Xixi angrily, but she was helpless! She could only stamp her feet and go somewhere else.

Jingyi saw her leaving, and did not stop her. Today, the main thing was to protect her cousin, and other things were not so important.

Everyone laughed and chatted again, and then heard a eunuch singing loudly: "The Queen has arrived! The Queen Consort Xian and the Queen Consort De have arrived!"

Everyone immediately stood up and knelt outside to greet them, saying: "Greetings to the Queen, the Queen, and the Queen's best wishes!"

After the Queen sat down in the main seat, she raised her right hand lightly, supported everyone, and said: "Stand up."

Everyone stood up and stood on both sides.

The Queen smiled and said: "Ladies and ladies, there is no need to be polite, just sit down as you like."

Everyone bowed again and sat down nearby.

Seeing everyone sitting down, the Queen said to the noblewoman on the right: "Sister Xianfei, today's chrysanthemum appreciation banquet was proposed by you. Then you will host it today. I am also happy to be an idle person."

Xianfei lowered her head and said respectfully: "Yes, I will follow your order." After that, she turned to a nanny behind her and said: "Go and move the few pots of chrysanthemums that have been newly promoted to the palace this year, and let the Queen and all the ladies and young ladies appreciate and comment on them!"

The Queen took a look and picked up the wine glass on the table and said: "This is the latest chrysanthemum wine brewed in the palace, everyone try it."

All the ladies also picked up their wine glasses and tasted the chrysanthemum wine.

And young girls like Jingyi each had a cup of chrysanthemum tea. Jingyi secretly complained in her heart, why is the chrysanthemum appreciation banquet like this? Can't there be a little novelty? It's really annoying!

The queen said some insignificant words, saying that the ladies had worked hard, and that they should share their husbands' worries, raise their children well, etc. Jingyi glanced at Gu Yu, who was sitting opposite her, with her head down, as if listening to the queen's admonition.

Jingyi turned her head to the queen's direction again, but raised her head slightly, and could not see the queen's face clearly. She only saw that the queen was wearing a bright yellow phoenix robe today, but it was bordered with blue, and there were patterns embroidered with gold thread on the border, but it was far away and could not see what the pattern was.

At this time, someone brought a few pots of chrysanthemums and placed them in a row in front of the queen.

The Queen saw the pot of chrysanthemums in the middle and praised them highly, saying, "This chrysanthemum is indeed unique. I wonder what it is called?"

Concubine Xian smiled and said, "This chrysanthemum was newly presented to the palace this year. When I first saw it, I was overjoyed and couldn't let it go, but I didn't know its name. Later, I asked the Siyuan of the Shangqin Bureau and learned the name of this chrysanthemum. Today, I dare to ask Your Majesty to allow me to keep it a secret. Let the ladies present guess what this chrysanthemum is called. What do you think?"

Concubine Shu interrupted, "What Concubine Xian said is very good. Today is a chrysanthemum appreciation banquet. It is better to enjoy it together than to enjoy it alone. Let everyone come to appreciate it and guess the name. How about setting a prize?"

The Queen smiled and said, "What the two sisters said is very much in line with my heart. So, this round, sister Shufei will set a prize. How about it?"

Concubine Shu smiled and said, "What's the difficulty?" Then she took off a red jadeite beaded phoenix-headed golden hairpin from her head and placed it on a tray covered with red silk.

The queen glanced at it and smiled very much, "Sister Shufei's prize is not small! This golden hairpin must cost at least one thousand taels of silver, right?"

Concubine Shu smiled, her face unchanged, "Yes, this red jadeite beaded phoenix-headed golden hairpin cost three thousand taels of silver." As soon as she finished speaking, there was a sudden noise in the banquet below. Jingyi and others took a breath of cold air. It was just a hairpin, but the cost was so expensive! It was equivalent to the living expenses of a family of three of ordinary people for ten years!

Jingyi thought to herself that this Concubine Shu was really generous, and her family must be extremely wealthy.

The queen heard the discussion of the people below and said lightly, "Sister is really rich! This palace is really ashamed of herself."

For a moment, the discussion below stopped abruptly. The Queen's meaning was very clear. As a Queen, she was afraid that except for the Phoenix Coronet, there was no other headdress that could match this golden hairpin. This was a hint that Concubine Shu was usurping the throne!

Concubine Shu chuckled, "Sister, you are worrying too much. This is just a birthday gift from my sister-in-law to me on my birthday. What? Do you think it is a gift from the Shanggong Bureau in the palace to my sister?"

The Queen's face changed slightly when she heard this. Who doesn't know that the Queen is accompanied by six bureaus and twenty-four departments? This Concubine Shu actually spoke to her openly like this, which was really a provocation to her majesty!

After just a moment, the Queen's expression returned to normal, and she smiled and said, "What Concubine Shu said was beyond the limit! However, I also like your straightforward personality. Just don't be so straightforward in the future, lest you say something you shouldn't say, and it will be bad if it falls into the ears of the Emperor."

Concubine Shu's face turned pale, and she wanted to argue a few words, but was stopped by a maid beside her.

Concubine Shu had worked hard in the palace, so she put on a smile and said, "Sister Concubine Xian, the prize has been set, let's start quickly."

Seeing this, Concubine Xian said loudly to the audience, "If any lady or young lady is interested, please come forward to appreciate it. If you are right, this red jadeite drop bead phoenix head gold hairpin of Concubine Shu will be hers."

As soon as she finished speaking, there was a lot of discussion below. After a while, a young lady came forward and bowed, saying, "May I ask your Majesty, is your name Chui Liu?"

Concubine Xian smiled and shook her head, "Is there anyone else willing to come forward and try?"

Another young lady came forward and said, "Is your name Fu Feng?"

Jingyi heard the words and saw that it was Bai Min'er! 'Fu Feng? Jingyi couldn't help laughing when she remembered the name she just said. She was lucky to think of it!