Chapter 305: Holding Up Appearances
Although the flower viewing party at Prime Minister Wang’s mansion was on a very small scale, it was like the fuse of fireworks. After a single spark, the flower viewing, scenery appreciation, lantern viewing, and spring outings of various families in Jianle City exploded like fireworks, and the entire Jianle City returned to its usual liveliness.
Perhaps it was due to curiosity about Li Xiaonan, the new Young Lord’s Consort, the invitations sent to Prince Rui’s Mansion increased by at least thirty percent compared to previous years. Almost all these invitations specifically mentioned Li Xiaonan: “Please ask the Princess Consort and the Young Lord’s Consort to…”
Princess Consort Wei accepted the invitations one by one, remaining unmoved by the specific mention of “and the Young Lord’s Consort.”
Li Xiaonan enjoyed gossip and watching lively events, but she only heard and saw other people’s gossip and lively events. She avoided the excitement of various invitations directed at her, silently wishing they wouldn’t go to any of them.
Prince Rui’s Mansion held a supreme status, and Princess Consort Wei had a serious and dignified personality, so she rarely accepted invitations. This was no exception now; most of the invitations sent to Prince Rui’s Mansion were ignored by Princess Consort Wei.
However, Princess Consort Wei couldn’t ignore the invitation personally delivered by Second Madam Pan, which meant Li Xiaonan had to go.
Second Madam Pan’s invitation was for a spring appreciation banquet at Yujin Garden outside the city.
According to the rules of Jianle City, after a night of lanterns on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, people would not go home at dawn but would go out of the city to appreciate the first signs of spring. At this time, the area outside Jianle City would be crowded with people, with colorful ribbons fluttering, full of spring vitality.
But this year, due to the national mourning, there were no lanterns for the Lantern Festival, and no one had the mood for the first spring appreciation on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month. The mood for appreciating spring in Jianle City was suppressed until the second lunar month. After Prime Minister Wang’s mansion invited people to appreciate flowers, the floodgates opened. Even for someone of Second Madam Pan’s status, booking Yujin Garden had to wait until mid-February.
The tradition of going out to appreciate spring continued from the sixteenth day of the first lunar month until the opening of the Golden Bright Pond on the first day of March. During this period, there were countless banquets hosted by various families. Among these banquets, Second Madam Pan’s was a grand gathering for young ladies and newly married wives.
Second Madam Pan’s banquet had been held for over twenty years, starting from the second year after she became a widow.
Initially, Second Madam Pan’s banquet was for a few close confidantes, such as Princess Consort Wei, who deliberately invited her to help her overcome her sadness and loneliness. It started with just a few close confidantes, and later, when these confidantes had children, they brought their daughters who were on good terms with Second Madam Pan to add to the liveliness. Over time, the number of young ladies increased.
Later, one time, a young wife excitedly spoke about how good and cute her child was, which made Second Madam Pan cry. From then on, families tacitly agreed not to bring young wives with children to the event. Second Madam Pan’s banquet thus became a joyous occasion for young ladies and newly married wives.
The name “joyous occasion” was indeed fitting.
Second Madam Pan had an extremely generous dowry, and the Shi family treated her as a separate household in terms of finances. Second Madam Pan had plenty of money, was generous, enjoyed food and entertainment, and was easygoing and considerate. Her flower viewing party became a grand gathering for the young ladies of Jianle City, and it was a joyous gathering that the young ladies most looked forward to and loved.
For example, now, any young lady who could speak well with Second Madam Pan expressed her wish to meet the Young Lord’s Consort. Second Madam Pan personally went to Prince Rui’s Mansion to deliver the invitation and personally invited Li Xiaonan to Princess Consort Wei.
Princess Consort Wei actually did not want Li Xiaonan to attend Second Madam Pan’s spring appreciation banquet, but since Second Madam Pan had personally invited her, she could not refuse.
Li Xiaonan also did not want to go. If she went, no one would be appreciating spring at this spring appreciation banquet. However, since Princess Consort Wei had already agreed, it would be impolite for her not to go.
The idle people in Jianle City had many rules regarding spring appreciation. For example, plain clothes were preferred, so as not to compete with the color of new buds and tender green.
Li Xiaonan looked at the pile of goose yellow, willow yellow, primrose, and bamboo green that Wan Jing had picked out and laughed. Weren’t all these so-called plain colors the colors of spring?
Following Wan Jing’s suggestion, she chose a silver-white plain skirt, a silver-white jacket, and a silver-blue vest. Outside, she wore a light cloak with a silver-white base embroidered with clusters of silver-blue bamboo. Once dressed, she set off for Yujin Garden with Wan Jing, Yu Ting, and A Wu.
She brought Yu Ting, and especially A Wu, because these two really wanted to go. Fine, since she was bound to be the center of attention, having A Wu might even help divert some of the curiosity from her.
Perhaps because Li Xiaonan was attending, the spring appreciation banquet hosted by Second Madam Pan had an unusually large number of guests, with almost everyone bringing at least one sister.
After all, this was only the second time Li Xiaonan had left Prince Rui’s Mansion to attend a banquet since marrying into the family. The first time was at Prime Minister Wang’s mansion, which they couldn’t afford to attend. This time, everyone who could come, did.
Not only did the young ladies arrive in large numbers, but they also arrived early, not wanting to miss any of the excitement.
Li Xiaonan, followed by Wan Jing, Yu Ting, and A Wu, walked through Yujin Garden under the gaze of countless young ladies.
The young ladies meticulously scrutinized Li Xiaonan’s hair, saying it wasn’t styled well, she wasn’t pretty, and her posture wasn’t elegant enough.
As Li Xiaonan passed, they continued to scrutinize her maidservant… Why did she bring a man!
Oh, oh! Is it a woman? Disguised as a man? Very skilled in Kung Fu? She looks exactly like a man…
Li Xiaonan overheard snippets of their conversations.
Hmm! Bringing A Wu was a wise decision. They were all curious about why she looked exactly like a man. That’s good.
Li Xiaonan was led by a maidservant of Second Madam Pan directly into the hall with the best view in Yujin Garden.
When Second Madam Pan saw Li Xiaonan ascend the steps, she sat up straight, leaned forward, and beckoned with a smile, “A Nan, come sit here. Today we’ve invited the best Pingtan performers in Jianle City. Listen and tell me what you think. I personally think they’re not as good as those in Pingjiang City.”
Ninth Lady Pan sat close to Second Madam Pan. Seeing Li Xiaonan being pulled by Second Madam Pan to sit on the couch, she stood up and sat on an armchair in front of the couch, focusing her gaze outside the hall.
Perhaps due to prior arrangements, there weren’t many people in the hall. The other three or four were young ladies and young wives from the imperial clan whom Li Xiaonan had met during her engagement.
Second Madam Pan pulled Li Xiaonan to sit down and then loudly called for the Pingtan performers to enter.
It was best to listen to Pingtan attentively and not talk too much. If one had to say something, it could be used as a topic related to Pingtan.
When Second Madam Pan saw Li Xiaonan, she couldn’t help but think of Miss Shi, who had become a nun. Alas.
The two Pingtan performers first strummed their pipa. After singing about ten lines, there was a commotion outside, and an old woman ran in.
“The Young Lord is here! Madam, the Young Lord is here! He’s already arrived!”
Before the old woman’s report finished, Gu Yan could be seen striding into the hall.
“Oh my, why is he here!” Second Madam Pan stood up and walked to the hall entrance. Gu Yan had already reached the steps of the hall and cupped his hands towards Second Madam Pan, “Greetings to Second Aunt.”
“Why are you here? Is something wrong?” Second Madam Pan asked with concern.
“Nothing is wrong. I happened to have half a day free and remembered I had promised A Nan to accompany her to the Hanlin Academy, so I came to pick her up. Please forgive me, Second Aunt,” Gu Yan said with a smile.
“Oh my!” Second Madam Pan’s exclamation carried a complex meaning. She turned and gestured to Li Xiaonan, “Hurry up and go.”
Li Xiaonan smiled in response, and Wan Jing quickly went inside to get Li Xiaonan’s cloak.
Li Xiaonan descended the steps, and Wan Jing caught up. Just as she was about to unfold the cloak to drape it over Li Xiaonan, Gu Yan reached out, took the cloak from Wan Jing, and draped it over Li Xiaonan, carefully tying it.
Li Xiaonan looked from her own cloak to Gu Yan’s cloak.
Hers was silver-white with clusters of silver-blue bamboo embroidered on it, while his was silver-blue with clusters of silver-white bamboo embroidered on it. She had no idea he had such a cloak.
Well, she had never paid attention to his clothes. He had far too many clothes.
Yu Ting watched Gu Yan slowly drape the cloak over Li Xiaonan and tie the ribbons, wanting to click his tongue but holding back.
Wan Jing glanced sideways at the onlookers, from one young lady to another.
A Wu stood behind Yu Ting and Wan Jing with his hands behind his back, wanting to say something but holding back.
Gu Yan tied a rather nice bow on the cloak’s ribbons and walked out side-by-side with Li Xiaonan.
Wan Jing nudged Yu Ting and said in a very low voice, “Chin up!”
Yu Ting was momentarily stunned before reacting, and like Wan Jing, he followed behind with his head held high.
A Wu looked at Wan Jing, then at Yu Ting, and inexplicably followed them with his back straight.
Li Xiaonan was once again the center of attention. She looked at Gu Yan, who was looking at her.
“What are you doing?” Li Xiaonan asked in a low voice.
“Because you married me, you’ve paid a price. I thought, I can’t let you pay in vain, I must give you face,” Gu Yan leaned forward slightly and whispered close to Li Xiaonan.
“Did you choose this cloak specifically?”
“Yes.”
“Are we really going to the Hanlin Academy?” Li Xiaonan simply focused her attention on talking with Gu Yan, her gaze intense as they walked out.
“Of course. We’ll ride horses there together later,” Gu Yan said with a smile.
“I’ll ride a horse too? All the way to the Hanlin Academy?”
“Yes, I want to see you, so let them see you properly,” Gu Yan looked at Li Xiaonan.
Li Xiaonan let out a sound.
She had a feeling like they were going on a parade.
The walls of Yujin Garden were just a few waist-high bamboo fences. Outside the courtyard gate, Gu Yan’s guards and servants waited with horses. Shi Gun led a snow-white horse over and handed it to A Wu. Gu Yan extended his hand, signaling Li Xiaonan.
“I’ll help you onto the horse.”
Li Xiaonan laughed and unceremoniously stepped into Gu Yan’s palm. With Gu Yan’s help lifting her, she got onto the horse.
Gu Yan also mounted his horse. He watched Li Xiaonan adjust the reins, then tapped Li Xiaonan’s horse with his horse whip. The two horses moved forward together.
Second Madam Pan stood on a goose-neck chair in the hall and watched until Li Xiaonan got on the horse, rode side-by-side with Gu Yan, and left surrounded by guards and servants. Only then did she get down, supported by a maidservant.
Ninth Lady Pan jumped down from the goose-neck chair and said indignantly to Second Madam Pan, “So rude! Letting the Young Lord help her with her cloak, and stepping on him to get on the horse! If it were Eldest Sister, she would never do that!”
“This is so good! This is how a young couple should be. Your Eldest Sister’s way is not good; this way is good.” Second Madam Pan patted Ninth Lady Pan and beckoned to the two Pingtan performers who were excitedly gossiping after watching the show, “Let’s continue listening to Pingtan. Where were we?”
