Chapter 202: Chapter 93: The Qixi Banquet
In the blink of an eye, the Qixi Festival was almost upon them. Song Yunzhao received a letter from the Song Family, brought back by Anshun.
She opened the letter and sneered. Mrs. Cai and Song Qinghan had still decided to go through with the marriage arrangement with the Marquis Wuxin Mansion.
Before her father left, he had explicitly told them there was no rush with the marriage and that they should wait until he returned to discuss it.
It seemed Mrs. Cai knew her father wouldn’t agree and was trying to finalize the marriage while he was away.
Her aunt, the First Madam, went on to say that she had tried to dissuade them, even bringing up the matter of the illegitimate son, but Mrs. Cai and her daughter paid it no mind. Instead, they mocked her, accusing her of not wanting Song Qinghan to marry into a prestigious family.
Song Yunzhao was at a loss for words. She could already imagine how furious the First Madam must be.
The two families had already begun marriage negotiations—things were moving quite fast. However, the First Madam was a woman of her word. This time, she showed Mrs. Cai and her daughter no mercy, stating directly in front of the people from the Marquis Wuxin Mansion that she and Song Qinghan had no sisterly affection for each other, and she would not involve herself in Song Qinghan’s affairs in the future.
Song Yunzhao’s heart trembled as she read this. In a world where family was paramount, for the First Madam to say such things was not a good sign for the Song Family.
But she couldn’t wait until Mrs. Cai and Song Qinghan caused some real trouble using her name before cleaning up the mess. By then, it would be about more than just a loss of reputation.
The First Madam had essentially burned her bridges to separate Song Yunzhao from the situation, but in doing so, she herself would inevitably gain a reputation for being harsh, heartless, and divisive.
Song Yunzhao’s brow furrowed tightly. She knew the First Madam’s temperament; unless Mrs. Cai and her daughter had gone too far, she would never have spoken so decisively in front of the people from the Marquis Wuxin Mansion.
However, the First Madam hadn’t gone into detail in the letter, likely not wanting her to worry while she was in the palace.
Song Yunzhao read the First Madam’s final words: the marriage negotiations with the Marquis Wuxin Mansion had failed on that day. As for whether the marriage would ultimately happen, even she couldn’t say for sure now.
The First Madam had scared them off. If the Marquis Wuxin Mansion still insisted on the marriage after all this, it meant their ambitions were truly significant.
Song Yunzhao couldn’t figure it out. Since the Marquis Wuxin Mansion knew her relationship with Song Qinghan was terrible and that she would not be involved in her affairs in the future, why didn’t they reject the marriage on the spot? What were they really after?
In the book, her cannon-fodder character made an early exit, and Song Qinghan entered the palace, so she naturally never got involved with the Marquis Wuxin. As a result, Song Yunzhao was now truly at a loss.
She decided to set the matter aside for now. No matter what the Marquis Wuxin Mansion and Song Qinghan’s mother were plotting, she wouldn’t let them succeed.
But before that, she needed to report this to the Emperor in advance. It would prevent her from being caught off guard if Mrs. Cai one day accused her of being unfilial.
After putting the letter away, Song Yunzhao had her breakfast and continued preparing her Qixi gift for the Emperor. The ancient Qiqiao Festival had many customs, such as building incense bridges, collecting dew, worshiping the Seven Sisters, competing in needle threading, and observing spiders for omens. Different regions had different traditions and events.
Of course, the Qiqiao Festival in the palace didn’t involve these activities. The concubines’ minds weren’t on competing in skill, but rather on winning the Emperor’s heart. So for the festival, Palace Attendants would go through the motions of these events, and the concubines would just make an appearance. Their main business was still vying to outshine each other in beauty and charm before the Emperor.
Song Yunzhao was different. She had personally knotted a pair of tassels, using two Jade Pendants. When separated, each was a standalone piece, but when joined together, they formed a complete design.
Her craftsmanship wasn’t as good as Nanny Yu’s or Xiangxue’s, but she had learned with diligence. At least, she herself thought it was quite good. She hadn’t used overly saturated reds and greens for the color scheme, but rather light-colored threads to complement the Jade Pendants. While this made it look less festive, it was simple, elegant, and grew more beautiful the more one looked at it.
She placed the two Jade Pendants in a brocade box, not planning to bring it to the banquet. If the Emperor returned to Wangyou Palace with her tonight, she would give it to him. If he didn’t come... alas, she still had to give it to him, but the manner of delivery would require some extra thought.
’My life is so hard,’ Song Yunzhao thought. ’I’m either vying for favor or on my way to vie for favor.’
This harem might not have visible swords and spears, but the invisible battles were even more mentally exhausting.
The Emperor didn’t come for the midday meal, but Song Yunzhao didn’t mind. He had been so busy lately that he hardly touched the ground; just seeing him was a pleasant surprise.
After her afternoon nap, Nanny Yu and the others acted as if facing a great enemy, helping her bathe, dress, and do her makeup. The entire process was quite exhausting.
This time, Xiangxue styled her hair into a "Flying Asparas" bun. This hairstyle involved three loops piled high on the head, soaring straight up, hence its name.
’This hairstyle is very heavy, but it’s gorgeous and exquisite. Too bad my current rank doesn’t allow me to wear a phoenix hairpin. But one day, I’ll be able to.’ she thought.
"Mistress, you look truly beautiful today," Shizhu said, almost too stunned to speak. ’Even a celestial fairy could hardly compare.’
Song Yunzhao admired herself in the mirror. She had to admit, Xiangxue’s skill was truly remarkable. Today, she had done her own makeup. Such a magnificent hairstyle naturally required an exquisite look to match. The ends of her brows were subtly lifted, and her eyeliner, blended at the outer corners, swept upward—not too obvious, but it made her eyes look bigger and even more beautiful.
She chose a bright red Rouge for her lips. She hadn’t used such a vibrant color since entering the palace, but it was a perfect match for today’s look.
Qingfeng and Yulu hurried over with a dress. Song Yunzhao changed her clothes. The summer night air carried a unique sultry heat, so the garments were made of light, thin fabric.
With every step Song Yunzhao took, the hem of her skirt rippled like waves. The embroidery on the palace gown was outlined with gold and silver thread. Under the evening lights, it would surely look even more stunning than it did now.
Song Yunzhao had intentionally eaten little for lunch. Now, with her waist cinched, she was the very picture of "a waist that could be encircled by a single hand." Even she herself thought her slender waist was breathtakingly beautiful.
Nanny Yu came over holding a concubine-red, gold-woven shawl. As Song Yunzhao draped it over her shoulders, she couldn’t help but remember her past life, when she would play fairy at home, draping bedsheets over herself. The memory made her smile.
’Now I finally have a real one instead of a bedsheet,’ she thought.
"Mistress, the hour is almost here," Xiangxue said with a smile as she stepped forward.
Song Yunzhao glanced at the hourglass. "Wait another quarter of an hour." Then she turned to Yulu. "Have Anshun keep watch. If His Majesty departs from Taiji Palace, have him inform me immediately."
"Yes." Yulu left at once.
"Mistress, are you thinking of...?"
Song Yunzhao looked at Nanny Yu and nodded, smiling softly. "Nanny, you think it’s improper?"
It was indeed improper. But then Nanny Yu considered that there was no Empress in the palace, which made it a non-issue.
"If Mistress wishes to do it, then you should. The palace has no master, so you can do no wrong," Nanny Yu said immediately.
Song Yunzhao smiled. "Nanny is right."
Before long, Yulu returned. "Mistress, Anshun reports that there’s movement at Taiji Palace."
Song Yunzhao nodded. "Then let’s go."
They left Wangyou Palace under the moonlight. If there were an Empress, the Qixi banquet would naturally be held in Changle Palace. But with Changle Palace without a mistress, the banquet was set in Qinghua Hall.
Qinghua Hall and Changyi Pavilion were on the same path. If one wished to avoid the Imperial Garden, the route to Qinghua Hall would inevitably pass by Wangyou Palace.
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