Wealth and glory seek stability

Korean government.

The name of the Peony Banquet is "Peony", but in reality it is just a competition among the young ladies and ladies who participate in the banquet to see how they dress. There is a prize for the first place winner, which is different every year.

Duke Hanguo was a veteran of two dynasties and held a distinguished status. The Peony Banquet hosted by his wife would cause quite a stir in the capital every year.

There is no other reason. The skirt worn by the winner of the Peony Banquet every year will become a trend-setter for the dress style of aristocratic women in the capital city in the future.

For this year's Peony Banquet, Lady Korea also invited Concubine Zhao to attend the ceremony.

Concubine Zhao was the most favored concubine in the harem and gave birth to the fifth prince, Xuanyuan Qiyuan. When she was young, she was known as the most beautiful woman in the Xuanyuan Dynasty.

"Today, all flowers are in full bloom. I wonder who is the king of flowers today?"

"Your Highness the Imperial Concubine has graced me with her presence today, making the flowers in my garden pale in comparison. Today, you will be the one to decide which flower will bloom the most." Lady Korea raised her glass and saluted from afar.

Concubine Zhao drank it all in one gulp, very politely, "Madam, you are too kind. Today I am the guest and you are the host, so of course the guest should follow the host's wishes."

When Qian entered, he instantly captured everyone's attention.

"Whose family is this lady from? She is so pretty."

"She is not a young lady at all. Didn't you see that she has a bun on her head? She is the niece of Lady Hanguogong and the second wife of Prince Wu'an."

"The dress she is wearing is so beautiful, she looks like the goddess of Luo River descended to earth."

"But don't you think the butterfly hairpin on her head and her coat look a bit like..."

"Zhao Yuwan! It's like Zhao Yuwan from the book has walked out of her!"

A single stone can cause a thousand ripples. As soon as Zhao Yuwan's name appeared, the atmosphere of the entire Peony Banquet was brought to its peak.

Everyone looked at each other in disbelief.

Have you seen it too?

Of course I have seen it, haven’t you?

Concubine Zhao, who was sitting at the head of the group, had her eyes light up. "Whose lady is this? She is dressed so elegantly. Zhu Xiang, go call her over so I can have a look."

"Yes, ma'am."

Qian had already walked up to her acquaintances to chat with them. She was surprised to see that it was the female official beside Concubine Zhao who summoned her. Several of her friends around her urged her, "Go quickly!"

"Your Highness Qian pays respect to Her Majesty the Imperial Concubine!"

"Get up quickly, Madam Qian."

"Yes, thank you, Madam Concubine!"

"I see that the clothes you are wearing are quite unique. I wonder which embroiderer has such skills?"

Women love beauty wherever they are, and the imperial concubine is no exception.

"Thanks to your kindness, my lady, this dress I'm wearing was made by our embroiderer, Aunt Qiao."

Zhu Xiang was a female official who served Concubine Zhao personally. She noticed the butterfly hairpin on Qian's head at first sight. "Madam, I think the butterfly hairpin on Qian's head is very beautiful. The hairpin is twice as long as an ordinary hairpin. It is inserted diagonally in the bun. It looks simple but it is not simple at all."

Qian responded with a smile: "Miss Zhu Xiang, you are too kind. This was made by the craftsmen in the palace's manufacturing department. It is definitely not as good as the craftsmanship of the palace's Ministry of Internal Affairs." She subconsciously did not mention Jian Xi. Such a big scene involved a little girl with no background. She could not do such a thing, and besides, that girl was indeed pleasing to her.

Given Concubine Zhao's status, if she asked Xia for a maid in her room, Xia would surely not refuse.

"In my opinion, the champion of today's Peony Banquet must be Madam Qian."

Lady Han Guogong was entertaining the guests, and she did not forget to pay attention to Concubine Zhao's movements. "Hahahaha, the Concubine said she just wanted to be a spectator, but now she has decided on the first place for the Peony Banquet. I have to make it clear that the person you chose is my niece. In order to prevent others from accusing me of being partial, let the Concubine preside over the ceremony."

"Then I will respectfully obey your command."

As expected, Qian won the first place in the Hundred Flowers Banquet, and her dress was named "Luoshen Skirt" by Concubine Zhao.

The reward for the first place is a necklace of South China Pearls from the depths of the South China Sea, each pearl is round and full and priceless.

Qian was surrounded by praises the entire day.

As soon as I got home, I went to Yulan Court to pay my respects.

Today is exactly the fifteenth day of the lunar month, and the family school is on break. Baili Rongxuan is taking his younger brothers and sisters to the Magnolia Courtyard to have fun with Xia Shi.

"Madam, the Second Madam is here to pay her respects."

"Let her in."

"Yes."

"Mother, my daughter-in-law is in the spotlight today..."

When Qian came in wearing the Luoshen skirt, she attracted another wave of attention.

"Wow! Auntie is so pretty!"

"Humph! Of course my mother is beautiful."

"Aunt, I want a beautiful dress, too."

The maid in Xia's room watched Qian's every move intently.

Only Xia was knowledgeable and a little calmer. "This dress is interesting. It seems you have gained a lot today." After saying that, she looked meaningfully at Ruyi who was holding the box behind her.

Qian smiled happily and told everyone about what happened at the Peony Banquet today.

"Ruyi, open the box."

"Yes."

"My daughter-in-law thought that Nanzhu was rare, so she presented it to her mother, hoping it would make her smile."

"I'm already half buried in the ground. Such fine jewelry would only look good on someone of your age."

"However, you must be careful with your words and actions in the future. The reason why our Baili family has been able to survive until now is that we have not participated in the fights between the princes. It is better to keep a distance from Concubine Zhao in the future."

Xia's beating was like a bucket of cold water poured on Qian, who was getting too proud of herself.

"Yes, my daughter-in-law will remember my mother's teachings."

"Good child, I know you are a trouble-maker. I also have a pair of Dongzhu earrings, which were given to me by the late queen on the day of my wedding. You can take them and dress up nicely." After saying this, Xia asked Qiangwei to find them in her dowry box without waiting for Qian to refuse.

Qian was deeply moved by Xia's act of giving a sweet reward after a beating, "Thank you, mother."

"By the way, why isn't that little girl Jian Xi here? Thanks to her idea, Aunt Qiao was able to make this Luoshen skirt for me. I want to reward her well." Xia looked around and found that Jian Xi was nowhere to be seen.

Xia looked dissatisfied. "She is just a maid. Just give her something casually. There is no need to make such a big fuss. Let me ask you, did you mention Jian Xi's name at the Peony Banquet today?"

Qian was keenly aware of Xia's emotions and explained, "That girl is to my liking. My daughter-in-law knows her limits and did not mention her name, but only referred to her as Aunt Qiao."

Xia showed a trace of tiredness and yawned, "I'm happy today, you all should go back and let me, an old woman, have some peace and quiet."

"Yes, grandma, your grandson will take his leave!"

"Yes, grandma, your granddaughter will take her leave!"

"Then... Mother, my daughter-in-law has also left."

"Ah."

Xia responded lazily.

Everyone left and the entire Magnolia Courtyard returned to silence.

Xia sat there for a while, and finally spoke, "Qiangwei, go call Jian Xi over."

"Yes, ma'am."