Sir Song, do you want to pledge yourself to me?

The ladies at the banquet were talking non-stop. Ji Nuan and the other three sat together flipping through the booklet. Whenever they saw the information of someone they knew appear in the booklet, they would discuss in a low voice the discrepancies in the information. They also quickly became familiar with Qiu Shizao.

Mrs. Qi, who sat across from them, was utterly disappointed with Shen Mingzhu. Even though they were sitting together, she didn't want to say a word to her. Shen Mingzhu ate the delicious food on the table while glaring fiercely at the person opposite her. The happier Ji Nuan and the others chatted, the more she chewed, as if she wasn't eating delicious food, but the flesh of the person opposite her.

Diagonally opposite, the two young ladies from the Lin family were also talking in low voices.

Miss Lin San whispered indignantly to Miss Lin Er: "Look at her, Second Sister, she really doesn't look like a lady at all. She actually flirted with a few merchant girls at the banquet, and she's not afraid of losing face for Master Song."

Miss Lin Er also had her own thoughts. She seemed relatively calm. "The Marquis's wife didn't say anything after seeing this, so let's not say anything. Maybe they just thought this party was a bit boring, just like us, and that's why they got together."

"I heard that Ji Nuan helped organize today's flower viewing banquet. A country bumpkin like her is truly unpresentable. She couldn't even arrange a piece of music or dance. It would be so boring for us to just have a feast like this." After criticizing Ji Nuan for her incompetence, Third Miss Lin goaded Second Miss Lin, "Second sister, our father praised you for playing the piano, but outsiders don't know you have such a talent. Why don't you play a piece for everyone? Leave a good impression in front of the Marquis's wife and the ladies of the other families. It will make it easier for you to meet them in the future."

Miss Lin Er was worried about finding an opportunity to make a splash and draw the attention of the ladies present. Miss Lin San's words hit the spot, but she feigned demur, saying, "How can that be? Today's protagonists are all sitting quietly in their seats. Wouldn't it be a slap in her face if I tried to steal the spotlight?"

"She's from a humble background, how could she possibly have any talent? It's a good thing she can just sit there and not embarrass herself." Miss Lin rolled her eyes as she spoke. "How about we take the lead and let her show off her talent first? After she's done embarrassing herself, Second Sister can come up and crush her?"

"Wouldn't this embarrass Madam Hou? Ji Nuan will also lose her good impression, and the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law will be affected in the future... No, no, we can't do this."

Miss Lin Er tried to dissuade them verbally, pretending to be really thinking about Ji Nuan and Madam Hou, but in fact she was secretly laughing in her heart.

Miss Lin San: "Second sister, you are too kind. What does it have to do with you whether they are good or not? Today, it is a rare occasion that all the famous ladies in the prefecture are present. As long as you can shine in front of them, you will not have to worry about finding a good marriage. Maybe the marquis' wife will look at you differently. If you can't become the prefect's wife, being a concubine is also fine."

Miss Lin Er was so happy that she could almost see herself surrounded by all the ladies, all vying to marry her off as their daughter-in-law. Her cheeks flushed, and she feigned shyness as she chided him, "What nonsense are you talking about? How did you get to the point of marriage?"

Even so, she was still pondering: So what if Ji Nuan had an imperial decree granting the marriage? She had inquired about it. Before the Marquis's wife arrived, the Song residence didn't even have a maid, and Song Jinbai didn't even have a concubine; his only attendants were servants. For a daughter of a minor official, being a concubine to the prefect wasn't bad at all. Moreover, Song Jinbai was incredibly handsome, and with the status of a marquis's heir, he was sure to become incredibly wealthy in the future.

"Alright, Second Sister, just follow my instructions. Think carefully about which piece of music you'll play later that will best showcase your talent." Miss Lin San hadn't finished her words when she stood up and walked gracefully to the center of the banquet. She bowed to the Marquis' wife, who sat at the head of the table, and said in a clear and pleasant voice, "Madam, the chrysanthemums in the garden are in full bloom today, and the fragrance is intoxicating. I'm truly honored to be among them and to taste these delicious dishes."

Her words were like a stone dropped into a calm lake, instantly interrupting the whispers between the tables and drawing everyone's attention to her.

Miss Lin San looked around with satisfaction before continuing, "It's rumored that Miss Ji is not only stunningly beautiful, but also incredibly talented, which is why she's so highly regarded by Lord Song. We've all seen her beauty today; it's truly breathtaking. As for her rumored talent, we haven't yet witnessed it. Since all the ladies are here today, why don't you take this opportunity to showcase it and broaden the horizons of us ordinary folk?"

After she finished speaking, she looked at Ji Nuan seemingly casually, but her eyes were full of provocation. Although she thought she had concealed it well, everyone present could see the meaning behind it.

Several ladies who had connections with the Lin family took a deep breath, looked disapproving, and signaled with their eyes that Miss Lin San should stop causing trouble and leave quickly.

The other ladies were furious. She was causing trouble and trying to involve everyone in it, offending the Marquis' wife for no reason.

Shen Songhe was even more displeased and glanced at Miss Lin San indifferently.

Anyone with a discerning eye could see that the purpose of today's banquet was to introduce Ji Nuan to everyone and pave the way for her to integrate into the ladies' circle in the future.

This weirdo who came out of nowhere actually wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to become famous, and she used the pretext that everyone wanted to see Ji Nuan's talents, really thinking that this was the place where she could run wild.

Shen Songhe looked at Ji Nuan calmly, wondering how she would respond to Lin San's provocation.

Ji Nuan wanted to roll her eyes at Miss Lin San without caring about her image. Couldn't people just enjoy the banquet in peace?

She had originally thought that teaching that troublemaker Shen Mingzhu a lesson in front of all the other ladies would serve as a warning to others. However, Song Jinbai was a hot commodity, so tempting that the banquet was already well underway when someone else jumped out to provoke her.

She handed the booklet back to Qiu Shizao beside her, her tone somewhat nonchalant: "You said too, those are just rumors. You can't just believe everything they say, right? I'm just an ordinary woman from the countryside, and I don't have any famous teachers to teach me. Those who say I'm talented are just deliberately spreading rumors!"

Changing the subject, she smiled and offered Miss Lin a stage. "I've also heard that the two Misses of the Lin family are extraordinary at playing the zither. How about one of you perform first?"

The last two words "perform" are quite interesting.

The ladies who were dissatisfied with being used as a pretext wanted to laugh but couldn't, and their expressions looked quite strange.

Shen Songhe even picked up a handkerchief and gently touched the corners of her slightly raised mouth, and the smile in her eyes could not be hidden.

The expressions of the two young ladies of the Lin family became extremely ugly.

Ji Nuan wanted to put them in the same situation as Le Ji, and let them perform to please everyone.

Ji Nuan had no sympathy for these troublemakers. Seeing that the two hadn't made any move, her eyes instantly became sharp, like two sharp knives slashing at the two young ladies of the Lin family, and she pressed, "What's wrong? Are those rumors also false? Or are you simply unwilling to perform for us?"

Miss Lin Er lowered her eyes and dared not look at her. She shrank her neck and seemed a little at a loss.

Miss Lin San, however, no longer had the wit and complacency she had just displayed. Instead, a hint of grievance appeared on her face. She bit her lip and turned to Miss Lin Er with a pleading and dependent look. "Second sister, father always praises your piano skills as better than mine. I'm afraid it will bring shame to the Lin family. Second sister, please come."

Miss Lin Er was pushed out by her younger sister. She glared at Miss Lin San fiercely, her heart filled with resentment. The anticipation and pride she had just felt were gone in an instant, replaced by the burning and helpless feeling of being roasted on the fire.

- ??(?????) The humble author begs for urging updates~