Mistakenly recognized as a cousin, thousands of pampered

Tao Hongyuan and the Tao sisters were invited by the eldest princess to attend the banquet.

It was summer, and the banquet venue was specially chosen to be on a waterside pavilion, which was next to the blue waves. The breeze was blowing gently, and the water was calm, which gave it a unique elegance.

After Tao Hongyuan's carriage slowly stopped, he still did not forget to carefully instruct Tao Jiuxi, his words full of seriousness: "You must abide by the rules and must not lose your sense of proportion."

Tao Jiuxi nodded mechanically like a puppet, and kept responding, "Don't worry, father. I understand."

Ji Qingyi was unwilling to attend the banquet and stayed alone in Tao's house.

"It's Lord Tao! Please come in, Lord Tao." The servant in charge of reception outside the door, as soon as he saw Tao Hongyuan, immediately greeted him with a smile on his face and invited him warmly.

Tao Hongyuan was filled with confusion. He looked around. This place was filled with high-ranking officials and dignitaries. He really didn't understand why this attendant could recognize him at a glance. Moreover, a row of carriages had stopped at this time, and people were getting off. But this attendant was only so enthusiastic towards him.

Tao Hongyuan walked inside and turned back to give instructions.

"Wan'er, Xi'er, please come in too. Be sure to behave properly."

"Father, please relax."

Tao Hongyuan had just walked a short distance when a maid came to greet him: "Miss Tao, the eldest princess invites you."

So the two sisters followed the maid to where the eldest princess was.

"Meet the eldest princess."

"Hurry up and stand up." The eldest princess smiled humbly and continued, "This banquet was held at Yi'er's request. The purpose is to select a successor for your father. Many of the guests today have brought their wives with them. You should also take a look and see if there is anyone you like."

"Princess, do you have a suitable candidate?" Tao Qingwan knew that the princess was always thorough in her work and guessed that she must have some ideas.

"The second daughter of Lord Li, the Junior Minister of the Imperial Clan, is only eighteen years old. She is pretty, gentle and charming, and has good character. There is also the daughter of Lord Sun, the Grand Secretary, who is twenty-one this year. She was recuperating on the farm due to illness a few years ago, so her engagement was delayed. Now she has recovered. Her mother came to me and asked me to make this happen. You two sisters can consider it." The eldest princess told the story.

"So young?" Tao Jiuxi couldn't help but feel a little surprised. After all, his father was already forty years old. Although he was handsome, it didn't seem appropriate for him to marry such a young woman.

"Girl, is it possible that your father will remarry and find someone of similar age?" the eldest princess asked with a smile.

Tao Jiuxi quickly shook her head, but that was what she had been thinking in her heart. She had to find someone who was at least 27 or 28 years old.

"Your father is a fourth-rank official, and there are many families willing to marry their daughters to him." The eldest princess could see Tao Jiuxi's surprise, so she explained.

"Princess, please inform us at the banquet later which of the two girls we are. Jiuxi and I will certainly take good care of them for our father."

"Okay, when the dinner starts, I'll have the maid show it to you. Go and have fun."

The reason why the eldest princess called the two of them over was to tell her the candidate in her mind so as to facilitate this matter. After all, this was what Shen Zhiyi had asked for, so she naturally took it to heart.

After the two of them retreated, they came to the front hall.

As soon as you enter the front hall, the sound of stringed instruments lingers in your ears like the gurgling of flowing water. The melodious music adds a bit of liveliness and elegance to the banquet.

Three stages were strategically placed in the center of the banquet hall, each filled with dancers. Dressed in vibrant, gorgeous costumes, they seemed to have stepped out of a painting, their figures graceful and their steps light and airy.

On the left side of the banquet, many women gathered, some in groups of three, some in groups of two, chatting quietly together, with laughter coming from time to time.

On the right side are the male guests, who are either chatting in low voices or drinking from their glasses, creating a harmonious atmosphere.

Today, because the eldest princess intended to let Tao Hongyuan choose a suitable candidate for her second marriage, she had not set up a screen in the middle. This type of banquet was not uncommon nowadays, but the only people who knew the eldest princess's intentions were the two families she favored.

Tao Jiuxi shifted his gaze slightly and looked around the surroundings, and unexpectedly found a familiar figure among the female relatives.

"Zhao Muer?" Tao Jiuxi couldn't help but exclaim.

At the same time, Zhao Muer also saw Tao Jiuxi, and a hint of surprise and displeasure flashed in her eyes.

"Tao Jiuxi?" Zhao Muer's tone was filled with a hint of disdain. Meeting Tao Jiuxi at this occasion was a complete letdown for her.

The two of them seemed like natural enemies and were one of the people they hated the most in each other's hearts.

Seeing this, Tao Jiuxi immediately rolled his eyes rudely, and Zhao Muer was not to be outdone and rolled her eyes back.

When a woman next to Zhao Muer heard that the woman in front of her with beautiful appearance and outstanding temperament was Tao Jiuxi, a bright smile immediately appeared on her face.

"She is actually the Princess of Anping County, who was personally appointed by His Majesty?"

The woman hurried forward and greeted him enthusiastically, "You are the Princess Anping. I've long heard that she is both talented and beautiful. I'm fortunate to meet her today. Her reputation is truly well-deserved. She is truly extraordinary."

The woman's face was full of courtesy.

Compared to the embarrassing experience of being laughed at by everyone at the ball game last time, Tao Jiuxi felt particularly pleased with the attentive flattery of the person in front of him.

"Miss, you are too kind. You are also very beautiful." Tao Jiuxi responded enthusiastically with a smile on his face.

The other women saw that Tao Jiuxi was so approachable, and not at all like the county ladies in the capital who were arrogant and looked down on others. Especially those women whose families were not too noble, they immediately put aside their worries and walked forward, vying to talk to Tao Jiuxi.

Tao Jiuxi carefully remembered every person who came to talk to her. She took Tao Qingwan by the hand and chatted happily with everyone. Their topics ranged from elegant poetry and songs to daily food, clothing, housing and transportation.

Tao Jiuxi seemed particularly excited when talking about "eating." Because many people had mentioned Jingcheng Xianpinzhai's pastries, this was undoubtedly a good opportunity to promote them.

When Tao Jiuxi heard this topic, he immediately agreed and discussed it with everyone.

Lady A: "Ah! The cakes from Xianpinzhai are absolutely delicious!"

Tao Jiuxi's eyes lit up and he nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, yes! You really have good taste!"

Lady B: "The taste of Xianpinzhai's pastries is beyond words, and their shapes are particularly unique."

Tao Jiuxi's smile widened. "Yes, yes, I think so too. Sister Qingya and I are truly in tune with each other and have the same vision."

Lady C: "Sister Qingya likes it too. I often send people to check it out every now and then, and if there's anything new, I buy it to try."

Tao Jiuxi quickly responded: "Me too, me too."