The cruel little princess

In recent days, Shen Youyou has been learning etiquette from Aunt Zhilan and has made great progress.

After she got dressed up this morning, Aunt Zhilan praised her as a fairy who had descended to earth!

She wore her hair in two buns, each pinned with a small crabapple flower, dotted with a round pearl in the middle. The tassels swayed gently, adding a touch of liveliness and loveliness. The loose hair in front of her forehead fell naturally, making her face even more delicate.

She wore a light pink gauze dress with delicate floral patterns embroidered on the hem, and a white ribbon tied around her waist, which made her figure even more graceful. She also wore a lavender cape embroidered with a few small flowers in silver thread, which was both gorgeous and fresh.

Wear this pink set today, and after taking a shower after lunch, change into the clothes sent by His Royal Highness Prince Jin.

Aunt Zhilan then brought out the sapphire-blue palace gown gifted by His Royal Highness Prince Jin. It featured peony embroidery in kesi silk, creating a dignified yet slightly quirky look. The double-sided, embroidered bodice was embroidered with a layer of fluffy white fox fur, providing protection from the wind and cold while adding a delicate touch. It was warm yet lightweight, without the slightest bit of bulk.

Aunt Zhilan took out a few sets of clothes that had been matched in advance and put them into a light small bag. "Miss, you have to take these with you too. Put them in the carriage. In case some ignorant servant bumps into them and soaks the clothes with tea, it would be embarrassing to lose etiquette in front of the palace."

Aunt Zhilan said as if recalling and sighing, "I am not suitable to accompany you to the palace banquet. Back then, I followed Empress Defei and was taken out of the palace by His Royal Highness Prince Jin. If I go with you, everyone will secretly speculate about your relationship! But because it is the first time for you and Chuntao to attend a palace banquet, many people don’t know each other, so I will bring you the little palace maid Xia He who I brought out from the palace before. At least she can recognize someone and tell you what kind of etiquette to perform! Since you are a county lady, it is okay for you to bring two maids!" As Aunt Zhilan spoke, she asked Xia He to come in and pay her respects to the young lady.

"Aunt Zhilan, that's not necessary. I have Chuntao. Besides, I have already made an appointment with Miss Zuo from the family of Lord Zuo, the Minister of Works. We will be together at the palace banquet, and no one will be so blind as to bump into us. It's just a palace banquet anyway! There's no need to be so nervous!" Shen Youyou comforted her.

"It's not that I'm nervous, it's mainly because you don't know the methods of the people in the palace. Since the prince said before that His Royal Highness Prince Rui has special feelings for you, he will never give up. I'm worried that His Royal Highness Prince Rui will get angry and use dirty tricks to force you to submit. Such things have happened frequently in previous years, and I guess they will not disappear this year. So I think bringing one more person is a little more insurance." Aunt Zhilan was really thinking about Shen Youyou.

"Aunt, have you forgotten what I do? If someone wants to use medicine on me, it would be like a craftsman meeting Lu Ban - meeting the ancestor! So don't worry, aunt!" Shen Youyou said confidently.

Aunt Zhilan felt a little relieved when she saw her confident look, but she couldn't help but remind her, "That being said, people's hearts are unpredictable, so we must be on guard. Besides, the guests at this palace banquet are all high-ranking officials, so we must be cautious."

"I know, aunt. Don't nag me anymore. I know what I'm doing." Shen Youyou responded with a smile.

Aunt Zhilan shook her head helplessly, secretly praying that everything would go smoothly and nothing would go wrong. After all, in this complex palace environment, any negligence could lead to irreparable consequences.

Shen Youyou pressed her shoulders and sat down. "Besides, I have no grudges against them, so there's no need to worry too much, auntie!"

Whatever, we still have His Royal Highness Prince Jin! Let the young people solve their own problems! I am old!

After lunch, Shen Youyou took a short rest, then washed and showered, changed her clothes and prepared to leave.

In ancient times, this was a real hassle. You had to wear the right clothes for the right occasion and the right people. Sometimes you'd have to change your clothes several times a day, whether it was for home or outings. Thanks to her father! He wasn't the most sociable person! So, her family didn't have any close friends in Beijing. Except for her best friend, Zuo Qingqing!

Shen Youyou got on the carriage and first asked Li Bo to go to the residence of the Minister of Works. She promised Zuo Qingqing to accompany her.

So, after greeting Madam Zuo, Zuo Qingqing got on her carriage and followed the Zuo Mansion carriage towards the palace. When she arrived at the palace gate, she found that there was already a long queue.

According to custom, they all had to get off their carriages at the palace gate and undergo inspection before entering the palace in turn. But there are always exceptions!

Shen Youyou and Zuo Qingqing stood by the wall, watching the carriages of each family, trying to identify the insignia of each family. Then they heard someone shouting in front of them, "By order of the Concubine Shu, we are here to invite Miss Zhang Yuyan into the palace!"

Then, a carriage would be seen clattering forward from behind. Occasionally, if someone saw someone who hadn't made way in time, they would whisper, "Move aside! Can you afford to delay the orders of the Concubine Shu?"

The carriage sped all the way to the palace gate, where four strong maids carrying a sedan chair came to pick up the people on the carriage. The guards and maids at the palace gate briefly checked them and then let them into the palace. Then the carriage left with a "da da da" sound.

"Whose daughter is this? Such a great honor?" Shen Youyou asked. Could this be the privilege Chu Huaijin mentioned? Bringing her into the palace sooner rather than later saves them from standing in this freezing cold, waiting in line for inspection. If that were the case, no wonder everyone wanted to be the best! It sure felt good to have privileges.

"This is the only daughter of Prime Minister Zuo, Zhang Yuyan. Her aunt is the current emperor's concubine. Her cousin is the current fifth prince, His Royal Highness Prince Rui." Although Zuo Qingqing had never left the house before, she still had a clear idea of ​​the network of relationships among various families and mansions.

"Oh..." Shen Youyou nodded.

Soon, it was Shen Youyou's turn to be checked into the palace. Madam Zuo got off the carriage and ordered a hot water bottle to be brought to each of the two young ladies. She gathered their cloaks and said, "It's very cold. Each of you should warm your hands with a hot water bottle. Don't catch a cold!" After that, she turned around and took the two young ladies for inspection.

"Who is this young lady?" The guard who was recording the names had never seen Shen Youyou, but he had never heard that Minister Zuo had two daughters in his family, so he asked.

"This is Miss Shen Youyou, the Princess of Rui'an, personally appointed by His Majesty, and the only daughter of a first-rank general." Madam Zuo announced Shen Youyou's name.

"It turns out to be Princess Rui'an. I was blind and didn't recognize you. I hope Princess Rui'an will forgive me!" The guard bowed.

Fortunately, Shen Youyou had learned the rules from Aunt Zhilan. She gently extended her left hand forward, "It's okay. Ignorance is not a crime." This meant that she didn't take it to heart. The guards were relieved.

"Rui'an County Lady, Madam Zuo, Miss Zuo, please come in!" After checking, the maids found nothing suspicious and let them in. Shen Youyou and Zuo Qingqing, along with their maids, followed Madam Zuo into the palace on foot.

According to custom, they would first visit the Empress in the Central Palace, and then wait for the evening banquet. During this time, they could also stroll through the Imperial Garden, which was only open once a year, and chat with other ladies from other palaces to relieve boredom.

When the Empress Dowager was meeting her, the head aunt of the Empress Dowager had already received the news that the Rui'an County Lady came with Madam Zuo. So when Shen Youyou, Madam Zuo, and Zuo Qingqing came to pay her a visit, she accurately guessed Shen Youyou's true identity.

"Oh my! This must be the Princess of Rui'an, personally appointed by our Emperor, right?!" The Empress motioned for her to come forward and answer. So Shen Youyou took a few steps forward.

"Look! The Rui'an County Lady has such a majestic demeanor! Such aura! If I hadn't seen such a beautiful person standing in front of me with my own eyes, I would have thought that she was a fairy from heaven who had descended to the mortal world! It's really rare!" The Queen Mother looked at Shen Youyou and nodded in praise.

"Your humble servant greets Her Majesty! May Her Majesty live in peace and happiness!" Shen Youyou performed a standard blessing ceremony. "Your humble servant thanks Her Majesty for the compliment! However, Her Majesty is a mother to the world, shining like the bright moon. I am but a drop in the ocean, receiving Her Majesty's light."

"No need to be so polite! Please take a seat!" said the Queen with a smile.