Noble Lady

Sakura Garden Poetry Meeting.

Xue Chenyu's carriage slowly stopped in front of the door.

Yuzhu, who was wearing a light green dress, got off the carriage first and stretched out her hand. Xue Chenyu in the carriage then helped her get off.

Xue Chenyu dressed up specially today, wearing a moon-white skirt embroidered with crabapple flowers, and a slightly thicker peach-colored wide-sleeved shirt embroidered with crabapple flowers.

In March, this outfit is just right, neither too cold nor too hot.

Today, she didn't wear her hair in a bun like a married woman, but rather in the style of an unmarried girl. She also wore two gold and jade hairpins and a pair of gold hairpins, looking low-key yet luxurious.

To suit the occasion, she also wore a veil to block outsiders from seeing her beauty.

The carriage in front of her was from the Duke of Chen's mansion, and the person getting out, helped by a maid, was Chen Lizhu. She didn't wear a hat or anything like that, and appeared in a very open and confident manner.

She was dressed in a fiery red dress, and just standing there made it impossible to take your eyes off her.

Behind Xue Chenyu, another person got out of the carriage.

It was Xue Luoyan, one of the two people she brought today.

The little girl had two buns on her head and wore a light yellow skirt. Because she was afraid that she would be cold, the marquis' wife gave her a red cloak embroidered with a lion.

The little girl jumped out of the car by herself and hugged her beautiful sister.

"Sister, it doesn't make any difference whether you wear this curtain or not. When you stand here, people will know you are a beauty."

"The little girl only knows how to make me happy." Xue Chenyu scratched her nose helplessly.

"What are you talking about, sister? I will also try to make you happy."

Behind the carriage came a short young man on horseback. He had his hair tied up high and his skin was slightly tanned, which complemented the dark red robe he was wearing.

Same, red.

"Pfft..." Xue Luoyan couldn't help laughing again when she saw him dressed like this.

Xue Chenyu almost couldn't hold back her tears: She had every reason to suspect that her mother had chosen this outfit for him on purpose.

"You, Xue Luoyan, you are not allowed to laugh." Xue Huai was so angry that he wanted to get off his horse and ran over.

Xue Chenyu reached out to stop him, "We agreed before we came out today that you two must follow my instructions. If you two keep fighting here, I'll have to send you back."

As soon as these words were spoken, the two little ones became obedient.

Xue Chenyu pointed at her two younger siblings and said, "Remember, Xue Xiaohuai, you are not allowed to mention my full name today. You are not allowed to mention Luoluo either. Just call me by my nickname. Do you understand?"

The two little ones nodded silently, and then followed Xue Chenyu obediently.

Chen Lizhu came over after seeing that they had finished talking.

"It's almost time to go in. Everyone inside should be here by now."

"Excuse me Miss Chen San."

……

Today's poetry gathering was what Xue Chenyu had told Chen Lizhu about before. She could be notified to come along, and she had given her a visiting card a few days ago.

That's why she was able to prepare and take the two little ones with her.

Chen Lizhu could enter the park just by her face, and no one dared to stop her.

When they were halfway there, they could hear a discussion starting inside.

"If you ask me, these military generals are unnecessary. Our dynasty is strong and powerful, with all nations paying tribute to us. The barbarians dare not do anything to us. What's the point of having those roughnecks?"

"That is to say, that Marquis Wu'an keeps talking about increasing military pay and recruiting more soldiers. In such a peaceful time, why recruit soldiers? It's just to enrich these people and make them rich."

"That's right. The Marquis of Wu'an's Mansion is famous for its wealth. Who didn't see their daughter's wedding half a year ago? It was a ten-mile long wedding. Even a princess might not have such a grand ceremony."

"Who knows how much of the people's blood and sweat their Ten Miles of Red Clothes cost? I'm afraid all the money from the imperial court went into their pockets."

The Fourth Master Yu listened with great interest. Suddenly, he thought of something and whispered to the person beside him:

"Brother He, isn't your wife the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Wu'an? Hearing what they said, aren't you angry at all?"

He Minzhi, who was named, curled his lips in disdain and said in a low voice, "There's nothing to be angry about. I haven't touched their wealth."

He spoke in a low voice and hid from others, as if he was afraid of being recognized.

Young Master Yu Si said, "I see," and then he watched them scold the generals with little interest.

When Xue Chenyu and his group entered the garden, they heard them cursing fiercely.

But what really made her angry was more than that.

But it was He Minzhi who was listening with great interest in the corner and whispering in agreement.

Under the curtain, her face turned pale and she wanted to slap him.

"That person is not He..." Xue Huai clenched his fists, but Xue Chenyu covered his mouth accurately.

He looked at his eldest sister in shock, unable to understand why she was stopping him.

Chen Lizhu has a private room.

In the same garden, she had already gone up to the small building to watch people below discussing poetry and essays. This was the privilege of the legitimate daughter of the Duke's Mansion.

Xue Chenyu took Xue Luoyan and Xue Huai to follow her upstairs.

She took down the curtain only when no one was watching.

Little did he know that He Minzhi had seen the scene just now. He only took a quick glance and thought, why did that person's figure look so much like Xue Chenyu?

But then I thought again that it was impossible. What purpose would someone like her have in attending a poetry club? She was obsessed with money and was not suitable for being pretentious.

"Miss Xue, they're saying this about your father, why don't you try to refute them?"

Xue Chenyu just said, the time has not come yet.

Chen Lizhu didn't know what she was up to and didn't ask any further questions.

But what those people said was indeed a bit harsh.

Although the descendants of Duke Chen's Mansion now all pursue a career in the imperial examination system, they also started out as military generals in their early years.

Xue Chenyu could endure it, but she couldn't. She opened a small window, picked up a teacup and smashed it into the garden.

Everyone was shocked.

Some people wanted to curse, but when they looked up and saw the private room clearly, they shut up again.

Xue Huai clenched his fists the whole time, but was stopped by Xue Chenyu, so he could only get angry.

"Why didn't Eldest Sister let me go and beat them up? Am I going to let them slander Father and Mother like this?!"

Xue Chenyu asked him, "What good will it do if you beat them up? Will it only change their opinion of you, or will it only deepen their prejudice against the Xue family?"

"If you go down and beat them up now, it will only make them think that we in Wu'an Marquis Mansion are the kind of people they think we are."

Luo Luo also said: "Then let them scold like this?"

This is no longer just a matter of civil servants and military generals. It involves the fact that the Wu'an Marquis's family fortune was all embezzled from military pay. Who can tolerate this?

Xue Chenyu sneered, "Did you see the one cursing the loudest?"

Chen Lizhu was shocked by her sneer and felt that nothing good would happen next.

"The one with the greasy hair and powdered face?" The two little ones looked over at the same time.

"That's the illegitimate son of the Duke of Qing. Look at him, all dressed in gold and silver. He looks like he has everything. His father is the Minister of Revenue."