What to do if you receive the wrong package?

As the carriage moved forward, they got closer and closer to their destination, the Mountain and Water Villa.

"Sister Lin, where exactly is this Mountain and Water Villa?" Zhou Yuran gently lifted a corner of the carriage curtain, curiously exploring the surroundings outside the window.

"Shanshui Villa is a newly built villa of the royal family, specifically used for holding banquets. It is said to have a beautiful environment, and it is not as restrictive as the palace, so it is deeply loved by the Empress. As for the specific location, it occupies a large area, on the edge of Zhongjing, and it seems to be next to Shaolin Temple."

"Shaolin Temple?" Hua Yin frowned, after all, Shaolin Temple was a place full of questions now.

"It seems that the back mountain of Shaolin Temple and the back mountain of Shanshui Villa are connected, but I don't know anything else." Lin Bihua knew that Hua Yin and the others were "sensitive" about Shaolin Temple, so she quickly told them everything she knew.

"Since Jian Yuheng allowed us to come, it means it's safe and has nothing to do with Shaolin Temple. Let's not scare ourselves unnecessarily," Hua Yin patted Zhou Yuran's shoulder and gently comforted her.

Zhou Yuran hummed in agreement and said, "So much has happened lately that I'm starting to have paranoia. I always feel like something's going to happen."

"Pah, pah, pah. Don't jinx it." Hua Yin quickly shook her head, and only felt slightly relieved after Zhou Yuran also said "pah, pah, pah" a few times.

Zhou Yuran's eyes darted around, and she asked, feigning ignorance, "Sister Lin, why is the Empress holding this 'Feast of the Startling Beauty'?"

Lin Bihua glanced at Hua Yin, who was standing silently to the side, and gave Zhou Yuran a light glare. "You really don't know the reason?"

"Hehe, I just wanted to confirm with Sister Lin again," Zhou Yuran stuck out her tongue, not expecting Lin Bihua to expose her so quickly.

“You are right. The Empress intends to take this opportunity to choose a princess for Prince Ning,” Lin Bihua said calmly.

"Then..." Zhou Yuran glanced at Lin Bihua, hesitated for a moment, and finally asked, "Sister Lin, do you still like Prince Ning?"

Lin Bihua smiled slightly and nodded without hesitation.

"Of course I like him. He's someone I've admired since I was a child."

"If Prince Ning treated you like that, I wouldn't want to continue liking him," Zhou Yuran complained, pouting slightly.

"Alright, this is Sister Lin's business, so don't worry about it." Hua Yin patted Zhou Yuran's shoulder and then looked up at Lin Bihua.

This might be what they mean by "love arises without warning, and deepens with time."

As they were talking, they heard the voice of the coachman, Old Lin.

"Miss, we are here."

Zhou Yuran did not rush to get out of the carriage. Instead, she lifted the curtain and looked out. All she could see were various kinds of carriages, and girls who were getting out of the carriages or had already gotten out and were dressed up in their finest clothes.

"My goodness, why do I feel like this is a girl group audition?" Zhou Yuran whispered in Hua Yin's ear.

Hua Yin nodded, noticing the similarities between the two.

"Actually, it's pretty much the same. It's just a matter of comparing looks, talents, and backgrounds."

"Let's go, let's get off too." Lin Bihua called to the two of them and got off the carriage first.

Zhou Yuran and Hua Yin followed behind Lin Bihua, looking around with great curiosity.

"The last time I saw so many girls was when the Phoenix Pavilion in the Women's Academy opened." Zhou Yuran's gaze swept over the girls passing by.

I must say, the Empress knew how to invite people; her looks and figure were absolutely stunning.

At the entrance of Shanshui Mingyuan, there was a small table, behind which sat an elderly nanny, and behind her stood several meek and obedient maids.

Lin Bihua led the two to the table, handed them the three letters in her hand, and greeted them with a smile.

"Granny Zhang, it's been a long time."

The old nanny was stunned for a moment, then immediately realized what was going on. A smile appeared on her usually stern face. "So it's Miss Lin! It's been a long time. You've changed so much since I last saw you. I almost didn't recognize you."

"You seem to be as energetic as before, Granny. How are you feeling?"

Zhang Mama smiled slightly, took two round fans and one folding fan from the maid behind her, and handed them to Lin Bihua, saying, "Thank you for your concern, Miss Lin. Although this old servant is old, I am still healthy and vigorous, and there is nothing seriously wrong. This folding fan is for the Crown Princess, and the other two, the one on top is yours, and the one on the bottom is for another young lady."

"Okay, I got it. You go ahead with your work, I won't bother you any longer."

Zhou Yuran and Hua Yin didn't dare to make a sound, so they nodded to Zhang Mama and followed Lin Bihua into the Shanshui Mingyuan Garden.

After they had walked some distance from the gate, Lin Bihua sorted out the fans in her hands and took the initiative to explain, "That Granny Zhang is an old acquaintance. She used to be the Empress Dowager's person. After the Empress Dowager passed away, she was assigned to work under the Empress. Unfortunately, the Empress is not a magnanimous person, and Granny Zhang never received fair treatment under the Empress."

"No wonder that old woman looked quite old, yet she was assigned to such a thankless and difficult position."

Although Zhou Yuran knew she could no longer see Granny Zhang at the door, she couldn't help but turn around and look. Her gaze swept across the doorway and unexpectedly spotted a suspicious "shadow".

Zhou Yuran didn't make a fuss immediately. Instead, she pretended nothing had happened and continued to talk quietly with Lin Bihua. She took a round fan and played with it from side to side.

"Why are the fans of the three of us different?"

“Perhaps I am married, while the two of you are unmarried?” Hua Yin directly tucked her folding fan into her waistband, stating the most fundamental difference between the three of them.

"But it's almost winter now, why did they give each of us a round fan? Are they worried we'll get too hot?"

Lin Bihua smiled helplessly, "Besides fanning, fans can also cover the face. I think this is one of the aspects that the Empress designed."

"Oh, I see." Zhou Yuran held up her fan to the side, quickly saying this, then asked with a grin, "Sister Lin, do you think this is a good way to block the light?"

Taking this opportunity, Lin Bihua turned around to face Zhou Yuran and pulled down the fan that was covering her face.

Then, without making a sound, he glanced behind Zhou Yuran and said, "Hahaha, block the middle, who told you to block one side! Don't worry, it's no use blocking now, we'll block it later when it's our turn to block it."

"Yes, yes, let's hurry up and leave, or there won't be any good places left."

Thinking of what Zhou Yuran had said, Hua Yin quickly made an excuse to head towards the main courtyard.

Fortunately, the main courtyard is not far from the gate. There is a table at the entrance of the main courtyard, but this time there is a booklet and a calligraphy brush on the table.

"Sister Lin, what's this for?" Zhou Yuran tugged at Lin Bihua's sleeve and asked, puzzled.

"Don't worry. It's just a regular name registration." Lin Bihua wrote down all three names in one go.

Once inside the main courtyard, Lin Bihua led the two to a quiet corner to sit down. Only then did Zhou Yuran's wildly beating heart begin to calm down.

"Yueya, what did you just see?" Hua Yin looked around and asked in a low voice.

"I saw what looked like a maid following us. She didn't expect me to turn around and quickly darted to the side. But I'm sure I saw a figure."

"A little maid? We were followed the moment we entered the manor. I'm afraid there will be even more people targeting us at this 'Feast of the Shocking Swan' banquet." Hua Yin sneered. If it weren't for Sister Lin and Yueya being there, she would have run away long ago.

"We don't know whether this person is friend or foe yet, so let's wait and see." Lin Bihua patiently reassured the two, and thoughtfully poured each of them a cup of tea.

More and more girls gathered in the main courtyard, and most of them chose seats near the front. Only a few who arrived later sat in the back.

"Sister Lin, aren't we sitting too far back?" Hua Yin looked around and couldn't help but feel a little worried.

After all, the last row in school often ends up being moved to the first row.

“I think so too. Why don’t we move forward a bit? That way, if there’s a talent show later, we can see it more clearly,” Zhou Yuran suggested.

Just as the three of them had moved to their positions, they heard an announcement from the doorway: "Her Majesty the Empress has arrived."

The once bustling main courtyard instantly fell silent. Everyone bowed in unison and said in unison, "This humble woman greets Your Majesty the Empress. May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings and peace."

Zhou Yuran and the other two were no exception; they tried their best to keep a low profile and dared not be impolite in the slightest.

The Empress, dressed in magnificent robes, possessed a serene and dignified countenance. After taking her seat in the main seat, she looked at everything before her and nodded with great satisfaction.

"Rise. You have all been invited to the Feast of the Startling Beauty, so please do not be too reserved." The Empress's voice was gentle yet solemn. If they did not know the Empress's true nature, Zhou Yuran and Hua Yin would have been deceived by this voice.

After the three women stood up with the others, they silently observed the Empress's every move, trying to discern anything unusual. However, the Empress's expression remained solemn and mysterious, making it difficult for them to discern her true intentions.

"I recently heard a new song that I found very beautiful, so I would like to share it with you ladies." As soon as the Empress finished speaking, the nanny beside her immediately whispered the instructions.

Before long, a melodious and ethereal singing voice could be heard coming from afar.

Just as Zhou Yuran was wondering how the singing girl would make her entrance, a shrill announcement came from the doorway again, interrupting the singing.

"His Highness Prince Ning has arrived."

Zhou Yuran and Hua Yin exchanged a silent glance. Prince Ning really knew how to pick his time. It was just a bit of a pity that the nice song ended after only the beginning.

"Your humble daughter greets Your Highness Prince Ning. May Your Highness enjoy boundless blessings and peace." Once again, everyone stood up and bowed in unison.

"Get up, all of you." Prince Ning waved his hand casually, walked past the group of girls, and strode to his seat.

"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty," Prince Ning said in a tone that was neither humble nor arrogant.

"Get up quickly. Since you're here, please take a seat." The Empress couldn't say anything in front of everyone, so she could only suppress her anger and pretend to be kind as she said, "My son, as the eldest prince, you have helped your father a lot. You are of age now and need someone in the household to help you with your problems and manage the household affairs."

Prince Ning smiled slightly, but his heart was cold. He knew that the Empress was not a kind-hearted person; all she had done was to place her own spy by his side.

Since that's the case, Prince Ning glanced discreetly at the location of Hua Yin and the other two, deciding to choose the "view" he wanted.

"What Your Majesty says is very true, and that is exactly what I was thinking as well," Prince Ning replied insincerely.

The Empress nodded in satisfaction upon hearing Prince Ning's reply. "These are all young ladies whom the Emperor and I selected together. They are all exceptionally talented, raised by prestigious families. Today's banquet is also to allow you to get to know each other better."

She knew that Prince Ning wouldn't easily believe her, but as long as he appeared to be obedient, she could always find a way to continue controlling him.

Even if she doesn't get the position of principal wife, it doesn't matter, she can still use the position of concubine to send people into the Ning Prince's mansion.

"Thank you for your concern, Father and Mother. However, I am not very knowledgeable about these matters, so I ask for your help, Mother. I will do my best to cooperate." Prince Ning pretended to be troubled and took the initiative to seek the Empress's help.

Prince Ning's answer struck a chord with the Empress. She smiled kindly, but inwardly she was probably overjoyed.

"I believe in fate; all destinies are ordained by heaven. When these girls came in, each of them received a round fan, each with its own unique inscription. Why don't you randomly select a few to get to know each other? I think this is the destiny bestowed upon you by heaven."

As the Empress spoke, her observant maidservant quickly brought out a bamboo tube and respectfully handed it to Prince Ning.

Prince Ning glanced at the bamboo tube and saw that it contained countless identical bamboo sticks, which looked no different from the outside.

"Then I will try it according to the Empress Dowager's method." Prince Ning raised his hand, and without thinking, pulled out a small handful and placed it on the tray in the nanny's hand.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the old woman placed the tray on the low table and picked up the bamboo sticks that Prince Ning had drawn out, and began to read them aloud in front of everyone.

"The first one, Qing Ping Yue."

"The second one, Wuyi Spring."

The third one, Rain Bell.

The fourth one is the magpie branch.

"The fifth one, 'Joyful Reunion'."

Each time the old woman finished reading a line, a small gasp would erupt from the crowd. Especially after the last line was read, Zhou Yuran and Hua Yin immediately widened their eyes and quickly turned to look at Lin Bihua.

Because the words on the fan in Lin Bihua's hand were "Joy of Meeting".