"For me?"
In this palace, who would send her an invitation? Who would invite her to enter the palace grounds?
Seeing the confusion on her face, Jiang Shuying began to explain.
"The Empress is hosting the Spring Flower Banquet in the palace, inviting a host of young ladies and gentlemen from noble families to attend!"
"You and Jincheng are both on the invitation list!"
"However, your brother has been tied up with urgent matters at the Censorate lately and cannot get away, so you will have to go alone."
Hearing Jiang Shuying say this, Su Jinhuan suddenly remembered that in her previous life, the Empress had indeed sent an invitation at this time. Back then, however, she had been at odds with Jiang Shuying and the others over Lu Jin'an, so she had not attended.
As for the so-called Spring Flower Banquet, Su Jinhuan understood it well: it was called viewing flowers, but it was really for matchmaking. Now that the First Prince had reached a marriageable age, it stood to reason that the Empress wanted to use this opportunity to find a young woman with the right appearance, talent, and family background to be his consort.
In great noble families, one’s marriage could rarely be decided by oneself, let alone the imperial family! The First Prince's future consort would certainly need to possess the capital to help him ascend the throne.
The only mystery was why she, as the legitimate daughter of the Chancellor's Estate who was destined to stand with Heng'er, was also on the list. She supposed it must be because the two factions were evenly matched; neither side wished to disrupt the current peace, and the Empress certainly did not want to provide anyone with ammunition to use against her.
However, it was clear that the First Prince and Heng'er would eventually clash. It was no wonder Jiang Shuying had looked troubled when she mentioned it; the Spring Flower Banquet was clearly not a simple affair. But since the Empress had issued the invitation, it would be blatantly rude for the Chancellor's Estate to refuse, and that was simply not an option.
"When is the Spring Flower Banquet being held?"
"Three days from now!"
Three days! Su Jinhuan had not expected it to be so soon.
"If you don't want to go, you can decline," Jiang Shuying said without hesitation, seeing her expression shift.
"It’s fine. I’ve been staying in the estate for too long; it would be good to go out for a walk," she replied with a faint smile, having only been lost in thought.
Jiang Shuying, however, had been ready to offend the Empress for her sake without a second thought, even if such an act might harm the Chancellor's Estate. How blind and foolish she must have been in her previous life to think that Jiang Shuying did not understand her or was merely trying to control her.
"Very well, I shall have someone tailor a new dress for you! It feels as though our Jinhuan has grown up so much." Jiang Shuying felt a sense of relief mixed with heartache for her daughter’s maturity.
"Yes, Mother."
"Now, Mother, please go back to your room. Once Xiyin and I gather the morning dew, we will bring it back to brew tea for you and Father!"
"Yes, yes!"
Jiang Shuying had arrived with a heart full of fire, but she left with a face full of happiness.
***
At the Anping Marquis Estate, Lu Jin'an had also received an invitation from the Empress, inviting him and his sister, Lu Qingge. The Anping Marquis Estate had three branches, but none of them possessed any real talent. Aside from his sister Lu Qingge, he also had an older sister named Lu Qingyue, but since she was already married, the invitation only included him and Lu Qingge.
With the memories of her previous life, Lu Jin'an knew that the First Prince would inevitably take the throne. Therefore, the Empress's invitation must be treated with the utmost importance to foster a connection with him. Li Wanqing was clearly even more invested in this. Everyone with an ounce of sense knew the real purpose of the Spring Flower Banquet.
If the Empress had sent an invitation to the Anping Marquis Estate, it meant they had caught her eye. It meant that his sister Qingge had a very real chance of becoming the First Prince’s consort. And who was the First Prince? The man most likely to sit on the throne! If that happened, his Qingge would be Empress. By then, who would care about Jiang Shuying or Su Jinhuan? They would no longer have the standing to flaunt their power before her.
The more Li Wanqing thought about it, the more convinced she became. She had even spared no expense, spending a fortune at the Zhaofeng Pavilion to procure an outfit for Lu Qingge, waiting only for her to make a stunning impression at the banquet and catch the First Prince's eye.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and soon it was the day to enter the palace for the feast.
Su Jinhuan wore a pink dress embroidered with silver patterns of butterflies flitting through flowers. A pink begonia hairpin adorned her hair, swaying gracefully as she walked. Though she wore only light makeup, she looked ethereal and refined, already revealing the hint of a future beauty that could topple cities.
One could not bring many attendants to the palace, so she took only Xiyin. Xiyin was the eldest and the most steady, making her the most suitable choice. Before leaving, Jiang Shuying and Su Huaize had given her many instructions, telling her to put her own safety first. If anything went wrong, she should seek out her aunt. Su Jinhuan smiled to herself; she was no longer a child, yet they still treated her as one.
The carriage moved slowly, arriving at the palace gates in a short while. Xiyin stepped down first to help her out. As she looked up at the towering gates, she felt a moment of trance. Then, Xiyin tugged at her sleeve, pointing toward a spot in the distance, and whispered softly, "Young Miss!"
Su Jinhuan followed Xiyin’s gaze and, as luck would have it, saw Lu Jin'an arriving with Lu Qingge.
Lu Jin'an had just reached the age of twenty. Though he served in the Ministry of War, he possessed a gentle and refined countenance, like moonlight reflected in water. From afar, he appeared humble and mild—the very picture of a cold, noble young gentleman. It was this very appearance that had blinded her in her previous life and caused her so much suffering.
Su Jinhuan took only one glance before withdrawing her gaze. Whether he was truly humble or merely hypocritical, she wanted nothing to do with Lu Jin'an in this lifetime.
Lu Jin'an, however, seemed to sense something. He looked over and, upon spotting Su Jinhuan, was filled with uncontainable joy. In her previous life, Su Jinhuan had not attended this banquet, so he had not expected to encounter her here. When Xiyin had first stepped off the carriage, he had found her familiar but couldn't place her. It was only when she helped Su Jinhuan down that he realized with a start: she was the maid who had served Su Jinhuan in his past life.
When he saw Su Jinhuan look toward him, his delight grew. He knew it! Her affection for him could not have changed. Why else would she be stealing glances at him? He figured that when his mother had gone to the Chancellor’s Estate to propose, she must have been afraid of offending the Chancellor and had only made up an excuse to decline.
Lu Qingge had just stepped down from the carriage when she saw her brother walking toward Su Jinhuan. When her mother had taken her to Zhaofeng Pavilion, she had spoken of this Su Jinhuan, saying that despite her noble status, she was arrogant, dissolute, and ignorant of etiquette. Seeing her now, it was indeed true. They were standing right at the palace gate, yet she was already shamelessly staring at her brother, acting like a common harlot from a brothel. She was truly devoid of shame.
Su Jinhuan was puzzled as to why Lu Jin'an’s face was filled with such joy when he saw her, and even more so when he began to walk toward her.
Lu Jin'an reached her side and spoke in an intimate tone, "Jinhuan!"
Su Jinhuan, now just seventeen, still carried the youthful freshness of a girl. Her pink dress highlighted her porcelain skin and natural beauty. Her eyes, clear as water, sparkled with an ethereal light that was particularly captivating. Lu Jin'an stared straight at her, and inexplicably, he was reminded of the sight of her in her fiery red wedding dress in their past life, which made his ears burn. He had finally met Jinhuan again.
Unexpectedly, Su Jinhuan stepped back, and those clear eyes turned icy in an instant. "Heir Lord Lu, please behave yourself!"