Once the Marquis and his wife decided to host a grand banquet to celebrate the formal recognition of Lin Jingyue, the entire Chengyuan Marquis Manor sprang into motion.
Invitations were dispatched, supplies were purchased, and the grounds were meticulously scrubbed and polished. Before Steward Chen set off for Prince Ruicheng Manor to deliver an invitation, he specifically stopped by Ximing Courtyard to inform Lin Jingyue, fearing that if County Princess Yunhua did not attend, Lin Jingyue would blame him for neglecting to send the invitation.
Lin Jingyue saw through his little scheme, but she didn’t mind. She removed a gold hairpin from her hair and said, "Present this along with the invitation. Once the County Princess sees it, she will provide a response, regardless of whether she decides to come or not."
Neither Steward Chen nor Bochun, who was in the room, understood where their young mistress found such confidence. They had only met the County Princess by chance, and since the Old Madame had already offended her, even though Prince Ruicheng Manor had sent over medicinal supplements later to save face, there was still lingering resentment on both sides. Under such circumstances, how could the County Princess possibly deign to come?
Steward Chen had his doubts, but he still followed Lin Jingyue’s instructions and respectfully delivered the invitation to Prince Ruicheng Manor.
No sooner had Steward Chen left than Lin Jingyue took Bochun out of the manor, returning only after half an hour. Shortly thereafter, the news reached Lady He.
Lady He scoffed, "What noble young lady goes about flaunting herself on the streets? Truly, she has no upbringing."
She toyed with an invitation that had yet to be sent, pondered for a moment, then pulled one out and summoned Steward Chen. "Send this to the Lin Family."
She had barely stepped into the manor before she burned through over a thousand taels of silver. Reeking of copper coins—only a merchant’s family could raise a girl like that. She wanted to use Lady He's own money to build a good reputation? In her dreams!
*
After leaving the manor, Lin Jingyue visited a sugar shop. Once she obtained the ledgers from the past two years, she buried herself in the accounts.
On the morning of the banquet, Bochun knocked on the door in a rush. "Miss, the Eldest Young Master has arrived with several burly, rugged men. They are currently standing guard at the courtyard gate."
Lin Jingyue put away her ledger and walked out to find Zheng Jin standing ramrod straight at the gate. Nearby, the Marquis was trying to appease the group of sturdy men, his expression awkward, casting occasional glances of resentment toward the courtyard.
Lin Jingyue approached, eyeing the men at the gate in confusion. "Big Brother, Marquis, who are these gentlemen…?"
The rough voices of the men died down, and they turned to look at her in unison. Lin Jingyue realized immediately: these were people from the Zheng family. They were the kin of the Marquis’s late wife, and thus... her maternal family.
The men stared for so long that, just as Lin Jingyue began to worry she might give herself away, three noblewomen pushed past the men and crowded around her. They swept their gazes from her delicate brows down to her slender wrists. When their eyes landed on the blood-jade bracelet on her wrist, they paused for several moments, their eyes turning red in unison.
"You cursed Tang Chengyuan! You swore up and down that you would take care of your little sister and treat the child she left behind well. You didn't keep either promise!"
"You even lost the child she died to bring into this world! Fifteen years! It took a full fifteen years to find her. I believe you did this on purpose!"
"Look how thin the child is. She looks like she’d blow away in a breeze. It’s pitiful—my little sister married into the Chengyuan Marquis Manor and didn’t enjoy a single day of happiness, and even the child she struggled so hard to give birth to has been bullied."
"Listen here, you man named Tang: if anything happens to Jingyue, don't blame me for being heartless!"
"What kind of dilapidated courtyard is this? It's not even as big as my backyard, and it doesn't even have a training ground. Men! Bring in all the good things I brought from home—give them all to my niece."
"Uncle, this is the small courtyard Mother prepared for Jingyue before she passed... besides, ordinary households don't have training grounds..."
The noise was so overwhelming that Lin Jingyue’s head began to ache, and she subconsciously stepped back. The movement was slight and silent, but the Zheng family members all fell quiet instantly.
The Marquis, having been soundly berated, breathed a sigh of relief. Fleeing as if chased by dogs, he threw out one sentence and bolted: "I still have distinguished guests to greet at the front, so I won't stay. Jin-er, take good care of your uncles, aunts, and your sister."
Zheng Jin, who was being stared down by his uncles and aunts, looked at a loss.
Lin Jingyue lowered her eyes, her mind racing. The Zheng family were warriors for generations, holding military power in their hands—especially the eldest, who was renowned at court. They were people even the Marquis dared not offend.
Unfortunately...
"Jingyue, let Big Brother introduce you," Zheng Jin said, forced into it. "These are your First, Second, and Third Uncles, your First and Second Aunts, and your Eldest Cousin, Zheng Yue."
Lin Jingyue pulled herself back from the tragic memories of the Zheng family in her past life. She smiled, bowed, and greeted them one by one. The Zheng family grew even more excited. Her cousin, Zheng Yue, who was about her age, stepped forward and shoved a stack of silver notes into her hand.
"Cousin, when my parents told me that my little aunt was a peerless beauty, I didn't believe them. Seeing you now, I know they weren't lying."
In her past life, Lin Jingyue had dealt more with military generals than civil officials and had actually met this cousin once at a banquet. She wasn't surprised by the Zheng family’s bold style, so she didn't refuse; she simply accepted the notes.
As expected, seeing her accept the money so readily, the Zheng family looked even happier. "Good! I... I’ve never liked that hypocritical posturing, wasting time pushing things back and forth. It’s better to just accept it."
Lin Jingyue chuckled and handed the notes to Bochun, telling her to put them in her jewelry box. "Would you like to come inside and sit? The courtyard is humble, so I hope you don't mind."
The uncles were about to step forward, ready to show with their actions that they didn't mind at all, but they were glared at by their wives. The First Uncle stopped dead in his tracks and gave Zheng Jin a heavy pat.
"Ahem, we won't come into your courtyard. If others found out, who knows what ugly things they'd say. We really don't mind the place! Besides, I haven't seen Zheng Jin in half a month. I'll go to his quarters and give him some pointers."
The other two uncles nodded. Zheng Jin looked grim as he whispered to Lin Jingyue, "My aunts and cousin are all straightforward people who don't take offense easily. Just chat with them, about anything you like."
Big brother was going to get a beating.
Lin Jingyue nodded and invited the two aunts and her cousin inside. They had only just been served tea when Steward Chen arrived in a rush again. "Miss, County Princess Yunhua has arrived. The Old Madame wants you to go to the entrance to receive the distinguished guest."
Her cousin frowned, concerned. "The County Princess doesn't have the best temper. Isn't the Old Madame..."
Lin Jingyue handed over a cup of tea, cutting her off. "Cousin, I personally sent an invitation to the County Princess, so it is only natural that I go to receive her. Wait for me a moment; I will return shortly."
Hearing this, her cousin stood up at once. "I'll go with you. I can admire the scenery of the Marquis Manor while I'm at it—I was too hurried when I arrived and didn't really get a good look."
Lin Jingyue knew full well that her cousin was worried about her being bullied by a person of high rank and wanted to protect her, so she readily agreed.
On the way, Steward Chen stammered, "The Madame and the Second Miss were overjoyed to hear that the County Princess deigned to come, and they rushed to the front gate immediately."
Zheng Yue blinked, not understanding why the Old Madame would still ask Lin Jingyue to go when others were already there to receive the County Princess. Lin Jingyue, however, knew exactly why.
As expected, before they even reached the manor gate, a familiar, arrogant voice rang out:
"You want me to step out of my sedan? Who do you think you are? And just what is this Chengyuan Marquis Manor, anyway?"