Unlike the Great Zhou, the Northern Lu Kingdom has many entertainments at banquets, and everyone has the right to challenge others. This is a normal social activity in Northern Lu, and there is nothing embarrassing or bad about it. She can incite a few young ladies to challenge Ji Hailing. If she gets angry or loses her temper, wouldn't that be embarrassing? She would leave a bad reputation in the aristocratic social circles afterward.
"Okay, let's do it that way."
Ye Liushuang was finally happy, her face beaming with joy.
In Xiangwu Courtyard, Hailing was admiring the plum blossoms in the plum grove behind. A faint halo surrounded her, and her eyebrows and eyes seemed to be shrouded in mist, making her even more ethereal and lively.
For the past three days, she has lived a more comfortable life than ever before.
Whether in my past life or this one, I have never had such a peaceful and tranquil life.
The love that her father Ji Cong and brother Ji Shaocheng had for her was truly rare in the world. In her room, there was nothing that a girl would like, and her wardrobe was piled high with clothes, her small cabinet was filled with jewelry, and her food was prepared according to her tastes.
Sometimes she even wondered if it was all a dream, and that when she woke up it would all be gone.
But when she woke up from her nap, everything was still there, so she was certain that she truly had the enviable love of her father and brother.
At midnight, only the memory of her mother Du Caiyue's death remained in a corner of her heart, but she would avenge her.
Now she just wants to enjoy this hard-won family bond in peace.
Over the past three days, a faint smile has appeared on her face, no longer as icy as before. Her two maids, Shimei and Shilan, are very happy to see this, as it seems that their young lady is slowly letting go of her worries.
Tomorrow is the banquet held at the Ji family mansion. She will officially establish herself in the Northern Lu Kingdom as a daughter of the Ji family. She is looking forward to it.
The next day, the Ji family held a banquet. This was the first banquet held by the Ji family in more than ten years. It was to celebrate the return of the master and the return of the young lady. It was a double celebration. So early in the morning, Steward Ning led the servants of the General's Mansion to make preparations everywhere.
Now that the general has returned to the manor, Steward Ning consults the general and the young general on many matters. As for matters concerning the young lady, they consult the young lady herself. So, after going around in circles, they completely forgot about Ye Liushuang in their own courtyard.
Ye Liushuang, wanting to impress her uncle and cousin, got up early, dressed neatly, and waited for someone to come and ask for her permission. She planned to perform well and show them that she, Ye Liushuang, was capable of being a mistress of the household. However, after waiting for a long time without seeing anyone come to ask for permission, she became annoyed and sent someone to check. When the maid Qingsi returned, she found that everyone outside was busy and had forgotten about her. Even without her, the event was still going well, and they didn't need this so-called young lady.
Ye Liushuang almost choked on her breath. She had gotten up early in the morning, only to find that no one remembered her at all. She was filled with resentment and spent half the day throwing a tantrum in her room.
Everything was caused by that bitch Ji Hailing. If she hadn't come back, she would still be the respected young lady. Now, no one takes her seriously anymore, and her cousin might not marry her because of her. Ye Liushuang felt more and more resentful.
However, no one paid any attention to Ye Liushuang.
Everyone in the Ji family joined in the busy work, working from morning till afternoon until everything was properly prepared.
The makeshift shed was fully stocked with everything: fine wines, exquisite dishes, and all sorts of entertainment prepared by the General's Mansion.
In the afternoon, guests arrived one after another. General Ji and Ji Shaocheng, along with their steward, greeted the guests at the gate of the mansion. Even Madam Ye, who usually did not show her face, appeared gracefully.
For a time, the Ji residence was bustling with activity and filled with noise.
In Xiangwu Courtyard, Hailing was playing with the little lion Qiuqiu. Today, she was dressed in a set of Northern Lu clothing, with a brocade inner garment and a long brocade skirt with fur on the outside. She had white fox fur around her neck and a row of white pom-poms hanging from her waist, which swayed from side to side as she walked, making her figure light and soft.
Coupled with her stunningly beautiful face, which was further enhanced by the Northern Lu clothing, she was even more breathtakingly beautiful and charming. Her hair was adorned with a kind of Northern Lu flower feather ornament, the shimmering feathers contrasting with her jet-black hair, making her look like a fairy.
Shi Mei and Shi Lan stared in disbelief, and couldn't help but exclaim, "Miss, you are much prettier than those rich young ladies from Bei Lu!"
"Yes, I've never seen a master more beautiful than Miss."
After the two of them finished speaking, Little Lion Ball Ball nodded quickly and whimpered in agreement.
It also thought its master was so beautiful that it didn't want anyone else to get close.
"Qiuqiu, you have to be good today and don't scare people, okay?"
Hai Ling reminded Qiu Qiu that Qiu Qiu was in good spirits today, so she planned to take Qiu Qiu out to see the world. However, this little guy always showed off his white teeth to scare people. Today was a banquet carefully prepared by her father and brother, and she didn't want to scare all the guests away.
Qiuqiu blinked, remaining motionless, pretending not to know her master's meaning, but in her heart she was thinking, if anyone provokes her master, she will definitely scare them to death and bite them to death.
A person automatically popped into Qiuqiu's mind: Ye Liushuang, who had been officially added to Qiuqiu's blacklist.
It was already dark outside.
Fuyue, the maid who had been serving Hailing, came in from outside and bowed respectfully: "Miss, all the guests have arrived and are basically seated. The general has sent the steward to invite you over."
"Um."
Hai Ling nodded. As a young lady of the Ji family, she naturally had to face these nobles from the capital of Beilu. She wanted to see what kind of people they were. With a smile on her lips, she reached out, picked up Little Lion Ball, and walked out.
Fuyue stood silently in front of the door for a long time, staring blankly. When Shimei passed by her, she didn't move either. Shimei couldn't help but reach out and tap her on the head: "Fuyue, what are you daydreaming about? Miss is gone."
A playful smile played on her lips. In fact, she knew why Fuyue was in a daze. It was because when the young lady wore the clothing of Beilu, she looked like a fairy from heaven, or a snow lotus from the Tianshan Mountains in the north. She was beautiful beyond compare, so beautiful that it was impossible to look away.
Fu Yue snapped out of her daze after being slapped by Shi Mei, rubbed her head sheepishly, and quickly followed the young lady in front of her.
As they walked, she exclaimed in admiration, "Miss is more than worthy of being called the most beautiful woman in Northern Lu, no, she should be called the most beautiful woman in the world! The most beautiful woman in the world right now is still Princess Jingyue of Southern Ling Kingdom, but Princess Jingyue probably doesn't have the same presence as Miss." Fuyue sighed and smiled. "Tonight, Miss will definitely shine brightly."
The group headed towards the central courtyard of the Ji residence.
The customs of the Northern Lu Kingdom differed from those of the Great Zhou Dynasty. When entertaining guests, they were not held indoors, but mostly outdoors.
Because banquets often feature a variety of interesting games and trinkets, indoor settings are not convenient.
Not only do women participate in activities like pitch-pot and riddles, but they also dance the bamboo dance. Men participate in activities like archery and polo. These are all outdoor activities, and the people of Beilu are very open-minded. Men and women don't need to avoid each other and drink and eat meat together. Women sometimes participate in polo and other activities. Therefore, banquets are always held in spacious courtyards. Even though it is winter now, tents can still be set up for banquets.
When Hailing was halfway there, she saw Ji Shaocheng coming towards her. Ji Shaocheng was afraid that his younger sister would not be used to it, so he came over to greet her personally.
"Ling'er, how are you? Are you worried?"
Ji Shaocheng's handsome features softened with a smile, his eyes shining with a deep light. He reached out and took Hailing's hand, leading her towards the banquet, comforting her as they walked.
"Don't worry, now you are a young lady of the Ji family. In Beilu, no one dares to disrespect our Ji family, so don't feel guilty."
When Little Lion Ball saw someone trying to steal its master, it got angry and let out a low growl. Ji Shaocheng suddenly turned around, staring at Little Lion with a warning look, and then slowly said, "It seems that we are missing one dish tonight: braised Little Lion. This dish will surely be very popular."