Chapter 143
The residence of the Grand Princess of Lin'an has never been expanded since she was Princess Lin'an, then Grand Princess, and now Grand Princess. When she was the Grand Princess, Yun Xu disliked her because she had been raised together with the former Crown Prince; after Yun Shu seized the throne, she was disliked by Yun Shu again because she had sided with Yun Xu.
After Yun Shu ascended the throne, she was persuaded by the Empress to allow a group of royal relatives who had not been heavily implicated in the past to be included. Therefore, although she had the honor of being a Grand Princess, she had no influence over the Emperor. Her husband, son, and grandson all held sinecure positions in the court and had no real power.
Regardless, before the Emperor stripped her of her title, the Grand Princess of Lin'an continued to maintain her dignity and prestige among the imperial relatives, noble ladies, and other noblewomen.
Princess Chang Le led An Ran directly to the main courtyard.
Along the way, An Ran coldly observed the Grand Princess's residence, which was hardly larger than the Pingyuan Marquis's residence. Moreover, the Pingyuan Marquis's residence had two other houses bestowed by the Emperor on either side, which, if combined, would be much larger.
However, the pavilions and towers of the princess's residence are quite exquisite, giving it a more luxurious and royal feel.
Upon arriving at the corridor of the main courtyard, the two maids standing at the entrance hurriedly stepped forward to bow and lifted the curtain to invite the two inside.
Passing by a sixteen-panel huanghuali wood screen carved with landscapes and figures, one can hear laughter and cheerful voices coming from inside.
When An Ran entered, she found the room already packed with people; most of the people invited by the Grand Princess had arrived. Among them were many acquaintances of An Ran's: the Lady of Qingxiang Marquis, the Lady of Dingbei Marquis, the Princess Consort of Yi County… An Ran looked around and even spotted her stepmother, the Lady of Nan'an Marquis!
An Ran felt a slight stirring in her heart, but she didn't show it on her face.
Seeing Princess Chang Le accompany her in, the Grand Princess of Lin'an smiled and waved to An Ran, appearing very affectionate.
"Ninth Sister is here?" Her smile was exceptionally loving, as if she were looking at her own granddaughter. "Come here quickly."
An Ran stepped forward with a smile on her face, but secretly she was thinking to herself. Anyone who didn't know them would think the two of them were quite familiar with each other. Her only encounter with the Grand Princess of Lin'an was at the Prince Yi's residence. However, back then she was just the third sister's half-sister, so naturally no one paid her any attention.
Now that she's the wife of the Marquis of Pingyuan, it's one thing that her treatment is different from before, but the excessive enthusiasm of the Grand Princess of Lin'an makes one feel that she has ulterior motives.
She performed the formal greetings meticulously, and then the Grand Princess pulled her to sit down beside her.
All eyes were on her with envy. It wasn't that she had won the favor of the Grand Princess, but simply because she had transformed from a lowly concubine's daughter into the Lady of Pingyuan Marquis. An Ran, who came to the banquet today, wore a bright red felt cloak with a circle of pure white fox fur, which made her small face look even more like a pearl and jade, exuding a subtle air of nobility.
Once inside, she removed her cloak, revealing a deep purple, narrow-sleeved jacket over a long skirt embroidered with gold cloud patterns, giving her an air of dignified elegance.
The set of red gold and pearl ornaments adorning her hair was clearly a palace-made item. The legend that the Empress and Princess Yunyang bestowed many gifts upon the Lady of Pingyuan was indeed not just empty talk.
"Lord Lu is a blessed man. Who wouldn't fall in love with such a beautiful girl as Ninth Sister?" The Grand Princess of Lin'an seemed to be praising her sincerely. "And I heard from Third Sister that Ninth Sister is the most sensible and filial child imaginable."
She said this while looking at Princess Yi and Lady Zhao, and the two of them could only respond.
"Third Sister dotes on this younger sister the most." Princess Yi replied with a smile, "Ninth Sister is also a good child, and everyone, from top to bottom, likes her. During the days she stayed in our mansion, Fang'er and the others were reluctant to let Ninth Sister go back."
Based on what the Grand Princess said, Princess Yi could also take this opportunity to clear her name of the rumors about Yun Shen and Jiu Niang's relationship.
An Ran was brought to live in Prince Yi's mansion because of Third Sister's favoritism, not because Ninth Sister was to be given to Yun Shen as a concubine. An Ran's presence with the three Yun sisters further confirms her status as a guest.
In fact, An Ran had already guessed the Grand Princess Lin'an's intentions. She was laying the groundwork, after all, to force her to acknowledge Lu Mingxiu's third and fourth aunts, she would have to coerce her into accepting their status based on filial piety. Therefore, she first praised her highly, so that if An Ran fell for the trap, she would have no choice but to accept it in a muddled way.
Princess Yi's response was clever, effectively dispelling the previous rumors circulating in the capital.
Since San Niang's mother-in-law has spoken, as the mother of both San Niang and Jiu Niang, I should also say something.
"I'm not bragging, but Ninth Sister is indeed the most considerate of all my daughters." Ever since she came to her senses, Madam Zhao has always protected Anran, both in and out of the Marquis's mansion, treating her like Third Sister or Fifth Sister. "Don't let her young age fool you; she's a sensible and clear-headed girl."
Zhao's words were rather intriguing; it was unclear whether she said them intentionally or unintentionally.
The Grand Princess of Lin'an smiled and nodded.
Before she could say anything more, someone came to announce that the Princess Consort of Kang had arrived.
An Ran took the opportunity to escape, and after paying her respects to Princess Kang, she went to Zhao Shi's side.
"Mother!" An Ran hadn't even had a chance to bow to Zhao Shi yet.
Zhao held Anran's hand, and they looked like a mother and daughter being affectionate.
Sitting next to her were Princess Yi, Lady Qingxiang, and Lady Dingbei. Anran greeted them one by one before standing next to Zhao.
Although her status was that of the Lady of Pingyuan Marquis, a title of superior rank, even higher than that of Lady Zhao, the Lady of Nan'an Marquis, Zhao was Anran's legal mother. Anran naturally showed her more respect, observing the etiquette of a junior and standing aside to serve her. The other ladies nearby nodded in approval.
It was no secret among the several well-connected marquis families in the capital that Lady Zhao, the wife of the Marquis of Nan'an, disliked her illegitimate daughters. However, An Ran, an illegitimate daughter who had just returned to the marquis's mansion, had in a short period of time won the favor of the eldest legitimate daughter and the third daughter-in-law of the heir apparent. Now, she also seemed to have a good relationship with Lady Zhao. Moreover, An Ran did not become arrogant after becoming the wife of the marquis, which made people look at her with even greater respect.
An Ran stood there that day, chatting with several familiar ladies.
Lady Dingbei, seeing An Ran's composed and elegant demeanor, couldn't help but feel regret. If she had arranged for An Jiu Niang to marry Fang Ting back then, it would have been an excellent match. Now, Fang Ting was implicated by his aunt and couldn't find a spouse for several years, and she coldly observed that Fang Ting still loved An Jiu Niang.
But what's done is done, and it's too late to say anything.
Today, the Grand Princess of Lin'an's purpose was mostly to have Quan Anran, representing the Pingyuan Marquis's Mansion, acknowledge the two families as relatives. Therefore, once everyone had arrived, she quickly invited them to go to the plum grove to admire the plum blossoms.
She specially called An Ran to her side to keep her company, placing her and Pei Jie'er, the eldest daughter of the Princess of Changping, on either side of her.
Therefore, even outsiders cannot find anything to criticize.
It had snowed a few days ago, and the plum grove was still covered with a thin layer of snow. The red plum blossoms on the branches reflected the remaining snow, which was quite beautiful.
Everyone walked along the covered walkway, stopping occasionally to praise the plum grove in the Grand Princess's residence.
The plum blossoms are beautiful, but the people admiring them are even more beautiful. Pei Jie'er and An Ran both wore bright red cloaks. Pei Jie'er was fair-skinned and a beauty in the making, but standing next to An Ran, even Princess Chang Le had to admit that her daughter was somewhat inferior.
"The plum grove in Your Highness's residence is truly beautiful!" Seeing the Grand Princess's gaze fall on her, An Ran quickly smiled and praised her.
"If you like, you and Pei-jie can each pick a plum blossom to admire." The Grand Princess of Lin'an was very generous, like a loving elder indulging her juniors. "Let the other ladies and young ladies go down there to admire them if they like."
Searching for plum blossoms in the snow is a very elegant thing, but An Ran was secretly complaining. She was afraid of the cold, so it would be better for her to watch from afar.
But she couldn't refuse.