"Mother, Third Sister!" Fifth Sister entered with a smile, first greeting her mother and elder sister, and then her gaze quickly locked onto the unfamiliar face among the four sisters.
Wearing a light blue jacket, Fifth Sister exuded youthful energy. Her appearance resembled both Zhao Shi and Third Sister, making her a striking beauty. Her long, black hair was styled in a low bun, adorned with a tourmaline beaded flower at her temple. Her hair was adorned with minimal jewelry, consisting only of two delicate combs and three hairpins, all made of tourmaline. This combination of vivacity and elegance conveyed a sense of composure and nobility.
Fifth Sister feigned a hint of surprise at the opportune moment, making her words seem perfectly natural. "This must be Ninth Sister! She's so beautiful!"
"Fifth Sister." An Ran gave a shy smile and obediently went over to greet Fifth Sister.
The three sisters, Sixth Sister, Seventh Sister, and Tenth Sister, also went over to pay their respects. Seventh Sister, relying on her closer relationship with Fifth Sister, said in a half-coquettish tone, "Now that we've seen Ninth Sister, not only do Mother and Third Sister forget about us, but Fifth Sister feels the same way!"
Fifth Sister reached out and affectionately tapped Seventh Sister's forehead. "You're supposed to be the older sister, how can you argue over something so trivial? You're making Ninth Sister and Tenth Sister laugh at you. You should learn from Sixth Sister's understanding!"
Seventh Sister didn't care at all and just chuckled.
The room was filled with a harmonious atmosphere.
"Your Highness, the Princess Consort knows that the Lady and the young ladies have arrived and invites you to come and sit down!" Yinping, who had gone to fetch Zhao Shi earlier, came in to deliver the message.
The joyful expression on San Niang's face froze for a moment, but An Ran was not mistaken.
“We should go and pay our respects.” Madam Zhao patted Third Sister’s hand reassuringly and smiled, “It was we who were impolite.”
Upon hearing this, Third Sister immediately broke into a smile.
“Indeed, the Duchess of Cheng is also with Mother. Mother, you should come with me to see her.” Having been the Crown Prince's consort for two years, Third Sister's composure was far from what it used to be. Seeing this, Madam Zhao felt both heartache and relief.
If only Third Sister had figured that out sooner...
Chapter 15 Spring Banquet (Part 2)
Third Sister and Fifth Sister walked out arm in arm with Zhao Shi, while the four sisters, Sixth Sister and her two sisters, followed a few steps behind as usual.
As usual, they boarded a sedan chair at the gate and headed towards the Princess Consort's courtyard.
Nan Mama and Su Mama stayed with Third Sister, and the maids brought by Sixth Sister didn't go with them either; they all stayed with the two mamas. Cuiping, who used to work in Zhao's room, noticed strangely two familiar yet unfamiliar faces among them after getting on the carriage.
It turned out to be Zhimo and Rulan, who used to work with her and Jinping!
They were brought from the Marquis's residence by these maids, but once they arrived at the Prince's residence, they were not allowed to follow.
Cuiping's gaze swept over them for a moment before quickly shifting away, staring thoughtfully at the bluestone slabs beneath her feet.
The lady brought them here for this reason...
******
After another short ride of about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the sedan chair came to a steady stop in front of an even larger courtyard.
This is the Princess Consort's courtyard.
Standing outside the courtyard gate, An Ran could clearly sense that Sixth Sister and Seventh Sister were more nervous, and even Tenth Sister seemed more cautious.
Could it be that this princess is an unapproachable person?
The layout of the Princess Consort's main courtyard was similar to that of the Third Sister's courtyard, only larger, with a total of four courtyards. The furnishings were also similar, except that there were more Shoushan and Taihu stones scattered around the pond where running water was drawn. The lush flowers and trees in the courtyard were rarer than those in the Third Sister's courtyard, and the two ancient trees in the corner of the wall were quite old.
Compared to her status as a princess consort, she could be described as refined and elegant.
Having witnessed the extravagance of many wealthy families in Jiangnan in her previous life, An Ran clearly remembered that the courtyard of Chen Qian's mother, Madam Ding, was far more magnificent than this.
Wealth and refinement are indeed not the same thing.
Since it was her first time there, An Ran didn't dare to look around too much and cautiously followed Third Sister inside.
Outside the main house, maids and servants were already waiting. Upon seeing Third Sister and her entourage arrive, they all bowed. "The Princess Consort has arrived!" They then greeted Zhao Shi, Fifth Sister, and the others.
Then a young maid lifted the curtain and invited everyone in.
Three beautiful middle-aged women, surrounded by maids and servants, walked over. Third Sister had already released Zhao's arm and stepped forward to pay her respects. "Greetings to Mother Consort."
The Princess Consort smiled and asked Third Sister to rise. She then smiled at Zhao and said, "I have been so sorry that I did not come to greet my mother-in-law today."
Madam Zhao hurriedly went to greet her, saying, "You're too kind. It should be me who comes to pay my respects."
Before coming, the old lady's maid had taught Anran how to greet the Princess Consort. Now that Fifth Sister was there, Fifth Sister led them to greet the Princess Consort.
"We're all family, no need for formalities," the Princess Consort said with a smile. "They're all lovely young girls, like flower buds, so pleasing to the eye."
I've met everyone from Fifth Sister to Tenth Sister, the Princess Consort, but this is the first time I've met An Ran.
"Third Sister said the other day that her Ninth Sister has returned." The Princess Consort said with a smile, "Let me see Ninth Sister quickly."
An Ran was pushed out.
She had been keeping her head down and behaving like a young girl, and hadn't really looked at the Princess Consort properly. But when she saw her today, she was taken aback. The Princess Consort looked to be two or three years younger than Zhao! She was wearing a royal blue jacket with gold gourd and double happiness patterns, a light blue skirt, her hair was neatly combed, and she wore a complete set of red gold and jade headdress.
A flash of surprise crossed her eyes, and when An Ran looked up, she was looking at An Ran with a gentle expression and a smile.
"My dear in-laws are truly blessed; all the young ladies in your household are so beautiful," the Princess Consort said with a slight smile. "I'm so envious!"
Zhao quickly offered a few words of modesty.
An Ran remained silent, only wearing a polite smile.
The beautiful woman to the left of the Princess Consort, a few years younger than her, smiled and said, "The Princess Consort's sisters have all grown up so beautifully, each one more lovely than the last. Sister Chen, don't you think so?"
The older woman standing to the right of the Princess Consort nodded and replied with a smile, "The Consort is right. With such delicate beauty, I love them all; I truly don't know how to praise them enough!"
"You flatter me, Consort and Madam!" Zhao said with a smile. "They are but plain and simple, and cannot possibly accept such praise from you two."