usatvline Chapter 36 036 Departing for the Banquet
Chapter 36 036 Departing for the Banquet
Chapter 36 036 Departing for the Banquet
On the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Gongsun Yuan had her servants deliver the banquet attire to Ye Pianran's room early in the morning.
Those were things that Gongsun Yuan had prepared for Ye Pianran two months earlier. The jewelry was a gold hairpin with delicate wings and butterflies adorned with plum blossoms and bamboo tassels, crafted by the most skilled artisans at Wenbaozhai in the capital. The dress was a pale yellow autumn gauze skirt with a trailing hem, made by the best embroiderers from Suzhou brocade weaving workshops using the finest silk threads and fabrics. It was truly elaborate and gorgeous.
With the help of her maid, she changed into the dress. The woman in the mirror possessed an incredibly slender waist and an ethereal, otherworldly beauty that captivated everyone in the room. Of course, if it weren't for the scar on her face, she would be absolutely perfect.
Gongsun Yuan's gaze swept over Ye Pianran's veiled face. She styled her hair into a bun, inserted a gold hairpin into it, and sighed, "You are currently at the height of your fame. When you arrive at the banquet, remember not to act rashly. I hope you can return unharmed."
Knowing that her mother was worried about her, Ye Pianran patted her hand reassuringly and said, "Don't worry, Mother, I know what I'm doing."
"Miss, it's getting late, we should set off." A voice urged from outside. Ye Pianran stood up and said to Ling Shu and Ling Yi, "Ling Yi, you will come with me to the banquet this time. Ling Shu, you stay at home and take good care of Mother and Kang'er."
Lingyi and Lingshu: "Yes, Miss."
Ye Pianran curtsied to Gongsun Yuan: "Mother, I'm off."
Gongsun Yuan nodded, and with the help of Granny Xu and Ling Shu, she escorted Ye Pianran to the entrance of Lanxin Courtyard. However, watching her daughter's departing figure, she suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable, as if something bad was about to happen to her daughter.
Shaking her head to suppress her discomfort, she turned and went back inside. Hopefully, she was just imagining things.
Whether intentional or coincidental, as Ye Pianran reached the gate of the Marquis's residence, Ye Bijun, dressed in her finest attire, also emerged. Behind her followed Ye Shanzhu, who wore only light makeup.
Ye Bijun was the legitimate daughter of the third branch of the family, and Ye Shanzhu was the legitimate daughter of the fourth branch. Although their biological father was the half-brother of Marquis Anshi, they still benefited from the Marquis's family's influence and were qualified to attend the chrysanthemum appreciation banquet. This is why Ye Bijun deliberately injured Ye Pianran's face.
With Ye Pianran around, who would pay attention to those of humble origins?
Seeing Ye Pianran, whose beauty and elegance only enhanced by the added scar, Ye Bijun practically ground her teeth to powder, wishing she could slash her face even more! But then she remembered what she had obtained from the Ronghua Tower Master, and she suppressed that impulse. "Hmph, revenge is a dish best served cold," she thought. "They'll see at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet!"
“Cousin, you’re going through a very difficult time right now, yet you still insist on going out. I really admire your courage,” Ye Bijun said with a hint of smugness. “If you’re worried about being laughed at at the banquet, just stand with your sisters. We will definitely protect you.”
"You!" Lingyi was so angry that her face turned red, but Ye Pianran didn't even look at her and said indifferently, "Thank you for reminding me, Sister Bijun."
A reminder? A reminder for what? Ye Bijun was somewhat bewildered. Watching Ye Pianran being helped into the carriage by servants, she gritted her teeth in anger. After the carriage carrying Ye Pianran departed towards Qionglin Garden, she turned back to Ye Shanzhu of the third branch of the family and warned her:
"Hmph, if you see anything you shouldn't at the banquet, don't say a word, or you'll regret it!"
Ye Shanzhu ignored her and instead led her maid toward another carriage outside the door.
Ye Bijun stomped her foot and cursed, "What a hypocrite!" before quickly chasing after her.
The carriage traveled smoothly along the wide roads of the capital. Ye Pianran sat inside, leaning against the soft cushions, still holding a medical book in her hands.
That was the "Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica" borrowed from Liu Lulu. She had read the book several times, but each time she read it, she gained new insights, so she was very immersed in it.
"Miss, you really aren't worried at all?" Lingyi muttered, seeing her so calm and collected.
Ye Pianran said, "What's there to worry about? That's a banquet hosted by the royal family. His Majesty and the Empress will be attending. Do you think they would dare to make a move?"
“But what about Young Master Ouyang…” Lingyi said with a worried expression, hesitating to speak, “Miss, why don’t you just tell him the truth?”
"The truth?" Ye Pianran curled her lips in a mocking smile. "If he can't even believe me, why should I bother?"
Remembering the sachet that was burned in a fire, Lingyi belatedly realized Ye Pianran's thoughts: "It was my fault for being so talkative."
Qionglin Garden is a newly built royal garden located in the southeast of the capital. In the past, it only took half an hour to get from the Marquis's residence to Qionglin Garden, but today, I sat in the carriage for a long time, and it felt like half an hour had passed, yet we still hadn't arrived at our destination. Moreover, the surrounding environment had become increasingly quiet.
Sensing something was wrong, Lingyi lifted the carriage curtain and looked out. She noticed that the scenery flashing past the window was no longer that of the city, and immediately shouted, "Driver! Stop the carriage! This is not the road to Qionglin Garden!"