amaotonovel Chapter 244 Attending the Banquet
Chapter 244 Attending the Banquet
Chapter 244
"I promise you, I will never get involved with him without any name or status. Get up now."
Aunt Zhang stood up with a tearful smile and said, "I knew you were intelligent, young lady. You would definitely understand my advice."
After sending Aunt Zhang away, Luo Shuiyao returned to her room and locked herself in. She gazed out the window, unsure of what to do. Although she had always acted rationally, the throbbing in her heart was so real and palpable, how could she easily let it go?
Forget it, forget it. She sighed lightly, reached out to close the window, and thought to herself, let's leave everything to time. Perhaps as time slowly passes, this throbbing will eventually dissipate.
For the next two days, Luo Shuiyao locked herself in the house, busy dealing with various affairs.
Qingyulou's business is becoming more and more stable. Even though the previous promotion has ended, the business is still booming because of its reputation due to its previous outstanding achievements.
Rumors also circulated that the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager were so fond of Qingyulou's exclusive snacks and teas that they even sent eunuchs to buy them daily. For a time, Qingyulou's connection to the imperial court gave it an even more prominent position in the capital. Dignitaries and scholars flocked to the restaurant, eager to sample the delicacies favored even by the royal family. The Qingyulou's door was nearly bustling with visitors. Although Luo Shuiyao hadn't left her home, she could already imagine the bustle outside. But she felt even more grateful. That day, she had simply followed her habit in the real world: upon seeing this "distinguished guest," Emperor Yuanzhen, she had packed some special teas and snacks for him before he departed. It was purely out of courtesy, but she hadn't expected such a pleasant surprise.
Lately, everyone in the courtyard has been busy as a top. Fortunately, thanks to the help of Fang Yueniang, the shopkeeper she hired, the accountants she hired, and Yang Wei and others, there has been no trouble in the building.
Luo Shuiyao had to deal with the complicated problems sent by Fang Yueniang every day, and for a while, she had put the matter with Ye Yunzhou behind her. Until this morning, the Marquis's wife sent someone to deliver several sets of luxurious clothes and jewelry, and told her that she would take her and Lu Zhaozhao to a banquet.
Luo Shuiyao waved her hand to let Madam Zhang take the things, and gave each of the madams who delivered the things a small ingot of silver.
After sending them away, Luo Shuiyao looked at the exquisite clothes and jewelry, and she had a vague idea in her mind. Thanks to the TV shows and novels she had watched in her previous life, she understood that when women in the harem took their young children out, it was mostly for blind dates and other matters between men and women.
Looking at the clothes and jewelry with dazzling embroidery, she couldn't help but sigh and thought: Sure enough, the older you get, the wiser you become.
The nanny came forward and saw that she was staring at the clothes, thinking that she liked them, so she said, "Miss, these clothes are the most fashionable in the capital right now, and the material is also very rare. I'm afraid that Madam is afraid that others will look down on you, so she is doing this."
Luo Shuiyao shook her head and did not refute her. Instead, she asked, "Are there any unmarried children in the Right Prime Minister's Mansion?"
Nanny Zhang thought carefully and said, "The Right Prime Minister and his wife were deeply in love and had only one son. However, the eldest son of the Right Prime Minister's mansion rarely appears in public. I heard that he is mute, and we have never heard of anyone seeing him."
Thinking of this, she was suddenly startled and asked hurriedly, "Miss, are you saying that the Right Prime Minister is going to choose a wife for his son?"
Luo Shuiyao reached out and gently stroked the exquisite clothes, remaining silent.
When Nanny Zhang looked at these luxurious clothes, the joy she had felt just now because she thought her wife was thoughtful disappeared completely in an instant.
She asked hesitantly, "Miss, how about I put these away and go pick out some ordinary clothes for you?"
Luo Shuiyao reached out to stop her and said, "This is my aunt's gift, I can't refuse it. Please accompany me to change clothes."
The Marquis's wife sent these clothes, obviously for her to wear to the banquet, so how could she refuse the Marquis's face?
She raised her hand and pointed at one of the clothes.
In the end, she only chose a slightly more elegant outfit from among the clothes and put it on, and also chose a white jade and pearl headpiece. Even though she didn't adorn herself too much, just a little lip balm, it made her look noble and dignified, like a fairy descending to earth, exuding an otherworldly aura.
Looking at herself in the mirror, Luo Shuiyao frowned and said to the nanny, "Mammy, please bring me that cloak."
Nanny Zhang looked at the stunningly beautiful and elegant Luo Shuiyao before her, sighed softly, and turned to retrieve the cloak from the cabinet. The cloak had no unnecessary decorations or patterns, and was extremely simple in style. When draped over Luo Shuiyao, it resembled white jade covered in dust, partially obscuring the dazzling radiance of the luxurious garment.
Luo Shuiyao nodded in satisfaction, called Chun Xing over, and then walked with her to the front yard. Chun Tao had gone to Qingyu Tower to help out early in the morning these days, so she could only take Chun Xing with her to the banquet.
Arriving at the front yard, Madam Hou and Lu Zhaozhao had just arrived. Seeing Luo Shuiyao, Madam Hou's eyes lit up and she said, "I was saying this dress would look amazing on Yaoyao, don't you agree, Zhaozhao?"
Lu Zhaozhao had learned her lesson by now, knowing that she couldn't get any good treatment from Luo Shuiyao. Although she felt bad seeing the Marquis's attentions to Luo Shuiyao, she didn't say anything unpleasant. She just smiled and agreed, "It's really beautiful."
Luo Shuiyao pretended to be shy and bowed her head as she finished her greeting. The Marquis' wife had already ordered the carriage to be harnessed early in the morning, and then she led the two of them aboard.
In the carriage, Lu Zhaozhao acted extremely skilled. Indeed, she had accompanied the Marquis's wife to several banquets before. As soon as she got in the carriage, she prepared tea for her wife with familiarity and said sweetly, "Aunt, please have some tea. We still have to wait a while before we arrive."
The Marquis's wife turned to look at Luo Shuiyao and explained with a hint of apology, "I should have told you yesterday, but my aunt is old and her brain isn't working very well. I didn't remember until midnight. I sent the maid over, but they said it was too late and you had already gone to bed, so I can only tell you today. We were in such a hurry, I don't know how your breakfast was, Yaoyao. Here are some snacks. Please enjoy some before the banquet starts."
Luo Shuiyao knew full well that the Marquis' wife hadn't truly intended to inform her in advance, perhaps wanting to catch her off guard and prevent her from preparing. However, she didn't show it on her face. She simply nodded and saluted, softly replying, "Aunt, don't blame yourself. I had breakfast this morning and I'm not hungry now."
The Marquis's wife chuckled twice, with a bit of embarrassment on her face, and she knew that what she said was a bit far-fetched.
Seeing this, Lu Zhaozhao put on a smile and said coquettishly, "How could Sister Yao blame you, Aunt? You work hard day and night for the affairs of the Marquisate, so this happened. Didn't I just find out about it this morning? Look how biased you are. You only remember whether Sister Yao is hungry or not, but didn't even ask Zhaozhao."