Time Travel: The Noble Family-Chapter 1219 - 512: The Outbreak of War (Part 1)

Mingzhu pondered for a moment and nodded, saying, "Then please do." It wasn’t that Mingzhu was lacking in responsibility; she had been in Suzhou for so many years and had interacted with those Madams for quite some time. Those Madams understood her temperament quite well, so even if she said it was her idea, they definitely wouldn’t believe it. Given that, why not simply say it was Yueyao’s idea.

The Madams who received the invitations all came, and many even brought their daughters along. They brought their daughters for them to gain knowledge and also to show them off, letting everyone know that there are young ladies in their households awaiting marriage. Mingzhu had already hinted that she had someone in mind, though she hadn’t named anyone, but since Kexin arrived in Suzhou, Mingzhu’s attitude towards Kexin was something those Madams were aware of.

Niu Yanghui is the highest-ranking official in Suzhou, and the invitations sent out didn’t include anyone of high seniority, so there was no need for Mingzhu to receive the guests herself.

When Mingzhu was greeting the guests, Yueyao did not accompany her. It wasn’t that Mingzhu was unwilling, but Yueyao didn’t want to. She was there as a guest, not the host, and it didn’t seem appropriate to join other guests in greeting people.

Of course, this was Yueyao’s excuse. Since Yueyao married An Zhichen, they had not held any banquets. Fortunately, Kexin was different from Yueyao; Kexin came out early to help Mingzhu in entertaining girls of the same age.

During Kexin’s few months in Suzhou, whenever Mingzhu went out for social engagements, she would bring Kexin along. In those few months, Kexin didn’t just learn in theory; with so much experience, she no longer made mistakes.

The second daughter of Suzhou Tongzhi, Chen Shuya, asked Kexin quietly, "Kexin Sister, will your mother come out today?" Chen Shuya was very curious about this legendary figure.

Kexin answered with a smile, "She will, but we may have to wait for a while."

Once most of the guests had arrived, Mingzhu then instructed the Maid to invite Yueyao over. Most people were there not just for drinking wine; they were there to see Yueyao. The main attraction wasn’t showing up, which seemed improper.

As Yueyao left the courtyard, she softly said, "I really don’t want to go; I’d rather spend this time painting!" Sadly, she had promised Mingzhu and couldn’t go back on her word.

Xiang Wei chuckled softly, "If you don’t go, soon Mingzhu will come and catch you herself."

Yueyao sighed slightly, resignedly following the Maid to the garden. Yueyao muttered, "It’s really something, Mingzhu has the nerve to invite everyone to appreciate chrysanthemums, with only a few plants in her courtyard!" In fact, there were many good varieties of chrysanthemums in Mingzhu’s garden, but Yueyao had rather high standards. Having painted many chrysanthemums herself, she now sought rare varieties, as regular chrysanthemums held little interest for her.

Xiang Wei laughed heartily, "People are attending the banquet not to admire flowers. Also, it’s a good thing An Zhichen is not in the Capital City; otherwise, you couldn’t be so carefree now." The banquet wasn’t for enjoying the scenery, nor simply for eating and drinking; it was about gathering information.

Xiang Wei, having been in the field, knew not to underestimate anyone and certainly wouldn’t belittle these Madams’ socializing.

Yueyao slowly made her way to the garden; no matter how slow, it was just that short distance and soon she was at the garden.

Mingzhu, with her keen eyes, quickly spotted Yueyao. Seeing Yueyao, Mingzhu briefly felt surprised, then smiled and walked forward to introduce Yueyao to the gathered guests. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Yueyao was dressed in a purple long dress, with silver thread around the edges and no embroidered patterns. Her waist was tied with a belt of the same color. Her hair was styled into a slightly simple new moon hairbun using purple and white interwoven ribbons. A purple jade hairpin was slanted among her hairbun, alongside two small, exquisite Beaded Flowers. Aside from this, Yueyao also wore a Jade Bracelet on her wrist, the warm mutton-fat jade emitting an unspeakable luster.

Despite Yueyao’s appearance being simple, her presence overshadowed everyone there. Instantly, all eyes were fixed on her.

For a fleeting moment, Yueyao felt unnatural, but it was just a blink of an eye before she regained her graceful smile.

Chen Shuya whispered, "Kexin Sister, is she really your mother?" Chen Shuya is one of Kexin’s two good friends.

Kexin felt somewhat annoyed, "I look very much like my mother, can’t you see that?"