Chapter 562

Chapter 562 – Attending the Banquet

The Wu family was a well-known family in the capital and was acquainted with the Lu family in the past. When Ye Zhen first became Lu Yaoyao*, she had accompanied Old Madam Lu to Baihua Garden** where she met Old Madam Wu.

[*the time she transmigrated into her twin’s body after rebirth, Old Madam Wu had hosted the Flower Appreciation Meet at Baihua Garden

**This is the garden adjacent to the forest where MRZ had fallen as a child and YZ had rescued him. After rebirth, YZ had been there to break the box and shred the cloth she had buried there in her rage and hurt, which MRZ stumbles upon after she has left the forest and discovers the piece of cloth with the word Ye on it.]

At that time, there was no one who had discerned the similarities that Lu Yaoyao shared with Qin Wangfei except for Old Madam Wu. However, the Wu matriarch had chosen to keep this discovery to herself. And it was because of this very reason that Ye Zhen had agreed to grace the Wu banquet with her presence.

The next day, Ye Zhen wore a light blue silken autumn dress embroidered with silvery-white thread, coupled with a pink skirt woven with lotus threads, held in place with a luxurious brocade. She was as lovely as a delicate flower blooming in early spring. The faint makeup Aunt Rong put on for her enhanced her beauty even further; she wasn’t just a pretty girl anymore, she was literally a work of art.

Old Madam Lu gazed at her radiant and beautiful granddaughter with a satisfied smile in her eyes. “Let’s go.”

Along with Ye Zhen, Lu Jing also attended the banquet.

The Wu family was in Dongcheng, about half an hour away, and there were already several carriages parked outside the mansion gates. Although the main objective of the Wu family was to invite Ye Zhen, in order not to appear abrupt, they had even invited some close friends over.

The Flower Appreciation Banquet was set in the Wu family’s garden. While a variety of autumn flowers that were in full bloom were sitting at the center, the seats for the guests were placed around them.

The banquet had yet to start, as such the people were just talking among themselves.

Right then, someone shouted, “Her Imperial Highness Princess and Old Madam Lu have arrived.”

The entire garden full of women suddenly quieted down and looked in the direction of Ye Zhen and the others in unison.

Ye Zhen looked at the many familiar faces in the garden, a proper smile on the corner of her mouth, as she walked over with Old Madam Lu.

Everybody’s gaze fell on Ye Zhen, there were doubts, shocks, and even more astonishments.

“Old Madam Lu, Your Highness Princess.” The ladies who had been chatting stood up and bowed to Ye Zhen before turning away to make way for Old Madam Lu.

“Old Madam Wu, Madam Zhu, Madam Tang—” Old Madam Lu nodded with a smile and greeted the ladies who were already friends.

“Just when I was wondering when you would come… think of the devil and the devil appears!” Old Madam Wu exclaimed with a smile.

Old Madam Lu returned the smile and said, “Sorry to have kept you waiting.”

Ye Zhen originally came to the Wu Mansion to accompany Old Madam Lu, so she just stood there silently, with a faint smile on her lips. However, no matter how much she tried to be inconspicuous, her stunning beauty was enough to attract everybody’s attention.

“Her Imperial Highness, I haven’t seen you for a year and almost didn’t recognize you.” Old Madam Wu couldn’t hide the surprise in her eyes. She remembered seeing Lu Yaoyao in Baihua Garden a year ago. At that time, she simply thought the girl looked like Ye Zhen. However, when she saw her again today, she almost froze.

She didn’t quite remember what Ye Zhen looked like when she grew up, but… Given how delicate and beautiful Qin Wangfei was back then, she was probably stunning and charming, just like how Lu Yaoyao was now.

The others quickly followed suit. “Her Highness Princess is indeed the most beautiful woman in the world*.”

[*天下第一 tiān xià dì yī = first under heaven; number one in the country, 美人 měi rén = beauty; belle]

“Yes, yes, the old man from (xx family*) managed to catch a glimpse, and when he came back, he even told me that he was in disbelief. Well… well, he had never seen such a beautiful person in his life.”

[*just some random name]

“——”

A slight smile danced at the corners of Ye Zhen’s lips as she listened to all the praise and compliments showered on her, but she didn’t say anything in reply.

“Now, now, don’t you all scare my Yaoyao… this little girl hasn’t gone out much before, she’s very shy.” Old Madam Lu glared at Old Madam Wu.

“That’s right, today is the first time Her Highness the Princess has come out to attend a banquet. We are so amazed that we just got carried away and forgot our manners.” Old Madam Wu smiled and motioned for everyone to sit down and talk.

Right then, a girl next to Old Madam Wu, about the same age as Ye Zhen, stepped forward, smiled, and said, “Your Highness Princess, allow me to accompany you to the garden, you will certainly be bored listening to my grandmother and the others chatting here.”

Old Madam Lu smiled at her granddaughter denoting her consent.

“Okay,” Ye Zhen said. She knew this girl, Wu Zhuzhu, Old Madam Wu’s granddaughter. She had seen her around Xu Huiru. She seemed cute, and full of life but was a little naïve.

“Fourth Miss Lu, would you like to join us?” Wu Zhenzhu said, looking at Lu Jing.

“Okay,” Lu Jing said. Little did she know that this flower appreciation banquet had been arranged by Old Madam Wu for Ye Zhen. She was just happy that Old Madam Lu had brought her out to socialize. However, from the moment Ye Zhen joined them, the smile on her face had long disappeared.

Sure enough, as long as this so-called princess exists, everyone’s attention will only be on her*.

[*She means no one will pay attention to her, Lu Jing’s thoughts]

Wu Zhenzhu took them to the other side of the garden. “Your Highness, I heard that you cured many people from the plague in Huaijiang City… Is it true?”

Ye Zhen was quite relaxed at the moment. After all, facing this innocent Wu Zhenzhu was a piece of cake compared to those seasoned ladies. “Well, I did assist Imperial Physician Qi in treating the people.”

“You are amazing!” Wu Zhenzhu exclaimed.

Lu Jing sneered at the side. “She’s a princess, yet she went to do something that is not befitting of her status. How amazing can that be?”

“It’s because despite being a princess she possesses such medical skills, she’s amazing,” Wu Zhenzhu said, not backing down.

“You guys can continue talking here, I’ll go over there to see,” Lu Jing declared, turned around, and walked towards the rockery to the side. She was sick of witnessing all the praise being showered on Ye Zhen.

As Wu Zhenzhu watched Lu Jing walking away, she glanced at Ye Zhen and said in a low voice, “Your Highness, actually… Actually, I have something I want to ask of you.”

Ye Zhen was very happy that Lu Jing left on her own accord. She was now even more relaxed than before. However, at the other’s words, she quirked an eyebrow and said lightly, “What’s it?”

“It’s about Concubine Xu Xianfei*… Oh, I mean Concubine Xu,” Wu Zhenzhu said softly. “Can you please beseech the emperor to spare her elder brother… Whatever he did, he must have had his reasons and certainly did it for the greater good. And now, he has dragged Concubine Xu into the mess, they are so pitiful.”

[*Xu Huiru has been demoted to the status of concubine now, Xu Ji is her elder brother]

Ye Zhen eyed Wu Zhenzhu like she were a fool; a sneer crept at the corner of her lips as she spoke, “Miss Wu, who asked you to say such things in front of me?”

“No one—” Wu Zhenzhu hurriedly shook her head. “No one really.”

“It seems that the Wu family protects you all too well, they didn’t teach you how to distinguish right from wrong nor the things you must say before someone. What you said in front of me today was definitely not taught by Old Madam Wu.” Ye Zhen said coldly, “Go back and tell the person who asked you to say this… to plead for Xu Ji in front of me, do you want Xu Ji to die faster?”

She was not someone who was vengeful, but just because of the fact that Xu Ji wanted to burn down the villages and disregarded the lives of the villagers, she would not let him off easily.

A terrified Wu Zhenzhu turned pale. “Your Highness Princess, how can you be so cold-blooded and ruthless.”

“I have always been such a cold-blooded and ruthless person. The Wu family is compassionate and kind, this isn’t a place for someone like me, I shouldn’t be here,” Ye Zhen said with a smile, turned around, and left.

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