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The two truly showcased their affection before reluctantly parting ways.
Xiao Yao led Su Hong and Sun Ruoxue towards the Western Courtyard. In reality, the Western Courtyard was not as empty as Yang Yunzhe had imagined; after all, there were other officials present to congratulate on the full moon celebration, and naturally, some ladies had gathered there as well.
The ladies were chatting over tea and felt quite at ease. After all, this was the Xuanping Prince's Mansion. Even if the hostess did not come out, it was understandable since she had won the Emperor's favor. Just look at those rewards—wasn't that the best proof?
Moreover, without a Princess or Consort present, they indeed felt more comfortable. As members of Noble Families or officials, despite the differences in rank, they were ultimately all subjects and there was no need for anyone to look down on anyone else.
While they were chatting, they suddenly heard someone outside announcing the arrival of the Consort, the Fourth Prince's Consort, and Consort Xuanping!
The ladies immediately quieted down, standing up to face the entrance. As the three entered slowly, they greeted, "We pay our respects to the Consort, Fourth Prince's Consort, and Consort Xuanping!"
Su Hong and Xiao Yao walked towards the main seat; after all, it was only natural for the Princess to take the main position in the Xuanping Prince's Mansion. The Consort held the highest rank and should also sit in the main position. The seat of honor was on the right side, so the Consort sat there while Xiao Yao took her place on the left.
Sun Ruoxue sat at the lower right position.
The Consort walked to the main seat and smiled while gesturing with her hand, "Ladies, please be at ease and take your seats."
"Yes!" The ladies responded in unison and stood up to take their seats. Seeing that everyone was silent, the Consort smiled and said, "This is a celebration for Consort Xuanping's son; why so serious? Everyone relax a bit."
The ladies smiled in response and began to loosen up.
Noticing that the seated ladies were still somewhat reserved, Xiao Yao smiled slightly and picked up a piece of fruit with a bamboo skewer to eat while casually chatting with the Consort, showing no sign of feeling like she needed to host them.
It was completely a matter of her not caring; they could do as they pleased.
Seeing this situation, the women relaxed and continued to gather in small groups, starting to gossip.
Only Sun Ruoxue sat alone on a chair, her head lowered as if she were admiring the rouge she had carefully applied. Xiao Yao glanced at Sun Ruoxue, her gaze passing over her without any pause. She then turned to chat with Su Hong.
Suddenly, a piece of gossip cut through the buzzing noise and reached her ears with unusual clarity.
"Hey, did you know? The legitimate son of the Yun Family got into a fight with the illegitimate son the other day! Right at Xingchun Garden!"
"Xingchun Garden? Isn't that a brothel?"
"What brothel? That's a proper Song and Dance House!"
"Come on, what Song and Dance House? To put it plainly, it's just a place for men to seek pleasure! The legitimate son of the Yun Family fought with an illegitimate son?"
"I heard it was the third son? Anyway, it's that one who often hangs out with Xuanping Wang, you know."
"Oh, I see. But why?"
"Who knows? But since it happened at a brothel, it’s probably because of some girl."
……
Heir of the Yun Family? Xiao Yao seemed to have some impression of this term but couldn't recall who it referred to after thinking for a while. She then asked Consort, "Hey, do you know who the legitimate son of the Yun Family is?"
"Well, I've seen him twice; he is now a First-Class Imperial Guard." Consort nodded, indicating that she was aware.
"First-Class Imperial Guard? The Yun Family is not, not that one..." Xiao Yao blinked, as if trying to remember but not quite getting there.
"Zhenguo General," Su Hong continued, "However, the position of Zhenguo General is not hereditary like Xuanping Wang; it must be earned through military merit. Right now, the Heir of the Yun Family is a First-Class Imperial Guard, and in a couple of years, he might end up on the battlefield earning his achievements."
"Oh, so that's how it is." Xiao Yao understood; the Emperor was placing this Heir of the Yun Family in front of him as a First-Class Imperial Guard merely to watch for an opportunity to send him to the front lines.
She pursed her lips but still couldn't recall who this person was; it just didn't match up.
At that moment, Zhao Hezhong came over to announce that the banquet was starting and invited everyone to proceed.
"Let's go." Su Hong and Xiao Yao stood up simultaneously, supported by their respective maids as they walked ahead. Following them was Sun Ruoxue, and behind her were the other ladies.
The so-called full-month banquet appeared to celebrate their own child's first month; in reality, it was merely a social gathering under the guise of a full-month celebration.
In Xiao Yao's view, this small-scale banquet resembled a modern cocktail party or salon, attended by those who had already entered or wished to enter the circle of the Crown Prince and He Yu.
As for her two precious sons?
Sorry, they were too young; after being shown for a moment, they were taken back to continue nursing and sleeping.
All in all, it lasted less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.
As Xuanping Wang and the princess He Yu attracted more interest from the crowd, Xiao Yao found herself growing impatient after being greeted several times in just a short incense stick's time.
He Yu noticed her impatience and gently kissed the corner of her eye. "Tired? Why don't you go back to the Central Courtyard to see our son, okay?"
"No," she replied. Although she was impatient, leaving early as the host would be inappropriate. She shook her head, "It's fine; there will be more occasions like this in the future. I can't avoid them every time."
Hearing this, He Yu felt happy but also concerned. He knew that Xiao Yao had always disliked such gatherings, so he smiled and lightly pecked her lips. "As long as I'm here, you don't have to force yourself if you're not willing."
Xiao Yao smiled slightly, shook her head, and without saying a word, kissed He Yu again.
Watching this couple being intimate and oblivious to their surroundings, everyone present felt a mix of emotions. Yang Yunzhe stared intently at Xiao Yao's rose-colored lips, recalling how they had been light pink during their last encounter at the Western Mountain Hunting Ground.
It seemed she had applied lipstick today.
Lost in thought, Yang Yunzhe was suddenly surprised that he could remember such details about Xiao Yao. Her unadorned face exuded a natural sweetness, like a refreshing spring water. However, today’s bold makeup and vibrant red lips added another layer of charm to her—seductive yet not vulgar, reminiscent of a majestic peony.
Feeling a scorching gaze upon her, Xiao Yao frowned uncomfortably. At that moment, He Yu turned around and firmly held his wife in his embrace, blocking Yang Yunzhe's line of sight.
Beside Yang Yunzhe, Sun Ruoxue noticed her newlywed husband’s regretful expression and lowered her head. A hint of sarcasm appeared in her eyes as she curved her lips into a mocking smile, slowly uttering two words: "Dream on."
Her voice was low; no one else heard it. Only Yang Yunzhe seemed to catch a vague sound coming from Sun Ruoxue, frowning slightly. "What?"
"Huh? What?" Sun Ruoxue feigned confusion as she looked up, acting as if she had just been lost in thought.
"Forget it, you know what!" Yang Yunzhe waved his hand impatiently, too lazy to elaborate. He simply walked up to He Yu and smiled, "This prince will take his leave now. Thank you for your hospitality, Lord."
"Not at all, we are here to see His Highness the Fourth Prince off," He Yu replied while returning the courtesy to Yang Yunzhe, not forgetting to hide his daughter-in-law behind him, concealing her thoroughly and not wanting Yang Yunzhe to catch even a glimpse.
After Yang Yunzhe left, Su Hong also quickly took her leave. "I’m sorry for taking up so much of your time."
"Sister-in-law, you’re being too polite," He Yu immediately responded. "Yao Yao rarely has a relative she can talk to in the capital. It is already an immense honor that the Consort does not mind the simplicity of our residence."
"Look at what you’re saying," Su Hong chuckled lightly, covering her mouth. "The Crown Prince's eloquence is probably unmatched even by the civil officials; today I’ve truly witnessed it."
He Yu laughed and was not offended, while Xiao Yao beside her also joined in the laughter. "Exactly! That’s why you see, I don’t argue with him; I definitely can’t win."
"Hey, hey, that’s not right," He Yu said seriously with a stern expression. "How could I argue with you? Even if we did argue, you would definitely win!"
The three of them exchanged smiles, and the ministers standing nearby realized that they simply could not integrate into such a close-knit circle; all their aspirations were nothing but fantasies.
After sending off Consort Su Hong, the others naturally followed suit and bid farewell one after another.
Finally, after seeing off the last guest, Xiao Yao directly collapsed into He Yu's arms. He Yu quickly embraced her and helplessly said, "At least give me a hint next time; what if you fall to the ground like this?"
"I won’t! You wouldn’t let me fall!" Xiao Yao grinned playfully.
He Yu sighed helplessly. "You really have me wrapped around your finger."
"That's right." The two of them walked towards the Central Courtyard. Zhao Hezhong instructed the steward in the front yard to move the gifts to the Storage Room. He and Yun Zhu would pick out a few items they liked from the Storage Room, and then take them along with the gift list to show to the prince and princess.
Xiao Yao recounted what she had heard earlier in the Western Courtyard to He Yu as they walked.
"Fighting?" He Yu asked, somewhat puzzled.
"Yes," Xiao Yao nodded. "I heard it from them, but who is the Heir of the Yun Family?"
He Yu knew that Xiao Yao typically wouldn't remember anyone she had met less than three times, unless they made a particularly strong impression. So he replied, "It's the one who got third place during the last time at the Western Mountain Hunting Ground."
At this, Xiao Yao recalled; it was that man, but what did he look like?
She couldn't remember.
Oh well.
Anyway, it didn't really concern her much, so why bother remembering? It would just be exhausting.
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