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The Birthday Banquet was underway, and many clan relatives, princes, and officials of the third rank and above gathered to chat. The Empress Dowager wore a dark expression, still upset because Shu Qingcheng and Jiang Xi had embarrassed her, and her mood had not improved since.
Shu Yan was filled with resentment: that detestable Shu Qingcheng, as a princess of marriage alliance, had come to the Great Zhou but chose not to approach the Emperor. Instead, she went to stay at the Regent's Palace, which was simply outrageous.
Just as her anger was rising, a voice suddenly called out from outside, "The Regent and the Regent Consort have arrived, along with the Princess of Mian Kingdom."
The three exquisite faces stunned the officials in the hall. Everyone immediately stood up and respectfully bowed, "We pay our respects to the Regent and the Regent Consort."
After Fong Yang allowed them to rise, he turned to Jiang Xi and said, "There's still some time before the banquet begins. You and the Charming Princess can take a stroll in the Imperial Garden first."
Jiang Xi nodded and led Shu Qingcheng out of the main hall. Shu Yan, who had intended to confront Shu Qingcheng, suddenly found herself missing her chance. She could only suppress her emotions for now and turned to Fong Yang to engage in small talk.
In a pavilion in the Imperial Garden, Huai'an Princess spotted Jiang Xi from afar, waved her hand, and called out, "Over here!"
Jiang Xi smiled lightly and introduced Shu Qingcheng, "That Huai'an Princess is the daughter of the Eldest Princess. She's quite interesting and different from her mother."
Shu Qingcheng looked up with interest and smirked, "I can tell you two have a good relationship. It seems like the other young ladies are not very friendly towards you."
Jiang Xi shrugged with indifference and replied, "These noble ladies always pride themselves on their elegance and nobility. It's normal for them to look down on me, a merchant girl with a strong copper smell. Besides, it's understandable that they harbor increasing hostility since I, an unworthy merchant girl in their eyes, married their unattainable Regent."
Shu Qingcheng scoffed, "If they could really live their lives solely on their nobility and elegance without spending a single coin on food or clothing until old age, I would truly admire them."
As they approached the noble ladies, none of them offered a greeting. Jiang Xi's smile turned slightly cold as she asked, "Ladies, what does this mean? Do you not need to pay respects to me as your Regent Consort?"
Bai Die sneered sarcastically, "Jiang Xi, it’s only been a few days since we last met. Your reputation as a merchant girl has grown quite large; dreaming that I would bow to you is quite amusing."
Jiang Xi looked at her leisurely and said, "Lady Bai has some ambition; I just wonder if today you plan to have Han Shuang slap your face again or if you want Han Yue to report your disrespect to the Regent?"
Bai Die recalled how badly she had suffered during their first meeting and glared fiercely at Jiang Xi.
Jiang Xi couldn't be bothered to waste more words on her; she simply commanded coldly, "Bow."
Bai Die was terrified of the Regent and immediately backed down, reluctantly bending her knee in greeting. "I greet you, Regent Consort. Please, do not be angry, my lady."
Jiang Xi smiled and warned, "I know that your greeting is not sincere, but that doesn't matter. Just remember your place and don't provoke me again."
Bai Die felt a burning shame on her face as she thought about her earlier bravado and her current submissive attitude.
Fong Miaomiao thought to herself that this fool was once again trying to be the hero.
Indeed, being a princess was different; the way she wielded her authority was unmistakable. If the Regent saw her like this, who knew how much longer she could hold onto her title?
During the Huai'an Princess's birthday celebration, Fong Miaomiao had received a slap from Han Yue. Now, on the Empress's birthday, she was stirring trouble again.
Jiang Xi calmly reminded them, "It's not about bullying; as long as you all can keep to yourselves and not interfere with me, I won't make things difficult for you. As for the Regent, you don't need to worry about him; he knows my temperament well and I have never deceived him."
Fong Miaomiao remained silent with a stern expression.
The Huai'an Princess offered a cup of tea to ease the tension. "Jiang Xi is right. We are all royal relatives here; there's no need to be at odds with each other every time we meet. It only makes it awkward for ourselves. By the way, this young lady is..."
Jiang Xi took the teacup and introduced her. "This is the Princess of Unparalleled Beauty of Mian Kingdom, who has come to Da Zhou for marriage."
The Huai'an Princess smiled and greeted her, but Fong Miaomiao frowned and spoke harshly. "Is there something to hide? Why wear a veil in broad daylight?"
Shu Qingcheng had a fiery temper; she casually stared at the girl speaking and said, "Is this how your Great Zhou Royal Family's princesses are raised?"
Fong Miaomiao's face turned red with anger as she nearly exploded. "What did you say? You, a princess from an enemy nation, dare to be so rude in front of me? Do you believe I will report you to the Empress for punishment?"
Shu Qingcheng laughed lightly as she flicked her hair back. "This princess is deeply dissatisfied with the marriage arrangement. If you truly go tell your Empress about it, I would actually thank you; I just wonder if you have the guts to do so."
Fong Miaomiao instantly fell for the provocation. "Do you think I lack courage?"
Fong Le, who had been silent, timely interrupted her, saying, "Princess Miaomiao has come from afar; she is a distinguished guest of the Great Zhou. We should treat her with respect and not bring shame to the Great Zhou Royal Family."
It was then that Fong Miaomiao realized she had lost control of her emotions and fell silent, maintaining a stern expression.
The Huai'an Princess spoke up to ease the tension: "Alright, today is the Empress Dowager's birthday. Let's not spoil the mood. The Regent Consort is of a much higher rank than us; I'm afraid of calling you old, so from now on, I'll just call you Sister Jiang. How does that sound?"
Jiang Xi considered the Huai'an Princess a friend, so she didn't mind the informal address. "You can call me whatever you like," she replied.
After some casual conversation, the Huai'an Princess looked surprised and asked, "Where is Wen Lan? I haven't seen him around."
Fong Le responded meaningfully, "He is at Cian Palace paying respects to the Empress Dowager. She has always favored him and wanted to arrange a marriage between him and the Regent, but unfortunately, it didn't work out. Knowing he was feeling down, she called him over to comfort him."
Jiang Xi quietly sipped her tea, showing no signs of displeasure or embarrassment. The Huai'an Princess sighed and said, "Wen Lan always thinks that Sister Jiang's background doesn't match the Regent's status. In my opinion, he is being rather superficial. The Regent's genuine feelings for Sister Jiang must stem from her unique qualities that others lack; that's why no other woman catches his eye. Matters of fate cannot be forced."
Her words elicited a reaction from Jiang Xi, who nodded happily in agreement.
"Jiajia has an eye for talent. Tomorrow, I'll take you shopping at Moyu Pavilion to pick out a couple of pieces of jewelry."
Fong Miaomiao had initially wanted to make a few sarcastic remarks but fell silent upon hearing this.
For these royal princesses, visiting Moyu Pavilion was a rare occasion each year. To Jiang Xi, it seemed as commonplace as visiting a cosmetics shop, which made others feel envious and resentful.
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