Daughter of aristocratic family

Chapter 442 Birthday Banquet
Wu Lin'er, who was "invited" to leave the house by Madam Qiao, almost lost her dignity as a noble lady. She got on the carriage with a ferocious expression and gnashed her teeth, saying, "You don't know how to behave."

She thought that with her identity and status, Zhao Wangshu would never dare to avoid her.

But she never thought that Zhao Wangshu had already rejected her invitation to visit him, and if she still went to his house, she would be an uninvited guest.

Why should Zhao Wangshu be polite to the uninvited guests?

Just "asking" her to leave instead of kicking her out was already giving face to Prince Zuo's Mansion and Marquis Yongchang's Mansion.

"Miss, it's okay if Madam Yun doesn't want to see you." The maid said cautiously.

"What did you say?" Wu Lin'er asked sternly.

"Miss, please allow me to report." The maid said tremblingly, "You have entered the Yun Mansion. No matter whether you can see her or not, no one else knows what you said to her. Madam Yun will not tell others, and it is not easy to tell others. What difference does it make whether you see her or not?"

Wu Lin'er's eyes flashed, "You are quite smart."

"Thank you for the compliment, young lady." The maid showed joy on her face, completely unaware that the other maid was looking at her with eyes full of pity.

"But if this is the case, how can I complete the task that the prince has asked me to do?" Wu Lin'er frowned and said with a worried look on her face.

"Miss, you are going to marry into the palace next month. By then, your status will be different. It will be easy for you to meet Madam Yun, right?" the maid said softly.

After hearing this, Wu Lin'er smiled slightly and said, "You are right, I was too impatient."

As she said this, she took off an agate ring from her hand and threw it to the maid, "This is a reward for you."

"Thank you, young lady." The maid said happily.

The other maid lowered her head, twisted her handkerchief, and said nothing.

After that, Wu Lin'er no longer sent anyone to deliver visiting cards to the Yun Mansion. She concentrated on waiting to get married at home.

In a blink of an eye, it was the sixth day of August. After Zhao Wangshu settled his son and waited for Yun Hao to come back, the couple went to the Shangshu Mansion.

There was a constant stream of traffic and guests in front of the Shangshu Mansion. Welcoming the guests at the door were Shangshu Tao's eldest son and his wife.

"Lord Yun, Madam Zhao." The two of them came forward with a smile.

After a few polite words, Zhao Wangshu was led by the old woman to the inner courtyard, while Yun Hao followed the servant to the front hall.

The house was decorated extremely gorgeously, with red silk hanging from the branches and lanterns hanging high, creating a festive atmosphere everywhere.

After hearing the servant's announcement, the Shangshu's second son's wife came out to greet him, "Mrs. Zhao is here, please come in, please come in."

In the birthday hall, laughter and joy could be heard one after another. Guests gathered in twos and threes, some chatting and laughing, some whispering.

The Shangshu's wife, Mrs. Yu, was sitting on the Luohan couch. She was wearing a dark green gown with an eight-fortune pattern. She had her hair done in a bun and was wearing a set of emerald headpieces. Her face was glowing and she looked energetic.

Zhao Wangshu stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and said, "I wish Madam Yu good fortune as vast as the East Sea and a long life as long as the Southern Mountains."

Madam Yu smiled and said, "Madam Zhao, you are so polite. Please take a seat."

Although Zhao Wangshu was young, she had an imperial decree and was quite conspicuous among the middle-aged ladies.

After she sat down, she started chatting with the ladies around her. The topics were nothing more than the layout of the mansion and the guests attending today.

At this time, someone said, "Yesterday, Prince Zuo came in person to celebrate Madam Yu's birthday and gave her a golden birthday peach." The birthday banquet at the Shangshu Mansion lasted for three consecutive days.

On the fifth day, relatives of the emperor are invited; on the sixth day, colleagues in the court are invited; and on the seventh day, family members are invited.

"Prince Zuo comes in person to celebrate the birthday? This is really rare." Someone said in amazement.

"Also, the golden longevity peach is three feet tall and is inlaid with all kinds of gems. It is dazzling and truly breathtaking." The lady who was speaking was full of envy, as if she had seen the golden longevity peach with her own eyes.

After hearing this, all the ladies were full of praise. Some even took the opportunity to congratulate Madam Yu, praising her for her good fortune and Shangshu Tao for his successful career.

When Mrs. Yu heard this, she was humble in words but extremely proud in her heart.

A melodious sound of piano came from a corner of the birthday hall, attracting everyone's attention.

Zhao Wangshu looked in the direction of the sound of the zither and saw a pretty young woman in a light green dress sitting in front of the zither, playing it attentively.

Someone asked Mrs. Yu, "Who is this girl? She plays so well."

Madam Yu smiled and said, "This is my granddaughter, Cui Yunru."

"But is she the third daughter of the Cui family in Qinghe?" a lady asked.

"Yes, my sister married into the Cui family." Mrs. Yu said with a smile.

"I heard that Miss Cui San is not only an outstanding zither player, but also proficient in poetry and songs. She is a famous talented woman in Qinghe. After listening to the music today, I can see that her reputation is well-deserved." A lady exclaimed.

Some even exaggeratedly said: "This song should only exist in heaven, how many times can it be heard in the world."

Zhao Wangshu admitted that Cui Yunru did a good job of comforting the child, but praising her like that was a bit of an exaggeration.

Moreover, Mrs. Yu asked an unmarried woman of marriageable age to perform her talent on the spot, so her intention should not be too obvious.

Zhao Wangshu glanced at those noble ladies, wondering which one had a son of marriageable age who was willing to marry.

Just as Zhao Wangshu was lost in thought, Cui Yunru's piano music gradually faded away. She stood up, walked into the hall, and bowed slightly to everyone.
"I wish my aunt and grandmother a happy and harmonious life every year." Cui Yunru said in a clear voice.

"Good child, come here." Madam Yu asked Cui Yunru to sit down next to her, took her hand, and gently stroked it, her eyes full of love and pride. "My granddaughter is not only talented, but also well-behaved and sensible. She is the best child that we elders like the most."

"Mrs. Yu is so lucky to have such a talented and beautiful granddaughter." A lady complimented.

After hearing everyone's praise, Madam Yu patted Cui Yunru's hand and said, "Yunru, you are a little girl and you don't like what we say, so we won't restrict you. Go to the garden and play with those girls."

"Yes." Cui Yunru stood up, bowed, and left.

The ladies continued to gossip about the family, and when they talked about a certain official who was impeached for favoring his concubine over his wife, someone enviously said, "Mrs. Zhao is really good at controlling her husband. After being married for several years, Lord Yun still only has Mrs. Zhao by his side."

As soon as these words came out, the noisy ladies suddenly quieted down, and they all looked at Zhao Wangshu at the same time.

Zhao Wangshu was not sure whether this person meant well or ill, so he smiled and said, "There is no such thing as a way to control a husband. It's just mutual respect and trust between husband and wife."

"Madam Zhao, you are too modest. Lord Yun is well-known for his chastity and has never had any other women around him. Isn't it because you, Madam Zhao, have the ability to control your husband?" A noble lady joked with a smile.

Zhao Wangshu smiled slightly and did not respond to this topic.

She had no skills in controlling her husband, and she didn't want to be the topic of their after-dinner conversation.