No matter what kind of turmoil there was in the capital, it always looked peaceful on the surface. The annual chrysanthemum banquet was coming soon, and because the test of Guangwen Hall happened to be not long after the chrysanthemum banquet, it was put together this year.
This was different from the past years. In this way, the test became a banquet for noble families.
Early in the morning, Old Madam Shen sent her maid, Xi'er, to the west courtyard. She said that she had hired a tailor to help Shen Miao pick out the clothes for the chrysanthemum banquet.
Shen Miao nodded in agreement.
In the past, Shen Miao would dress casually for the test. Because she was always on the bottom, if she wore something eye-catching, people would laugh at her. Now that the test was held during the Chrysanthemum Banquet, it was understandable that she had to dress up somehow.
All the officials and their wives would be present at the chrysanthemum banquet, and most of them were there to find their daughters or sons-in-law. Therefore, all the girls would dress up and attend, hoping to stand out. Although Old Madam Shen did not like Shen Miao, she still had to do it just to be fair. Moreover, Old Madam Shen only cared about her own interests. If she could use Shen Miao to exchange for a helpful marriage, she would be more than happy to do so.
Bai Lu looked a little happy. As she accompanied Shen Miao to the Rongjing Hall, she said, "I didn't expect the chrysanthemum banquet to arrive so soon. Don't you like chrysanthemum banquets the most? When the time comes, you can see the beautiful flowers."
Shen Miao liked the chrysanthemum banquet, but not for the flowers. At such banquets, she was always isolated and ridiculed by people for being dull and stupid.
She liked the chrysanthemum banquet because of Fu Xiuyi.
Fu Xiuyi was also present at the chrysanthemum banquet a year ago. That day, she was mocked and isolated again. The chrysanthemum garden was filled with colorful flowers. Everyone was looking for the most colorful one. She walked to the corner and saw a pot of white chrysanthemums in the distance.
White chrysanthemums were mostly used for funerals, so they were naturally not likable.
Perhaps because they were in the same boat, Shen Miao felt that she was just like the white chrysanthemum. She was alone and not liked. Just as she was sighing in her heart, she saw a man in luxurious clothes walk up to the Chrysanthemum.
He reached out to pick up the flower branch and stroked the petals with his hand. Someone beside him asked him, "Ninth Brother, what's so good about this flower?"
The man smiled. "I pity it for being weak and helpless."
It was this sentence that made Shen Miao like the man. When the man turned around, she was even more fascinated by his handsome appearance.
Later, Shen Miao found out from the ladies that the person was the current emperor's ninth son, Fu Xiuyi.
Fu Xiuyi was obviously talking about chrysanthemums, but she felt that she could relate to him. She thought that if such a gentle person married her, he would definitely pity her like a lonely flower.
Unfortunately, she was wrong. Fu Xiuyi took pity on the delicate flower, the world, and Consort Mei, but unfortunately, he had never taken pity on her. In his opinion, everything she did was based on the "responsibility" of a wife. Those days of respecting each other were nothing more than a show that Fu Xiuyi put on with her.
Shen Miao was so lost in thought that she didn't notice that she had already arrived at the entrance of Rongjing Hall.
Old Madam Shen was wearing a green and white dress with long buttons. She was already in her seventies, but she was still wearing such a loud green dress, making her face look like a female ghost.
Shen Yue and Shen Qing were both standing beside their mothers. The second branch originally had two daughters from the concubine, but at such a banquet, the daughters of the concubine were never allowed to go out to steal the thunder. As for the third branch, apart from Chen Ruoqiu, the main wife, Shen Wan only had no concubine.
Therefore, only the legitimate daughters of the branches were invited to the banquet.
Shen Miao greeted Old Madam Shen. Ren Wanyun looked at Shen Miao and smiled. "Miao, come and pick the fabric. I'll get Mrs.Li to tailor it for you later."
Shen Qing smiled and said, "Second Sister and I have already chosen. We're all waiting for you to choose."
It was Xi'er, the maid, who came to inform Shen Miao too late, but they spoke as if Shen Miao was late on purpose. However, Shen Miao couldn't be bothered with them and walked to the table where all kinds of fabrics were placed.
Mrs. Li was a middle-aged woman in her thirties. Every year, everyone in the Shen family would buy new clothes from her shop. When she was young, she had learned some embroidery from the royal tailor in the palace and was very good at making clothes.
There were five or six bolts of cloth spread out in front of her.
The scene from her previous life was still vivid in her mind. At the chrysanthemum banquet that day, Shen Qing was wearing a crabapple-colored dress. She looked passionate and generous like a delicate flower. As for Shen Miao, she was wearing a bright yellow dress with a golden collar and jewelry given by Old Madam Shen, looking like a crowd, but she wasn't aware of it.
Shen Yue smiled and said, "Fifth Sister, your skin is fair. Why don't you choose that light yellow dress? Moreover, it can make you look lively and cute. It really suits you."
Shen Qing nodded vigorously. "That's right. From the looks of it, the yellow one is the most suitable among these for Fifth Sister."
Chen Ruoqiu smiled and did not speak, and Ren Wanyun looked at Shen Miao mockingly.
Shen Miao didn't know how to pick clothes.
Her mother was not in the house all year round, and without a mother, children inevitably lost a lot of advantages. The other people in the Shen family were all scheming, so they naturally would not teach her how to dress up. Therefore, Shen Miao got used to dressing and wearing everything her aunties gave her.
For example, the bright yellow material indeed matched her skin color, but it made her look too childish and cheap. Coupled with the golden jewelry, she looked like a daughter of a landlord.
Gu Yu and the other maids wanted to persuade her to throw away the jewelry, but she was stubborn and didn't listen. That was why she ended up making a fool of herself at the banquet.
What a joke.