Su Yuanyuan was startled by the sudden voice. She looked up and met Cang Xuan's calm yet magnificent eyes.
He said to her, "Girl, come here."
Whether it was due to her deep fear of him or a sudden gust of cold wind, Su Yuanyuan... in front of this great treacherous official, she let out a loud sneeze.
"Achoo!"
Only then did Su Yuanyuan realize how dire her situation was. Her whole body was soaked, and the cold air seeped into her body, freezing her to the bone.
She rubbed her nose uncomfortably. When she looked up, her vision went dark, and something was thrown over her. It took her a while to poke her head out, only to find that the man had taken off his outer robe and draped it over her.
The robe still retained the man's body heat, making her feel as if she were in front of a blazing stove, driving away the cold.
This great treacherous official... was actually being kind?
Su Yuanyuan stared blankly at Cang Xuan, but the man no longer looked at her. Instead, he played with the wine cup in his hand. Just then, she heard anxious footsteps and cries coming from behind.
"Yuanbao, my dear son! You've made your mother search so hard for you!"
The voice came quickly. A figure rushed into the pavilion like the wind. When she saw Su Yuanyuan, she pounced on her and hugged her tightly, crying,
"Yuanbao, why did you come here? You've scared your mother to death."
Su Yuanyuan was almost suffocated by the woman's strength, but somehow, this embrace made her nose feel sour.
How long had it been since she had felt her mother's care? In her previous life, after her older half - sister Su Qingyu returned, her mother had grown distant from her. In her ears, the harsh voice seemed to echo again -
[Su Yuanyuan, you are willful, disrespectful, and ignore sisterly affection. Is this how I've taught you?]
[Once you step out of this door, our mother - daughter relationship is over. You are no longer allowed to call me mother!]
The woman in front of her, with a completely different appearance from her mother in her previous life, had eyes full of concern and love for her.
"Let mother take a good look at you. Are you hurt anywhere?"
The woman pulled aside the robe covering Su Yuanyuan and saw her soaked body. Two flames burned brightly in her eyes. "Why is my son all wet? What happened just now?"
Perhaps worried that her hasty tone would scare Su Yuanyuan, she slowed down and said,
"Yuanbao, don't be afraid. Can you tell mother exactly what happened just now?"
The woman's encouraging look was so gentle and loving that Su Yuanyuan's hands couldn't help but tremble.
Was it okay to say it?
If she said that name, wouldn't she be scolded and punished? Wouldn't she be accused of disrespecting her sister and be punished to kneel in the ancestral hall?
Yes, she was no longer the wronged Su Yuanyuan. She was Su Yuanyuan now.
Not the "Yuan" in "fragrant orchids by the riverside", but the "Yuan" in "round and plump".
Gathering her courage, she clearly said five words to the mother given to her by God in this life:
"Su Qingyu pushed me."
Su Qingyu? Lady Mo, the wife of the Duke of Yong, was stunned. She was thinking about who this person was and thus overlooked the fact that the silly Su Yuanyuan actually recognized Su Qingyu's name.
At this time, the other people from the Duke of Yong's Mansion finally arrived. It was Su Yuanyuan's eldest sister - in - law, Wei Linlang.
When she saw the soaking - wet Su Yuanyuan, Wei Linlang was also full of shock and anger. She reminded Lady Mo, who looked confused, "Mother, Su Qingyu is the eldest legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Pingyang's Mansion."
"The Marquis of Pingyang's Mansion?" Lady Mo frowned, and Su Yuanyuan's heart sank. She tightened her grip on Lady Mo's hand.
The Marquis of Pingyang's Mansion was quite prominent in Shengjing. Su Qingyu, as the eldest legitimate daughter of the marquis's mansion, had an excellent reputation in Shengjing. She was gentle, generous, smart, kind, harmonious with her sisters, and respectful to her elders...
Everyone praised her and said that Su Qingyu was the model of a well - bred young lady. Even the entire marquis's mansion loved and respected this eldest miss.
And she, in everyone's eyes, was willful, unruly, overbearing, and arrogant. It seemed that even if she died, it was all self - inflicted and not worthy of half a bit of sympathy.
Her elder brother even said before her death - there was only one legitimate daughter in the Marquis of Pingyang's Mansion, and he only had one sister.
But only she knew that all of that was an act put on by Su Qingyu!
Could it be that her mother in this life would also choose to believe Su Qingyu?
She stared intently at Lady Mo. Lady Mo took a deep breath and cursed, "I don't care about the Marquis of Pingyang's Mansion or any other marquis's mansion. If she dares to push my Yuanbao into the water, I will surely teach her a lesson today!"
After saying that, she picked up Su Yuanyuan and turned around angrily, striding towards the main hall where the banquet was being held. It was obvious that she wasn't going to let this go easily today.
"Yuanbao, don't be afraid. Mother will never let you be wronged!"
Su Yuanyuan's eyes became moist again. Her nose felt sour, and she couldn't help but hug Lady Mo's neck and softly replied, "Okay."
Suddenly remembering something, she looked up at the center of the pavilion. Cang Xuan, who had been sitting there drinking before, was already gone. Presumably, he had left when Lady Mo appeared.
...
At this moment, a graceful figure was standing in the center of the main hall where the Qianqiu Banquet was being held.
The woman was holding a shiny guqin in her hands. Although the dress she was wearing was very plain, the fabric emitted a soft, moon - like glow under the candlelight in the hall, making her look even more gentle, noble, and outstanding.
Today was the birthday of Empress Wang of the Great Chu State. The part of the banquet in progress was the presentation of birthday gifts to the empress.
The previous people had all presented things like jewels and calligraphy and paintings. Suddenly seeing something different, Empress Wang on the phoenix throne became interested.
The noble consort beside her asked on her behalf, "Su Qingyu, what do you mean by holding the guqin? Is this guqin your birthday gift for Her Majesty the Empress?"
On the left side of the main hall sat the young ladies from the noble families of the marquis and aristocrats in Shengjing, while on the right side, other young talents, including the crown prince, the Prince of Huai, and the Prince of Xuan, were all present.
Among the crowd, Su Zeqian, the heir of the Marquis of Pingyang's Mansion, was staring at Su Qingyu in the center of the main hall, his face full of pride.
His sister would surely shine brightly again at this palace banquet tonight.
Facing the envious, passionate, and appreciative looks from all around, a faint smile appeared on Su Qingyu's beautiful face like a crescent moon.
"I am honored to be invited to celebrate Her Majesty the Empress's birthday. I originally prepared a birthday gift for Her Majesty, but the night before the Qianqiu Banquet, I had a strange dream. I dreamed that fairies from heaven came down to earth, and the celestial music was floating in my ears. I secretly memorized the tune. Today, I dare to offer this tune as a birthday gift to Her Majesty and wish Her Majesty a long and prosperous life!"
Hearing that it was "celestial music", Empress Wang was extremely pleased and immediately said, "Good. I approve!"
Su Qingyu sat down, arranged the guqin, and tuned the strings. When everyone saw her raise her hand, they all held their breaths, eager to hear how wonderful this "celestial music" was.
But just then, Lady Mo of the Duke of Yong's Mansion, holding a small figure in her arms, rushed into the hall with a group of people, her eyes full of anger.
"Who is Su Qingyu? You pushed my Yuanbao into the water. I will surely seek justice today!"