“A wedding gift?”
Yun Juan frowned slightly as she took the box from Jiaoyue.
As she opened it, she asked, “Where’s the person who delivered it?”
“They handed it to this servant and left immediately.”
Opening the casket, Yun Juan found a luminous pearl the size of a fist. Its smooth, radiant glow made it obvious at a glance that it was no ordinary treasure.
Among everyone she knew, no one possessed the wealth to send such an extravagant wedding gift.
That left only one possibility—it had come from one of Xiao Lanting’s acquaintances.
Lifting the night pearl out, she found a letter tucked beneath it.
Unfolding it, she saw an invitation asking her to dine at Langyue Pavilion on Azure Dragon Street that morning.
She read it over several times.
There was no signature.
Jiaoyue looked toward Changfeng.
“Brother Changfeng, do you know which of the Young Master’s friends sent this? There’s no name on it, yet they’re asking Madam to attend a banquet alone. I’m afraid that’s inappropriate.”
Changfeng shook his head.
“If Madam is uneasy, she may simply claim illness and decline. The Young Master won’t mind such a trivial matter.”
“That won’t do.”
Yun Juan instructed him,
“Have a carriage prepared. We’ll leave once I’ve finished getting ready.”
Changfeng saluted and departed.
Jiaoyue frowned.
“Madam…”
“Now that I’ve married into the Xiao family, I represent Xiao Lanting in the eyes of others. Anyone capable of sending a night pearl of this value must be someone of extraordinary status. Xiao Lanting may choose not to go, but if I refuse, it could easily become a pretext for that person to criticize him in the future.”
Yun Juan wasn’t afraid.
In her previous life, she had attended more banquets than she could count while conducting business.
She had even shared tables with princes and imperial relatives.
Whoever had sent the pearl was, at most, another member of the imperial clan.
“Go fetch the cakes of tea from my dowry and wrap them properly. This gift is far too valuable. I can’t attend empty-handed.”
Half an hour later.
Langyue Pavilion.
Following the instructions in the letter, Yun Juan reported the private room number to a waiter.
The waiter warmly escorted her up to the third floor.
When she noticed the imperial guards stationed on either side of the staircase, she had already guessed the identity of the host.
The waiter knocked.
A voice from inside answered.
Yun Juan pushed open the door.
Everyone inside turned to look at her.
Seated at the head of the table was a handsome man dressed in black robes, his bearing noble and extraordinary.
The door closed behind her.
Walking forward with measured grace, she bowed deeply.
“This humble wife greets Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”
Xiao He raised an eyebrow with amusement.
“You recognize me?”
“I merely made a bold guess. I beg Your Highness’s forgiveness if I presumed too much.”
“Then your guess was correct.”
The man before her was indeed Crown Prince Xiao He—the heir to the throne, Xiao Lanting’s immediate superior, and also his closest friend.
Smiling warmly, he beckoned her over and ordered another chair to be brought.
“I’ve been occupied with state affairs these past few weeks and wasn’t able to attend Lanting’s wedding. Today I finally found some free time and invited my younger brother’s wife here on a whim. I hope I haven’t offended you.”
“Your Highness is too gracious. Receiving your invitation is this humble wife’s honor.”
Xiao He glanced at the casket she carried and smiled.
“What have you brought with you?”
“Some time ago I happened to obtain a few cakes of Mansong tea. I brought them for Your Highness to sample.”
Tea culture flourished throughout Great Zhou.
The moment everyone heard she had brought tea, their interest was piqued.
Anyone qualified to sit at the Crown Prince’s table was either royalty or one of the kingdom’s most influential nobles.
Perhaps they did not recognize Yun Juan.
But thanks to her previous life, Yun Juan was familiar with nearly all of them.
As the maids prepared the tea, the young lady in pink seated to Yun Juan’s left smiled.
“My mother loves tea, so over the years I’ve learned about countless varieties. But this Mansong tea… I’ve truly never heard of it.”
The woman beside her gave a faint snort.
“Tea culture is highly esteemed in Great Zhou. Nowadays every tea merchant dares to sell whatever poorly made leaves they please. Those with shallow knowledge naturally can’t tell good tea from bad. They hear a few flattering words and buy piles of it. It’s perfectly normal that Sister Wen has never heard of this.”
Yun Juan lifted her eyes.
Miss Wen frowned gently and spoke in her usual soft voice.
“Your Highness, please don’t say such things.”
Turning to Yun Juan, she smiled apologetically.
“Lady Xiao, please don’t mind her. The Eighth Princess is still young and tends to speak rather bluntly.”
Both women possessed distinguished backgrounds.
Wen Xichao’s grandfather was Great Zhou’s Right Chancellor, equal in rank to the Crown Prince’s maternal grandfather.
The two families were extremely close, and Wen Xichao was widely considered the Crown Prince’s future Crown Princess.
As for the Eighth Princess, Xiao Nanzhi, she was Consort Jia’s daughter and the only surviving princess among the emperor’s eleven children, deeply favored by the emperor.
Ever since Yun Juan entered the room, Xiao Nanzhi had been glaring at her with unconcealed hostility.
Meeting her gaze calmly, Yun Juan replied without haste,
“Every famous tea in Great Zhou was once completely unknown before it was discovered.”
Xiao Nanzhi bit her lip.
Xiao He burst into hearty laughter, applauding enthusiastically.
“Well said, Sister-in-law! Xiao Ba, enough talking for now. Taste it first—that’s what matters.”
The maids served tea to everyone.
Xiao He inhaled its fragrance before taking a sip.
His eyes widened in astonishment.
“This tea is wonderfully aromatic!”
After brewing, Wen Xichao noticed something unusual.
“The tea leaves remain standing upright instead of sinking. How fascinating. Is there a reason?”
“Mansong tea always brews this way,” Yun Juan explained. “Standing firm and never falling—just like the rivers and mountains of Great Zhou. I found it remarkable, so I kept a few cakes.”
Xiao Nanzhi clenched the handkerchief in her hands.
“What glib words!”
A maid presented her tea.
“Your Highness, please—”
“What worthless tea! I refuse to drink it!”
With a sweep of her arm, Xiao Nanzhi knocked the teacup flying.
It smashed against the decorative screen, sending shards of porcelain and hot tea scattering across the floor.
At that exact moment—
The door opened.
Xiao Lanting strode inside.
Raising an eyebrow, Xiao He set down his teacup.
“Lanting, you finally made it. Finished with the office?”
Xiao Lanting’s eyes immediately found Yun Juan.
Only after confirming she was completely unharmed did the tight crease between his brows finally relax.
A trace of annoyance flashed through his eyes.
What a troublesome little fool.
She didn’t even know who had sent the invitation, yet she still dared come here alone.
She might be small, but she certainly had courage.
Xiao He snapped his fingers.
“Lanting, your little wife is perfectly fine. What, did you think I’d do something to her?”
Without changing expression, Xiao Lanting cupped his hands in salute.
“I arrived late. Please forgive me, Your Highness.”
“Oh, enough with the formalities. Why are you still calling yourself ‘your subject’ in private?”
He waved him over.
“Come, have a seat. Try the Mansong tea your wife brought. It’s exceptionally fragrant.”
“Lanting-gege! Sit here!”
The maid had only just carried over a chair when Xiao Nanzhi hurriedly seized it.
She placed it beside herself and looked up at Xiao Lanting with eager, adoring eyes.
Only then did Yun Juan understand.
No wonder this princess had targeted her from the very beginning.
So it was Xiao Lanting who had brought this trouble upon her.
Xiao Nanzhi’s action instantly plunged the room into awkward silence.
Yet Xiao He—the only person present who could reprimand her—said nothing.
Instead, he remained seated, smiling as though enjoying the spectacle.
Xiao Lanting strode forward.
Without sparing the expectant Xiao Nanzhi so much as a glance, he walked straight past her toward Yun Juan.
Yun Juan started to rise, intending to give him her seat while requesting another chair.
She had barely gotten up when Xiao Lanting rested a hand on her shoulder and gently pressed her back down.
Turning to a nearby maid, he said simply,
“Bring another chair.”
The maid hurried to comply.
The room fell deathly silent.
It felt as though Xiao Nanzhi had been slapped hard across the face.
Her eyes reddened instantly, filling with humiliation.