A few days later, on the day of the banquet, Song Zhiwei woke up early and changed into her newly made clothes.
A light layer of powder made from natural ingredients was applied to her face. Her brows were carefully shaped into delicate willow leaves, and rouge tinted her soft lips.
Nanny Xu, the hairstylist, applied hair oil to Song Zhiwei’s hair, leaving it glossy and jet-black. After all the fussing and preparation was done, Song Zhiwei looked into the bronze mirror and genuinely saw a hint of noble-lady elegance in herself. So this was what it meant to be a noble young lady.
The hairstyle was piled so high and heavy that one could only turn one’s head slowly. The face was coated with powder and cosmetics, making exaggerated expressions impossible without ruining the makeup, so one naturally appeared rather aloof.
Song Zhiwei experimented cautiously and discovered she could only lift the corners of her lips slightly; any bigger expression made everything look awkward and distorted. She was covered in jingling ornaments, with decorations in her hair, around her neck, and hanging from her waist. Examined individually, every piece was exquisitely beautiful and tempting to play with endlessly. But when worn all at once, they felt more like beautiful instruments of torture, making it impossible to walk freely and comfortably. Still, such attire was not meant for ordinary days.
Today was an important occasion, so Song Zhiwei merely found the experience novel and interesting.
Lancao and Zhuxiang’s faces flushed red with excitement when they saw Song Zhiwei dressed up like this. Ordinarily, their young lady looked calm and composed, but today she carried an air of noble elegance. Truly, fine clothes made a person, just as a fine saddle suits a horse.
Over the past few days, Song Zhiwei had been constantly occupied with making medicine. Although Lancao and Zhuxiang obediently did whatever she instructed, deep down they still felt their young lady shouldn’t live that way. This was how she ought to look.
Seeing the excitement in their eyes, Song Zhiwei could guess, more or less, what they were thinking. She smiled involuntarily at first, then merely pressed her lips together and said nothing.
Living as a woman in ancient times was far from easy. Even she had gradually been influenced enough to start worrying about her future marriage. Yet that worry held only anxiety, not the slightest trace of anticipation.
Song Zhiwei closed her eyes briefly and steadied herself. What would happen would happen. She needed to keep a stable mindset. A long road still lay ahead. Even if she truly married one day, even if misfortune befell her…
The medical knowledge she had learned could save lives and protect herself.
Many of the Gu family’s women would be attending the banquet that day. Eldest Aunt Zhang was bringing her two daughters as well: the elder, Gu Chunwan, and the younger, Gu Chunru.
When Song Zhiwei arrived, the young women quietly sized one another up. After exchanging brief greetings, they each boarded their own carriages.
Gu Chunru exchanged a glance with Gu Chunwan. Gu Chunwan merely shook her head.
Now, the Empress Dowager effectively ruled the Kingdom of Liang, governing from behind the curtain. One emperor had already been deposed and replaced, and the current emperor rarely attended court, preferring to remain within the imperial harem.
In state matters, the Empress Dowager’s word was final. The throne itself might not be secure, but the Empress Dowager’s eldest daughter, the Princess Royal, enjoyed unmatched favor. As a result, whether they were civil officials or hereditary nobles, everyone sought connections with the Princess Royal’s household. After all, emperors might change, but a princess remained a princess.
The Princess Royal would never inherit the throne, so no matter which brother sat on it, her status would remain unchanged.
Thus, although it was merely a lotus appreciation banquet, guests flocked to it eagerly, making it an extraordinarily lively occasion.
After stepping down from her carriage, Song Zhiwei followed Madam Wang into the banquet grounds under the servants’ guidance and stayed by Gu Chunran’s side.
At an event like this, everyone was expected to socialize and expand their circle of connections. No one was foolish enough to cause a scene at such a gathering. On the surface, everyone wore amiable smiles.
The young ladies had gathered at a waterside pavilion by the lake.
Willow trees grew nearby, their branches drooping toward the shore. As the breeze stirred them, the air felt pleasantly cool.
The moment Gu Chunran arrived, she seemed like a fish returning to water. She greeted many of the other young ladies and then, under their curious gazes, introduced Song Zhiwei.
“This is my second aunt’s daughter. Her surname is Song. You may simply call her Sister Song. She’s about the same age as I am, though she’s two months older than me.”
After making the introductions, Gu Chunran continued, “This is Seventh Miss Wen from the Chancellor Wen family, this is Sixth Miss Chang from Duke Ying’s household, this is Third Miss Han from Marquis Pingchang’s family, and this is Second Miss Chen, the younger sister of Noble Consort Chen…”
For someone so impatient at home, Gu Chunran was remarkably thorough with her introductions now. She was practically terrified that Song Zhiwei might accidentally offend someone.
As for Song Zhiwei, after being introduced to so many young ladies one after another, she was already having trouble remembering which miss belonged to which family.
“Why is it, Sister Ran, that when you introduce everyone else, you’re so detailed, but when it comes to Sister Song, you only mention her maternal family?” Meng Qiyue teased with a smile, twirling her handkerchief.
The daughters of noble families all had their own social circles. Naturally, family background largely determined those circles. The court had already established a clear hierarchy of status, and everyone tacitly followed it. Young ladies of excessively low birth were generally not invited into close friendships, lest one diminish one’s own social standing.
Gu Chunran suddenly found herself at a loss. Was this Cousin Song’s father a prefect or a sub-prefect? She only remembered that he was some minor official. The details had long since slipped her mind. But whether he was a prefect or a sub-prefect, how could she possibly say it aloud in a gathering like this?
“My father is the Prefect of Qingzhou. My mother was born into the Gu family.” Song Zhiwei answered calmly, without the slightest trace of embarrassment.
As soon as she spoke, Gu Chunran nearly blacked out. Her cheeks instantly burned red with shame. How could she say it so bluntly? Now who would still be willing to associate with her?
Gu Chunran felt her face burn and her heart race, as if she herself were of humble birth.
As expected, faint sounds of laughter drifted over from nearby.
The laughter was not loud. In fact, it sounded rather pleasant and lively. But to Gu Chunran, each chuckle felt like a resounding slap across the face. Why had she bothered introducing Song Zhiwei to everyone? She should have just found her a corner to sit in and left it at that!
Gu Chunran was filled with regret.
“This is the first time I’ve ever heard someone introduce herself like that,” Meng Qiyue said, laughing and covering her mouth with her handkerchief.
“Then your experience is rather limited,” Song Zhiwei replied evenly. In a gentle voice, she continued, “Am I truly the only person in the world whose maternal family is more distinguished than her paternal family?”
As soon as she spoke, the girls who had been laughing began to realize something. A chill ran through them, and their laughter died away abruptly.
This was the Princess Royal’s banquet. More importantly, this was the Princess Royal’s residence, a manor bestowed upon her by the Empress Dowager. No one dared laugh anymore. If anyone continued talking about whether a person’s maternal family or paternal family was more prestigious, they might very well invite disaster upon themselves. Even Meng Qiyue stopped smiling.
As for Song Zhiwei, she remained completely calm, as though she had no idea what her words had just implied. She merely offered a faint smile to the young ladies whom Gu Chunran had introduced moments before.
“This year’s lotus blossoms seem especially red.” Second Miss Wen forced a smile and quickly put on a pleasant expression.
“I think the color looks rather like rouge.”
The atmosphere in the waterside pavilion immediately relaxed.
“Where can one buy the best rouge? I’m still not very familiar with the capital.”
“There’s a shop called Shengji that’s quite good. I brought some with me. It’s even better than the rouge made by our own household.”
The young ladies continued chatting, smoothly shifting the conversation from rouge to embroidery patterns and fashion designs. And just like that, the potentially awkward moment dissolved into idle conversation.
Everyone present was intelligent enough to understand what Song Zhiwei had implied.
At a gathering at the Princess Royal’s residence, discussing whether one’s maternal or paternal family was more prestigious was dangerous. The Princess Royal herself was the perfect example of someone whose influence and status came primarily through her maternal connection to the Empress Dowager. As a result, no one pursued the matter further.
Meanwhile, Gu Chunran let out a quiet breath of relief. Only now did she realize that although this cousin of hers came from a less distinguished paternal family, she was by no means someone who could be easily embarrassed or pushed around.
Standing beside the lake, Song Zhiwei listened quietly as the young ladies discussed cosmetics, embroidery, and clothing. She occasionally offered a few words, neither deliberately drawing attention to herself nor seeming withdrawn.
Scarlet lotus blossoms swayed gently across the water, while willow branches brushed the lake’s surface in the summer breeze. For the first time that day, the gathering truly felt like a pleasant banquet.