As soon as Cui Yaoning heard her tone, she knew Cui Xuan was jealous.
Fortunately, Cui Xuan only grumbled a lot and never had any real ill intentions. Otherwise, even if their grandmother were alive, Cui Yaoning wouldn’t have been able to fix her relationship with her.
Cui Yaoning set down her steaming tea and reminded her, “It might not even have anything to do with me. Next month is the Spring Banquet hosted by the Grand Princess Anping.”
Princess Anping was the current emperor’s aunt and the only legitimate daughter of Emperor Taizu. Her fief was in Luoyang. After losing her husband at a young age, she never remarried and had no children. Her favorites were young and beautiful girls. Each year, she hosted a spring banquet to entertain the noble ladies and gentlemen of the city.
Over time, this spring banquet also became a place where the noble families could meet and seek suitable matches.
Every year, the attendees included not only prominent families from Luoyang but also gentry from the south.
Cui Xuan thought that was possible, but then, thinking of the Spring Banquet, she said sourly, “You’ll be the star of the show again.”
Princess Anping’s husband had been from the Cui family of Qinghe, so they would call him their great-uncle.
When her great-uncle was alive, they often visited each other. After his death, Princess Anping mourned for several years before venturing out again, and their relationship gradually faded. Each year, she would only send invitations to the spring banquet, inviting the young ladies of the mansion to attend and socialize.
Even so, Cui Xuan had never met her in person.
Because of her delicate health, Cui Yaoning rarely left the mansion. She had visited the princess once, two years ago, and was greatly favored, receiving several boxes of jewelry.
At that time, she was still young, with a fresh and youthful face. Others had only described her as a beautiful, delicate young girl.
Now, Cui Yaoning was coming of age. Her beauty bloomed like a peony, her enchanting appearance both graceful and fairy-like.
Among all the young ladies in the manor, Cui Xuan had always thought the third sister was the most beautiful. Yet now that the ninth sister had grown up, her beauty outshone them all. Because she seldom stepped outside the residence, her skin remained pale and unblemished. Cui Xuan, who had never believed her own looks were particularly remarkable, suddenly felt a trace of embarrassment when comparing herself to her.
Without a doubt, Cui Xuan knew that at this year’s Spring Banquet, all the noble ladies present would be overshadowed by Jiuniang, unable to hold their heads high.
A pang of envy and bitterness crossed her as she touched her face.
Why didn’t my mother give me a face like that?
Cui Yaoning reached out and snatched the tea that Xingyu had just handed her, glaring at her. “If you keep being sarcastic, I’ll have Baoqin escort you out immediately.”
Cui Xuan clutched her tea, took a sip, and hesitated before saying, “Anyway, if I fancy someone, you’re not allowed to take him from me.”
If ninth sister were to compete with her for someone, she wasn’t confident she could win.
Cui Yaoning recalled the man Cui Xuan had married in her previous life. Although she had been fond of the third-ranked scholar, her second aunt had ultimately chosen a military general named Zhao. His family wasn’t particularly distinguished, but he was capable and quickly rose through the ranks. During her visits home, she had encountered Cui Xuan several times and always found her in good health.
Thinking about it, Zhao Xing marrying Cui Xuan had been advantageous. She was beautiful, so their marriage was naturally harmonious.
Cui Yaoning reflected on herself. Indeed, the elders had excellent judgment. She used to think Pei Yu was wonderful, but now she found him merely ordinary.
Seeing her silence, Cui Xuan panicked. “Hey, you’re not really planning to take him from me, are you?”
“Don’t worry, I won’t compete with you for him,” Cui Yaoning reassured her, teasing, “Should I purposely make myself look ugly again so your beauty stands out?”
“No need.” Cui Xuan lifted her chin slightly, her tone full of pride and arrogance. “If the person I like doesn’t like me back, it only means he’s unworthy of my affection.”
She was the legitimate daughter of the Cui family of Qinghe, naturally, she had her own pride.
If that man did not like her, then it was his loss. She would never behave like a resentful woman and waste her time on a man.
With her status and beauty, even if she was not as stunning as her ninth sister, she had been cherished and indulged since childhood. There was no reason for her to lower herself.
Cui Yaoning looked at her with a smile, wondering why she had never realized before that her Seventh Sister was such a remarkable person.
She completely agreed with what she had said.
Outsiders claimed she was spoiled, fond of teasing and ordering people about, but she found that absurd. She had grown up pampered, yes, but she had never deliberately bullied anyone.
She had always been someone who loved intensely and hated just as fiercely. When she disliked someone, she felt repulsed even if that person had done nothing wrong.
Under her gaze, Cui Xuan’s face flushed. Pretending to remain calm, she asked, “Am I wrong?”
“Yes, yes, you’re right.” Cui Yaoning snapped out of her thoughts, hiding what she truly felt. Her eyes curved into crescents as she smiled, her voice soft and sweet, almost coquettish. “I just feel a little regretful that I never played with Seventh Sister before.”
Her voice was gentle and charming, and her captivating phoenix eyes shone brightly.
Cui Xuan blushed uncontrollably.
No wonder Grandmother favored Ninth Sister so much. If it were her, she probably would not have been able to resist doting on her either.
A faint smile curved Cui Xuan’s lips. “It’s not too late. Even after we sisters marry, we can still gather and spend time together.”
Treating her like a younger sister, she naturally wished her well in marriage. With rare seriousness, she added, “You will certainly outshine everyone at this Spring Banquet. I will ask Aunt to choose a good match for you then.”
Cui Yaoning was momentarily stunned.
Afraid she was still thinking about Pei Yu, Cui Xuan frowned. “I can’t quite explain Pei Yu. He seems gentle and kind, and his character appears decent, but I simply don’t have a good impression of him.”
Though she was not especially clever, she was good at judging people.
Just as she disliked illegitimate daughters, she did not bully people indiscriminately. She ignored the Eighth Sister from the second wife’s branch, but she loathed the Sixth Sister and Aunt Pei intensely.
Cui Yaoning came back to herself and replied, “I understand.”
Only then did Cui Xuan feel relieved. They chatted a while longer, but noticing that Cui Yaoning looked tired, she stopped and said she would visit again tomorrow. Then she left with her maids.
Cui Yaoning returned to her room and took a nap.
She slept until evening before waking. Baoqin informed her that early that morning, her mother, Madam Wang, had sent a maid to invite her for dinner.
Cui Yaoning quickly washed up, changed her clothes, and went to Jinxiu Hall with Baoqin and Xingyu. As soon as she lifted the curtain and stepped inside, she saw her brother speaking with their mother.
She removed her cloak and handed it to the maid beside her. “Mother, Brother.”
Madam Wang smiled and beckoned her over. “Come here quickly. Siyan and I were just talking about you.”