“Your Highness, a message has come from the palace. Consort Noble has summoned you to the palace,” Zhao Jin’s attendant hurried forward, jogging as he arrived.
“Did they say what it’s about?”
“The palace messengers came in haste. They only said for you to enter the palace immediately.”
Zhao Jin unwillingly glanced toward the pavilion. The people there had already dispersed. With a forceful sweep of his sleeve, he turned left.
Zhang Chuxiao and his attendant bowed to see him off.
After Zhao Jin had gone far, the attendant muttered, “They say this First Prince was raised by Consort Noble. Coming from a minor household, he really has no manners at all.”
“Shut your mouth! Even imperial kin are not something you can criticize,” Zhang Chuxiao warned.
The attendant quickly begged forgiveness. Seeing that his master had only verbally reprimanded him and was not truly angry, he understood what his master meant.
Old Master Zhang had died while in office, leaving only two legitimate sons. The head of the main branch, Zhang Tianxing, was now the Grand Secretary and Minister of the Secretariat, a close minister to the emperor who had direct access to the throne and held a first-rank position.
The second branch, Zhang Chengzhou, relied on his elder brother’s prestige, and the Zhang family’s salt trade network spread throughout the Jiangnan region.
Zhang Tianxing, as the head of civil officials, still attended court at Mao hour even on his mother’s birthday. By the time he returned home, the banquet was already nearing its end.
Members of the Zhang clan all rose to greet the current family head.
Lin Jingchu had been seated at the main table thanks to Lin Shuyi’s status. Hearing the commotion behind her, she couldn’t help but glance back out of curiosity.
So, this was basically equivalent to a modern-day central provincial governor. She hadn’t expected to meet someone of this level here.
She quickly suppressed the corners of her mouth, holding back her excitement.
Zhang Tianxing wore a silver robe embroidered with gold thread and had a neatly trimmed beard. He looked just like someone who had stepped out of an ancient painting—stern, upright, and unsmiling.
He first knelt to pay respects to Old Madam Zhang.
Everyone at the main table, except the old madam herself, stood up.
The entire set of rituals looked as if it had been rehearsed in advance. Lin Jingchu subtly glanced around and noticed that everyone’s movements matched exactly the etiquette demonstrations Madam Xu had taught them.
She couldn’t help feeling relieved—thankfully she had thoroughly crammed beforehand, or she would have embarrassed herself.
Unseen by her, every move of the two sisters was also being carefully observed by the others.
In this era that valued civil officials over military ones, the Zhang family—an established scholarly aristocratic clan—naturally looked down somewhat on military households. As a result, there were many in the clan who were dissatisfied with the marriage alliance with the Lin family.
Xia Ning was also worried about her younger daughter. Only after confirming she had made no mistakes did she finally relax.
When Zhang Tianxing saw the two unfamiliar young ladies and noted their beauty and proper demeanor, he became even more satisfied and presented two top-grade Shoushan stone seal blocks as greeting gifts.
Lin Jingchu did not recognize how valuable they were. Holding them in her hands, she noticed the increasingly obvious gazes from around her and became even more cautious.
“These Shoushan stone seals were something the eldest brother once obtained by chance and treasured greatly. For him to give them greeting gifts to two young ladies—I’m afraid even the younger generation of the clan will be envious,” a hearty voice said.
A man who looked under forty strode into the main hall wearing a flowing sea-blue robe with a matching outer vest.
“Father has returned,” Zhang Chuxiao said. He had not seen his father for three years, yet his expression remained faintly composed.
Zhang Chengzhou waved his hand, and servants behind him carried in a long box. When it was opened, a golden Buddha seated on jade appeared quietly inside.
Old Madam Zhang merely lifted her eyelids and ordered it to be taken away and stored.
A graceful woman stepped forward and bowed gently. “My lord, why did you return without informing us? This servant could have arranged preparations in advance.”
Lin Jingchu noticed that this woman was not originally part of the banquet. She had entered from outside, wearing a peach-pink dress embroidered with butterflies. Her gauzy outer robe was thin enough to reveal her skin tone, and a loose strand of hair hung across her forehead as she frowned slightly.
“Second Brother, control the woman in your household,” Old Madam Zhang said coldly.
“Mother,” a man in brocade robes at the side suddenly rushed forward.