After the evening meal, Zhao Qihuang gracefully made her way towards the Ancestral Hall.
Though it was called the Ancestral Hall, thanks to Nanny Wan’s “meticulous arrangements,” everything except the spirit tablets was arguably more comfortable than her own Splendid Pavilion.
There was a soft couch, incense, exquisite pastries and fruit, and a stack of brand-new storybooks.
Zhao Qihuang casually picked up a volume, flipped through it, and began reading with gusto.
Meanwhile, outside the Glory and Longevity Hall.
As soon as Zhao Qihuang left, the atmosphere became somewhat delicate.
Zhao Yuanjiang of the Third Branch was pacing furiously. He flung his sleeve and glared at Lin Wangshu.
“Elder Sister-in-Law, are you just going to let the Old Madame spoil her like this? What kind of confinement includes pastries, fruit, and storybooks for entertainment? This isn’t punishing her; this is clearly sending her to the Ancestral Hall to enjoy the good life!”
Lin Wangshu gave a troubled smile and sighed, “She is currently favored by the Empress. As the principal wife, how am I supposed to discipline her?”
“Even Elder Sister believes in this nonsense about her Fate,” Zhao Yuanjiang sighed dramatically, though his eyes betrayed his smugness. “If this were a few years ago, when she was still under my tutelage, I would have beaten her till her skin split. How dare she be so insolent?”
Lin Wangshu sighed faintly, her tone tinged with melancholy: “Indeed, when Qihuang was with you back then, she was raised to be obedient, sensible, and well-read.”
This remark struck a chord with Zhao Yuanjiang, and he grew even more emphatic: “If we let her continue to be so spoiled and unruly, who knows what catastrophic disaster she might bring upon us later. We might even end up like the Duke of Zhenguo’s Estate…”
Lin Wangshu immediately showed a look of alarm, leaning forward quickly to plead, “Fortunately, Fourth Brother and Fourth Sister-in-Law, you have returned. From now on, you must take extra care and properly guide our Splendid Commandery Princess.”
Zhou Yuhu hastily interjected, “Naturally. This child truly needs proper discipline.”
Hearing this, Lin Wangshu’s face showed a relieved smile.
Her gaze then shifted to the young woman quietly standing beside Zhou Yuhu.
The girl was about fourteen or fifteen years old, with a delicate appearance and a hint of timid compliance in her eyes. This was Zhou Yuhu’s eldest daughter, Zhao Huixin.
“This must be Huier?” Lin Wangshu smiled kindly. “Look at her demeanor—truly well-read, sensible, and poised. Much stronger than our own.”
Zhao Huixin stepped forward, curtsied, and said in a gentle voice, “Elder Aunt is too kind; Huixin is undeserving of such praise.”
She looked up, glanced timidly at everyone, and then whispered, “Sister Qihuang has a noble status. Huixin is merely a humble figure.”
“It’s just…” Zhao Huixin bit her lip, seemingly finding it difficult to speak, “It’s just that Elder Sister’s personality is rather ostentatious. A daughter should be gentle and tranquil, lest she invite trouble and cause worry for our elders.”
Zhao Huixin had followed her parents since childhood, and her personality carried a certain rigid pedantry. She had always disliked Zhao Qihuang’s bright and extravagant mannerisms.
She always felt Zhao Qihuang was too showy, not like a proper noble young lady, but rather a flirtatious vixen who attracted unwanted attention.
Especially Zhao Qihuang’s face—it was too beautiful. Every time she saw it, she felt a knot of unpleasantness in her heart.
Hearing Zhao Huixin’s words, the smile on Lin Wangshu’s lips deepened.
Her gaze rested gently on Zhao Huixin, her voice soft with a hint of approval. “Fourth Sister-in-Law, look at Huier. How sensible and reasonable her words are.”
When Zhao Yuanjiang and his wife heard the Elder Sister-in-Law praise their daughter, much of the anger they had felt toward Zhao Qihuang dissipated.
Zhou Yuhu beamed with joy and said modestly, “Our Huixin is just a bit too straightforward; she speaks exactly what she thinks.”
“Straightforwardness is good. A girl as pure-hearted and well-read as Huier is rare nowadays,” Lin Wangshu nodded slightly, her tone becoming increasingly cordial.
She turned to Zhao Yuanjiang and Zhou Yuhu, smiling pleasantly: “The more I look at this child, the more I like her. Fourth Sister-in-Law, you must bring Huier to visit me often in the future. It will allow the useless ones under my care to learn from Huier what true noble young lady decorum is, and what gentleness and virtue a daughter should possess.”
Upon hearing this, the smiles on Zhao Yuanjiang and his wife’s faces became genuine.
“Elder Sister-in-Law is right. Huixin, hurry and thank Elder Aunt for her high regard!” Zhao Yuanjiang urged.
Zhou Yuhu also chimed in, “Yes, it is your great fortune to be viewed so highly by Elder Aunt.”
Zhao Huixin was slightly dizzy from the sudden praise, but she maintained a facade of proper shyness.
She curtsied gracefully, her voice as thin as a mosquito’s buzz: “Elder Aunt is too generous with her praise. Huixin is truly undeserving.”
Zhao Huixin lowered her eyelids, her long lashes casting a shallow shadow that concealed the fleeting pride in her eyes.
What did that good-for-nothing Commandery Princess Zhao Qihuang have, besides her high status and striking looks?
Now, even the principal wife of the Marquis Manor couldn’t tolerate her and wanted Zhao Huixin to “guide” Zhao Qihuang, showing just how unacceptable Zhao Qihuang was in her daily conduct.
The more Zhao Huixin thought about it, the smugger she felt, her vanity immensely satisfied.
Under her lowered head, a tiny curve appeared on her lips, and her mind was already busy plotting.
In the future, she would certainly “assist” Sister Qihuang properly, letting her know what a true young lady of a prominent family ought to be like.
At the height of her smugness, Zhao Huixin nearly laughed out loud but managed to restrain herself just in time.
She merely bowed her head lower, her shoulders slightly trembling, feigning extreme shyness.
This posture made the smile in Lin Wangshu’s eyes deepen even further.
The Ancestral Hall of the Yongan Marquis Manor, however, presented a different scene entirely.
Zhao Qihuang was lounging on a chaise longue brought in specifically for her, her posture languid.
She slowly fed herself peeled purple grapes, the sweet juice bursting on her tongue.
Beside her, her personal head maid, Xiao Hong, was fanning her with a peacock feather fan.
Incense smoke curled through the Ancestral Hall. Far from being gloomy, the light filtering through the window lattices, combined with the added soft couch, pastries, and fruit, created a strangely comfortable atmosphere.
Xiao Hong pursed her lips, fanning so vigorously it seemed sparks might fly from the fan.
“Commandery Princess, this servant gets angrier the more I think about it! That Third Branch family hasn’t had good intentions since they returned from the countryside. Why did you actually agree to enter this Ancestral Hall? Doesn’t that just grant them their wish? If you just asked the Old Madame, she dotes on you the most, and I guarantee she’d dismiss the matter with a single word.”
Zhao Qihuang couldn’t even be bothered to lift her eyelids; she simply picked up another grape.
“Ask for what?”
Her voice was muffled, carrying the sweetness of the recently eaten grape.
“I find it quieter being in this Ancestral Hall,” she turned her head slightly, her phoenix eyes half-closed. “Besides, it’s a good chance to avoid that Spring Flower Banquet.”
Hearing this, the fan in Xiao Hong’s hand paused, nearly dropping to the floor.
“Huh?” She was taken aback. “Commandery Princess, you want to avoid the Spring Flower Banquet?”
“Didn’t you used to love these lively banquets the most?”