The Legend of Concubine's Daughter Minglan

Chapter 39

Changbai was so favored by middle-aged women that letters with increasing hospitality came one after another from Madam Hai. At first, the letters sounded a bit condescending, but later they got more intimate with addressing terms "her mother/father-in-law". Learning that Changbai lived alone in the Sheng Mansion in the capital, they even wanted to invite him home. Considering that his tenure was about to expire, Sheng Hong asked servants to clean the mansion up so that they could move in when they returned back to the capital.

More than half a month later, Changbai finally came back home, passion from mother-in-law replaced with that from mother. Wang shi rubbed her son's head, feeling that her ten-month pregnancy and emotional investment for a dozen of years wasn't wasted, and tears of excitement swelled up in her eyes. In fact, she had prepared a white steed and bouquet made of red silk for Changbai to stroll around showing the honor, but he rejected the idea. Naturally, Wang shi was a bit depressed. Minglan actually understood Wang shi's feeling. With such a boss-like husband and a father-like son, anyone would be depressed.

Sheng Hong chose a cool and sunny day to throw a banquet as a compensation. It happened to be an off-day, so he invited a batch of colleagues and seniors to share the joy.

In late spring and early summer, the scenery in the garden was dotted with green trees and red flowers. Mountains rocks piled up one on another. The good sighting was most suitable to receive guests. Wang shi had planned to call in a troupe of opera singers, but Sheng Hong wanted to keep a low-profile. Therefore, the banquet only set a few tables with male guests drinking in the front hall while female guests in another place in the backyard. Sheng family was in good terms with many families in Deng Prefecture. Some close friends arrived much earlier but to everyone's surprise, the one arrived earliest was Junzhu Pingning.

It wasn't because Wang shi's personality was too charming, but that in Deng Prefecture, there were few females whose title could match that of Junzhu Pingning—Imperial Third Level. In addition, the wives and daughters of lower-ranking officials had done nothing except for flattering, which made Junzhu Pingning a bit sick after enduring for a few days. Wang shi, on the contrary, was from a noble family and had stayed in the ladies' society in the capital. She actually was a very sociable person who would gossip about the scandals of the nobles and aristocrats in a hilarious and fervent way. Though a little domineering, Wang shi didn't dare to be pretentious in front of Junzhu Pingning. Especially after Wang shi stopped her attempt to market her daughter, the straight-forward got along quite well with the princess who had a twist and turn mind.

Junzhu Pingning first congratulated Wang shi and then complained about her own son's failing. Today, Wang shi was in ecstasy, but had to try hard concealing her joy while showing empathy to the grumbling princess, so she turned every stone over to think of an unlucky thing, "It's said that marrying your daughter to a higher family and your son to a lower one. From an aristocracy family like Hai with such rules, how can I discipline my daughter-in-law in the future?!"

Wang shi's noble way of entertaining others at the expense of her own good took into effect at once, making Junzhu Pingning burst into laughter, "You deserve it—longing for both a daughter-in-law with noble background and an obedient one. There is no such good thing in the world!"

If someone else teased her like this, Wang shi would have overturned the table, yet in front of the princess, she could only squeeze the handkerchief and smiled to let it go.

In a short time, more guests arrived, forming a packed room embellished with jingling and clattering pearls and jade. Old Madam Sheng sat up at the main chair with three shy granddaughters dressed up in new clothes standing on the side to greet guests. Touched and tweaked by a group of middle-aged women, Minglan's face was on the brink of cramping from keeping a false smile. Waves of power scent made her dizzy, which was found by a girl around 15 years old standing by the old madam, wife of Cabinet Yu. She was wearing a bright purple top of silk that was narrow-sleeved and tight on waist and violet gown with green ripples of Xiang River. Spotting Minglan's look, she snickered and gave her a naughty glance. Minglan was irritated and showed her teeth.