Quick Transmigration: Reversing the Life of a Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Character

In the banquet hall, Lu Zhiyao quietly arrived at the Zhou family's seats and nodded to her mother and sister from afar.

Madam Zhou pushed a bowl of tea over: "Fifth sister-in-law."

"Thank you, sister-in-law." Lu Zhiyao touched the warm teacup to warm her hands, but she didn't eat a single thing on the table.

Before long, the Emperor and Empress arrived. After a series of greetings and toasts, the music and dance began. Lu Zhiyao perked up a bit. The Royal Dance Troupe was something to look forward to.

There was no scene where the emperor took a fancy to any of the singers or dancers. After the singing and dancing ended, the second prince took a wooden sword and performed a sword dance.

Lu Zhiyao remembered that this second prince was born when the current emperor was still a prince. His birth mother died early, and he was raised by his stepmother, who is now the empress. The eldest prince died young, so he was the eldest son in the true sense, but he was not a popular candidate for the throne because he was obsessed with martial arts and had no interest in the throne.

The princes below presented New Year's gifts, but did not perform anything.

Lu Zhiyao secretly complained to herself: The Third Prince is a pervert who loves to send women to other people's homes. The Fourth Prince is a violent maniac who beats the Princess when he gets angry, but he hides it very well. The Fifth Prince is not yet married, but he is already engaged. Xie Xuanzhi once had designs on him, but she was a few years older than the Fifth Prince and was afraid that the Fifth Prince's birth mother, Consort Shu, would strangle her, so she didn't dare to make a move. The Sixth Prince is the same age as the Fifth Prince, and his birth mother is Consort Qing, the head of the Nine Concubines. He is quite favored. This Sixth Prince is the final winner.

However, Lu Zhiyao did not intend to remind the Lu family. Firstly, she could not reveal the reliable source of the information, since the Sixth Prince had never performed particularly well. Secondly, her elder brother was right; the Lu family could not show favoritism towards any of the princes, and they were only loyal to the one on the throne.

After that, the Emperor chatted with several princes and nobles for a while, and the Empress exchanged pleasantries with several princesses. Then the palace banquet came to an end.

When Lu Zhiyao returned to her courtyard, she was shivering from the cold. Tao Shi hurriedly called the family physician. Although she took the medicine that day, she still couldn't avoid developing a fever. Fortunately, the fever only lasted one night and subsided the next day, but she was still feeling listless.

"Madam, Fourth Madam sent someone to invite you. She said that several of your sisters-in-law want to have some fun together," Dongxue said softly as she entered.

"Tell Fourth Sister-in-law that I'm not feeling well and won't be going," Lu Zhiyao said, lying weakly on the bed.

"That's what I said too, but that old woman kept pestering me, insisting on coming to invite you in person."

Lu Zhiyao frowned: "Ignore it. Just say I'm not feeling well and won't see any guests."

"Yes," Dongxue replied, then went out to get rid of the persistent nanny.

"Go and find out what the fourth branch of the family is up to," Lu Zhiyao ordered.

Tao responded and went out to arrange for someone to inquire. News about the fourth branch of the family was the easiest to find out, and the news came back in less than half an hour.

The fourth wife set up a mahjong table with backgammon, pitch-pot, and other games. The key point is that these games were all real, with real money for winnings and losses. The first wife didn't go, and Lu Zhiyao didn't go either, so the proper mahjong game didn't happen. However, the second and third wives still participated in the other games, especially the third wife, who lost ten taels of silver in less than a quarter of an hour.

"Heh, so you want me to lose some money?" If it weren't for her health, it wouldn't be a bad idea. It's lively, and Lu Zhiyao could afford to spend a hundred or two hundred taels of silver.

"The Third Madam has already made her move; she probably wants to make up for the money spent on the last birthday banquet for the Fourth Madam," said Madam Tao. Several months have passed since the birthday banquet, and during these months, the Fourth Madam has been trying to regain some of the power to manage affairs, but each time the Old Madam has refused, saying that she would not do so.

"Third sister-in-law is kind-hearted," Lu Zhiyao said calmly. The old lady of the Zhou family was not a kind person, especially when it came to the issue of illegitimate sons. The wives of illegitimate sons had to be very careful. The third wife was not short of money. She probably wanted the fourth wife to have a comfortable New Year since the New Year was just around the corner.

During the Lunar New Year, Lu Zhiyao only stayed at the New Year's Eve banquet for a quarter of an hour before taking Zi Ning back to her own courtyard. Zhou Boheng returned shortly afterward.

"Why are you back so early?" Lu Zhiyao asked in surprise.

"I am a military officer, and I don't have much to say to civil officials. Besides, I already talked to my father and elder brother yesterday, so there's no need for me to stay there today."

"Daddy, bag." Zi Ning's eyes lit up when she saw her father return, and she stretched out her little hand.

"What bag?"

Lu Zhiyao smiled and explained, "He wants a red envelope with lucky money for the New Year."

Zhou Boheng hesitated for a moment, which was rare for him. He hadn't prepared any. When he was very young, his grandmother and mother would prepare lucky money for him, but his father and grandfather never had this sense of ritual. He rummaged around on his person and took out a small dagger inlaid with gemstones and handed it to his son.

Xiao Ning hesitated because it wasn't wrapped in red paper. Although he liked the little gadget, the New Year's money his mother gave him was always wrapped in pretty red paper.

"Who would give a child a knife on New Year's Eve?" Lu Zhiyao was speechless.

"How about this?" Under his son's expectant gaze, Zhou Boheng tore off another jade pendant. He usually didn't wear such fragile things, but since he was back for the New Year, the people in the front yard who took care of his clothes had prepared a set of accessories for him.

"No bag." Zi Ning pouted unhappily, but he always felt most confident when he was with his mother.

Xia He cleverly handed over a red purse, and Zhou Boheng stuffed the jade pendant inside before handing it to his son: "This time you have a red envelope."

"Wishing Father a happy and healthy new year." The little boy Ning happily accepted the purse, his little mouth dripping with honey as he recited the blessing his mother had taught him.

Lu Zhiyao touched her son's little face: "Go back to sleep."

"My brother said we can't sleep tonight, we have to stay up all night to welcome the New Year," Zi Ning repeated her cousin's words earnestly.

"Okay, then Zining, go and keep watch on the bed, okay?" Lu Zhiyao coaxed the child.

"Sleep in the big bed with Mom."

"Go."

After watching her son enter the inner room, Lu Zhiyao asked, "Did you receive the reward money from the front yard?"

Besides Zhou Boheng's attendants and servants, there were two maids with special status in the front courtyard: Yuejian and Yuewan, who had served him for many years. When the original owner was alive, she didn't worry much about these things. Her steward would just give out New Year's gifts according to the usual practice, with the two maids receiving 20% ​​more. This time, when the gifts were being given out, Lu Zhiyao suddenly remembered and mentioned that Chunmei should change the gifts to fabric and jewelry.

Zhou Boheng looked at her, puzzled. "You should have received it. Don't we receive it every year?"

"Oh, I changed the gifts for Yuejian and Yuewan instead of giving them as usual."

"It is up to you, Madam," Zhou Boheng said in an unchanged tone. His grandparents had taught him to value his wife, and as long as she wasn't ruthless, he could leave everything in the inner quarters to her.

Lu Zhiyao raised her eyebrows slightly. This was good. The two of them treated each other with respect, and Zhou Boheng didn't seem to have much affection for others. It was a good balance.