With her delicate face and slender waist, the royal uncle lost control.

"In my father's eyes, only interests matter. If his core interests are touched, he would abandon me, his adopted daughter with no blood relation, without hesitation, even if it meant abandoning his own daughter."

Qi Luo felt a chill run down her spine. "Then... what should we do? Are we just going to let them control us like this?"

"Of course not."

Yun Nian raised her eyes, a sharp glint in them. "If you don't want to be abandoned, you must first make yourself valuable enough that you won't be easily discarded. Also, before you've fully grown your wings, find a strong enough backer."

"You mean...?"

"Being near the water tower, one gets the moonlight first." Yun Nian gently stroked the rim of her cup. "Qi Luo, what do you think about us moving to the Ningxiang Prince's residence ahead of time?"

"What?"

Qi Luo's eyes widened. "Miss, your wedding with the young master is still a month away. This is against etiquette. If word gets out, I'm afraid the madam and the eldest young lady will use it against you, saying you have no shame."

Yun Nian smiled slightly, "If it's his request, outsiders probably wouldn't dare to object..."

-

The day after tomorrow.

The Fragrance Banquet at Princess Duanli's residence has always been a grand event among the noble ladies of the capital.

Amidst the elegant attire and swaying hair, the scene of clinking glasses and lively conversation is not only a stage for showcasing talent, beauty, and family background, but also an arena for fierce competition.

Yun Nian, Xie Shi, and Yun Wei arrived at the Princess's residence in the same carriage.

When the two sisters appeared together, they indeed attracted a lot of attention.

Yunwei dressed up carefully today, wearing the most fashionable gold-embroidered butterfly and flower cloud satin dress, and a red gold and kingfisher feather hair ornament, which was dazzling and beautiful.

Standing next to her, Yun Nian was wearing a slightly outdated moon-white soft silver light silk lily dress, with a simple color and style.

Compared to the radiant Yunwei, her outfit was nothing short of "shabby".

Strangely, when everyone's gaze swept over the two sisters, they couldn't help but linger on Yun Nian for a few more moments.

Her skin was as white as snow, her eyebrows and eyes as beautiful as a painting, and her calm and composed demeanor was like a solitary orchid blooming alone in a secluded valley amidst the hustle and bustle, which made the deliberately sculpted Yunwei next to her seem vulgar and frivolous.

Yun Wei naturally sensed this subtle contrast as well. She was secretly annoyed, but she managed to force a pure and innocent smile on her face and affectionately took Yun Nian's arm.

Just then, a gentle voice chimed in: "Is this Nian'er's younger sister? She is indeed beautiful and charming."

Qin Jiaxue walked over gracefully. Today, she was wearing a light green floral dress, which made her look even more delicate and pitiful.

She stepped forward, naturally extended her hand, and took Yun Nian's hand.

Only then did everyone realize Yunwei's identity.

At this moment, Yun Nian's eyes flickered slightly, casually glancing at the table set up for male guests not far away.

In an instant, she spotted the most eye-catching figure in the crowd.

Today, Qin Jiuchen was dressed in a dark purple robe with cloud patterns, his hair tied up with a jade crown, giving him a more aristocratic and languid air.

He was tilting his head slightly, listening to the whispers of an official beside him.

His slender fingers casually toyed with the jade teacup in his hand, his expression indifferent.

However, his imposing aura acted like an invisible barrier, automatically creating a small circle around him, preventing anyone from daring to approach and disturb him.

Suddenly, Qin Jiuchen looked up and his gaze met Yun Nian's.

His gaze was calm and unfathomable, without the slightest ripple of emotion at the reunion with an old friend.

Yun Nian's heart stirred slightly. She raised an eyebrow in his direction, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

Qin Jiuchen's gaze lingered on her face for a moment before he indifferently looked away, returning to the teacup in his hand, as if the brief encounter had never happened.

Yun Nian also turned her gaze away, the smile on her lips deepening slightly, but her eyes remained clear and cold.

Very well, if he wants to pretend he doesn't know her, she's happy to play along.

However, today's banquet is destined to be anything but peaceful.

Just then, a high-pitched announcement came from outside the hall: "Her Highness Princess Duanli has arrived."

In an instant, all the guests in the hall fell silent and rose to their feet to pay their respects.

A group of palace maids and eunuchs escorted a beautiful young woman as she slowly entered.

Princess Duanli was only twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. She wore a crimson palace dress with gold-embroidered peonies and a crown with nine phoenixes holding pearls. Her appearance was delicate and charming.

His phoenix eyes, as they darted about, carried a unique royal majesty, along with a hint of anxiety and sharpness.

She smiled and raised her hand, gesturing for everyone to rise; her voice was clear yet haughty.

"Today I am hosting a banquet, and I am delighted that you all have come. Some time ago, I acquired a rare mutton-fat white jade Guanyin statue. Its carving is exquisite and its spiritual aura is captivating. I have brought it here to share with you all."

As she spoke, two eunuchs behind her carefully carried a jade Guanyin statue, about a foot tall, to a sandalwood table that had already been set up in the hall.

As everyone looked closely, the Guanyin statue was pure white and flawless, with a radiant glow and a compassionate and peaceful expression. It was indeed exquisite.

Upon closer inspection of its posture, holding an infant, it is clearly a "Guanyin who grants children".

Everyone here is shrewd; a little thought and they understand.

Princess Duanli had been married to the prince consort for three years, but had not conceived a child; this was already an open secret in the capital.

I've heard that she's been seeking out sorcerers and experts lately, and I imagine that the idea of ​​"using the spiritual energy of everyone to nourish Guanyin in order to have children" is one of her strategies.

Today's banquet, ostensibly for flower viewing and socializing, is actually for the purpose of "gathering spiritual energy" for this statue of Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy who grants children.

Immediately, words of praise and congratulations arose one after another, all praising the jade Guanyin as an extraordinary auspicious object that would surely bless the princess and help her achieve her wish soon.

Yun Nian coldly stared at the warm and lustrous jade Guanyin, her heart completely unmoved.

She remembered that in her previous life, someone took advantage of the chaos to push her from behind, causing her to "accidentally" break the white jade Guanyin statue of the elegant princess.

From then on, she not only completely offended the arrogant and domineering princess, who made things difficult for her at every turn, but even after her death, it was said that the princess was still not satisfied and almost caused trouble for her grave.

In this life, she will not only prevent this from happening again, but she will also use this opportunity to her advantage.

Thinking of this, she subtly took a half step back, hiding herself behind several women who were eagerly watching.

However, seeing her retreat, Qin Jiaxue immediately took her arm affectionately, "Sister Nian'er, come and take a look! This jade Guanyin is truly exquisite, and its meaning is auspicious. Let's go closer and absorb some of its blessings!"

As she spoke, she forcefully pulled Yun Nian forward without saying a word.

Yun Nian didn't want to draw attention by pulling at her at this moment, so she had no choice but to be led to a front row seat near the table.

Just as she stood still, before she could even get a good look at the Guanyin, Yun Nian noticed a shadow approaching from the reflection of the sunlight.

Immediately, Yun Nian deftly shifted her feet, her figure swaying gracefully to the side like a willow in the breeze.