Wasn't he supposed to be beaten to death? Why did this powerful cousin love him so much?

Upon hearing this, the laughter in the hall subsided somewhat, and everyone's gaze fell on Xie Yao, with a hint of watching the spectacle.

Upon hearing this, Xie Yao immediately curled his lip: "Why bring him up? A few days ago at Lingyin Pavilion, he actually got into a fight with me over a singing girl, and almost hit me. I'm not inviting him."

Everyone immediately understood, exchanged glances, and a knowing smile appeared in their eyes.

Who here hasn't been to a brothel?

It's common for people to fight over a beautiful woman.

Amidst the laughter and conversation, someone suggested playing pitch-pot.

Xie Yao readily agreed, personally picking up an eagle-feathered arrow and saying with a smile, "Whoever can hit ten arrows today will receive this Hetian jade chess piece as a gift from me."

Xie Yao pointed to the jade box on the chessboard, his tone carrying a hint of romantic flair.

Upon hearing this, everyone became interested.

The son of the Minister of Personnel stepped forward first, rolled up his sleeves, concentrated his mind and breath, and threw an arrow, which hit the mouth of the pot, drawing cheers from the crowd.

At the chess table over there, Shen Ziyu and another young master had already started playing chess.

Xie Yao strolled over and watched for a while. Seeing that Shen Ziyu hesitated when placing his piece, he immediately raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Brother, this piece of yours should be placed at the center, which can break the opponent's gold corner and silver edge."

Shen Ziyu ignored him.

Seeing this, Xie Yao was not angry. He simply turned around and went elsewhere, chatting and laughing with the others.

After Xie Yao left, Shen Ziyu thought for a moment and then made his move as instructed. Sure enough, the situation reversed, and he was secretly surprised and began to look at Xie Yao with new respect.

I originally thought he was just a spoiled brat, but I never expected him to have such keen chess skills, seeing through the key points in the ever-changing game at a glance.

As Xie Yao's eyes darted around, he caught sight of several young maids standing under the eaves, each with delicate features, but he merely glanced at them indifferently.

Princess Anning, accompanied by Xie Yihua and the second wife, first went to the main hall to offer incense and pay homage to the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, and then moved to Qinfang Pavilion to rest.

The maids served freshly brewed tea, and then brought out plates of exquisite pastries, including rose pastries, osmanthus cakes, and freshly steamed lotus leaf buns.

Princess Anning glanced at the crowd and smiled, "This year's Qixi Festival is more lively than in previous years."

Madam Wang hurriedly replied with a smile, "That's right. Yu Jiao prepared a Suzhou embroidery of the two stars meeting, with very fine stitches. She also made some pastries by hand, which are quite unique."

Upon hearing Jiang Sese's name, Princess Anning glanced at her indifferently.

As soon as she finished speaking, a maidservant stepped forward and presented the plate of Snow Mochi to Princess Anning.

Princess Anning looked down and saw that the pastry's outer skin was as smooth and lustrous as jade, showing more ingenuity than ordinary pastries.

Jiang Sese said, "This is called Snow Mochi. It's filled with sweet fruit filling. It's not a particularly rare skill, but I just wanted to try something new. Please, Madam, have a taste."

Jiang Sese lowered her head and looked down, her tone humble, without a trace of arrogance on her face.

Princess Anning originally misunderstood Jiang Sese, thinking that this orphan was vain, had no self-awareness about her status, and wanted to seduce her son.

But now that Xie Jue had made things clear and the misunderstanding was resolved, Princess Anning was no longer as angry as before.

Princess Anning glanced at Jiang Sese, then ordered her maid to fetch a silver hairpin. She picked one open, revealing a pale pink peach filling wrapped in a creamy, milky aroma. The sweet fruity fragrance mixed with the milky scent wafted out.

Princess Anning took a small bite, and the cool, soft, and chewy outer layer melted in her mouth. It was sweet but not cloying, with a refreshing fruity aroma and a rich, creamy flavor.

Although I have tasted all kinds of delicacies, this novel and sweet flavor is truly a first for me.

Princess Anning said, "The way this food is prepared is unique; it's a rare and ingenious idea."

However, a simple compliment was enough to elicit different reactions from the people in the pavilion.

Aunt Sun, who was sitting to the side, was overjoyed when she saw this. Her eyebrows curved into a smile, and she hurriedly thanked Madam Jiang on her behalf: "Thank you for your praise, Madam. Sese is a very thoughtful child. It is her good fortune to have caught Madam's eye."

Jiang Sese smiled and said, "Thank you for the compliment, Madam."

Before she finished speaking, Xie Yujiao sat opposite her, looking at the plate of mochi, and couldn't help but curl her lips into a smirk.

Jiang Sese only made a dessert, yet Princess Anning praised it personally. Why is that?

Xie Yihua lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes concealing all emotions within them. Only when she heard her mother's praise did she quietly purse her lips and her knuckles curl slightly.

Princess Anning instructed the nanny Qian beside her: "Since such a clever idea exists, reward Miss Jiang with a hairpin inlaid with South Sea pearls in pure gold, two bolts of Hangzhou silk, and a box of imperial osmanthus perfume."

Jiang Sese quickly stepped forward and curtsied gracefully, saying, "Thank you for the reward, Madam."

The girl stood tall and composed, without a trace of flattery, her just-right submissiveness causing Princess Anning to glance at her in surprise once more.

More than ten years ago, there was a beauty in the imperial harem who was the most favored concubine.

Every frown and smile exudes captivating charm; truly, a single glance from her could charm a hundred beauties, making all the other women in the imperial harem pale in comparison.

Even Princess Anning, a woman who was used to seeing the most beautiful women in the harem, liked her from the bottom of her heart. She always liked to go to her palace to listen to her play the zither, chat with her, and admire her gentle yet resilient spirit.

Princess Anning couldn't quite describe the extent to which the emperor doted on her at that time, but she had never seen the way her brother looked at her before.

I never saw him again after that.

Princess Anning had no doubt that if she died, the emperor would make everyone pay with their lives.

Sure enough, the year she died was the year with the most deaths in recent years.

In terms of numbers, it naturally cannot compare to the number of people who died in war, but those who died were far more numerous than ordinary civilians.

The concubines in the harem who had mistreated her, the officials in the court who had gossiped about her, and their relatives and clansmen were all beheaded and their blood flowed like rivers. Countless people had their homes confiscated and were exiled.

That disaster was started by the Empress. On the same day that she died, the Empress was also given poisoned wine and went with her.

Memories flooded back, and her heart ached. When Princess Anning came to her senses, her gaze remained fixed on Jiang Sese. The daze in her eyes gradually faded, leaving only a deep and unfathomable stillness.

The girl in front of me was just an orphan from the countryside. Although her features bore a slight resemblance to that person, she was ultimately not her.

The resemblance in their eyes and brows, and the refined elegance in their bones, was so striking that it felt like a reunion after a lifetime.