After the ghost-hunting master descended the mountain, his fame spread throughout the capital.

Jiang Dusheng rode in the princess's carriage, heading towards the palace.

Inside the Chang Le Hall of the Imperial Palace.

The banquet was held in the spacious main hall, with carved beams and painted rafters, and bright pearls as lamps.

The seats for men and women were arranged on both sides of the main hall.

The Jiang family members had arrived earlier and taken their seats in the hall.

Jiang Mao held the official position of Minister of Rites, so his seat was naturally near the front and in a more prominent position.

The Xu family, who were also heads of the Six Ministries, were separated from the Jiang family by one seat.

After sitting down, Madam Xu, Chen Baojuan, kept glancing at the palace gate, as if searching for something.

When she saw that all the members of the Jiang family had arrived, but that one person was nowhere to be seen, she finally couldn't hold back and quietly got up.

Under the pretext of chatting with the women in the neighborhood, he walked up to Song Suya.

"Madam Jiang," Chen Baojuan lowered his voice, his tone filled with natural concern, "why didn't Dusheng come with you? Were you delayed on the way?"

Upon seeing that it was Chen Baojuan, Song Suya quickly stood up and put on a polite smile. "Madam Xu is very kind. Dusheng is deeply grateful for Princess Yongning's kindness. She specially sent a carriage to pick her up and take her to the Princess's residence. I'm sure she will be dining with the Princess."

Upon hearing this, Chen Baojuan's worry vanished, replaced by a knowing smile:

"I see. Then I'm relieved."

After speaking, she nodded slightly to Song Suya and gracefully returned to her seat.

This action, seen by those with ulterior motives, inevitably led to further speculation about the newly returned eldest daughter of the Jiang family.

When did this Miss Jiang develop such a relationship with Madam Xu?

Sitting beside her mother, Jiang Wanqing took in everything. She couldn't help but lean close to Song Suya's ear, her voice carrying a hint of bitterness that she herself didn't realize:

"Mother, when did my sister become so familiar with Madam Xu? Madam Xu even came over to ask her herself..."

Song Suya was slightly shaken by Jiang Wanqing's question.

She suddenly realized that since her eldest daughter returned, apart from taking care of her daily needs and worrying about her marriage and future, she had never really asked her what she liked or disliked.

What exactly did he do and whom did he meet during his time away from home?

A strange bitter feeling welled up in her heart, which she forcibly suppressed.

Forget it, there's no use thinking about it now.

She secretly told herself: It's okay. Once I find a stable and respectable marriage for Dusheng and everything is settled, I will make up for the lack of mother-daughter relationship over the years and slowly get to know her and get closer to her.

"Mother!" Jiang Wanqing saw her mother lost in thought and shook her sleeve in dissatisfaction.

Song Suya snapped out of her daze, patted Jiang Wanqing's hand, and spoke in an exceptionally gentle tone:

"Wanqing, your sister must have suffered a lot during those years away from home, which explains her somewhat withdrawn personality."

"From now on, do not make things difficult for her. Harmony between sisters is a blessing for the family."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wanqing froze, her eyes quickly filling with tears, and her voice trembled with sobs:

"Mother! What do you mean? What do you mean by making things difficult for me? She's always the one who provoked me first!"

"That day, she even cursed me and Brother Yanzhao in public! She doesn't treat me like a sister at all!"

The more she talked, the more aggrieved she felt, and tears streamed down her face. But she was afraid of being seen, so she turned away.

When Song Suya saw her beloved youngest daughter's tearful face, her heart softened instantly.

This is her youngest daughter, born after a difficult childbirth. She has been pampered since she was little, how could she not love her?

All the guilt he felt towards his eldest daughter vanished instantly.

She quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe away Jiang Wanqing's tears, and gently comforted her, "Alright, alright, it was Mother who was wrong. Mother shouldn't have said that to you."

"Don't cry. If you cry and your face is all stained, Yanzhao will laugh at you."

Jiang Wanqing stopped when Chu Yanzhao was mentioned.

She sobbed, carefully dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief, her gaze involuntarily drifting towards the men's section opposite her, searching for that familiar figure.

Chu Yanzhao was chatting and laughing with several young noblemen of similar age beside him.

Seemingly noticing her gaze, he turned his face to meet her eyes, a gentle and warm smile curving his lips.

Jiang Wanqing's cheeks flushed instantly. She quickly looked away, both shy and happy, and lowered her head. Her earlier grievances seemed to have been mostly dispelled by this smile.

In this delicate atmosphere, the eunuch in charge of ceremonies outside the hall announced in a drawn-out, clear, and loud voice:

"Princess Yongning and Princess Zhaohua have arrived!"

Everyone inside the hall, whether they were talking or sitting quietly, immediately fell silent upon hearing this, stood up in unison, and faced the direction of the hall's entrance as a sign of respect.

Princess Yongning, dressed in a dignified and luxurious palace gown, entered the hall with a graceful smile on her face.

Beside her, on either side, was a young woman.

The woman on the left, with her bright and beautiful face and noble demeanor tinged with a touch of naivety, is the well-known Princess Zhaohua.

However, when everyone's gaze fell on the woman to the right of the princess, their expressions varied.

The woman was dressed in an elegant light purple fairy dress, with a slender and graceful figure.

She wore minimal makeup, her skin was fair, and her features were delicate, yet she possessed a captivating and aloof air.

What is most striking is the cinnabar mole on her forehead, which, under the brilliant light of the palace lanterns, is like the finishing touch on a painting, adding an inviolable and awe-inspiring air to her already ethereal beauty.

She quietly served beside Princess Yongning, her posture neither humble nor arrogant, her gaze calmly sweeping over everyone in the hall, as if all the attention and whispers around her were nothing more than a gentle breeze.

"That is...?"

"The eldest daughter of the Jiang family? Why is she coming with Princess Yongning?"

"That's her! She won the princess's favor at the flower viewing banquet a few days ago, and the princess is so kind to her."

The hushed whispers spread quickly throughout the room, like pebbles thrown into a still lake.

In an instant, countless gazes, some probing, some scrutinizing, and some envious, all focused on Jiang Dusheng.

At the Jiang family's table, Song Suya and Jiang Wanqing were also completely stunned.

They knew that Jiang Dusheng had been taken away by the princess, but they never expected that the princess would treat her so highly, allowing her to enter the venue with them and the county princess in such a prominent manner.

Madam Xu sat upright at the table, watching this scene, her eyes and brows filled with a gratified smile.

Although she did not attend the flower-viewing banquet at the Princess's mansion that day, she had heard about it.

Those fools in the Jiang family probably don't know they're hiding a great treasure.

At the Meng family's seats a little further away, although Madam Meng couldn't see very clearly because of her position at the back, she still recognized that aloof figure at a glance in the crowd.

A slight smile played on her lips as she murmured to herself, "This child, after all, is a pearl whose brilliance cannot be concealed."

His words were full of affection, as if he were watching his own junior finally meet a mentor.