"Your Highness," a young girl in pink, her eyes and brows curved with a smile, stepped forward.
Her appearance was not striking, but her smile was infectious, inexplicably drawing people in.
From a distance, she had seen this girl mingling among the daughters of various families. She must be the niece of the wife of Minister Wang, as the Princess Consort of Prince Rui had mentioned.
"Hello, Sister Li," Ruining greeted them generously. "This is the wife of the heir of the Duke of Protectorate, and this is Miss Yan."
"Both of you sisters are like celestial beings. In front of you, I feel utterly ashamed," Li Ruyi said with a smile.
"Sister Li is so generous and dignified. My mother always says that if I were half as good as Sister Li, she would wake up laughing in her dreams," Yan Qi said, uncharacteristically pleasant, a faint smile on her lips. It seemed she also had a good impression of this Li Ruyi.
Their attitudes were all friendly, and the atmosphere among the four was very harmonious.
"Your Highness, these sisters were just talking about you. We're so glad you're finally here," said a girl in a goose-yellow dress, smiling.
"You know I've always been lazy and preferred to avoid things if I could," Ruining replied casually. Qi Zhenzhen guessed that she was familiar with this girl in the goose-yellow dress.
"Not everyone can be as lazy as Your Highness; that's a blessing," the goose-yellow girl said in a clear voice, with a hint of envy.
"Alright, alright, we know each other well enough, no need for mutual flattery. I remember you're getting married in August, right? It won't be easy to see each other again then," Ruining said with a touch of wistfulness. "You're the only ones I can really talk to, why couldn't you marry closer?"
Li Ruyi quietly introduced the goose-yellow girl's identity. Only then did Qi Zhenzhen and Yan Qi learn that this girl was the niece of the Princess Consort of Prince Rui, Xu Qingrou. She had been close to Ruining since childhood and was now engaged to the legitimate second son of the eldest branch of the Cui family in Qinghe.
A blush rose on Xu Qingrou's cheeks. She stamped her foot and chided, "You're always like this, saying whatever comes to your mind. What kind of girl talks about marriage so casually?"
"What's there to be shy about? It's not something shameful. Many people envy your engagement. Besides, among the young ladies here today, aside from those already engaged, who doesn't want to find a suitable husband at this banquet? We girls cannot be careless about marriage, after all, it concerns the rest of our lives," Ruining said, her voice neither too loud nor too soft, spoken slowly.
Those farther away couldn't hear, but those gathered around, paying close attention to Ruining, naturally heard everything clearly.
For a moment, those who had been eager to approach Ruining to build connections became hesitant. This Princess was indeed spoiled by Prince Rui and the Princess Consort, speaking so directly without any semblance of a lady from a prominent family.
Xu Qingrou knew Ruining's temperament best and knew she was saying it deliberately. Thinking of her aunt's instructions, she felt even more troubled. Forget it, if Ruining didn't want to entertain them, she and Li Ruyi would do the greeting. As long as nothing went wrong, it would be fine.
"We'll have plenty of opportunities to meet in the future. Young Master Cui will participate in the spring imperial examinations next year, and after we get married, we will return to the capital," Xu Qingrou said, a wave of sweetness washing over her as she recalled the contents of a letter.
"The Cui family of Qinghe is a scholarly lineage, and this second son Cui is highly learned. He will surely pass the examination, and his ranking will be high. He will likely be appointed to the Hanlin Academy. So, does this mean, Sister, that you will be living in the capital from now on?" Ruining understood after a moment's thought.
Xu Qingrou nodded. Cui Shurong had written in his letter that the Xu family had only one legitimate daughter, and they couldn't bear to have her too far from her parents. The Cui family had many sons, and if he wasn't by his parents' side, he had brothers. Moreover, he wanted to strive for a future. This thoughtfulness made Xu Qingrou extremely pleased.