Qi Zhenzhen, with a faint smile on her face, dealt with everyone who came forward to chat. It was finally time for Rui Ning and Yan Qi to arrive.
"I knew my second sister would come, so it was worth it for me to get up so early," Rui Ning said sweetly.
Everyone was even more surprised. They didn't remember the Marquis of Changping's mansion having such a close relationship with the Prince Rui's mansion. Now, listening to Princess Rui Ning's tone when speaking to Miss Qi Er, they were clearly very familiar with each other.
Yan Qi also stepped forward and took Qi Zhenzhen's hand. "Second sister, you're here. We haven't had a good chat for a long time. I have so many things I want to tell you."
After speaking, she winked at Qi Zhenzhen. Her elder brother had greatly praised Zhenzhen in his last letter home, calling her "a woman who is no less capable than a man" and "loyal and righteous." Yan Qi was extremely curious. Her own brother was far away on the frontier, so how did he know Zhenzhen? Could it be that the emperor's praise for Zhenzhen had already reached the frontier? That seemed unlikely.
So Yan Qi was eager to ask Qi Zhenzhen what had happened.
Seeing this, Li Nuan called a young maid to lead Qi Zhenzhen, Rui Ning, and Yan Qi to the inner room. She chatted with the guests who had come to offer wedding gifts for a while before also going to the inner room.
"Did you really go to the frontier?" Yan Qi exclaimed.
"My elder brother has seen me, so can it be fake?" Qi Zhenzhen said with a smile.
"Well done, you're so courageous," Yan Qi's tone was full of undisguised admiration.
Rui Ning popped a piece of dried fruit into her mouth and said indistinctly, "I heard my mother say that if it weren't for my second sister this time, Brother An Nian might have died there."
Having heard the whole story, Yan Qi knew that Rui Ning was not exaggerating and nodded in agreement, "Who wouldn't say that?"
"It's only Zhenzhen. If it were me, I would have the will but not the strength," Li Nuan chimed in. "Ultimately, it's the fate between Zhenzhen and the young master."
"Yes, yes, yes, my mother said the same thing," Rui Ning said with a puffed-out cheek. "My mother said that my second sister is Brother An Nian's lucky star."
As the sisters were teasing Qi Zhenzhen and having a good time, a young maid came in from outside. "Eldest Miss, someone from the palace has come to offer wedding gifts. Madam has asked this servant to invite you out to greet them."
Li Nuan gave Qi Zhenzhen and the others an apologetic smile and hurried out.
In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, she returned, followed by a delicate young eunuch.
Qi Zhenzhen was about to ask why the person was led into the inner room when the young eunuch pounced over with a giggle. "Sister Zhenzhen."
Qi Zhenzhen chuckled and chided, "Princess, why are you dressed like this?"
The young eunuch was none other than Princess Jin Rong.
Rui Ning and Yan Qi were both familiar with Jin Rong and were not surprised by her appearance. "Do I need to ask? She must have sneaked out."
Jin Rong stuck out her tongue. "Do you think I don't want to come out openly? You know, I can only come out once a month. On the third day of the third lunar month, there was a famous acrobatic troupe performing, and I had already come out once. This time, if I wanted to come out, I had to think of a way. I'm twelve this year, and there are still three years until my coming-of-age ceremony. My birth mother said that I should wait until I'm sixteen to choose a consort, and only marry when I'm eighteen. I really wish time would pass faster so I can get married quickly. Then I can live in the princess's mansion and manage things myself, doing whatever I want."
Her speech amused Qi Zhenzhen and the others. This little girl wasn't thinking about love and marriage, but about being able to go out freely. If others heard this, they would probably burst out laughing.
Qi Zhenzhen cleared her throat. "It's fine to say this in front of us, but if Noble Consort knows, your chance to come out once a month might be gone."