Wang Qingyao received an invitation from the Wei family.
Yes, the maternal family of Noble Consort Wei, who held the highest favor in the palace and had three grown imperial sons.
The head of the Wei family, Grand Tutor Wei, Noble Consort Wei's father, was a tutor to two generations of emperors and held immense prestige in court.
Even members of the imperial family treated him with great respect.
It was worth noting that among the Emperor's four grown sons, the first three were all born to Noble Consort Wei.
Given Noble Consort Wei's favor, the Crown Prince would undoubtedly be one of her three sons.
In other words, no matter which prince inherited the throne in the future, Noble Consort Wei would be the irreplaceable Empress Dowager.
Almost everyone tacitly acknowledged that the Wei family would be the imperial family's maternal relatives in the future, and even the Empress's maternal relatives.
The one who sent the invitation to Wang Qingyao was Wei Qing, the eldest legitimate granddaughter of Grand Tutor Wei.
Wang Qingyao had never met this Wei Qing, nor had she ever heard of her.
It was only after asking Xiao Yun that she learned he had also received an invitation.
It turned out that Wei Qing held a lotus banquet every summer, inviting only unmarried men and women.
Under the guise of a flower banquet, she actually organized games that were essentially couple competitions.
The invitation Wang Qingyao received was pale yellow, with half a red heart drawn on the cover, which, when combined with Xiao Yun's, formed a complete heart. This detail showed how much effort Wei Qing had put in.
The banquet hosted by the Wei family was of a much higher caliber than those Wang Qingyao usually attended.
The invited men and women were of noble status, mostly royalty and aristocracy. Noble Consort Wei's three imperial sons always attended to lend prestige to their maternal family.
Noble ladies from all over the capital vied fiercely for an invitation to the Wei family's lotus banquet each year.
Upon hearing that the Wei family had sent an invitation to Wang Qingyao, Old Madam Wang's entire face lit up with excitement.
New clothes were a must, as were a new set of jewelry and hair ornaments. The tips given as rewards had to be generous, and Madam Nian was consulted again to review the etiquette.
The old madam was so concerned, as if she were going to the banquet herself, that dark circles appeared under her eyes.
Even Wang Da sought out Wang Qingyao for a conversation, offering subtle advice.
"The Second, Fourth, and Fifth Princes are full siblings, all born to Noble Consort Wei. The Second Prince is the eldest, the Emperor's first grown son. He has a gentle disposition and is most favored by the Emperor."
"The Wei family intends to betroth Wei Qing to the Second Prince, but the Emperor has not yet agreed to the marriage."
"You don't need to pay too much attention to the Seventh Prince; he is born to Consort Chen. Consort Chen was formerly of the Empress's faction and did not get along well with Noble Consort Wei."
"You must be mindful of your words and actions, understanding what is important and what is not."
When Wang Da mentioned not paying attention to the Seventh Prince, Wang Qingyao silently rolled her eyes in her heart.
The Seventh Prince was so endearing, a fifteen or sixteen-year-old youth, full of youthful energy and sweet-mouthed, clearly likable.
She kept her expression neutral and nodded obediently.
Wang Da sighed deeply, lamenting with envy, "The Wei family's future is immeasurably bright!"
Old Madam Wang very much wished that Wang Qingzhen and Wang Qingzhu could accompany Wang Qingyao to the Wei family's residence, but the invitation did not mention that guests could bring others, so she dared not act rashly. If they were turned away, it would be a great loss of face.
On the day of the banquet, Xiao Yun came to pick up Wang Qingyao.
He received an invitation every year, so he didn't attach much importance to it. As usual, he wore a moon-white brocade robe and carried a folding fan.
Upon seeing Wang Qingyao, he broke into a smile.
Wang Qingyao was dressed very grandly, in a peony-thin water-smoke trailing gown, adorned with three or four sachets and jade pendants at her waist, her hair full of pearls and jewels, and around her neck, a golden eight-treasure璎珞 necklace with stones the size of thumbs.
Indeed, she was exuding an aura of immense wealth.
Before leaving, the old madam had specifically sent her attendant, an old nanny, to give instructions. Wang Qingyao obediently wore all the jewelry, but as soon as she got into the carriage, she removed most of it and changed into a white magnolia scattered-flower gauze dress.
Although Xiao Yun had come to pick her up for this outing, the Wang family had also provided her with a carriage, indicating the importance they placed on it.
Xiao Yun had told her the previous night to bring a maidservant along, so she had brought Yin Zhu.
Yin Zhu was nervous, "Will the princes from the palace really be there?"
"Yes, four of them will be there."
"Are princes capricious? If I accidentally offend them, will I be beheaded?"
Wang Qingyao laughed heartily, "There's no need to be so nervous. Princes are normal people too. Besides, isn't your future husband here? Although he is a prince, he has a lot of influence with the Emperor. For his sake, there's no problem."
Yin Zhu was still nervous.
As the name suggested, the lotus banquet would certainly feature lotuses.
Wang Qingyao had originally thought it would be a lotus pond, but upon arriving, she realized her limited knowledge.
The Wei mansion occupied a vast area, with gardens in both the front and back. The back garden had a large lake connected to the mountains behind, which acted as a natural barrier, enclosing the lake within the Wei estate.
The lake was filled with lotuses, and in the center, there was a small island.
Yes, you read that correctly. While other families built pavilions in the middle of their lakes, the Wei family had directly created an island.
The island was as large as a three-courtyard residence in an ordinary household. Three exquisite pavilions were built on the island. The two in the front, side by side, were for entertainment and feasting, respectively. The one behind was solely for rest.
The gauze curtains and door hangings of the pavilions were all in a uniform silver-red soft gauze. The corridors connecting the three pavilions were covered with awnings, keeping out insects. Natural mosquito-repelling herbs were planted around them, showing meticulous attention to detail.
There was no bridge from the shore to the island; one could only travel by boat.
Seven or eight small boats were moored at the shore. When someone wished to go to the island, they would simply give a command, and a boatwoman would come to ferry them.
As they drifted slowly across, they were surrounded by lush green lotus leaves and delicate pink lotuses. A cool breeze carried the fragrance of lotuses everywhere.
"This place is truly wonderful," Wang Qingyao said, reaching out to touch the water, her voice filled with genuine admiration.
"If you like it, we can build one too," Xiao Yun said.
"No need to build it within the Prince's mansion," Wang Qingyao replied, "It attracts mosquitoes, and it's difficult to manage when the lotus leaves wither in autumn."
Xiao Yun nodded, "Too much moisture can also lead to rheumatism. We could build one in a manor in the countryside, and it doesn't have to be this large. We can spend a few days there every summer."
"Yes, it would be perfect for escaping the heat."
They were not yet married, yet they were discussing their future married life like an old couple.
Xiao Yun's heart was filled with sweetness. He looked at Wang Qingyao, her face beaming, her eyes sparkling like sunlight on a lake, dazzling him.
At this moment, Wang Qingyao was thinking: Being the Princess of Ding'an is truly comfortable, with provided residences, carriages, and subordinates, and even free travel every year...