Even Madam He marveled at such meticulousness.
Those who came from the palace were indeed different; they thought of everything thoroughly.
Since she was going to the palace and could not be as at ease as she was outside, Ji Zizhao merely ate two pastries for breakfast before leaving the courtyard accompanied by Jian Qiu.
On the day of entering the palace, the more low-key one was, the better. Ji Zizhao simply left Lian Ju and Qing Zhu behind.
At the mansion entrance, Fu Bao had been waiting for a long time. Seeing his young lady approaching, he busied himself by taking out the footstool and opening the carriage door. "Many are entering the palace today, so we must set off early."
Ji Zizhao nodded. Fu Bao, who had been by the Second Prince's side, must have attended such palace banquets frequently. If he said so, there was certainly a reason.
However, as soon as Ji Zizhao got into the carriage, someone blocked its path.
The person who came was none other than Madam Song, who served Ji Renran. "Miss Renran is in the main courtyard speaking with the Old Madam. Please wait a moment, Elder Miss. After Miss Renran finishes speaking with the Old Madam, you will enter the palace together."
Today was the day of entering the palace, so it was natural for Ji Renran to return and then depart from the Ji family.
But of all the granddaughters going to the palace, the Old Madam was holding Ji Renran's hand and talking endlessly. The difference in treatment was self-evident.
Especially Madam Song's proud demeanor, as if she wanted everyone in the mansion to know that in the Old Madam's heart, Ji Zizhao was not as important as Ji Renran.
Today's journey to the palace would surely not be peaceful, and Ji Zizhao, who needed to be fully alert to cope, naturally would not waste her energy on a sniveling servant acting like a bully. But Fu Bao, who was beside her, was not so accommodating.
It didn't matter if his young lady had no energy to waste; he had plenty to spare.
"Who are you?" Fu Bao jumped off the carriage and stood before Madam Song.
Madam Song had long heard of Fu Bao and Jian Qiu, but she was not afraid. After all, she was loyal to the Fifth Prince. "This old servant is Miss Renran's personal wet nurse."
"Since you are a servant by Miss Renran's side, what right do you have to relay messages from the main courtyard? With your attitude, one might mistake you for the Old Madam's personal wet nurse." Since you are not even associated with the main courtyard, where do you get the audacity to act powerful by leveraging the main courtyard's name?
Madam Song's expression stiffened. "Elder Miss and Miss Renran are sisters in the same household. Isn't it natural for a sister to wait for her younger sister? Fortunately, my Miss Renran is thoughtful and specifically instructed this old servant to inform you, thus preventing the Elder Miss, who left early, from being slandered for neglecting her sister."
"Many are entering the palace today, and all the young ladies from the capital have received invitations. My young lady, as the mistress of the Ji family, would be going to the palace to mediate and represent the Ji family even if she left early. As a younger sister, Miss Renran not only shows no understanding but even sends a fierce-looking old servant to block my young lady's carriage. Isn't Miss Renran afraid of being accused of disrespecting her elders?"
"You, who are you calling fierce-looking?"
"What, Madam Song, do you not look in the mirror regularly?"
Madam Song, "..."
Even if she was old, she still had her pride!
Given that the Elder Miss was still in the carriage, Madam Song naturally dared not escalate the situation further. She could only stand there with a dark expression, watching for her young lady and preventing Elder Miss's carriage from leaving first.
However, this matter should have been a cause for worry for the Elder Miss; instead, she was the most restless.
The gatekeepers at the entrance had heard Fu Bao's words clearly.
Now, these people were casting their eyes on her intentionally or unintentionally. The longer her young lady took to come out, the more the gatekeepers would snicker at her.
It would be strange if Madam Song's expression looked pleasant!
Fu Bao whistled and walked to the gatekeepers, specifically arranging for a bowl of milk to be sent.
"Young lady, have a bowl of warm milk to warm your body." Fu Bao walked to the carriage door and handed over the steaming milk.
Ji Zizhao never expected Fu Bao to be so chummy with the gatekeepers. She smiled and said, "You are quite clever."
Fu Bao scratched his head with a chuckle. "It is what this servant should do."
Back in Luoyi, if it weren't for his young lady, he didn't even know if he would have survived.
This time, he begged the Empress to let him out of the palace solely to repay her kindness. Now that his wish was fulfilled, he naturally had to stay by his young lady's side and help drive away the bothersome flies.
After Ji Zizhao finished the bowl of warm milk, Ji Renran finally arrived late.
The Tong family had truly invested heavily in Ji Renran. She wore a lavender tunic and an apricot-yellow skirt. A pair of jade bracelets on her wrists shone with a crystal-clear brilliance in the sunlight. The hairpin in her hair was made of bright silver in the shape of a Ruyi, and the hanging bead strands swayed with Ji Renran's movements, further accentuating her charming beauty.
This hairpin was a rather valuable piece of jewelry from the Old Madam's dowry. Even Ji Zizhao had only heard her mother describe it a few times. Now, it was conspicuously worn on Ji Renran's head, clearly showing the Old Madam's great importance and favoritism towards her.
Standing before the carriage, Ji Renran smiled sweetly, truly a beauty like a flower. "I've kept Elder Sister waiting for a long time. However, today is my first time entering the palace, and Grandmother is inevitably worried. But fortunately, Elder Sister has entered the palace before, so I will have to trouble Elder Sister today."
The way she spoke...
One would think Ji Zizhao was entering the palace just to be her foil.
Ji Zizhao did not have time to waste here. "If Sister Renran delays any longer, I fear there will be no need for restraint. You can simply stand at the palace gate and enjoy the breeze; it would be quite pleasant."
Ji Renran, "..."
This person couldn't even speak subtly!
Seeing that the time was indeed approaching, Madam Song quickly helped Ji Renran into the carriage behind.
The two carriages moved, one after the other, heading towards the imperial palace. Su Dan Novel Network.
With the palace hosting a banquet, many young ladies and daughters of noble families from the capital had received invitations. Now, carriages were seen everywhere on the road heading towards the imperial palace.
By the time Ji Zizhao's carriage arrived at the imperial palace, a neat row of carriages was already visible parked in front of the palace gates.
They were densely packed, a truly magnificent sight.
Fu Bao deliberately parked the carriage in a corner to facilitate entry and exit.
After the carriage stopped steadily, he carefully helped Ji Zizhao alight.
Just then, Ji Renran, who was walking towards them, saw Ji Zizhao. The sweet smile on her face was no longer as natural.
She wore a watery blue Cuiyan shirt and a pleated skirt. As she walked, the hem of her skirt rippled gently like ripples. Her shoulders seemed carved, her waist slender and delicate. Her fair skin was like jade in the sunlight, as if it could ooze water. The light rouge on her face perfectly enhanced her features, making them more exquisite and three-dimensional.
This was a Ji Zizhao that Ji Renran had never seen before.
Even Ji Renran instinctively dared not to look directly at such a Ji Zizhao.
How could Ji Renran have imagined that her own meticulously arranged appearance would be eclipsed by Ji Zizhao's?