Duke Ying's Residence seemed to have gathered every type of chrysanthemum they could find. Called a chrysanthemum banquet, it truly was an ocean of chrysanthemums. In addition to the famous varieties gifted by the Dowager Consort from the pace, there were rare flowers like Caiyun Zhuiyu and Qianshou Guanyin, as well as the more common Gypsophi. The tables were adorned with chrysanthemum wine, the snacks included chrysanthemum cakes, and even the bean cakes bore a chrysanthemum motif. They served chrysanthemum bird's nest porridge and chrysanthemum wine, making every detail reflect the theme of a chrysanthemum banquet.

  Even Han Yueheng, who was used to seeing extravagant dispys in the pace as a companion reader, was overwhelmed by the sight. She quietly took Chen Mingyu's hand and whispered, "Such extravagance! Just that pot of Caiyun Zhuiyu alone is worth a fortune, not to mention the entire garden filled with chrysanthemums of every kind."

  Duke Ying's family had recently suffered a loss of face, with scandalous rumors about Shen Qingrang and Miss Tong spreading wildly. This chrysanthemum banquet, which was practically a formal introduction of the new daughter-in-w, was their attempt to restore some lost dignity. Nothing surprising about that.

  Chen Mingyu's thoughts, however, were elsewhere. She sat in a second-floor pavilion, resting her chin on her hands, lost in thought as the breeze swayed the tassels of her phoenix hairpin. Against her fair complexion, she looked like a painting of a beauty in sorrow.

  The recent scandal involving Zhang Tianhe's embezzlement of military funds in the northwest was causing even more of a stir than the previous case in Yangzhou. Occasionally, while in the hidden alcove of the study, she could hear her grandfather, Lord Chen, angrily berating his subordinates as "useless." Any official connected to the northwest was on edge, especially with this year's scheduled Imperial Assessment. She had accompanied her grandfather to the study often and had overheard enough of the men's arguments to understand the implications. This assessment was clearly a scheme by Song Chengru and the Cui family to use the opportunity to eliminate those who had colluded with the northwest.

  She couldn't comprehend, nor could she suppress her anger, over how things had come to this point. Just half a month ago, she was certain Cui Shaoting was as good as dead and that the Cui family's days were numbered. Yet, within two weeks, the Cui family and Cui Shaoting had somehow risen again alongside the Song family. They were like troublesome ants; wipe out one nest, and another would appear, seemingly endless...

  As she sat in a daze, a loud shout startled her. She looked at Han Yueheng beside her, who was already leaning on the railing to watch the commotion. After a while, Han Yueheng excitedly pulled her along, covering her mouth to stifle her ughter. "Come quickly; there's a scene unfolding downstairs. Let's go see the excitement!"

  Chen Mingyu stumbled as she was pulled, sighing in mild exasperation. "We grew up together; who doesn't know each other's temperament? I'd be more surprised if there wasn't any trouble today. If she wants to make a fuss and finds it respectable, let her be. But what are you doing joining in?"

  "If it were anyone else, I'd leave it. But do you know who she's causing trouble with?" Han Yueheng's face lit up with barely contained amusement. With a mysterious pause, she ughed, "It's Sixth Miss Song! Watching those two troublemakers face-off is sure to be entertaining. If you don't want to go, I'm going on my own!"

  Chen Mingyu thought she must have misheard. She considered herself well-acquainted with Song Chuyi's character; why would she attend such an event? Even if the Shen family sent an eight-carriage panquin, the Song family would likely scoff. And it wasn't just the Song family; even her own grandmother wouldn't have come to the Shen household if she weren't keen on distancing herself from any association with the northwest. Surely, Song Chuyi knew about Miss Tong's temperament. Why would she come?

  Though she thought this, her feet moved on their own, quickly taking her downstairs, where she found Tong Shao confronting Song Chuyi with an arrogant demeanor.

  Due to the change in weather, Song Chuyi wore a goose-yellow cross-colred robe with a white silk skirt. The fresh colors made her resemble a striking Fenghuang Zhenyu flower, captivating everyone's gaze. The green-tinged pis belt around her waist accentuated her slender frame, and even without seeing her face, she already outshone the eborately dressed Tong Shao.

  Tong Shao felt a pang of inferiority the moment she met Song Chuyi's eyes. Recalling how Shen Qingrang had been cold toward her since dismissing his maids, often scolding her as inferior to Sixth Miss Song, and that his father had originally intended for him to marry Sixth Miss Song, her anger fred. With a tone of superiority and a haughty gesture, she pointed at Song Chuyi. "I didn't invite you, yet here you are uninvited. I didn't know the Changning Marquis Residence had fallen so low, showing up at uninvited banquets so eagerly."

  Disappointment fshed in Chen Mingyu's eyes. Tong Shao was fiery but unfortunately cked wit—she was no match for Song Chuyi.

  Song Chuyi didn't even bother to speak to Tong Shao—she'd dealt with her in her previous life and knew that reasoning with her was futile. She gnced around with a look of slight exasperation and embarrassment, saying, "If that's the case, perhaps the invitation was mistakenly sent..."

  Before she could finish, Lady Yang and Miss Shen Huixin, who had come to help, hurriedly grabbed Song Chuyi's hands from both sides. "No, no! How could there be a mistake..."

  If Duke Ying's family couldn't even send invitations to a simple gathering of young dies without error, what else could they manage in the future? The two of them exchanged gnces, each seeing the same irritation in the other's eyes at Tong Shao's unreasonable behavior.

  Just as Song Chuyi was about to be escorted past Tong Shao, Tong Shao suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist.

  Having grown up with the Marquis of Wuning, Tong Shao was stronger than most girls. She intended to throw Song Chuyi to the ground in an embarrassing dispy, but somehow, Song Chuyi's hand slipped free like a fish. Before Tong Shao could react, she lost her bance due to her still-healing leg injury and stumbled backward, nding hard on the ground. The fall wasn't light; it took her a moment to feel the sting on her backside, and, humiliated and furious, she scanned the crowd and gritted her teeth, shouting Song Chuyi's name.

  Lady Yang and Shen Huixin were startled, and after recovering, they felt deeply embarrassed and enraged, nearly fuming with frustration.

  It was already because of this jinx that the family had lost so much face, and today, they had pnned this chrysanthemum banquet to put on a good front, hoping that a fancy event could gloss over the scandal. Yet, here was Tong Shao, this fool, seemingly afraid Duke Ying's family hadn't lost enough face, insisting on making a scene out of nothing and turning the gathering into a ughingstock.