Thirteenth Lady's Comback: Her Everyday Life as a Bystander-Chapter 81 - 10: Sisters Reunited

Today, the entrance to Prince Ke Mansion was bustling with activity. With the position of Crown Prince still undecided, any prince had a chance to ascend, but as the only legitimate son, Prince Ke’s prospects were greater.

Of course, becoming the Crown Prince does not necessarily lead to becoming Emperor, as the 150-year history of the Chu Dynasty has shown.

In noble circles, appearances of harmony are important, so even those who did not secretly support Prince Ke came today to joyously offer their congratulations. Considering this, it seemed that nine out of ten prominent families in the capital attended.

The Song Family arrived neither too early nor too late, welcomed by Nanny Wei and Nanny Chen, whom they had met upon their visit, and were escorted to the main courtyard.

Susu and Yang Liu followed the palanquin, observing the grandeur of Prince Ke Mansion, marveling that it truly deserved to be the residence of the Emperor’s favorite son, as it was more than half again the size of Shun’an Earl Mansion, and its buildings resembled palaces, with scenery at every step, reminiscent of Jiangnan gardens.

It took about half an hour to reach the main courtyard where the Princess Ke resided. Princess Ke graciously greeted them at the entrance, and after the ceremonial courtesies, she smiled and said, "Today I finally get to meet Old Madam!" Then she carefully observed the young ladies, adding, "No wonder Aunt Grandmother praised you so much. I used to be unconvinced, but now I see my ignorance is astounding!"

Princess Ke, no older than twenty-three or twenty-four, was dressed in a long robe of red with golden embroidered phoenixes and peonies in Shu brocade, paired with a pomegranate red skirt.

Her hair was styled in a peony bun, adorned in the center by a Five Phoenixes with Pearl Hairpin, its phoenix beak grasping a string of pearl tassels, with a water drop red gemstone hanging at the bottom, positioned right on her forehead, highlighting her oval face, willow-leaf eyebrows, apricot eyes, and cherry lips, making her appear even more exquisitely elegant—a perfect example of a classic beauty.

Apparently, after giving birth, she had not slimmed down completely, yet her plumpness only added to her allure and charm. Her manner of speaking was remarkably amiable and approachable.

In the capital, eight out of ten of the noble families are related, and the Aunt Grandmother mentioned by Princess Ke was the Old Madam of Wenchang Marquis Mansion. Princess Ke’s maternal grandmother and Old Madam Zhao were sisters, making the Song House’s prospective Heir’s wife her cousin.

Thus, the ties between the Shun’an Earl Mansion and Prince Ke Mansion were also familial, rendering Princess Ke’s friendly demeanor quite customary.

Only those from these noble families could enter the main courtyard and be personally entertained by Princess Ke. Among the guests were recognized aristocrats, including four Dukes, six Marquises, and eight Earls from the founding nobility, along with later ennobled meritorious titles of Xingguo and Fuguo, none below the Super Rank, gathered in this setting. With some esteemed family members and their female relatives present, as well as accompanying maids and servants, the gathering amounted to a hundred people without feeling cramped, thanks to the grand scale of the mansion’s flower hall.

Grand Princess Consort Gong, the current Emperor’s aunt by marriage, was also present. The Late Prince Gong had been the late Emperor’s youngest brother and the only surviving Prince from that era, conferred as Prince Gong, his privileges maintained with dual entitlements.

Princess Changlong, the late Emperor’s legitimate elder sister, was the only offspring of Emperor Huirun of the third generation of the Chu Dynasty and Empress Xiaosheng. Empress Xiaosheng came from Duke Zhen’s Mansion, and upon Princess Changlong’s birth, she was titled Eldest Princess, elevated to Grand Princess upon the late Emperor’s accession, and honored as "Zhenguo" by the current Emperor, making her status undeniably prestigious.

Princess Changlong and Grand Princess Consort Gong, as the only elder members of the royal lineage, attended Princess Qingfu’s month-old celebration, showing their esteemed presence.

Holding the young Commandery Princess, Princess Ke first introduced her to her grand-aunt and grand-uncle before bringing her to her own mother, Duchess Ning.

Princess Changlong smiled, "At the washing ceremony, I thought Qingfu resembled her father, but today I see she has her grandmother’s features. Back then, Xiao Zhao was renowned in the capital for her talents and beauty."

The attendees chimed in, praising the young Commandery Princess to the skies. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Princess Consort Jing, the Eldest Prince’s wife, discreetly smirked. A mere girl, yet she was treated as a jewel. Her eldest daughter only received a title at ten years old, one her own Prince had to request. Whenever she thought of this, she and her husband claimed that their father showed blatant favoritism.

Seeing everyone lavishly praise the young girl, with Princess Ke’s demeanor positively glowing, Princess Consort Jing remarked with a half-smile, "Father loves his grandchildren dearly. Naming the niece at the washing ceremony, one can only imagine the partiality towards a nephew!"

Suddenly, the atmosphere turned slightly tense, and Princess Ke’s expression subtly changed. In less than two seconds, she laughed and replied, "Isn’t that so! Just look at Big Brother’s Hong Yao."

Hong Yao, born to Princess Consort Jing, was the first-born legitimate son and first among the grandchildren of the Imperial Family. Despite being an Imperial Grandson, he did not receive the current Emperor’s favor. It was Consort Jing’s son, Hong Yu, clever and perceptive, who earned his grandfather’s affection.